Chapter Twenty-One
Giles opened the front door and helped Buffy inside. Angel rushed to her side and helped her to the couch.
"Buffy." He breathed and kissed her forehead.
"I'm okay." Buffy said stoically. "The doctor said everything is fine. A lot of bruises, no broken bones, no concussions."
Angel looked to Giles who silently shook his head "no". Angel placed a pillow by Buffy and promised to return. He stood and followed Giles into the kitchen.
"Giles?" Angel asked as he joined the watcher.
"The doctors did say Buffy would be okay." Giles comforted Angel. "But she's much more beaten up than she's letting on. The doctor was surprised she wasn't in a coma."
"Slayer strength." Angel said, peering out into the living room at Buffy.
"Her slayer powers will help her heal." Giles said. "But it's more than just the physical. She's emotionally drained. She's not sleeping well."
"What did the doctor say?" Angel asked concerned.
"That she needs to get plenty of rest and a few days in bed wouldn't hurt her." Giles said. "I fear she'll only try harder with the girl dead."
Angel nodded. "We need help."
"And I brought it." Wesley said as he entered the backdoor with Faith in tow.
"Where's B?" Faith asked.
"Living room." Angel said. "But she needs rest."
"I need to talk to her." Faith said as she left the room.
Faith entered the living room and nodded to Buffy.
"You talked to her?" Buffy asked.
"Him. It." Faith said. "Whatever the spirit guide is."
"And?" Buffy inquired.
"Let's go for a drive." Faith said, moving to Buffy's side. She helped Buffy up from the couch and the two girls silently left together.
"Faith?" Wesley called as he entered the living room. "Faith? Buffy?"
"What is it?" Giles asked, joining Wesley.
"They're gone." Wesley said flatly.
-
"So, where are we heading?" Buffy asked as Faith drove on in Wesley's SUV.
"Don't know yet." Faith said. "I'll know it when I see it."
"That's comforting." Buffy muttered as she looked out the window.
"Buffy, it's not enough. We're not enough." Faith said. "The girl wasn't the key. We are Buffy, the Slayers. The chosen two."
"So you said." Buffy replied. "But I don't get it. We've corrupted the line. And you think this thing is going to be able to put it back together?"
"That's what I think." Faith said. "In the vision, I saw a glowing light creating a - a something."
"That's good." Buffy humored her.
"No." Faith said. "It felt important. Like, somehow we were supposed to be there."
"And we're going there." Buffy said.
Faith drove on as the sun blared down on the open road. "There." Faith said as she approached a large stone.
"It's a big rock." Buffy said. "Wow."
"It's some kind of hub." Faith said.
"A hub?" Buffy asked.
"A bunch of places that all connect to another place." Faith said.
"Okay, I'll bite." Buffy said as Faith parked the car. "What now?"
"We go in." Faith said.
The two girls got out of the car and walked to the large stone. Faith began to feel around for a panel. She pushed it in and the rock opened revealing a narrow passage inside. Buffy nodded and entered along side of Faith. The door slid shut behind them as torches along the wall lit and illuminated the passageway.
"Come on." Faith said, motioning further down the corridor.
"Careful." Buffy said, walking behind Faith.
The two girls were on full alert, both scanning the darkness and shadows.
"What the?" Faith started as they entered a lit chamber.
Buffy squinted at the white light. "Bright." Buffy said.
"Please, come in." The voice cooed. "We've been waiting for you."
"We who?" Buffy asked, looking around the cavern.
"We are you." The voice said. "You are us."
Faith shook her head at Buffy, communicating that she didn't know, didn't understand.
"Okay." Buffy said. "So, we're you and you're us."
"So, why are we here?" Faith said.
"Please. Sit." The voice said as it took form.
Buffy and Faith joined the female form around the round table.
"I am the light." The voice said. "I am the power."
"I'm the vampire slayer." Buffy said.
"I'm Faith." Faith said, "Also, the vampire slayer."
"In every generation." The voice said. "A slayer is chosen. One girl in all the world with the strength and the skill to hunt the vampire. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."
"We know this." Buffy said.
"Of course you do." The voice said. "Buffy Summers, you were the chosen one, the one chosen to protect the Hellmouth, to guard against the coming. He killed you in order to rise."
"The Master." Buffy deduced.
"He drank of your blood, of your life." The voice said.
