Super Slayerettes

by Joshua The Evil Guy

My first ever 'Whistler' fic. Anya becomes a Balance demon, there's a new Bigger Bad than even the Chosen Two can handle alone, and guess who just showed up. X/A, W/T, B/F Updated!

1. Section1 to Section10

Disclaimer:    Sunnydale, the Slayerettes, Faith, Whistler, D'Hoffryn, and the 'typical' vampire-types all belong to Mutant-Enemy Productions and were created by Joss Whedon.  The names "Doomsday" and "Kal'El" and "Jimmy Olsen" belong to DC comics and none of this will be used to make any profit whatsoever.  It's just for people's general enjoyment under the guidelines of unwritten Fanfiction rules everywhere, as well as the specified rules of Fanfiction.Net, where this is so far the only place this story is placed.  All other character and topic use mentions are included with their own sort of disclaimers in the story.  Enjoy!  ;

Super Slayerettes

1.         It all started the day after Xander and Anya's wedding.  Or rather the lack thereof.  Buffy was still trying to pick herself up out of the funk coming out of her own grave had put her in over the past few months, Willow was really getting into kicking her magic misuse addiction, and Dawn was making reparations to all those her briefly kleptomaniac hands had gotten her in trouble with.  Tara was hanging out more and more with Willow again, but they were still a ways from where they had been in their relationship, while Anya had disappeared almost off the face of the Earth and Xander had spent the night in the seediest hotel he could get under twenty dollars.

            That's where they had been.  This is where they are…

            "Dawn!" Buffy screamed as three of the demons tried to drive pile the Slayer to the ground.  They were ugly little suckers, literally.  Translucent slugs about a foot to two and a half feet long on the big ones that had just started coming out of the faucets and seemingly every single water work in the house.

            Fortunately, Buffy and Dawn were downstairs in the kitchen, preparing a late breakfast for their Saturday morning routine, where there was plenty of "weaponry" to choose from, such as knifes, wooden utensils used as clubs, and the great equalizer, frying pans.  Unfortunately, Willow had been upstairs in the middle of her shower when it suddenly cut off and the slugs started pouring out.

            Both Summers girls had heard the scream, and figured what it meant, but they were too busy dealing with the ones over the rest of the house to make it upstairs.  Unmolested anyway.  The slugs didn't seem to be that harmful, just being annoying and attaching themselves all over the place.  And leaving a rather odiferous trail behind, though not necessarily pungent, was not of the common household scents they were used to.

            "I've got it covered Buffy!" Dawn shouted back as she peeled yet another of the translucent demons off her back and tossed it back to the sink, where it just slithered out of again.

            "Ewwww!" Dawn screeched as yet another of the slugs landed on her back and clung to her clothing.

            Buffy had had just about enough.  No matter how many times they threw the slugs off them, they always came back.  Luckily, they had managed to keep the little demons from maintaining any kind of hold on sensitive places, such as their heads and…other places women keep covered.

            "Buffy!  What are we going to do about this?" Dawn yelled as she threw off two more of the demons.  "I mean, I don't think our insurance covered demon slug infestation, and well, you are the demon exterminator, so…"

            "We have to get to Willow.  We'll figure out how to get rid of them after that!" Buffy shouted back and slammed, heavily, a frying pan onto on of the exposed slugs.  It made an interesting splatter noise, but as had happened the first few times, it quickly reformed and rejoined the attack on the two young women.

            During the reprieve, Buffy and Dawn ran as fast as they could to the stairs, where they saw countless more of the slugs tumbling, or slithering down the stairs as they watched.  Keeping an eye out, and almost constantly peeling and throwing the demons away, the two sisters made their way up to the second floor and just reached the top landing when Willow, dressed only in a wrapped towel, came bursting out of her room, tossing another slug out of her hair as she scrambled toward the Slayer and the Key.

            "Buffy!  Help!" Willow whimpered/screamed.

            Buffy raced forward and quickly checked her friend, confirming that there were none of the demons on the towel or any of Willow's exposed skin.  "Wills!  Come on!  We've gotta get out of here!"

            "But…Buffy!  I'm not dressed!  Literally!" Willow protested escaping the house in nothing but a towel.

            "Back yard!" Buffy ordered.

            "Buffy!" Dawn yelled again, before they could make another move.  The two elder Slayerettes quickly joined Dawn at the top of the stairs and saw what had caused her to scream.  A gulping mass of the translucent demons had gathered at the bottom of the stairs, and was oozing its way up them, like a clear water version of the Blob.

            "Uh, okay, back yard window," Buffy quickly ordered, all three racing to the window at the end of the hall that fell upon a view of the back yard.  Buffy quickly unlatched and opened the window and poked her head outside, seeing the only way to the ground was either a very unstable vine trellis or to just jump out the window.  She knew she could safely land herself, but Dawn and Willow…

            "Okay guys, I'm going to have to go first.  Then Dawn and Willow, jump out the window and I will catch you.  Willow don't worry, we have a high fence nobody is going to see you.  Dawn, you'll go first after I'm on the ground, understand?"  Buffy backed up from the window and readied herself.

            "Just don't think of dying on this swan dive Buffy," Dawn quipped at her sister.

            Buffy gave her younger blood a dazzling smile before taking a five step running gait at the open window, and them diving through the opened part head first, and then flipping around mid-air so her feet landed her lightly on the ground.  She turned around quickly and looked up at the window.

            "All right Dawn, jump!"

            Dawn nodded her head and started to fit herself, feet first, out the window.  Just as she was sitting on the ledge, her head still inside for the moment, both she and Willow heard a rather disgusting "sucking" sound behind them.  They both turned to look at the sound, and were horrified to see the mass of translucent demons working its way up the stairs and down the hall in their direction.

            "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurryhurryhurryhurryhurryhurry!" Willow started screaming at they younger Summers.  Dawn hurried.

            She quickly fit the rest of herself out the window and then making sure Buffy was ready, she pushed herself off and away from the window, only to freefall in the next three seconds, which made it more stomach-dropping rather than liberating, and be roughly caught by her sister's strong arms in the fourth second.  Buffy quickly put the Key down and shouted back up to Willow, who was trying, rather difficultly, to mimic Dawn's method of escape.

            "Hurry Willow!" Buffy and Dawn shouted together.

            "I'm hurrying, what, don't you think I'm hurrying," Willow muttered as she struggled to work her bare legs out the window, maintain her balance, and her grip on the towel around her at the same time.  The red-haired Slayerette finally managed to get a hold of the trellis with her left foot and was easing her back out the window when the mass suddenly loomed large in front of her.

            "Oh shit!" Willow cursed as the towel suddenly caught on a splinter on the window ledge.

            The demons continued to close the distance between themselves and the trapped woman until finally Willow, damning the consequences, let go of everything and fell back…

            …Into the arms of her best friend, and as naked as the day she was born.  Buffy caught her just the same and they quickly rushed over to the veranda, where the girls sometimes left their beach towels out on the tables and chairs to dry, a particularly large one with blue and white stripes immediately wrapped around Willow's pale form.

            "We've got to get to the Magic Box," Buffy decided, seeing the slugs stop at the window, specifically the trailing edge of sunlight around it.  "Hunh," Buffy observed.  "It doesn't like sunlight."

            "They," Dawn immediately corrected.

            "Sorry, they," Buffy responded condescendingly.

            "Uh…Buffy, I-I can't go to the Magic Box looking like this," Willow whined, also looking up at the mass of demons at the window.  Soon, it became obvious that the demons were covering all of the entrances and exits around the Summers' home, yet everywhere there was direct sunlight was avoided.  Willow also noted this and hypothesized with her next statement.

            "Hm, maybe the sunlight dehydrates them, I mean, they came out of the water system, right?  So maybe they're like 100% H2O and they'll evaporate."

            "So, maybe if we use mirrors to get at the dark places, they'll all turn into vapor?" Dawn hazarded a guess at a solution.

            Willow shook her head.  "No, I don't think so.  It's only the places where there's direct sunlight, around the windows.  Where there are curtains and stuff, you can see a couple, so I guess that filtered or reflected light won't work.  My question is, what are they doing here?  And…how do I get some clothes?"

            Buffy frowned and scowled deeply.  "My guess, Warren and the others are behind this.  And, uh, as for clothes…  Well, I could try and get back in and get you some Wills…" Buffy suggested.

            Willow's eyes went wide.  "No!  B-Buffy, you-you can't!  We don't know what those things are or what they can do.  For all we know they might actually digest my clothes!  Buffy, I don't want you risking yourself for me, even though the sentiment is nice…"

            All talk ceased suddenly as they heard a distant and echoed chime from inside the house.  It took all of them a second to realize, but they came to the conclusion at the same instant, shouting, "The doorbell!" and then racing around the side of the house, through the gate and to the porch to stop the unknown visitor from walking into the newly claimed demon nest.

            They were all, most especially Willow, surprised to see that it was Tara, looking just as startled as all of them to see them running from around the side of the house.  Once the surprise had settled, they all noticed Willow's state and Tara couldn't help but blush a little at the sight, and rather naughty thoughts, of the near naked red-head right in front of her.  Willow's face soon matched her hair in color as she looked down and wrapped her towel more tightly around her torso.

            "Uh, hi…t-Tara," Willow greeted for the three of them.  "What-what are you doing here?  Not that I'm not very glad to see you, because I am, but as you can see, it's not a particularly good time for a visit.  Demon slugs have invaded our home."

            "Oh," Tara nodded, stepping fearfully away from the door.

            Buffy suddenly came upon an idea.  "Uh, Tara, you wouldn't happen to have some of Willow's clothes at your dorm room, would you?  This…infestation kinda came on suddenly, and Wills here was in the middle of her shower…" Buffy let the rest hang in the air.

            Tara suddenly nodded, having been staring at Willow in her half-naked state, and answered, "Oh!  Yeah, I do actually.  We can go in my car.  I was actually coming over to offer to take you all out to breakfast.  Unless you've already…"

            "Actually, the new Yeerk pool kinda crashed out on our breakfast plans, so we will definitely take you up on your offer Tara," Dawn spoke.

            The two blondes scrunched their faces in confusion and repeated, "Yeerk?"

            Dawn looked blatantly at them, giving them looks they now easily recognized as teenage frustration towards all adults.  "Yeah, you know, alien slugs that go in through your ear and take over your body?  Animorphs?  It's a book series by K.A. Applegate.  I've been reading it for several assignments in English.  It's pretty cool, it's about…"

            "Dawn, not now," Buffy interrupted.  At Dawn's hurt look and just as she was about to open her mouth with a reproachful snap, Buffy added, "We have to get Willow out of sight of the neighbors and into some clothes.  Otherwise we might get the local PD called on us for indecent exposure or something like that."

            "Oh!  We do not want that!  Let's go.  Tara, thank you!" Willow stuttered, some of her old high school shyness creeping into her demeanor as she and the others raced to Tara's car.

            "It's no problem Willow," Tara said easily as she started her car and made her way back to her dorm room.  Willow was in the front passenger seat, beside Tara, while the Summers girls had gotten in the back.

            As the car full of Slayerettes drove away, none of them ever noticed the shadowed figure across the street, staring at the infested house, his eyes tracking the car as it disappeared down the street.

            "Soon Slayer," the shadowed figure hissed to itself, "Soon."

2.         Ten minutes later, Willow was dressed in her green sleeveless sweater and a pair of tight denim jeans and a pair of Tara's sandals.  They stopped by McDonald's® on the way to the Magic Box and picked up plenty of breakfast food and were soon at the back table, pulling out all the demonology books in the store and started looking for the ways of dealing with their, for the time dubbed, "Yeerk" pests.

            Unfortunately, there was precious little mention of anything even resembling what Buffy, Dawn, and Willow had encountered.  It wasn't till an hour later, when Xander arrived, looking very miserable and pitiful with his unkempt state, that any progress was made.

            As soon as Xander walked in the door, Dawn suddenly stood up, looking at her book, not the door, and shouted, "I found it!  I mean them!"

            "Great work Dawn," Buffy complemented her sister and dumped her own load of books and went over to the Key, the other two women joining the Summers' as well.

            "Xander!" Willow stopped and stared after she got up and noticed him standing at the top of the stairs.  The other three stopped what they were doing and turned to look, gasping at what they saw.

            "Xander?" Dawn asked, putting the book she had down.

            "Xander, are you alright?" Buffy asked, concern in her tone, laced with a little fear.

            Xander's pitiful gaze was all the answer they needed.  Forgetting their own troubles, they moved forward as a whole and soon embraced the depressed Slayerette.  Xander did not embrace them back, but he did not push them away either.

            "It's going to be okay Xander, I know it is," Willow tried to comfort.

            It wasn't until those words that Xander moved, and when he did, it was to step out of the group hug they had trapped him in.  They didn't stop him or force him, they just watched with sadness in their eyes.

            "She's not here…" Xander whispered.

            Willow was about to ask him to repeat louder, but a soft touch from Buffy silenced her before she could speak.  Instead, a louder, more obnoxious voice spoke.

            "Well ofcourse she's not here ya dolt!  After what you did to her, did ya honestly think that she'd be anywhere you could find her?" the voice said with a heavy Brooklyn accent.

            Everyone, Xander included, turned around to stare at the source of the voice.  They were all amazed to see a short man with a dress sense, if possible, was a thousand times worse than the ugliest outfit Xander possessed.  A bright green, yellow, orange, and pink Hawaiian shirt with ugly dark brown khakis and worn penny-loafers, put together with a halfway decent dark brown leather jacket, and a gangster-style gray hat topped his head.

            "Whistler?" Buffy exclaimed in an equal mix of surprise and dread.

            "Heya Slayer, how ya been?" the balance demon greeted with a gentle smirk.

            "What are you doing here?  The last I saw of you was…Angelus…" Buffy trailed off as the bad memories assaulted her mind.

            Xander and Willow's eyes widened in horror as they stepped away from the unknown, and very human (if tacky) looking demon.  Whistler soon calmed their fears with his next statement, putting his hand forward as though to say "calm down."

            "No, don't worry.  Angel's still Angel.  He's actually in the middle of a sort of crisis of his own right now, and he don't need me anymore.  'Sides, he's got a connection to The Powers That Be now.  I was only supposed to get him started on his path.  After he paid his penance in that hell dimension you sent him to, and he came back, that's when he started his real work.  No, I'm here for a completely different reason.  D'Hoffryn?"

            All of a sudden there was a huge flash of light, accompanied by a rather loud and intense bang, and at the end of it, there was the tall, bald, and multi-horned robed figure; D'Hoffryn, with a small and almost insignificant figure next to him.  Xander could hardly believe his eyes.

            "Anya!" he screamed with joy and tried to race forward to the woman he realized, after the absolute stupidest mistake he could have ever made, he loved with all of his heart and soul.

            Anyanka's scowl, when she saw him, stopped Xander in his tracks.  She turned to the tall and imposing Vengeance Lord next to her and whined, "D'Hoffryn!  I thought you were going to make me a vengeance demon again!  So I could be myself again and make Xander pay for all that he did to me!"  Anya said Xander's name with such vehemence that the man actually flinched when she said it.

            "Sorry toots, we've got other plans fer' ya," Whistler spoke up.

            "Who in the nine hells are you?" Anyanka sneered.

            "Name's Whistler.  Don't worry, I'm not human.  I'm a Balance demon," Whistler knew that he wouldn't have to explain any further with this one.

            "What's a Balance demon?" Dawn asked.

            "They're demons fighting for the Light and help to preserve and continue life on Earth," Tara answered, a little bit of awe seeping into her voice.

            "Tara?  You know about Balance demons?" Willow asked, surprised that her true love knew so much.

            "Course she does," Whistler nodded to the blonde witch.  "Probably heard about 'em from yer Mom.  By the way, my condolences."  Tara just nodded her head in reply.

            "But D'Hoffryn!  You promised!" Anya whined to the taller demon.

            "Actually toots," Whistler interrupted again, "I've got a proposition for ya.  And it would be wise of ya ta listen to all of it before makin' any kind of hasty decision.  All right?"  Whistler stepped forward until he was standing in front of Anyanka and the other demon.  It was the first point that all of them noticed what Anya was wearing.  A rather drab and plain set of clothes, simple black pants and a loose black colored blouse, her honey blonde hair back in a ponytail.

            "I advise you listen to him Anyanka," D'Hoffryn sagely advised.  Anya looked up at him and glared for a couple of seconds, hoping that she could force him with her will to turn her back into what she was.  Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working, so she just snorted and turned back to the Balance demon and grunted, "All right, I'm listening."

            "We want you to become a Balance demon."

3.         "We want you to become a Balance demon," Whistler said simply, "instead of a Vengeance demon.  Besides, the Fates have already cast the cards on that scenario.  If you become a Vengeance demon, again I might add, all you'll end up doing is hanging around here, still helping out the Slayerettes and being miserable instead of what you'd be feelin' doin' it as a Balance demon."

            Everybody except the demons in the room looked at each other, not knowing what to think.  Anya was standing there, stuttering through her thoughts, while the other two demons merely looked upon her with anticipation.  Xander stared in mutual shock and disbelief at Anya, not sure what was going on or why she was here.  Tara was just staring at the whole scene, unsure what to make of it, while Willow was staring almost longingly at Tara, lost in her naughty thoughts.

            Buffy was staring untrustingly at Whistler, while Dawn was happy to see Anya, but was also staring at Whistler, but in confusion.  "I still don't get what a Balance demon is," she said aloud.

            Whistler, turning his back to Anya to face Dawn, smiled as he explained.  "Not all demons are dedicated to the destruction of all life kid.  I'm not a bad guy.  In fact I'd like to consider myself one of the good guys every now and then.  I'm basically, as your sister there guessed pretty good if I remember when we first met, an immortal demon sent to Earth to settle certain scores between good and evil.  As evil is usually so on top of things and so very common around these parts today, I'm usually more for Good than evil."

            "And today you just happen to be asking my fiancée to join up with you guys?" Xander sarcastically snapped.

            "EX-fiancée!" Anya shouted at said ex-fiancée.  Then she turned back to Whistler and lost her bluster and half her anger.  "What…exactly would I have to do?  If I said yes?"

            Whistler shrugged.  "Not much.  Basically you stay here in Sunnydale doin' the same things you were doin' before.  Runnin' the Watcher's shop, helping out the Slayer and friends with whatever knowledge of the demon worlds you possess, and as far as the having sex almost constantly, well, that I'll leave up to you."

            "Nothing else?  I don't get to wreak horrible retribution on conniving backstabbing lowdown filthy traitorous men who only deserve to be chased down the streets and shot like rabid dogs?" Anyanka asked, a bit of her anger returning.

            "Uh, no."

