Chapter Nineteen
Faith stood in front of the fire and watched as the flames turned from orange to red. Wesley had left about an hour ago. Faith pulled her jacket close to her and waited by the fire. Thunder exploded above as the fire crackled. A wind began to blow the flames and created shadows around the fire. Faith breathed uneasily.
"What knowledge do you seek?" A spirited voice came from the darkness.
"Show yourself." Faith called into the din.
"I am your guide." The spirit said again.
Faith looked into the shadows. "Show yourself." She said fiercely.
"What knowledge do you seek?" Faith's eyes bulged as Mayor Richard Wilkins III sat before her.
"You're not - you're not him." Faith said, suddenly afraid.
"I take this form only to guide you on your quest." The Mayor said. "I am not him."
"We need help." Faith said. "Buffy and I."
"The slayer line is corrupt." The Mayor said. "The power has been tainted."
"Why?" Faith asked.
"You ask questions to that which you already know." The Mayor said.
"I don't know." Faith pleaded. "If I did, I wouldn't be here."
"Think." The Mayor said. "You know."
"Because there are two slayers?" Faith guessed. "Because I went bad and used my power for evil? Because the monks made Dawn out of Buffy's blood, thinning the line even more?"
"You won't know if you're heart won't let you know." The Mayor said.
"No riddles." Faith nearly shouted. "Tell me how we can stop this thing. The First, the other slayers, they told us that we can't defeat evil that we need to protect the earth. How do we protect against something we can't fight?"
"She is the Hellmouth's last protector." The Mayor said.
"Buffy." Faith replied. "Will she die?"
"All things must come to an end." The Mayor said.
"No." Faith snapped. "I won't let it kill her."
"All creatures on this earth will eventually die." The Mayor explained. "The slayers, the watchers, the demons and the humans. You must find it in yourself to fight until that day."
"I am." Faith said. "I am fighting. But how can we protect the earth if we can't fight The First Evil?"
"Only pure good can stop pure evil." The Mayor intoned. "Why do you ask questions for things you already know?"
"So, the little girl's the key?" Faith guessed. "She's the pure one among us."
"Her spirit is old, that is true." The Mayor replied.
"Then how do we use it?" Faith asked. "How do we stop The First Evil?"
"Evil has existed since the creation of time." The Mayor said.
"So has good." Faith snapped. "Now tell me how we can stop it."
"Evil can never be defeated." The Mayor droned.
"So our protection is no longer needed." Faith said.
"The slayer line has been corrupted." The Mayor said.
Faith suddenly flew away from the fire as though she had been hit by a gust of wind. She watched from outside her body as she committed some of her most evil deeds. She sobbed as the Faith she once was stabbed an innocent professor at the behest of The Mayor. She watched as she fought Buffy. She felt Buffy's presence as the knife slid into that Faith's stomach. Faith grabbed her own side, where the knife had once been imbedded. Blood covered her hand. She watched as Buffy kissed that Faith's forehead before going off to fight the ascension. Faith touched her own forehead. The flashes became quicker and quicker, that old Faith stayed in a coma before bursting with a bright white light. Faith watched as her old self awoke from the coma, beat and stripped an innocent girl, took over Buffy's body and hurt Buffy more than anyone could her another human being. Faith watched as her old self escaped to L.A. only to beat and rob a man on the street. She watched as her old self tortured Wesley. Wesley, the man she had come to trust over the past months. She watched as her old self tried to kill Angel before collapsing into his arms and begging for forgiveness. Faith cried as she watched these scenes of her life. Another flash of bright white light brought Faith back to the fire, where her spirit guide awaited her.
"The slayer protects." The Mayor said.
"I used that power for evil." Faith sobbed.
"The slayer is one." The Mayor said. "One girl in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt and kill the demons and creatures of the night."
"One girl chosen to protect this world." Faith added.
Faith was hit by a violent red light as she watched Buffy fighting for her life. Faith stood apart from the action as she watched Buffy throw herself into an opening portal, sacrificing herself for this world.
"She died." The Mayor said.
"She did." Faith said.
"The slayer line will die." The Mayor said.
"Unless we can defeat The First Evil, it will." Faith snapped. "Stop showing me what I already know and tell me how to use it."
Faith rose from the fire and looked around. She was alone. Faith dropped to the ground and cried.
