Slayer's Knight

by Doc4

The journey begins. First stop: Stargate Command!

11. Home Away form Home pt2

Greeting and Salutations. Alright, peoples, here it is. The last part of 'Home Away From Home' as promised. This is the unedited version. A fully edited one will be up as soon as it is available. I want to thank Joshua for doing this fro me. It's been a real learning experience for me. Thanks mate.

As usual, that which you recognize is not mine. BtVS, Gargoyles and any other names, characters or places, belong to their rightful owners. Fragnar and the Valley of the Dragons belong to the guys and gals over at Wandererverse. Rosesummer's Joshua's, Ta'ruk's mine, and Goran belongs to both of us.

Chapter 11: Journey Beginnings

Later

Willow's Workroom

Buffy turned the page of the book she was reading through, her mind still on what had happened earlier. Unbidden, the memory came forth…

Earlier

Buffy was focusing as Willow had taught her the day before, bringing her power far beyond what she normally could have. That amount of power still amazed her, but it didn't stop her worrying about her love. If it hadn't been for Thailog…

Her eyes snapped open as she reached further into that little corner of her mind, only to find it empty. She searched frantically, to find nothing. "Wh-what's going on?" she demanded. Willow looked over from where she was sitting. "Where's Thailog? I-I can't feel him. He's gone, but…Where is he!?"

"Buffy, calm down," Willow said, quickly placing a small shield at the door, and making sure the shields against teleporting were tight. "My Buffy's just putting him through a quick test. Nothing dangerous, she just wants to see what he can do and, at the moment, the only way top do that is for him to think you're in danger."

"But I can't feel him!" Buffy said desperately. What happened next really shocked Willow, to the point where she almost told her wife to stop.

The Traveller backed into a corner and curled up into a fetal position, head between her legs. She began rocking back and forth, whispering, "He's not there anymore. Where is he? I can't find him. Thailog? Where are you? Help me, please. I'm lost."  The reaction was nothing like what Willow had expected. Some anger, some yelling, a little bitch fest maybe. But this…

"Buffy?" she whispered. The half Fey looked up at her, look of betrayal in her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to us?" she whispered, almost begging to be let out. "I have to be with my Guardian. I have to be with him, but…I thought you were my friend," Willow didn't know whether to be hurt by the statement, concerned about the amount of dependency that Buffy seemed to level on Thailog, or amazed at the depth of the emotional and physical bond between the two.

"He'll be fine," she cooed assuringly, but Buffy seemed beyond hearing.

"I can't do this," the girl whispered, "I need my Guardian." It was then that Willow realized what was going on. This was the reason why so many Slayers died early; the physical, emotional and spiritual need for a Slayer to find her Guardian, the hole that could never be filled until the one that could stand with her through it all had been found.  She cursed in several tongues. How could they have been this stupid? She, herself, should have realized this might happen. She was ready to let the girl go when the Gold Slayer sent the message.

All right, you can let her out now. Willow sent a wave of relief through the bond she shared with her Buffy as she let down the various shields she had prepared. She was about to rouse Chobe when the girl disappeared.

"Guess she knows," the Powermage muttered, before disappearing herself.

Now

When Thailog had said it was 'terrible experience' he had no idea how much worse it had been for her. She had kept the memory away, not wanting him to worry, but still…

The reason so many Slayer's died at an early age became so clear to her now. The absolute hopelessness she had experienced when she had lost her connection to Thailog had nearly driven her to extinguish her own existence without hesitation.

She sighed, turning to the next page. It was over now, the feeling of Thailog safely nestled in the back of her mind where he belonged. In her mind, and always her soul. She was about to turn the page when her eyes caught something interesting. A sly grin spread across her face. This had potential.

She quickly read through the information. Oh yeah, definite pay back potential.

Training Gym (or Thailog's 2nd Level of hell)

Thailog was breathing heavily. When they had said that earlier was only light training, they hadn't been sugar coating the fact. Despite the power the Band supplied him, he was still having trouble keeping up with the Gold Slayer.

"You alright there?" she asked, not so much from concern then trying to figure out how much more he could take.

"I'm fine," he said, standing straight. "Let us continue," Buffy grinned.

"You've got balls, grape ape," she said with a smile. "I'll give you that," The Slayer charged, fist held back. Thailog prepared for the hit, knowing there was no way he could block it when something extraordinary happened.

For all intents and purposes, the Gold Slayer slowed down.

Impossible, of course, why should she slow down? And yet, she had begun moving at a speed that allowed him to keep up with her attacks.

His eyes became slits as he readied himself. He had to time this exactly right. He crouched lower, watching as she came closer. Then, at the very last second, he dropped, reaching up and grabbing the Gold Slayer by the leg, and then slamming her into the ground.

All movement in the gym ceased for the second time that day.

Thailog looked down at his trainer, shocked at what he had just done.

"Just relax, big guy," he felt his wife reaching to him. "I'm just testing a little something I found. Feeling stronger?" Thailog finally realized what had happened. His Buffy was feeding power to him somehow. "Along with a small, undetectable shield around our link. She'll get your surface thoughts, but to her, I'm still concentrating on the book I'm reading. Consider it justifiable payback," A grin spread across Thailog's face. He'd never realized she was such a sneak. "Thank you."

"Impressive.  Guess I'll have to start trying a little harder now," GS said with a grin, charging again. This time, Thailog leapt over her, wrapping his tail around her throat as she passed, then flipped, sending her to the other side of the ring.

"Um, how's he doing that?" Xander asked.

"I don't know, but I want to," Faith said with a grin. "He's gone from gettin' whooped, to doin' the whoopin'," The group watched as the combatants charged, this time, Thailog was getting as much as he gave, but he still gave good. A grin was plastered on his face, like he knew something Buffy didn't.

If Willow had looked up, she would have seen a similar grin on her students face.

Thailog threw a vicious left, that missed and a right that didn't. Buffy retaliated with a roundhouse that shook Thailog's jaw. She charged, trying to gain advantage, when the most shocking thing happened.

Thailog disappeared.

"That wasn't speed," Buffy muttered, her eyes darting all around her as she cast her senses out for her latest "pupil".

"It took you long enough," Thailog said from behind. Buffy spun to look at him. "We thought you would have worked it out sooner."

"We…?" Willow, is my double still there?

Yeah. Why? was the answer. Buffy sent the memory of what had just happened. You've been had sweets.

"Alright, how'd you do?" she asked out loud.

"Buffy found a way to feed me energy through our link," Thailog explained, still grinning. "Not the spell she cast. The link between Slayer and Guardian."

"But I…"

"A spell used by mages in a universe whose inhabitants have mental abilities equal, if not greater, than yours," he explained. Buffy took a moment to absorb the information.

"Suddenly glad you guys aren't evil versions or enemies," she said with a smile. "That was cruel."

So was the way you unlocked Thailog's power, her counterpart said through Thailog's mind. Not just because of what Thailog went through, Both Thailog and Gold Slayer were assaulted with the pure helplessness and emptiness that Chobe had gone through.

"My God…" Thailog whispered. GS' face was a mask.

Consider the consequences next time, was the final remark before Chobe broke contact.

"X!  Work with Thailog on Tai Chi!" Buffy shouted as she turned and jumped off the platform, the force field allowing her to pass after a moment.  Once outside, she raised the gravity for Thailog and Warrior X at least another 10 Gs so that Thailog immediately brought the Band to full power, lest he be crushed.

She then walked further into the gym, almost dangerously close to the large Steel door at the back that screamed of danger.  She stopped at a white circle, activated it, and then did something else that brought a small force field over her.  Then gold flames erupted around her as she powered to an impressive level and began her own training.

She was still going at it strong by the time that all the others had called it a day and even Willow and Chobe were done.

Later that same afternoon

"What the hell is wrong with her?!" Buffy screamed as she almost exploded into hers and Willow's room, Willow calmly entering behind her.  They were both still in training outfits, but only Buffy was still covered by sweat, having just finished her training for the day.

"Why'd you quit so early with Thailog?" Willow sagely asked.

"I didn't quit," her wife answered, "I needed a break.  Maybe I should let Xander handle teaching him for a while anyway."

"You're the best, you proved that with Faith, and with Spike.  They don't understand yet.  But did we when we first went to the Compound?"

"They do understand, and a lot better than we did, but that is not why I'm angry," Buffy explained.

Concerned, Willow leaned back against the dresser and cocked her head, silently asking for a better explanation.  Buffy took a deep breath and let out a very long sigh.

"I didn't crumble when it happened to me.  I fought.  Tooth, nail, soul and life.  Why?  Why are we *so* different?" she turned to regard her wife, tears beginning to pool under her eyes.

"Buffy..." Willow got up and went to her love.  "Thailog is her Guardian, it's a..."

"And you're MINE!" Buffy proclaimed.  "I've been in far too many cases where I have nearly lost you, and I did not crumble or give up and beg.  I fought.  Like Thailog did.  And I don't care how or who raised her, she's a Slayer and she should have done the same thing!"

"Oh Buffy..." Willow whispered.

"I think maybe you should give them a couple days off.  Let them get to know this world a bit better.  It'll do all of us some good to get away from training for a little while," Willow said after a minute's silence.

Buffy automatically nodded her head, still looking away, agreeing with the idea.

"Why are we so different?" Buffy asked a final time in a whisper.

The Next Day

Thailog and Buffy were ecstatic to be let off of their training.  At first they were just going to spend the day in the guest house or the Gateway, having some alone time, but Willow suggested that they go around Sunnydale first, seeing what was different and getting some fresh air.  And the Slayer Guardian duo couldn't see a single thing wrong with taking her up on that.

It was daylight and that alone made everything special for Thailog.  They were gliding over Sunnydale, Buffy putting a fairy spell of invisibility to the test, when Buffy suddenly squealed in his arms and pointed down at a children's playground.  Thailog couldn't help it, he laughed as he glided them down towards it.

They landed gently next to the merry-go-round and Buffy took off the spell of invisibility.  "Normally I'd be worried," Buffy admitted as she did so, "but given that we know a powerful psychic, not to mention all of my new training, I think we can handle anybody coming up."

"Still, we shouldn't abuse our hosts hospitality, or your powers," Thailog chastised gently.  He received a too cute for words pout that he just had to kiss off of her face.

"Yeah, but I still wanna play," Buffy said, play-acting a little girl's voice.  She raced over to the swings and asked, "Push me?"  Thailog laughed again and proceeded to do just that.

They stayed at the park for about an hour, until some other people came by to use the park's equipment.

"We have company," Thailog noted as the children came over. Buffy looked in the direction he was.

"Well, there's no parents," Buffy said, hopefully, "Maybe they won't be so bad. Kids are a lot more understanding than adults," Thailog nodded as the children walked towards them.

"It is too," they heard them arguing as they came towards them.

"Come off it," another said, "What would a Gargoyle be doin' in a park pushin' a girl?"

"Maybe it's his girlfriend, I don't know," the first kid said, "I just know it's a Gargoyle. I was in New York during the riots. I know what they look like."

"He looks kinda scary," one little girl said, cuddling up to one of the boys.

"Don't sweat, Kelly," the boy said, "Gargoyles don't hurt people, no matter what those idiots in the Quarrymen or on TV say. We can trust him."

"Not what I expected," Buffy muttered.

"Agreed," Thailog said, "It would seem the riots have given the people of this world reason to trust Gargoyles. We can only hope that people are as accepting in our world." Buffy nodded, as the children got to them.

"Are you a Gargoyle?" The first boy asked. Thailog nodded, "Told ya!"

"I am Thailog," The large Gargoyle said, "and this is…"

"Elizabeth," Buffy said, "There's already one Buffy in this world.  Better to use my given name, as much as I hate it," Thailog could see the wisdom in that.

"Can we play with you guys?" One of the girls asked. Buffy nodded.

"Hey, why not?" The children cheered, gathering around them. Thailog grinned as they began asking for rides.

Buffy pushed the younger children as Thailog took the older ones gliding, two at a time. She shook her head. Never realized he was so good with children, she thought.

"Elizabeth," the youngest girl said, "I wanna fly!" Buffy looked down at her. Why not?

She flexed the smallest part of her magic, sending the small girl a couple of inches into the air.

"YAHOO!" The girl screamed as Buffy brought to Thailog's level.

"Cool!"

"Awesome!"

"Show off," Thailog sent, looking down at her. Buffy giggled as the girl came back to earth gently.

"Thankyou," She said, cuddling the half Fey. Thailog landed among the group around the swings.

Much later, just an hour before sunset, "We have to go," the oldest child said sadly.

"Do we have to?" The youngest whined.

"'Fraid so," she was told.

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

"We'll see," Buffy said, really not knowing.

"G'bye, Elizabeth," the youngest squealed as the children walked home.

"I needed that," Buffy muttered as Thailog wrapped his arms around her, "A reminder, if nothing else."

"We should head home," Thailog said.

Casa de la everyone

"Have fun?" Willow asked from the kitchen table as they walked in the front door. Oh, crap.

"Yeah," Buffy said carefully.

"Good," Willow said, "Thought you needed a break. We can continue your lessons tomorrow. Oh, and Buffy?" The Slayer felt a sting across the back of her head from Willow holding her still in a magical grip, "Next time, please try to be a bit more subtle when you go out.  Just because humanity is aware of gargoyles doesn't mean that they have accepted them.  And we like to keep a low profile in our hometown, so either make Thailog and yourself invisible when flying in or out of here, or just teleport."  Then she turned back to what she was studying before her.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Buffy muttered, rubbing the back of her head.

Next day

Willow's Workroom

Willow was punishing her for yesterday, Buffy was sure of it. They had begun with the usual meditations, then it seemed she would be left to her own devices as normal. Then Willow had said the words that spelt certain doom.

"Buffy, can I get some help with these shelves? I need to clean them up a bit."

What had followed was three hours of dragging uncountable numbers of tomes, scrolls and other reading materials back and forth, without magic because the tomes and devices themselves repelled spells or it was too dangerous to try. Buffy had been ready to collapse when her eyes fell on a particular book.

"Where did you get this?" Buffy asked, holding up the book in question.  Willow looked at it.

"A friend of ours, his name is Steve St. Wolf, found it in a dig up around Iceland," Willow explained, "I haven't had time to look too much into it though.  Supposedly it's some Norse tome…"

"This isn't Norse," Buffy said, matter of factly, "See these runes here, and here, curve a bit more, and this rune's being used in a way that isn't noted anywhere else. This is Asgardian."

"The Asgard?" Willow said, "But… the Asgard don't exist in this universe."  At the confused look she received she added, "We've checked.  Remember, part of an interdimensional force of Good with highly advanced technology and the ability to travel between dimensions faster than you can with the Gateway?  Called the Compound?  I'm aware of the Asgard as a race, but I've never met them.  And we've looked.  If they do exist, then their galaxy is a lot further away because…well never mind now.  How did you know about Asgard language anyway?"

"Daniel showed me the difference," Buffy said, "Thought it might come in handy if I knew the difference between an earth language, and the alien one it was based on," she shrugged, "Who'd have thought he'd actually be right?"

Willow was thoughtfully quiet for some moments before exclaiming "This means they might have actually existed here.  But what happened to them?  We, or one of the other alien races we're aware of would have known about them before." Buffy thought for a moment, then another thought came to mind.