            "Oh.  Then do I get to grant the wish of women who have been wronged by treacherous, lying, insecure and cowardly, doe-eyed boys pretending to be men when they should still be in diapers and spanked regularly for betraying adult and mature women?"

            "Uh, no."

            "Oh.  Then if I can't do the fun stuff, what can I get to do?"

            "Well, you first of all get some really nifty demon powers, and basically you get to live forever, with no other consequences than those." Whistler finally answered.

            "Oh," Anya look crestfallen.  At this point, Whistler looked to D'Hoffryn for whatever aid the elder demon could offer.

            "Anyanka, I know that this mortal sorely wronged you, and that you do indeed deserve to be returned to your former glory," D'Hoffryn consoled, placing a taloned hand on the blonde's shoulder.

            "But."

            "I knew there was a 'but'," Anya muttered.

            "But I believe that your destiny no longer lies with me.  Anyanka, Anya…  You have learned much in your time as a mortal.  You have known love again, you have learned how to live in this world, and yes, you have been scorned again.  But out of everything that you've learned…do you honestly believe that you could just turn around and walk away from it all?  Turn you back on this business you helped to establish?  Turn your back on the man, that though scorned you, you still love?"

            Anyanka turned a glare that would melt the sun if possible on the taller demon.  D'Hoffryn, who was used to such looks from his girls, just smiled gently down at her.  "Despite how you try to hide it beneath your grief and anger, I can still feel your undying love for the boy.  Do not think that you can hide anything from me girl."

            Anya lowered her head, no longer able to look her mentor in the eye.  Without getting a crick in her neck anyway.  Xander, seeing a chance to make up for his foolish actions, or action, singular, took a step forward and tried to speak.  The moment he did, Anya turned on him with a raging vengeance in her eyes.

            "Anya…"

            "Shut up Xander!" Anya shouted at the man.  "You walked out on me!  Do you have ANY idea what that's like?!  You said it was because you weren't ready!  Because you didn't want to hurt me!  Well guess what Einstein!  YOU!  DID!!"  With that, Anya turned into D'Hoffryn's robes and began to cry, her only consolation the demon that had taken care of her for over a thousand years.

            "Anya…" Xander's voice croaked. 

"I know I did," he finally muttered.  "I-I'm sorry.  I didn't…  I didn't mean to…" sigh "I love you Anya.  I know that now more than ever.  It ripped my heart out and burned it with acid when I walked away from you.  I spent the night in the seediest motel I could find.  And all I could think about was you.  I realized…" his voice broke again, "I realized that I love you.  I love you so much that it hurts, it hurts worse than anything being away from you like this.  Oh gawd Anya…" Xander fell to his knees, tears flowing freely down his cheeks.  "Anya…please forgive me."

            Anya stopped.  Slowly, she turned to look at the prostrate man.  A man that, even after everything he did to her, betraying her, she still loved very much.  A man that was begging, yes really begging, for her forgiveness.

            "How can you ask that?" she hissed.

            "How can you ask me to forgive you?  Just like that.  Do you have any idea the torment, the anguish, the pain you put me through?  Xander, that…creature just showed you a false illusion, nothing real, and you crumbled like he knew you would.  If you love me so little that a simple mind trick can make you run home to your d…"

            "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Xander was livid.  "What he…that thing showed me was my worst nightmare multiplied by infinity Anya!  I KILLED YOU!!"

            Xander broke right there, falling the rest of the way to the floor and collapsing into loud sobs.

            "Geez, drama much?" Whistler cracked.  Only to be hit four times in the back by the other women in the story.  Hard.

            "What?" Anya whispered, confused by Xander's outburst.

            Slowly, the sobs becoming less dominant, Xander got back to his knees.  "He showed…the illusion was that I became worse than my father.  A drunk, useless bastard that yelled at and degraded you, and at the end of it…I got so angry that I killed you…"

            "Anya…I…couldn't, I never want to do anything like that to you.  Ever.  I knew…I know that I still have some issues to work out.  But I know beyond all shadow of doubt…that I love you.  I never want to hurt you Anya.  And…I believed, when I walked out…that even if it wasn't real, that…it might still happen that way.  That I might hurt you.  And I couldn't live with myself if I ever did anything to hurt you like that.  But I can't live without you either.  Please Anya…please…forgive me."

            Anya, with tears falling silently down her cheeks, opened her mouth to speak, but closed it before sound could escape.  This happened a couple more times before she finally took more than three steps away from D'Hoffryn, the furthest she'd gone since they had arrived, and knelt next to the weeping Xander.

            "I do love you Xander," Anya spoke softly.  "Even after all the pain and grief you've put me through, I still love you."  Xander had the beginnings of a smile as he looked into her tear-stained eyes.  It fell at her next words.  "But I cannot forgive you for what you did.  I can't see us continuing our relationship any further than where we stand right now.  So, Alexander Harris…what would you have me do?  Accept this Whistler's proposal, or not and try and become a Vengeance demon again?"

            Xander looked at her, the tears still falling, but the sobs stopped.  "Why are you asking me?"

            Anya shrugged, much the way Whistler had, and answered casually, "Well, all my stuff is still at our apartment, and I'm not about to move out when there are so few rent-controlled apartments in Sunnydale, so you have to decide which roommate you want.  Balance or Vengeance demon?"

            Xander, and most of the other people in the room, blinked in surprise.  "You're…not moving out?" he asked, awe and hope straining his voice.  Anya shook her head to the no.  Leaving Xander with her question on the proposal put forth.

            "Well…Vengeance can get so messy, plus there was the fact that your past as a Vengeance demon did kinda come back and bit us on the ass, turning our wedding into a circus…"

            "Funny, I thought Anya's guests were what made it a circus," Whistler quipped.  He was hit four times again.  Hard.  "You know, I bruise kinda easily," he said to the four women.

            "Good point.  And as a Balance demon all I'd have to do is take orders from The Powers That Be, right?"

            "Not quite," Whistler answered.  "I get my orders from them, sure.  You'd be getting your orders from somebody else," he explained.

            "Who?" Anyanka asked.

            Whistler gave a half-smile and rolled his eyes upward, pointing in the same direction.  Anya blinked in shock and then just blurted, "You're kidding."  Whistler shook his head no.  "You're not kidding?"  Whistler nodded.

            Anya slowly got to her feet, Xander, drawn to her by her expression, followed.  "Fuck," the former Vengeance demon cursed.

            "Anya?  What is it?" Xander asked, concerned.  Their tears had stopped but the signs were still clear they had been crying.

            Anya turned and regarded her former fiancée.  "I…I'd be an agent of the Heavenly Host.  A…basically I'd work for…God."  That stunned all those that did not already know about it, basically everyone in the room besides the two full demons.

            "And I'd get to stay in Sunnydale?  And keep my job and making money?" Anya asked, concerned, but sounding almost eager when she mentioned money.

            Whistler shrugged again.  "I don't think it'll matter.  Just make sure you complete what little assignments you may get, and be where you have to be when you need to be."

            Anyanka thought it over in her mind for a full minute, pacing a bit between Xander and D'Hoffryn, before she stopped in the middle and said to Whistler in a clear and steady voice, "I'll take it.  I choose to be a Balance demon."

            "All right then.  We've just got some paperwork to fill out upstairs, so if you'll come with me, we can…"

            "Wait!" Buffy almost shouted.  Everyone in the room stopped and regarded the Slayer.

            "Uhm…Anya?" Buffy began.  "Have you ever heard of little translucent slug-like demons that come in through the water pipes of people's homes?"

            Whistler, Anyanka, and D'Hoffryn started at the description.  "What?  Where?  Who's home?" Whistler rapid-shot.

            "Uh, my home.  And less than thirty minutes ago.  It seems to avoid sunlight, so nothing followed us I'm sure, but it…" Buffy answered.

            "They," Dawn corrected again.  "There are like almost a thousand of these translucent Yeerk thingies and they kinda combined together to make this huge blob thingie and chased us out of our house.  Willow was in the middle of her shower, so she had to run out naked, but fortunately Tara came by and had some clothes Willow changed into."

            The redhead blushed with embarrassment when Dawn got to the last part, but stepped in to add her part.  "Since they came out of the water pipes, I assumed they're made up mostly of water, and that's why they're avoiding direct sunlight, to keep from evaporating."

            "Damn," Whistler cursed after Willow finished, though it had been apparent that he hadn't been listening since Buffy had answered his question.  Anya and D'Hoffryn looked equally disturbed.  The taller demon came forth to regard Anyanka a final time, saying, "I'm sorry Anyanka, but I must go.  I hope that you find happiness and wellbeing in your new destiny my child.  And…try to give him a second chance.  He might make it worth your while."

            "Thank you for everything D'Hoffryn," Anyanka whispered as she hugged the robed form.  "And I may give him another chance.  But not for a good long while, and now that I'm immortal again, that could be a century or two."  D'Hoffryn laughed easily as he hugged the former Vengeance and future Balance demon goodbye and then vanished in a poof of smoke.

            "Whistler?  What's wrong?  These things weren't really dangerous as far as we could tell, but they were more than annoying and ofcourse demons, but not really the intelligent kind, and are you even listening to me?" Buffy asked when the Balance demon began to pace rather nervously.

            "No, I'm not," he snapped, uncharacteristically, back.  "Those…water demons…aren't normally dangerous, but it's their appearance that means trouble.  It's a portent.  Those things showing up always are."

            "Huh?  What do you mean?" Dawn asked for her sister.

            "They aren't called Yeerks, they don't actually have a real name," Anya picked up the explanation.  "But you are right Willow, they are mostly water, and if they are exposed to direct sunlight, they disappear almost immediately, leaving a…unique scent behind.  But whenever there is a large number of them together…that means that one of the Old Prophesies is about to occur.  Whenever a demon hears about them showing up, they get out of town very fast.  Because the Old Prophesies are about one thing only."

            "The Eternal struggle.  The ultimate powers of good versus at least one of the ultimate powers of evil," Whistler finished.

            "That's why I came here now, to get Anya.  Something big is gonna be going down in the next few weeks, and we can't afford any screw-ups on mis-information.  This is one of the battles when all of the forces of good have to combine and work together.  Or else the world is doomed."

4.         "Gee, ominous much?" Dawn quipped, mocking Whistler's earlier statement.

            Whistler was too stressed to notice or care.  "Look, I've gotta get Anya upstairs to do that paperwork, like pronto.  I hate leavin' the rest of you with so little to go on, but we're short on time enough as it is.  We'll be back as soon as possible to give you the whole lowdown."

            "Should I…call anybody?" Buffy asked, hoping that Whistler would understand her meaning in asking if she should call Angel to come in and help out.  Since he is a force for good and Whistler had said that all of the forces of good had to come together in order to save the world.

            Whistler shook his head.  "Naw, like I said, he's got plenty of his own problems.  We'll be back as soon as she can." Whistler then tipped his hat, Anya stepped up next to him, and in the next instant, they were just gone.  No blinking, no special effect, just one instant there, the next, not.

            "Okay, a show of hands of all those that are officially freaked out?" Xander asked, raising his hand.  Dawn, Willow and Tara all raised their hands.  Buffy was too busy looking sourly at the spot that had once been Whistler and Anya to do the same herself, even if she was "officially freaked out."  Which she was.

Bad guy's place

            Faith was disoriented.  She had been taken out of her cell, that much was obvious to her, and the only possibility was that it had been last night in her sleep, because her internal Slayer clock said that not that much time had passed for it to be longer than last night.

            She was in a dark cavern, only a few torches directly around her provided illumination, and they only illuminated her and the floor directly around her, the walls shrouded by darkness and too far away for the light to reach.  A funny thought, that.

            She had woken up, not entirely sure what had awoken her, but probably the rising dawn.  Her internal Slayer alarm always wakes her at the butt crack of dawn.  She had come to realizing that she was not where she was supposed to be, and certainly not how she was supposed to be.  For starters, ever since joining the population at prison, she had forgone sleeping buck naked, but that's how she found herself, and spread eagle on some kind of X shaped alter, and tied down with the heaviest and hardest rope she'd ever felt before.

            "Fuck," she cursed as she tried to get a clue about her surroundings.  Unfortunately, her head was strapped down by the same rope, but luckily not around her neck.  Then again, maybe not, Faith thought as she felt a slight cramp in her gut.

            'Vamps,' she thought with fear and pure hatred.  Figures that it'd had to be vamps behind this.  But as soon as she got out of this…

            "You won't be getting out anytime soon Miss Adams," a sinister voice responded out of the darkness, as though it heard her thoughts.  But that was impossible, right?

            "It's not as impossible as you would like it to be Miss Adams," the voice continued, over pronouncing her name like that fucked up Agent dude on the Matrix did to Keanu Reeves character.

            "I believe you're referring to "Agent Smith", who kept calling the hero Neo, Mister Anderson.  And yes, I really am reading your thoughts, Miss Adams.  And not just your thoughts, but your memories and feelings as well.  Feeling a tad scared are we, Miss Adams?"

            "My name's Faith you jackass and as soon as I break free of this, I'm gonna break your neck!" Faith shouted at the voice.  Or at least she tried to.  She felt her mouth moving, but no sound exited her throat.  None, other than the footsteps of the voice coming closer reached her ears.

            "Don't waste your energy trying to scream for help or with idle threats Miss Adams.  As you've just seen, it is pointless.  Now don't worry, the vampires you are sensing are in the other room, and I only needed them to get you out of your cell.  You see, we're still in the prison.  And do not worry your pretty little head about them.  I swear to you on my own life, that they will not lay a single glance upon you unless you desire them to do so."

            "Yeah, and what makes you think I'm gonna trust somebody who forgot to tell me the safety word?" Faith thought at the voice in the dark.

            "To quote yourself, Safety words are for losers and wimps.  But don't worry.  You won't need one.  It's the rest of the prison you should worry about."

            Faith felt a chill of terror sweep down her spine.  "What are you gonna do?" she thought.

            "Me?  I'm going to stay right here with you Miss Adams.  The vampires outside however…well, they were complaining earlier about being hungry, and I hold very little sway over them I'm afraid.  And you are aware of what hungry vampires do?  Aren't you Miss Adams?"

            "I told you, you mother fucking pea-brained bastard!" Faith shouted in her own mind, "My name is Faith!"

            "Well, for the moment, I'm sure it is.  However, I am afraid, Miss Adams, that you are about to develop a mild case of multiple personalities."

            "What?" Faith's fear factor shot through the roof as she could begin to make out a body near the alter, within touching distance if she was right.

            "I'm going to possess you with a demon.  A tamed demon I might add, but tamed by me.  My, I do wonder what the capabilities of a demon possessed Slayer are?"

            "You fuck—" Faith's thoughts were cut off as the source of the voice cut off the spell that gave Faith's thoughts voice.  Or to be more precise, he shut her up.

            Faith's suspicions about the proximity of the one holding her captive was soon realized as she felt something soft and liquid touch her bare torso and move in a specific pattern.  Since her head was immobilized, she could not look down to see, and the light was sucky anyway, but it felt like a paintbrush or something.

            After a minute or more of the paintbrush drawing whatever it was onto her torso, it stopped and Faith could begin to hear another noise in the background.  Suddenly she realized what it was.  The flames of the torches.  All during the voice's speech, she hadn't heard anything other than his, it was male she was more than confident, sounds; the sounds of his footsteps, his breathing, even the rustle of clothing that sounded like some kind of robe.  But she hadn't heard anything else but him.  Now she heard the flames, which meant that maybe the spell taking her voice was gone.

            Just as she was about to start screaming and out-cursing the devil himself, her captive began to chant something.  She couldn't make it out, but she could hazard a guess or two as to what it was supposed to do.  Before she could utter a single sound though, the symbol that he had drawn across her torso began to burn.  And not just any kind of burn, but as though it were on fire.

            Faith had been burned by fire before, after all, she was the Slayer.  But she had never been exposed to torture like this.  She doubted if anyone ever had, as the pain became white hot and she began to lose control of her muscles and began to spasm uncontrollably, trying to end the pain.  When the man's chant reached a shouting level, Faith's pain tolerance had been breeched.

            Faith's screams echoed throughout the prison, a prison that was now full of dead people, only a few of them still "walking."  Just before Faith felt she was to lose consciousness, her eyes caught sight of her captor, just as he was finishing his chant with a shouting climax.  The fire on her chest was so hot that it burned straight through her and felt like it was burning itself into her very soul, which she knew that it was.  But what made her scream in absolute terror, what threw her over the edge of complete and absolute fear, were the glowing royal red eyes in her captor's gaze.

            The screams of the Slayer echoed and cascaded throughout the tombed prison, making even the vampires that were beyond insane themselves and often enjoyed the screams of humans, stop and take a moment to cringe in near-sympathy for the Dark Slayer.

Magic Box

            One hour later, Xander was just walking back in, having been convinced an hour earlier to go home and shower and change into clean clothes that were not wedding related.  He brought doughnuts with him, hoping that the girls would be sensitive enough to forget his break down earlier and leave him be about it.

            The girls, apparently, were more than sensitive enough, as they just thanked him for the doughnuts and asked him to help with research.  Dawn even told him a joke she'd heard at school and Willow had made him swear not to ask about what Dawn had mentioned earlier, about her having to jump out of a building naked.  Xander just smiled at her and told her not to worry, her secret was safe with him.  However he did work in a blushing question about Willow's attraction to blondes.  One that had Buffy ducking behind a book at and refused to come out until the doughnuts were gone.

            Thirty more minutes into the research, with Xander, there was a sudden ringing of bells as the front door opened, causing everyone to look up.  Xander instantly was on his feet when they all saw that it was Whistler and Anya returning through the front door rather than just appearing out of thin air, as they had left.

            "Anya," Xander greeted, though it was obvious he wanted to say more, he didn't.

            "Xander," she nodded back.  Though there was a difference about her, one that every one of them saw.  They couldn't describe it, but they could tell it was there.  Xander smiled at her and she grinned back, though they didn't say anything else to each other.

            "All right Whistler, what's the deal?  What's with these water demons being a portent?" Buffy got straight to the heart of the matter.

            "Direct, ain't she?" Whistler asked Anya.

            "She's a Slayer.  They're very direct people." Anya answered in her matter-of-fact manner.

            "Good point.  All rightie then," Whistler began, "you all might want to sit down, because this might take a while."  They all moved over to the research table and the mortals sat down, while the two immortal demons stood in the middle of the room to explain the prophecy and the parts that they felt they would all play a part in.

            "Okay, first of all, Old Prophecies.  Every, and I mean every single one of'em is about a titanic struggle between an incredible power and source of Good, against one incredibly powerful and destructive force of pure evil.  And this is not the kind where you have to convince evil to mend its evil ways and turn towards the light.  Uh-uh, you have got to destroy it, because there is no other way.  Now maybe its minions you might be able to turn to good, and that I would strongly suggest trying before killing them, but the Big Bad in this case, you've got to wipe out completely."

