Chapter 9
Giles had not seen Spike until this point. His expression hardened, and then he quickly replaced his glasses. He glanced at Buffy, and then held his gaze on Spike as he spoke. "When we sent Oz through with the amulet, that should have saved its energy and stopped or even reversed what was happening to the Hellmouth."
Xander volunteered, "Let me tell you campers, that's not quite what happened."
Willow grabbed Oz's hand and tried to look as brave as he, but was having little success.
Xander's narrative continued. "From where we were, it looked like the friendly 'Mouth-O-Matic' opened right up just as pretty as you please." Xander then looked downcast.
Giles still seemed to be searching for the right words. "It opened and began pulling in absolutely everything. People, buildings, air-. And it grew exponentially. I've never seen anything like it." He was shaken.
"Then does that mean everything is gone?" Willow looked stricken.
"How did you and Giles end up here?" Oz couldn't resist asking.
"Not 'everything' is gone, young sorceress." The black-cloaked figure had their attention. "Y Dinistriwr is converting everything in your world to energy, then portalling it through your Hellmouth back here where he is using it to grow even stronger. Gandalf and I were able to stop the flow from your dimension, but were unable to get Y Dinistriwr to release his hold on the Hellmouth. Your world is only the beginning. Everything in your world has been suspended until we can find a way to defeat him." He indicated Giles and Xander. "'The Chosen One' will have need of her 'chosen' to help fulfill this task, if indeed it can be done. I pulled them into Middle Earth as Gandalf placed a restricting spell on Y Dinistriwr's portal."
Buffy got it. "So our world is still there and if we can stop this "Y" guy, things will go back to normal?" She looked at Giles, then the black- robed figure.
Giles took off his glasses again and frowned.
The person sitting by the fire said, "Essentially, yes." His smile grew.
This made Buffy grin. "That's what I've been waiting for. At least now we know who we are fighting. We just need to learn his weakness and come up with a plan!" Buffy cast her grin toward Giles. "Right?"
Giles seemed nervous. "Did I hear you correctly? 'Y Dinistriwr,' did you say?"
Just then another figure came out of the forest toward them, with long flowing gray hair and a beard to match, dressed in a gray cloak, carrying a wooden walking stick, and wearing a large pointed hat.
"Ahh. You have all arrived." Gandalf's grin was infectious. "Now we can get down to some serious work."
"Gandalf!" Aragorn finally put away his sword.
"Mithrandir!" Legolas was equally excited.
Buffy took stock of Gandalf. This one looked like he knew his stuff. He looked as though he could have been alive forever. She turned to the other 'possible' Wizard. "Ok. You seem to know who we are, and thank you for helping my friends, and don't take this the wrong way, but-who are you?"
He stood with the grace of a dancer, and they could see for the first time how tall he was. As he looked at Buffy, he formally nodded his head slowly toward her, eyes twinkling. "I am called Merlin."
Buffy's mouth dropped, but Willow managed, "You mean THE Merlin? From Earth? The King Arthur and Camelot Merlin?"
"I visited your world long ago, but it is not my home." Merlin paused for a moment, "I helped a King to his throne. My task was done and I left."
Giles could only mumble, "Shades of Malory!"
TBC
Giles had not seen Spike until this point. His expression hardened, and then he quickly replaced his glasses. He glanced at Buffy, and then held his gaze on Spike as he spoke. "When we sent Oz through with the amulet, that should have saved its energy and stopped or even reversed what was happening to the Hellmouth."
Xander volunteered, "Let me tell you campers, that's not quite what happened."
Willow grabbed Oz's hand and tried to look as brave as he, but was having little success.
Xander's narrative continued. "From where we were, it looked like the friendly 'Mouth-O-Matic' opened right up just as pretty as you please." Xander then looked downcast.
Giles still seemed to be searching for the right words. "It opened and began pulling in absolutely everything. People, buildings, air-. And it grew exponentially. I've never seen anything like it." He was shaken.
"Then does that mean everything is gone?" Willow looked stricken.
"How did you and Giles end up here?" Oz couldn't resist asking.
"Not 'everything' is gone, young sorceress." The black-cloaked figure had their attention. "Y Dinistriwr is converting everything in your world to energy, then portalling it through your Hellmouth back here where he is using it to grow even stronger. Gandalf and I were able to stop the flow from your dimension, but were unable to get Y Dinistriwr to release his hold on the Hellmouth. Your world is only the beginning. Everything in your world has been suspended until we can find a way to defeat him." He indicated Giles and Xander. "'The Chosen One' will have need of her 'chosen' to help fulfill this task, if indeed it can be done. I pulled them into Middle Earth as Gandalf placed a restricting spell on Y Dinistriwr's portal."
Buffy got it. "So our world is still there and if we can stop this "Y" guy, things will go back to normal?" She looked at Giles, then the black- robed figure.
Giles took off his glasses again and frowned.
The person sitting by the fire said, "Essentially, yes." His smile grew.
This made Buffy grin. "That's what I've been waiting for. At least now we know who we are fighting. We just need to learn his weakness and come up with a plan!" Buffy cast her grin toward Giles. "Right?"
Giles seemed nervous. "Did I hear you correctly? 'Y Dinistriwr,' did you say?"
Just then another figure came out of the forest toward them, with long flowing gray hair and a beard to match, dressed in a gray cloak, carrying a wooden walking stick, and wearing a large pointed hat.
"Ahh. You have all arrived." Gandalf's grin was infectious. "Now we can get down to some serious work."
"Gandalf!" Aragorn finally put away his sword.
"Mithrandir!" Legolas was equally excited.
Buffy took stock of Gandalf. This one looked like he knew his stuff. He looked as though he could have been alive forever. She turned to the other 'possible' Wizard. "Ok. You seem to know who we are, and thank you for helping my friends, and don't take this the wrong way, but-who are you?"
He stood with the grace of a dancer, and they could see for the first time how tall he was. As he looked at Buffy, he formally nodded his head slowly toward her, eyes twinkling. "I am called Merlin."
Buffy's mouth dropped, but Willow managed, "You mean THE Merlin? From Earth? The King Arthur and Camelot Merlin?"
"I visited your world long ago, but it is not my home." Merlin paused for a moment, "I helped a King to his throne. My task was done and I left."
Giles could only mumble, "Shades of Malory!"
TBC