See Part I for disclaimer and details.


Part V: Full Circle

Los Angeles, California. May, 2001

At the Hyperion Hotel 14 months later, Faith looked around at her companions and marvelled over how much things had changed over the past year.

The quartet had arrived back in L.A. in time to deal with the assassin, and Lindsey MacDonald, Lilah Morgan and Lee Mercer – the three lawyers responsible – got a rather nasty wake-up call, on not to mess with Angel Investigations like that ever again.

Faith had then wanted to turn herself in and go to jail, confess to her crimes – but Xander hadn't let her. "We need all the advantages we can get in this business, Faith, and you can't get a much better one than a Slayer..." Eventually, a deal was worked out; she would be locked up in Wesley's apartment during the day, but patrol at night.

Nothing would keep her there in that closet lined with iron bars, except her own quest for redemption...

And for a while, it had worked; until a Watcher Council wetworks team that had tried and failed to grab her once before heard the rumors, and found the rogue Slayer again. In the end though Wesley had told Smith, Collins and Weatherby – the three 'delivery men' – that Faith was and always had been his responsibility, and that either they would leave or kill him first if they wanted her.

And the only reason they didn't take option number two was that the trio suddenly realized a bullet in the leg from Xander, was a rather effective argument. Plus Angel's growling threats to castrate them just for starters, meant that unless the Council wanted a war it would be wise for them to go home to merrie old England.

But right now Cordelia, Angel, Xander, Drusilla, Wesley and she herself were more or less hanging around in the lobby, either reading or cleaning weapons or whatever. When suddenly the dark-haired seer turned to the former May Queen and said, "Oh, Cordy – I, um, I meant to mention it to you before..."

"Okay, Xander, what is it now?" she asked impatiently.

"Me, Dennis, Gene Rainy and David Nabbit have a D&D game scheduled for Friday night at your house, okay?"

"AGAIN?" the woman demanded instantly, sounding annoyed.

Her interlocutor got defensive. "Well, it is Phantom Dennis's place too! What's the problem?"

Cordelia threw her hands up, "Nothing! It's just – how pathetic is my life now? Like, I can't believe that my ghost roommate has friends over more often than I get asked out to dinner!"

Xander looked confused, misunderstanding her little rant. "Oh. Huh. Well, I get that the guy's a billionaire, but do you really want David to ask you out on a date?" Ignoring her incredulous look the guy then shrugged, "And about Dennis having guests – come on, Cor, we both grew up on a Hellmouth! You should know that being dead isn't enough to stop you from still having an active social life..."

Glaring daggers at him, Queen C just retreated into Angel's private office to get her purse. "Fine, I give up. You dorks can play your stupid game..."

Faith glanced around, trying not to laugh, when Drusilla caught her eye; and even though they were both natural enemies, they were nonetheless still fellow women, and unlike the guys the two knew perfectly well why the blond-streaked actress-slash-secretary was constantly acting this way around her ex.

It all came down to personal feelings. Faith – along with Cordelia, of course – knew that there was no future in a possible relationship with Xander Harris, given the circumstances; but a woman's head and her heart could and often did go in completely opposite directions.

{ Betcha the prom queen thinks about the stud every night, along with the no sex thing, } Faith thought to herself in amusement. { Pity for her the Xandman doesn't get how much he pushes her buttons, either. Man, it must piss C off something wicked bad, to know that there's something she now wants and can never have... }

Yes, like Buffy had learned years before, 'there's nothing more tempting than the taste of forbidden fruit'.

It was a malaise that affected all three of the L.A. femmes, at times; having a trio of relatively good-looking males around, and not being able to do anything about it.

Drusilla, for one, had developed an unhealthy fascination with Wesley; sensing the inner darkness within him that was invisible to everyone else, which would make him a more-than-acceptable substitute for Spike...

Faith, on her part, had also started eyeing Angel appreciatively, as he was the only one strong enough to give her a workout whenever she sparred with the gang. And although the brunette had no intention of unleashing Angelus – or for that matter accepting the hell that was Xander's visions, or provoking Wes – sometimes, she just got so damned hungry and horny...