            "Okay, no biggie.  I've done it with ADAM, and Glory was just a walk in the park for me," Buffy said casually.

            "And a jump off a tower," Anya added, completely serious.  Buffy blushed.

            "Okay, that's the general background, just so you know the stakes," Whistler continued.  "This Big Bad happens to be a real doll.  And I don't mean that cartoon bunny on Space Jam.  It's a vampire, but not any ordinary vampire."

            "It never is," Buffy mutters.

            "He found something, this vampire.  Until he did, he was just any newbie that you'd dust without a second thought.  It's an artifact.  Of pure evil.  It's called El día Corazón in its native language.  In English; "Heart of Doomsday".  Turns out there was this demon about seven to ten thousand years ago, its name actually called Doomsday.  It was a real piece of work.  Only thing that could kill it…it killed the thing before that thing could kill it.  Didn't matter though, because the thing just came back and took it down in a new form.  Kinda like you Slayer, it doesn't seem to like staying dead."

            "Oh joy, just what I wanted to do with my afternoon, learning about long dead things that I have in common with," the Slayer almost viciously remarked.

            Whistler just shrugged it off, "You know, you guys have got to work out your hostility problems.  Anyway.  The Heart of Doomsday is just that.  The demon called Doomsday was made entirely of rock and stone, so it's Heart, all that was left of it, is a big ruby rock about yay big and two guesses as to what found this rock about a month ago?"

            "Our new vampire Big Bad?" Dawn helpfully offered.

            Whistler put his right index on his nose and pointed his left index finger at Dawn, "Gold star for the kid.  Only problem is, Doomsday had more power than his body could handle, since it was made of stone.  A living body can handle a lot more, but a vampire's body…only thing worse would be if a Slayer or a Champion got a hold of the power.  This vampire doesn't have any weaknesses, 'cept maybe the same one Doomsday had to that thing that killed him."

            "Okay, so how do we get a hold of this thing that killed Doomsday?" Buffy asked, getting to the point.

            "That thing wasn't a thing, it was a person," Anya spoke up.  "And unfortunately, that person no longer exists on this planet, or in any dimension we can get a hold of as soon as we're going to need to."

            "So…what's the proposal on how we deal with this Doomsday vamp?" Dawn asked.

            "One of you have to become the embodiment of the being that killed the original Doomsday," Anya answered.

            "Oh is that all?" Xander rhetorically asked, with a heavy load of sarcasm dumped in for effect.

            "Not all, but the beginning." Anya helpfully supplied.

            "Okay, how do I become the embodiment of this being?" Buffy stepped up.

            "Whoa, a bit overconfident are we?" Whistler whistled.  "It don't quite work out that way Slayer."

            Whistler reached into the folds of his leather jacket and soon removed what looked like a bright glowing sphere, the primary colors of the rainbow shimmering around it with shadows and flashes of light.  Instantly Tara gasped and Willow frowned and Dawn took a step towards the sphere, only to be held back by her sister.

            "What is it?" the Key asked.

            "The Orb of Kal'El," Whistler answered.  "It's something that the Powers have been holdin' onto for a while now, never really needing to give this up until now.  This orb houses all of the powers that the being that destroyed Doomsday had, and then some.  It should be more than a match for this Doomsday vamp.  The only problem is, it doesn't have distinctions in who gets what power, and it will only give a person as much power as they can handle.  You being the Slayer and all, having a lot of power as it is, might not be able to take all of it.  And to handle this Doomsday vamp, you are really going to need all of it."

            Buffy regarded the Balance demon and the orb he held in his hand.  Finally she nodded, saying she understood.  "So who gets to be empowered to fight Mr. Doomvamp?  If not me, and certainly not Dawn, then who?"

            "Hey!" the Key exclaimed at the inclusion.

            "Sorry kid, your sis is right," Whistler apologized.  "You may not unlock any door or dimensional gateway anymore, but you're still made up of Key energy, and that takes you completely out of the running.  You actually have more power than this orb here has."

            Dawn's face lit up at those words, and then fell into a confused frown in the next instant.  "What do you mean?  I thought I wasn't the Key anymore, since Glory is, you know, dead?  And what do you mean I have a lot of power?  I'm completely normal, except for only being about a year old."

            "We'll get into that later kid," Whistler turned everyone's attention back to the orb.  "But at the moment, there's only one person here who could possibly handle all of the power all at once."

            Anya's eyes lit up with fury, as she suddenly understood what Whistler was saying, as he was staring straight at Xander.  "Who?  Me?" Xander asked in confusion, pointing at himself.

            "You're the only one with no supernatural powers.  Yeah, you've been possessed a couple a times but you should still be able to handle the majority of the power here.  Even though Red there has been cold turkey for a good three months, she's still able to do magic and that might hinder a portion of the power.  And Tara there still is a witch and same reason." Whistler explained.

            "No!  Absolutely not!" Anya suddenly screamed.  "I will not permit you to put Xander into danger!  If he takes all of the power he might not be able to handle it, and you said it yourself that the first one to hold these powers was killed by Doomsday!  I don't want that happening to Xander.  Or any of them Whistler!"

            "It's not your choice to make, only yours to offer toots," Whistler pointed out.

            Anya opened her mouth to object, but she stopped after a second and then closed her mouth, looking chastised.  "Do I get a say in this?" Xander asked once the quiet returned.

            "Sure, you get to say yes or no kid," Whistler answered.

            Xander thought it over for about thirty seconds, staring in turn at each of the women, his family, in the room.  He turned to Whistler, a decision in his eyes, and opened his mouth to give his answer.

            "I don't know about Zeppo, but I'll put a big check in the yes box," a Boston accent came from the front door.

            Everyone turned in shock at the voice, most especially the two Balance demons. 

"FAITH?!!" everyone shouted.

5.         "Hi everybody, just stopped in to say hello when I heard what you were talkin' about," Faith swaggered into the room.  She was wearing all black leather, knee-length high-heeled boots, skin-tight pants, a tighter vest top, and an ankle-length duster, and her make-up was similar to what she wore when she was playing with the Mayor.  When she was evil.

            Something else that threw them all off was Faith's eyes.  Her eyes held the same confidence she'd always had, mixed with a dark looking sneer as she glanced over the Balance demons, but there used to be a sense of light, a spark in her chocolate brown eyes.  Now, Buffy and several others noticed with fear, Faith's eyes were a cold black.  They weren't completely black, like when Willow and other witches had cast high level spells, but where there had been brown irises, now were cold black orbs that seemed to suck in all the light and warmth out of the room.

            "Faith?  What are you doing here?" Buffy asked in an overwhelmed voice.

            "Aw, I'm just visitin' the old haunts B.  Came by to say hello ya know?  Then I walk in and hear about this prophecy of Doomsday?  Figure I might stop by and lend a hand." Faith swaggered closer to the other Slayer.

            "Well, as much as I'm sure your help would be appreciated," Whistler interrupted whatever was passing between the Slayers, "there really ain't much that you could do."

            "Yeah, heard that part too.  The Orb of Kal'El.  Ya mind handing it over Zeppo Two, or do I have to take it from ya?" Faith stepped away from Buffy and towards the Balance demon.

            "You can certainly go ahead and try, but I'm not giving you anything," Whistler pulled the orb closer to him.

            Faith sneered and stalked steadily closer to him.

            'She's possessed you know,' Anya commented telepathically to her fellow demon.

            Whistler gave an affirmative signal and replied the same way, 'I know.'

            Faith reached out to tear the orb from Whistler's hand when her wrist was suddenly knocked away by a solid kick from Buffy.  Faith's sneer took an obviously more demonic undertone as she retaliated against the other Slayer, without words.

            Willow and Tara immediately grabbed Dawn and pulled her back behind the table and both stood in front of her to protect her.  Buffy and Faith were soon in an old pattern against each other, but Buffy could tell that something was different, that something was wrong.  She had always been stronger than Faith, her seniority guaranteeing that, but the Dark Slayer had always possessed a wild streak that made her unpredictable that equalized her with Buffy.

            Now though, even after all the training she'd done with Giles, and all this time, it seemed to the older Slayer that Faith was actually stronger than her!  And there was a lethality to her attacks that Buffy had never seen before.  Especially never in Faith, not even when they were trying to kill each other.  And then there were her eyes.

            After a long bout of kicks and punches, Buffy stood back a little to catch her breath and stalled for time by trying to start a banter with Faith, hoping to find out what had happened.  "Faith?  What happened?  Why are you doing this?  How did you get out of prison?"

            Faith sneered one more time, giving the Slayer the time she needed to catch her breath, but not out of breath herself.  "Not really any of your business B.  And as you've never written or visited, never even called, I don't see how you can claim it to be any of your business.  Maybe, just maybe, I finally snapped and," Faith suddenly started laughing, rather maniacally, "maybe I broke out after killing every single person at the prison, guards and prisoners included."

            Faith's laughter enraged the Slayer to a point beyond her control.  She launched herself at the Dark Slayer and never hesitated in a single movement, turning everything into an attack.  Faith just continued to laugh and blocked or avoided every single one of Buffy's attacks.

            "Decision time kid," Whistler interrupted Xander's watching of the battle between Slayers.  "Yes, or no?"

            Xander looked back and forth between Whistler, the orb, and the Slayers for a minute, Buffy loosing more ground by the second, and finally he looked at Anya, a look of pure resolve in his eye.  Seeing it, and knowing what it meant, Anya slowly nodded and smiled, genuinely smiled, at him.  Xander smiled back and looked Whistler in the eye and said in a steady voice, "Yes."

            "No!" Faith shouted from her fight with Buffy, and immediately made to steal the orb before Whistler could give it to Xander.  Buffy, not distracted or dismayed in the least, managed to stop Faith before she could even reach them and threw her back into the foyer of the shop.

            "Xander!  Hurry!" Buffy shouted and put herself between Faith and the others.

            "Better do as the Slayer says," Whistler held out the orb.

            "What do I do?" Xander asked, panicked.

            "Just take the orb, it'll handle the rest!" Whistler explained.  "Hurry Xander!" Anya added for support.

            "I don't think so," Faith snarled just as Xander reached for the orb in Whistler's offered hand.  She instantly leaped to near ceiling height, over Buffy's head, and angled down so she would either tackle or land near Xander and be able to grab the orb.  Buffy was not about to let that happen and dove forward to protect Xander and the orb.

            Willow, from the sidelines, saw what Faith was doing and without thinking once, she shouted, "Xander!" and dove forward to help, though what that was she had little clue.

            Four people diving for the orb at the same time.  Four hands grasp the orb at the same instant.  Tara sees the orb begin to pulse from the contact and like Willow, she did not even think as she too raced forward, shouting the name of the one she wanted to protect, "Willow!"  Tara's hand grasped the only uncovered part of the orb left and it pulsed a last time before it suddenly exploded in their collective grasp.

            The explosion was equal light, sparks, and wave of fire as all five people were blasted apart to separate corners of the room.  The two demons took cover behind the counter, while Dawn ducked behind the table she was already hiding behind.  Once they were certain that the explosion part was done, they each peeked out slowly.

            Near the front of the shop, on the far side of the counter, unconscious, was Buffy, and she was glowing a very bright and intense yellow.  Opposite her, next to the shelves of mystical artifacts, was Faith, also unconscious, and glowing a near overshadowing black.  Only Whistler and Anya could see the tendrils of red energy, which indicated the demon that had possessed Faith was no longer an issue, having been vanquished and extinguished inside of her by the blast of power of the Orb of Kal'El.

            Near the table, and down for the count, was Willow, wrapped in a solid red glow, but far healthier than the ugly red pouring out of Faith.  Further back and nearer to the back shelves of books was Xander, sheathed in a bright and pure blue glow.  But Dawn was the first to see the crumpled form of Tara on the far side of the room, near the entrance to the back, bathed is a solid white glow.

            "Well, that was an unexpected turn of events," Whistler commented, standing up.

            Anya slapped him, hard, on the back.  "Ow!  You know you people should be seeing somebody about anger management and physical abuse."

6.         Over the next few hours, the glows around the unconscious Slayerettes slowly faded to nothing.  Anya and Whistler had conjured, out of thin air, some cots to put them all on until they awoke, including Faith.  Both Balance demons then explained that a demonic spirit had possessed Faith and that the energy of the explosion of the Orb of Kal'El had destroyed the demon to Dawn.

            Once the energy auras had faded, they all held hope that the Slayerettes would wake up, but it was not immediate.  And not all at once.

            Xander was the first to wake up, and Anya and Dawn were by his side in an instant.  "Xander, are you alright?" Anya asked, deeply concerned.

            "Uh, yeah, I think so," Xander mumbled as he slowly sat up in the cot.  "What happened?  Last thing I remember is…pile on the glowing rainbow ball."

            Dawn laughed a little but sobered at Anya's expression, which was one of intense concern for Xander as the newly made Balance demon never looked away from him for an instant.  "Can you stand?" Anya tentatively asked.

            "I think so," Xander repeated and swung around so that he could stand.  Once he was steadily on his feet, he turned to Anya and Whistler and asked, "What happened?"

            "Exactly as you remember it," Whistler said.  "Everybody made a grab for the Orb at the same time.  Unfortunately, it was never made to be accessed like that from so many people.  It exploded in your faces.  You've all been unconscious for the past three hours.  You're the first to wake up."

            "Uh, okay.  Glad to see we're not hurt.  None of us are, right?" Xander asked, more concerned with the others.  He felt fine.  In fact he felt better than he had in a very long while.  He blamed Anya choosing to stay with him as the cause.

            "Tara has a mild concussion, but mostly because she was thrown across the room instead of back like the rest of you were," Anya answered.  "She'll be alright."

            Xander sighed and sat back down.  "Thank God."

            That was when he noticed the prone form of Faith.  Fury in his eyes, Xander got back to his feet and started for the weapons rack.  Whistler got in his way.  "You won't be needing those," the Balance demon told him.

            "Yeah?  And why not?  In case you forgot or were blind earlier, Faith tried to kill us and take the orb earlier!  This is something we should have done a while ago!" Xander shouted and made for the weapons again.

            Whistler stayed in his path, but did not physically stop him. "That's not what I meant kid.  I mean that you got the power of the orb now, you don't need weapons.  You could do it with your bare hands if you wanted to."

            "What are you talking about?" Xander snapped.

            Anya realized why Whistler was keeping from directly angering Xander, seeing the way that the man's muscles tightened just so in his arms.  "Xander?"

            Xander immediately calmed down and turned to regard his girlfriend…former.  "Yeah An?"

            "Faith was possessed by a demon.  She was not responsible for her actions.  Any of them.  Whistler and I could sense the demon, and that's why her eyes were black.  Doomvamp probably sent her here to get the orb and take out his only competition, or maybe to give its power to one of his own minions.

            Xander blinked.  Then he considered that Anya was lying, when he realized that she had no reason to.  "Oh," he mumbled as his anger fully deflated and he was left with feeling sorry for the Dark Slayer, who seemed to keep being used by Big Bad's.

            "Don't worry Xan, I reacted almost the same way," Dawn consoled. 

            A groan brought everyone back to the cots.  "Tara?" Willow half mumbled half groaned as she came to.  The last thing she remembered was seeing Tara racing towards her, and then an explosion of light and Tara flying through the air.  And not in a good way.

            "Hey Will," Xander said softly as he sat beside her on her cot, "how you feeling?"

            "Woozy, but basically okay," she answered after a minute.  "Where's Tara?"

            "Over here," Anya motioned.  "She's going to be all right, after she wakes up she may have a big headache, but otherwise she'll be fine."

            Willow instantly was on her feet, not even concerned about her condition, which seemed to be fine as she had no problems in getting to Tara's cot.  In fact, she felt almost as good as the first time she and Tara had…well, you know.

            Willow's hand automatically slipped into Tara's as she sat down as Xander had done at hers.  "Tara?" Willow almost wept the name, seeing her true love looking so vulnerable and fragile like this.  After a moment though, Tara stirred slightly, her brow wrinkling in pain slightly as she came to.  "Willow?" she half groaned half mumbled.

            "Tara?" Willow squeaked with joy as she saw that her love was truly alright.  "Are you OK?"

            Tara's brow frowned again.  "My…my head kinda hurts, but it's fading.  What happened?  Is everybody all right?"

            "Everybody's fine Tara," Xander spoke up as he joined Willow on the other side of Tara's cot.

            "Guys?" Dawn spoke up, bringing everyone's attention to her.  "Faith's waking up."

            Instantly, Willow's expression turned dark and she looked about to either do or say something Xander and the others knew she would regret.  Xander held up his hand and gave Willow pause.  "It's all right Will.  Faith was possessed by a demon.  Anya and Whistler confirmed it.  She wasn't in control of what she did."

            "Oh, what the fuck hit me?" Faith groaned as she slowly rolled herself out of the cot and unfortunately onto the floor.  "Ow."

            "That's gotta smart," Whistler winced.

            "Whistler, shut up," Anya ordered.  Whistler shut up.

            Faith gently got to her feet and confusedly looked around, noticing her surroundings before the company.  When she finally saw Tara, Willow and Xander, she instinctively took a step back and swallowed the nervous gulp that formed in her throat.  "Uh, hey guys," she very nervously began, "What, uh what-what's going on?  Uh, don't suppose one of ya know where the heck I am?"

            "You're in the training room at the back of the Magic Box," Willow answered Faith calmly, though maybe a bit of resentment was felt in the statement.  At Faith's continued confused look, Willow elaborated further, "Giles' new business after he got fired from the Watchers and when we all were away at College.  Post-you waking up."

            "Oh," Faith nodded, having heard from Angel and Cordelia that Giles had his very own magic shop.  Looking down, Faith noticed her style of dress and couldn't argue with it, but had no clue as to how she got into it in the first place.  Not a first, but from the looks of it, she'd missed out on a lot more than a switch of clothes.

            "Uh…what happened?" Faith finally asked.

            "Maybe you could tell us Faith," Anya spoke calmly and rationally.  "You were the one to show up here, possessed by a oarlock demon by the way, and tried to steal a very powerful artifact.  So you could probably tell us more about what happened than we could you."

            "Oh," Faith mumbled and tried to rack her brain for the answer to all of the sudden questions.

            Nobody could tell immediately, however, but Buffy was slowly coming to.  Far slower than the others, but mostly because her mind was very confused at the moment, and it still needed time to adjust.  Just as thing began to get organized and come together, Buffy's consciousness heard something amidst all the confusion.  It sounded like a far off roar of thunder, but was steadily coming closer, and never faded away with the lightning strikes.