"And I killed him." Buffy countered.
"Yes." The voice said. "And in doing so, you rose from the dead. Creating, for the first time, a rift in the slayer's powers. Two lived with the gifts first bestowed onto that one girl."
"You gave the First Slayer her powers?" Buffy asked.
"Not me." The voice said. "Three men tied the slayer to the earth and bestowed upon her the power to stop the demon, a gift given to her, power, healing, strength. She used the power to guard the earth to protect the people. And the people in turn cared for her. She was alone, she had to give up her family."
"Okay." Buffy said.
"The First Slayer mounted a force against the demons. She was eventually killed." The voice said.
"And another was called." Faith added.
"Yes." The voice said. "The powers given to that girl took her spirit and transferred it into a sleeping girl nearby. The girl awoke in a dream explaining to her all that had come before. That girl set out to stop the demons. As the girls died, another was called. Each embodied a certain trait that made it possible for them to hold the power. The dreams taught them."
"And the watchers." Buffy interjected.
"The watchers came later." The voice said. "As the girl forged on, the world changed. So much information was given to the girl, too much to process for a human. One slayer asked a mentor for help. He created the watchers council. A group chosen to help the slayer, to aid her in her nightly battles."
"I thought we worked for the council?" Faith said. "That's what I was always told."
"We did." Buffy said. "They did all those horrible things to me. Tests. All to ensure that I had the power."
"Power corrupts." The voice said. "As the years went on, the world changed, the men took over. They felt they were more powerful than the slayer."
"They were wrong." Buffy snapped.
"The true power lies in the girl." The voice said. "The one girl."
"But there are two now." Buffy said sadly. "Because of me."
"Yes." The voice said. "But you live so that others may."
"Huh?" Buffy asked.
"Evil corrupts, power corrupts. There is too much evil now for one girl to stop it all." The voice said.
"I'm lost." Faith shook her head. "So, there are more slayers now, two, to be exact, and a bunch of potentials. And we're going to be more powerful because of it?"
"The slayer line is no longer pure." The voice said.
"Because of me." Faith said sadly.
"Evil comes in many forms." The voice said. "It is the path of redemption that allows us to go on."
"So, what do we do?" Buffy leaned forward.
Giles opened the front door and helped Buffy inside. Angel rushed to her side and helped her to the couch.
"Buffy." He breathed and kissed her forehead.
"I'm okay." Buffy said stoically. "The doctor said everything is fine. A lot of bruises, no broken bones, no concussions."
Angel looked to Giles who silently shook his head "no". Angel placed a pillow by Buffy and promised to return. He stood and followed Giles into the kitchen.
"Giles?" Angel asked as he joined the watcher.
"The doctors did say Buffy would be okay." Giles comforted Angel. "But she's much more beaten up than she's letting on. The doctor was surprised she wasn't in a coma."
"Slayer strength." Angel said, peering out into the living room at Buffy.
"Her slayer powers will help her heal." Giles said. "But it's more than just the physical. She's emotionally drained. She's not sleeping well."
"What did the doctor say?" Angel asked concerned.
"That she needs to get plenty of rest and a few days in bed wouldn't hurt her." Giles said. "I fear she'll only try harder with the girl dead."
Angel nodded. "We need help."
"And I brought it." Wesley said as he entered the backdoor with Faith in tow.
"Where's B?" Faith asked.
"Living room." Angel said. "But she needs rest."
"I need to talk to her." Faith said as she left the room.
Faith entered the living room and nodded to Buffy.
"You talked to her?" Buffy asked.
"Him. It." Faith said. "Whatever the spirit guide is."
"And?" Buffy inquired.
"Let's go for a drive." Faith said, moving to Buffy's side. She helped Buffy up from the couch and the two girls silently left together.
"Faith?" Wesley called as he entered the living room. "Faith? Buffy?"
"What is it?" Giles asked, joining Wesley.
"They're gone." Wesley said flatly.
-
"So, where are we heading?" Buffy asked as Faith drove on in Wesley's SUV.
"Don't know yet." Faith said. "I'll know it when I see it."
"That's comforting." Buffy muttered as she looked out the window.
"Buffy, it's not enough. We're not enough." Faith said. "The girl wasn't the key. We are Buffy, the Slayers. The chosen two."
"So you said." Buffy replied. "But I don't get it. We've corrupted the line. And you think this thing is going to be able to put it back together?"