Dru followed Cordelia out of the lounge area, for her own reasons. And the vampiress watched calmly, in that detached and out-of-this-world way she had cultivated, as the human angrily shoved a chair aside, looking for her fashion accessory.

{ I hate my life, } Cordy thought to herself furiously. { What the hell's the matter with me? Why am I wanting that, that geek like this? I swore to kill myself before going down that road again! }

She paused. { I'm Cordelia Chase; there should be guys lining up in L.A. to ask me out! And Xander's moved on. Or rather, just taken himself off the market; Angel must have given him tips on how to cope, without ever getting laid. So, what's it gonna take for him to do the same for me? }

Angel had other things on his mind, as he sharpened a sword outside the office. His thoughts were on the recent past, for it had not been very long since he had buried Darla – after the blonde woman had finally died from her syphilitic heart condition.

The Irish undead's former sire and lover had been brought back as a human the previous year, as part of a plan by Wolfram & Hart to drive the ensouled vampire over the edge into his own inner darkness. Lindsey MacDonald had lost a hand that night, and sworn revenge on Angel and his people; despite the fact that it was the firm's official "policy" not to kill the Champion, but to bring him over to their side.

And to that end, after Angel had tried and failed to cure Darla through a series of trials, the lawyer had shown up at her apartment with a bunch of thugs and her grandchilde called Penn, in order to vamp the woman and supposedly 'save' her life.

Even now, Angel shuddered to think about what might have happened, if Xander hadn't shown up and shot dead the entire SWAT team with Riley's pistol – just in time for him to get loose from their taser shocks, and finally stake Dru's 'brother' like he'd failed to do the previous December.

But then Harris had put the gun to Lindsey's head and mercilessly barked out, "Say good night, asshole!" – and to be perfectly honest, Angel hadn't been able to find a single reason within himself to tell his friend not to do it.

Luckily, Darla had. "Alexander, don't. The others were to save me, but this is murder. And it's not worth throwing your life away like this..."

It had been very touch and go, but finally the former Halloween soldier had yielded with a snarl and handed over the .45 to the woman. The dying blonde had then said in a soft tone, "So, Lindsey. You tried to damn me..."

The young man, who despite everything had genuinely fallen in love with her, had protested, "No! I was trying to save you-!"

"Something like that isn't the answer. I know that now," had been the 400-year-old woman's instant reply. "Lindsey? Don't show your face around me again; there's nothing left for us to say to each other. And after what you and your friend Vocah did to both Angelus and Alexander, I don't think anyone could persuade them to spare your life ever again. My advice for you is to get out of Wolfram & Hart – leave town, as soon as you can..."

And the junior partner of the evil law firm had either done so, or he had been executed for incompetence – as no one had ever seen him again, after that night.

Angel was suddenly jerked back to the present though, at the sight of four people from Sunnydale – Giles, Anya, Buffy and her 'sister' Dawn – entering into the hotel, almost running in their haste. "Giles? Buffy?"

"Angel. Hi..." the blonde Slayer said guardedly. The Chosen One hadn't forgotten that she had once hit her ex for decking her boyfriend, and just did her best to ignore Faith's presence.

"Hey, everyone! Welcome, you finally made it to come see our new place!" Xander tried to sound upbeat. "Any chance of belated housewarming gifts? Frolicking nymphs are still a perpetual favorite of mine..."

"We don't have time for traditional donation of gifts!" said Anya at once, her voice strident. "We only have time to panic! Because we're at Death's door here, and repeatedly ringing the doorbell like maniacal Girl Scouts trying to make quota!"

Before anyone could ask what that meant, Cordelia came out after hearing the commotion; and her face grew somewhat confused at seeing the new arrivals. "What's going on here?" Then Ms. Chase glimpsed a brunette teenager she hadn't seen before, and smiled. "Dawn! Hi!"

The young woman calling herself Dawn Summers looked oddly at all five members of the Fang Gang, as although she felt like she had known them for years – this was, in fact, the first time the girl had physically laid eyes on these people.