            When the roar became a din, Buffy knew she recognized it, and she was afraid.  'No, not again.  Please, no, not again.  I can't take it again.  I almost died the last time, I can't take it again.  Please, no, not again—' Buffy's consciousness begged the rest of her mind.  Her pleas of mercy were ignored however as suddenly the din surrounded her and she was overwhelmed once again by the thoughts of Sunnydale.

            Yet despite all the unfiltered noise, it was not as overwhelming as the last time, when she had been infected with demon blood, giving her uncontrolled telepathy.  This time she could genuinely discern whose thoughts were whose, she recognized voices and she saw images as well.  And despite all of the new data, it didn't overwhelm her as it had her previous experience.  It was almost as if her mind had learned from the last time how to properly listen to all of the voices at the same time.

            And then there was something that her mind and consciousness both noticed at the same instant.  It was a brighter dot against the din of thoughts and people's minds.  She somehow knew that this mind was close, both emotionally and physically to her.  Looking closer, Buffy saw the mind was wrapped in black.  But not a dark, shadowy, or evil black, a pure penetrating cloak of emotions, thoughts, and memories, coupled with resolve and an attitude Buffy immediately recognized.  It was Faith.  Curious, Buffy stepped closer to Faith's mind and before she knew it, she was caught up in what had drawn her attention to the Dark Slayer's mind.

            "Uh, well, the last thing that I remember," Faith answered Anya's question, "I was…taken out of my cell…by some…guy.  I never got a look at him, only heard his voice.  I, uh, woke up on some kind of stone alter, tied down with what had to be the toughest ropes in the world.  They wouldn't budge, no matter how much I struggled against them.  Then he kept calling me Miss Adams, like that creepy Agent from the Matrix?"

            Xander and Dawn nodded at the reference.

            "And then…" Faith stopped, they all did, as they heard Buffy moan as she seemed to be coming around.  They couldn't have been more wrong.

            "Mmmy-my name's Faith you jackass and as soon as I break free of this, I'm gonna break you neck!" Buffy mumbled as her head tossed and turned on the cot.

            Faith's eyes widened in shock and her mouth went dry.  "Then what happened Faith?" Anya asked, understanding what was happening, or at least trying to.

            "Uh…" Faith stuttered, trying to recall.  "The guy threatened, well actually I guess you would say he warned me that I couldn't do anything, and then I realized that I couldn't talk and he was reading my thoughts.  We kinda traded jibes for a bit, and then…he told me he was going to possess me with a demon.  He even threatened everyone else in the prison to keep me quiet.  He had a whole gang of vamps right outside the door and he…" Faith's voice broke as she recalled what happened next.

            "Uh, then-then it was suddenly like the sound had turned back on, and I knew I could speak, but…before I could…" Faith stopped when a piercing and pain-filled scream shot through the room.  Everyone turned in terror and watched with horror-filled eyes as Buffy thrashed against invisible bonds and was screaming as though she were being eaten alive.

            "Buffy!" Dawn, Willow and Xander all screamed and raced to the Slayer's side.

            Faith was frozen to the spot, just watching the others trying to calm Buffy down, each new scream and shout and plea for mercy bringing the glazed memories into sharper focus.  In fact it seemed that Buffy was doing exactly as she had done, when the fire had started on her torso, burning the tamed demon into her soul, violating her in the worst of ways.

            Suddenly Anya started, having been standing helplessly next to Whistler until that moment.  "Faith!  Think about something else!  Anything else!" the Balance demon ordered and raced forward to Buffy's side.

            She knew where Faith's thoughts had been leading, but she had never expected such an in depth rapport between the Slayers.  That was when she figured it out as she used her own telepathy to scan Faith's mind.  She felt Faith's mind closing from the traumatic memories, trying to focus instead on her concern and memories of Buffy.  Anya chose that moment to step in and distract Buffy further.  She placed her fingers directly in the center of Buffy's forehead and projected her strongest memories straight into the Slayer's very open mind.

            Instantly, upon the demon's fingers touching Buffy's skin, the blonde Slayer stopped screaming and stopped struggling.  Instead, she almost immediately started moaning and shifting almost uncomfortably, but not quite.  At first everyone thought she was moaning in pain, but as Anya's fingers remained, it became obvious to a few that that was not what was happening.  It became more than obvious when Buffy suddenly arched her back and suddenly and loudly moaned Xander's name.

            At that, Xander shot to his feet and looked around guiltily.  Finally he focused on Anya and asked nervously, "Uh, An?  What are you doing?"

            "I'm distracting Buffy's mind.  Somehow, Faith remembering what happened to her just before she came here, drew Buffy into the memory and she couldn't get out of it.  Now I'm giving her new memories to focus on and keep her distracted from going back to Faith's mind." Anya answered.

            "And what memories are you giving her?" Dawn asked, concerned when Buffy slowly, almost sighing, settled back onto the cot.

            Anya suddenly flushed crimson.  "Uh, well, the most intense memories that I had available.  Uhm…"

            "US!" Xander screamed.  "You're showing her your memories of US?!"

            "Well, just the sex."

            Everyone suddenly took a few steps back after that statement.  After another minute or so, during which Buffy seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully, despite the earlier screaming in pain, Anya stood up and said, "I think she's asleep again.  Best to let her remain so until we can figure out what happened.  We do know what happened, don't we Whistler?"

            "Uh, yeah, sure, I mean, why wouldn't we?" the Balance demon stuttered, while rubbing the back of his neck in an obviously uncomfortable way.

            The mortals all shared a look of common disbelief with one another before turning as one on the two immortal demons.  "All right you two.  You promised explanation, now explain.  And Faith, this time don't interrupt," Xander demanded for the group.

            "I didn't…" Faith stopped when everybody gave her a meaningful glare.  "Oh.  Right."

            Five sets of eyes turned on them and Whistler and Anya knew they meant business.  But only Whistler was nervous they might do something to him if he said the wrong thing.  Anya was never nervous about anything except death and bunnies.  And now, since she's an immortal demon, she was only ever nervous about bunnies.

            "Uh, okay, I get the idea.  Now obviously this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen.  Only one of you was supposed to get the powers of the orb.  That way it's one champion of good and friends versus one champion of evil and his minions.  By the by Faith, that "voice" that possessed you with that oarlock demon was our Big Bad.  What the Slayer there dubbed "Doomvamp."  I'm not sure how much you remember, but…"

            "I remember enough," Faith interrupted.  She cast a nervous glance back at Buffy and then looked at Anya for the OK.  Anya instead shook her head.

            "We shouldn't risk that she might subconsciously become a part of your memories again.  I would advise just listening and waiting until Buffy's awake before telling us anything more you might remember."

            Faith nodded and looked at Whistler, indicating he should continue.  He nodded back and did so.  "You know about Doomsday and the Heart of Doomsday, right?" Faith nodded again, a dark look passing over her face.  Whistler ignored it and pressed on.  "Well, when it was discovered that the Heart wasn't destroyed with the rest of Doomsday, the Powers That Be asked our hero, the one that finally killed the demon, on his deathbed if he would consent to allowing his powers to live on, so that in case Doomsday or a threat worse than him ever returned, the world would have a fighting chance with his powers.  Obviously he agreed, and he placed all of his powers into the Orb that just exploded out there."

            "I take it that it wasn't supposed to explode after it granted out the powers?" Willow asked nervously.  Whistler nodded.

            "Got it in one.  The orb was made to hand out the powers, it was just never intended to give it out simultaneously and to so many at once.  The real issue now is…what happened to the powers?"

            Dawn glanced over the obviously confused elder Slayerettes and then an idea struck her.  "What about the colors?" she asked suddenly.

            "What colors?" Tara asked the younger Summers.

            "After the orb exploded, you were all knocked across the room, but afterwards, for like a couple of hours, you each glowed a separate color," Dawn explained.  "Willow, you were glowing red, Xander glowed blue, Faith glowed black, and Buffy glowed yellow.  Oh, and Tara you were white."

            At the raised eyebrow the teenager got from several of the rooms occupants, she rolled her eyes and repeated, exasperated, "I meant you glowed white.  At least I think that's what it was."

            "She's right," Anya said to Whistler.  "It could be that the powers were divided evenly between all five of them.  That's why they each glowed a different color when the explosion finished."

            Whistler was shaking his head.  "Uh-uh, sorry.  That can't be what happened."

            "Why not?" Tara asked, sounding a bit hurt.

            "Because the powers can't be divided evenly," Whistler simply put.

7.         "Not to sound stupid, or repetitive or anything," Dawn answered to that statement, "but why not?"

            Anya was as confused as the mortals, as she only understood what Whistler had told her while they were waiting for her paperwork to be filed out.  Whistler saw this and he also saw the slightly ticked vibes that Xander and Faith were giving off.

            "Because of the way the powers got in the orb in the first place," Whistler answered the Key.

            "And how did they get in there?" Xander asked his patience beginning to wear mightily thin with the Balance demon.

            Whistler sighed and made a motion of trying to waive off a headache.  Faith and Xander both took half-steps forward, intent on forcing the demon to talk if necessary.  Whistler saw the movement and immediately backed up a full step, putting his hands up to ward them off.  He knew what they could do to him if they lost control, even if they themselves didn't.

            "Whoa!  Okay, all right already!  Don't blow a gasket.  The powers can't be divided five ways because…there are only three powers in the orb.  The powers of Body, Soul, and Mind." Whistler added before he could be interrupted.  "The being that killed the original Doomsday, the one that these powers came from, wasn't actually human.  Or demon, or an angel, or any mix of the above.  He was an alien."

            There was silence for several moments after Whistler stopped talking.  Finally, it was Willow that asked, "You're kidding right?"  The steady stares of both Whistler and Anya gave them all the answer they needed.

            "Whoa!  Wait just a freaking minute here!" Faith shouted, starting to agitatedly pace back and forth in the training room.  "You mean to say that you two are actually admitting that life on other planets exist and that aliens have visited Earth before?!"

            Whistler just shrugged.  Anya slowly nodded, but was uncharacteristically quiet.

            "An?  What do you know about this?" Xander asked suddenly.

            Anya just kind of shrugged.  "Only what Whistler explained to me.  That this hero lived just over ten thousand years ago on Earth.  He appeared human, but he was anything but.  On this planet he had amazing powers, he could do things that nobody had ever imagined before.  And then Doomsday showed up and killed him in a devastating battle.  He then resurrected in a new and different form and finally succeeded in destroying the demon.  Then, on his deathbed, agents of the Powers That Be went to him and explained the issue and problem about the Heart of Doomsday and he agreed to have his powers, and just his powers, withheld inside the orb until they would one day be needed again.  Though about there being only three powers in the orb is a first for me too."

            Everyone turned back to Whistler.  He backed up some more but only from the glares of unfriendliness.  "Okay, if everybody will just calm down I'll explain," he began.  Everybody remained where they were, but their expressions lightened to more curious than dangerous.  "Okay.  We good?  Well, anyway, what I meant was that the guy's powers?  They were each catalogued into a general area.  Powers of the Body, Powers of the Mind, and Powers of the Soul.  All of the powers were supposed to stay clumped together, so we could just make a replacement for whenever Doomsday showed back up.  The orb wasn't meant to give the powers out separately, or to more than one person at the same time.  That's, why I think, the orb exploded out there."

            "But what about the glowing?" Dawn asked.  "Obviously the powers were divided among them, even if it wasn't supposed to happen.  So what powers does each of them have?  And speaking of powers, earlier you said that I had powers and they were actually greater than the powers in the Orb of Kal'El."

            "Orb of Kal'El…?" Willow muttered, running the word over and over in her mind.

            "Who was this hero's name?" she suddenly asked the Balance demons.  Anya looked to Whistler with an expectant look on her face.

            "Well duh!" Whistler exclaimed at the look.  Everyone's eyebrows shot up.

            "Kal'El?" Tara asked, thinking that's what the Balance demon meant.  His nod confirmed it.

            "Why does that name sound so familiar?" Willow asked, running it over and over in her mind.

            "Kal'El, Kal'El, Kal'El…" Xander muttered the name until his eyes suddenly went wide and he almost started jumping up and down with excitement and a mixture of joy and amazement.

            "Looks like Xan-man figured it out," Whistler said to Anya.  Anya just grinned and nodded back.

            "You've got to be kidding me!  I mean…there's no way…!" Xander babbled.

            "It's rather complicated, but suffice it to say…DC comics used a lot of ancient artifacts and local myth and legend for the basis for a lot of their stories," Whistler cryptically explained.

            "Xander?  What do you…?" Willow started to ask, when Xander screamed his interruption.

            "SUPERMAN!  Will!  Kal'El is Clark Kent's name when he was born on Krypton!  Kal'El was, is, was…SUPERMAN!  This dude that killed that demon like ten thousand plus years ago was SUPERMAN!" Xander screamed, now jumping up and down like a kid in a candy store.

            Willow thought it over in her mind, silently, for a few moments before her own eyes widened and she became very excited herself.  Tara was still a little lost, but Dawn and Faith were quickly following with what the other two were going on about.  Faith looked like she was in shock, while Dawn hastily went straight to Xander's level of excitement.

            "Wait a sec!" Dawn shouted.  "Does that mean that all of them have the powers of Superman!"

            That brought everyone back to Earth, though the two demons were still remarkably calm.  "Not exactly," Whistler answered the Key's question.  "The powers, like everyone pointed out, got divided.  And the possibility that the powers would get divided was a considered possibility, since the orb was designed to only shell out enough for the person receiving to handle.  It's possible that one of you got more power than the others because of this.  Probably the Xan-man there, but…"

            "One of them did receive more power than the others," Anya interrupted.

            Everyone turned to regard the Balance demon, and Whistler put his hands on his hips and asked, "Oh?"  Anya nodded.  "Buffy did.  She received the full powers of Mind.  She was experiencing Faith's memory as she tried to recall it, and she is highly susceptible to telepathic signatures.  My forcing my own memories into her mind overriding Faith's proved that.  And the others haven't shown any power uses as yet, so obviously Buffy has the full power of Mind while the powers of Body and Soul were splintered amongst the rest of them."

            "That's…a good point," Whistler started out arguing, but quickly settled to contemplative thought and put his hand under his chin in an obvious 'thinker' pose.

            "We have powers?" Xander asked.

            "Weren't you listening boytoy?  That was the whole point!" Faith jibbed at him.

            "Hey!  Don't start on me Faith!  I've had a real bad couple of days, and your jumping in and trying to kill us, again, earlier certainly didn't do anything to redeem you further in my book.  So why don't you just sit down and shut up and let the rest of us think!" Xander shouted at the Dark Slayer.

            Faith rolled her eyes and snorted, going over to her cot, she muttered, "Yeah right, like you ever do any of that, Mr. Doughnut-Research boy-man.  Probably give yourself a seizure if you ever tried to pronounce any of the words you read out of Giles' old books."

            A look of such rage crossed Xander's face at that instant that everyone wondered if suddenly he was demon possessed.  After that point, nobody was quite sure what happened.  One second, Xander was there glaring hatefully at Faith's back, and the next, there was a blur across the room and Faith suddenly found herself flying through the heavy and very solid brick wall of the Magic Box.

            When the Dark Slayer came to in the next second, she found herself imbedded in the wall of the building opposite the Magic Box and a large human shaped hole in front of her, which through it she could see Xander and a couple of the others.  Almost peeling herself out of the wall of the alley, Faith saw that she had pushed her body print a good three centimeters into the stone masonry.  Or rather, Xander's push had.

            Faith's scowl deepened as she remembered every time that she had been put down or hurt or ignored by these people, the Slayerettes, that called themselves her friends, but were more her enemies than the vampires she fought on a nightly basis.  Damning the consequences, and not really taking note of the fact that Xander, the "weakest" of the Slayerettes had just knocked her through one wall and halfway into another one, or the fact that she should have been pancake splatter but wasn't even bruised.  Instead, she scowled, ran and jumped through the hole in the wall, and started to demand the same attention that every one of the Slayerettes got but her, by beating on Xander's ass.

            Xander wasn't sure what just happened any more than the rest of them were.  One second he had been mad at Faith and wanted to just force her to sit down a bit sooner and demonstrate his superior manhood, the next he ran forward and just pushed her, as one would do when starting a fight.  Except instead of staggering and turning around to fight him, Faith went flying through the wall.

            He just stood there, kind of slack-jawed, staring blankly at the human-shaped hole in the wall and Faith imbedded in the opposite wall in the alley behind the Magic Box.  "Xander!" Anya yelled at him, as though all he'd done was drop a priceless Ming vase rather than throw somebody, specifically a Slayer, through a wall and into another one, "Do you have any idea how much that's going to cost to fix?!"

            "Don't worry toots, I'll cover it," Whistler assured his fellow Balance demon.  Anya calmed down a bit after that.  Faith didn't.

            The Dark Slayer leaped through the hole she had helped to make and decked Xander a good one before rolling a landing and springing back to her feet.  She didn't speak, didn't shout, didn't say a word.  She just started hitting and hitting and kicking Xander for all she was worth.  Xander was in so much shock and instinctual fear that he didn't realize that her hits barely even bruised him, let alone hurt, as he kept trying to duck and dodge Faith's attacks, also barely noticing that he succeeded more times than she actually landed a hit, and it was through moving blurringly fast that he did so.  The others could only watch on in fear and confusion.

            Buffy knew what was happening.  She wasn't too much concerned in how she knew what was happening, rather more worried about what was happening.  She could feel all of the inner turmoil in Faith's soul come to the surface and begin to make itself known as she tried to kill Xander.  Xander was in a total state of shock, unable to process or yet fully cope with what he had just done and was doing, going entirely on instinct.

            Theirs were the first minds Buffy latched onto after she came out of her regenerative sleep.  She wasn't sure how she knew it or how she had known how to do it, but after the assault of Faith's memories on her unprepared mind, her own mind put herself into a regenerative state where each second of sleep was the same as a full REM cycle, allowing her to get a full night's sleep in a few minutes.  It also allowed her mind to use the REM states to finish organizing itself, adapting to its newfound abilities and how to relate them all to her consciousness.

            She was now reawakening, fully aware of most of her new abilities, and certainly understanding the source, from unconsciously accessing both Whistler and Anya's minds and knowledge on what was happening.  She did indeed have the full powers of what they called 'Mind' and she also realized with surprise that while her Slayer powers had affected her receiving of them, it hadn't been in restricting how much she could take, but rather increased her mental abilities just so she could take the powers.  She also instinctually knew that that's what would have happened with any of the powers, or even all of them as a whole.  The powers, as they transferred into a person would have modified and stabilized the person as they entered, allowing the person's body, mind, and soul to cope with the sudden influx of raw power.

            Buffy also realized that that was what Faith's powers, whatever they may be now, were doing.  They were cleansing her soul.  Buffy quickly looked around the room without opening her eyes or moving from the bed.  She looked closely at Willow and Tara and saw what she was looking for.  Tara, surrounded by a pure white aura, Willow a fiery red one that matched her flame hair.  She knew, without knowing how, that she could touch them, just briefly and could know everything about them, whether she wanted to know it or not.  She looked back to Faith and Xander.

