A thousand thousand small details slipped into place, as if the cosmos
itself was in preparation. Little things that, at any other time, would
have been considered minor, or coincidental, now seemed as important as
anything else that was happening. And once those preparations were made,
the cosmos, like Buffy and her friends, sat waiting, watching for the right
time to move.
Each of them had done what they needed to in order to prepare. No questions were asked, as not a single one of them could really explain what and how, and it didn't matter. They were ready, and they waited. The little battles were over. Soon, it would be time the real battle to begin.
But they weren't the only ones who had been busy making preparations.
---
"So you understand?"
Buffy looked across the table at Giles, "I get it. But I don't get why we can't tell anyone else yet."
"Because," Spike said, leaning forward in his chair, "it's our ace in the hole."
"But not even Willow? Or Tara?"
"No. Not until we need to," Giles said. "But, we have other things we need to discuss now. I have contacted the Council, and explained our part in things to them, at least, insofar as they need to know. They're ready, and they tell me that groups of vampires and demons are preparing as well. This, I think, will be both the first and the last time we all fight on the same side."
"You did tell them to keep an eye out for others maybe seeing this as an opportunity to upset things, right?"
"Of course. Evil beings do tend to be rather opportunistic. The Council is ready to deal with that, they've assured me." Hearing himself say it, even Giles didn't fully believe it, but he had to make sure the others were focused on their battle.
"Right. So, how much longer do we have to wait?" Spike asked, rising from his chair and walking to stand behind Buffy.
"Unfortunately, from all the signs, not much longer."
---
They gathered at Buffy's house. The wait was wearing on them all, but Buffy and Spike were always there to calm tensions, and defuse arguments. Giles sat back and watched as they seperated Xander and Anyanka once again, and thought about the two of them. He was wondering if, perhaps, he could learn to truly accept Spike as a part of Buffy's life, when the phone rang.
Giles jumped up to answer it, and spoke in hushed tones into the receiver. The others sat in silence, watching him. Even Anyanka, who to this point had been the most vocal of the group, said nothing, as he gently placed the phone down, and turned to them.
"It's beginning."
---
The first cracks appeared in eastern Asia, where the defenders had had little time to prepare. The battle went badly. They only just managed to close the first rift, when another opened, practically on top of it, spilling out squirming filth onto the brave souls who survived the first onslaught. They screamed, as the darkness soaked into their skin, and choked as it ran down their throats, their bodies twisting and bending in ways that should have been impossible. The second group of defenders moved in, as the first group was absorbed completely, and the shadow beasts began rising from the ground. The second group, being mostly human, fired their weapons, burning and dispersing the darkness, killing the beasts that formed from it, while a third group joined the fray, attacking a new rift as it opened.
---
In western Europe, several groups led by the Watchers gathered around a set of rifts that had opened simultaneously. Already, the ground was covered by a thick, dark mass, and hundreds of shadows turned hungry eyes on the approaching men and demons. A group of unlucky vampires were caught in the middle of an opening rift, and the defenders watched as they were torn apart. The few that survived were pulled into it, before a thick stream of darkness poured forth. The Watchers barked commands, and they set their battle lines. A large demon, his entire form wreathed in blue flame, rushed forward, burning a path for the others. The darkness pulled back from him, but the shadows continued forward. Others rushed to his side, as he screamed, and twin bolts of cold flame flew from his hands, destroying the first wave of shadows. As the frontline hacked away at the mindless beasts created from the darkness, powerful magics were brought into play behind them, shattering a hundred of the beasts at a time. But more and more of the beasts rose, and the defenders watched as both man and demon fell, trying simply to hold back the dark.
---
In South America, another battle ended as the Watchers continued fight. Few were left alive, and those that were screamed in agony as they were torn apart, consumed, and absorbed. In moments, all that remained was darkness, darkness that spread out, seeking more victims.
---
Across the world, rifts opened, and battle was joined. All of them could feel it, the death, the madness, but more than that, they could feel the darkness, growing ever closer. And they were ready.
"Let's do it," Spike said, snarling as he felt the unclean things pushing in on his mind.
"Willow, Tara," Giles said, as the rest gathered around the two witches.
The two chanted in unison, linking their hands. Power rose up from the ground, was drawn from soil, and the stones, from the trees, and from the people around them.
"Hear us, powers of old, that walked the world before life!" Willow shouted, he eyes closed. "Hear us, gods of the dark, who feed on rage and pain!"
