**

CHAPTER EIGHT

Giles look at the Princess in worry. Obviously this was going to be harder than he had anticipated.

"Huh?"

How did you tell a Slayer about her calling? They didn't teach this in Watcher's training. How does one go about revealing a girl's destiny?

The confusion on Elizabeth's face was growing with every second.

"Oh dear," said Giles, his own worry increasing. "Oh dear."

He paced around the small sitting room, circling Elizabeth, who was fidgeting in her chair. He cast strange looks that worried Elizabeth.

"Mr. Giles? What?" she asked with confusion. She still had no idea why she was here. She had thought she would be here for a nice lecture, but it wasn't sounding very much like a lecture. All Giles had done was pace and make a cryptic statement.

"In every generation-" Giles started, but was cut off by Elizabeth.

"There is a Chosen One. Yeah, you said that already. Is that supposed to mean anything? I don't mean to be rude, but I ditched my guard and I have to be back at the castle by nightfall," said Elizabeth. "My guard will get in trouble if I'm not back," she told Giles, moving to leave.

Giles paused in thought. "Who is your guard?" he asked Elizabeth.

"Owen."

"Good. He will be fine. I taught him everything he knows. He'll get himself out of trouble, and make up an excuse for you. Stay here. We have a lot to talk about," he said gravely.

Elizabeth looked at him strangely, "Riiight," she said warily, retaking her seat. "So what's this important thing we have to talk about?"

Giles gave her a stern look. If her cavalier attitude didn't change…well, the world was doomed. Another part of him gave into reason- maybe he shouldn't be making his judgements just yet. The girl didn't even know what she was dealing with.

"Your destiny," he said simply. Not very specific, but it was the best he could explain it.

"I don't have a destiny," she told him, wondering about his mental health. She'd always thought him to be a little eccentric, but she didn't think he was crazy. Until now, that is.

Now, she was sure of it. He was a friend of her mother. All of her mother's friends were crazy.

Buffy thought her mother's friend Pat was insane. Pat was her mother's best friend, and a very nice woman, but she just rubbed Buffy the wrong way. Ever since she was a child, she avoided Pat as much as she could.

"Elizabeth!" Giles voice called, bringing her back to reality.


"Your destiny has been set, Elizabeth. Your path has already been chosen for you. Come with me please," he told her, sweeping out of the room in an overly dramatic fashion that usually would have made Elizabeth laugh. Not today... today she was in a state of pure and utter confusion. She followed him numbly, her bafflement made clear by the expression on her face.

Liam was in a state very similar to Buffy's. From his place beneath the window, he heard everything Giles had said to his girlfriend, and he was just as confused as she was. Giles was usually so clear and concise, his years of schooling and study always coming into account. Now he was speaking like a common beggar, crazy with hunger and grief. Something was definitely wrong. And Liam was going to find out what it was.

Buffy followed Giles through the darkened streets, shivering from the chill nightfall had brought. The days in Buffonia were temperate and comfortable, but when nightfall came it was always cold. He spoke quickly, quietly, and Buffy had to run to keep up with him.


"Keep up, Buffy" he said, using her name in case they passed a townsperson. He took a deep breath and began his story.

"My name is Rupert Giles. I am a Watcher," he told her.

"A Watcher?" she asked.

"A group of scholars dating back to the dawn of man. We are trained in the finest arts of academia and fighting. We devote our entire lives...our entire existences to one purpose. We are born to aid the Slayer."

Buffy looked at him, "Huh?"

"In every generation there is a Chosen One-" he began.

"You've been saying that over and over again, but I still have no idea what that means!" she exclaimed frustratedly. This entire situation was completely frustrating. She had a good day- wake up, go to the village, kiss her Angel, and watch her new boyfriend fight. All in all, a good day. Mr. Giles' cryptic tale was starting to put a damper on her spirits.

Giles glared at the young princes. "Well, yes, if you would just let me finish!" he said heatedly. Elizabeth wasn't the only one who was frustrated.

"Sorry," she said contritely.

"Well, yes, as I was saying. In every generation there is a Chosen One. One with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, stop the spread of their evil, and the swell of their numbers. She is the Slayer," he finished.

Buffy just stared at him. All of the sudden she burst out laughing. She snorted loudly, eliciting a few strange glances from the occasional passerby.

"Buffy!" Giles scolded. "Buffy, do be quiet!"

She continued laughing. "V-vampires?" she asked when she could breathe again. "Are you serious?" she snorted. This man was definitely crazy. Definitely crazy.

Buffy turned to the boys' master, the look on his face clearly indicating he was indeed serious. She sobered almost immediately.

"Your really are serious?" she asked wide-eyed. Obviously this man was farther gone than she'd thought.

"Yes. I am. Every nightmare from your childhood is real- vampires, demons, all of it. A Slayer dies, another is called. It is your destiny. You are the Slayer, and it's your job to fight," he said seriously. He didn't want to be the bearer of bad news; he didn't want to tell the young Princess that her life would never be the same.

Buffy moved to object the old man, but something stopped her. A searing pain erupted in her stomach, almost crippling her.

"You feel it, don't you? It's them. You can feel them now, the vampires. You can sense them. They are all around you," Giles told her, taking over the role of teacher. "Sense them! Where are they?" he encouraged her. He handed her a wooden stake. "Go to them!"

Buffy held her stomach in an effort to calm the pain. She held up the stake in one hand, looking questioningly at Giles. "What's this for?" she asked.

Giles just smiled, "You'll know when you need to use it," he said. He turned and left into the shadows, leaving Buffy alone.

"Giles?" she asked in panic. He did not just leave her alone at night. He did not.

It seemed he did.

A growl came from the shadows, making Buffy squeal in surprise. Something else was here… and it didn't sound friendly.

The man from the dream! He appeared from the shadows, his face contorted in a grotesque mask. Buffy grasped the stake in her hand, suddenly knowing what to do with it.

She plunged the stake into the beast's heart, watching in shock as the man exploded into dust. She stared at the floating ashes, and Giles emerged from his spot in the shadows.

"You see? You see your power over them?" he asked her.

Buffy, unable to form a coherent thought, just stared the wooden stake in shock.

**

END CHAPTER EIGHT


A/N- Hey guys! I'm going away the week of the 17th, so this'll be the last update in awhile. Tell me what you thought of it. Sundevil009@yahoo.com