            Faith was just venting for the moment, releasing the anger that burned in her heart.  But because Xander's power was making itself known as he moved through instinct, allowing him to keep from harm, her anger was just continuing to build.  Xander was still a bit withdrawn, just watching his body move as his mind tried to cope.

            Buffy had a sudden inspiration, and just knowing, she knew how to pull it off.  Moving through her mind's eye, her body remaining on the cot, but somehow having a new body that her mind moved with, Buffy moved in behind Xander and waited for the right moment.

            Faith was just throwing a wide roundhouse kick, which Xander dodged by ducking backwards, when she felt a sudden shift in everything.  Her anger, which she had begun to realize was entirely trivial, was multiplied almost a hundred fold, and her resentment towards the Slayerettes and their mistreatment of her as a member of their team was fully realized.

            'They never once cared about me!' she thought, raging to herself.  'They never once asked me to help with the research, or to hang out after school, or to do anything with them!  I was just the backup Slayer, the one to replace Buffy when she went to college so she could retire!  Leaving ME with all the destiny crap that I hated just as much as she did!!'

            And almost to confirm the blind rage inside of her, as though it were given an outside source that she could see, hear, and confront.  That she could fight.  Xander suddenly seemed to snap out of his shock and stood straight while Faith was internalizing her rage.

            "What's the matter Faith?  Afraid you're going to hurt me?  If it'll make it better, I won't say I'm sorry I just threw your skanky ass through the wall," Xander almost snarled in a voice that no one had ever heard him speak before.  It was almost like the pure anger that Buffy had whenever she had confronted the Dark Slayer.

            The snarl seemed to enrage Faith even further as she didn't say anything, just scowled her face further and started attacking Xander over again.  He ducked under her kick and the following punch, making it look almost easy with the way he moved.

            "Oh come on, is that all ya got, F?" he teased her with the one letter nickname that she loved to give everybody else.  Faith tried a couple jump kicks but Xander ducked under those even easier than her other kicks, so she stuck to ground fighting, trying to beat him black and blue with her fists.

            "You know," he commented as though he was picking his nails instead of dodging his head at a high speed around her punching fists, "I almost missed you Faith.  Almost.  When Buffy first put you in that coma.  Then along came my sweetheart, you know the ex-Vengeance demon?  And I completely forgot all about you.  I'll admit, you sure did show me around those curves Slayer, but Anya was the one that taught me how to drive 'em."

            Faith's scowl deepened and she tried harder to hit him.  Xander just moved faster.

            "And then there was Willow.  She was Buffy's best friend, and we've been best buds since before Kindergarten.  She was scared of you, you know?  She's not anymore though.  She's a more powerful witch than almost any on the face of the planet.  And you think a puny little Slayer like you is gonna scare her?  She and Buffy were always together back then.  Talking about Angel, talking about Oz, talking about boys, talking about school, talking about slaying.  They were best friends, and the only thing they had in common was they knew about vampires and lived on the Hellmouth.  Then you came along.  A second Slayer.  The one to replace Kendra.  You and Buffy had so much in common, I bet you finally thought you had a friend."

            "Yeah, and look how that turned out," Faith said, speaking for the first time, panting for breath.  "Bitch stuck my own knife in my gut."

            "Well at least it wasn't in your back Faith," Xander continued.  "You killed a man, and yeah, even I'll admit it was an accident.  But instead of trying to come clean and deal with whatever minor consequences there would have been, you tried to cover it up and run away.  Tried to make it all go away.  And when it didn't, did you say you were sorry?  Well, did you?"

            Faith didn't answer, trying to hit Xander again and again, but he always ducked away in less than a breath of a second's time.  "You even told Buffy that you didn't care Faith.  What was she supposed to think?  When you showed back up, this time working for the bad guys, how did you think that made her feel?  Were you hoping in some sick way that Buffy would feel the same way you did when she showed up that morning, looking like the goody-two-shoes you had been trying to conform her from?  Were you glad to see that she had figured it all out?  Were you glad to see her slice that knife, which the mayor had given you incidentally, into you?  Were you happy to…"

            "Shut up!" Faith suddenly exploded.  "Shut up!  You don't know anything you bastard!"  Faith jumped up and faster than she had been moving so far, kicked Xander under his chin and back away from her.

            "Do you have any idea the shit I've been through?  I grew up on the streets since I was thirteen.  Before that, do you think I had it anywhere close to what perfect little Buffy had?  My dad made it a habit of making sure I had a black eye and telling my teachers and always drunk bitch of a mother that I had been messing with the mascara!  When he finally left, leaving me with the mess that my mom always was, how long do you think I hung in there, hoping she'd make it better or that my real parents, who loved me and would take care of me would come and rescue me from that hellhole!"  Faith was screaming now, hitting Xander with each statement, each flash of anger.

            "And then out of nowhere I get Chosen!  And along comes my Watcher and I get taken care of for once.  I learn I'm special, I'm needed, I'm unique!" Faith drives a heavy uppercut into Xander's chest, but doesn't notice that he's not even trying to dodge or fight back anymore.  "And then she goes and gets herself killed!!  With her dying breath she tells me to find the other Slayer, and when I do, and finally knock out the sucker that got her, I'm all of a sudden second stringer.  Buffy's the Slayer, Buffy's the Chosen One, Buffy's special and has a future.  And poor little, street urchin Faith is dog shit!"

            "And after five months, only five fucking months, you know what I learned, after spending all that time with B?"  Faith leaned down and put her face next to Xander's un-bleeding head.  She then drives her knee, as hard as she could, into his face and throws him back to the ground.  "I'm in love with her!  Why the hell do you think I went after Angel?  I knew he was good.  I just didn't want any competition.  And when I tried to seduce him, I was hoping to make B a little jealous there.  And when I wake up out of my coma, which incidentally she put me into, I find out she has a new boytoy and Wills, her "best friend" is playing for the home team!"

            Xander gets back to his feet, showing absolutely no sign of injury or trouble.  Faith is far from finished, but something in the tall dark man's eyes gives her pause.  A look of…surprise, intermixed with fear, disappointment and at the same time…love.

            "I'm…I'm sorry Faith, I-I had no idea," he muttered, his voice conveying the same emotions she was reading from his eyes.  "I had no idea…that you were in love with me."

            Everyone in the room wondered what the heck was going on, trying to figure out if Xander was out of his mind or if it was the power of the orb affecting his mind.  Faith, however, reeled back in total fear as she looked straight into Xander's eyes, and saw a miracle in the process.  Xander's chocolate brown eyes suddenly shifted to hazel, and the pure compassion and sympathy they held reminded the Dark Slayer of only one other.  And that was not Angel.

            "B…?" Faith mumbled after the shock had worn off enough.  Xander barely nodded, his new hazel eyes taking a more characteristic harder gaze.

            "What…what in the nine hells are you playin' at B?" Faith demanded, finding her voice again.

            Xander, quite apparently possessed by Buffy, simply stood his ground and looked right back at Faith.  "I'm fixing something I should have done a long time ago.  I'm so sorry for what…for all the things I did to you Faith.  I can only pray and hope that you can finally forgive us, me most especially."

            "I-I don't know what you're talkin' about B," Faith stuttered.  "You guys are the ones that need to forgive me."

            "And I have Faith!" B-Xander said back with absolute conviction.  "I forgave you a long time ago.  I don't know if Angel or Cordelia already told you this…but I died, yes again, but this time I was dead for three months.  And just before I made the jump, before I had committed myself to the sacrifice I was paying, I made my peace with the world.  I forgave you before that, though.  On the day my mother died…I forgave you.  You and Ford and my dad, and everyone that ever betrayed me…I forgave.  Even my mom, just for dying."

            Xander and most of the room was in tears, save Whistler.  "And what I'm playing at Faith…is that you need to forgive yourself.  That's what's happening inside of you right now Faith.  Everything, every stain, every misdeed, every little sin that your conscience, long ago silenced, has been pestering and plaguing you with since you were born, is coming to the surface.  Making itself known to you and the rest of the world.  You can't handle the darkness any more Faith.  If you try and hide it anymore, it will kill your soul!  Your powers are trying to cleanse you Faith.  And you have to let them, or you will die.  And I don't mean physically, I mean your soul will die Faith.  I've seen it.  I've looked into your heart and I know the level of darkness you are surrounded by Faith."

            Anya suddenly gasped as something Xander said made her realize something.  Whistler put his hand on the demon's shoulder, keeping her from acting on whatever her revelation was.

            "I can help you Faith.  We all can," B-Xander continued.  "And we will.  No accepting you halfway and then turning our backs on you.  I'm sorry that I never realized your feelings for me.  And I can never ask for your forgiveness.  Only hope that you don't turn down my offer of friendship.  Real friendship.  But you've got to open up some too Faith, otherwise I can't help you."

            Faith, tears streaming down her cheeks, just sort of stood there.  Finally, clearing her throat to get rid of the frog stuck in it, she tentatively asked, "What…erhrm…what do I have to do?"

            "Just let it all go Faith," B-Xander said simply, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace.

            Faith knew what he…she meant, but…  but…

            Faith's eyes turned hard as every memory, every stain on her soul, every hurt feeling she'd ever had came roaring to the surface of her consciousness…and took control.  With a savage roar, Faith lashed out at Xander with more devastating attacks and force of strength and speed than anyone present had ever been witness to.  The unbridled power of the Slayer.

8.         Buffy knew what was happening the moment it happened.  She had been planning on it really.  She knew Xander's body could take the punishment, it was a part of his powers.  Well, his new powers.  His basic powers were surprisingly diverse, however hidden from all.

            The first, and most obvious source, was the Hyena spirit.  Or rather the traces of what was left of it.  Only a few instincts and the sensory powers were left.  And then there was the soldier, which wasn't so much the chaos magic of Ethan Raynes as much as it was a spirit of memory that Xander had held onto, however conscious or unconscious the act was.  And finally, there were genetic traces.  As much as Xander would have like to believe that he was safe, and he was…to a point…the genetic altering that he had experienced while undercover on the high school swim team, had left its own marks.  Rather permanent ones.  The only changes left were the ones that the coach, who had instigated the genetic altering, had wanted in the first place; greater lung capacity, longer staying power in underwater environments, and increased agility, maneuverability, and speed in the water.

            Added onto all of those, the full powers of the comic book hero Superman® and Xander was more than "invincible" enough to stand up to Faith for her tantrum.  Trusting this, Buffy began to disengage herself from Xander's mind.  Just before she let go of her final connection with him, Buffy psi-whispered into Xander's mind, 'Fight her Xander.  She needs to get this out of her system.  Fight her!'

            Xander, as he was fully and consciously regaining control of his body, heard this plea from the spirit…mind?…of Buffy, but rather than view it as the desperate request that it was intended as, he heard it as a command inserted directly into his mind.  The Soldier came to the front and responded to the order with a crisp salute and a very affirmative, 'Yes Sir!'

            Xander ducked under a wild kick from Faith, unbalancing her, and then hit her with a full on right cross to the side of her head.  The Slayer was knocked clear across the room, but didn't fly through the wall, prepared for the blow this time.  Faith growled and roared again and went right back into her brawl with Xander.

            Rather than just dodging and avoiding getting hit, Xander actually put up a fight this time, blocking her attacks and landing a few of his own.  Faith was still blown back by most of Xander's hits, but she seemed to be taking them with less and less effect, and blocking a great deal more of them than she initially had.

            When Xander saw Faith's fire in her eyes begin to dim, he sneered a little and quipped with very little to no 'out-of-breathiness', "Waz a matter Faith?  Feewing a wittle tiwad?  Maybe you should take a nap you weak, little, second-stringer pussy!"

            The fire returned three fold and Xander actually had some trouble blocking and dodging this time.  Faith was completely out of control and was hitting him full force now, he, and everyone else, was sure of it.  So when she hit him consecutively across the face, he realized that normally he'd either be kissing dirt, have his head taken off by those level of blows, or at the very least have a bloody lip and nose.  Instead, as he felt the side of his face and detected no blood anywhere on him, his first thoughts were, 'This should really hurt.  But it doesn't.  And I'm not hurt.  In fact this doesn't hurt at all.  Oh, wait a sec, oh Yeeaaahh, Superman.  I'm Super Freaking MAN!'  After that, Xander wasn't so concerned with getting hit.

            While Xander was having a revelation of his own, and Faith was getting some much overdue therapy, Buffy was trying to figure out how to get back in her body.  Then it just kinda came to her.  Want to be back in own body, am back in own body.  Just like that.

            The second that Buffy returned, her eyes snapped open, and the only thought she allowed in her mind was to focus on Faith.  Help Faith and get rid of all that anger she's carrying around.  Then deal with uncontrollable psychic powers.

            Having a focus, Buffy realized, helped in keeping out the din of the surrounding world, and Faith was enough of a focus that she could have her own thoughts and be in perfect control of them.  Even though Buffy knew it wouldn't last, hearing what Faith had said earlier, albeit to her as Xander, Buffy was more than determined enough to give everything she could to help Faith.  She owed the Dark Slayer that much.

            Buffy then raised her legs and arching her back and pushing at the same time, she jumped up off the cot she had been placed on and landed steadily on her feet beside the fighting duo.

            "Tag me Xan," Buffy shouted over the racket they were creating as Buffy jumped up again, this time doing a mid-air cartwheel to put herself right in front of Faith.  Xander even made a show of slapping Buffy's palm as she landed in front of him.  Then he backed off slightly, ready to go in at a moment's notice.

            "She's all yours Buff!" the Superman said as he slapped the Slayer's hand as she flew through the air.

            Faith was fully aware of the trading dance partners, and as furious and completely out of control as she was, she felt a measure of relief that Buffy was all right, and at the same time felt a familiar tingle of excitement at facing off against Buffy again.

            "Glad to see ya up B," Faith bantered, standing back a little to catch her breath.

            "Oh, I'm always up to see you Faith," Buffy said a little darkly.

            'FLASH'

            "Hi Daddy!  What ya doin'?" an eight year old Faith in a white floral dress said to the man sitting in the recliner.

            "Hey there Spunky!" the man said back.

            "Daddy, what are you doing up?  Mommy said you wouldn't be up till later," Faith asked as she hopped easily into the man's lap.

            The man grinned and put his right hand on the girl's thigh, almost under her dress, and his left one just above the small over her back.  "Oh, I'm always up to see you Faith," he said with a leer in his eyes.

            'FLASH'

            Faith staggered and took another step back.  "What the hell…?" she muttered before she automatically ducked just as Buffy's foot went flying through the space where her head had been moments ago.

            Faith sneered and dropped the memory.  Or tried to.  She remembered what her father, her step-father had done to her that day.  And many more following it.  And the memory unleashed a rage, so old, so hidden, so uncontrolled that Faith felt like pure Nitro had been injected into her arteries, and she started laying into Buffy's ass.

            Buffy, surprisingly, actually kept up with the enraged Dark Slayer.  Easily in fact.  It was almost like the blonde Slayer was predicting every one of her moves.  Faith tried to see if she could unbalance her, give herself an edge in the fight that she had forgotten was about in the flare of her anger.

            "So, have a nice nap B?  Gotta admit, we were worried for a sec there.  Looked like you were almost in a coma.  Shame if ya had to spend the next five months on that cot B.  Any more in common with me, the Scoobs there would have to send you straight ta Jail, no passing Go, and no 200 smackers!" Faith bantered with a constant sneer, backing off, but keeping moving.

            Buffy too circled around, watching Faith.  But what the first Slayer said next, nobody expected.  "Ya got me," she said in a vague mockery, or at least copy, of Faith's Boston accent, "Ain't gonna help your boy though."

            'FLASH'

            Faith felt the sudden shift in the fight.  Her opponent had given her the perfect opportunity as she slipped her weapon past the defenses and didn't hesitate or even consider.  She struck.  It was an interesting feeling, the knife cutting straight into the human body.  At first, a brief resistance that she only felt in after-effect, and then…

            Faith suddenly looked up, feeling the deepest shock she'd ever felt in her young life.  She was horrified at what she felt, what she knew beyond all doubt that she'd just done…and looked up into the eyes of her opponent…herself?!

            The shock of the action was just coming clear to the opponent's, Faith's, eyes, and Faith stared in disbelief, feeling an overwhelming grief overshadow and cloud her mind from all other stimuli.  She heard her own voice say the words she had said to B, the last conscious words she said for over five months until she awoke in Sunnydale Hospital.

            "Ya got me B," past-Faith said to Buffy, or present-Faith as it appeared to be.  Then past-Faith glanced over her soldier, and now that she remembered, present-Faith could actually hear the oncoming truck.  Past-Faith then stood strong, the knife, her knife, slid out easier than it went in and Faith could feel the warm blood on her, Buffy's, hands.  "It's not gonna help your boy though!"  And with that, past-Faith fell back from the ledge and present-Faith couldn't move.

            She was feeling overwhelming grief, shock, and a fear that touched the Slayer(s) to her very core.  A fear of what she was becoming, what she had become with that one act of betrayal against her sister, the Slayer she had just killed.  Faith suddenly knew what it was like, for every second, what it was for B that night.

            'FLASH'

            Faith shook her head and turned to the frowning Buffy right in front of her.  They were still in their same positions, as though the entire memory flash, Buffy's memory, hadn't lasted a second.  Faith began to wonder about her sanity when she recalled her own feelings of that night.  Anxiety, over what the Mayor was planning, concern, over the whole B issue, surprise, at B's gutsy move to save her boytoy by actually facing off against her, pride, at having forced Buffy to go that far and how well she knew and could read the other Slayer, fear, when she realized that B really was gonna go all the way if she had to, anger, at Buffy, at the world, at her life and Life in general, fury, mostly at herself but also at her actions, pity, for what she had become when she just wanted to be accepted and to be loved, and most of all…love.  Even after everything that had happened between them, Faith still felt genuine love for Buffy.  And last of all, jealousy, when she reminded herself one last time why Buffy was doing what she had done.  And why Faith would never have any of it.  That had been the real reason she had jumped, for spite, and because she knew she wasn't good for anything else but suicide.  Had known that ever since she was a girl.  A poor, little, defenseless girl that was only good for two things.  Cheap sex, and cheaper thrills.  According to her "father" anyway…

            'FLASH'

            Xander.  He was actually pretty decent Faith realized.  Well-equipped, and more than good enough stamina to last the two rounds she'd had with him so far.  And boy did he learn those curves fast.  She then pinned him to the bed and with a practiced arch of her hips, he was inside her and she leaned up so that he filled her completely.  She was almost surprised at how much he filled her as she leaned back forward to begin an easy rhythm a 100-year-old turtle could keep up with, and smiled seductively down at him as he did his best to soak in the pleasure as much as he could.

