DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Joss Whedon, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their other respective owners.
A/N ABOUT THIS STORY: As you can tell, I've taken several scenes directly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lord of the Rings, word-for-word in the dialogue. This is not to rip off any of the real writers because I respect their work and I am not a plagiarist. This is an artistic ploy to put the reader in the mindset of where they are and is essential to the story. The Buffy episodes used were episodes (5.5) "No Place Like Home," written by Doug Petrie and (5.22) "The Gift," written by Joss Whedon. The movies used are, of course, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, written by Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien (if you didn't know that, shame, shame).
Dawn pushed open the back door to the Magic Box to hear its bell ring a distorted tone, then fall to the ground. She gazed out at the magic store to see a cloud of dust hanging over the ground. It entered her nasal passages and choked her as she coughed and called out, "Giles! Anya! Riley! Tara!"
Timidly, she entered the store, squinting through the gloomy dark towards the light radiating from the back. Outside of the shop, she could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance. "Anybody?" she added and began a desperate search.
"Dawn?" she heard from across the store, near the light. "Is that you?"
"Yeah!" she yelled back. "Anya? Is that your voice?"
"Watch out, Dawn!" Tara responded with a loud voice, over the popping of electrical sockets and the crisp sounds of tiny fires burning. "I think there's a hole in the floor near where you are!"
Dawn stopped and glanced down at an elliptical hole two by three feet wide in the middle of the floor. "Found it," she called back. Wooden splinters and shards of glass littered the dusty floor around her as the sirens grew louder. Carefully, she walked up the steps towards the front of the store. "I'm coming towards you..." she announced.
Finally, a few feet further, she saw the two women crouched down next to Riley's stationary body. "Oh, my God!" she screamed. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Anya softly answered, staring down at Riley. Her voice was full of defeat and despair. "Everything was okay... then... it did this."
"Where's Giles?" Dawn asked, her voice rising to a panic.
"We can't find him," Tara replied. "We looked but—"
"Is there anybody alive in here?" a booming, male voice called from the front door. Dawn looked up to see a fireman standing in the doorway as another walked past him, going directly towards a small flame in the center of the store.
"Here!" Dawn called out as the fireman spotted her and the others.
The fireman walked over towards them as Tara responded, "You have to help him. He's bleeding and... and I don't think..." The words faded away from her as the fireman kneeled down beside Riley's body.
"Is there anybody else?" he asked.
"Giles," Anya breathed, still in a daze. "We can't find Giles."
The fireman looked up at her as they heard the pressure releasing from a fire extinguisher nearby. Anya stared at him idly as if he were an alien as he asked her, "That's all?"
"That's all," Dawn answered, her heart racing. "Please, help him now!"
"Don't worry, little girl," the fireman announced.
The Fellowship wearily and gradually walked through a forest of raining leaves, similar to the woods near Rivendell. None of them said much to one another and some of them limped along, quietly keeping their aches and pains to themselves.
Buffy, Xander, Willow and Spike kept to the end of the line most of the way, following the hobbits in front of them with watchful eyes. Gimli stopped and turned back towards them, whispering quietly, "Stay close, young hobbits." The Scoobies and hobbits stopped as Gimli explained, eyeing the forest around them in suspicion, "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An elf-witch of terrible power."
Xander stared down at the ground, shaking his head as he sighed, "I don't know how much more of this I can take."
Gimli and the others walked on as the dwarf clutched his axe tightly. "All who look upon her fall under her spell," he nervously added. They continued on the trail as Frodo turned his head suddenly, batting his eyes around. "And are never seen again," Gimli whispered.
"See?" Willow observed him, then glared over at Gimli. "Now you're scaring him."
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam said, watching his friend with concern.
Buffy continued to walk as she held on to the black cloak and wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced at Frodo with wary anxiety, then suddenly turned her head and gazed around the woods herself as a soft, fleeting voice whispered in her ears.
"[Buffy Summers...]" the airy, female voice called out like a hiss in the wind. "[There is not much time for you... Your world is beginning to shatter... The Beast waits...]"
"Buffy?" Willow's voice broke through her trance. Buffy turned to her with confusion in her eyes. "Are you okay?" Willow asked.