"Maybe…" she said, slowly, "The Gatebuilders. Maybe one of the branches brought it here. Maybe there's a piece of the Band!"

"Either is possible," Willow said, trying to keep calm outward appearance, "Do you know how to read it?"

"Kinda," Buffy looked at the cover, "I think its some kind of…past…no, hang on, this means…history! History…from, no, of…the…" Buffy stopped, and looked up at Willow, "This is a history of the Alliance of Four Races," Willow's eyebrow arched.  She leaned over the Fey's shoulder and looked at the runes covering it.

"Fascinating," the Powermage breathed, "I've only had this about a week though, so I haven't had time to go through it.  Aside from those runes there, though, there's not really much difference against normal Viking runes.  Are you sure?  About the language I mean?"

"Pretty sure," Buffy said, "Daniel didn't have much time, but he made sure I could recognize anything to do with the Gatebuilders, or the Alliance of Four Races. Don't ask me to translate the rest, I don't have a clue."

In reply, Willow ran a finger along the spine and the top of the book, her eyes closed.  She opened them.  "It's well-protected, translation spells won't work on it," Willow told her, "And yes, I'm sure.  I can tell."  Buffy thought a moment.

"You're sure there's no Stargate program on this earth?" Buffy asked, "Or even a Daniel Jackson. I'd bet he could translate this easily."

"If there is, we haven't run across them," Willow said, "And I'm pretty sure we would have by now."

"Don't be too sure," Buffy muttered, "Security was tight. Real tight. Thailog and me only saw the inside of the complex."

Willow looked hurt for a moment and answered, "Buffy I'm hurt.  You doubt my hacking skills?"  Then she smiled and turned around and started placing other books in a specific order on the shelves.  "First thing I did when I was capable of it, I broke through every level of computer security there is in the United States and about ¾ of the rest of the world's countries.  I also know about Naquada, and trust me, if you think iron is bad for casting magic spells, you don't know jack shit.  Naquada absorbs every kind of energy you through at it, and only gets overloaded when shaped into something that limits its absorption.  Try any magic near a large enough Naquada deposit, and you'll be fully drained before you know it."

Buffy blinked.  That's why she was so drained when she cast that illusion spell in the SGC.  The Stargate, which was made of Naquada, was in just the next room over, and it…

Willow finished placing the books.  "There is no Naquada on this planet, and if there is, it is highly protected, and I mean highly.  What I'm teaching you is basics Buffy, I'm on the Advanced levels.  I would know if there were any anywhere on this planet."

Buffy frowned.

"I suppose we could look, although I severely doubt you'll find anything," Willow finally said, exasperated as Buffy opened the book. "Unless you can think of anything else to let you read the book of course."

"Well, I could take it back to the SGC we visited," Buffy suggested, "See if Thor could translate it. Maybe I could convince Daniel to give me a better lesson," she flicked through the pages, stopping on one in particular, "The Band," she whispered, tracing the picture with her finger. This close to info on the Band and…

Buffy's head shot up, "I am such an idiot," she exploded, "The Band. If it's designed to be used by 'one who is of the Builder's but is not', if they thought he might be a clone or something similar, then they may have prepared for this. Maybe the Band can translate it," Willow looked over at her.

"Of course," she muttered, "A security measure so the wrong people can't read it.  Smart.  But what if they also thought that the clone already had the knowledge programmed into him?"

"I…hadn't thought of that," Buffy realized, then her brow furrowed into deeper thinking.  "No, because they all said "One Not of the Builders".  If Thailog was supposed to have this knowledge programmed into him, that would mean the Builders made him, and that would, even though he was cloned, make him "one of the Builders".  I think the key is in the Band."

"Good point," Willow admitted.  Then she smirked slightly and said, "Too bad there's no user manual for that thing."

"Annoying, all right," Buffy muttered, "I'll let Thailog look at it tonight."

"Not tonight," Willow said with a grin, "It's Friday, and that means relaxation.  We hit the Bronze tonight," Buffy's eyes lit up for a few seconds, before a dejected look entered her face.

"Two Buffy's in one Bronze equal Trouble, capital T," she muttered, "Unless…" a smile spread across her face.

"Uh oh," Willow mumbled. She knew that look. That look meant trouble.

"Thailog's gonna love this," Buffy muttered, as she thought about her idea.

Later

Summers' Guesthouse

"What is that?" Thailog asked as he walked in, eyeing the strange tome on the table.

"Something we found in Willow's collection," Buffy said with a grin, "As near as I can tell, it's Asgard."

"Asgard?" Ta'ruk asked as he walked in, "Does this mean they are here?"

"Well, that's what I thought at first," Buffy said, flicking through the pages, "but Willow said that even if they were, they aren't now.  Then we found this," she showed them the page the featured the Band.

"My God," Thailog muttered, "Is this…"

"As far as I know, yep," Buffy confirmed, "Problem is, we can't translate it. No translation spells work. But, I got to thinking, maybe they prepared for this."

"How?" Ta'ruk asked.

"Well," Buffy began, "If they knew that Thailog would be a clone of some description, or that he wouldn't know any of the languages from the Alliance, it's possible that, when they created the Band, they placed something within to translate the language, written or otherwise. If that doesn't work, maybe one of the attachments, when we find it, will be a translator," Thailog thought a moment. The far away look in his eye, along with the distant feeling in his thoughts, told Buffy he was looking within, trying to discover if it were possible.

"Not with the Band alone," he said after awhile. Buffy nodded.

"Then I'll ask Will's if we can borrow this until we find a segment that can translate it," she said. They all agreed, and began preparing for dinner.

Main house

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Thailog asked, "Two Buffys may get some attention."

"Other than your's, Big T?" Faith said mischievously.

"Funny, Faith," Chobe said as she, her counterpart and Willow came from upstairs. Everyone's, except Ta'ruk's and Joyce's, jaw dropped.

Chobe was wearing a pair of tight, white pants, with a loose, black halter-top, with a low cut back and, for some strange reason, no shoes, "No offense to my counterpart, though, but I think he's going to be concentrating on yours truly," she gave him a sly grin, "Unless he wants to sleep on the lounge, that is."

"There's another you here?" Thailog said dumbly. Chobe grinned, patting him on the cheek.

"Good answer, sweetie," she purred. GS smirked.

"I think I'm getting ignored," she muttered silkily. Willow smiled and whispered something in her ear. GS gave a goofy smile matching the one currently plastered on Thailog's face.

She and Willow weren't nothing to look at in their own rights.  Rather than wearing what she had claimed as her "clubbing outfit" when they first met, Buffy was sporting tight black lycra pants that cut off just below the knees with wrap and tie sandals like the ancient Romans wore them, except of gold silk cords and gold painted plastic instead of leather.  She wore no belt, and the pants hung low on her hips.  She wore a transparent yellow blouse, unbuttoned but tied off just below her bust line, leaving her abdomen bare.  Beneath the blouse a sparkly dark blue halter-top could easily be seen.  Her hair was in its normal ponytail, but highlighted with a navy ribbon.

Willow, next to her, was just as breathtaking in an all-green ensemble of four-inch sandal shoes, and a short, risqué incredibly tight mini-dress that ended maybe an inch below the bottom of her waist with a very low neckline and spaghetti straps holding it all up.

"Um, lovebirds," Faith said, "Not to interrupt the love fest, but we still have two Buffys, and that 'distant cousin' routine only works so many times." Chobe grinned and took a step back. The familiar blue glow sprang around her and her form began to change.

Into a Gargoyle.

"My God…" Thailog breathed, "You make…a magnificent Gargoyle."

"You approve then," Chobe said. Thailog smiled down at her.

"Most definitely," he whispered. GS grinned.

"So, shall we?"

"Have fun," Faith called as they all started for the front door.  That stopped the two couples when they realized that Ta'ruk, borrowing some of Xander's lighter fashions in place of his normal armor (Joyce wouldn't allow armor, whether Ta'ruk's Buffy's or anyone's at the dinner table), and Faith were sitting at the table, Faith reading a book while the former Jaffa sat peacefully across from her.

"You're not coming?" Chobe asked.

Faith shook her head then gestured at her own casual accord.  "Nah, it's still too early for me.  I'll probably drop by later after I finish a quick sweep.  No doubt Cor has already dragged poor X there, and they'll be there until about an hour before closing time.  Don't worry about me.  I'll teach Li'l T here how to play Solitaire."

Ta'ruk arched an eyebrow at his mention.

"Are you sure?" Chobe felt slightly bad about leaving Faith and Ta'ruk behind.

"Trust me," GS-Buffy said, grabbing the temporary gargoyle by the shoulders, "Faith always likes to show up around midnight or later, then leave about half an hour after.  They'll be fine, and my dear, sweet, innocent sister might even be able to drag Ta'ruk with her." Buffy added sarcastically.

Chobe grinned and nodded and bid their farewells.  Then they stepped out the front door…into the alley leading up to the entrance to the Bronze.  "What the…?" Thailog exclaimed.

"What?" Willow said innocently to all the looks she received.  It was ruined by the lopsided grin that appeared shortly after.

"I will never let you play poker," Buffy pronounced as they walked up to the line forming in front of the Bouncer at the entrance.

It took all of seven steps from where they magically appeared before the first of the comments started.  First it was just whispers from the other teens and few adults also in the alleyway.  Then the comments came at conversational level.

"Is that a…"

"Are those really…?"

"Gargoyles man!  Freakin' Gargoyles!  Told you…"

"Are-are, are th-they dan-dangerous?"

"Ugh!  I can't believe she wore that!  That so clashes with that tail of hers!"

At that last heard comment, Chobe whirled around, but the snob who had said it had already disappeared into the crowd.  A crowd that was forming over the spectacle of a dark purple and a light peach, male and female gargoyle going to a Southern Californian club, where all the gargoyles that were yet known about in the world were supposed to be in New York City.

"Maybe…this wasn't such a good idea after all…" Chobe began to mumble.

"Maybe you should have put a glamour on Thailog instead of yourself if you wanted less attention," her counterpart countered.  "I totally support the wanting to support you're beau, but if attention is the opposite of what you want, then go for less and fit in."

"Uh huh," was the almost vicious sarcastic snapback.

"Me?  I prefer stares of lust attention instead of media, "I want an autograph of a real superhero" attention," Buffy added just before they got to the entrance.

The bouncer, a large white guy with a skullcap and a bushy mustache stared for about ten seconds at the group before him.  The longest of which at the gargoyles.

Then he focused back on the leading blonde, a look of annoyance and pleading on his face.  "Buffy, please, just keep down on the fighting!  Please!"

"Hey!" Buffy indignantly defended herself, "I never start it, and I…" she received a pinch on the arm from the redhead beside her, "…I promise, no fighting.  Although if someone…" another pinch.  She stopped talking and handed over a hundred-dollar bill.

The bouncer stared at it for a moment, then looked at the group again and finally nodded, as if he had just now gotten some inside joke, and he waved them in.  As the two visitor's passed his whispered, "Don't let the whispers bother you, it would be the same if a celebrity showed up.  And whatever you do, don't dance with the guys that ask Buffy to dance."

Giving him confused looks, they just followed their hosts inside.  'What do you think that was about?' the gargoyle-Buffy asked Thailog telepathically.

'I think its to say that he trusts us and holds no prejudice against our…my kind.  And that if any bigots do show up, he'll be on our side.  About the dance thing, I have no idea.' Thailog replied in kind.

I'm gay remember? they suddenly heard in their minds.  I'm also a hott blonde dressed to kill, or to fuck.  Guys that actually ask me to dance and I say no to are usually ones that don't like being rejected and that leads to violence or other modes of revenge.  Ignore it.

Then, they heard a different thought-voice in their minds, Willow's, That's the best advice.  But knowing Thailog's sense of justice and honor like I've seen, I don't think you'll end up ignoring it.  So just enjoy the evening and do the Bronze thing.

And so they did.  Xander and Cordelia were already here and had reserved an entire booth.  Buffy and Willow immediately went out to the dance floor and smoked it so bad that the Band leader had the sound master play a track of Fire alarms and started a series of songs to heat up the crowd even more.  The couple was the center of attention as they gave whole new meanings of definition and syntax to the term "Dirty Dancing".

The Warrior X and his girlfriend were hott enough in their own right and while they could compete with the Rosenberg/Summers team, they just weren't enough to beat them.  Thailog and his Buffy enjoyed the music for the first couple of tracks but eventually got out on the dance floor themselves and created their own circle of onlookers and admirers.

By the time Faith showed up, everyone was having a great time.

"Hey all, how are things?" Faith asked, decked out to the nines in a black mini-skirt and a tight red baby doll tank top, her hair and make-up immaculately done from when they had all last seen her.  They were all in the booth, taking a momentary breather and refreshment break.

Chobe was about to answer when they all noticed Faith's date for the evening.

"Oh.  My.  Father." Chobe was stunned.

"Ta'ruk, you clean up very nice," GS-Buffy complimented.

"Little T" was in a silk suit, one of Xander's less glaring Hawaiian shirts beneath the jacket, with no tie, and Faith had apparently also gelled the Jaffa's short hair.  He was still stiff as a board, and a rare, but genuine smile on his face made the whole picture very handsome.

"Damn, and I thought my man was the only one that cleaned up that good," Cordy commented, staring with her X-ray fashion vision at the Jaffa.

"She threatened me," were the first words out of Ta'ruk's mouth.  Faith glared hard at him, but those that knew the Dark Slayer best just started laughing.

"I did not!  I warned you.  Besides, you might get lucky tonight.  And you may not be capable of relaxing, but that don't mean you shouldn't mingle with normal people.  Come on, give me a dance and then I'm outta here."  Faith dragged Ta'ruk to the dance floor before he could protest.

Chobe and Thailog were laughing right along with the others.  The "threatening" had worried them for all of two seconds.  They had their own Faith and knew what she was like, and if the all-powerful psychic wasn't stopping this, why should they?  Besides, they had been trying to get their companion to lighten up for days, and this might actually do the trick.

Around 2 AM, they all, except Xander and Cordelia, decided to call it a night and started to walk back 'home'.  Rather than transport them again, Willow suggested that they do a patrol on their way and that was that.

A couple weeks later

"So how are things going with your student?" Buffy asked her wife as they lay in their bed.  As custom, when they were about to sleep in it, all the lights were off and only a light sheet covered the both of them.

Willow snuggled back into her Slayer's spooning form and kissed the hand that was wrapped protectively around her.  "She's progressing very quickly.  There's only so much I can teach her.  Oberon, her father, took care of most of what she needed to know, and what was standard for her to learn.  I'm just filling in what experience of centuries would have given her.  Are you sure about this though Buffy?  Training them like this?  We could have just helped them figure out a couple mysteries and sent them on their way you know."

Buffy began to kiss the redhead's creamy shoulder, enjoying the intimacy despite the unattractive conversation.  She sighed after a moment, "We could do that.  Or, we could listen to the dreams we had the night they arrived and have had every night since."

"You mean that you've had," Willow corrected as the blonde went back to kissing her back.

"You have them at the same moment I do," Buffy pointed out between kisses.  Then she sighed and sat up enough to put her head above the redhead's.  "If we didn't train them, teach them, help them, and promise to do all we could to continue to do so…then they would have a much harder time of things.  It would take them over a decade to get everything they're looking for, and they would lose friends and people they care about during all the conflicts they would come across.  And the dream hasn't changed.  It ends up the same."

