Chapter 5: And So It Begins . . .
"So what's the deal with these books? They're all blank," Cordelia said as she picked her way through Wolfram & Hart's mystical texts.
"You have to tell it what you want," Wesley called from the table where he and Angel were actually going over reference to the medallion that Angel had taken to Sunnydale.
"Let's see . . . oh I know! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Wesley tried to repress a groan. "It's only for myst-"
"'Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much,'" Cordelia cut in loftily. "Don't believe me? See for yourself."
Wesley did see for himself and the text was indeed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. "Bloody hell. I thought it was only mystical texts."
"I wouldn't say the Harry Potter books are particularly not-mystical. Do you honestly think one person could make all of that up?" Lilah said, waltzing through the door. "Good to see you finally decided to join the world of the living, Cordelia. Must be nice."
Cordelia looked the woman over. Looked pretty good for a corpse. She felt a slight twinge of guilt, slight because it was one of the few things that the body snatcher did that Cordelia had been tempted to do a few times herself.
"What is it, Lilah?" Wesley asked, his tone measured.
"I heard rumors that the saint had awoken and had to see for myself," she replied innocently.
"Lilah," Angel warned.
"You guys have really got to lighten up. Life's too short-well, for some of us anyway," she smirked. Catching their glares. "Fine, take what little fun I have away from me. Here," she held out some tattered parchment to Wesley. "The boys in the basement thought you might be interested. If I remember correctly, it mentions something about an apocalypse," she laughed, walking out.
"Well that was pleasant as always," Wesley muttered.
"I can't believe you slept with her!" Cordelia exclaimed. Seeing Angel and Wesley's looks, "Hey, I never claimed to be tact-girl. Sorry. So what's this about an apocalypse?"
~*~
"The forces will come together in a time of quiet. Two who should not be will meet and so it begins," Wesley read.
"And?" Cordelia prompted.
"And what? That's it, see for yourself," he held out the parchment.
"Sorry, it's Greek to me."
"It should be," Angel commented.
"Hey!"
"Because it is Greek," he added with a slight smile.
"I knew that," she huffed. "So, what is supposed to begin?"
"An apocalypse?" Wesley ventured. "What else?"
"Or maybe a giant sale at Bloomingdales," Cordelia put in. "A girl can dream."
"Oh wait, there's more," Wesley said after looking the piece over again.
"I knew it was too short!"
"Before the time of quiet, major battles will have been fought and seemingly won. Only during the time of quiet will the fallout make the truth known."
"That sure helped," Cordelia grumbled.
"I'm assuming the 'time of quiet' is now," Wesley tried again.
"And the major battles would be Jasmine and the First," Angel spoke up.
"The forces are probably good and evil," Cordelia said seriously. "That leaves the 'two' and 'it.' That's more than we've had for other prophecies."
"So what's the deal with these books? They're all blank," Cordelia said as she picked her way through Wolfram & Hart's mystical texts.
"You have to tell it what you want," Wesley called from the table where he and Angel were actually going over reference to the medallion that Angel had taken to Sunnydale.
"Let's see . . . oh I know! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Wesley tried to repress a groan. "It's only for myst-"
"'Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much,'" Cordelia cut in loftily. "Don't believe me? See for yourself."
Wesley did see for himself and the text was indeed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. "Bloody hell. I thought it was only mystical texts."
"I wouldn't say the Harry Potter books are particularly not-mystical. Do you honestly think one person could make all of that up?" Lilah said, waltzing through the door. "Good to see you finally decided to join the world of the living, Cordelia. Must be nice."
Cordelia looked the woman over. Looked pretty good for a corpse. She felt a slight twinge of guilt, slight because it was one of the few things that the body snatcher did that Cordelia had been tempted to do a few times herself.
"What is it, Lilah?" Wesley asked, his tone measured.
"I heard rumors that the saint had awoken and had to see for myself," she replied innocently.
"Lilah," Angel warned.
"You guys have really got to lighten up. Life's too short-well, for some of us anyway," she smirked. Catching their glares. "Fine, take what little fun I have away from me. Here," she held out some tattered parchment to Wesley. "The boys in the basement thought you might be interested. If I remember correctly, it mentions something about an apocalypse," she laughed, walking out.
"Well that was pleasant as always," Wesley muttered.
"I can't believe you slept with her!" Cordelia exclaimed. Seeing Angel and Wesley's looks, "Hey, I never claimed to be tact-girl. Sorry. So what's this about an apocalypse?"
~*~
"The forces will come together in a time of quiet. Two who should not be will meet and so it begins," Wesley read.
"And?" Cordelia prompted.
"And what? That's it, see for yourself," he held out the parchment.
"Sorry, it's Greek to me."
"It should be," Angel commented.
"Hey!"
"Because it is Greek," he added with a slight smile.
"I knew that," she huffed. "So, what is supposed to begin?"
"An apocalypse?" Wesley ventured. "What else?"
"Or maybe a giant sale at Bloomingdales," Cordelia put in. "A girl can dream."
"Oh wait, there's more," Wesley said after looking the piece over again.
"I knew it was too short!"
"Before the time of quiet, major battles will have been fought and seemingly won. Only during the time of quiet will the fallout make the truth known."
"That sure helped," Cordelia grumbled.
"I'm assuming the 'time of quiet' is now," Wesley tried again.
"And the major battles would be Jasmine and the First," Angel spoke up.
"The forces are probably good and evil," Cordelia said seriously. "That leaves the 'two' and 'it.' That's more than we've had for other prophecies."