"Oh, hi Angel," said Cordelia as she walked into the lobby of the Hyperion,
"Hi, Cordelia, had fun shopping? Hey, where are Giles and Wesley?" I asked, looking around the group and noting that the two englishmen were missing.
"They went to look through some books," said Xander, "Y'know give each other all the English, watcherly gossip." Anya tapped Xander's leg and whispered something to him. He blushed slightly "Not now, Ahn. You only go to bed in the middle of the day if you're really - um - tired." he said. Just then, Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Angel? Y'know, that bed of yours is quite big. Too big for me, all on my lonesome," she called down to me. I walked up the stairs towards her, ignoring everyone's amused looks, and followed her into my bedroom. I heard Gunn give a cough that sounded distinctly like 'whipped' as I reached the top of the stairs.
"They're going to have sex, Xander," Anya said, petulantly, "Why can't we?" Xander turned bright red again.
"They aren't going to have sex. They can't, and neither can we."
"Why?"
"Umm...because it's Angel's hotel?" he tried, but she wasn't having it. "Okay, Ahn, let's go for a walk on the beach or something?" she sighed in annoyance
"Oh, okay," she said, and the two of them left the hotel.
"Well, they're an interesting couple." said Fred.
"Yeah, she's probably the only girl Xander could - Aaaargh!" Cordelia screamed and pitched forward violently as she was hit by an extremely painful vision. Gunn rushed to catch her as she fell.
"What do you see?" he asked her in a concerned voice.
"The End of Days!" she gasped before falling into a dead faint.
*~*~*~*
Cordelia was perched on the edge of one of the sofas in the lobby. In her shaking hands she held a glass of water and some painkillers. Sat around her was the whole gang; myself, with Buffy on my lap, Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Giles, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Anya and Spike.
"We were in Sunnydale. All of us, Faith and -" Cordelia glanced at Willow swiftly as she spoke, "Oz were there as well. We - we were all stood outside the burnt out High School, and, erm, there was a huge explosion. It smelt horrible and it was hot, so hot. I thought I was melting. Then, erm, all these demons came flooding out of the school. Loads of demons, hundreds of them. Lot's of Morah demons as well. At the front were all the big bads that we've faced, the Master, and the Mayor, and Darla and Vocah and a really ugly frankenstein type thing - "
"Adam," said everyone from Sunnydale, cutting of Cordelia mid - sentence. She glared at them irritably before continuing,
"And this majorly pissed off looking chick with frizzy hair - "
"Glory," they all said. Buffy tensed at the mention of the hellgod's name, and I tightened my arms around her and breathed a kiss over the pulse point in her neck. Cordelia frowned at the 'Scoobies'.
"Excuse me? Whose painful vision was this?"
"Sorry,"
"And- Angeus was there," Buffy's eyes teared up and she clung to me. "But Angel was there too. It was weird. Then we all started to fight, and then Sunnydale disappeared and there was this bright flash then I was in this white, like, really white room with four people in it they were looking at me. Umm...they were...I saw Ms Calen - Jenny Calendar," she paused, looking at me and Giles as we both stiffened. Buffy brought my hand up to her mouth and kissed it reassuringly. "and this badly dressed guy from Boston wearing a fedora - "
"Whistler," Buffy and I said at the same time. I was about to ask how Buffy knew him when Cordy cleared her throat in annoyance.
"And the Oracles and-" Cordelia's voice broke slightly as she continued, "And D...Doyle and they all stared at me and started chanting this freaky verse thing...oh, what was it? Umm...
'14 shall rise, after they fell,
To meet up with the 2.
The ones they left have gained more strength
To fight the final battle.
16 Warriors, bound together
To protect the World.
The side of the light will be led
By the strongest One, and her Angel.
Fighting side by side with Hope and Faith,
Backed by the Rising Sun.
Tree and Heart and Wolf
Sister and Saint and Seers.
The Fool and Father and Brother.
The Turned and the Weapon,
Hope's fine 4 will join with them,
Watcher wise and Charmed one,
Virgin and Disciple.
21 Stars to fight for Light
Above the Mouth of Hell.
They must not fail
To win the War
and end the Army's tale.'
And then it showed us again, fighting, and- and Doyle was with us, but there were five other people and it was weird. Like, in the future or something. It was beyond freaky." Cordelia finished her tale and leant into the back of the sofa, exhausted.
"I've read that before." said Giles, "That poem, it's a prophecy - "
"Well, duh?" said Buffy.