The reasons why were a long and complicated story. But basically Dawn had previously been an ancient green living energy known as the Key, that had been made human by a group of desperate guardian monks and sent to Buffy for protection – in the shape of a sister. Which the holy men had then made everyone believe had always been there, and part of their lives, around eight months ago.

Xander, in his blessed innocence, simply opened his arms out wide and stated, "How's my favorite Dawn-patrol?"

Recent events were too much to cope with any longer; the child just threw herself into the 20-year-old man's embrace, and started to cry softly as he hugged her. Then Dawn went over to hug Cordelia too, having missed one of her favorite role models of the past. When Faith nervously said "hi" though, the 14-year-old just glared – having manufactured feelings and memories, about the former member of the dark side of the Force.

Buffy was trying to keep it together, and it didn't help when the part-demon guy asked, "Hey, where's Willow?"

Giles sighed, "Xander, there's a great deal we need to tell you..."

"She's recovering from her injuries – bad ones – in the hospital," the blonde Slayer interrupted hopelessly. "I'm sorry, Xander, but we had to leave Tara and her behind..."

The strange story then started to be spilled out. The residents of L.A. learned about the creature calling itself Glorificus, or Glory, who had come to Sunnydale in the latter half of the year 2000; a hellgod who was mad, and seeking the Key for some unknown reason. A being that looked like a beautiful blonde woman who subsisted on sucking the sanity out of human beings, which she had done to Tara Maclay one afternoon not long ago.

"Willow went after Glory for revenge, after what happened to her girlfriend," Anya then said with a headshake. "We warned her not to, but she didn't listen..."

"Riley and I got there too late, even though we managed to get her away before Glory could kill her. Later while Dawn, Riley and I were visiting Tara, though..." Buffy added.

"What exactly happened?" asked Wesley in fascination.

Just then Drusilla entered the room, and instantly gazed at Dawn. "Oh, look at this, look at this! The light, it's so green and pure, it's lovely..." She then lapsed into wide-eyed silent wonder.

"Glory witnessed something like that," Buffy glanced at the chipped vampiress with weary hatred, not having forgotten how the undead woman had murdered her sister Slayer and friend Kendra, Faith's predecessor, a few years before.

The babbling had almost freaked Dawn out, as she backed off and stood next to Big Sis. Angel was smart enough to put it together though, "Dawn? Why is Glory after you?"

Giles took over explaining the tale, about the Key and who and what Dawn really was. The L.A. crowd found it hard to believe, but the reinstated Watcher simply said, "I assure you, I am not exaggerating this i-in any way. And it came down to the point where, where Buffy decided we had to run for it. The Initiative, er, covered our retreat..."

"Actually, they most likely all got killed, just trying to delay the hell-bitch," Anya interjected.

The Englishman looked at his girlfriend, who got the message even as Buffy started to tear up – leaving Riley behind to die, hadn't been easy for her. Especially not after her mother had also died from an aneurysm, a few months before... "We were just outside of town, and thinking we were safe – when those asshole Knights tried to kill us, to boot..."

"What Knights?" asked the man Angelus had called a White Knight.

"The Knights of Byzantium," Dawn said shortly.

"I've heard of them," Wesley noted. "A military-religious order, founded in the 12th century..."

"Yeah, lucky for us they still live in it too! Bunch of idiot pompous males," the ex-demon piped up.

Buffy finished up the story, "We had the red sports car that Giles had given to Anya, and a lot more horsepower – literally – than they did. We outran them easy. But we, um, we didn't have anywhere else to go, so here we are..."

"It's fine. I'm glad you came," Angel reassured her with a gentle smile, having gotten over the past.

"Yeah, well, okay, we're now in L.A. – waiting for Glory to come find us. And what are we gonna do if she does? We can't stop her. Look at what happened to Willow," the Key almost trembled.

Xander suddenly got a funny look on his face. "So, uh, what was Spike doing during all this?"