"Hear us, Mother of All!" Tara joined her, "Hear us, gods of the light and life!"
"Hear us!" they shouted together, as powers both light and dark surrounded them, "Aid us against the enemy of all!"
Both reached out, Tara grabbing Buffy's hand, Willow grasping Spikes, as they drew them through the waves of power. Buffy spared a glance at Spike, and found him looking at her. He threw a half smile at her before she lost sight of him.
Buffy reached out, and felt a hand grasp hers. She pulled, and Dawn appeared next to her, giving her hand a little squeeze. The terror in the young teens eyes tore at Buffy, but Dawn quickly set her face, looking just as determined as she had when she had faced Buffy down before.
Spike grabbed blindly, and as soon as he felt a hand grab his, yanked, pulling Giles violently toward him.
Giles and Dawn both reached out, drawing Xander and Anyanka into the circle. The two looked at eachother, before linking their hands, completing the circle.
"We are strength," Willow intoned, letting herself go to the magic, feeling it fill her, until she she was completely lost in it.
"And temperence," Tara said, holding tightly to her lover's hand.
"We are light," Buffy said, trying again to catch a glimpse of Spike, hoping that he wasn't as terrified as she.
"And dark," Spike's voice came to her, bolstering her spirit.
"We are youth," Dawn shouted.
"And experience," Giles said, his voice barely above a whisper, but carrying to everyone in the circle.
"We are love," Xander said, looking straight ahead.
"And we are hate," Anyanka spat, doing her best not to look at Xander.
The energies around them mixed, the power spinning out in whirl of color, then pulling back in, faster and faster, filling each of them, joining them in power and mind.
"We are one."
---
In a hundred places, all over the world, shadow and darkness paused. The defenders continued to attack without mercy, but they found the beasts no longer fought back. Then, as they pressed the advantage, they cried out as they watched the darkness begin to pull back into the rips and tears it had created, sealing them as it went.
---
Buffy lost her sense of self, as hundreds of memories, thoughts, and ideas assaulted her. Some small part of her remained, and knew that the others were fighting the same battle. That small part that was still Buffy searched, desperately, for something to cling to, and found it in a memory she was sure was hers.
"I love you," she said to him, only to open her eyes and find him crying.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything's right for the first time in a very, very long time."
When she opened her eyes, she could still feel the others, could sense their thoughts, could feel their individual powers. She felt Spike's love for her, and looked over at him. He was staring at her, open-mouthed, as he felt her love for him. The tears threatened to come again, but without speaking, she soothed him. He could feel her in his mind, and the threatened tears evaporated.
Wordlessly, Giles communicated with Dawn, preparing her, while Tara and Willow silently worked their power to allow Dawn to complete her role. Spike added his silent support to the effort, and Buffy channeled her love for the teen into her sister's mind.
Dawn moved her hands through the air, and green energy crackled at her fingertips as a doorway formed.
Giles sent out all he had learned the previous night, and together, they turned and faced the man who had been James Trenton, all of them seeing him for what he truly was now. Darkness flowed behind his eyes, eyes that, for just a moment, showed fear. He smiled at them, the fear being replaced with something like mirth.
"Oh, bravo. We must say," the voice he used was the one they remembered, but other voices seemed to skitter around it's edges, never fully making themselves known, "you continue to surprise us."
Another figure entered the room, one who had been hidden behind a wall of spells constructed by Willow earlier. This one glowed, and as soon as the thing that had once been a man saw it, the fear returned to it's eyes.
"What is thi..."
The thing couldn't finish, as Buffy's hand snaked out, pulling the Trenton- thing into the circle. It fought, until it's other hand was firmly grasped by Dawn. It screamed, but was unable to move, waves of power from the two witches holding it in place, as the new figure walked calmly to the circle, taking Spike's and Giles' hands. The screams stopped, and the thing found itself trapped, held in check by the power of one it had almost considered an equal. One that still had more power than it could resist.
The circle broke, and each of them heard and felt the voice of their new friend.
"And now we are complete."
Together they stepped through the door, into complete and total madness. Darkness swirled around them, but shied away from touching them, instead assaulting their minds with images of what it would do to them. They found strength in each other, though, and shrugged off the attacks. Each focused their will, forming the darkness into a form they could fight, and the true battle began.