"So what difference does training them have to do with it?"

Buffy was silent for a moment.  I'm scared for them.  For her. she admitted quietly.  She's like some sister I never knew I never had, but always will have.  That doesn't make much sense.

No, it doesn't Willow replied in the same way.

But I know, in my gut instinct, that she's important.  They all are.

You're not talking about just Thailog and Ta'ruk are you?

No Buffy shook her head and then laid it back down and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling.  Willow turned with her and wrapped the Slayer up in her arms and legs.  I can feel her anger, resentment, guilt…  It's eating her up.  X is trying to help, but she is hiding the truth from him.  In a sick attempt to protect him.  I'm going to let her, you know.

I figured that.  What would you like me to do about it?

"I'm not losing her.  Is there any way, any thing that you can do to…?" Buffy started to ask aloud.

"There are thousands of things I can do, but I will do only one of them.  How's Thailog and Li'l T doing?" Willow answered.

Buffy turned to her wife, a question in her eyes.  Despite it being dark, Willow just shrugged and replied, "It's caught on, like that Chobe thing.  Well?"

Buffy just smirked and turned back to looking at the ceiling as Willow embraced her in the night.  "Ta'ruk is doing very well.  He's refused ki training, but we've been teaching him several martial arts, including kung fu, karate, and mustaba.  His strength is growing as well.  I think Faith likes him."

"Well considering that they've been screwing each other's brains out for the past four days should be plenty of evidence of that," Willow dryly retorted, causing a snicker from her Slayer.

"It's all right, they both understand it's temporary, and it's just embracing another soul in the night, taking comfort in the arms of another.  And having a good time too," Buffy joked.

"How long until she's done?" the Slayer asked.

"I figure about two more days," Willow answered, starting to sound tired.

"Really?  That fast?  Wow.  Maybe she's more of a slayer than I thought," Buffy commented.  She felt Willow suddenly tense against her.  Concerned, she naturally reached out through their link and her connection to her to find out what was wrong.

Buffy also tensed.  Her voice was very angry when she asked, "You didn't give her Slayer training along with the magic training?!"

She didn't need to hear the answer, because she already knew it.  She sighed, letting the anger flow out of her into nothing.  She then sent a psionic command into both her wife's and her own mind.  'Sleep'

For the first half of the night, they peacefully enjoyed dreamless sleep.  Until in the hour before dawn, Buffy dreamt, and Willow came along for the ride.

Training Gym, that morning

Thailog wasn't sure, at least not absolutely sure, but it seemed to him that something was troubling his trainer that day.  The Gold Slayer had skipped breakfast and when she came into the gym she was seen yawning and still looking tired.  Add to the fact that she had yet to hit him once…

"Is something wrong?" he asked as he dodged another kick by leaping backwards in the high gravity.

"What makes you ask that?" she retorted, going after him again and he escaped once more.

"You aren't focused, and I have yet to hit the force field even once.  I find it hard to believe that just because I missed yesterday's training session to have normal stone sleep like Willow suggested I do once every week, that you are suddenly this weak and inexperienced." Thailog told her.

Buffy stopped the training session, or at least she stopped attacking him.  She let out a long, low sigh.  "I need to meditate anyway.  You can do your own thing.  Practice with the Band, or the fighting forms you know.  But you might want to do it in someplace else, just warning you."

She then sat down Indian-style and commanded the computer to increment the gravity higher up to 900 gravitons per cubic centimeter.  Thailog quickly rushed off the platform.  The highest he could still move in, let alone survive in, was around 100 gravitons per centimeter, which was about 100 Gs.  And that was with the Band full power too.  900 Gs was suicide to him.

"What's wrong with her?" Thailog asked Cordelia, who other than Ta'ruk, was the only person in the gym.  Xander and Faith were still sleeping as it was a Saturday morning and both had stayed out very late the night before.

Cordelia paused in her own workout and frowned in thought as she considered the meditating Slayer.  "She's worried about something.  Big time worried.  Can't say what, cause I don't have a link like the others do, but I know that when she's this off her game, something big is on her mind."

"Could it be me?" Thailog asked, concerned that it indeed had been something he'd done or not done in his training.  Cordelia immediately shook her head to the negative, dispelling the thought.

"No, you've been doing very well actually.  If they haven't shown you how to use your ki yet, she probably will pretty soon.  They haven't shown me because they aren't allowed to teach it to me, so they train me in the martial arts of our world instead," Cordelia explained.  "I think it's the other one, and not Li'l T."

"What do you mean?" Thailog asked.  He was surprised to discover, after a week of living here, that he no longer compared this young woman to his own Cordelia, and that had opened the gates for a potential friendship.  At least enough they could talk to each other without glares.

Cordelia considered her words for several moments before answering, "From my experiences with her, even after Buffy's talk with her, she still acts like you're going to up and leave her.  We all know that's not happening at all, so I start asking myself what could it be?  You guys are in a committed relationship, and then on the equivalent of your honeymoon, you find out that you are "The Chosen One" and have to save an entire race spread out across the multiverse by defeating some Enemy."

Thailog growled his displeasure at the facts, but also acknowledged them.

Cordelia continued, "Normally when faced with an apocalypse, the Buffy I know acts all casual, but only slightly worried about it and mainly focuses on the normal aspects of her life until it's crunch time.  All right, I get the Slayer/Guardian thing, and the interrupted honeymoon bit, but since we've met she's been solely focused on you and your protection."

"Before you interrupt me, I understand a little about the whole Slayer deal, not everything, but a little.  Enough that I know that while a Slayer is all about kill demons, she's also about protecting.  She protects humanity by killing demons." Cordelia paused to take a deep breath.  "This Enemy you're supposed to defeat is nowhere in sight.  That leaves her without a target for her feelings of wanting to protect you.  Now maybe I've just blown this way out of proportion, but from the sounds of it, your Slayer has her priorities severely mixed up.  She isn't supposed to be protecting you.  She's supposed to be protecting humanity."

With that, Cordelia went back to her workout.

Willow's Workroom

"You seem upset," Buffy observed after they had finished their meditating exercises.

"I have only one thing left to teach you, and then your magical training, under me, is done," Willow said, ignoring the question.  "It's a very advanced ability, and most Fey or any other magical creatures, don't learn it naturally until they've lived for at least a whole century.  The ability to see magic.  And not just enchantments or spells or auras placed on an object or person, but to actually see the energy of a spell or whatever as it is being cast or used."

"Really!  Cool!" Buffy exclaimed, eager to learn this new ability.

"First, focus on your breathing and bring your energies to just beneath the surface, don't tap them or bring them out, just have them at the ready.  Feel the magic flowing right under your skin, pumping through your arteries and veins in time with your heartbeat.  Focus on your breathing.  Now, close your eyes for a moment and still breathing, feel the flow of magic in your blood.  Slowly, not too quickly now, begin to have a small portion of your magic gather at the back of your eyes.  Let the energy gather, and build there, until you feel something."  Willow coached.

"I…it tingles, like a really annoying itch," Buffy described, her eyes closed.

"Good, now put more power behind it, slowly though.  We're building up to it.  If it becomes too much and starts to sting…" Willow was interrupted by a sudden "Ow!" and Buffy's face showing pain.  Willow smiled and continued where she left off, "…we'll move on.  You can feel the energy still there, right behind your eyes.  Now, feel every artery and vein in your eyes, and trickling slow, let the built up energy begin to pour through those pathways, until your entire eyes are pulsing with all of the energy you built up.  Then open your eyes."

After a few moments, Buffy opened her eyes, her bright blue eyes.  The pupils had changed to the color of her magic, and the whites were vaguely blue themselves.  Buffy stared for some moments before she knew what she was looking at.  Everything was…so much clearer than before, but at the same time, because of the things she was seeing but hadn't seen before, they were distorted as well.

The mundane objects were as crystal clear as they could be.  The magical…  Oh goddess, the magical!

Willow was a dynamo of conflicting auras and colors.  Rainbow was only the beginning of the hues around the Wiccan.  Some colors around her had no human name and probably couldn't even be comprehended by humans.  Things around the room stood out in highlighted 3-D auras and a few were covered by a haze of the color of their aura.

"Wow…what, what am I…?" Buffy couldn't quite ask as she continued to look around the room.

"The colors indicate the types of magic," Willow explained.  "As a fairy, or part fairy, your mind can comprehend those other types.  Most humans who have this ability only see a bright silver color.  If something is surrounded by a haze or a cloud instead of just an aura then that means that a spell has been placed on it.  If it's just an aura, no haze or cloud, then that means the object is magical and the power it has comes from within.  Take a look at your tiara."

Buffy immediately pulled the protective amulet off and looked at it, her eyes widening in amazement and awe as she looked at the pure white and brightly shining aura of the simple crown.  "White?" Buffy asked, remembering the thing about the colors.

Willow smiled while Buffy replaced the crown.  "White is your natural magic.  Everything you do will be either clear to your eyes, or white.  Other fairies, especially those with the blood of your father, to your eyes when in this condition, will also appear with white auras.  Now, to return your sight to normal, just let the energy you've built up ebb away.  Same as letting go of your magic after meditation."

Buffy closed her eyes and did as instructed.  When she opened them again, they were their normal hazel.  "That was so cool," Buffy said.  Willow smiled, although not as enthusiastically as Buffy knew she could.

"To control the intensity with which you see, just adjust how much energy you build up.  Oh, and just so you know, your eyes glowed when you put in that much energy, and if you put less to the task, they might not glow so much." Willow explained.

Buffy nodded, accepting the information.  Then she realized that on the first try, (like almost all the other things Willow had taught her), she had just completed Willow's final lesson.  "So…does that mean we're done?"  Willow nodded.  Buffy frowned with sadness as the thought of leaving flashed through her mind.

"I'm going to absolutely hate saying goodbye here," she whispered, tears starting.

Willow frowned and immediately snapped, "Oh, you are not leaving yet young lady!  Aside from Thailog, your training is not yet complete."  Then the Wiccan suddenly looked very sheepish and embarrassed.  And guilty.

"Buffy…I've been cheating you," Willow admitted.  Buffy's tears had dried before they'd even fallen at the news they weren't leaving, but this new admission was confusing her.

"Huh?  How so?"

Willow took a deep breath.  "I forgot…that you are not just a Fairy Princess, a half-Fey, half human.  You are also a Slayer.  And to that end, I have failed you.  I've concentrated too much on training your magic, and my guess, so did your father before me.  For who knows how long you've gone without physical training…"

"Starting either this afternoon or tomorrow, it's your choice, my wife will be taking up the rest of your training," Willow pronounced.

Buffy blinked in shock.  "I…I don't believe this…" she muttered.  Willow was quiet, waiting for a further reaction.  Buffy stared into nothing for a couple minutes before she finally grinned and said, "Well, at least I'll get to spend more time with Thailog, right?"

Willow smiled.  That's Buffy all right, always look at the upside.

"Well, it's your graduation, how about we go do something, just you and me?" Willow asked.

Buffy smiled and nodded, "Sure, I'd like that.  What'd you have in mind?"

Willow smirked, "Well, what would you like to do?"

Next Day

Training Gym

"So, you finished?" GS asked as soon as Willow and Chobe walked in.  They were all in workout clothes, even Chobe, who normally would still be wearing the armor and tiara her "father" had given her.  Now she was in a blue version of the girls' leotards.  Willow was also in training attire.

"Yes.  We finished yesterday, and I gave her a passing grade on everything else after testing her for the whole afternoon.  She's all yours, so to speak," the Wiccan told her wife.  GS just smirked and gave the redhead a peck on the cheek and slapped her butt, moving the magic-user along.

"Could you not do that around me, please?" Chobe asked when GS turned her attention on her.

The Gold Slayer shrugged and made an agreeing sound before turning around and guiding the Fairy Slayer to the recently repaired center platform.

"Wills explained the what's what?" she asked as they both jumped up.

Chobe nodded.  "And as much as I know I'm going to hate this, I have to agree with her," she said, "I haven't been training like I should have for a long time now.  Just keep in mind this is a refresher course, okay?"

GS gave her a disbelieving look before mouthing "Right," and smirking a little.

"Since your still starting, I need to feel you out, see what you do know, what you don't, and your endurance.  No magic, no energy, and I won't be increasing my ki any at all.  In fact, I've actually lowered it to 'normal' Slayer levels." GS explained.  "We'll start out at 4 Gs, that's where most people become incapacitated, and both Slayers and vampires lose their strength advantage."

As soon as she said it, the force field flickered into place and the lights on the posts came on and Chobe immediately felt the effects.  Even though she had felt this through her connection to Thailog, it was very different from actually feeling it herself.  She was still standing, and knew she could move, but like her counterpart said, her strength advantage was gone as almost all of her strength went into keeping her on her feet.

"Basic sparring match.  Show me what you've got, I'll only be on defense, but I can still counter and throw you on your butt," GS told her.  Chobe nodded, understanding.  She was also very glad she had foregone the armor in favor of something much lighter.

Chobe got into her ready pose while GS got into her's, and waited for the Fairy Slayer to make her move.  Slowly, they moved towards one another, circling.  Chobe noted, with annoyance, that the other Slayer wasn't having any trouble at all moving in the enhanced gravity, and from the look in her eyes, already had several ways to counter Chobe's first move.

It really had been a long time ago since she had faced her vampire double, the last real fight that she'd had.  Who knows how long she and Thailog spent in the Gateway with her father learning how to use her magic, and then the week with the SGC, and then almost an entire month here with only newbie vamps to give her sport that she could have taken care of when she was still a cheerleader!  She calmed her breathing and remembered everything Giles and the three sisters had taught her and lashed out suddenly with a high-kick.

GS blocked and took a step back while Chobe regained her balance.  She had forgotten about the gravity for just a moment and miscalculated her balance.  She managed not to fall, and get her leg back under her in time and moved to strike again.  This time with fists.

GS blocked, dodged, or turned aside all of her punches, but the Gold Slayer's eyes were still dancing with thought, and she hadn't started insulting her yet, so maybe Chobe was doing better than she thought.  Then, as she threw the sloppiest punch she'd ever done since before she was a cheerleader, Chobe knew the truth.  She was terrible, and GS was just gauging her, trying to see what they needed to work on.  For a moment, just a moment, she almost gave into despair.  Then everything she had learned here snapped back into focus in her mind and she resolved to do her best, and become better than she ever had before.  She might not be able to beat this uber-Buffy, but she would make damn sure that she would be able to kill any more vamp-Buffys she came across, no matter how long they had lived for.

After that, she started to look less like an amateur karate student, and more like a Slayer.

Half an hour later, GS called a halt to the match and stepped back to let Chobe, who had done all of the work while GS blocked or dodged, catch her breath.  At least twice, Chobe had found her butt on the floor from being thrown with simple aikido moves.

It wasn't until she got up, sorely rubbing her bruises that Chobe finally caught a glimpse at the other Slayer's face.  Gulping softly, she thought to herself, 'Oh shit.'

"Pretty good.  For a Slayer.  Very, very, very pitiful for a Slayer who supposedly fought an evil thousand year old vampire version of herself," GS criticized.  "I'm not even going to bother with everything I found wrong with that, but I'm very certain that you're one of my doubles that absolutely hates being the Slayer and would rather run away and hide behind her boyfriend than kick the ass of a demon that killed one of her best friends!"

