"Good, you're awake," Saruman snarled.
He'd been waiting an awfully long time for this moment and now it was here, he didn't like disappointment. This child, lying on the floor was the last of Sauron's spawn and she was the one who had succeeded where the others had failed. He only hoped that this time everything went to plan. She had the Ring, she had the power to bring back Sauron. Saruman would sit at his right hand, maybe he could have his own Kingdom. He'd like that. He deserved that.
"Huh?" Faith slowly sat up. "Where am I? What happened?"
She looked around and saw the Eye, and remembered. Daughter? She let Saruman lead her to a chair. She curled up in it and waited for the explanation she was sure was coming.
"The Elves betrayed me," came the voice in her head. "I taught them so much. I taught them how to make the rings. But they betrayed me. I should have ruled them. I always had the power and strength they lacked. They made their own rings without my knowledge and they should have been mine. I had all the rings, but them. But I should have had the three rings of the Elves. They should have been mine and the Elves should have bowed to me. Celebrimbor was a fool. He chose death instead instead of giving me their location. Such a weak Elf."
Faith noticed the contempt in the voice when it spoke of the Elves. She thought of Legolas and the Elves she'd seen when she and Xander arrived here. She could see why the Eye felt that way. She could also sense the innate goodness about them.
"Man was easy to pervert to my ways," the voice continued. "Such weakness of spirit and such ambitions they have. The ones to whom I gave the rings became my fiercest and most feared warriors. My Ringwraiths. They would never stop, never falter in their attempts to regain the One Ring for me. The Ring you now wear my child."
Subconsciously, Faith's fingers twisted the Ring around the finger that bore it. It was so deceptively simple looking. The visage hiding the true evil it could possess if in the wrong hands. In Sauron's hands.
"You call me child, your daughter," Faith said softly, finally finding her voice. "Why?"
She heard a laugh in her head. It was mocking her. It just wanted the Ring, her Ring. She'd heard just about every lie there had ever been in her short lifetime. They lied to her when she was a child. Parents were supposed to love their children. To treat them well, read to them, kiss them, hold them tight in the night. Thats what the books, movies and television said. But they lied. Her parents never did anything remotely like that. After she left home, the strangers she met on the streets lied to her. She heard so many lies in the first few months, falling for every one until she wised up and used their lies against them. She became an expert at lying to and manipulating people. Then they found her. The Watchers. Finally Faith thought she had her true purpose and had found the one group that needed her and would never lie to her. But they lied too. She was supposed to be the one, the ONLY one. But there was Buffy. The biggest liar of them all. She thought things would be so good. She had someone like her. Someone with the same destiny and calling. Together they should have had it all. But she was caught up in her love for a Vampire, for the one Faith also wanted. Angel.
She felt the rush just thinking about him. Just remembering his dark eyes, his lips. How she longed to feel their icy touch on hers. She'd soon warm him up, she chuckled to herself, completely forgetting where she was and why. They could have had so much fun together. They could have ruled Sunnydale's dark nights. But he only saw Buffy. His existance was a lie to her. A Vampire with a soul. Such a waste.
"You are my child," the voice boomed cutting into her thoughts. "I saw what was coming, and I knew I would be unable to stop it. But I had a plan. I sent all my children to different places, different times throughout the World I knew and didn't know. I knew one day, one of my children would find the Ring and it would bring that child back here, back to me. That child, is you."
"Your child?" Faith was unable to grasp what the voice was saying.
The voice chuckled. "Elven women are the loveliest creatures ever created. I simply bred with them and took the children from them once they were born. Didn't you always feel different? Feel like you never belonged to the World where you lived?"
Faith froze. Yes, she always felt something was different about her. She thought it was the Slayer thing. The Watchers had told her it was. Her 'parents' weren't her true parents then? No wonder they hated her. So what? They found her on their doorstep and taken her in? This was getting too much for her to handle. Her
whole life was a lie?
"Yes," she simply whispered in answer to the question.
"You are my daughter. The daughter who brought back my Ring. The one who will bring me back. Together, we shall rule. Everything you want shall be yours. Anything your heart desires."
Anything, Faith thought to herself, except a normal life. The one thing she'd always longed for.
