Giles stood in front of the group of sullen faces. He regretted doing this, but he had no other alternative.

"The codex does talk of this. I've tried to translate it any other way, but it seems there is no way around it. It says that in order to stop this apocalypse someone close to the slayer will have to fight for her. The slayer can't fight herself, although it's a bit sketchy as to why. It doesn't say if they die or not, but it doesn't look all that promising. The word they use to describe this person... I have no translation for it. I'm going to try to look up mentions of it in other texts but...."

"I'd hate to say I told you so guys."

"What do we do now?"

"Well once we figure out who the prophecy talks about.... I think we may have to train them.... or they will have to get comfortable with using the powers they posses."

"You think its Willow?"

"It does talk of the person being as strong as the slayer, I think the only other person here with that power is Willow."

"Or dead boy."

"Yes well it did mention that this person was alive so that takes any vampires out of the running."

Willow was taking all this in. She might have to use her powers to take another life. Demon or otherwise the thought was scary.

"So we research? What are we doing sitting here and worrying? Lets hit the books and find out the big scary thing we should be afraid of."

"We'll still be afraid."

"Yes but this wont be aimless fear. This fear will have a big scary target." Xander said to Fred. It almost made her laugh; the thought of humor in the face of death wasn't something she was very used to. She more or less was used to brooding in the face of death.

"As much as I'd hate to say it Xander is right. Lets stop wasting time. Xander, why don't you work with Fred?"

Xander and Fred walked out of the dinning room and into the living room where books were covering the walls.

"Are you familiar with the Islay volumes?"

"Yeah... We have 4 through 9 here."

"Great, I've got the first three and volume 10. Why don't you take mine and I'll take yours?"

"Deal. What are you hoping to find in there? They barely talk about the slayer."

"Yes, but they do allude to champions, and other human fighters."

"But the fighters are never really described beyond their death or life, it never talks about what they had to do in their final battle."

"Wow. I'm impressed you know this much.... I didn't mean to insult.... I guess you don't seem like the type that studies this stuff all that much. I'd think you'd find it kinda boring. That is most people do..... You're right, but I think if we can find a name to whoever this person is, or a name they call them we can reference it to other books."

"You're the boss. And to tell you the truth I wouldn't normally know all that much but about five months ago we found this body to this Glhorga demon and we really should be getting to work. God did I of all people just say that?"

*******************

"Hey Buffy. How's the training going?" Willow walked down the basement stairs to her friend. She looked around and realized something.

"You know you haven't been down here since..."

"Yeah, after what happened with Xander... I don't really like being down here all that much anymore."

"So why are you down here training? Shouldn't you be upstairs researching?"

"I like it better down here."

Willow tried very hard to hide her smile, although it wasn't all that necessary since her friend wasn't facing her. Nevertheless she didn't want the slayer to detect the hint of laughter in her voice.

"Because of Fred and Xander?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You so do! I see the way you look at him looking at her. I'm just thankful you feel it now, maybe now you know how I feel."

"What did I do to you Will?"

"You became best friends with my best friend. Xander talks with you, tells you things he would never tell me, and you don't think I'd be a little jealous? You see him and Fred talking and you're getting worried that he's going to have another friend to tell things to and make you not the best friend anymore. I know how you feel Buffy."

"Yeah, you do. But not the way you think."

"Ok, I thought I explained myself pretty well... There's nothing wrong with my explanation is there?"

Buffy didn't know what else to do, she hurried up the steps and shutting the door behind her, leaving a very bewildered Wicca in the basement.