Buffy sighed, and listened as Giles explained it again. He had come upon the book while packing for his trip from England, and had found some interesting references to both Buffy's dream and what Drusilla had said to her and Spike.
"From what I could gather, what Drusilla meant by being 'punished' is this Cleansing that is mentioned. It's incredibly vague, but it seems to have to do with vampires as a populace. And that the Cleansing is a harbinger for events that lead to the end of the world. There will be a testing period...." He removed his glasses, and sighed. "But it makes no mention of what will be tested, or who. Only that the Cleansing will bring the Darkness. And only the strong will survive."
There was a long drawn-out silence. No one wanted to ask questions that they had no answers to. Buffy was the first to speak up.
"But in my dream, Faith told me that my job would get a lot easier, and a lot harder. How could fighting the end of the world be easy in any way?"
Giles shook his head, looking like he really needed a drink.
"I don't know, Buffy. Perhaps you should call Angel and have him speak to Faith about this. You said that she also mentioned you would be seeing her soon. If it does come down to the end of the world, we could very well be in need of her help."
Xander and Willow didn't look at all comfortable with that idea.
Buffy noticed that Spike was oddly silent through the whole thing.
The meeting finished, and everyone began to file out. Giles lingered, telling everyone he would have more answers in the morning.
As Buffy saw the rest out, and Willow ascended the stairs, Giles was watching Spike.
"How do you feel about all of this?" he asked the blond vampire.
Spike looked up, staring at him for a moment. Apparently, his vision was still giving him trouble, as it seemed he had a hard time focusing on the watcher.
" 'Bout what? The fact I'm gonna be bloody cleansed or what not? Rather not think 'bout it thank you."
Giles nodded in understanding, and smiled at his Slayer as she returned to the room.
"I uh, found something, while I was in England...." he said, pulling a small box from his pocket. "Another watcher had it for years, apparently, saying he never really put it to the test...."
Buffy watched him curiously as he opened the box and revealed a tiny silver earring, crafted in hoop fashion. He handed it to her, but looked at Spike.
"My friend said that he was told the earring allows a vampire to see himself. Now, that could either mean reflection or something more sinister, but, you being the only vampire I really know..."
"You decided I'd make a good experiment?" Spike finished.
"No, I simply believed that you would want to be able to see yourself after all these years."
The look on Spike's face said he was definitely intrigued. He got to his feet weakly, wincing slightly.
"Right then. What's the deal with it?"
"The only catch is that it has to be willingly put on by a human. Thus the reason most vampires wouldn't fancy having it."
Buffy shrugged, and stepped over to Spike. She positioned him in front of the mirror, still not getting over how eerie it was to be alone in its surface. She shook her head, and looked back to Spike, and snapped the earring in place.
Spike nearly jumped back three feet when he suddenly appeared in the mirror. His eyes wide, he stared, awed at his own reflection. He had really forgotten what he looked like. Even down to the colour of his eyes. Which he liked. He laughed, putting his hands on the sides of his face, then touching the mirror. Buffy watched, amused, unable to stop herself from thinking how adorable it was that he was so amazed.
Spike himself was silent for a good long while, tilting his head this way and that, studying himself Giles and Buffy watched. He couldn't wait to see what he looked like without the swollen lips and eyes, and various discoloured bruises.
Taking a step back, he grinned at Buffy.
"You're right. I do look like hell."
"From what I could gather, what Drusilla meant by being 'punished' is this Cleansing that is mentioned. It's incredibly vague, but it seems to have to do with vampires as a populace. And that the Cleansing is a harbinger for events that lead to the end of the world. There will be a testing period...." He removed his glasses, and sighed. "But it makes no mention of what will be tested, or who. Only that the Cleansing will bring the Darkness. And only the strong will survive."
There was a long drawn-out silence. No one wanted to ask questions that they had no answers to. Buffy was the first to speak up.
"But in my dream, Faith told me that my job would get a lot easier, and a lot harder. How could fighting the end of the world be easy in any way?"
Giles shook his head, looking like he really needed a drink.
"I don't know, Buffy. Perhaps you should call Angel and have him speak to Faith about this. You said that she also mentioned you would be seeing her soon. If it does come down to the end of the world, we could very well be in need of her help."
Xander and Willow didn't look at all comfortable with that idea.
Buffy noticed that Spike was oddly silent through the whole thing.
The meeting finished, and everyone began to file out. Giles lingered, telling everyone he would have more answers in the morning.
As Buffy saw the rest out, and Willow ascended the stairs, Giles was watching Spike.
"How do you feel about all of this?" he asked the blond vampire.
Spike looked up, staring at him for a moment. Apparently, his vision was still giving him trouble, as it seemed he had a hard time focusing on the watcher.
" 'Bout what? The fact I'm gonna be bloody cleansed or what not? Rather not think 'bout it thank you."
Giles nodded in understanding, and smiled at his Slayer as she returned to the room.
"I uh, found something, while I was in England...." he said, pulling a small box from his pocket. "Another watcher had it for years, apparently, saying he never really put it to the test...."
Buffy watched him curiously as he opened the box and revealed a tiny silver earring, crafted in hoop fashion. He handed it to her, but looked at Spike.
"My friend said that he was told the earring allows a vampire to see himself. Now, that could either mean reflection or something more sinister, but, you being the only vampire I really know..."
"You decided I'd make a good experiment?" Spike finished.
"No, I simply believed that you would want to be able to see yourself after all these years."
The look on Spike's face said he was definitely intrigued. He got to his feet weakly, wincing slightly.
"Right then. What's the deal with it?"
"The only catch is that it has to be willingly put on by a human. Thus the reason most vampires wouldn't fancy having it."
Buffy shrugged, and stepped over to Spike. She positioned him in front of the mirror, still not getting over how eerie it was to be alone in its surface. She shook her head, and looked back to Spike, and snapped the earring in place.
Spike nearly jumped back three feet when he suddenly appeared in the mirror. His eyes wide, he stared, awed at his own reflection. He had really forgotten what he looked like. Even down to the colour of his eyes. Which he liked. He laughed, putting his hands on the sides of his face, then touching the mirror. Buffy watched, amused, unable to stop herself from thinking how adorable it was that he was so amazed.
Spike himself was silent for a good long while, tilting his head this way and that, studying himself Giles and Buffy watched. He couldn't wait to see what he looked like without the swollen lips and eyes, and various discoloured bruises.
Taking a step back, he grinned at Buffy.
"You're right. I do look like hell."