The Slayer is in love with a vampire.
If ever there was a star-crossed love, it would be this one. It was shortly after an attack by the Three that Buffy and her friends came to the library with this new information. Angel, is his name. For the longest time, I was uncertain of his intentions. He seemed eager to assist us in declining the vampire population in Sunnydale and even gave Buffy some sound advise from time-to-time. Yet, he is a vampire.
It is clear that the Master isn't too keen on our victories over him, as he called upon the legendary Three to destroy the Slayer. A trio of fierce warriors, the books tell us that they don themselves in armor and are entirely devoted to their cause and leader. Nothing like a fanatic, hm? Buffy has admitted that she likely would have been killed had Angel not stepped in and saved her. This alarms for two reasons. One, Buffy could have met her end two nights ago. It is clear to me that I need to devise a more rigorous training regime. Two, it makes Angel's intentions even more unclear.
From every account I have ever read on the species, vampires are ruthless demons. They kill and have a sincere enjoyment in killing. It's not just simple feeding time for them, it's a game. They are cruel and without conscience. Yet, according to Buffy, Angel has been given many opportunities to drain her and has refrained from doing so. Why? Is it true that he harbors some tender feelings towards Buffy? I would say that it is impossible for a vampire to feel love for another, but I lack enough evidence to support that claim. We simply do not know enough. The fact that Angel has not given us cause to suspect him as of yet could also be a longer-running ruse designed by the Master, himself. What if Angel has been working towards some nefarious goal the entire time? To earn the Slayer's trust, and when it suits the Master the most, dispose of her?
But if the Master has grown so frustrated with Buffy, and it is clear that level of frustration is rising; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent the three, then why hasn't he ordered Angel to strike? Unless, as stated before, Angel's feelings for Buffy are, in fact, sincere?
Remember to buy more bolts for the crossbow, fresh out.
Train more with the quarterstaff, so Buffy doesn't wallop me so soundly next time.
Angel's history also damns him. Called Angelus, he was turned into a vampire roughly over two hundred years ago. Apparently, he's Irish, though he neither looks nor retains any accent attributed to the island at all. Many Watchers have recorded over the years the slaughter and terror he wreaked across Europe and even China for years. I refrained from telling the others the details, but Angelus was fond of bloodshed. He certainly appears to be the cruelest vampire I have ever read about. He fascinates in playing with his victim before giving them a brutal killing. Yet, compared to his lifestyle now, the two are polar opposite. One would never guess that they are the same man.
So, what occurred then? Eighty years ago, Angelus traveled to America where he avoided vampires and more-or-less disappeared from the limelight. It's entirely unlikely that he woke up one day and felt remorse for his victims. It's against everything we know about vampires, this sudden growth of conscience. Yet, he killed Darla, the vampire who truly attacked Buffy's mother. More than that, Darla was, apparently, the woman who had sired Angel. To kill one's sire . . . Vampires may not spare humans much thought, but killing their own they find nearly unforgivable. They are . . . well, to put it clearly, they consider themselves the pure, superior race. Destroying such perfection caters towards heresy and damnation. Which is rather laughable, all things considered.
More thought and investigation are in order in regards to Angel. I am wary of his relationship with Buffy, and how it might affect her abilities as a Slayer. But I am also fascinated with this vampire who, by all intents and purposes, appears to be atoning. He could serve as a fascinating subject to write on, should I be given the opportunity.
There was another exciting development within this Angel-Darla-Buffy affair. Perhaps exciting is the incorrect word. Buffy's mother was attacked. Apparently, there was a grand scheme to make Buffy believe that Angel had attacked her mother, when in fact, it had been Darla. I received a call informing me about Buffy's mother's condition and rushed to the hospital . . . and there met the woman who had given birth to the Slayer. Joyce Summers, is her name.
There is a certain amount of reverence one should have when meeting the parents of the Slayer. They, knowingly or otherwise, were the ones chosen to put the one who would save the world countless times over into the world. Much like the Blessed Virgin Mary, I felt a brief sense of awe when meeting Joyce. My respect and admiration for her are endless. I was unaware only until recently that Buffy's parents divorced, and Ms. Summers was raising her all on her own. My mother died when I was very young, and so I understand the stress and exhaustion one maintains when being a single parent. My father was lucky enough to have his own mother aid in looking after me. Ms. Summers is all alone . . . and entirely unaware of the dangers her daughter is thrown into every night.
Among my first observations of the mother of the Slayer, I noted that she was optimistic, strong and contained that bite of humor I often see in her daughter. Remarkable. It is almost unfair that she should not know how blessed and important she is . . . but for her safety, it must continue to be so.
For now, I must return to my studies on the Histories of Vampires and determine if there has ever been a case like Angel before . . .
I hope Buffy knows what she's doing. Love blinds us all.
-Rupert Giles
1996