            'FLASH'

            Faith shook her head again, really confused now.  It was like every second she thought of something, there was suddenly a memory flash, of either hers or some one else, that went along to support it.  Faith scowled as she attacked Buffy again, trying to finish it before the next flash hit.

            Faith, Buffy realized, was still fighting against the memories trying to fight them, block them from her mind.  But Buffy knew that if the dark Slayer succeeded in that, she was dead.  May be not in the literal sense, but definitely where it counted.

            After avoiding or blocking Faith's next attacks, Buffy went on the offensive, bringing out only as much as Faith herself showed.  "Come on Faith, is this it?  Is this as pissed as you can get?  Is this the best you can do?  Because on my worst day, I'm a hell of a lot better than what you're shelling out right now!" Buffy shouted.

            'FLASH'

            "Waz a matter B?  Scared?" Faith drawled as she held Buffy's body against her, pinning the golden haired Slayer against the side of the mausoleum.

            "N-n-no," Buffy stuttered back, flushing slightly.

            "Don't worry, I'll be gentle," Faith promised and leaned her head closer to Buffy's.

            "I'm sure you will.  That's your way Faith," Buffy whispered back, leaning forward a little.  "Three."

            "Two," Faith answered back with a rogue grin.

            Buffy's smile mimicked her own as she mouthed, not verbally saying the number, "One!"  And in the next second, Faith swung to her right, stake in hand and connected straight to home in the vamp's heart.  Buffy swung to her right and fired the crossbow, dusting the third vampire that had been sneaking up on them.  Faith twirled back in Buffy's direction, but kept her momentum and let loose a spinning heel kick against the second vamp, the one directly behind them, knocking it back into the tombstone behind it.

            "I love it when an ambush comes together," Buffy quipped at the vamp on the ground.

            "I love it when we come together too B," Faith showed that rogue grin again as Buffy flushed crimson.  The Chosen Two then put all their attention on the last vampire of the evening, deciding, almost unconsciously, to have some fun before they called it a night.

            "Ready B?" Faith asked as she circled around behind it as the vamp got back to its feet.

            "Ready F," Buffy said the nickname with some hesitation, the nick not quite rolling off her tongue the way that her own nick rolled off Faith's.

            The signal given, Faith high kicked the vamp back at Buffy, who was still by the mausoleum, but close enough to snap a kick at the vamp when Faith's sent it in her direction, thereby sending it back at Faith, who kicked it immediately back.  It was like some weird Slayer version of Ping Pong.

            When the vamp looked ready to pass out, or at least collapse before it got back to the other Slayer, Faith decided to cut their fun short and when the vamp came back to her, she popped it as hard as she could across its jaw, and then followed with another two hits to the face and then five rapid punches to his chest and gut before standing back a bit and high kicking it several feet through the air to land in front of Buffy.

            Buffy smiled in thanks and nodded her consent to the decision to stop playing with it.  That was the first time that Faith saw what the first Slayer was truly capable of.

            The gold Slayer popped the vamp a few good times in the head, but what made the difference to Faith's eyes were that two huge bruises immediately formed after Buffy's first hits to the same spots.  Then she really started to lay into the vampire.

            Buffy snapped several hits to vital areas on the vamp, the throat, upper chest, his sternum and lower gut, each making the vamp try and cry out in pain, as its contorted face obviously showed its pain.  She slammed its head once against her knee, and the slammed her fists into its torso, making its feet leave the ground with each hit.  She kicked it across the head, slammed her knee into its face again, and spin kicked its back so it was propelled forward, and faster than either Faith or the vampire realized, spun back with her stake in her hand and impaled the vampire's heart, and then removing it before she could stop the vamps momentum, causing its ashes to be spread out over several grave markers as it turned to dust, still moving in the direction she kicked it in.

            A moment after the dust had settled, so to speak, Buffy showed Faith's rogue grin right back at her and asked, "Were you finished with that?  I mean I'd hate to have been rude."

            Faith chuckled and couldn't resist clapping her hands a couple times.

            "Damn B," she exclaimed as the Chosen Two made their way out of the cemetery, "You have got the moves!  Way to go girl!"  Faith raised her hand in high-five.

            Buffy openly grinned, still feeling jazzed over the easy kills, and slapped her skin against Faith's.  "Ah, that was nothing.  Giles and his training get most of the credit.  Anyway, see you tomorrow at the Library?" Buffy asked, completely oblivious to the look of pure lust mixed with a wild hunger on Faith's face.

            "Yeah, sure." Faith nodded back, a look of disappointment as Buffy jogged off to her house.  Her own warm bed, and for all Faith knew, she'd probably swing by Angel's first to get a late night cuddle to help take the edge of the…edge that Faith herself was feeling.  Her unrequited, and extremely confused feelings over her sister Slayer certainly not helping in that.

            'Damn it B, how the hell can you know if your in love with someone, and how the hell do I tell you that I'm in love with you?' Faith thought almost depressingly as she turned to one of the bars by the pier.

            At the last second, she changed her mind and headed to a specific corner in the seediest part of town.  Sides, she didn't need to eat for the next two weeks or so, and she felt like she needed a tongue down there rather than ordinary stick.  Unfortunately, the only tongue cost two weeks worth of food…

            'FLASH'

            Faith stopped her attacks, Buffy had stopped pressing her own at the same instant.  Somehow, they both knew that the other had seen the same memory flash at the same time.  And Faith knew…she couldn't fight anymore.  She didn't want to.  Not against Buffy.

            The tears came suddenly, and certainly not slowly.  Faith just dropped her guarded position slumped her shoulders, and ducked her head, her hair falling around her face as she began to do something that nobody had ever seen her do before.  Well, nobody in the room anyway.

            Sobbing, Faith just stood there until Buffy stepped forward, almost urgently, and embraced the dark Slayer in an attempt to support her.  Faith just sobbed louder and embraced the golden Slayer right back.  Buffy's tears fell in synchronicity with Faith's and soon neither was strong enough to hold the either up, sinking to the floor in each other's arms, crying their hearts out.  Cleansing their souls for all that they needed to be forgiven for, and had.

            "I'm sorry B!  I'm so, so sorry!" Faith wailed.

            Buffy choked slightly and patted the brunettes head, almost wailing herself as she whispered back, "It's all right Faith.  I forgive you, I forgive you, I forgive you, it's all right Faith, I forgive you…" and so she repeated, praying that Faith would hear her, accept it, and hopefully, finally forgive Buffy for the wrongs she had done to Faith.

9.         Tara watched solemnly from the sidelines, along with the others, when suddenly, she felt an impulse to join Buffy in comforting Faith.  Without any hesitation, Tara stood up and walked over to the two Slayers and knelt beside Faith and placed a comforting hand on the dark Slayer's shoulder.

            "I forgive you too Faith," Tara whispered to her.

            Buffy and Faith, surprised by the action, turned to the other blonde, their surprise clearly etched on their faces.  Faith saw the genuine feeling in Tara's eyes, and she smiled through her tears and whispered hoarsely, "Thank you…"

            "Thanks Tara," Buffy whispered with the same hoarse.  Tara just nodded, tears beginning to pool in her own eyes.

            Willow stared at the heart touching scene before her eyes, not sure what she should be feeling, but nevertheless feeling tears pooling in her own eyes as well.  Then it suddenly came to her, like a revelation.  She recalled every thought, every emotion she'd ever felt towards Faith come at her in a single instant…and knew that she owed Faith as much an apology as the dark Slayer owed to each of them.  She had judged Faith from the moment that she had met the second Slayer, and had never really given her a chance after it, not for an instant.

            The tears streamed down the red head's face as she strode resolutely forward and landed on the floor next to the others, on the other side from Tara.  She didn't hesitate, she just embraced both Slayers in one move and started crying onto their shoulders, offering hers for the same.

            "I'm sorry Faith, please forgive me," Willow begged when she could speak past the frog in her throat.

            Faith almost started at the unexpected statement from the magic-crafter, former.  "W-whu-what-what are you-y-you talkin' bout Red?  I'm the one that's supposed to be asking for your forgiveness."

            Willow resolutely shook her head no, Resolve face firmly in place.  "No Faith, I need your forgiveness.  For what I said to you in the Mayor's office, for judging you before even giving you a chance…for everything I should have done and said…but never did.  I'm sorry Faith, can you ever forgive me?" Willow's voice transformed to similar to that of a three year old, and her eyes, begging and watery with tears only helped in that image.

            Faith smiled, genuinely smiled with no trace of attitude, and just nodded and embraced the red head, Willow, her friend.  Willow smiled back and equally embraced the dark Slayer, anxiously awaiting the opportunity to learn all that she had missed out on before in getting to know her.  Both were soon enveloped by hugs from two particular blondes that both of them loved with all their hearts.

            There was a loud sniffing sound, and attention was briefly brought to Whistler, who was wiping his nose with a large white handkerchief.  Noticing the looks, he offered it to the other three, but they shook their heads, declining.

            Dawn took several steps closer to the group, and stood directly behind Faith.  "It's okay now Faith.  It's all right.  We all forgive you.  Don't we Xander?!" Dawn gave the newly born superman a look that would have melted the sun, her tone allowing for no brokerage.  Xander didn't need it.  He felt the resolve of closing his own issues with Faith.  He forgave her right then and there.

            He walked and stood behind Buffy, so he could look down at Faith and into her eyes and said with pure conviction, "I forgive you Faith.  We all forgive you."  At the words, Faith broke down into sobs once more, and didn't stop for more than an hour, all of them staying right there with her until she finished, bathing in her tears of forgiveness, the cleansing of a lost girl's soul.

Bad Guy's Place

            "Well?" the voice that had tortured Faith before asked the dark room.

            "Well what?" asked a quiet, but at the same time incredibly ominous, voice.

            The owner of the first voice suddenly and harshly stood up from the throne of human skeletons upon which he had sat.  He was a rather attractive man, by today's standards.  Just over five and a half feet, moussed dark brown hair, and a body that women would whistle at.  He wore a simple leather jacket over a read silk shirt, unbuttoned, and form-fitting black leather pants and suede boots.  And his eyes were a demonic, glowing, blood red.  This is the creature called DoomVamp.

            He used to have a human name, and even when he was killed and turned, he used it.  But ever since he found the stone, El día Corazón, the Heart of Doomsday, he strictly referred to himself, and insisted others call him as well, DoomVamp.

            His companion for the moment, however, chose to remain hidden for the time, DoomVamp hearing only its voice, because he was quite certain that whatever produced it, was nothing remotely human-like.

            "Well," DoomVamp mimicked with a growl, "Did she succeed?  Did she retrieve the accursed orb?"

            "Ofcourse she didn't.  We knew she…that the demon would fail.  It's only a matter of whether or not they killed her, or if she actually received the orbs powers herself," the dark voice answered back.

            DoomVamp glared into the darkness, his blood red eyes glowing a little more intense.  "I am not in the mood for games or vague cryptic messages Prophet.  Answer me with a straight answer!"

            "My dear DoomVamp," the "Prophet" said as he came into the light, as meager as it was, in the room, "You are far too impatient, and if you would control yourself, you would realize that I did answer your question.  To the best of my knowledge.  The Slayer failed in properly procuring the orb, and I did indeed feel its energies, but I also felt that after it did, it was destroyed.  Now maybe the Slayer succeeded and got her hands on the orb before it could be properly bestowed on anyone, and therefore the demon you placed in her would have been destroyed, but at least we would know whom we're dealing with.  Another option is that the ones the orb was intended for, killed the Slayer when she tried to steal it, and is no longer an issue.  Or three, she procured the orb, and the demon was not wiped out and then destroyed the orb somehow.  I…I cannot foresee what exactly happened…something…old is blocking me."

            DoomVamp chuckled as he walked up to the seven foot, green/brown skinned, bladed on head, elbows, knees, feet, tail and claws demon Prophet, male version of the Seer.  "My dear Prophet," DoomVamp grabbed its left arm in a simple hold, but with such strength the mightier demon was instantly driven to its knees in pain, "you are supposed to be pretty old, and I am, at the source, older than you.  Now whoever is Kal'El's successor has no way of knowing how to block your visions yet, I can assure you of that.  So you really have no excuse," DoomVamp tightened his grip and twisted a bit more, causing the Prophet to cry out some, "for not telling me what I want to know.  First, is the Slayer dead?  And second, who is Kal'El's successor?"

            "I-I…I can't tell you anything if I can't focus!" the Prophet screeched.  DoomVamp let him go, allowing the High Circle demon to fall to the ground in relief.

            After a moment for the pain to fade, Prophet got back to his feet and then resumed a meditative pose, which he had been in since before DoomVamp walked into the room.  A gray mist, allowing him to see beyond, and even into the future, instantly covered his eyes.

            "The Slayer lives," he answered almost immediately.

            DoomVamp smirked in a rather perverted way.  "Good.  I was hoping she'd survive.  I was hoping to have some…fun with her when she returned."

            Just then, the Prophet frowned.  "What is it?" DoomVamp asked, still in a pretty good mood.

            "I…cannot sense any one successor, or inheritor of the powers of Kal'El," he answered.

            DoomVamp suddenly cheered.  "Woo hoo!  This day just keeps getting better and better!  First I start off with some nice torturing, then I get to maim and kill, and feast off of everyone in the prison, and now my competition is completely eradicated!  This is a good day."

            "I…I'm sorry Milord, but you misunderstand me," the Prophet tried to correct.  "I said I sense no one inheritor of the powers.  I in fact sense, and have confirmed, there are five successors."

            DoomVamp stilled, but he did nothing else.  He continued to stare at the Prophet for a few more minutes as the gray mist faded from the demon's eyes.  Once they had, he just shrugged and turned back to sit upon his throne of bones, saying, "No worries then.  Kal'El's powers have just been divided, making each of them weaker.  They only stood a chance against me when the powers were whole and a single person would inherit them.  I hope they don't expect to stand against me with them divided between five of them!"

            After a brief silence, DoomVamp began to laugh, a laugh that was very quickly echoing throughout the blood soaked walls of LA County Penitentiary.

Magic Box

            Faith had finally settled down after another hour or so.  Buffy hadn't left her side for a second of it, almost as though she were afraid to leave the dark Slayer alone.  Or to be alone herself.

            "B, I told ya I'm fine.  Now anyways.  You don't have to hang on my arm for every second ya know?" Faith was semi-complaining to the blonde Slayer.  Though Buffy knew inside Faith was practically screaming with joy at the contact Buffy was giving her.  Even if they were just sitting at the research table with Buffy's arm looped into Faith's on the table.

            "You sure you don't need anything Faith?  I mean I can get you a glass of water, or some food, or maybe you might need to rest later.  I'll go fix your cot again," Buffy said almost eagerly, ignoring the Faith's complaint.

            Faith grabbed Buffy's hand before it could leave her arm and then secured it better with her unfettered hand.  "You will do no such thing.  You're actually the one that needs to be sitting.  Especially after everything you've been through lately." Faith insisted.  Buffy, almost reluctantly, sat back down and leaned her head on Faith's shoulder as she did.

            "So Dawn, before Xander showed up this morning, you said you had found a reference on the Yeerk things from this morning?" Willow suddenly asked, almost desperate to draw attention from the two Slayers.

            "Uh, yeah!" Dawn said excitedly, catching on to Willow's idea and quickly started to rummage through all the books on the table.  "It was hear somewhere, if only I could find it…  Buffy, ya know instead of hanging on Faith's arm you could try and help me!"

            Buffy looked up at her younger sister, then at the stack of books in front of the younger Summers.  "It's right there," Buffy said in the next second.

            Dawn looked up.  "Huh?"

            "Right there," Buffy pointed.  An old leather bound book all of a sudden floated up out of the mass at the action of Buffy pointing.

            Everyone's eyes widened, but Buffy seemed almost nonchalant about it.  "B-buh-Buffy, how-how did you do that?" Dawn stuttered.  Even Faith was slightly startled, but no matter what she wasn't about to give up on her newfound closeness with Buffy.

            Buffy just shrugged at the question.  "I'm not entirely sure.  Ever since I woke up, the second time, I've just kinda known I could do stuff…and I did.  This is one of'em."

            "Oh," Dawn muttered.  Then she tentatively reached out for the floating book, though it was as steady as though it were just on an invisible shelf, she almost pulled her hand back, expecting to feel…something, but instead it was just the book.  So she took it and nodded at her sister, who just smiled back.  "Uh…thanks Buffy."

            Dawn quickly began to flip through the book, surprised somewhat to see that it was the one she had found earlier and she soon found where she had found the reference.  "Here it is Willow.  And Whistler's right, they don't have a name, and…" Dawn read a bit further, "…and he and Anya are also right about the other stuff.  When a large number of them show up, one of the Old Prophecies always comes to pass.  When there's only been one or two…oh.  Well, I would have been happier not knowing that."

            "What Dawn?" Willow asked, confused.  Dawn handed her the book and pointed at the specific passage that held what had Dawn so grossed out.  Willow quickly skimmed it, and then flushed a bright red and quickly put the book back down.

            "What was it?" Xander asked, drawn over by the commotion.

            Willow, if possible, blushed harder.  Buffy suddenly looked up from Faith's shoulder with a disgusted look on her face.  "Bet you're glad we got you out of there when we did, huh Wills?" she asked her best friend.

            Willow, and half the room, turned on the blonde Slayer, the red head sputtering at the mouth, "Bu…how-how-how…Buf-buh-Buffy, how-how did-did…Buffy!  How did you know what it said in that…that?"

            Buffy blinked.  Then she looked back at the book and then back at Willow, and finally she looked back into Faith's eyes.  "I…I'm not really sure.  Like I said…I just…know.  Faith are you sure that there's nothing I can get you?  Food maybe?" Buffy almost begged desperately in her request.

            "B, what's the deal?  Why are you so desperate to please all of a sudden?  I'm not exactly made outta glass ya know," Faith snapped, drawing back from Buffy slightly.

            Buffy instantly gripped Faith's arm fiercely.  "No!" she shouted.  Then immediately calmed, "No, I mean, I know that Faith, I'm just…I just…I'm…"

            "You're what B?" Faith asked, pure concern dripping from her tone and eyes as she held the older Slayer closer.

            As Faith stared into Buffy's hazel orbs, she saw a flash of fear tear through them for just a moment.  "I'm afraid," she whispered so that only Faith could hear.  Faith's eyes widened and she tightened her grip instinctively on her chosen mate.

            "A-afraid of what B?" Faith asked, her voice catching slightly.