Buffy answered, not quite sure herself, "Yeah... I heard..." She chose not to finish the sentence and continued steadily on.
"Well here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily," Gimli scoffed as he gazed around cautiously at the woods. "I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox—"
He paused suddenly as sharp arrows were pointed in his face. The Fellowship looked up to find themselves surrounded by long-haired, blonde elves that held their arrows back, ready to snap at the slightest movement. Legolas countered, holding his bow and arrow up at the elves.
Spike rolled his eyes as he turned to Legolas, "Does your entire race enjoy doing that?"
A tall, blonde elf that did not hold an arrow strolled up to Aragorn with his hands casually behind his back, "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark."
Aragorn reverently bowed his head, "Haldir of Lorien..." He began to speak in elfish tongue again as the elf calmly listened.
"Aragorn," Gimli nervously announced with three arrows pointed at his face, "these woods are perilous. We should go back."
"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood," Haldir declared simply. "You cannot go back." Haldir turned and stared directly at Frodo who gasped lightly with fear. "Come," he ordered. "She is waiting."
The hospital doors of Sunnydale Medical slid open as two stretchers were pushed inside by paramedics with Tara, Anya and Dawn nervously in pursuit.
Tara rushed in and marched alongside both stretchers, one holding a still unconscious Riley and the other holding a barely conscious Giles, as she gave out information, names and a believable explanation for what happened. Dawn ran beside them as well, frightfully asking the same questions over and over again. Anya on the other hand, was petrified into silence as she dazedly followed the stretchers, staring down at the floor as she shook her head in disbelief.
"The patient is in stable condition," a female paramedic said of Giles as the watcher opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling tiles as the light fixtures passed him by. "He's gonna be okay."
"This one's pulse is slowing down," one of the paramedics declared of Riley as he pumped air into his mouth. "Get an EKG on him, now! We need to get him into the OR."
The Fellowship moved slowly through a truly enchanted forest. The Scoobies gawked in amazement as they walked through the peaceful, heavenly city. Massive trees towered in the sky with glittering staircases spiraling around them, leading up to homes on the top. Even the air that filled their lungs was exquisite, and they felt very much out of place in the city seemingly built for a god.
"This place," Willow breathed, barely able to get the words out.
"I know..." Buffy nodded, captivated by the sheer beauty of everything around her. "I know..."
They were led to a grand, white stone staircase that sparkled in the moonlight, as much of Lothlórien did. Two figures bathed by white light and dressed in glistening white robes leisurely stepped down the staircase, almost as if they were floating on air.
Buffy and Willow's jaws slowly fell open as they made out the figures. A man. No, an elf with long blonde hair holding the hand of a tall, female elf with curly blonde hair reaching her waist as they walked down the stairs towards them.
Buffy stared at the woman who did not look at any of them and kept her eyes on the ground. Her face, her hair, her clothes, her aura – everything about her made her the epitome of beauty. Xander also stared at this gorgeous, angelic woman before him and could not think or comprehend anything that was being said. Spike gazed at her in fascination until it felt as if both his eyes and heart ached to watch her and he turned away.
"Twelve there are," the male elf announced peacefully and carefully, "yet thirteen there were set out from Rivendell." The blue eyes of the elf bored at Aragorn, "Tell me, where is Gandalf? I much desire to speak with him."
The elegant woman turned her blue eyes to Aragorn, staring into his eyes quietly. Her mouth opened and her soft voice declared with a hint of despair, "He has fallen into Shadow." There was no reply from what was left of the Fellowship, as their eyes fell to the floor. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," the beautiful woman declared as she gazed peacefully at Buffy.
The Slayer swallowed hard, feeling as if the woman was staring down into her soul. "Stray but a little and it will fail," the woman continued, as she peered over at Boromir, "to the ruin of all." Her eyes burned into his and he began to sweat uncomfortably, and he finally turned away from her in fear.
The woman continued to stare at him in silence, speaking in volumes with her stunning eyes as she flicked them towards Sam, who stood in between Willow and Xander. They gaped at her as she delicately spoke to them, "Yet hope remains while the Company is true." The woman lifted her eyes again and announced to all, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." She glanced over at Buffy and Spike, "Go now and rest... for you are weary with sorrow and much toil."