"That's what I think." Faith said. "In the vision, I saw a glowing light creating a - a something."
"That's good." Buffy humored her.
"No." Faith said. "It felt important. Like, somehow we were supposed to be there."
"And we're going there." Buffy said.
Faith drove on as the sun blared down on the open road. "There." Faith said as she approached a large stone.
"It's a big rock." Buffy said. "Wow."
"It's some kind of hub." Faith said.
"A hub?" Buffy asked.
"A bunch of places that all connect to another place." Faith said.
"Okay, I'll bite." Buffy said as Faith parked the car. "What now?"
"We go in." Faith said.
The two girls got out of the car and walked to the large stone. Faith began to feel around for a panel. She pushed it in and the rock opened revealing a narrow passage inside. Buffy nodded and entered along side of Faith. The door slid shut behind them as torches along the wall lit and illuminated the passageway.
"Come on." Faith said, motioning further down the corridor.
"Careful." Buffy said, walking behind Faith.
The two girls were on full alert, both scanning the darkness and shadows.
"What the?" Faith started as they entered a lit chamber.
Buffy squinted at the white light. "Bright." Buffy said.
"Please, come in." The voice cooed. "We've been waiting for you."
"We who?" Buffy asked, looking around the cavern.
"We are you." The voice said. "You are us."
Faith shook her head at Buffy, communicating that she didn't know, didn't understand.
"Okay." Buffy said. "So, we're you and you're us."
"So, why are we here?" Faith said.
"Please. Sit." The voice said as it took form.
Buffy and Faith joined the female form around the round table.
"I am the light." The voice said. "I am the power."
"I'm the vampire slayer." Buffy said.
"I'm Faith." Faith said, "Also, the vampire slayer."
"In every generation." The voice said. "A slayer is chosen. One girl in all the world with the strength and the skill to hunt the vampire. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."
"We know this." Buffy said.
"Of course you do." The voice said. "Buffy Summers, you were the chosen one, the one chosen to protect the Hellmouth, to guard against the coming. He killed you in order to rise."
"The Master." Buffy deduced.
"He drank of your blood, of your life." The voice said.
"And I killed him." Buffy countered.
"Yes." The voice said. "And in doing so, you rose from the dead. Creating, for the first time, a rift in the slayer's powers. Two lived with the gifts first bestowed onto that one girl."
"You gave the First Slayer her powers?" Buffy asked.
"Not me." The voice said. "Three men tied the slayer to the earth and bestowed upon her the power to stop the demon, a gift given to her, power, healing, strength. She used the power to guard the earth to protect the people. And the people in turn cared for her. She was alone, she had to give up her family."
"Okay." Buffy said.
"The First Slayer mounted a force against the demons. She was eventually killed." The voice said.
"And another was called." Faith added.
"Yes." The voice said. "The powers given to that girl took her spirit and transferred it into a sleeping girl nearby. The girl awoke in a dream explaining to her all that had come before. That girl set out to stop the demons. As the girls died, another was called. Each embodied a certain trait that made it possible for them to hold the power. The dreams taught them."
"And the watchers." Buffy interjected.
"The watchers came later." The voice said. "As the girl forged on, the world changed. So much information was given to the girl, too much to process for a human. One slayer asked a mentor for help. He created the watchers council. A group chosen to help the slayer, to aid her in her nightly battles."
"I thought we worked for the council?" Faith said. "That's what I was always told."
"We did." Buffy said. "They did all those horrible things to me. Tests. All to ensure that I had the power."
"Power corrupts." The voice said. "As the years went on, the world changed, the men took over. They felt they were more powerful than the slayer."
"They were wrong." Buffy snapped.
"The true power lies in the girl." The voice said. "The one girl."
"But there are two now." Buffy said sadly. "Because of me."
"Yes." The voice said. "But you live so that others may."
"Huh?" Buffy asked.
"Evil corrupts, power corrupts. There is too much evil now for one girl to stop it all." The voice said.
"I'm lost." Faith shook her head. "So, there are more slayers now, two, to be exact, and a bunch of potentials. And we're going to be more powerful because of it?"
"The slayer line is no longer pure." The voice said.
"Because of me." Faith said sadly.
"Evil comes in many forms." The voice said. "It is the path of redemption that allows us to go on."
"So, what do we do?" Buffy leaned forward.