            Buffy just tried to crawl inside of Faith in response, whimpering slightly.  Needless to say all the Slayerettes were deeply concerned about this change in behavior.  "B?" Faith's voice sounded desperate.  And Buffy knew how desperate the dark Slayer was, she could feel it herself.  She could feel and hear all of the emotions and thoughts of the Slayerettes, and beyond that, she could still hear the din, the unimaginable thunder of the rest of Sunnydale.

            "She's afraid of her power," Anya answered the Slayerettes concerns.

            "What?" Faith asked, confused.

            "What powers?" Xander asked.

            "Yeah, Buffy's the Slayer, she already knows and accepted her powers, didn't she?" Dawn asked.  Anya shook her head no.

            "The power she received from the orb.  The power of Mind.  Think about it Willow.  What is one other time that Buffy had a similar…encounter?" Anya asked the redhead.

            Everyone turned, in his or her confusion, to Willow, who just sat there with a thoughtful look on her face.  After a minutes, Buffy began nodding her head against Faith's chest, and Willow's eyes went very, horror-filled wide.  "No…" she hissed to herself.

            "Yes Willow, the last time that Buffy had mental powers, specifically telepathy, she nearly went insane.  That's why she's afraid now," Anya answered the denial.

            Xander blinked as his mind went back to high school, and one specific day amongst all the others.  Then he recalled and nodded in understanding.  "But…that's not how it's supposed to be, is it?  That was a demon that did that.  The…these powers from the orb are supposed to help us, not make us insane.  There…isn't there something you can do Anya?"

            Anya immediately nodded.  "You all need training.  The original, Kal'El, didn't just one day become the hero that he was.  He grew up with these powers, he learned, day by day how to use and understand them.  And they grew as he did and he never stopped learning how to use them.  He never stopped training himself in using them."

            "So far we know that Buffy has the full powers of Mind, and that the powers of Body and Soul were splintered to you four.  We just need to figure out who has which powers and then we can set up some kind of training deal, where you can all learn how to handle your new powers.  Xander, obviously you received part of the Body powers, since you fight with Faith proved that."

            At the mention, both Faith and Xander blushed some, but remained silent.  "What about the rest of us?" Faith asked.

            "And what about my powers?  Whistler said I had powers, other than opening portals that would destroy the world." Dawn persisted.

            After a bit, Buffy slowly sat back in her chair, no longer leaning solely on Faith and decided to speak what she knew, as she seemed to be the only one with any real clue as to what was happening.

            "Xander and Willow have the powers of Body while Tara and Faith have Soul," she said loud enough to be heard, though her voice sounded very tired.

            "How do you know that Buffy?" Anya asked.

            Buffy shrugged and Faith answered for her, "Yeah, I get it, you just know.  So…what are my powers?"  Buffy looked up and focused rather intently on the dark Slayer before her.

            "I…I don't know.  When-when I look at each of you, I…kind of see…something else.  Like auras and stuff.  Only it covers your entire bodies, not just surrounds your outsides.  Faith, you're covered in a kind of black aura, but pure, like the night sky.  Tara is surrounded by an equally pure white aura.  Xander is covered in blue, and Willow is red from head to toe." Buffy then looked over at Dawn, and an unconscious smile reached her lips.  "And I think I might be insane, because when I look at Dawn, I see the exact same thing that Tara described."

            At that Dawn and Tara started but Anya just nodded, as though that were expected.  "You have Second Sight.  Not many mentals have that gift along with everything else you've demonstrated." She said to the Slayer.

            Buffy just shrugged.  "It…helps keep out the din if I focus on something, or somebody.  That's why I've been kinda clingy Faith.  I-I've been using you as a focus, to keep all the…noise out."

            Faith reached forward and cupped the elder Slayer's cheek.  "Hey, it's all right B.  To keep you sane, I really don't mind.  But there is a thing as too clingy, ya know."

            Buffy smiled warmly at her fellow Slayer.  She nodded, "Yeah, I know."

            I love you too Faith

            Faith started and nearly jumped out of her seat, but managed to control herself enough.  "What the…?  What was that?" she suddenly screamed.

            Everyone looked at her, rather confused, not sure what she was carrying on about.  "Something wrong Faith?" Anya asked.

            "I…I just, I…" Faith stuttered and looked wildly around the room.

            Don't worry Faith, you're not crazy and you're not going crazy

            "You guys did not just hear that?!" she screamed again.

            "Hear what?" Xander asked, annoyed.

            Faith then heard distinct giggling in her head, as she had heard the two statements, but she was too surprised and too freaked at the moment to try and recognize it.  "THAT!" she screamed at the laughing sounds.

            Everyone looked around, straining to hear whatever the dark Slayer had thought she had just heard.  Xander, too annoyed for words, shook his head and started to berate the woman with a severe tongue lashing, when all of a sudden, he was assaulted by a level of volume that drove him to his knees instantly, his hands clamping on his ears so tight he wouldn't be surprised if they weren't bleeding, either from the overwhelming sounds and level of volume, which would have made a Space Shuttle launch sound like one of those cartoon mice sneezes in comparison.  He cried out in pain, but that only added to his pain, so he reminded himself, while he could still think, to not speak aloud again.

            Just a second after Xander cried out and fell to his knees, covering his ears, Buffy also cried out and mimicked the superman's pose, only she managed to stay in her chair.  "B!  B!" Faith shouted, which everyone noticed made both Buffy and Xander cringe just a little bit more.

            "Quiet Faith!" Anya ordered.  "It's Xander.  His pain is so great that Buffy was trapped in it, like when you were remembering what happened to you.  We have to help Xander first, then Buffy can get control again."

            "Okay," Faith got to her feet and strode with purpose to Xander.  Yet at each footfall, both Slayer and superman looked like they were that closer to dying of the pain hitting them.

            "Shit!" Anya cursed as she suddenly realized what was plaguing the two of them.  She took off her shoes and ran forward, just managing to reach Xander before Faith.  Then, without any warning, she picked up Xander's head, and planted her lips straight on his.

            Faith stopped and just stared at the kiss for a few seconds, and she wasn't the only one, and then just muttered, "Whoa," when it became obvious that the kiss was soon becoming more than just a simple meeting of lips, as Xander's focus went from his hearing, straight to the woman kissing his lips.

            Xander had no idea what was happening.  One second he was trying to hear whatever it was that Faith heard, the next thing he knew, he was hearing everything within the city limits, and quite possibly quite a ways beyond, and at Max level 1000 just to add to it.  And then Anya kissed him, and he wasn't sure how he knew it was her at first, but then as the kiss lingered, he began to recognize the feel of her, and then all he could hear was her heart beating, the sound of the blood rushing through her veins and arteries, the electrical sparks of her synapses firing, and everything else about her.  Even his skin seemed sensitized to feel everything about her the moment their lips started to mesh, and when their mouths opened to allow access to one another, Xander swore that he could feel the vibration of her very molecules he was so focused on her.

            When Xander had cried out, Buffy wanted to help him, so she instinctually reached out to try and comfort his mind, but she was not prepared for the level of exposure he was sending her.  It wasn't really pain, just too much information all at the same instant.  So when Xander shifted his perception from everything to just Anya, Buffy managed to regain enough control to shout out to the room, Xander!  You want to try and tune it down just a little!  Just don't focus so intently, all right!

            Unfortunately, she had shouted it telepathically, and everyone in the room heard the shout, not just Xander.

            "There!  That!  That's what I heard!" Faith shouted, looking up at the ceiling.

            That's me Faith Buffy explained, raising her hand and waving at the same time the voice was heard in everyone's heads.

            Everyone had heard the voice again and turned and gawked as Buffy waved.  "Buffy?" Dawn whispered quietly.  Buffy just nodded in understanding.

            Anya and Xander had fortunately managed to peel themselves away from each other when Buffy had spoken aloud to the group, and were now standing, though some feet away from each other.  "Uh, sorry about that Buff, didn't mean to…" Xander apologized.

            Buffy waved him off and held her hand in one hand, her eyes closed in concentration.  "It's all right Xander.  Just remember to control how much you hear."

            Xander started in surprise.  "I can do that?"

            Buffy looked up at him.  "Are you wailing in misery on the floor right now?"  At his negative response, she continued, "Well then why do you think that is?  And what was it you were doing right before you heard everything inside of ten blocks?"

            "Uhh…" Xander trailed off as he thought, then he snapped his fingers as he came to the answer.  "I was trying to hear whatever Faith said she heard, and…"

            "You were focusing your hearing?" Buffy repeated.

            Xander nodded, and then a moment later, the realization struck.  "Well I'll be damned," he cursed as he realized what Buffy had just led him to conclude.  Buffy smiled at him and relaxed some.

            "So…Buffy, you're more than just a telepath, aren't you?" Anya asked after another minute.

            Buffy just shrugged.  "I think I proved that with the book Anya.  But you're right.  I am more than just a simple Mental.  Every "psychic" power that has ever been recorded, and quite a few that were confused with magical gifts, not to mention probably a truckload of things never even imagined before, I am, I have, I can do.  It's kinda weird actually.  I know every power that I have and more or less how to use it.  That regeneration sleep helped a lot with it.  My only problem is in learning control and focus, like you said.  I'm…just not sure that I want to practice some of these abilities."

            "Buffy?  What do you mean?" Willow asked, going over to sit next to her best friend.

            Buffy instantly took Willows hand and it was as with Faith, Buffy focusing practically every iota of attention onto Willow.  "The regeneration sleep?  It was in the moments after Anya managed to pull me from Faith's memory, and I got a couple minutes real time sleep, but for my mind, which was still trying to cope, it was like every single second was a REM cycle.  And in each REM cycle, my mind learned more about itself.  I can control, to a certain degree, all of my powers, and I know everything about every one of them, it's just…"

            "You're scared of what will happen," Willow finished.  "Of what might happen if you let go and actually try and use any of them.  And then there's the hearing people's every thought thing, but Buffy, if you can handle everything that you have for the past two and a half years, starting with the fight down in the Initiative, you can handle focusing yourself past a little noise…"

            "Willow, this is not a "little noise"!" Buffy exclaimed.  "Would you like to know what I hear?  What it's like?"  Buffy then grabbed both sides of Willow's head and focused her eyes, just as Willow was saying, "Yeah I think that I would—"

            And in the next second, Buffy let down all the walls she had been trying to build, and even welcomed some of the voices out of the din into hers and Willow's minds.  Willow's physical eyes glazed over, and then her mouth opened in a silent scream, while Buffy remained steadily focused on Willow's head between her hands.

            Buffy!  Help me! Willow's mind cried out in the din.  She didn't even hear her own thought, it was absorbed and drowned out by all the other minds in Sunnydale.

            Buffy heard her though.  She heard and understood every thought in the din.  It was a virtual mass of information, all one would have to do is pay attention, and sort through it all.  As far as Buffy cared, an impossible task.  She then pulled Willow back into her own mind and drove the voices as far away as she could, making it sound like distant thunder, but always present.

            In the next instant, Buffy let go of Willow entirely.  "I'm sorry Wills…" Buffy sobbed.  "I…I'm so sorry."  She then stood up and tried to leave, but Faith grabbed her before she could get any further, and the blonde Slayer didn't try any harder to get away.

            Once the din had gone, Willow managed to orient herself with what had happened and shook her head as the last traces of it vanished.  No, not completely vanished.  There would always be the memory.  Of being smothered by such noise that one could not ever hear their very own thoughts.  Only after Buffy was already gone did she begin to process what the newly made psychic had done to her.  She had shown her what it had been like, what it had been like for Buffy when that demon had infected her with that "aspect of the demon."  No wonder Buffy was so scared.

10.       "Willow, are you all right?" Xander asked, stepping up behind the seated redhead.

            Willow weakly nodded her head yes.  "I…I'll be okay Xander.  Buffy just…she showed me what it was like.  And I can't say as I blame her for being scared.  Xander…it was horrible."  Xander just put his hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to elicit some comfort.  Willow just patted the hand and smiled up at him.

            "B?  Buffy?  Are…are you going to be all right?" Faith stepped forward, closer to the Slayer, but approached no closer, out of fear.

            Buffy nodded, still rubbing her head, "I'm…as good as can be expected.  I just, I guess I'm still tired is all.  That's a good question though Xander."

            Everyone looked up in confusion.  "Huh?" the selected asked.

            Buffy looked up and then looked over to Faith.  "Oh, I'm sorry Faith.  Uh, Xander was thinking, well, wondering what everyone else's powers are, and I kinda forgot to think that last part back at him.  And no Dawn I don't know what everyone's powers are, I only know their origins.  You know, Body, Soul, and well, I got Mind."

            "That is so creepy on so many levels, I have no words," Dawn muttered as she rounded the counter and suddenly began looking around.  Buffy frowned a second later and began to mimic the Key.

            Then, speaking at the same time, "Where is Whistler?  Wasn't he here a few minutes ago?" Buffy and Dawn asked.  Dawn then glared at Buffy, a cross look on her face, and Buffy met her eyes, but paled a moment after, until it suddenly reddened and a look of fury crossed the Slayer's face.  "Dawn!  Don't think like that!  Where the hell did you learn that kinda language anyway?"

            "Spike," the younger Summers answered almost smugly.  Buffy ground her teeth, her eyes squinting in thoughts of pain against a certain vampire.

            "Well, what I wanna know is," Xander stepped back from Willow's chair and into the middle of the room, next to the two Slayers and the Key, while Anya had gone back behind the counter, "do I have all of Superman's© powers, or you know just the super strength and invulnerability, and the super senses, while Wills gets the rest?"

            Buffy shared a sidelong glance with Faith, who just shrugged, not sure what answer to give, and then she saw Buffy smirk just the tiniest hair and Faith began to wonder what her true love had cooking inside that gorgeous mind of hers.  Buffy then looked back at Xander, stared him in the eye for a few seconds and then purposely shifted her gaze to the floor right in front of Xander's feet.  Xander, confused, looked down as well, and froze.  A 30-foot python lay right in front of him, ready to wrap itself around his feet and strangle him to death and then kill him.

            "YeeaaahhhaaahhhAAHHH!" Xander screamed and instinctually jumped away from the terrifying vision.  Yet the moment that he did, he suddenly found that there was no giant snake about to gobble him all up.  'Damn Mayor nightmares,' he cursed inside his head before he looked around at the others, to see if they had seen the same thing he had.

            Instead, he saw them all staring up in mimed shock up at him.  "What?  I saw a giant snake!  I have a right to be startled when I see a 60-foot python ready to kill me!" he defended himself.

            "Actually, it was a 30-foot python, and Xander?  That's not why we're staring at you," Buffy told him, and then pointed back at his feet.

            Worried, and remembering the last time he'd looked at his feet at Buffy's prompting, Xander hesitated slightly before actually looking.  Only this time he was very glad he did.  Very, very glad indeed.  He was floating, no flying four feet off the ground.

            "No.  Way." Xander just kept "standing" there looking at his unsupported feet, looking as though there were solid ground beneath them, rather than four feet further down.  Then he began grinning like an insane idiot, which had often been wondered about by various others about the young man.  "OK, I am now officially liking this!" Xander announced as he decided to begin experimenting and began to will himself higher.  Nothing happened.

            Xander frowned and then looked up and then back down and then recalled what Buffy had indicated about his powers so far.  Instinct, go with instinct.  'Just like walking' Xander thought to himself, 'Only with an added dimension to it.  I can do this, I can do this.  After all, I was only one and a half when I started walking, this shouldn't take me too long.'

            After another moment or so, Xander began to slowly rise higher into the air.  The insane grin returned, until his head hit the ceiling.  "Ow!" he cursed as he automatically lost most of the height he had gained, but stopped at a foot above the ground.  He rubbed his head, even though he had only felt the ceiling, not been hurt by it, and glared hatefully at the top wall.  Then, before he could even realize what he was doing, Xander's eyes turned a fiery red and two beams of solid red energy shot out at the speed of light and blasted a heavy chunk of the ceiling away.

            Xander's eyes turned back to normal in the next second and he muttered, "Oops," before dodging the debris he had created.  A very large and heavy piece of drywall that was aimed straight downward, where Dawn was standing.  Buffy saw it all a second before it even happened.  There was nothing she could do about the ceiling, but as with Xander, she worked on instinct when she saw her sister's life in jeopardy.

            "Dawn!" Buffy screamed and reached out her hand to grab her sister and pull her aside, but she was just a step out of reach, and before she could take that step, the sky began to fall.  It just never reached Dawn as it clunked to the side harmlessly about a foot or more from her ducked head.

            Only Buffy could see the golden yellow shimmering shield that had covered Dawn about a second before the debris would have hit, and she wasn't quite sure how she had done it, but she wasn't going to complain about the effects.  Sooner than she had created it, she dispelled the Mental shield and raced forward and hugged Dawn desperately.

            "Xander!" Anya screamed.  "Get down here this instant!  I swear, no wonder it took you so long to commit!  Were you always this impetuous!  Look at my ceiling!  Who's going to repair that?  Huh?  Who?  Dammit Xander!  Who?!"

            "Well, I was thinkin' me and the boys, but if you're going to yell at every guy in the room the same way you do zeppo there, maybe we'll take our business elsewhere," Whistler answered as he and a construction crew of about five more guys walked in.  Luckily Xander had landed just as Anya had told him to.

            "Whistler!" the Balance demon screamed at the new arrival.  "Where the hell have you been?  And who are all these people?"

            "Boys, get to work.  Start in the back.  Big hole needs fixin'," Whistler told the crew.  Then he turned to Anya and the others only after the five men had left the room, and answered all their concerns at once.

            "Well, first off, I went back to my superiors and told them the what's what.  Needless to say, none of them were too pleased to hear the Orb of Kal'El had been destroyed, but they were nearly ecstatic to hear there were five Champions instead of just one.  Then I explained to them about you and that the powers were divided, not copied.  After I got my head chewed off, several times I might add for any sympathy you would all care to impart on humble me, I went to some old buddies of mine that were good with construction type issues.  I told you that I'd pay for the repairs to this place toots, so don't worry about it, all right."

            Anya stared at her fellow Balance demon for a few more seconds before muttering, "Oh," and turned back to the counter.

            Xander stepped up to in front of Whistler and crossed his arms and looked down at the shorter demon.  "You wanna stop calling her toots?  Because I believe that it went out with the Renaissance, you know, back in the Twenties?"

            Whistler just shrugged back up at the superman and asked, "So what am I supposed to call her?  Comrade?"

            "How about Anya?" Xander took a step forward, starting to get angry.

            Buffy and Faith both stepped forward to get inbetween what could have been a rather nasty one-sided fight.  "Whoa there boytoy, ya wanna cool it there?" Faith put her hand on Xander's chest.

            "Xander, calm down.  He doesn't mean anything by it, and…its just Whistler, ya know?  Besides, it doesn't seem to bother Anya." Buffy pointed out, and clearing her throat a little.