Buffy stared up at the woman, still perplexed and heard her voice speak gently, "Tonight, you will sleep—"
Buffy could no longer hear the woman's words, but she could still hear her voice inside of her head as before. The eerie whisper rose through her skull, "[Many search for you, Chosen One... Many more may die for you...]" Buffy's heart began to beat rapidly as she listened the echo of the chilling words, "[Your time is running out.]"
Anya sat in a chair in the hallway of Sunnydale Medical Hospital in silence as she peered down at the grey tiles of the floor. Her head and light brown, curly locks of hair rested on her right hand propped up on the arm rest of the chair. A corner of her forehead and part of her chin was bruised. Stings of pain shot up her spine every time she moved too quickly. Misery clouded her gaze, but none of it was caused by her physical injuries. The sounds of approaching footsteps broke her trance.
Tara walked up to Anya and carefully sat down beside her, her eyes full of exhaustion. She sported a cut above her left eyebrow that had a band-aid over it and her right arm was in a sling. "How're you doing?" Tara asked kindly.
Anya turned to her and could not give much of an answer for quite some time. She finally turned away and responded with a quiet voice, "Not so good."
Tara nodded as silence fell between them. "I-I keep thinking about what happened," Tara began nervously, trying to fill the gap, "in the Magic Box. I found Giles' book about Middle Earth. It - it wasn't destroyed, thankfully." She let out a smile, but Anya continued to stare at the ground with a grave expression plastered on her face. "The thing, th-the thing that came through the portal," Tara continued, "it must have been Sauron. It became corporeal, but only in this world for the short time that it could. But the bridge, i-it was unstable." Tara looked over at Anya who had no reply, "So it had to go back."
Tara stared down at the hospital floor in silence again, trying to think of something useful to say. Finally, she remembered, "Th-that must mean that either Madam Rousseau was wrong... or we were. She told us that it took the specific four people to keep open a portal th-that would find the others." Tara continued to think, her eyes full of contemplation as she added, "But then she said that other thing that I'd forgotten about. What was it? Uh, 'one alone can bear the weight of this task... but it will take all to guide him.' What did she—"
"What time is it?" Anya finally asked, interrupting her.
Tara looked over to Anya, the sadness returning to her eyes as she hesitantly answered, "Ten minutes until five."
Anya inhaled very slowly, her eyes buried into the floor. She then asked with a shaky voice, "What time does the sun set?"
Tara again glanced over at her and hesitated before she solemnly replied, "7:22." Neither of them said a word for a while until Tara sympathetically began, "Anya, I know you're—"
"I'm what?" she snapped, turning towards Tara with livid eyes. "Sad? Scared? Worried? I'm what? You don't have any idea what I'm feeling right now."
"Yes, I do," Tara affirmed, staring back at her. "Willow's out there too—"
"And why are they out there, Tara?" Anya responded. "Because Buffy did a trance. A trance that I gave her the idea to do. And now, they're all out there. Because of me."
"That's not true—"
"Yes, it is!" Anya declared defiantly as she quickly stood up out of her chair and paid no attention to the searing pain in her back. "Don't you get it?" she shouted, staring down at Tara. "They're gone! We barely have two and a half hours and we don't have any idea how to get them back! And we don't even know what they're facing! I mean look at that thing that came into the store! We don't know if they're alive! They're out there... they've been there for days... lost and..."
Tears broke her voice and she couldn't finish. Anya stared down at her witheringly as she quickly turned away and rushed down the hall, tears falling down her face. Tara watched her go with wide, stunned eyes that gradually began to brim with tears. She stared down at the floor and was silent as doctors and nurses rushed past her.
Angelic voices filled the air as the Fellowship gathered inside two tents at the base of the trees. Buffy looked up from her cot and stepped outside of the tent to see Legolas pass her by. Eventually, they all stared up at the trees around them and took note of the harmonious melodies filling the air in the foreign language of the elves.
"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas declared, as moonlight shined down on his face.
Buffy looked over to him and asked, "What are they saying?"
"I have not the heart to tell you," he replied, turning towards her, Xander and the hobbits. "For me, the grief is still too near." Buffy looked back up at the sparkling trees that towered over her as the voices continued to fill her ears. Slowly, she turned away and walked idly from the tent towards a pond.