All other activity in the room quit immediately.  Chobe just stood there, her face neutral as she took the criticism.  GS wasn't done though.

"First off, we are going to start with endurance training to get your lazy princess ass back into shape!" she shouted, sounding more and more like drill sergeants from the movies.  "Then I'll think about letting up enough to actually teach you something that every Slayer should know after their very first lesson with a Watcher.  Which is if you want to live and make sure that every person you care about also continues to live, then you have to fight and kill the things that would kill you and them first.  After that…I'll get creative.  Thailog is coming along nicely.  Maybe I'll give him an extra hard training session until you finally snap enough to let the real Slayer out to play."

GS turned back around, having been revolving closer and closer around Chobe until she had been standing right in front of her, and now she was walking back to where they had begun.  "10 Gs!  And don't even think about using magic to enhance your body.  Push-ups, then stomach crunches, then I want you running laps around this ring.  I'll tell you when to move on!"

Chobe had already been driven to the ground by the gravity increase, but complied anyway with starting push-ups, even though she could hardly get herself off the platform.

Five days later

Buffy's 9th Level of Hell

One school week of constant drill sergeant driven high-gravity exercises later, Chobe felt she was in the best shape of her life.  Her entire body was aching and felt infinitely worse than it looked, but she knew she was stronger.  Slayer and Fey healing aside, she always spent the night in Thailog's arms, and with Willow casting all-purpose healing spells on her shortly after she crawled out of the Gym.

They no longer patrolled, because GS always threatened her that if she was strong enough to patrol, she was strong enough to train some more.  She never liked to patrol anyway, and there were hardly any demons left on the Hellmouth to fight.

Thailog knew that GS was giving her other the exact same treatment that she had given him, and if they were to be believed, the same treatment she had given both Faith and Cordelia whenever she trained them.  And given how advanced Cordelia was that she could actually fight him, a warrior class Gargoyle, one-on-one and win neither Traveller could complain about the advantages that came from the Gold Slayer's training.

He still wished she would lighten up though.

It wasn't until they had all stayed to watch one of her private training sessions under an invisibility and masking spell that they realized that as hard as she was on all of her "pupils", she was twice as hard on herself.

Thailog had almost mistaken her attitude for a martyr, or survivor's guilt syndrome, but he quickly realized his mistake in assumption.  She was a Slayer in everything that she was.  She didn't push or fight because she felt guilty or wanted to die for something.  She pushed herself because she wanted to live, and protect everyone around her and guarantee that they lived as well.  She was a lioness if there were no better description for it.

At the moment, Chobe was just finishing up the last of her endurance exercises for the day, which was five times the amount they had been on the first day.  The entire gym was now held at about 10 Gs, while everyone that worked on the platforms worked under multiples on top of all that.  It was only about 5 pm, a good 3 ½ hours before sunset, and Chobe was surprised that even in a higher gravity and with five times the number of exercises done, she was done much sooner than she had expected to be.

And amazingly, she still felt like she had some energy left over.  Now she had two options, save that energy for patrol and maybe even a threatened late night training session…or use it all up now and get to skip out on patrol again in favor of being held by her beau all through the night.  Decisions, decisions…

"So what's next?" she asked, bouncing over to GS, after she was done.

GS chuckled softly and shook her head, as though Chobe had just told some inside joke.  Though the Fey didn't have a clue what that might have been.  After a moment, the powerful Slayer regarded her with a different look than the normal 'drill-sergeant' one.

She nodded, seemingly pleased with what she saw and answered, "Now we spar again and I see what else we have to do.  You should be able to do better.  You want ki training, now that I'm asking?"

Chobe asked Thailog, who had been shown how to find and raise his own ki, as well as detect other life forces.  He couldn't fly or shoot energy beams yet, but he was starting with the basics.  He agreed that the training could only benefit her, as GS would allow her to augment her body with ki, if not with magic during training sessions.

However, there were other things she had to consider. As much as these abilities intrigued her, they were not for her. She was a Slayer, yes, and she should be strong physically, but since discovering the truth about her father, she had other forces to work with and, Slayer or not, her physical prowess would never be anything close to magical abilities. Besides, if she'd read Willow's books correctly, she had other options open to her. Options that would not have been available to her counter part.

"No," she said, "I don't think it'll be necessary. I'm not relying on Thailog or anything. I just don't think it's really for me to learn that stuff. 'Sides," she added with a sly grin, "By the time we're finished, I might be able to teach you something."

GS just sort of smiled and shrugged, which showed that Chobe declining didn't really bother her.  "Now…" GS began the training, "25 Gs, and come at me with everything you have.  Everything.  You can use magic, both to enhance your body and however else you desire.  Lesson one, begin."

Chobe grinned evilly as she did exactly what her double told her to and pulled out all the stops on her magic.  Enhancing her body to its absolute maximum, as well as throwing out a 'time freeze' spell on the platform area and an 'increase speed' enchantment on herself, Chobe stepped forward to lay out some well-deserved punishment.  She stopped after that step, her eyes widening with fear and she immediately switched to defensive.

GS smiled as Chobe took the handicap she was offering, and powered up to counteract the spell she had cast on the field.  Energy was energy, whether made by magic, science…or a Slayer's life force.

She then blasted forward, her ki flame shining brightly around her as she went on the attack of the suddenly retreating Fey-Slayer.  Chobe stopped retreating about two steps after she'd done so and set her face as the decision to no longer be a coward hiding resolved itself and she put herself in a defensive position and waited for the Gold Slayer's attack.

It came, and a lot harder than she had expected, a punch to Chobe's crossed arms held up in front of her and the Fey was knocked all the way back to the force field.  Momentarily stunned, all she could do was watch for a moment as GS dove down on her again with another attack.

At the very last second, she teleported out of there…but not out of the gym.  She was not going to be a coward any longer.  If this Gold Slayer would push herself to the brink and beyond, then by her Father, this Child of Oberon could do the same.

Mid-teleport, Chobe formed a massive fireball spell, as well as a lightning ball spell in the other hand.  She appeared behind and above GS and fired her spells the moment she was fully corporeal.  GS just dodged them so fast that she seemed to disappear and the next thing Chobe knew was pain.

Before she would have hit the floor, Chobe got herself under control and transferred her downward momentum sideways as she pushed off the platform to dodge the other Slayer's next attack.

Almost before she knew it, GS was right in front of her, going on full attack, but this time Chobe was ready and she retaliated with as good as she got.  As a side effect of going all out with her magic, Chobe had unintentionally placed every lesson the Wiccan had taught her into play, including her last lesson.  Chobe hadn't really noticed, except that it allowed her eyes to actually keep up with the Gold Slayer's movements, and everything else around her was crystal clear.

That is, until just as the Gold Slayer was setting up and performing a roundhouse punch, the Fey Slayer saw a brief flash of silver in the air, and then a brighter flush of silver light throughout the arm the Gold Slayer was throwing at her.

'That's magic!' she realized with shock.  Too shocked to dodge the blow.  She was knocked back to the force field once more, but this time she held up her hands to stop the fight rather than defend herself.

"Stop!" she shouted.  GS stopped the very moment the 's' sound had left her lips.

"What?" GS asked angrily.

Chobe was just as angry.  "You never said that you could use magic!  I know you said I could, but that was to make up for my lack of experience and skills against you.  This is training!  You can't use magic against me when I'm already at a disadvantage."

GS calmed down completely, but her eagerness to fight and anger were entirely replaced with a confusion so profound that Chobe found herself empathizing from just the look on her face.

"What are you talking about Buffy?" Willow asked from the sidelines.  "Gold Slayer didn't use magic.  Not once.  And before you say biased or anything like that, the most magic that my wife can use are simple glamour spells that I've taught everybody.  You know, changing her face or her clothes.  That's the most magic she can do.  I swear."

Now Chobe was the one confused.  "But… that trick you taught me, about seeing magic and stuff…  I saw it!  A flash of silver in the air, and then her arm was covered with some kind of inner, silver, light thingy.  Everything else was like crystal clear.  I saw it!"

Wiccan looked confused and like she pitied her former pupil for about half a moment, before that thoughtful look rested on her face once more.  It grew deeper as Willow concentrated harder on the problem before her.

"Wills…I didn't use magic.  I didn't do anything that I haven't done about a billion times in every other training session," GS-Buffy protested.

"But she saw magic Buffy," Willow pointed out.  "She's Fey, enough that I'll trust her senses and perceptions in a case like this.  That 'trick' she mentioned was aura-sight, and it can't be fooled, or masked, or mistaken for a glare from ceiling lights."

Willow seemed to think on things for a heavy minute and then suddenly snapped from her decision into action.  She stepped up on the platform, after having the force field let her pass, and then walked to the exact center, and began to chant, holding her hands before her as her power gathered.

Chobe gulped.  She had never seen Willow look so intense.  Especially not during their lessons, but even though she knew what kind of power and skill the Wiccan had with magic and other forces, it was entirely different to watch it happen.

Without any special effects, Willow's chant ended, and the moment it did, Chobe's magic stopped working.  Completely.  It wasn't that it was being bound or anything, it just wasn't working.

"I've just erected one of the most powerful magic-nullification fields that I know on this platform.  Because I didn't sacrifice a soul to power it, it will eventually disappear, but for the next half hour, it will remain in full effect.  Now do everything that you just did again.  Tell me if there's a difference Buffy."  Chobe knew she wasn't talking to her.

The blonde Slayers walked back towards one another, and without any preamble whatsoever, they started to attack one another.  For the most part it was pretty straightforward, simple maneuvers.  Then Chobe grinned as she did a "Street Fighter" technique and did a jumping back-flip kick that caught her double on the chin.

It barely fazed the Gold Slayer, but she just savagely grinned and started getting fancy herself.  Chobe managed to keep up, until right at the moment the Gold Slayer was performing a complex and potentially devastating combo, she stopped midway through, allowing the Fey Slayer to step back safely.

"Whoa," GS said in a fearful awe, frozen in the combo.  She stepped back and stared down at herself.

"What is it?  What's wrong Buffy?" Willow asked, concerned.

"That…that move was a lot harder than it normally is.  I mean I had just done it like a few minutes ago before you put up this field but…" She sighed and shook her head defiantly.  "I don't understand this, I've been in null-magic zones before.  If I use magic regularly, why do I only now recognize it?"

Willow thought for a moment, but it was Xander who answered, "Well, maybe because by the time that you're in one and fighting, you're so exhausted that…"

"That I don't even notice the extra strain," Buffy finished, nodding.  "Wills, what do you…"

"I don't know Buffy… I don't know," the Wiccan answered.

Three weeks later

Chobe looked across at Cordelia with a smile, "Honestly, I thought you'd be more of a challenge. I'm not even using magic here," Cordelia shot a grin of her own.

"Is it my fault I don't want to piss off your boyfriend?" she retorted.

"You should be more afraid of me," Buffy said, still grinning, and charging forward. It had taken a little longer than Thailog had for her to realize that this was not the Cordelia she knew. Once that fact had pummeled its way through her brain, the two had formed a fast friendship and Buffy admitted she would miss the girl after leaving.

"Yeah right!  I've seen worse and been beaten to a pulp by your double!  I can handle you!" Cordy retorted as she met the Fey-Slayer's charge.

The two girls hit each other at full tilt, arms and legs flying. A right hook from Buffy was countered by a sidekick from Cordy countered by jab from Buffy, which was blocked and countered and blocked and countered…

Ta'ruk looked over at them from where he was doing his own training. He watched on for a few seconds, and then did something he never would have done when he first arrived.

He joined in.

The two girls were surprised when the Jaffa came in. His fists hit them both squarely on the shoulder, forcing them apart.

"We were sparring here!" Cordelia snapped.

"Yes, we are," Ta'ruk said evenly, striking out again at Cordelia.

"Okay," Cordelia fumed, moving back, "That's it!"

"Wait for me!" Buffy said as they both charged forward. She leapt over the Jaffa as Cordelia began a combination of punches and kicks that would have made the most experienced martial artist in the world hide under their blankets in horror. Ta'ruk managed to keep up, until Buffy landed behind him.

The Slayer had caught up with Cordelia in skill in the month since beginning the physical aspect of her training very rapidly and between the two of them, they easily brought the Jaffa down.

"That'll teach ya," Cordelia said.

"You'd think he'd have learnt after what I did to Belial," Buffy agreed.

"Now that just wasn't nice," Faith said from behind them. They both turned to see her ready for action.

"Now what?" Cordelia asked grimly. Buffy grinned.

"We cheat," she said, opening herself to her magic, while at the same time opening the link between her and Thailog.

She had been experimenting with it for a while and more recently had found that the flow of power that had allowed her to boost Thailog's strength, as well as use her magic through him, was a two way street. Neither of them really took any power from the other. It merely allowed a hidden strength no one had known existed to flow.

Faith suspected something when Buffy's eyes flashed gold before a more permanent blue glow took over.

Cordelia felt new strength flow through her, "Is that you?" she asked. The blonde Slayer grinned.

"By the way, F," she said, still grinning at Faith, "I've got the mojo goin', and me and Thailog are sharing power," with that, she charged, Cordelia not far behind. Faith moved to strike at the half Fey…

…and went straight through her and into Cordelia's fist.

Faith staggered backwards a bit, trying to get her bearings when Buffy appeared to deliver a punch to her gut.

"Alright," Faith muttered, "That's IT!" The last word was a scream as her golden ki flame erupted around her.

"Uh oh," Cordy said. Buffy continued to grin.

"2…1…" the air around Faith erupted in purple energy that doused her ki flame, "Energy Restraining field. I thought it might come in handy," Faith looked over at her.

"You got good," she said, surprised at the improvement. Buffy grinned.

"No, me and Thailog have been working on those moves for ages," Buffy told her, "I just did the easy ones Cordy didn't have to know about in advance. We done yet, 'cause Cordy and me have to get back to training."

"You asked for that one, F," GS said, jumping up on the platform and walking towards them, "And so'd Ta'ruk," she faced her counterpart, "Good strategy, you're learning, that's good.  One question though, doesn't taking all that power from Thailog drain him?"

"Doesn't rely on his power," Chobe admitted, "More some top secret reserve hidden within the Slayer/Guardian link. Ups power to both of us when active. All it took then was to up Cordy to the right level and add some defensive spells in case."

"Like the illusion, cloaking and restraining spells," Willow added, standing off to the side. Buffy looked a little sheepish.

"Just one problem," GS interrupted, she then nodded at Faith who nodded back.

An instant later, Faith started powering up, or trying to at least.  She was practically screaming her head off, but the purple-hued magic field around her didn't change in the slightest.

"What are you trying to do?" Chobe asked.  "There's no way that…" she stopped talking when everyone in the gym felt Faith's power begin to rise, despite the field still being in place.  Then the field began to grow brighter, and even flash and spark against the Dark Slayer a couple times.

Faith's screaming was echoing almost as loud as Thailog's multi-roar could, and a faint, but definitely there, ki flame surrounded her aura.  Thirty seconds later, the flame became a flash of light that briefly hid the Dark Slayer from view, and when everyone could see again, she was standing their normally, her ki flame shining brightly and vividly around her.  Oh, and her hair was now blonde and her eyes were entirely gold except for the black pupils.

