Title: Immortal Story
Author: Nopporn Wongrassamee aka The Evil Author
Spoilers: Up to Angel's The Girl in Question.
Summary: The Immortal explains the nature of his immortality to Buffy.
Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to whoever owns them. I'm just too lazy to look up who they are.
"You're the Immortal?" Buffy said in disbelief.
"Yup."
"But how? I know you. You're not even a hundred let alone ancient."
"You know the original Slayer spiel, the one about how the Slayer is born with ability to fight the forces of darkness?"
"You know I do." Buffy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're not saying..."
"As in every generation there is born a Slayer with the strength and skill to fight the vampires and demons, there is also one who is Chosen to Watch, to KNOW how to fight the forces of darkness as well. He, we're always a he by the way, knows what all his predecessors knew, even to the point where we share a common identity. When one dies, the next is Called. At least until recently."
"Which was what?"
"Oh, when Willow activated all the Slayers, they activated all of the potential Immortals as well." He shook his head ruefully. "Turns out we're still sharing memories with each other. We're almost a group mind. Gets a bit confusing at times when I'm recalling what another me has been doing."
"I'll bet." Buffy paused, digesting what he had told her. "So, you're like some Immortal Watcher? That's not what your rep says."
"Yeah, I know," he replied, embarrassed. "I don't like to advertise the Watcher part. And my rep has some truth to it. I like to indulge myself between stints as a Watcher."
"But you are a Watcher?"
"I'm THE Watcher, the First Watcher," he told her. "The shaman who originally created the Slayer thought it was too dangerous to have a continuous identity pass on from Slayer to Slayer, so they created a balancing counterweight, one who would retain the knowledge of every opponent every Slayer has ever faced and pass it on to the next Slayer. They thought that the Slayer having a continuous identity throughout the ages would eventually corrupt the Slayer."
"So what happened?" Buffy asked. "You pretty much admitted that you don't play Watcher all the time anymore. And what about the Council?"
"Writing was invented."
"Okay." Buffy paused and frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
"The Slayer and I originate from before writing was invented," the Immortal explained. "Back then, the only way to pass on knowledge was orally. But the sheer volume of information a Watcher has to have on hand simply is way too much to be passed on by telling campfire stories.
"Writing changed all that. Information that Watchers needed to know could now be handed down in tablets, scrolls, and books. Ordinary human beings could do the job. So I created what would eventually become the Watcher's Council, wrote down everything I knew for them, and then retired."
"Retired?"
"Partied for the next few thousand years," the Immortal said. "I occasionally played Watcher, especially when a Called Immortal was already a Watcher or in a Watcher family."
"Like who?"
The Immortal looked Buffy straight in the eye. "Like Merrick."
"Oh. My. God." Buffy was stunned. "No wonder he... you... Merrick never needed to consult books." She recalled something else. "Merrick also pretty much implied that he had been around forever."
"I told you out right that I kept getting reincarnated to guide the Slayer," the Immortal told her.
"Right, whatever," Buffy said. She decided it was a good time to change the subject. "What about your reputation with the ladies?"
"I've always been good with women." He grinned at Buffy. "I gotta be if I have to guide an endless succession of Slayers."
"Guess that explains all those demon girlfriends of yours," Buffy said sourly.
"Well, it is unusual for a Potential me to have show so much of my talents before getting Called," the Immortal admitted.
"How long has this you been the Immortal, Xander?" Buffy asked.
"Since the First blew up the Council," Xander the Immortal admitted.
"You, Merrick," Buffy mused aloud. "You said that Willow activated all the potential Immortals, right?"
Xander nodded.
"So is there anyone else I know who is also the Immortal?"
"Well, yeah..." Xander said reluctantly.
"Okay, spill," Buffy said firmly. "Who is it?"
"Andrew."
"Oh. My. God."
Author: Nopporn Wongrassamee aka The Evil Author
Spoilers: Up to Angel's The Girl in Question.
Summary: The Immortal explains the nature of his immortality to Buffy.
Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to whoever owns them. I'm just too lazy to look up who they are.
"You're the Immortal?" Buffy said in disbelief.
"Yup."
"But how? I know you. You're not even a hundred let alone ancient."
"You know the original Slayer spiel, the one about how the Slayer is born with ability to fight the forces of darkness?"
"You know I do." Buffy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're not saying..."
"As in every generation there is born a Slayer with the strength and skill to fight the vampires and demons, there is also one who is Chosen to Watch, to KNOW how to fight the forces of darkness as well. He, we're always a he by the way, knows what all his predecessors knew, even to the point where we share a common identity. When one dies, the next is Called. At least until recently."
"Which was what?"
"Oh, when Willow activated all the Slayers, they activated all of the potential Immortals as well." He shook his head ruefully. "Turns out we're still sharing memories with each other. We're almost a group mind. Gets a bit confusing at times when I'm recalling what another me has been doing."
"I'll bet." Buffy paused, digesting what he had told her. "So, you're like some Immortal Watcher? That's not what your rep says."
"Yeah, I know," he replied, embarrassed. "I don't like to advertise the Watcher part. And my rep has some truth to it. I like to indulge myself between stints as a Watcher."
"But you are a Watcher?"
"I'm THE Watcher, the First Watcher," he told her. "The shaman who originally created the Slayer thought it was too dangerous to have a continuous identity pass on from Slayer to Slayer, so they created a balancing counterweight, one who would retain the knowledge of every opponent every Slayer has ever faced and pass it on to the next Slayer. They thought that the Slayer having a continuous identity throughout the ages would eventually corrupt the Slayer."
"So what happened?" Buffy asked. "You pretty much admitted that you don't play Watcher all the time anymore. And what about the Council?"
"Writing was invented."
"Okay." Buffy paused and frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
"The Slayer and I originate from before writing was invented," the Immortal explained. "Back then, the only way to pass on knowledge was orally. But the sheer volume of information a Watcher has to have on hand simply is way too much to be passed on by telling campfire stories.
"Writing changed all that. Information that Watchers needed to know could now be handed down in tablets, scrolls, and books. Ordinary human beings could do the job. So I created what would eventually become the Watcher's Council, wrote down everything I knew for them, and then retired."
"Retired?"
"Partied for the next few thousand years," the Immortal said. "I occasionally played Watcher, especially when a Called Immortal was already a Watcher or in a Watcher family."
"Like who?"
The Immortal looked Buffy straight in the eye. "Like Merrick."
"Oh. My. God." Buffy was stunned. "No wonder he... you... Merrick never needed to consult books." She recalled something else. "Merrick also pretty much implied that he had been around forever."
"I told you out right that I kept getting reincarnated to guide the Slayer," the Immortal told her.
"Right, whatever," Buffy said. She decided it was a good time to change the subject. "What about your reputation with the ladies?"
"I've always been good with women." He grinned at Buffy. "I gotta be if I have to guide an endless succession of Slayers."
"Guess that explains all those demon girlfriends of yours," Buffy said sourly.
"Well, it is unusual for a Potential me to have show so much of my talents before getting Called," the Immortal admitted.
"How long has this you been the Immortal, Xander?" Buffy asked.
"Since the First blew up the Council," Xander the Immortal admitted.
"You, Merrick," Buffy mused aloud. "You said that Willow activated all the potential Immortals, right?"
Xander nodded.
"So is there anyone else I know who is also the Immortal?"
"Well, yeah..." Xander said reluctantly.
"Okay, spill," Buffy said firmly. "Who is it?"
"Andrew."
"Oh. My. God."