It was an odd side note to the saga; but after that night last year, Buffy and Riley had talked about all that had happened. And after beating the truth out of Angleman, the Chosen One had learned the bleached-blonde vamp was now a chipped prisoner of the Initiative, just as his former paramour had been.

Buffy had decided that because he had saved Xander, just this once the vampire who had helped her avert Acathla's apocalypse had earned himself a 'Get out of jail free' card. And after Riley had convinced his C.O. to release the prisoner into the Slayer's custody because of the perpetual overcrowding, Willow had taken him to Los Angeles.

But that hadn't worked out – Drusilla hadn't wanted William the Bloody around due to the voices in her head saying that he was destined to fall for the Slayer, and Angel and Spike still had one gigantic horrendous loathing for one another. Thus with nowhere else to go, the former Big Bad had returned to Sunnydale...

And so Buffy rolled her eyes in disgust at Xander's question. "Glory almost beat him to death, after an incident with a robot I am not gonna go into details about! He's probably sulking in his crypt right about now..."

Cordelia went to put her arms around the Key as Xander joined them, his protective instincts for the Summers women still a dominant part of his psyche. "Dawn? This thing is not gonna get you. I promise, okay? And you know I don't lie, remember?"

The teenager could remember that, and her worries eased somewhat – before Dru dropped the bombshell, "Oh, Miss Edith says she's coming! Like lollipops at the circus. She'll come to slash...and bash...and...and..." The female vamp let out a little gasp of surprise, "...make you bleed like beautiful poetry..."

Then Drusilla looked around to Xander, "Can't you feel it too, kitten? It's the end of the world, it is!"


As the Scoobies and Fang Gang erupted in a babblefest reminiscent of the Tower of Babel, a green-skinned red-horned singing anagogic demon came into the Hyperion. "Hello, campers! What's happening?"

Buffy instantly got ready to slay him, her nerves almost complete frayed after all that had happened; but more than one member of the Angelites stepped in front of her to prevent it. "It's okay, Buff, he's a friend. Non-hostile good demon here," Xander tried to reassure her.

"Whoa!" the owner and Host of the Karaoke bar called 'Caritas' exclaimed. "I don't need to hear the sweet sounds of Aretha to know I'm suddenly gettin' some seriously freaked vibes here, people. Uh, is there an apocalypse happening right now that I should know about?"

"Got it in one, Lean and Green," Faith relaxed as she saw Buffy also start to do so.

"Who are you?" Anya asked abruptly. "You look kinda familiar..."

"Name's Lorne, cupcake," the demon smiled in honest friendship. "I run a bar downtown called-"

"'Caritas', yeah, now I remember!" Anya yelled in indignation. "What was the big idea, setting up that kind of sanctuary in your Karaoke bar five years ago? I lost more than one opportunity for vengeance, when my targets hid in there..."

Lorne stepped back, "Oh...Anyanka? What are you doing here? No offence, doll – but shouldn't you be out somewhere making a cheating husband eat his liver, or something like that?"

"I became mortal over two years ago," Anya spat out. "I'm powerless to do that sorta thing anymore. Darn it..."

Giles just rubbed his glasses wearily as the Host smiled again, "And the being human thing's pretty much agreeing with you, I take it?" The demon saw Anya blush and look away, "No need to be ashamed of that, my little lamb – it's the way life is. You move on. Your karma takes you to the new place, whatever and wherever that place may happen to be. We all take such journeys..."

Xander suddenly looked like he was having a thought, then started working on a plan – much like that night over three years before, when the Scoobies had been trying figure out a way to stop the unstoppable demon called the Judge. The others started talking, as he started cogitating...

Angel suggested, "We need to focus here. Come up with some way to stop this Glory person..."

"Weren't you listening?" Anya demanded. "She's a god, not some stupid demon. She can't be stopped! Just ask Dawn's dead boyfriend, Kevin!"

Buffy agreed reluctantly as Dawn looked away in tears, "Willow was the only one to ever even remotely hurt her, and she's not around right now..."