Buffy and Ta'ruk staggered back.  They had never felt so much raw power before, and Buffy had never imagined that anybody here had that kind of power.  It was…it was…mind-boggling!

The spell tried one last effort to contain the Dark Slayer, but finally it was just washed away in the backwash of her massive aura of energy.

Chobe was stunned into silence for several moments.

"If you can't out skill a magic-user, you can always out power 'em," The blonde-haired gold-eyed Faith said in a voice that sounded like her own, overlapped or amalgamated with Buffy's.

"And that is the next lesson," GS explained, then nodded at Faith who immediately powered down and returned to normal.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!" Chobe shouted the moment her senses weren't being overrun by the energy Faith was giving off.

"That," Wiccan answered, sounding very smug, "was a Super Slayer."

Chobe's eyes widened.  "Fuck…"

"It was a good strategy," GS complimented her, "but don't think it's flawless.  There is a way around every trap.  Just because one tool or power you or your enemy has won't work, doesn't mean you, or he, don't have other powers or tools that will work."  Chobe nodded, taking the new lesson to heart.

"Like I said, good strategy," she repeated. She looked between Cordy and Chobe, like she knew something they didn't, "Back to work. And Ta'ruk, Faith?  Don't interrupt again.  And if you want to train with them, remember to ASK!"

Later

Dining Room

"I'm having a hard time believing this is Sunnydale," Chobe muttered, "We've been here what…? A month? There has not been a single demon attack or apocalyptic prophecy the whole time. I swear you guys must get the time outside of the Compound as down time. We'd be up to our armpits in old books in our world."

"It's summer," her counterpart told her, "And don't forget that we took out the Mayor like what?  Two months ago?  There's a power vacuum.  A Big Bad like the mayor can't be replaced just like that.  There has to be in fighting first.  Till that's over with, the Hellmouth is a prime vacation spot."

"No kidding," Chobe muttered, "You guys even get any demons around here?"

"One or two," Willow said, "I think someone spread the word there's a third Slayer around."

"Someone has alerted Willy, it seems," Thailog said with a grin.

"He's lucky he's useful," both Buffy's muttered, bringing a bout of laughter from the entire gang. Even Ta'ruk indulged in small chuckle.

"I'm still getting use to that," Joyce said.

"Just be glad I'm not vampy version," Chobe said with disgust, "Real bad fashion sense. Both the one's I've met have got a thing about low cut, leather and black."

"Demon's have sucky taste, so when they get turned, while memories stay behind the demon makes all the fashion choices unfortunately," GS muttered. Both Thailog and Willow barely contained remarks along the lines of 'it wouldn't look too bad', but the thoughts were there, and they earned them mental admonishments from their respective Buffy's.

"Any leads on Buffy's new mojo?" Xander asked, changing the subject. Willow was silent.

"Some," she said, "But not much, and certainly not enough.  And Marduk isn't answering my calls."

"We'll keep an eye out," Chobe said, "Reality hopping, I'm sure we'll find something."

"We still have a few contacts we can ask," GS pointed out. Willow looked thoughtful a moment.

"We still haven't asked Fragnar yet," Willow said.

"We really should introduce you guys to Rosesummer now that I think about it," GS agreed.

"Huh?" Chobe said, "Who's Fragnar and Rosesummer?"

"Fragnar's the leader of the Dragons who live in Dragon Valley," GS explained, "and Rosesummer's a baby Dragon me and Willow sort of adopted.  Fragnar's the one that married us," Chobe looked at her double for a minute.

"So, let me get this straight," she said slowly, "You know a valley full of Dragons, and you didn't think this info might help?"

"Huh?" GS asked, confused.

"There were Dragons among the Gatebuilders," Thailog said, following his beloved's thought, "And you had a book written by the Asgard, with information about the Band," GS looked over at Willow.

"Oops," she said.

"I don't believe this," Willow muttered, berating her own short-sightedness, "I didn't even think that Fragnar's people might be descendants of the Gatebuilders."

"Could've saved some trouble if you weren't so secretive," Chobe said, "But I guess I understand. The Dragons probably want to keep the Valley a secret. Any hunter worth his rifle would be willing to do anything to bag a Dragon. Still, it would have been nice."

"You didn't ask, and it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation!" GS snapped, feeling protective of her wife.  After a moment she apologized, "Sorry," she sighed loudly, "Guess that settles it. Looks like Road Trip to Dragon Valley."

Next Day

"So…what are we doing out here again?" Buffy asked.

"We're going to the Dragon's Valley," Buffy answered for the twelfth time, and counting.

"Yeah, but what are we doing out here?" she asked for specific clarification.

The Gold Slayer and the Wiccan had woken them all up before the sun had even thought about rising for the day, and started making preparations like they really were going on a road trip.  Buffy, the local, had Buffy, the Traveller, helping her pack about five different suitcases, which all looked identical, except for little monograms on the handles.  Willow was packing magic supplies, and Thailog was stuck embarrassedly holding all the clothes, including the three ladies' undergarments and lingerie.  Chobe still remembered that particular piece GS had claimed as hers that made Thailog almost crimson despite his purple hyde.

At the moment, Buffy and Willow were leading Buffy, Thailog, Ta'ruk, Cordelia and Xander on a hike through the mountainous woods north of Sunnydale.  Cordelia was actually right behind the lesbian couple, while Xander was trailing the gargoyle and Fey Slayer couple, mostly to keep them from falling behind.

"For the last time," Buffy exclaimed, exasperated beyond words, "we're going to Dragon Valley!  Obviously, it's not on any one's map!  Now stop asking the same question, because I promise you now, you'll keep getting the same answer!"

"All right, all right!" Buffy huffed next to Thailog.  "But why don't we just, I don't know, teleport there?"

The Wiccan actually stopped and stared at the Child of Oberon for a moment before shaking her head in disgusted pity before continuing on.  She answered Buffy with, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe Dragon Valley isn't on Earth?  About a thousand or more years ago the Dragons created their own dimension in which they could live there in peace without having to worry about being hunted by stupid creatures, certain humans among them.  We're going to the portal that will take us to the Dragon's Valley."

"Oh," Buffy mumbled before asking, "So why don't we just teleport there?"

"Because there are only four points on this planet where you can reach the Dragon Valley at any time," Willow began to lecture.  "Because this one is so close to the Hellmouth, the Dragons' protections are not as effective as they are in the other places.  So, when I learned of this, I got together with my teachers and we set up a barrier that prevents anything from teleporting or easily finding this particular point."

"Uh huh, but what about that lesson I learned yesterday, about power overload?" Buffy pointed out.

"Yeah?  What about it?" Willow's wife asked.

"Well, you said that if you can't outwit a magic user's skill, which I'm sure no one can…just beat it with power.  Wouldn't that, kinda apply here?"

"Yep, exactly," Willow said with a smile.

"So…"

"Remember that teacher I keep talking about, Marduk?" Willow interrupted her.

"Yeah," Buffy mumbled.

"You know, the god of magic across 50,000 realms?" Willow rubbed it in.  "I brought the problem to him, and he designed the spells needed to keep this place secret and protected.  I constructed it, then all my teachers, along with myself, empowered it."

"What do you mean 'empowered'?" the Child of Oberon asked.

"We turned it on, with all of our magicks combining to do so," Willow answered.

Before she could ask anything more, the other Buffy turned around, still walking in the same direction and told her, "Let's just say, that between the five of them, they are the power of magick.  Think about that for a while."  Then she turned back around and they went the rest of the way in silence.

Entrance to Dragon Valley

"OK, we can't teleport to the portal, but we teleport away from it?!" Chobe exclaimed as they appeared before the massive gates big enough for…well, a dragon.

"Depends on which side of the portal you're on," Willow explained.  "The spells I placed to protect the portal are only on the Earth side.  Here, the only thing keeping you from teleporting wherever you like is not knowing where you're going.  Not a problem for you, I know.  You could just ask nature.  This isn't a planet by the way, just a dimension."

"Neat," Chobe acknowledged, examining every detail around them.  The gate and fence were massive, but she thought they wouldn't stand up to much punishment, until she saw the runes carved into them that looked strangely familiar, but different at the same time.

"Definitely the Gatebuilders," Chobe pointed at the runes.

"Protection spells," Willow told her.  "Done by the Dragon Shamans and Mystics.  Every dragon has the potential of magic, but there are very few that have the…############### to utilize powers that run far deeper than human magic."

"What the hell was that!?!" Chobe screeched.  Thailog and Ta'ruk were also looking shocked, while Cordelia just looked confused.

Willow was also confused until her wife answered, "That… was probably a word that cannot be pronounced in the English language.  Willow has been forced to learn many dead languages in her study of magic, and when she gets into lecture format, things that have no English equivalent slip into her speech."

"Oh," Chobe slowly acknowledged.  "Well… it kinda sounded like a lizard's flute, whatever it was.  What's the nearest thing it means?"

"Uh…" Willow looked lost for a moment before shrugging and muttering sourly, "Potential.  That's the closest, but it doesn't mean the same thing.  Not even close actually."

Cordelia looked sharply at Buffy, who in response opened her to the mental link between the team, specifically that between Willow, Xander, and herself.

You haven't told them yet? she asked the moment she could.

No, and we aren't going to.  Not intentionally anyway Buffy answered.

If they find out, they are gonna be majorly pissed at you for keeping it from them.  They've been trying for weeks to translate that book! Cordelia protested.

They want to translate it on their own.  If they wanted help, they would ask for it Buffy said.

Willow! Cordy exclaimed mentally.

She's right, they have to ask.  We can't give them everything on a silver platter.  Only what they need or ask for. Willow said.

Well what did you say when they asked about the book? she asked the Wiccan.

I, uh, I told her translation spells won't work on the book she answered.

So you didn't even hint that maybe you could translate if for them! Cordelia mentally shouted.

The mental conversation was interrupted when the unaware Chobe asked, "So now what happens?"

"Now we knock," Buffy answered as though nothing were going on and then walked up to the immense gate, and lightly tapped on it three times with her knuckles.  Many of the spells on the gate suddenly lit up and the gates opened all on their own…into a vision of paradise.

Aside from the crystal clear blue skies, the emerald and jade hills, and the majestic dark forests, there was everything else to consider.  Not the least of which was the dozen or more dragons flying through the air like fish swim through the sea.

"Oh my…" Chobe and all those that hadn't seen it before were stunned breathless.

"This place is magnificent!" Thailog exclaimed after a moment.

"Come on, we've got quite a hike ahead of us," Buffy told them and led the way into the Valley.

After a moment, Chobe started coughing, but soon quit.  "What was that about?" Thailog asked, worriedly.

"The air's too clean," Buffy answered for her double.  "We're LA girls, remember?  I had the same reaction my first time here."  She stopped and took large lung-full of the clean air.  "Now this is all I like."

"Avalon is like this," Chobe commented as they kept walking.

"Well, if you're right, there's a good reason for that," Willow commented back.

Not five minutes after they had entered the Valley when Willow and Buffy suddenly stopped the group.  "What is it?" Thailog asked.

Buffy sighed, looking at a bright, vivid red dot just visible in the distance.  "Here we go," she said tiredly, like a parent complaining about their children's habit of playing in the mud.

She then floated up several feet, and as they all watched, that red dot in the distance kept getting bigger, and bigger, until it suddenly became quite clear that it was a dragon on the rampage heading straight for them.  When Thailog realized this he moved to protect his Buffy, but also moved Ta'ruk and tried to do the same for the others, out of the way.  They wouldn't budge.  The reason for, though, soon became quite obvious.

The ruby-colored dragon, about the size of a young tiger, flapping madly in an effort to go even faster, slammed into the Gold Slayer, who didn't even try to stop the charge, instead rolling with it, and soon they were rolling on the ground together.

After a moment, the Travellers realized that the dragon was shouting the same words over and over, in English.  "You came!  You came!  You came!"

Buffy was giggling and from appearances was having a bit of roughhousing with the young dragonling.  "Of course we came!  We always come!  And your birthday isn't for another five months Rosy!" Buffy shouted and finally quit "playing" and the both of them got to their feet after untangling.

The dragonling, which could stand on its hind legs as easily as it could on all fours, walked forward with Buffy to rejoin the group.  She stopped just short when she caught sight of Chobe, Ta'ruk, and Thailog.  Her bright hazel green eyes with flecks of emerald in them blinked curiously at them.  The pupils were not 'cats eyes' like they had expected, but except for there being no whites, could have easily been human eyes.

"Who are your friends?" the dragonling asked, her voice sounding remarkably like Buffy's own voice did when she was 3 years old.  Thailog was briefly reminded of the planet where they had gotten the Band, and was promptly elbowed in the gut for it.

"The big grape ape is Thailog, he's a Gargoyle," Buffy answered.  "The Fey next to him is an alternate me whose father is Lord Oberon.  You remember Willow telling you about him, right?"

The dragonling scrunched her face for a moment in thought before answering, "Never trust a Fairy?" she asked, but sounding convinced that was the answer at the same time.

Buffy chuckled, as did a couple others, except of course Chobe, who frowned and crossed her arms like an angry child.  "More like, never trust a Puck.  And don't piss off a Fey.  Especially not Oberon, who is the king of all Fey."  Buffy corrected.

"Oh yeah, I remember that now," the dragonling nodded.

"Good.  The last of the new guys is named Ta'ruk," Buffy pointed him out.  Immediately the dragon dropped to all fours, her eyes began to glow slightly and she began to hiss at Ta'ruk.  Or rather, at Ta'ruk's abdomen.  "Snake!" she hissed angrily.

"Rosesummer!" Willow snapped, and immediately the dragon stopped and sat down, looking like a punished child.

"Don't worry," Buffy said, kneeling down beside Rosesummer, "That's a baby snake.  It can't do any harm.  Sorry about that Li'l T, it's an instinctual reaction."

"It is a good instinct," Ta'ruk nodded.  Then he turned to the dragon and bowed, "I assure you Lady Rosesummer, no offense was taken.  I hate the Goa'uld as much as your people do."

Rosesummer looked up at him and seeing the sincerity there, quickly returned to her seemingly natural perkiness.  She turned and looked up at Buffy and asked, "Are you here to see Fragnar about something?  Since it's not my birthday."

Buffy laughed out loud.  "Would you mind getting Sky Bane and Cloud Brand real fast?  So we don't have to walk all the way to the village."

Rosesummer looked confused for several seconds before she looked at the Travellers and seemed to understand.  "Oh, because of them, and they can't fly?" she asked.

Before Buffy could answer, there was a deliberate cough and everyone turned to see Cordelia standing there.  "And what am I, the luggage?" she asked with a smile.

"CORDY!" Rosesummer screamed and immediately charged the non-immortal woman.

"Whoa there Rosy!" she screamed just before Rosesummer managed to stop her momentum and just leaned heavily on the woman.  "You are so big!  What have you been eating young lady?  Last time I saw you, you were smaller than a dog, and now look at you!"

Rosesummer, at the mention of a dog, started licking Cordelia's face with a extraneous pink tongue.  "All right!  All right!  Enough of that," Cordelia exclaimed after a couple seconds treatment of that.  The ruby dragon got down, but immediately settled back on her haunches as Cordy gestured behind her back at Xander who began opening and looking through one of the packs they had with them.

"Did you bring me something Auntie Cordy?" Rosesummer asked like a grandchild who always expected a gift for doing something good.

