Chapter 1

She finally had a moment to herself. It wasn't a happy moment to reflect on her success, but rather a moment to consider her defeat. Buffy walked through the streets of an empty town. Sunnydale was just about deserted, with most of the people having fled the pending apocalypse. She had been overthrown; her leadership role had now passed to Faith, one of the last people she expected to take on the job as General. "Don't be afraid to lead them..." She didn't like admitting it, but she had confidence that if Faith found her groove, she would lead the potentials well. Faith had the support of the potentials behind her, along with all of Buffy's friends and family. Buffy had made some bad judgment calls, and they had not only cost her her leadership role, but also her place in her own home. They didn't need her there anymore. They didn't want her there anymore. The empty streets left an empty shell of the once familiar neighbourhood. The darkness and the silence surrounding her gave her an even emptier feeling, deep in the pit of her stomach. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself she continued on.

Out of habit she arrived in the cemetery. She wasn't looking for a fight, or a "good slay" as Faith might put it, she was looking for...solitude? No, she had enough solitude with the deserted town all around her. Something about the atmosphere in the graveyard was comforting. The idea that the dead lay beneath her, most of them at peace, comforted her. It was a bleak sort of comfort, knowing that no matter how many people died in the final fight, at least dead they would be peaceful, and not haunted by everything still going on around them. Or so it would be in an ideal world. Buffy knew from everything that she had seen as a slayer that not everyone would be granted the pleasure of basking in heaven. There were just one too many hell dimensions that whoever died might end up in for her to be fooled by her own experience as a previously dead person. At least their part in this fight would be over. "So long as they do something useful before they end up dead, like stop the apocalypse." she though bitterly. What did it matter? She had lost all her power. Now all she could do was wait and see what happened.

She sat down in one of the nearby crypts. There were no vampires around for her to tangle with anyway, all evil was lying low, also waiting for the outcome of the battle. The wind picked up and shut the door to the crypt with a bang. Buffy hardly even looked up. The silence was now absolute. She sighed and closed her eyes. The dank quiet of the crypt helped to clear her head. The last thing she needed was...

"There are some choices that we do not make. They are made for us..."

A voice whispered through the darkness. Buffy raised her head and blinked. She hoped she was hearing things. She didn't want to deal with yet another mystical force.

"You begin to wish you did not have the strength or the power that you possess...you wish things were much different..."

"You bet I wish things were different. Now who are you and what do you want?" Buffy looked towards the ceiling of the crypt, but she could see nothing but the ceiling.

"We want nothing but to help you."

Buffy tensed. Usually when a mysterious voice told her it wanted to help her, it meant she would end up fighting for her life, and that was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment.

"You are wary of us...you are wise. Do not fear the power of the Salun. We are ancient protectors of those with exceptional power. We have protected all great warriors who defend their people against evil."

"I'm not some great warrior. I've lost my power, and besides, I don't want it."

"You are mistaken. Though we have no physical form, we are aware of all great deeds, of all those with power. We have been aware of you for many years. Time and time again you have proven that you are a warrior with extraordinary power, whether you want it or not."

"Ok, so I'm strong and have super powers, sure. What makes you think I'm here to do great good?"

"By great, we do not mean good. Great deeds are those that affect many lives, for good or ill. There are forces working now to destroy all that is good. You are not one of them. You have defended your people many times against such forces, and now is not the time to abandon your mission."

"What mission? I've been kicked out of my own house by my sister and fifty other people living under my roof! I made a mistake, ok, and it cost me, but I know the vineyard is important. Caleb has to have something- how exactly do you help people? Can you tell me how to win?" She wasn't sure why she was telling so much to what appeared to be an empty crypt, but the voice sent warm vibrations through her body, making her trust the voice, and hoping against all hope that it was not a trap.

"Your mission, is to defend the world and fight for the safety and freedom of your family and friends. You may not be needed in your home, but you are still needed. You are right, there is more to the vineyard...you will discover what secrets it holds soon enough, but we can help you in a different way. We cannot predict the outcome of any war, so no, we cannot even be sure if you will win."

"Too bad. So what do you do, exactly?"

"Long ago, we aided those who fought to defend their country by granting them the aid they needed in whatever form they asked for."

"Meaning..."

"...meaning...we grant wishes, as you say."

"Great. I wish this was over and the First is destroyed."

"It's not that simple."

"It never is! God, I wish for once, these things didn't come with so many conditions. What exactly can't I wish for then?"

"We can only give you something to aid you in your battle. And only one wish, so consider it wisely."

"Ooh, like I could wish for uber-weapons to destroy the uber-vamps?" She waited for the reply, but received only the empty silence. " Hello? I hate it when they just disappear like that." She heard a dull "thunk" somewhere nearby. Tensing once again, she fumbled in the dark looking for whatever had fallen. And then her hand touched something hard. Something that was definitely not part of the stone crypt. As she wrapped her hand around it, she felt it grow warm. Her heart began beating faster. She couldn't see whatever the thing was, but it wasn't your average rock. She scrambled for the door, hoping she had enough time to escape if the thing was a bomb. She fought to open the latch on the door. Before she could dash out, she heard it...