"So, then, what? Just hide? We can't do that forever!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Maybe we don't have to," Xander slowly said. Everyone turned to stare at him, as he began to explain, "Look, I dunno if this is such a bright notion, but something occurred to me just now. This thing was banished to our dimension, right? But that doesn't mean we have to stay here, for her to find and kill us..."

Wesley was confused and started to say, "Xander, what on Earth do you-" when Drusilla looked at the youth in astonishment and interrupted in her British accent, "Kitten, that's not a good idea-!"

"What?" practically everyone demanded.

Xander simply said, "We hide out in Pylea for a while, and if necessary make our stand there. Level the playing field..."

A veritable storm was unleashed in the hotel lobby with those words, a combination of confusion and disbelief. The people from the Hellmouth had no clue what he was talking about, and the other group was remembering their adventures with the Host's cousin, Landokmar of the Deathwok Clan. Someone who had almost been killed whilst briefly in Los Angeles, thanks to Cordy reading an incantation in a public library after Xander had had a vision.

Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan, as he was known back home, put an end to the argumentative discussion with a piercingly loud whistle. He then glared at the seer, "Are you outta your itty bitty little mind here, Sparky?"

The others began to question him, but the Host simply said, "Trust me, you don't want to go to my world. Not looking like this!"

Cordelia appeared offended, staring at her skirt. "Like what?"

Lorne never hesitated, "Like a human!"


In the end though, the Host was overruled despite his objections; as even though Buffy didn't relish the thought of exposing her sister to the dangers of a demon dimension, she liked the prospects of just waiting around for their insane adversary to kill them even less.

Since no one had any better ideas, the Fang Gang visited the same public library they had gone to before, and retrieved the appropriate book. Supplies and weapons were gathered and the next day, everyone was together at 'Caritas', where the portal could be opened.

Lorne was looking desperate. "Have I mentioned that this is a really lousy idea? I mean, going home? I'd rather have a hydrochloric acid facial. I'd rather invite a hive of wasps to nest in my throat. I'd rather sit through a junior high school production of 'Cats'! Does anyone see where I'm going with this, already?"

"Well, we could leave you behind for Glory to torture and kill you very painfully, when she finds out what's happened," Anya said pragmatically.

The empath demon suddenly looked thoughtful. "Then again, Landok did say good old Mom was sorta missing me..."

But suddenly, Glory's crusty minions – underworld bottom-feeders, or hobbits with leprosy, call them what you will – burst into the sanctuary. The leader named Jinx pointed at Dawn and shouted to his fellows, "Kill them all! Obtain the Key for the most Groove-Tastic One! Our day of Glory is finally at hand!"

"Well punned!" his comrade named Murk congratulated him.

Jinx preened, "Well, it just called out to me..."

But even as the bad guys began to strike out at the good ones, they were repelled away by a bright blue light. And the same thing happened, when anyone with demon blood did the same thing in the other camp...

"What's happening?" Buffy demanded, as she saw Angel get blasted back.

"The sanctuary spell I have on my club!" Lorne called back. "Demon violence isn't possible in here! Human violence, on the other hand – different kettle of fish!"

"Great!" the blonde Chosen One muttered. She stood next to her sister, and Faith joined her; the brunette said simply in reply to her former enemy's look, "I got your back this time, B. I swear..."

There was no time for debate however, as they then stood side by side to protect Dawn, and easily kicked ass. "Cordy! Hurry up and do it!" Buffy then yelled.

The young woman in question had the book in her hands and with a deep breath muttered, "Krv drpglr pwlz chkwrt strplmt dwghzn prqlrzn lffrmtplzt!"

The huge glowing portal appeared, and for a moment everyone looked at it in awe. Then the demons began doubling their efforts to get Dawn, desperately determined not to fail their god...

"Everyone, get to the portal!" Angel yelled.

A few moments later, most of the white hats were there and ready to jump in – when the unthinkable happened.

Glory slammed her way right through a wall, and tore into the club in search of Dawn.

Xander leapt at Glory, only to be thrown back against the barstools. As he was no longer human enough, to be excluded from the spell. "Oh, crap..."

The hellgod was somewhat confused by what had just happened, for a few precious moments, and as the former Nighthawk saw the rest of his people ready to depart Xander yelled, "GO!"