Cordelia smirked at the dragon and retorted, "Now what kind of friend of this family would I be if I didn't bring presents?  And don't call me Auntie!  It makes me sound old."

Xander had finally finished rummaging through the case and silently slipped behind Cordelia and slipped something into her hands.  She smiled back at him and then handed the gift to Rosesummer.  It only had a bright red bow on it, but that didn't affect the feeling everyone got when Rosesummer's eyes went excitedly wide.

"Ohmigosh!  Thank you!  Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!" she went straight to hugging Cordelia and then finally took the gift, which was a fireproofed, foot and a half large doll of Godzilla.

Willow, despite being happy at seeing Rosesummer happy, felt the slightest bit cheated.  "You spoil her rotten Cordy," Willow chastised.

Rosesummer looked worriedly at her "mother" and then back as Cordelia as the former cheerleader responded, "Yeah well, it's a non-parent, member of the family's job.  At least that's what all of my aunts told me when they gave me gifts when I was growing up."  There was a momentary silence as everyone, even Chobe and Thailog who had been around long enough to be told, was reminded of what Cordy had lost in the past year.  Her family, broken from the IRS, had pretty much abandoned her, even all those "aunts and uncles" and everyone else.  Her family was the Slayer Team now.

Cordelia didn't let the sad moment last, determined to be a proper doting aunt, she said to Rosy, "Now.  Why don't you show all your friends the present your…" she rolled her eyes, "Aunt Cordy got you?  Aunt is okay, auntie is no way in…"

"Cordy!" Buffy snapped.  "What?" she asked innocently as the dragon giggled, flying off.

Buffy was interrupted from replying as two large shadows flew overhead.  Chobe startled, as did Thailog, his eyes glowing for a moment before it became obvious the shadows were no threat.  Just two dragons bigger than the Chrysler Building landing in front of their little entourage.

"Buffy!" the blue-grey one spoke in a voice that amazingly enough was not booming and didn't sound like it was whispering either.  "Fragnar sent us on ahead when he sensed you enter through the gates.  Of course Rosesummer taking off like a bat out of hell was another big clue."

Buffy giggled some and didn't even bother to speak loudly as she replied, "Cloud Brand, it is an honor to see you again.  Now what the heck have you been up to lately you ole worm?  I heard that Teenya actually went on the dragon equivalent of a date with you?"

Cloud Brand, coughed nervously and by the coloring of his scales around his head, was brightly blushing.  "Uh, (cough), I see you have a couple non-flyers with you today.  Good day to you Lady Cordelia as always."  Cordelia blushed, but didn't say anything.

"Sky Bane will take yourself and the unmarked snake-bearer, as well as your mate to the village, while I'm sure that the Ladies Buffy and Willow would like to accompany their Fey and Gargoyle friends to see Fragnar." Cloud Bane continued, after gesturing to the black scaled, yellow-finned dragon next to him.  Sky Bane nodded regally at Xander and Cordelia.

"Thanks CB," Buffy said, already floating off the ground.  "Wills, you wanna…?"

"No, I'm going to go play doting mother for a while.  If you need me, I'll be there in a flash, okay?" Willow told her wife.

"Okay," Buffy said, leaning in for and receiving a kiss.  The Gold Slayer then hovered over to Thailog.  "Let's just say that it would not be pleasant for either of you if you tried to climb up his side," she said, holding her hand out for the dark purple gargoyle to take.

The couple shared a look for a moment before reluctantly, they both nodded and Thailog took Buffy's hand, while the other Buffy was surrounded by a blue aura, and then picked Thailog up by his other hand.  Together, they lifted him to the back of the blue-grey dragon.

"Comfy?" he asked, leaning his neck back so as to see his passengers.  They easily settled between two of the larger gray scales of his back-fin.

"Uh, you guys might want to really hold on here," Buffy warned them.  She was still floating beside them.

"Well, what about you?" Chobe asked, worried as she got a stronger grip on the scale behind them.

GS smirked.  "I can keep up," she said confidently.

"Okay," Chobe rolled her eyes as the MASSIVE wings on either side lifted and began to flap in effort to lift the large dragon off of the ground and into the air.

Two seemed to do it as they were immediately in the air, and both passengers thought they passed Mach 1 with the third flap of the wings.  That there was a sudden and desperate speed boost with each flap, and as Cloud Brand flapped his wings at least five more times certainly didn't help matters.

What was the most amazing and bizarre thing about it though, was there was a single constant throughout the entire flight.  Buffy, with her golden ki flame flashing brightly around her, stayed in the exact same position in relation to them, except maybe changing her orientation in relation to the ground.

The entire ride was about…two, maybe three minutes at the tops, and most of those minutes were those spent in getting Thailog and Chobe, on and off of the dragon's back.

It wasn't until the mini-windstorm of Cloud Brand's departure did they look around to see where they were.  It appeared that they were in front of a part hut, part cave that could quite easily fit the largest dragon imaginable in it comfortably.  They were a fair distance away from the other collection of buildings that they assumed was the village, but not really that far if you're flying.

There were no trees anywhere nearby, but the grass had been well cared for recently, or maybe even magically had it's growth stymied.  Finally, Chobe and Thailog noticed that Buffy wasn't paying attention to the scenery, but rather the large dragon sitting and calmly staring at them from beside the entrance to the hut.  Chobe gulped, this dragon gave off an immense aura of power, almost as casually as her father did, and from appearance alone he seemed as powerful as he seemed old.  And he was very powerful.

"Fragnar, a pleasure, as always," Buffy greeted him stiffly, like she was speaking to a king or the President of the US.

"Buffy!  How nice of you to visit," Fragnar slowly stepped forward, regarding the newcomers with each movement.  "And you've brought guests."  He stopped short as his eyes rested on Thailog's wrist.  "Very important guests."

"Nice place," Chobe said lightly. Fragnar shrugged.

"It suits my purposes," he said simply. His eyes feel to the Band again, "I have to admit, I didn't think it would arrive in my time."

"Weren't for my father, it probably wouldn't have," Chobe muttered.

"You're father?" Fragnar looked over at the Buffy he knew.

"Slight difference," she explained, "Her father's really Oberon."

"Ah," Fragnar said, "That explains the Fey magic. And you're Guardian's name?"

"I am called Thailog," the Gargoyle in question said, bowing, "It is a pleasure," Fragnar chuckled.

"As formal as any Gargoyle I've met," he said, "If anything, my friend, it should be reversed. We have been waiting for you for a very long time."

"Bringing us back to the topic at hand," Chobe said, "What can you tell us about the Band?"

"Is there anything in particular you need to know?"

"We have discovered its ability increase my own strength," Thailog said, "It's energy shield as well. Are there any other abilities we have yet to discover?" Fragnar sat back, thinking.

"From what I was told," he began, "It is also able to heal the injuries of its bearer and others."

"First bit not necessary," Chobe muttered. Fragnar looked at her questioningly, "Fey Bond Spell," she said simply, "I cast it before we got the Band."

"Ah," Fragnar said, "A good idea."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Thailog asked. In answer, Fragnar turned, pulling a small box out, and placing it in front of them.

"This is yours," he rumbled, "Within are parts of the Band. One will show you the Band's history, along with some idea of the Gatebuilders as well. The others will bring you a step closer to unlocking the Band's true power. What that is, I have no clue."

"You don't know?" Chobe asked incredulously.

"Buffy, it has been some time since our people arrived here," Fragnar explained, "Much of what we knew has been forgotten. There are two ways to discover it's true nature. The knowledge locked within the first piece, or trying it for yourself."

"It may be a good idea to hold that until we know what it does," GS said, "We don't want you blowing holes in the world testing it."

"It may not appreciate it," Chobe muttered, "and I'll cop the brunt of it," this comment brought an interested glance from Fragnar.

"You'll cop the brunt of it?" he asked.

"I can communicate with planets," Chobe explained, "How well depends on the age of the planet. At least, that's what we've discovered so far. If it's too young, I get feelings, but nothing more. At a certain age, when it gains a mind of it's own, I can actually hold conversations with it. Makes life interesting," Fragnar looked down at her shocked, then over at her counter part.

"She can talk to a planet and she calls it 'interesting'," he remarked, "You let Willow get to her, didn't you?"

"She needed to learn how to use her magic a bit better," Gold Slayer said defensively, "What do I know about magic?"

"That's something you should talk with Fragnar about while we're here," Chobe said, reminding her about their discovery, "Me and Thailog are going to look through these attachments, see what we can find."

The two left around the corner leaving Buffy and Fragnar on the latter's "porch" so to speak.

"What did they mean by that?" Fragnar asked, concerned.

Buffy almost told him about her "supposed" natural magic, heavy emphasis on the quotes, but instead she blurted out, "On the last world...they learned that the Slayers were a part of the Gatebuilders, and some of the Builders, like the leaders of certain clans, were so called "Guardians" for these Slayers.  Thailog is her Guardian, and we've confirmed it.  Willow suspected that maybe Slayers were another race of the Gatebuilders and..."

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!" Fragnar tried to stall Buffy's babbling.  She stopped and looked up at him sheepishly.  He moved back and lay almost serenely on a shaped rock just outside his home.  Buffy was oddly struck with the image of her grandfather sitting in a wooden rocking chair on the porch from when she was a little girl.

"What is it exactly that you're asking?" he asked patiently.

"Is... what she, they have said about the Gatebuilders and these Guardian's true?  That...that, maybe instead of Watchers or demon hunters or what the hell ever, we're supposed to be being watched over by fairies or stone behemoths or, or..." Buffy was close to tears, but hadn't started crying just yet.

Fragnar watched her for a moment, and let out a hot air sigh.  "You know," he finally said after she could no longer speak, "my sister left the Valley about 18 years ago...this January."

Buffy blinked, startled by this information.

"Rosesummer's mother was a magnificent creature," Fragnar went on.  "Strong, bright, and she had an amazing sense of humor!  And she cared for every living creature that existed, even those we kill and eat.  When she left us, even though she was the youngest of my family, she was old and wise enough to be allowed to do so, when she left, there were talks of why she left."

"She had been having dreams for months before she finally left.  "Feelings" she called them.  I almost forbade her to go when she first asked.  Then I spoke with her, on this same spot if you can believe that.  She didn't have to do much to convince me.  From the day she was hatched, she had me wrapped around her tail."

"What happened?" Buffy finally had to asked.

"You know what happened," Fragnar replied sadly.  "She had a mate.  An Earth dragon that prefers hiding in the skies of Terra rather than staying here in safety.  And she was killed, leaving her only child, where I believe Xander was the first to find her."

Buffy nodded sadly.  She still felt pangs of guilt that she had never met or been able to save Rosesummer's mother.  She froze.  What if...what she felt, weren't pangs of *guilt*?

"Fragnar... what if...?" Buffy started to ask, but he finished the question for her.

"What if my sister, Treyla, was meant to be *your* guardian?"  She could only nod numbly.

"It was one of the deciding factors in letting her go," Fragnar told her.  She looked up at him in shock.  "We may not keep up enough on history to know *everything* our ancestors did, but we still have our legends.  My family has always been the leaders of our kind.  It was a very good chance that Treyla, or I, or any one of our direct cousins would be chosen as Guardian for a Slayer on Earth.  That is also one of the reasons why I insisted on performing the Dragon Blood Fire Ceremony the night that you arrived with Rosesummer's egg, as your reward...and as a way of keeping you alive."

"Willow..." Buffy gasped.

"Yes," Fragnar nodded.  "The blood of Treyla, from Rosesummer's birthing, flows in both of your veins.  But you are Treyla's Slayer.  By making Willow both your mate and your Guardian with that ceremony, you became bonded and you will not lose hope or die because of a demon's treachery against my sister.  In honor of her, it was the least that I could do."

Now Buffy was crying.  "Could...sniffle...could you tell me about her?"

"It would be my pleasure, and my honor," Fragnar said gingerly, getting up and walking with the Gold Slayer back to the Village.

Outside

Buffy took a deep breathe of the clean air, "Definitely smells like Avalon," she muttered, "'Cept no beachy smell."

"It is an island," Thailog said cheekily.

"Funny," Buffy said. She looked at the box he was carrying, that seemed bigger in his arms, "Guess it's time to open that, see what Fragnar got ya for Christmas," Thailog rolled his eyes as he opened the box, "Oh wow."

Inside were two devices. One was a blue, oval gem, about half the size of the Band's own gem, in a seemingly gold setting, with buttons on one end, the entire device fitting over the Band. The other looked like a triangle that was a fraction of the Bands size, with a rounded bottom and a hole of sorts, which seemed to fit the sea blue gemstone that sat next to it.

"Oh wow," Buffy said again, "So, which one's got the user manual?" Thailog looked at them a moment, before picking up the larger piece.

"I have a feeling…" he said, placing the device over the Band's stone. It fit into place, the blue gem glowing into life. Thailog reached down, pressing the first button. An image appeared in the gem, which then projected it into the air.

"If you are watching this," a voice said, "then the time has come, and you are the Champion that our people have waited for. The weapon you now have locked around your wrist is the Band of Summoning. It was created by the last of our leaders, to protect ourselves from our enemies. However, we were unable to unlock its full power before Crom and his Elkrar demons attacked, trying to take over the Stargate system we guarded," the image changed to show a large, scaled creature, with gold looking armor and a large sword, surrounded by smaller lizard things.

"Gross," Buffy muttered.

"In desperation, we separated throughout the Multiverse, each taking segments of the Band, so that Crom could not use it for his own purposes.

"The Band is endowed with powerful spirits of myth and legend, as well the spirits of out most powerful and legendary warriors. These spirits can only be summoned with the correct gemstone, like the one included with this viewer," the picture change to show the smaller piece, "By fitting the gems into the Summoning Plates, one can access the spirit within the gem and, using the Bands power, give it physical form, allowing the warrior to fight once more."

"You may be wondering why we were unable to use this power. We were able to summon these warriors, but it's ultimate power… not even the Dragons, the mightiest of our race, could summon the Ultimate Warrior, the legendary Excalibur."

"Excalibur?" Buffy breathed, "I thought that was a sword."

"We discovered that the Band used extraordinary power to summon this warrior, power it did not have. The only way to summon this power was to access the users own ki energy."

"Ki?" Thailog, this time, whispered incredulously.

"It was at that point that Tyme, the greatest of the Elven Artisans and Mystics, had his vision. That one of the Builders, as we were becoming known, but not of the Builders, would come to power and summon Excalibur in the time of greatest need. That One is you, Thailog of Sunnydale. You must search for the four Gems and Plates of Excalibur, and bring them together. You must use what you learn to gain the power necessary to summon Excalibur, end Crom's threat, and bring peace to our people once more. I wish you luck, Chosen One," and with that, the image vanished. Thailog looked at the Band.

"At least we know what it is now," Buffy said.

"And what I must do," Thailog said, "It is well that we stayed here, for I will need these lessons if I am to summon this… Excalibur."

"Okay, reality check," Buffy said, turning to him, "Did you not hear that? Everyone who tried to summon this thing died. You do this…"

"I know," Thailog said, "That is why I must continue traveling. So that I can gather the strength to do so without danger."

"Okay I notice a lack of 'we's' in there," Buffy said, both scared and angry, "You think I'm letting you go off on some half assed quest where I may never see you again?"

"You do not need this, my love," Thailog said softly, "I'm sure Fragnar can help you find your way home."

