Giles hung up the phone and went over to the table where the entire gang was sitting with the exception of Tara who was watching over Buffy in the back room. "That was Angel. It seems he found out about Buffy and as you can imagine he was a little upset about not being informed."
"Oh did we hurt poor dead boy's feelings? I just feel so bad that we didn't tell him. He deserves to know about Buffy even though he abandoned her." Xander showed no mercy for the vampire.
"Yes well, that's besides the point. It seems he has information on Buffy. Some very important information. He knows how to make Buffy slayer again."
"Oh my god. He knows! What did he say?" Willow asked.
"I'm not sure you are going to like this. It's Faith."
"You mean that psycho slayer that's in prison?" Anya responded.
Giles sighed. "Yes Anya, that is who I'm referring to. We have to get Faith out of jail. She's the only one who can channel Buffy's slayer essence. It's too powerful for just anybody. If anybody else were to try, it would kill them. She's our only hope."
"No! Nah uh! Not gonna happen. You want to set a cold blooded murderer lose and ask her to help Buffy. She tried to kill Buffy more than once, what makes you think she'll help her this time?" Willow held a special kind of hatred in her heart for the dark haired slayer.
"We don't have much other choice. Anyway, Faith did turn herself into the police and Angel says she really has changed for the better. We have to trust his opinion; it's the only one we have. Also, the powers gave Cordellia a vision pointing the way to Faith. This must be what they want and we have to respect that."
"The Powers couldn't want that. They couldn't. They couldn't want Buffy to be forever indebted to the girl who tried to kill her and her friends, who stole her body and her life. No. How do you know that they don't want Buffy to stay the way she is now? Maybe it's a reward, letting her live a normal life. But, this part about asking Faith to help, that can't be what they want."
Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by nothingness. Pure white light was all that existed besides them. After a moment Angel and Wesley appeared next to them and Cordellia stood facing them.
"The oracles have been lost and so we are using this vessel to communicate with you." Cordellia spoke. They all knew immediately where they were. It was the throne room for the Powers that Be.
"You all seem to assume you know what we want, so we have called you here to alleviate any confusion. Normally we would not care about what you do, but there is much at stake here." Everyone nodded their heads but they didn't dare speak, they needed to know what to do and they didn't want to risk upsetting the powers.
"Much is planned for the mortal realm from the very beginning of time itself, but nothing is perfect. It has been known that a slayer would die for a moment and be brought back, thus calling forth a second slayer. It was also known that the chosen one who best served humanity by protecting the key and destroying the hellgod would be rewarded with new life. Willow. You were correct in stating that Buffy's present state was meant as a reward. The purpose of her return in her preslayer state was to let her live the life that was taken from her. But there was something even we did not know. We were unaware that the two slayers we just mentioned were one and the same. And know we are stuck. We can not call forth a second successor for Buffy; a new slayer will be called only after Faith has died. But Faith will not die for a long time because she has been taken out of the fight. We need a warrior to protect mankind and out present slayer can not take on that role. But she is still needed in this. As you know, it is Faith alone that can restore Buffy to the role of slayer, you must allow her to do this or the old ones will succeed in taking back the earth."
"But can we trust Faith? And even if we did, how could we get Buffy and Faith together?" Xander asked the Powers.
"We can not tell you what will be, we can only tell you what is. Right now Faith is willing to help. She wants to help. But Faith, like all humans, has free will and may choose to return to the path of evil at anytime. As for your second question, it has been taken care of. The council knows of our wishes and will be able to get Faith out of prison until Buffy is returned to her slayer state."
"But what about Buffy's reward? She ahs earned it and now you are going to take it away from her. That's not fair."
"The Niblet's right. She's done everything you've asked, it's not right to take away her reward."
"Who are you to speak of fairness? You have spent over a century taking lives that were not yours to take. You have reeked havoc on village after village and attempted to cause the apocalypse more than once. Do not speak to us of fairness. We will answer the question for Dawn's sake, for she is pure and innocent." Cordellia turned to look directly at Dawn. "What good would your sisters reward be if the world comes to an end? And don't forget, there is still a part of your sister, the part that remembers you, the part that died for you, who is trapped and suffering. We would not ask this of you or of her if it was not necessary. When this is all over, your sister will be given a reward far greater then the one she has now, something."
There was a flash of light and when it disappeared, Spike found himself alone in the throne room with the exception for Cordellia who was still talking for the Powers. "Do you love Buffy? Not the slayer, but the girl?" Cordellia asked Spike.
"I do."