Cordelia looked at him in horror, realizing the situation and yelled, "NOOOO!" But it was too late – Angel yanked her backwards, and the defenders all vanished into another world.

With superhuman speed, Glory tried to follow – but a hitherto-unknown clause of her cursed banishment and imprisonment within the human meat sack called Ben, prevented her from travelling through after them. Bounced back into the Karaoke bar, she could only watch impotently as the interdimensional vortex vanished.

The crazy hellgod was very annoyed, and instantly turned towards Xander. "Where did they go? How do we follow them?"

Xander Harris was outnumbered and surrounded, and faced with Glory's anger quickly became resigned to his fate.


Pylea demon dimension. May, 2001

Somewhere on the other side of the rainbow, the portal opened up – and disgorged all its passengers after a bumpy ride, into some sort of meadow. Had they done the research, Giles and Wesley would have known that when separate entities enter a dimensional portal, they tend to – well – separate; the refugees could have ended up literally on opposite ends of the world...

But then, nobody had ever attempted such a journey using the Key.

Some part of Dawn's subconscious, a part of her that needed her friends and family to stay with her, mystically held the group together; tapping into her true power, it guided all the travellers to the same spot.

Before the screams of vertigo were even over, Angel looked at himself fearfully. "The sun. Daylight. Quick – somebody get something, to cover me and Dru up!"

Faith reacted without thinking, she dived on top of the Champion and they both crashed to the ground. The vampire was suddenly distracted by the human girl's concerned face, and he could also smell all that hot, intoxicating Slayer blood pumping just inches away in her carotid...

Drusilla just waved Wesley aside, as she stared upwards. "Why am I not on fire?" she asked, looking hopelessly for the moon and the stars.

As Faith and Angel somewhat embarrassedly got up, Wesley and Giles looked at the sky too. "Fascinating. Another dimension, with different metaphysical laws..." muttered the junior Englishman.

"Yes, quite," Rupert agreed in wonder. "Two suns, that obviously don't have the same effect on vampires as our own-"

"COULD WE PLEASE FOCUS HERE?" Cordelia screamed, recovering her wits. "We just left Xander behind. That Glory thing's got him!"

Buffy, Dawn, Faith and Dru suddenly realized that, and almost began freaking out. Angel started trying to calm them down, saying, "Maybe he got away from her. Xander can take care of himself now..."

"We've gotta go back for him!" Buffy opined, taking charge.

"Where's the book?" Lorne asked at once. "I told you guys to hold on tight to that puppy! The last thing I wanna do is hang around in this dimension again, waiting for a mystical locksmith..."

They looked, but the book was nowhere to be found. "This is pointless. It's not here!" Anya exclaimed.

Wesley said slowly, "Well, perhaps the book – perhaps its only function is to open portals to Pylea. In which case, it would be useless in Pylea and therefore – it only exists in our own dimension?"

"You mean we're stuck in this world, Wes?" Faith demanded, not knowing about a former physics student and runaway slave close by called Fred Burkle – who would eventually get them all home.

Lorne looked ready to faint...and Dru started to have a bad sensation in her gut. As she held her stomach the soulless creature said, "Oh, oh, my kitten is in so much pain. The White Knight's bones are shatterin' like ice..."

Buffy, Cordy, Dawn and Faith lost it completely.


Los Angeles, California. May, 2001

It would have been nice to imagine that Xander valiantly stood against the black hat's threats, and was somehow saved by his friends coming back – as they refused to abandon him to the mercy of evil, and engineered a fantastic search and rescue attempt at the last moment.

It would have been be nice – but, also, quite inaccurate. As his fate was a lot more ugly than that.

Glory wasted no time with any smart chat, or bribes to win Xander over to her side. Infuriated at losing her Key yet again, the demented creature – unaffected by the sanctuary spell – simply started venting said fury upon the young man almost at once.

His ribs were instantly smashed. Nose shattered. Arm and leg bones snapped into pieces. Inner organs ruptured and bleeding...just like Drusilla had felt and foreseen.