Faith stood in front of the fire and watched as the flames turned from orange to red. Wesley had left about an hour ago. Faith pulled her jacket close to her and waited by the fire. Thunder exploded above as the fire crackled. A wind began to blow the flames and created shadows around the fire. Faith breathed uneasily.
"What knowledge do you seek?" A spirited voice came from the darkness.
"Show yourself." Faith called into the din.
"I am your guide." The spirit said again.
Faith looked into the shadows. "Show yourself." She said fiercely.
"What knowledge do you seek?" Faith's eyes bulged as Mayor Richard Wilkins III sat before her.
"You're not - you're not him." Faith said, suddenly afraid.
"I take this form only to guide you on your quest." The Mayor said. "I am not him."
"We need help." Faith said. "Buffy and I."
"The slayer line is corrupt." The Mayor said. "The power has been tainted."
"Why?" Faith asked.
"You ask questions to that which you already know." The Mayor said.
"I don't know." Faith pleaded. "If I did, I wouldn't be here."
"Think." The Mayor said. "You know."
"Because there are two slayers?" Faith guessed. "Because I went bad and used my power for evil? Because the monks made Dawn out of Buffy's blood, thinning the line even more?"
"You won't know if you're heart won't let you know." The Mayor said.
"No riddles." Faith nearly shouted. "Tell me how we can stop this thing. The First, the other slayers, they told us that we can't defeat evil that we need to protect the earth. How do we protect against something we can't fight?"
"She is the Hellmouth's last protector." The Mayor said.
"Buffy." Faith replied. "Will she die?"
"All things must come to an end." The Mayor said.
"No." Faith snapped. "I won't let it kill her."
"All creatures on this earth will eventually die." The Mayor explained. "The slayers, the watchers, the demons and the humans. You must find it in yourself to fight until that day."
"I am." Faith said. "I am fighting. But how can we protect the earth if we can't fight The First Evil?"
"Only pure good can stop pure evil." The Mayor intoned. "Why do you ask questions for things you already know?"
"So, the little girl's the key?" Faith guessed. "She's the pure one among us."
"Her spirit is old, that is true." The Mayor replied.
"Then how do we use it?" Faith asked. "How do we stop The First Evil?"
"Evil has existed since the creation of time." The Mayor said.
"So has good." Faith snapped. "Now tell me how we can stop it."
"Evil can never be defeated." The Mayor droned.
"So our protection is no longer needed." Faith said.
"The slayer line has been corrupted." The Mayor said.
Faith suddenly flew away from the fire as though she had been hit by a gust of wind. She watched from outside her body as she committed some of her most evil deeds. She sobbed as the Faith she once was stabbed an innocent professor at the behest of The Mayor. She watched as she fought Buffy. She felt Buffy's presence as the knife slid into that Faith's stomach. Faith grabbed her own side, where the knife had once been imbedded. Blood covered her hand. She watched as Buffy kissed that Faith's forehead before going off to fight the ascension. Faith touched her own forehead. The flashes became quicker and quicker, that old Faith stayed in a coma before bursting with a bright white light. Faith watched as her old self awoke from the coma, beat and stripped an innocent girl, took over Buffy's body and hurt Buffy more than anyone could her another human being. Faith watched as her old self escaped to L.A. only to beat and rob a man on the street. She watched as her old self tortured Wesley. Wesley, the man she had come to trust over the past months. She watched as her old self tried to kill Angel before collapsing into his arms and begging for forgiveness. Faith cried as she watched these scenes of her life. Another flash of bright white light brought Faith back to the fire, where her spirit guide awaited her.
"The slayer protects." The Mayor said.
"I used that power for evil." Faith sobbed.
"The slayer is one." The Mayor said. "One girl in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt and kill the demons and creatures of the night."
"One girl chosen to protect this world." Faith added.
Faith was hit by a violent red light as she watched Buffy fighting for her life. Faith stood apart from the action as she watched Buffy throw herself into an opening portal, sacrificing herself for this world.
"She died." The Mayor said.
"She did." Faith said.
"The slayer line will die." The Mayor said.
"Unless we can defeat The First Evil, it will." Faith snapped. "Stop showing me what I already know and tell me how to use it."
Faith rose from the fire and looked around. She was alone. Faith dropped to the ground and cried.