"No," Buffy said, "I'm not leaving you alone, you can't make me and you know it. I'm coming, and that's final," Thailog smiled slightly.

"Very well," he said, "I know better than to argue with you," he looked into the box, at the second device.

"Maybe we should wait to test it," Buffy said, "Just in case something happens. Fragnar might get a bit peeved if we cave in his home."

"Very well," Thailog said. He looked out across the Valley. Now, he knew what he had to do. Here's hoping it did not cost him anything he was not willing to pay.

Later that Night, before Dinner

Central Square of the Village

"Ooo, new gadget for your toy!" GS Buffy exclaimed when she saw Chobe and Thailog walking up.

"It is not a toy!" Chobe snapped.

Buffy looked at her, staring for a couple seconds before smiling sympathetically at her double and calmly rubbing her shoulder in a sisterly fashion.  "He can't help it.  He's a guy, and worse, he's a gargoyle which makes him twice as protective as any normal guy.  Hey, you wanna help make dinner?"

"Huh?" Chobe exclaimed as she was suddenly dragged off by the Gold Slayer to a large table in the distance where three or four dragons and a dozen or so human women, who apparently lived in the village that were quite clearly preparing a great deal of food.

"Hey Big T," Willow said coming up behind the Gargoyle, surprising Thailog slightly.  "Watchya doin'?" she asked innocently.

Thailog smiled.  He noticed Rosesummer was right by Willow's side, as were a couple adolescent-appearing dragons.  "At the moment, I'm wondering who all your friends are," he replied.

Willow grinned and quickly introduced all the dragonlings, some of them with very complex names.  Rosesummer's was actually the easiest and most normal name among them actually.

"New gadget for your toy, huh?" Willow finally observed after the introductions had been made.

Thailog couldn't help laughing.  "You know, your wife made the exact same comment when she saw it," he told her.

Willow paused, but it was Rosesummer who said, "Mamma's hiding her feelings from Mama Willow.  Fragnar just told us that he told Mamma that my, my bi-bi-bio..."

"Rosesummer's biological mother was Buffy's intended Guardian, as you are..." Willow briefly grinned before her face settled once more into seriousness, "...Chobe's Guardian.  The marriage ceremony that bound us together... automatically made *me* Buffy's Guardian.  I think she's trying to put on a brave face so to speak for my benefit."

Thailog, surprised and depressed by the news, as the only logical assumption was that Buffy's true Guardian had been killed before she and Buffy could meet, sadly observed, "They are a great deal alike."

"No they aren't," Willow snapped harshly.

Before she could elaborate, she turned to the dragonlings and speaking in a kind of language that was as much grunting, growling, and howling as it was a language, and once she had finished, they all ran off, even Rosesummer, to a large hut that looked kind of like a community bath house to Thailog.

"What did you mean by that?" Thailog asked once they were alone.

"Remember when Buffy forced you to access the Band's power?" Willow asked.

Thailog nodded.

"That despair hole your Buffy crawled inside of, the one that paralyzed her with terror and need because she didn't know what happened to you?  I've felt that before."

Thailog stopped for a moment before racing to catch up to the briskly walking Wiccan.  "Wait a moment, what do you mean by that?"

Willow sighed and rolled her eyes at the repeated question but answered, "On at least two separate occasions since I've been married to Buffy, since I've been bonded to her as her Guardian.  In the aftermath of the disasters, that same *TERRIFIED NEED* that your's felt, I felt coming off of her in the aftermath."

They were at the edge of the Village now, but Willow wasn't stopping and Thailog wanted to hear this.  "The first time was during a Tournament.  We've told you about that.  I was...knocked out.  Almost killed in fact.  Buffy couldn't feel me through our link any more.  She couldn't even hear a pulse and by all accounts I should have or could have died from that attack.  But she didn't crawl into a shell of despair and doubt and begging.  She lost it."

"Your Buffy saw me as a vampire and went into a subconscious catatonia," Willow went on.  "My Buffy felt exactly what you felt that day, every single emotion and probably some you couldn't fathom.  And she went totally nuts.  You think you've seen her power?  You have no idea.  She almost blew up the whole damn dimension we were fighting in.  Not the arena or the stadium or the continent the stadium was on.  The Whole.  Damn.  Dimension."

Thailog gulped.  "Damn," he cursed.

"Well, she couldn't do that here.  For one thing...ah, never mind, it's too complicated to explain in one sitting.  My point is..."

"They are not as alike as they seem," Thailog finished for her.  "What would you have me do?  Demand that she go into the Slayer catatonia every time we can't feel each other?!"

"No," Willow answered simply, stopping to look the red-eyed Gargoyle in the eye.  "Get her to realize she is not *JUST* a Fairy Princess.  She's a Slayer.  And Slayers kill.  It happens and it's what they're good at.  The sooner she accepts that, the further away she'll be from that catatonia you're so worried about.  Then maybe she can kill the next vampire version of a close friend you come across.  And just maybe, she can unlock her full potential before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" Thailog demanded to know.

Willow sighed and was silent for a long time.  Finally, she started to slowly walk back towards the Village, Thailog staying by her side for the moment.

"The night you two got to our universe...and every night since... Buffy and I have been having a dream," Willow admitted.  "The same dream, but with subtle differences as each day passes.  It's a series of possibilities, of paths to choose.  That first night... the dream was just us talking and then you going off on your hunt for the next part of the Band without our help.  The only result with that was that you die and your Buffy goes insane, killing the thing that killed you and corrupting herself and her magic until she's an even bigger threat than the one you face now."

"The night after we started your training...the dream changed.  Possibilities started popping up.  Too many to start saying, but..."

"But what?" Thailog finally asked.

"But the dream is still *ending* the same," Willow told him.  "That darkness within her, your Buffy, is the Slayer uncontrolled!  The Slayer catatonia as you call it, boosted by everything you'll go through and her own magic.  Unless you can help her learn to *accept* what she is, a Slayer, there's no chance of changing where you'll end up.  Once she accepts it, she can learn to start *controlling* it, the most primitive part of herself.  My Buffy's already done that!  Yours can too, but she needs your help to start down that path."

"I wonder..." Thailog briefly mused.

"If prophetic dreams are a Slayer/Guardian thing?" Willow asked.  He nodded.  She shook her head.  "It's a Slayer thing.  I just get to share in it because of our link.  Look.  The Compound warning us aside, it was because Buffy had several dreams outlining what *might* happen that finally forced her to quit her relationship with our Angel.  And we are all a lot happier that 'Angelus' never happened here.  Are you going to ignore this warning too?"

Thailog couldn't answer her just yet, and was prevented from doing so by the dinner horn being blown, calling all those in the Valley to the community dinner in honor of guests being present.

Buffy and Thailog's hut.

"Quite a night," Buffy said as she and Thailog entered their lodgings for the night.

"Yes," Thailog said, still slightly distracted by his conversation with Willow.

"You want to talk about it?"

"What?" He asked absently.

"Your conversation with Willow," he stopped and stared at her, "It kinda got blasted into my brain. Kinda made it hard to concentrate."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," she said, cuddling up to him, "I needed to know. We both did," Thailog nodded, "You're worried," it wasn't a question.

"I'm beginning to wonder if taking you along is wise," he said.

"You think I'll be able to feel you across dimensions?" Buffy asked.

"Probably not," he said. Buffy nodded and they walked further in, sitting on their bed.

"I've been looking at that moment," she said, "Trying to figure out why I reacted so differently."

"Buffy…"

"I think Willow's only partly right," Buffy continued, "It's true, I don't accept the Slayer part of me. Hell, I run from it every chance I get. But it's not the only reason," she took a breath, "Just before I… sunk, I thought about all the other times I lost people. When mom and dad divorced, my first boyfriend breaking up with my machine, Pike taking off on his bike after Lothos, Merrick… Angel."

"Buffy," he wrapped an arm and wing around her, "Listen to me. I will never leave you. Ever. Those things were beyond your control…"

"Were they?" She asked, "If I'd accepted the Slayer from the start, Merrick may still be alive…"

"Buffy…"

"If I'd done things differently…"

"Buffy!" Her head snapped up, locking with his eyes, "I don't know why you're being so rough on yourself. Some things happen. Don't let them frighten you. Use them to make you stronger."

"But…"

"Listen to me," he said softly, "We are one. I will never, ever leave you. If you ever, ever need my help, call. I will always be with you. Promise," Buffy cuddled up to him, shifting herself until she sat on his lap.

"Thank you."

The next morning.

"Sleep well?" GS asked as her counter part and Thailog left their hut.  It was early morning the sun not even fully risen yet.  Thailog, of course, was wearing his amulet.

"Like a baby," Chobe said, stretching like a pampered cat, drawing in Thailog's appreciative stare.

"You mean you two slept?" Cordelia said with a grin.  She and Xander were coming from the direction of their own hut, Xander only in those black vinyl pants of his and boots.  She was wearing what appeared to be only a towel wrapped around her like a Hawaiian dress.

"Yup," Chobe said truthfully, "Last night was all talk. Which means he owes me tonight," this comment brought chuckles from their friends, "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Actually, I was hoping I could talk you into testing the Band," Fragnar said, coming up to the conversation, "I'm sure you discovered something about it yesterday."

"Yes," Thailog said, slipping his hand in the pouch that held the Summoning Plate, gem, viewer and the talisman that powered his amulet. He pulled the Plate out, gem in place and fixed it to the Band, "If you are sure…?"

"I have been waiting since I was handed the chest to see what it did," the dragon said with an unmistakable grin, "I am sure."

"Very well," he said, touching the gem with his finger.

The Band's large stone glowed that familiar red, before settling on a blue the matched the gem. Light shot from it, showing a blue field in front of them.

"Looks like a wormhole," Chobe muttered. The blue field rippled, the exploded outward, releasing an armored figure, holding a large shield. The field faded back into the Band, leaving them all with a better look at the warrior.

The warrior was, to the shock of all but the women, female, her armor fitting her curves perfectly. The large shield held a symbol that looked like the symbol for the SGC, only with a sword in the centre of the pyramid. Long, black hair hung down her back, the rest of her head covered in a featureless helmet.

"Who summons me?" she demanded. Thailog stepped forward.

"I do," he said, "I am Thailog of Sunnydale, bearer of the Band of Summoning," Chobe felt a swell of pride within her as he announced himself. He even sounded like a leader.

"I am Steelos," the warrior woman said, "Slayer to Theros, head of the Council of Builders. I am the Shield Bearer of Light, mistress of Slayer Shield. Who is your Slayer, Guardian?" Chobe stepped forward, not liking the way Steelos spoke to her beau.

"I am," she said, "I am Elizabeth Summers, Slayer to Thailog of Sunnydale. Daughter of Oberon, Lord of Avalon and King of the Fey," Steelos looked her up and down, then turned to Thailog.

"I need to speak to your Slayer, Guardian," she said, "Then I will return to my rest," she turned to Buffy, "Come. We must speak alone."

"Alright," Buffy said. This Steelos came from the Band, Buffy thought as they walked away from the group. She couldn't hurt her, right?

"What do you think?" the remaining Buffy asked no one in particular.

"Steelos will not hurt her," Thailog said, "Not unless she wishes me to crush her gem."

Buffy turned an looked at him and shook her head.  "Not what I meant.  What do you think of Ancient Slayer from the distant past, versus Daughter of Oberon, trained by the Wiccan and me, Slayer from Sunnydale in the 21st Century?"  Willow couldn't help it, she burst out giggling.

"So, what's up?" Buffy asked. Steelos turned to her.

"I was about to ask you the same question," Steelos said, "You do not like being the Slayer." It wasn't a question.

"How did you…?"

"It was in your stance," Steelos said, simply, "Your counter part stands like a true Slayer, accepting what she is. You… it is there, but it is hidden. You want nothing to do with your destiny."

"What has that…" Buffy began, before finding herself dodging Steelos' foot, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"You are not worthy of being his Slayer," Steelos said, striking out again, "Only a true Slayer should guard the Bearer of the Band."

"And beating the crap out of me proves what, exactly?" Her answer was the edge of Steelos' shield in her gut. Buffy fell, then rolled to her feet. Her skin began to take on an almost metallic look, "Alright, that's it! That's all I can stand! I don't know who the hell you think you are telling me whether or not I'm 'worthy' of Thailog, but you can cram it up your ass," she rushed forward, ducking around Steelos' shield and ramming her now metal plated fist into her gut, denting it, "All I've had since I got here are lectures on how I should 'improve myself', how I'm going to get someone killed if I don't get it together. Well, is this together enough for you?" Her knee came up, knocking Steelos' back, "Is this hard enough for you?" Her fist came in again, this time knocking the Slayer Spirit down, "Is this Slayer enough for you?" She stood over the fallen Slayer, glaring down at her, "Is this what you wanted?" She said darkly, "The Slayer? Well, congratulations, it worked," her face softened, her skin returning to its normal color, "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Steelos said, getting to her feet, "I expected it take a little longer though."

"I've already had the whole 'accept the Slayer' thing rammed into my head," Buffy told her, "I guess you're little speech drove it home. Hearing it from another Slayer whom I've never met anywhere or when… guess it got the job done," Steelos nodded.

"As long as you realize the truth," Steelos said, "You are a Slayer. You have responsibilities to others, and to your Guardian. These are things you must never forget. Come, we had best be getting back."

"Yeah, Thailog'll spit when he realizes what happened," Buffy said as they moved off.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Thailog hissed.

"What?  Are you kidding me?  I knew what Steel girl had planned the moment she gave Chobe the "Eye".  Oh, don't worry, she can handle it," the present Buffy added when the gargoyle gave her a worried look.

"What's going on?" Cordelia asked, unable to sense what was happening as all the others could.

"Chobe's getting some sense beaten into her," Willow said evenly.

"WHAT? Is this bitch nuts?"

"No," Thailog said, his angry expression relaxed by a grin, "She is the only one that could make her accept it," Buffy shook her head.

"You mean all I had to do was get some ancient Slayer to kick the crap out of her?" she asked, "I'll be sure to remember that one for next time."

"Come again?" Xander said, "This is a good thing?"

"She has accepted the Slayer," Thailog said, still finding it hard believing it himself, "She understands and accepts that part of her."

"Here they come," Ta'ruk said, pointing to the two Slayers walking towards them. Thailog moved quickly to his beloved's side.

"Are you…?"

"I'm good," Buffy said, her eyes locking with her counterpart's. There was grin on her face, like she had accomplished something. The Daughter of Oberon, however, was not too sure.

Memories of what had happened with Angel, Merrick, even Cordelia still plagued her, and she couldn't shake this feeling she still had a ways to go.

She had taken her first step, though. That was the important thing.

"It is time for me to return to the gem," Steelos said, "If you need me, Guardian, call. Slayer," she looked at Buffy with great seriousness, "remember what you have learned today. Never forget who and what you are."

"I will remember," Buffy said, bowing respectfully, "Thank you," Steelos nodded, then began to shimmer. The Band let out a blue beam, which hit Steelos square in the chest. The Shield Bearer split into many points of light, which were then drawn into the Band. The blue glow died, leaving the main stone dark. Steelos' gem continued to glow a light blue.

Buffy took a breath. She would remember, "So," she said, turning to her counterpart, "what's next?"