---
Spike and Buffy both found themselves on the battlefield from their dreams, surrounded by a sea of monstrous things. As the things advanced, they fought, working in unison, their actions precisely timed so that not a single creature's blow could land on either. As the shadows died, their bodies disappeared, and more of the creatures moved in.
Buffy stepped back, avoiding the claws of one of the things, as Spike moved forward, raking his fingers across the thing's throat. As black fluid spurted out from the wound, Buffy attacked another, grabbing its wrists as it came at her. The spines that protected its arms snapped off when they touched her, and she wrenched the thing's arms toward her, tearing them from their sockets. Spike was already moving toward another that was coming up behind Buffy, thrusting his fist into its belly, and tearing the things flesh with his extended fingers as he withdrew his hand.
On and on they fought, and they could feel flashes of the battles the others faced as they did. The darkness continued to throw mental attacks at them, desperately, and they could all feel its fear. It was losing, and for the first time in its long existence, it faced the possibility of true death. It redoubled its attacks, seeking any advantage it could find. But the minds of the ones it faced were too strong, and their combined abilities too much for it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard it scream, the sound causing them to stop. Buffy watched as the creatures they faced melted away. She and Spike were left alone on the field, and they looked at eachother, knowing that they had won.
---
While the friends fought, a many-eyed horror fled, looking for someplace, anyplace, to hide. It felt the death of its creator, the thing that had acidentally spawned it long before man or demon walked the dimensions. It knew it was also facing death, now. It stopped, feeling the warriors it had chosen coming close, and prepared for battle.
They found it, hovering in the space between dimensions, waiting for them.
"So, it seems that we are undone."
Not a single member of the group spoke. They advanced toward it, seeing it for what it truly was. Inside the dark cloud, thousands upon thousands of bodies churned. They caught glimpses of arms, and legs, misshapen heads, and parts that none of them could identify. They looked past the horror that was the thing's body, and found its nucleus. It appeared to them as a small ball of dark matter, thousands of tendrils spreading out from it into the bodies it had consumed. They focused power, and the two witches channeled it into a beam of light that tore through the darkness, and the bodies, ripping the dark mind of the thing apart. The cloud slowly began to dissapate, leaving the gory remains of its past victims floating in the ether. Again, they sent out a beam, vaporising the remains of a hundred nameless victims, until nothing of the being remained. Willow gathered power, and sent out slim probes of her will, making sure the thing was truly gone.
When she found nothing, the others were forced to smile at her mental cry of joy.
---
The battle was not easy on any of us, and remnants of the link we created remain. It is felt most strongly by Buffy, and the vampire, Spike, who already shared a bond before entering into the link with the rest of us. I find that, sometimes, I can feel them, though it usually passes quickly. I am left with a sense of just how much I was a part of something truly great.
Buffy and Spike are still together. The linking created in them a sort of sympathy, as I understand they are able to feel eachother no matter where the other is. Also, it seems the link allowed them to permanently share physical attributes, as Spike, or William as he now prefers to be called, appears to have developed a tolerance for sunlight. He has also begun to age, albeit very slowly. It was 5 years before I saw him again, but I did see the difference. Buffy seems to have acquired his longevity, at least in part, as she had aged less than I expected in the time that has passed since those events took place. William should not be considered a threat by the Council, and to that end, I have informed them that he died in the battle. They seem to have accepted my words, but I warned both he and Buffy to be careful. Just in case.
Willow and Tara are also still together, though they both practice witchcraft now. Together, they are truly a force to be reckoned with, and as far as I could tell from my last visit, they are totally devoted to each other.
Dawn has grown, and is now in college. She is most definitely Buffy's sister, but I will leave that at that.
Unfortunately, after the link, Anyanka returned to her work. Xander moved out of Sunnydale, and I have been unable to track him down. I find that I hope they're together, somewhere. Though if they are, I suspect they're arguing about some trivial thing at this very moment.
As to the two beings that joined us in the link, all I know is that they're gone. I do not know where, nor do I know what they are doing now, and I am actually glad for it. Beings of that sort should not be known by men, not on a personal level, at least. I never was able to find out who it was that became the vessel for the light creature that joined with us. But, I do know that that whoever it was, was better for it. And the vessel that was James Trenton... I pray to whatever gods their may be that he finally found his freedom.