Spike sat on a stone outside of the tent gazing around at the trees around him. Even he felt a strange sort of peace surrounded by the soft voices. A male elf carrying a silver pitcher approached him. "As requested, sir," the elf declared handing him the wide pitcher.
"What's this?" Spike stared down at the pitcher in confusion as he took it out of the elf's hands.
"Blood, sir," the elf answered, "of a boar killed by our hunters just a short while ago."
Spike shook his head in confusion, "Requested by who?"
The elf's eyes glanced behind Spike and then he began to leave, "By him." Spike turned around to see Xander staring at him and the two made eye contact for a short while. In that small amount of time they shared a 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' that would never be mentioned or thought of again. Then Xander turned around and walked into his tent, leaving Spike to his meal.
Spike peered down into the opening of the pitcher at the red liquid and could feel its warmth. "Didn't your hair used to be completely white?" a voice called from behind him. Spike turned to see Merry and Pippin standing a few yards away next to a bush with their hands in their pockets. They watched the vampire with curiosity.
Spike turned towards the pitcher and realized he could see his own reflection in the highly polished silver. Most likely, he thought, another perk of being in the alternate dimension. He closely gazed at his reflection, paying attention to his hair, and saw that sure enough it was losing its platinum blonde color at its roots. His un-gelled hair curled at its ends and he brushed it back, failing at the attempt to return it to a style that was long gone.
"Yeah," he finally declared with a tired snicker as he looked away from the pitcher, "it was once upon a time." He turned towards the hobbits, "All the things you've got in your world, peroxide isn't one of them."
He put the pitcher down on the rock beside him, not feeling comfortable drinking with the hobbits standing nearby watching him. They turned to each other, and then turned back towards the vampire, idly beating around a topic.
"What's on your mind, mates?" Spike asked, sitting back as the voices continued to sing.
Pippin glanced back at Merry, and then began carefully, "What you did back in the mines... for us..."
The words timidly faded away as Merry declared, "Tell him, Pip."
"I am telling him," Pippin replied.
"No, you're not," Merry countered.
Pippin answered, "Am too—"
"Would you two pillocks get on with it?" Spike interrupted tiredly. There was little tension in his voice however, as the two hobbits turned back to him and Pippin began again.
"Sorry," he replied. "We just... wanted to say... thank you."
The two words rang in Spike's ears as he looked up at them, completely stunned. "Say what?" he answered, continuing his perplexed gaze.
"Thank you," Merry repeated, "for saving us."
The vampire was speechless and stared at them awkwardly, before finally answering simply and casually. "Right," he replied. "You don't need to thank me."
"Why not?" Merry asked. "You helped out like anyone, didn't you?"
"Heroes get thanked," Spike answered with a bit of a grin. "If you're lookin' for one, there's a nancy boy that lives in Los Angeles. Yay high. Lots of hair gel. Broods a lot." Spike shook his head, "I'm no hero."
Merry and Pippin stared at each other until Pippin finally replied, "You are to us." Spike looked at them, stunned again, and could say nothing more. Merry and Pippin turned away from him with a nod and then went back into their tent. Spike watched them go with humility in his eyes as he glanced back to his pitcher and took a much needed sip.
Buffy walked over to the pond to see Boromir sitting on a thick root of a tree, staring down into the water with a distraught expression. "Take some rest," Aragorn announced, as he approached them from behind. Aragorn stood next to Buffy as they gazed down at Boromir, "These borders are well-protected."
Boromir shook his head, "I will find no rest here." Buffy gazed at him as he softly explained, "I heard her voice inside my head."
"Yeah," Buffy nodded kindly with a bit of a smile, "I think she gets off doing that."
"She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor," Boromir looked up at them with worry in his eyes. Buffy's smile faded as she observed the fear in his blue eyes. "She said to me," Boromir added, clearly disturbed, "'Even now there is hope left.' But I cannot see it." He shook his head, disheartened, "It is long since we had any hope."
Buffy sat down beside him with concern in her eyes as Aragorn stood near the water, listening carefully as Boromir continued, "My father is a noble man. But his rule is failing. And, our–our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right, and I-I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored." He said with a slight scoff as he glared up at Aragorn, "Have you ever seen it, Aragorn?" He reminisced with pleasure, "The White Tower of Ecthelion. Glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"
"I've seen the White City," Aragorn answered simply, "long ago."