            Anya saw this and grabbed a nearby pitcher of water she had made earlier for when the Slayerettes would awaken, back when they were still unconscious.  Willow watched Anya and then saw the pitcher of water and couldn't help thinking, 'Boy, I'd love some water right now.  Mmm, water…' before the world suddenly shrank away.  Or rather the opposite.

            Buffy gratefully took the water from Anya as the Balance demon handed it to her.  "Thanks Anya," she said gratefully as she began to pour the refreshing liquid down her throat.  She handed the glass back and turned around to ask Dawn to help them calm Xander, when she noticed something very wrong.

            "Where's Willow?" Buffy asked suddenly.

            That stopped all commotion in the room.  Tara, who had been reading another tome on the other side of the table looked up, a deep concern crossing her features as the fear reached her.  Dawn, too, became near frantic as she saw where Willow had been, now was only Willow's clothes and a large puddle of red-tinted water.

            "Willow?" Tara called out, nervousness and fear controlling her voice as she rounded the table.

            `Tara?  I'm right here.  What's wrong?` Willow's voice sounded from the general direction of the table, but nobody could identify exactly where.

            Buffy did though.  Using empathy to track Willow's emotions and more or less her, Buffy's eyes locked onto the puddle of red water.  "Willow?" she whispered to the puddle.

            The puddle, as though it were either blown or drawn to a drain, turned to the huddled group, and Buffy specifically before Willow's voice was heard again, `Buffy?  What's wrong?  You all look like you've seen a ghost or something.  Not to mention a little blurry around the edges.  I think I needed that water a lot more than I thought I did at first.`

            Everyone, now realizing the same thing that Buffy had, looked back and forth between themselves for a few moments before it was decided that Buffy would be the one to tell Willow what was going on.  Taking a tentative step forward, Buffy was relieved to see the puddle of water, which was about a good three or maybe a little more feet in diameter, stop at her approach and seemed to be waiting on her next move.

            "Uh, Wills?  What…uh, what was the last thing that you were thinking about before everything got…blurry?" Buffy asked.

            `Uh, I was watching Anya getting the pitcher of water for you.  And I thought about how much I would like some water as well, and then things just kind of got weird for a moment, like everything was changing all at once and then, well then I kind of found myself seeing everything as though it were moving too fast.  If I'm still for long enough, everything stays in focus, but kinda like its underwater, but thankfully with no waves.` the red puddle answered.

            ` Buffy…` the red puddle reached forward again, and Buffy panicked.  She barely had to search her mind before she focused and began to levitate herself out of the puddle's reach.

            Everyone stared in disbelief for a second before Xander's face began to look like he was going to start yelling when Buffy beat him to the punch, "Sorry Will, but I have had my fill of crawly watery things for the day.  And Xander, this isn't flying, this is levitation.  A lot of psychics can do this, and all it is, is just hovering, not doing or going anywhere, I assure you."

            `Buffy?  What are you talking about?  I'm not a crawly…watery…thing?  Am I?` Willow's voice began to sound very scared.

            Tara stepped forward, but when she got close to the red puddle, she became rather hesitant.  She wasn't sure how Willow's new form might accept outside stimulus.  "Will-Willow?" Tara spoke softly.  The red puddle shimmered slightly, as though something inside it had moved, though it didn't really move from its spot.

            `Tara?  What-what's happened to me?  Why is Buffy floating to stay away from me?` Willow sounded desperate for the answers.

            Tara shared a concerned glance with Buffy before kneeling to the ground and coming as close to the puddle as she dared.  The puddle flowed toward her a bit, but stayed just within arms reach, no closer.  "Will-Willow, you're a puddle of water.  Red water, but…well, um…" Tara trailed off as suddenly the water flowed backwards, towards the chair that it had appeared by.  It stared, or at least seemed to, at the clothes on the chair for a few moments before they could hear, `Aww, not again!  This is turning into a really bad day for me and…and clothes and water and…just stuff!  Buffy, can you please help me out here?  I mean, you've been able to help Xander, and you said that both Xander and me have Body powers…`

            "Powers of Body.  Big difference kid," Whistler interrupted.

            `Fine!  Whatever!  Buffy, please, you've got to help me!` Willow begged.

            Buffy sighed and slowly eased back to the floor.  "All right.  Well, your change came about when you thought about water, right?  And you turned into water.  Albeit red water, but whatever.  Maybe, if you think about…you?  You'll change back."

            `You mean if I think about how I look, or just, you know, my body and then…` suddenly the water stopped talking as it began to raise up in the middle and began to take an almost solid importance.  Buffy glanced at the chair, with all of Willow's clothes in it and her eyes widened as she suddenly called out, "Quick!  Willow, think about water, now!"

            Instantly the puddle dropped back into itself as Willow too seemed to have realized what had almost happened.  `Thanks Buffy.  Uh, where should I…you know?  Since obviously I can't go in the back and there isn't a restroom out here that I can get access to…`

            "Just do it behind the counter Willow.  Go on back there," Buffy told the puddle.  "Tara, help me and Willow out please, and you two," Buffy pointed a harsh glare at Xander and Whistler, the only two males in the room, "Face the other way.  Now.  And no peeking.  Faith, Dawn, make sure they behave themselves."

            "Hey, no problemo Buff," Xander said as he walked over to one of the shelves of occult merchandise.  'It probably won't be an issue anymore when my X-ray vision kicks in anyway, Hah!' Xander thought.

            "I heard that Xander!" Buffy snapped as she picked up Willow's clothes.  The sound of Xander slapping his hand, hard, against his forehead could be heard throughout the room.

            "Ah come on, not even a peak?" Whistler mock-whined as both Faith and Dawn man-handled him next to Xander.

            "Don't even tempt me balance boy," Faith warned with a hard edge.

            Once it was confirmed that the males were in no position to even catch a reflection, Buffy looked down at the red puddle and said, "Okay Willow, try it now."

            Buffy wasn't sure, but she got the impression that the puddle, Willow, had just nodded her head at her, but Buffy just shook it off and waited to see what was going to happen.  As before, the water seemed to just rise up in the middle, slowly, as it gained height, becoming more solid, until it was Willow's height, and then it suddenly contracted from a solid tower of liquid into a liquid sculpture of Willow herself, before just all of a sudden, it was just Willow.  Standing there without a stitch on.

            Willow smiled when she opened her eyes and saw Buffy and Tara at normal height, but then she looked down, and that look of absolute fear that stems only from embarrassment covered Willow's face as she suddenly ducked down and tried desperately to cover herself.

            "Clothes!  Now!" she begged.  Tara handed over and helped Willow put on her underwear, while Buffy looked over and made sure that nobody was looking over for a quick peek at her best friend.  Specifically Whistler or any of his construction crew in the back.

            Once Willow was fully dressed, everyone went back to the middle of the room, planning on discussing this latest development when out of nowhere, the bells above the doorbell rang.  Anya took a really deep breath and turned to drive the potential customer away, but stopped when she looked up and saw his face, right behind his outstretched arm holding a gun.

            "Hold it right there!" the young man, who could have been Xander's age, yelled at the group, wildly waving his gun around, trying to cover everybody at once.

            Buffy immediately pulled Dawn behind her, ready to raise her shield at a moment's notice in case a bullet actually was fired.  Willow did the same to Tara, but was just planning on throwing Tara to the ground while turning into water to save herself, and Xander tried to put himself in front of everybody, but both Anya and Whistler had put themselves in front of him, which meant he couldn't do much unless he tried to force his way through.  Faith was at the head of the group, just over five feet away from the would-be robber.

            "All right, no heroics, all right!  All I want is the cash, and then I'm gone.  You!  Big guy, you get the cash, otherwise I start capping heads, and lazy eyes here is the first to get it," the robber ordered, pointing his gun directly at Faith.

            And it was true, Faith was giving him the "Lazy eye", the look that an experienced warrior, or gunman, gave a rookie to psych him out, and more often than not it worked.  Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

            Xander looked back at Buffy, who nodded at his silent question, and grumbling, Xander went behind the counter to the cash register.

            "And don't be trying any silent alarm or reaching for any gun, or else lazy eyes gets it, understand?" the robber shouted.  Xander only continued to grumble.

            Anya turned to Whistler and asked, "Do I have a silent alarm?"

            The Balance demon just shrugged.  "You can by the end of today.  I'll just have to set something up with the boys.  But ya gotta ask yourself, do you really want Sunnydale's police to be the ones to show up after you've been robbed?"

            "Shut up!" the robber screamed.

            "We'll talk about it later," Anya told him.

            "Okay, look now, I'm sure there's gotta be some other way to do this than you pointing a gun, isn't there?" Faith tried to reason with the obviously disturbed young man.

            "Just shut up!  This'll be over as soon as I get the cash and I'm outta here.  Now, STAY BACK!" the robber pulled back the hammer when Faith took a half step towards him.  He backed up a good three feet, keeping his sights trained on Faith.

            Faith raised her hands and nodded her head, and didn't take another step forward, but didn't move back either.  "Listen, isn't there some convenience store or Pawn shop you're supposed to be doing this at?  I mean, this is a Magic shop for crying out loud!  What makes you think that any of these people aren't witches who'll put a hex on you the moment you're out the door?  What makes you think that a gun can even hurt me?"

            "Oh yeah?  Well let's just see about that.  Take another step and we'll add another hole to that pretty little head of yours," the robber warned.  Faith took another step.

            "S-stay-stay back!  I-I'm warning you!" the robber took another two steps back as Faith took another step.  After a moment, he shut his eyes and then started firing wildly.  Well, not actually wildly, since he kept his aim straight on Faith, but he didn't stop firing until his gun ran out of bullets.  It was how Faith reacted to being shot at that surprised the heck out of everybody.

            To Faith's eyes, she saw the hammer move forward, saw the brief flash of explosion as the gun was fired, and then watched with a mixture of shock and annoyance, as the bullet slowly traveled, almost in slow motion, straight at her head.  Because while she could actually see the bullet, it was still traveling too fast for her to successfully dodge, even if she wanted to, which considering that her friends were directly behind her, she didn't.

            The next thing Faith knew though, she felt a rush go throughout her entire body, a rush like she had never ever felt before.  And just before the bullet would have reached her, Faith's body moved on its own, adhering to newer instincts.  Her arm suddenly shot up, faster than the bullet was shooting towards her, and Faith stared in wide-eyed amazement as the bullet was deflected safely into the ceiling by the silver bracer she suddenly found on her arm.

            'What the fuck?!' Faith then thought back to the way Xander had reacted and what she knew he was now capable of.  Xander was superman.  And Faith now had silver bracers on her arms, which she had just used to deflect a bullet, and she was now wearing a form fitting sparkly black outfit, and where had her coat gone to?

            Faith looked up in time to see that another two bullets had already left the gun, and before her very eyes, her arms moved, almost of their own accord, to deflect the bullets before they hit her, safely ricocheting them around so they wouldn't hurt anybody.  Now that she thought about it, Faith realized that part of her mind was actually calculating where the bullets would go after she deflected them, and was working through many scenarios if it was found that one would hurt one of the innocent bystanders behind her.  But one, she realized, she could use to disarm the idiot gunman.

            After deflecting five bullets into the walls and ceiling, Faith caught the last bullet on her right bracer and aimed it directly down at her left bracer, which then deflected the bullet right back into the chamber it had been fired from.  The gun almost exploded in the robber's hand.

            "Ahh!  Shit!" he cursed.  Before he could process that this woman had just deflected six bullets shot at her, or even think of running, Faith, again on instinct, took a glowing black chain that had just suddenly appeared at her waist, and without any flare or any extra showmanship, Faith threw the chain at the robber, and of its own accord, very much like magic, it wrapped around him three times and then at Faith's direction, lifted him into the air.

            "Ahh!  What the fuck?" the robber screamed as he suddenly found himself in the air, held by glowing black chains.

            "Shut up!" Faith ordered.  The robber stopped whimpering and just kinda hung there.  She was too busy trying to figure out what the heck was happening to her to care all that much about this jerk's problems.  The answer came to her in a rather simplified statement of fact.

            'I'm freakin' WONDER WOMAN!' Faith realized to herself, but couldn't help the smile that formed on her face.  Wonder Woman always had been her favorite comic growing up.

            The others were also staring in confusion and the common element of disbelief.  Buffy, sensing Faith's flash of excitement, felt it important to remind the Dark Slayer of some of consequences of having too much excitement in stopping evil.  "Uh Faith, you do realize that you're using floating chains, like in that movie Spawn, don't you?  You know, about the guy that came back from hell?"

            That stopped Faith's "excitement" real quick.  She turned to Buffy and smiled.  "Thanks B," she mouthed before turning attention back to the robber.

            "So?  Any suggestions?  Can't exactly take this moron to the police, can we?" Faith asked.

            "Well we can't kill him, that's for sure!" Xander exclaimed.

            "May…maybe we can use a spell?  To make him forget?" Willow suggested.

            Tara resolutely shook her head and said only one word,  "No."

            "I could probably erase his memory of the past few minutes better than any spell could, but I'm more concerned over…Faith at the moment," Buffy added.

            "What if we just threaten him a lot until he agrees not to say anything about us?" Anya suggested.

            "I could take him on a tour of all the "hot" spots," Whistler suggested.  "Couple hours down there, he won't be talking to anybody for a long time, without them thinking he's crazier than a fruit nut that is."

            "But…but-but I…I-I-I just needed the money!" the would-be robber pleaded pitifully.

            "Beside the point moron," Faith jerked the ethereal chain and it jostled the gunman in mid-air.  "You've just seen something you shouldn't have.  Something we can't let anybody else knowing about, capice?"

            "I capice!  I capice!" the terrified man screamed.  "I swear, I won't tell nobody nuthin!  I don't even know who you freaks are!"

            "You know that we're freaks, that might be enough," Willow observed with a playful glint in her eyes.  Buffy matched the redhead's look and the Balance demons and the robber couldn't help gulping at the identical, evil, looks.

            "And I thought Angelus could look scary," Whistler muttered under his breath.

            The robber, who the Slayerettes had yet to even learn the name of yet, paled dangerously as he caught the looks that Whistler had commented on.  "I'm gonna die, aren't I?" he wailed.

            After another tense minute of silence, Buffy relaxed and just said, "Put him down Faith.  Xander will make sure he doesn't run."

            "Got that right," Xander said as he cracked his knuckles suddenly beside the blond Slayer, where just a second ago he had been behind the counter.  The robber audibly gulped.

            Grinning, Faith directed the black glowing chain to set the boy down, but they remained wrapped around him.  Faith wasn't quite sure that she wanted them to be gone just yet anyway.

            "What's you name kid?" Buffy asked suddenly, already knowing the answer.

            "Look," the kid, who couldn't have been older than 21, begged, ignoring Buffy's question, "I swear, I'm more silent than most dead people, even more so than the ones in this town!  I'm not telling anyone anything about this!  Hell!  I don't even know what's going on here and I don't want to know!  So…please let me go?"

            "What's your name?" Willow repeated.

            The robber remained silent, looking fearfully back and forth between Willow and Buffy.  "You're scared, aren't you?" Buffy inquired, stepping around behind Faith, keeping eye contact.  "You're so frightened at this moment that you'll do almost anything if we just promise not to hurt you.  Or even just to walk out of here alive.  You're so petrified that you are actually afraid you won't be able to do even that if we give you the chance.  Aren't you?"

            The robber was shaking in the chains now, staring terrified at Buffy, giving voice to the thoughts of his fears.  "What's your name?" Xander asked this time.

            Buffy walked back to where she stood before and no one said anything until Tara asked this time, "What is your name?"

            The robber was shaking like he was about to have a fit or die from his panic attack by breaking one of his vital bones from shaking so hard.  Faith was about to ask when suddenly Anya stepped forward and addressed the robber directly.

            "Hello Jimmy, it's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked as she stepped almost directly up to him.

            The robber paled and flinched back at the name, as well as the look of utter calm on the questioner's face.  "How-how, how do you know my name?" the robber, apparently Jimmy, asked.

            "That's a good question Anya," Buffy inquired, her voice patched with a dark undertone to it.  "How do you know him?  Whistler, I don't suppose…"

            "Never seen'im before in my immortal life," Whistler answered before she even finished asking the question.

            "Jimmy was the case I had right before I came to Sunnydale for Cordelia.  When I was a vengeance demon," Anya answered.  At the surprised looks, and faces of empathy she received, Anya quickly continued.

            "He had cheated on his girlfriend, they had been dating steady all through High School, then he dumped her after one night with the school bimbo.  Her wish, exactly as I recall was, "I wish he just forget about her, in fact I wish he forgot about everything!"  So I gave him permanent amnesia.  He's probably been wandering from place to place trying to regain some of his memory, but it's not possible.  At least…it wasn't."

            "You did this to me?" Jimmy weakly whispered as he stared at the down-looking Balance demon.  At his accusation, Anya looked up; tears falling freely down her face.  She slowly nodded.

            "An?" Xander stepped back to comfort his suddenly distraught ex-girlfriend.  "What's wrong?"

            Anya looked like she almost stepped into Xander's arms to be comforted, but at the last second she resisted and stepped back from him, her tears redoubling.  "I…I'm sorry Xander…but…I'm so sorry for what I did to you.  I don't deserve your forgiveness.  What I did was wrong and cruel, and I promise you James Olsen, I'll do everything I can to rectify what I did to you."

            The uncharacteristic apology along with the unexpected, but very familiar, name froze everybody in the room.  "You gotta be kidding me," Xander muttered unbelievingly and putting his hand on the bridge of his nose.

            "Jimmy Olsen?  Funny, I thought Xander was supposed to be the Olsen of this group," Faith couldn't help snickering as she continued to hold the glowing chain around the man.

            "I'm sure it's just one really big coincidence," Whistler tried to argue.

            "I doubt that, and he will not just be moving on Whistler," Anya snapped, her tears stopping, but still obvious.  "I just swore to help Jimmy get his memories back, and that's what I'm going to do!"

            "In case you forgot toots," Whistler emphasized the nickname with his anger, "we've got a serious loco situation on our hands, and now is not the time to be putting more on our plates than your boss could chew!  We've got to help them understand their powers and start their training, like now!"

            "And who do you think you are to be telling us what to do Whistler?" Buffy asked carefully.

            The addressed Balance demon looked over at the enhanced Slayer and couldn't help gulping in fear as he saw that she was looking at him with yellow-glowing eyes.  Fortunately, her back was to Jimmy so he didn't see the supernatural display.  Then, after a moment, Whistler reasserted his confidence and answered back, "The one that gave you the powers to begin with.  That kinda makes me responsible for what happens to you and with them.  Otherwise…the whole world, and maybe even more, is doomed."

            "Oh, way to go Olsen, you've really stepped in it this time," the only normal human in the room cursed to himself as the group began to move together to begin talking.

TBC…