He'd been waiting an awfully long time for this moment and now it was here, he didn't like disappointment. This child, lying on the floor was the last of Sauron's spawn and she was the one who had succeeded where the others had failed. He only hoped that this time everything went to plan. She had the Ring, she had the power to bring back Sauron. Saruman would sit at his right hand, maybe he could have his own Kingdom. He'd like that. He deserved that.
"Huh?" Faith slowly sat up. "Where am I? What happened?"
She looked around and saw the Eye, and remembered. Daughter? She let Saruman lead her to a chair. She curled up in it and waited for the explanation she was sure was coming.
"The Elves betrayed me," came the voice in her head. "I taught them so much. I taught them how to make the rings. But they betrayed me. I should have ruled them. I always had the power and strength they lacked. They made their own rings without my knowledge and they should have been mine. I had all the rings, but them. But I should have had the three rings of the Elves. They should have been mine and the Elves should have bowed to me. Celebrimbor was a fool. He chose death instead instead of giving me their location. Such a weak Elf."
Faith noticed the contempt in the voice when it spoke of the Elves. She thought of Legolas and the Elves she'd seen when she and Xander arrived here. She could see why the Eye felt that way. She could also sense the innate goodness about them.
"Man was easy to pervert to my ways," the voice continued. "Such weakness of spirit and such ambitions they have. The ones to whom I gave the rings became my fiercest and most feared warriors. My Ringwraiths. They would never stop, never falter in their attempts to regain the One Ring for me. The Ring you now wear my child."
Subconsciously, Faith's fingers twisted the Ring around the finger that bore it. It was so deceptively simple looking. The visage hiding the true evil it could possess if in the wrong hands. In Sauron's hands.
"You call me child, your daughter," Faith said softly, finally finding her voice. "Why?"
She heard a laugh in her head. It was mocking her. It just wanted the Ring, her Ring. She'd heard just about every lie there had ever been in her short lifetime. They lied to her when she was a child. Parents were supposed to love their children. To treat them well, read to them, kiss them, hold them tight in the night. Thats what the books, movies and television said. But they lied. Her parents never did anything remotely like that. After she left home, the strangers she met on the streets lied to her. She heard so many lies in the first few months, falling for every one until she wised up and used their lies against them. She became an expert at lying to and manipulating people. Then they found her. The Watchers. Finally Faith thought she had her true purpose and had found the one group that needed her and would never lie to her. But they lied too. She was supposed to be the one, the ONLY one. But there was Buffy. The biggest liar of them all. She thought things would be so good. She had someone like her. Someone with the same destiny and calling. Together they should have had it all. But she was caught up in her love for a Vampire, for the one Faith also wanted. Angel.
She felt the rush just thinking about him. Just remembering his dark eyes, his lips. How she longed to feel their icy touch on hers. She'd soon warm him up, she chuckled to herself, completely forgetting where she was and why. They could have had so much fun together. They could have ruled Sunnydale's dark nights. But he only saw Buffy. His existance was a lie to her. A Vampire with a soul. Such a waste.
"You are my child," the voice boomed cutting into her thoughts. "I saw what was coming, and I knew I would be unable to stop it. But I had a plan. I sent all my children to different places, different times throughout the World I knew and didn't know. I knew one day, one of my children would find the Ring and it would bring that child back here, back to me. That child, is you."
"Your child?" Faith was unable to grasp what the voice was saying.
The voice chuckled. "Elven women are the loveliest creatures ever created. I simply bred with them and took the children from them once they were born. Didn't you always feel different? Feel like you never belonged to the World where you lived?"
Faith froze. Yes, she always felt something was different about her. She thought it was the Slayer thing. The Watchers had told her it was. Her 'parents' weren't her true parents then? No wonder they hated her. So what? They found her on their doorstep and taken her in? This was getting too much for her to handle. Her
whole life was a lie?
"Yes," she simply whispered in answer to the question.
"You are my daughter. The daughter who brought back my Ring. The one who will bring me back. Together, we shall rule. Everything you want shall be yours. Anything your heart desires."
Anything, Faith thought to herself, except a normal life. The one thing she'd always longed for.