"It's said to be on of the prophecies about the End of Days. The true final battle. There are a few, though nobody is quite sure which is the true one,"
As everyone sat there in a stunned silence, the doorbell rang. Everyone jumped as the chime echoed throughout the hotel and Wesley went to answer it.
"Hey. Wesley. Don't suppose everyone's in there are they?"
"Oz!" cried Willow, jumping to her feet and running to the door. "Why are you here?"
"Hey, Will. I have no idea. I was in New York and I had this dream. Two shiny people came up to me and said something about a big fight and stuff. Seemed important. I figured that the only people they could be on about are you guys and so, here I am. I went to Sunnydale first...but the Slayer was out of town." he told everone as he came in and sat down. "Hey Giles, Xander, Anya, Tara. Cordelia. People I don't know. Hey, Buffy, Angel. Back together?" Buffy nodded happily and Oz smiled at her. "Good for you,"
"Oz, that's Gunn and Fred," I told him, gesturing to each of them, "Guys, this is Oz,"
"Hello Oz, We were expecting you to turn up." said Giles,
"We were?" asked Buffy in surprise. Giles glared at her.
"Hush, Buffy. Right well. I imagine that it refers to each of us and well, 5 others. Who could they be?"
"First," I said, "We have to find out who we are,"
"Yes, yes. Of course. Well, I would imagine that 'The strongest One and her Angel' are you, Buffy, and Angel."
"Strongest one?" she asked, confused.
"No," I explained, "strongest One. The Chosen One, so it means the strongest Slayer. You."
"Cool,"
"I'm the Saint," said Anya, "The Patron Saint of Scorned Women. Ex,"
"I'm the Sister," said Dawn
"Ooh, Willow's the Tree!" said Buffy
"Does that mean that Tara is the Charmed One?" asked Willow.
"Possibly," said Wesley, "Oz is the Wolf, obviously,"
"precious Faith is probably Psycotic Slayer," said Cordelia, "And I'm a Seer,"
"Gunn's the Weapon, and Giles is the Father." said Buffy, "Wesley's probably the Watcher?"
"Probably," said Giles, "That leaves Xander, Fred and Spike, no?"
"Xander's the fool," said Buffy, smiling at her friend.
"Hey!" he said, "Why?"
"It means Fool like Clown, Xander," I explained
"Oh. Okay,"
"I reckon I'm the Turned One," said Spike, "Cos of the chip, y'know, I've turned to your side,"
"Yes, that would make sense," said Giles
"What about me?" asked Fred. Everyone looked at the poem, trying to think which one could be Fred.
"Well, how about if Fred's the Sister, cuz we all think of her as a Sister, and she is next to me," suggested Cordelia.
"But what about Dawn?" asked Tara, "Oh, actually. Yes, I think Cordelia is right,"
"Huh?" asked Dawn in confusion.
"Dawnie, you're the Rising Sun," Tara explained.
"So...who's the other Seer?" asked Xander
Cordelia breathed in deeply, I looked at her, knowing what she was thinking.
"I...I think it could mean...well, D...doyle was a Seer, and he was in my vision, so maybe him?
"What about the others? Who are they? Where are they?" asked Buffy.
"They're from the future." guessed Fred, " "It says '13 shall rise, after they fell, To meet up with the 2. It kinda makes sense?"
"Yes, well done Fred," Wesley beamed at the shy Texan girl. "I think that someone, probably Hope, is the Slayer of the time," he continued, "And the Watcher is her Watcher. I'm likely to be the Brother, no?"
"Yes!" said Gunn
"I - I think I'm the Heart," said Tara nervously, "And the Charmed One is one of Hope's friends,"
"Yes, you're the heart because you're so kind and loving! All heart," said Buffy, smiling at Tara, "Not to mention clever." Tara smiled shyly at everyone.
"So, the Slayer at the time, along with 4 of her friends, are Hope, the Watcher, the Virgin, the Charmed One and the Disciple?" asked Willow. Everyone agreed with her and she smiled, "Cool,"
"I think we should start training. For our battle. The one in Sunnydale," said Buffy. I bent my head down and whispered in her ear.
"I've got to pick Faith up. She's on parole for good behavior. Do you want to come with me?"
"Umm... " Buffy said, unsure.
"And you can only come if you promise not to kill her on sight or 'beat her to death' when she apologises," I added, smirking.
"Okay, but I'm not gonna talk to her. I'm only coming because I want to stay with you. But I promise not to beat her to death. I'll accept her apology,"
"Good girl," I said, kissing her. We stood up together.
"We're going out," Buffy announced, "We'll be back later." before anyone could ask where we were going, I'd grabbed my car keys and we'd headed out of the door.