- From the personal journal of Rupert Giles, September 14th, 2007
---
Notes: Ok, I lied. Once I get started, it's hard to stop, and the words were there, so... Hope you enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed writing it, and I'm already thinking about my next story.
It'll be better, I promise *grin*
Each of them had done what they needed to in order to prepare. No questions were asked, as not a single one of them could really explain what and how, and it didn't matter. They were ready, and they waited. The little battles were over. Soon, it would be time the real battle to begin.
But they weren't the only ones who had been busy making preparations.
---
"So you understand?"
Buffy looked across the table at Giles, "I get it. But I don't get why we can't tell anyone else yet."
"Because," Spike said, leaning forward in his chair, "it's our ace in the hole."
"But not even Willow? Or Tara?"
"No. Not until we need to," Giles said. "But, we have other things we need to discuss now. I have contacted the Council, and explained our part in things to them, at least, insofar as they need to know. They're ready, and they tell me that groups of vampires and demons are preparing as well. This, I think, will be both the first and the last time we all fight on the same side."
"You did tell them to keep an eye out for others maybe seeing this as an opportunity to upset things, right?"
"Of course. Evil beings do tend to be rather opportunistic. The Council is ready to deal with that, they've assured me." Hearing himself say it, even Giles didn't fully believe it, but he had to make sure the others were focused on their battle.
"Right. So, how much longer do we have to wait?" Spike asked, rising from his chair and walking to stand behind Buffy.
"Unfortunately, from all the signs, not much longer."
---
They gathered at Buffy's house. The wait was wearing on them all, but Buffy and Spike were always there to calm tensions, and defuse arguments. Giles sat back and watched as they seperated Xander and Anyanka once again, and thought about the two of them. He was wondering if, perhaps, he could learn to truly accept Spike as a part of Buffy's life, when the phone rang.
Giles jumped up to answer it, and spoke in hushed tones into the receiver. The others sat in silence, watching him. Even Anyanka, who to this point had been the most vocal of the group, said nothing, as he gently placed the phone down, and turned to them.
"It's beginning."
---
The first cracks appeared in eastern Asia, where the defenders had had little time to prepare. The battle went badly. They only just managed to close the first rift, when another opened, practically on top of it, spilling out squirming filth onto the brave souls who survived the first onslaught. They screamed, as the darkness soaked into their skin, and choked as it ran down their throats, their bodies twisting and bending in ways that should have been impossible. The second group of defenders moved in, as the first group was absorbed completely, and the shadow beasts began rising from the ground. The second group, being mostly human, fired their weapons, burning and dispersing the darkness, killing the beasts that formed from it, while a third group joined the fray, attacking a new rift as it opened.
---
In western Europe, several groups led by the Watchers gathered around a set of rifts that had opened simultaneously. Already, the ground was covered by a thick, dark mass, and hundreds of shadows turned hungry eyes on the approaching men and demons. A group of unlucky vampires were caught in the middle of an opening rift, and the defenders watched as they were torn apart. The few that survived were pulled into it, before a thick stream of darkness poured forth. The Watchers barked commands, and they set their battle lines. A large demon, his entire form wreathed in blue flame, rushed forward, burning a path for the others. The darkness pulled back from him, but the shadows continued forward. Others rushed to his side, as he screamed, and twin bolts of cold flame flew from his hands, destroying the first wave of shadows. As the frontline hacked away at the mindless beasts created from the darkness, powerful magics were brought into play behind them, shattering a hundred of the beasts at a time. But more and more of the beasts rose, and the defenders watched as both man and demon fell, trying simply to hold back the dark.
---
In South America, another battle ended as the Watchers continued fight. Few were left alive, and those that were screamed in agony as they were torn apart, consumed, and absorbed. In moments, all that remained was darkness, darkness that spread out, seeking more victims.
---
Across the world, rifts opened, and battle was joined. All of them could feel it, the death, the madness, but more than that, they could feel the darkness, growing ever closer. And they were ready.
"Let's do it," Spike said, snarling as he felt the unclean things pushing in on his mind.
"Willow, Tara," Giles said, as the rest gathered around the two witches.
The two chanted in unison, linking their hands. Power rose up from the ground, was drawn from soil, and the stones, from the trees, and from the people around them.
"Hear us, powers of old, that walked the world before life!" Willow shouted, he eyes closed. "Hear us, gods of the dark, who feed on rage and pain!"
"Hear us, Mother of All!" Tara joined her, "Hear us, gods of the light and life!"