"Maybe I should make this clear. I. WANT. MY. KEY!" Glorificus yelled into the demi-human's face.

Xander held out for as long as he could, as he was no stranger to pain – in one form or another, it had been his only constant companion right from the cradle. But every man has his breaking point – and when Glory grabbed hold of his testicles, even he could no longer take the white-hot agony.

A minion named Dreg grabbed the book – which had failed to cross over with the escapees, for the precise reasons that Wesley had suspected – and tried to open another portal. The plan was for him and his fellows to follow after the Key, and bring it back at once...

Never mind that the whole scheme was doomed to fail before it even began, given Dawn's travel services were unavailable; the mystical doorway refused to even open up.

Certain geographical areas in L.A. were rife with psychic energy, and these areas functioned as dimensional hotspots, or natural gateways between worlds. The problem for Glory was that creating a portal tended to deplete a hotspot of its energy; and thus, until the batteries recharged it was impossible to do as she commanded.

Completely pissed, the deity from a hellfire dimension was about to kill Xander – he was useless for a brain-suck, even if she had been in the mood – when they both found themselves in the White Room, after an eruption of white light.


"What the hell is going on?" the hellgoddess demanded, after finding herself unable to move.

Four members of the Ra-tet were gathered together, much like they had been on that night with their shaman informant – nearly two years ago now. Mesektet said calmly to Glory, "Your powers don't work here."

"Well, gee, that's obvious. Now lemme go, you little bitch!" the blonde demanded, straining to get loose.

"You wish to be free?" Mr. Ashet asked, as he slowly stepped forward.

Glory didn't like his tone, when Ma'at sighed and said simply, "Let's get this part over with. There's no need to prolong the ugly business with pointless conversation..."

Semkhet bellowed out a mighty roar, and a hole appeared in the floor right behind Glory. Black and seeming to pulsate, the portal seemed determined to drag the insane woman in...but suddenly, she morphed back into Ben – the human, the bane of her existence.

The medical intern was completely confused, not knowing where he was and what had happened – and then Ashet gave him a cold-hearted push. He died screaming after falling into the black hole, which subsequently vanished without a sound.

The foursome then turned their attention to the broken and dying form of Xander Harris. Mesektet raised her hand, and it was as if invisible arms suddenly grasped him and forced his body upright – even holding the fallen warrior's head up straight.

"Greetings, Alexander Lavelle Harris," Ma'at said softly, as Xander floated effortlessly.

"You're probably wondering why you're here," Mesektet smiled, the evil thing amused at his situation.

"We have a story to tell you," Ashet added, his customary aloofness present.

Semkhet growled, and yet Xander had no trouble understanding the Totem; that the tale would be a complex one indeed.

Ma'at came over, and the woman stroked his cheek sadly. "Your human body is going to die soon, there's nothing we can do about that. I'm sorry," she said. "But I believe you should know the truth, before it happens. You see, this is all our fault; we're responsible for what's happened to you..."

The Ra-tet introduced themselves, then as promised started to explain everything.

Xander heard in disbelief, followed by anger, how the Totems had changed his destiny in order to save themselves and many others. Instantly pissed off when informed of the words of Miss Files and Records, the young man however later agreed with the five's decision – when he learned about The Beast, and the possessed Cordelia murdering people.

Basically, events finally came full circle as Xander heard and saw all that Wo-Pang had relayed to the Totems years ago. The anger vanished, only to be replaced with a sense of bitterness and futility through the ever-increasing pain.

{ A pawn. Wild card, my ass – a frickin' tool, that's all I ever was! All I was ever meant to be. My God, it all makes so much sense now – no wonder my own parents treated me like that. They musta known, unconsciously, that I wasn't supposed to be there! And everything was destined to fall apart for me after Graduation, too? Probably – my ultimate purpose in life was already accomplished. I'd done my job – betrayed and alienated Cordelia from her rich friends, so that after her dad got busted by the IRS she had no one to turn to and eventually left town... }

The fury then came back, only this time it was directed at the author of his existence – Jasmine. { Damn you to Hell, whoever you are! If I wasn't about to die here, you showed up – I'd rip you apart with my bare hands! Well, the last laugh's on you anyway...you're never getting your claws into my Cordy now! I'm taking the visions with me... }

"You should know that we can hear your thoughts," Mesektet said thoughtfully, the so-called little girl getting up from her chair.