"That is good. For you are an important factor in what is about to unfold. Your love for Buffy will be tested and if it is true, we will be saved, if not, we are doomed."
"Oh did we hurt poor dead boy's feelings? I just feel so bad that we didn't tell him. He deserves to know about Buffy even though he abandoned her." Xander showed no mercy for the vampire.
"Yes well, that's besides the point. It seems he has information on Buffy. Some very important information. He knows how to make Buffy slayer again."
"Oh my god. He knows! What did he say?" Willow asked.
"I'm not sure you are going to like this. It's Faith."
"You mean that psycho slayer that's in prison?" Anya responded.
Giles sighed. "Yes Anya, that is who I'm referring to. We have to get Faith out of jail. She's the only one who can channel Buffy's slayer essence. It's too powerful for just anybody. If anybody else were to try, it would kill them. She's our only hope."
"No! Nah uh! Not gonna happen. You want to set a cold blooded murderer lose and ask her to help Buffy. She tried to kill Buffy more than once, what makes you think she'll help her this time?" Willow held a special kind of hatred in her heart for the dark haired slayer.
"We don't have much other choice. Anyway, Faith did turn herself into the police and Angel says she really has changed for the better. We have to trust his opinion; it's the only one we have. Also, the powers gave Cordellia a vision pointing the way to Faith. This must be what they want and we have to respect that."
"The Powers couldn't want that. They couldn't. They couldn't want Buffy to be forever indebted to the girl who tried to kill her and her friends, who stole her body and her life. No. How do you know that they don't want Buffy to stay the way she is now? Maybe it's a reward, letting her live a normal life. But, this part about asking Faith to help, that can't be what they want."
Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by nothingness. Pure white light was all that existed besides them. After a moment Angel and Wesley appeared next to them and Cordellia stood facing them.
"The oracles have been lost and so we are using this vessel to communicate with you." Cordellia spoke. They all knew immediately where they were. It was the throne room for the Powers that Be.
"You all seem to assume you know what we want, so we have called you here to alleviate any confusion. Normally we would not care about what you do, but there is much at stake here." Everyone nodded their heads but they didn't dare speak, they needed to know what to do and they didn't want to risk upsetting the powers.
"Much is planned for the mortal realm from the very beginning of time itself, but nothing is perfect. It has been known that a slayer would die for a moment and be brought back, thus calling forth a second slayer. It was also known that the chosen one who best served humanity by protecting the key and destroying the hellgod would be rewarded with new life. Willow. You were correct in stating that Buffy's present state was meant as a reward. The purpose of her return in her preslayer state was to let her live the life that was taken from her. But there was something even we did not know. We were unaware that the two slayers we just mentioned were one and the same. And know we are stuck. We can not call forth a second successor for Buffy; a new slayer will be called only after Faith has died. But Faith will not die for a long time because she has been taken out of the fight. We need a warrior to protect mankind and out present slayer can not take on that role. But she is still needed in this. As you know, it is Faith alone that can restore Buffy to the role of slayer, you must allow her to do this or the old ones will succeed in taking back the earth."
"But can we trust Faith? And even if we did, how could we get Buffy and Faith together?" Xander asked the Powers.
"We can not tell you what will be, we can only tell you what is. Right now Faith is willing to help. She wants to help. But Faith, like all humans, has free will and may choose to return to the path of evil at anytime. As for your second question, it has been taken care of. The council knows of our wishes and will be able to get Faith out of prison until Buffy is returned to her slayer state."
"But what about Buffy's reward? She ahs earned it and now you are going to take it away from her. That's not fair."
"The Niblet's right. She's done everything you've asked, it's not right to take away her reward."
"Who are you to speak of fairness? You have spent over a century taking lives that were not yours to take. You have reeked havoc on village after village and attempted to cause the apocalypse more than once. Do not speak to us of fairness. We will answer the question for Dawn's sake, for she is pure and innocent." Cordellia turned to look directly at Dawn. "What good would your sisters reward be if the world comes to an end? And don't forget, there is still a part of your sister, the part that remembers you, the part that died for you, who is trapped and suffering. We would not ask this of you or of her if it was not necessary. When this is all over, your sister will be given a reward far greater then the one she has now, something."
There was a flash of light and when it disappeared, Spike found himself alone in the throne room with the exception for Cordellia who was still talking for the Powers. "Do you love Buffy? Not the slayer, but the girl?" Cordellia asked Spike.
"I do."
"That is good. For you are an important factor in what is about to unfold. Your love for Buffy will be tested and if it is true, we will be saved, if not, we are doomed."