"I agree with Buffy," Cordelia announced, "Training is a plan."
"Hi, Cordelia, had fun shopping? Hey, where are Giles and Wesley?" I asked, looking around the group and noting that the two englishmen were missing.
"They went to look through some books," said Xander, "Y'know give each other all the English, watcherly gossip." Anya tapped Xander's leg and whispered something to him. He blushed slightly "Not now, Ahn. You only go to bed in the middle of the day if you're really - um - tired." he said. Just then, Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Angel? Y'know, that bed of yours is quite big. Too big for me, all on my lonesome," she called down to me. I walked up the stairs towards her, ignoring everyone's amused looks, and followed her into my bedroom. I heard Gunn give a cough that sounded distinctly like 'whipped' as I reached the top of the stairs.
"They're going to have sex, Xander," Anya said, petulantly, "Why can't we?" Xander turned bright red again.
"They aren't going to have sex. They can't, and neither can we."
"Why?"
"Umm...because it's Angel's hotel?" he tried, but she wasn't having it. "Okay, Ahn, let's go for a walk on the beach or something?" she sighed in annoyance
"Oh, okay," she said, and the two of them left the hotel.
"Well, they're an interesting couple." said Fred.
"Yeah, she's probably the only girl Xander could - Aaaargh!" Cordelia screamed and pitched forward violently as she was hit by an extremely painful vision. Gunn rushed to catch her as she fell.
"What do you see?" he asked her in a concerned voice.
"The End of Days!" she gasped before falling into a dead faint.
*~*~*~*
Cordelia was perched on the edge of one of the sofas in the lobby. In her shaking hands she held a glass of water and some painkillers. Sat around her was the whole gang; myself, with Buffy on my lap, Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Giles, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Anya and Spike.
"We were in Sunnydale. All of us, Faith and -" Cordelia glanced at Willow swiftly as she spoke, "Oz were there as well. We - we were all stood outside the burnt out High School, and, erm, there was a huge explosion. It smelt horrible and it was hot, so hot. I thought I was melting. Then, erm, all these demons came flooding out of the school. Loads of demons, hundreds of them. Lot's of Morah demons as well. At the front were all the big bads that we've faced, the Master, and the Mayor, and Darla and Vocah and a really ugly frankenstein type thing - "
"Adam," said everyone from Sunnydale, cutting of Cordelia mid - sentence. She glared at them irritably before continuing,
"And this majorly pissed off looking chick with frizzy hair - "
"Glory," they all said. Buffy tensed at the mention of the hellgod's name, and I tightened my arms around her and breathed a kiss over the pulse point in her neck. Cordelia frowned at the 'Scoobies'.
"Excuse me? Whose painful vision was this?"
"Sorry,"
"And- Angeus was there," Buffy's eyes teared up and she clung to me. "But Angel was there too. It was weird. Then we all started to fight, and then Sunnydale disappeared and there was this bright flash then I was in this white, like, really white room with four people in it they were looking at me. Umm...they were...I saw Ms Calen - Jenny Calendar," she paused, looking at me and Giles as we both stiffened. Buffy brought my hand up to her mouth and kissed it reassuringly. "and this badly dressed guy from Boston wearing a fedora - "
"Whistler," Buffy and I said at the same time. I was about to ask how Buffy knew him when Cordy cleared her throat in annoyance.
"And the Oracles and-" Cordelia's voice broke slightly as she continued, "And D...Doyle and they all stared at me and started chanting this freaky verse thing...oh, what was it? Umm...
'14 shall rise, after they fell,
To meet up with the 2.
The ones they left have gained more strength
To fight the final battle.
16 Warriors, bound together
To protect the World.
The side of the light will be led
By the strongest One, and her Angel.
Fighting side by side with Hope and Faith,
Backed by the Rising Sun.
Tree and Heart and Wolf
Sister and Saint and Seers.
The Fool and Father and Brother.
The Turned and the Weapon,
Hope's fine 4 will join with them,
Watcher wise and Charmed one,
Virgin and Disciple.
21 Stars to fight for Light
Above the Mouth of Hell.
They must not fail
To win the War
and end the Army's tale.'
And then it showed us again, fighting, and- and Doyle was with us, but there were five other people and it was weird. Like, in the future or something. It was beyond freaky." Cordelia finished her tale and leant into the back of the sofa, exhausted.
"I've read that before." said Giles, "That poem, it's a prophecy - "
"Well, duh?" said Buffy.
"It's said to be on of the prophecies about the End of Days. The true final battle. There are a few, though nobody is quite sure which is the true one,"
As everyone sat there in a stunned silence, the doorbell rang. Everyone jumped as the chime echoed throughout the hotel and Wesley went to answer it.