"Your anger is quite justified, but also pointless now," Ma'at gazed at the dying man. "Things have changed, ever since the one called Darla died..."

"With the former whore's natural human death, that particular strategy of the Power-That-Be – to generate what it needed to manifest on our plane – was finally nullified completely. Thanks to you – the miracle child of two vampires will not be born. Not that way, not now," Ashet said.

Semkhet then said in his native language that all this had come at a cost, though, and they should not forget that. For too long, the five Totems had been four; and the situation could not be allowed to remain that way.

Unable to speak anymore after what Glory had done to him, Xander looked at them and thought through the agony, { What's that mean? }

The Ra-tet then surprised him yet again, for after another funky light show Xander was presented with the body of Manny – floating horizontally in front of him, with his eyes closed.

Ma'at explained, "The ritual to change destiny required one of us – Manjet, as it turned out – to give up their life force."

"And ever since then, the sun has been gradually losing strength," Mesektet added to Xander's sudden horror.

"The god called Ra created the Ra-tet, and decreed for its five manifestations to have powers and responsibilities. If all of us die, it can anoint five others to take our place. But nothing else, to save humanity," Ashet stated, straightening up.

Semkhet growled, and in a daze Xander understood that he was being offered the chance to take Manny's position in the group. Restore the balance, and live on after all. But the only thing he could think was, { What's the catch? }

"You would prefer one day, for the world to be trapped in a permanent midnight?" Ashet asked acidly.

"And what other option do you have? Do you want to die?" Mesektet had an evil smirk.

The shamaness came to face Xander again, and the one-time King of Cretins was relatively glad. As he could feel that out of them all – she was the most trustworthy.

"I wouldn't blame you if you just spat in our faces, and cursed us for what we've done to you," Ma'at whispered. "We would deserve it, I most of all. But the simple truth is, we do need you now – or someone like you. A new Sacred Guardian of the Shen, Keeper of the Orb of Ma'at, and devotee of light..."

She stepped back, "And who better than its own creation to stand guard, in case the enemy comes up with a new plan and unleashes The Beast upon us all?" The shamaness extended her hand, "I ask you to join us. The burden of immortality will not be an easy one, but the cause is worthy. For you, and for the world."

Xander was suddenly reminded of the conversation he'd had with the Fang Gang, on that first day he'd started work for Angel Investigations. That maybe he was destined for something more in life, than just being the Zeppo. He sensed the sincerity from Ma'at, and so made his decision – with only moments to spare.

Manjet's body began to glow like a supernova, as the Orb within his head was given to a new Keeper. And after he had ascended – he had become – the rest of the Ra-tet said as one, "Welcome to the family...Xandet."

He who had been Xander Harris didn't know that his new relatives had already arranged for the visions to be transferred to a worthy recipient.

Or that in the future, a vampire named Harmony Kendall would think that it would be an excellent practical joke to slip some Doximall into the champagne of himself and Cordelia one night; and nine months later, Cordy would subsequently give birth to a daughter named Joyce, in honor of Buffy's dead mom.

Or that Angel would eventually be made human as a reward for his efforts as a Champion, to Faith's immense pleasure.

Or that Giles and Anya would marry the next year, and have lots of children in Sunnydale – that were destined to grow up there and be horribly spoiled by their aunts Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara. As well as Spike...

Or that the situation between Wesley and Drusilla would eventually come to a head, after their return from Pylea, and only one of them would walk away afterwards.

To quote the Cordelia of another timeline, all Xandet knew was that "somehow, it's all gonna be all right."

The sun began to shine brightly at full strength once more, sending its life-giving rays down towards the City of Angels. The visions were now gone, and the pawn had become a true player on the chessboard.

THE END