"Well, if the sole purpose of your visit was for the Band," Fragnar answered, "I believe that concludes your official business here.  You are, of course, more than welcome to stay, and to return at any time that you wish.  Just be sure to knock first," the dragon chuckled slightly, Buffy and Willow joining in.

"Well, uh, thank you Fragnar," Thailog's Buffy thanked the leader of the dragons.

GS Buffy just shrugged at her.  "We'll stay one more day, then we'll head back," she decided and everyone of the group agreed.

3 days later

Casa de la Summers'

The Gold Slayer and Warrior X were just putting Thailog through the last tests of his ki training.  Anything and everything else he would have to do on his own, in particular increasing his strength and power.  Willow, in addition to giving him a couple spare amulets, either for himself or other Gargoyles they would meet in their travels, she gave him what they called a GEO belt.

Gravity Enhancing Object.  It would allow him to keep up his increased gravity training without the need of a Gravity Gym.  She also gave him some clothing options besides the solid black body armor that his world's Halcion Renard had given him, including a highly polished (magically protected) version of the metallic armor that his double on this world wore.  Some of the bonuses she put on the GEO belt was several pockets and pouches that connected to dimensional pockets that could store anything, virtually without limit.

While GS and X were busy with Thailog, Faith was meanwhile sparring with Chobe, testing how far the girl had come in her time.  Which, as far as being a Slayer went, was impressive. Cordelia was helping Joyce in the kitchen, preparing snacks for everyone once their training was finished, when all of a sudden, there was a loud crash upstairs, then a shout of surprise.  Before Joyce or Cordelia could go and find out what had happened, Willow came bursting down the stairs, too stunned to be moving at top speed, but if she were a normal human, most would think she was moving as fast as a human could move.

Confused and concerned, the two mortal women followed her as she raced for the Gym and followed her worriedly as she raced up to the platforms where the Travellers were working out.  Ta'ruk was doing his own thing on another platform from the others.

Buffy suddenly stopped all training sessions as she got an impression of Willow's emotional state.  "Wills?!  What's wrong?" Buffy near-shouted once everyone had stopped.

Instead of answering, Willow shouted at the ceiling, "Computer!  End all Battle programs!  Now!"  Immediately, all power cut to the gravity generators, both in the platforms, and around the gym.

Everyone was instantly concerned over what was going on and jumped down to see what the matter was.  "Will?  What is it?" Xander asked the moment his feet touched the floor.

Willow waited until everyone was close by, and she had caught her breath.  Once she had, she held out her right hand, and unclosed the fist.  In it was a purple jewel.  Everyone that had already seen the last piece of the Band gasped in shock, especially when the gem began to glow a deep purple at the exact same time the Band starting glowing a deep red.

"I found it in a case of rare stones that I've kept ever since I was little. Recently, I discovered that most of those stones held an inlaid amount of magic potential.  I went back and thought of when I had added this to my collection. I got it the same day I got that book from David Xanatos." Willow explained.

"Xanatos!" Thailog exclaimed in his usual distrust.  Willow shook her head.

"He sent me everything that they found at the site Thailog," she admonished.  "I cleared what was not mystical, and kept what was until I could discover it's true purpose.  The book, this jewel, and a couple of other things that I've already identified and classified.  The book and this are the only things that I hadn't been able to figure out."

"Talk about coincidences," Chobe muttered.

"Maybe not," both Buffy and Willow responded together.

"Look, this is probably the safest place on the continent, if not the planet," Buffy exclaimed after a full minute of uncomfortable silence.  "It would be better to find out if this is a Summoning jewel or not…before you guys have to leave.  Because as great as it is having you here? We all know you'll eventually have to move on."

"Yeah, but we still haven't figured out about your magic or whatever," her double pointed out.

Buffy smiled at her.  "No offense, but we can handle that on our own.  You all have enough on your plate as it is to deal with.  Now, Thailog, slap that thing in and see if it's the real deal.  Then maybe Willow can find out if there are any others on this planet, and maybe even if there are any on other planets."

Surprised by that statement, Thailog shrugged it off and pulled out the summoning plate, fixing it into place. He removed Steelos' gem and replaced to the purple jewel Willow gave him. He pressed it gently, causing the jewel, and the main gem on the band to glow.

Again the beam shot out, this time purple. The room around them blackened, making it almost seem it was night.

"This seems… familiar," Thailog muttered. His confusion deepened as a shape formed in the purple beam. A shape frozen in stone.

A Gargoyle.

"Oh… wow," Chobe muttered as cracks began to form on the statues body, "Here it comes," she muttered.

The Gargoyle lived up to her expectations as its stone skin exploded outward. The stone pieces vanished before hitting the ground, leaving a dirt brown Gargoyle with piercing blue eyes, intricate armor and a large sword sheathed at his back.

"Guardian," he said, turning to Thailog, "It has been some time. I was some what fearful you would never arrive."

"I apologize for my lateness," Thailog said with a grin, at the same time wondering why this one seemed so familiar.

"I suppose I can forgive you," the Spirit said. His eyes moved to Thailog's Slayer, "At least your taste in women has not faded with our body."

"Our…" it took Thailog a moment to realize what was happening, "You are one of the ones that attempted to Summoned Excalibur."

"I was the one that got closest," the Gargoyle said, "I was the last to attempt it before Tyme made his prophecy. My life essence, my past, my life, all were placed into the gem you have unlocked, but not before Tyme revealed the identity of the coming Champion."

"So… Thailog is a reincarnation of… you, or your soul?" Willow hazarded a guess.

"Something like that," the Gargoyle said, "Actually, Thailog is me. In his dimension, at least. I am Tailarn, Master of the Crimson Blade."

"Oh, so some kind of alternate version," Xander proposed before muttering to Cordy, "That actually kinda makes sense."

"I didn't believe it," Faith muttered, "Hell, I just saw it and I still don't believe it," Tailarn grinned.

"It is true, Slayer," he said. He looked around him and his grin grew even more, "You surround yourself in beauty, Thailog. I'm impressed."

"And I'd better be the only 'beauty' he notices," Chobe said, half joking.

"I assure you…" Tailarn stopped when he laid eyes on Cordelia, "By the Ancients… Acie?"

Cordelia started when she realized he was looking at her.  "Uh, I don't know who the heck you're talking to pal, but my name is Cordelia."  She also took half a step back so that Xander was between her and the Summoned Gargoyle.

Tailarn stared for several seconds before his face fell a little and he apologized, "I'm sorry, it's just that you reminded me of someone that I…I'm sorry."  He then turned back to Thailog.  "I can tell just from looking at you that you have what it takes to defeat Crom and destroy his minions.  You have much more strength than I did when I tried to use the Summoning Band.  Yes, all we need to do now is to gather the four pieces of Excalibur.  They were broken apart from…well, from my attempt at using them, but they have lost none of their power."

"Any clue as to where we'll find these pieces?" Chobe asked.

"If I know my people, and I'd like to think I do," Tailarn said with a lopsided grin, "they would give each piece to the most trustworthy and powerful Guardians there were.  Queen Serenity of the Fey, Master Zordon of the Ancients, Al Gin of the Djinn, and Pyre of the Dragons.  They were the wisest and the greatest of the Guardians.  But…I do not know what happened to them, or where they might have gone."

"Well back to square one," Chobe muttered bitterly.

"Not quite my dear," Thailog corrected, "We have two new powerful allies, and we know what the Band was created for and what it can do.  We know the name of our enemy, and who to seek in order to find what we need to complete this quest."

Chobe smiled and cuddled with her Guardian briefly.  "You're right.  OK then.  Uh, Tailarn, uh, any hints about Excalibur for Thailog when he actually tries to use it?"

Tailarn nodded, looking grave.  "Excalibur is the greatest weapon of our peoples.  ALL our peoples.  And not just the Builders, but our Allies and Creators, the Ancients.  Yes, the Ancients did create some of the Builders, others of the Builders merely helped the Ancients do so.  Not even any of the warriors of the Ancients could control Excalibur, because it cannot *be* controlled."

"Sounds like another sword I know," Buffy briefly whispered, but nobody really heard her.

"Excalibur can only be summoned with a single purpose in mind, and it draws it's strength from the very life essence of the one who summons it.  In order to use it at all, the summoner must have a strength great enough that…that, it would be the same as using your essence as a weapon yourself.  Some called it…yes, ki.  Once its purpose is complete, it will vanish back into its summoning crest without another word.  It almost possesses the Summoner, but still allows him to call judgement so that it does not strike randomly or kill an ally by mistake.  Several others that were placed into summoning gems also attempted to summon or control Excalibur.  As I said, I was the closest, but as you find them, they may have insights that I have forgotten or never knew about."

Thailog nodded, absorbing the information, while at the same time calming his wife through their link.  "Thank you Tailarn.  Would you…"

"I must return to my rest for now.  But if you ever have need of the Crimson Blade, do not hesitate to summon me once more," Tailarn said before he suddenly turned back to stone, and then disappeared in the same energy, back into the Band, and the moment he was gone, the Gym went back to it's normal illumination.

"Well," Buffy said after a minute of silence, "That was educational."

"I want to go with you."

Everything stopped.  The air, the noise, several heartbeats, and at least one brain.  Slowly, everyone turned to look at the one who had spoken.  Cordelia swallowed heavily, but set her stance and gave the best "Resolve Face" she could as she repeated, looking at Chobe and Thailog, "I want to go with you."

Later that day

"Alright, Wills, what's so important it can't wait?" the Traveling Buffy asked as she, Thailog and her counter part gathered in Willow's workroom.

"Well," Willow began, "I did a brief look over the viewer you got off Fragnar like you asked me to and found something really interesting. Can I borrow the Summoning Plate for a minute?" Thailog obliged, curious as Willow took it to the other side of the room, "Now, take the 'viewer' out and try a button other than the one you pressed before."

Thailog obliged, and again that slightly frightening instinct about the Band guiding him to one button in particular. They watched as a small thin beam shot from the Band's jewel, weaving around the various objects until it hit the plate.

"What… was that?" Chobe asked.

"That," Willow said, "was what the viewer's really meant to do. It's a tracker, so you can find the Band's attachments easily. The further away, the harder it is, so you'll probably get a map or something most of the time."

"I think our job just got easier," Chobe muttered.

One Week later

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Xander asked for…yep, the Millionth time.

Cordelia glared at him as she adjusted the fit of her armored gauntlet.  She was wearing armor that Willow had especially crafted for her, able to be worn only by her.  Not even alternate Cordelia's could wear it.  Mostly it was the color of the material, some places brown leather like at the legs or arms, other places steel colored like on her gauntlets, shin guards, and chest.  She also had a dark leather and black silk lined cloak on, which was also mystically enchanted.  Other than luck, it could also hide just about everything inside it's folds.

At her hips was a belt full of pockets and various weapons, a pair of daggers, one on each side, a magic bolo whip was attached to the back, and something that looked like an ornament belt buckle was actually a magically collapsible shield that could expand from "belt buckle" size to large enough to fit on Cordy's arm.  The same powers, or at least the same effects, of Chobe's Tiara applied to Cordy's shield when deployed.

Across her back though, were Cordy's real weapons.  An "enhanced" shotgun that Willow had enchanted to never run out of ammunition, and had a couple extras thrown in by a munitions expert that designed "unique" weapons that a friend of theirs knew and owed a favor or three to.  That gun was worth all three favors.

The other was a hilted sword.  All Cordy knew about it was what Willow told her, and all the Wiccan had told her was that it was "special".

"Yes.  I'm sure." Cordy said finally.  They had said all that they could possibly say already.

"I don't want to let you go," Xander said.

"I know.  But I have to go.  I need to go.  And not just to teach my backstabbing double who her real friends are, but for them to.  Xander, we've talked about this.  If it was you and if you could, you would go and we all know it.  I'll be fine.  Buffy talked to you right?"

Xander frowned, but nodded.

She leaned up and gave him a thorough kiss.  When they pulled back, he gave her a full on puppy dog eye look and said, "I reeeeaaally don't want you to go."  Million and one.

Cordelia sighed and stared lovingly up into the eyes of the man she loved with all her heart and soul.  "I love you," she said quietly.

Xander drew her closer to him and stared right back at her soul.  "I love you," he whispered back, and kissed her again.

They were interrupted by a knock at their door, which thankfully only happened as their kiss was already ending.  Xander sighed, and went to open the door, which revealed their Buffy on the other side of it, looking…pensive at best.

"Come on," she said without preamble, looking right at Cordelia.  Cordelia nodded and gathered up her pack, which contained not only the necessary survival items such as an endless supply of food and water, but clothing, compass (magical), and a powerful spell that had put Willow to sleep after she'd finished casting it where whatever they needed at the moment would magically appear in it.  Normally it would take a wizard of Merlin's level a full century to complete a spell like that.  Willow had done it in one day.

The three walked downstairs and then to the back yard, where Buffy, daughter of Oberon, Thailog, and Ta'ruk, in full armor, waited for her.  She said her last goodbyes, as Buffy and Thailog did the same, hugging everyone present, except of course for their travel companions.  Ta'ruk was just briefly sexually assaulted by Faith, but he didn't really seem to mind.

Finally, the goodbyes had been said, and it was time.

"I'll remember everything that I learned here," Buffy said to her double.

"Thank you for everything," Thailog said, before giving a meaningful look at Xander, "We'll protect her, and make sure that she gets back to you."  Warrior X just nodded, his face a mask.

Ta'ruk bowed, but didn't say anything.  Given what Faith had just done to him, that was fully understandable.

Buffy took one last breath of the air around her, looked at this other version of her family, and then transported the four of them, herself, Thailog, Ta'ruk, and Cordy, to the Gateway in a flash of red flame.

When they arrived in the Gateway, they found someone there waiting for them. He looked like your average teenager, but Buffy's magic senses instantly identified him as a Dragon.

"Hi," he said.

"Can we help you?" Buffy asked.

"I would like to come with you," he said, chancing a look at Cordelia.

"Xander think we can't look after her?" Buffy said with a grin. Her companions looked at her, except for Thailog, whom she had already alerted. The mystery teen gave a small smile, "Relax, guys. He's a Dragon."

"Actually, Rosesummer found out her 'Auntie' was going off on an adventure without her," the Dragon said, "She… persuaded me to assist you. Name's Goran."

"Wait a minute," Cordy spluttered, "Rosy thinks I can't take care of myself?" Goran shrugged.

"She would miss you, and the presents, if you didn't come back," he said. Cordy groaned out loud.

"I've gotta de-Buffy that girl," she muttered, "She's as subtle as stake."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Buffy said, still grinning. At least this Cordy had plenty of people looking out for her, "Welcome aboard, Goran. As long as Fragnar doesn't come after us."

"He knows," Goran said, "Not even he is unaffected by Rosy's 'Resolve Face," this brought a peal of laughter from the group as those who hadn't seen it tried to imagine the Dragon version of Willow's 'secret weapon'.

"Alright, guys," Buffy said, walking over to a symbol, "Time to go. Hold on to your lunches."

Seconds later, they were gone.

Fin (finally).

Well, that's it guys. As of next chapter, the gang will be back on the road, with two new comrades. Next stop; Brian Pullido's Lady Death: A Medival Tale.

One last thing. Anyone who wants to follow Joshua's lead with a co-written chapter, a challenge or even actually writing on for me (I don't mind. Really), let me know.

Stay tuned.

Doc.