"Hear us!" they shouted together, as powers both light and dark surrounded them, "Aid us against the enemy of all!"
Both reached out, Tara grabbing Buffy's hand, Willow grasping Spikes, as they drew them through the waves of power. Buffy spared a glance at Spike, and found him looking at her. He threw a half smile at her before she lost sight of him.
Buffy reached out, and felt a hand grasp hers. She pulled, and Dawn appeared next to her, giving her hand a little squeeze. The terror in the young teens eyes tore at Buffy, but Dawn quickly set her face, looking just as determined as she had when she had faced Buffy down before.
Spike grabbed blindly, and as soon as he felt a hand grab his, yanked, pulling Giles violently toward him.
Giles and Dawn both reached out, drawing Xander and Anyanka into the circle. The two looked at eachother, before linking their hands, completing the circle.
"We are strength," Willow intoned, letting herself go to the magic, feeling it fill her, until she she was completely lost in it.
"And temperence," Tara said, holding tightly to her lover's hand.
"We are light," Buffy said, trying again to catch a glimpse of Spike, hoping that he wasn't as terrified as she.
"And dark," Spike's voice came to her, bolstering her spirit.
"We are youth," Dawn shouted.
"And experience," Giles said, his voice barely above a whisper, but carrying to everyone in the circle.
"We are love," Xander said, looking straight ahead.
"And we are hate," Anyanka spat, doing her best not to look at Xander.
The energies around them mixed, the power spinning out in whirl of color, then pulling back in, faster and faster, filling each of them, joining them in power and mind.
"We are one."
---
In a hundred places, all over the world, shadow and darkness paused. The defenders continued to attack without mercy, but they found the beasts no longer fought back. Then, as they pressed the advantage, they cried out as they watched the darkness begin to pull back into the rips and tears it had created, sealing them as it went.
---
Buffy lost her sense of self, as hundreds of memories, thoughts, and ideas assaulted her. Some small part of her remained, and knew that the others were fighting the same battle. That small part that was still Buffy searched, desperately, for something to cling to, and found it in a memory she was sure was hers.
"I love you," she said to him, only to open her eyes and find him crying.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything's right for the first time in a very, very long time."
When she opened her eyes, she could still feel the others, could sense their thoughts, could feel their individual powers. She felt Spike's love for her, and looked over at him. He was staring at her, open-mouthed, as he felt her love for him. The tears threatened to come again, but without speaking, she soothed him. He could feel her in his mind, and the threatened tears evaporated.
Wordlessly, Giles communicated with Dawn, preparing her, while Tara and Willow silently worked their power to allow Dawn to complete her role. Spike added his silent support to the effort, and Buffy channeled her love for the teen into her sister's mind.
Dawn moved her hands through the air, and green energy crackled at her fingertips as a doorway formed.
Giles sent out all he had learned the previous night, and together, they turned and faced the man who had been James Trenton, all of them seeing him for what he truly was now. Darkness flowed behind his eyes, eyes that, for just a moment, showed fear. He smiled at them, the fear being replaced with something like mirth.
"Oh, bravo. We must say," the voice he used was the one they remembered, but other voices seemed to skitter around it's edges, never fully making themselves known, "you continue to surprise us."
Another figure entered the room, one who had been hidden behind a wall of spells constructed by Willow earlier. This one glowed, and as soon as the thing that had once been a man saw it, the fear returned to it's eyes.
"What is thi..."
The thing couldn't finish, as Buffy's hand snaked out, pulling the Trenton- thing into the circle. It fought, until it's other hand was firmly grasped by Dawn. It screamed, but was unable to move, waves of power from the two witches holding it in place, as the new figure walked calmly to the circle, taking Spike's and Giles' hands. The screams stopped, and the thing found itself trapped, held in check by the power of one it had almost considered an equal. One that still had more power than it could resist.
The circle broke, and each of them heard and felt the voice of their new friend.
"And now we are complete."
Together they stepped through the door, into complete and total madness. Darkness swirled around them, but shied away from touching them, instead assaulting their minds with images of what it would do to them. They found strength in each other, though, and shrugged off the attacks. Each focused their will, forming the darkness into a form they could fight, and the true battle began.
---
Spike and Buffy both found themselves on the battlefield from their dreams, surrounded by a sea of monstrous things. As the things advanced, they fought, working in unison, their actions precisely timed so that not a single creature's blow could land on either. As the shadows died, their bodies disappeared, and more of the creatures moved in.