"Hey. Wesley. Don't suppose everyone's in there are they?"
"Oz!" cried Willow, jumping to her feet and running to the door. "Why are you here?"
"Hey, Will. I have no idea. I was in New York and I had this dream. Two shiny people came up to me and said something about a big fight and stuff. Seemed important. I figured that the only people they could be on about are you guys and so, here I am. I went to Sunnydale first...but the Slayer was out of town." he told everone as he came in and sat down. "Hey Giles, Xander, Anya, Tara. Cordelia. People I don't know. Hey, Buffy, Angel. Back together?" Buffy nodded happily and Oz smiled at her. "Good for you,"
"Oz, that's Gunn and Fred," I told him, gesturing to each of them, "Guys, this is Oz,"
"Hello Oz, We were expecting you to turn up." said Giles,
"We were?" asked Buffy in surprise. Giles glared at her.
"Hush, Buffy. Right well. I imagine that it refers to each of us and well, 5 others. Who could they be?"
"First," I said, "We have to find out who we are,"
"Yes, yes. Of course. Well, I would imagine that 'The strongest One and her Angel' are you, Buffy, and Angel."
"Strongest one?" she asked, confused.
"No," I explained, "strongest One. The Chosen One, so it means the strongest Slayer. You."
"Cool,"
"I'm the Saint," said Anya, "The Patron Saint of Scorned Women. Ex,"
"I'm the Sister," said Dawn
"Ooh, Willow's the Tree!" said Buffy
"Does that mean that Tara is the Charmed One?" asked Willow.
"Possibly," said Wesley, "Oz is the Wolf, obviously,"
"precious Faith is probably Psycotic Slayer," said Cordelia, "And I'm a Seer,"
"Gunn's the Weapon, and Giles is the Father." said Buffy, "Wesley's probably the Watcher?"
"Probably," said Giles, "That leaves Xander, Fred and Spike, no?"
"Xander's the fool," said Buffy, smiling at her friend.
"Hey!" he said, "Why?"
"It means Fool like Clown, Xander," I explained
"Oh. Okay,"
"I reckon I'm the Turned One," said Spike, "Cos of the chip, y'know, I've turned to your side,"
"Yes, that would make sense," said Giles
"What about me?" asked Fred. Everyone looked at the poem, trying to think which one could be Fred.
"Well, how about if Fred's the Sister, cuz we all think of her as a Sister, and she is next to me," suggested Cordelia.
"But what about Dawn?" asked Tara, "Oh, actually. Yes, I think Cordelia is right,"
"Huh?" asked Dawn in confusion.
"Dawnie, you're the Rising Sun," Tara explained.
"So...who's the other Seer?" asked Xander
Cordelia breathed in deeply, I looked at her, knowing what she was thinking.
"I...I think it could mean...well, D...doyle was a Seer, and he was in my vision, so maybe him?
"What about the others? Who are they? Where are they?" asked Buffy.
"They're from the future." guessed Fred, " "It says '13 shall rise, after they fell, To meet up with the 2. It kinda makes sense?"
"Yes, well done Fred," Wesley beamed at the shy Texan girl. "I think that someone, probably Hope, is the Slayer of the time," he continued, "And the Watcher is her Watcher. I'm likely to be the Brother, no?"
"Yes!" said Gunn
"I - I think I'm the Heart," said Tara nervously, "And the Charmed One is one of Hope's friends,"
"Yes, you're the heart because you're so kind and loving! All heart," said Buffy, smiling at Tara, "Not to mention clever." Tara smiled shyly at everyone.
"So, the Slayer at the time, along with 4 of her friends, are Hope, the Watcher, the Virgin, the Charmed One and the Disciple?" asked Willow. Everyone agreed with her and she smiled, "Cool,"
"I think we should start training. For our battle. The one in Sunnydale," said Buffy. I bent my head down and whispered in her ear.
"I've got to pick Faith up. She's on parole for good behavior. Do you want to come with me?"
"Umm... " Buffy said, unsure.
"And you can only come if you promise not to kill her on sight or 'beat her to death' when she apologises," I added, smirking.
"Okay, but I'm not gonna talk to her. I'm only coming because I want to stay with you. But I promise not to beat her to death. I'll accept her apology,"
"Good girl," I said, kissing her. We stood up together.
"We're going out," Buffy announced, "We'll be back later." before anyone could ask where we were going, I'd grabbed my car keys and we'd headed out of the door.
"I agree with Buffy," Cordelia announced, "Training is a plan."