Buffy stepped back, avoiding the claws of one of the things, as Spike moved forward, raking his fingers across the thing's throat. As black fluid spurted out from the wound, Buffy attacked another, grabbing its wrists as it came at her. The spines that protected its arms snapped off when they touched her, and she wrenched the thing's arms toward her, tearing them from their sockets. Spike was already moving toward another that was coming up behind Buffy, thrusting his fist into its belly, and tearing the things flesh with his extended fingers as he withdrew his hand.
On and on they fought, and they could feel flashes of the battles the others faced as they did. The darkness continued to throw mental attacks at them, desperately, and they could all feel its fear. It was losing, and for the first time in its long existence, it faced the possibility of true death. It redoubled its attacks, seeking any advantage it could find. But the minds of the ones it faced were too strong, and their combined abilities too much for it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard it scream, the sound causing them to stop. Buffy watched as the creatures they faced melted away. She and Spike were left alone on the field, and they looked at eachother, knowing that they had won.
---
While the friends fought, a many-eyed horror fled, looking for someplace, anyplace, to hide. It felt the death of its creator, the thing that had acidentally spawned it long before man or demon walked the dimensions. It knew it was also facing death, now. It stopped, feeling the warriors it had chosen coming close, and prepared for battle.
They found it, hovering in the space between dimensions, waiting for them.
"So, it seems that we are undone."
Not a single member of the group spoke. They advanced toward it, seeing it for what it truly was. Inside the dark cloud, thousands upon thousands of bodies churned. They caught glimpses of arms, and legs, misshapen heads, and parts that none of them could identify. They looked past the horror that was the thing's body, and found its nucleus. It appeared to them as a small ball of dark matter, thousands of tendrils spreading out from it into the bodies it had consumed. They focused power, and the two witches channeled it into a beam of light that tore through the darkness, and the bodies, ripping the dark mind of the thing apart. The cloud slowly began to dissapate, leaving the gory remains of its past victims floating in the ether. Again, they sent out a beam, vaporising the remains of a hundred nameless victims, until nothing of the being remained. Willow gathered power, and sent out slim probes of her will, making sure the thing was truly gone.
When she found nothing, the others were forced to smile at her mental cry of joy.
---
The battle was not easy on any of us, and remnants of the link we created remain. It is felt most strongly by Buffy, and the vampire, Spike, who already shared a bond before entering into the link with the rest of us. I find that, sometimes, I can feel them, though it usually passes quickly. I am left with a sense of just how much I was a part of something truly great.
Buffy and Spike are still together. The linking created in them a sort of sympathy, as I understand they are able to feel eachother no matter where the other is. Also, it seems the link allowed them to permanently share physical attributes, as Spike, or William as he now prefers to be called, appears to have developed a tolerance for sunlight. He has also begun to age, albeit very slowly. It was 5 years before I saw him again, but I did see the difference. Buffy seems to have acquired his longevity, at least in part, as she had aged less than I expected in the time that has passed since those events took place. William should not be considered a threat by the Council, and to that end, I have informed them that he died in the battle. They seem to have accepted my words, but I warned both he and Buffy to be careful. Just in case.
Willow and Tara are also still together, though they both practice witchcraft now. Together, they are truly a force to be reckoned with, and as far as I could tell from my last visit, they are totally devoted to each other.
Dawn has grown, and is now in college. She is most definitely Buffy's sister, but I will leave that at that.
Unfortunately, after the link, Anyanka returned to her work. Xander moved out of Sunnydale, and I have been unable to track him down. I find that I hope they're together, somewhere. Though if they are, I suspect they're arguing about some trivial thing at this very moment.
As to the two beings that joined us in the link, all I know is that they're gone. I do not know where, nor do I know what they are doing now, and I am actually glad for it. Beings of that sort should not be known by men, not on a personal level, at least. I never was able to find out who it was that became the vessel for the light creature that joined with us. But, I do know that that whoever it was, was better for it. And the vessel that was James Trenton... I pray to whatever gods their may be that he finally found his freedom.
- From the personal journal of Rupert Giles, September 14th, 2007
---
Notes: Ok, I lied. Once I get started, it's hard to stop, and the words were there, so... Hope you enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed writing it, and I'm already thinking about my next story.
It'll be better, I promise *grin*