"One day," Boromir declared with hope, "our paths will lead us there." Aragorn stared at him expressionlessly for a few moments before he returned a simple nod that lacked the hope that Boromir had. Aragorn turned and walked away from them, retreating to his own solitude. Buffy watched him go and could understand his emotions.
"Don't take it personally," Buffy declared, turning to Boromir. "I think it kinda scares him. His destiny."
Boromir shook his head in confusion, "Most would give anything to have his destiny."
"That's easy to say at first," Buffy answered with a weary sigh, "but then find out you're at the end of a millions-of-years-old tradition of dying young, then you tend to wig."
"I must admit," Boromir replied, "you are a much stronger warrior than I gave you credit for."
"Ah, it's nothing," Buffy smiled. "Water over the bridge... or under the bridge, or beyond— Ah, I still can't remember what it is."
"It is something," he nodded with a grateful grin. "My people would love to see someone like you leading them."
She let out a small laugh as she thought about it, "Ha, Queen Buffy—" Her words were abruptly cut off by her own thoughts. He didn't mean like a queen, she assured herself. Right? Buffy looked over at Boromir who continued to stare at her with a smile. No way, she thought. No way could he possibly— She noticed the black cloak that she was still wearing, wrapped around her tightly.
"Oh," Buffy replied, staring up at Boromir again, her mind in a panic. "I-I'm sure, you're home is really nice." She struggled to think of something to say, "A-and all of the people are... really nice, too. Like my home. And my people." Buffy kindly and carefully continued, "Like my mom, and my sister, and my... boyfriend."
Boromir recognized the last word as his brows went up slightly. He turned away from her towards the pond, nodding his head, "You're... betrothed."
"Kind of," Buffy answered gently, hoping she didn't do too much damage. She apologetically added, "I'm in love with him."
She let out a small sigh as he responded, "This is a good thing." Boromir turned to her with a half-smile, "He is blessed more than he could know." She sympathetically returned a warm smile as he stood up and walked towards his tent, holding a hint of rejection in his eyes. Buffy watched him leave with a frown on her face as she looked down at the cloak and rested her chin on her hand.
Alone inside of one of the tents, Willow lay on a cot with her head turned towards the wall as silent tears fell down her cheeks and stained the pillow. Up until then, everything – the Ring, the people, the places – had been all just a dream. Something she would easily wake up from when the time was right and she would find herself home with the woman she loved.
It was a game. A grand adventure like the ones she used to read about for English assignments in high school. This was not the same. These were real people with real emotions and real mortality. Her home, her world, Tara – it all seemed so distant and far away now.
Her heart slowly began to break in her chest and her tears became more frequent. Anguish filled her voice as she let out a painful whisper, "Tara..."
Tara lifted her head inside the hospital, hearing her name softly whispered. Her face was streaked with tears and her head had been buried in her hands as she sat in the hospital chair weeping quietly. Her hairs began to stand on end and she swore she could've heard Willow's voice in the air.
Tara wiped her face as her eyes batted back and forth hoping that maybe.... Maybe...
She heard approaching footsteps and looked down the hall to see Giles slowly walking towards her with an ice pack to his head. "Giles!" she jumped out of her seat and rushed to him. "You're awake!"
"Yes," Giles nodded, staring down at her. Tiny red cuts were streaked across the right side of his face from flying glass and his face had several bruises. "Leave it to me to get knocked unconscious," Giles scoffed groggily. "Where are the others?"
"Anya," Tara began, then stopped, "well, she... uh, took a little walk. And Dawn is okay, she found us at the Magic Box."
"Riley?" Giles asked with deep concern, glaring up at her.
"They think he's going to live," Tara answered sadly. "He's in surgery now. He's got bruised organs and not to mention a bunch of broken ribs. But everything else is just sprains and cuts."
"Thank heavens," Giles shook his head with worry, "when I saw him get hit, I thought for sure—"
"I know," Tara nodded, "me too."
"How much time do we have left?" Giles asked, putting his glasses on.
Tara answered, "It's almost five."
Giles sighed and glanced down at the floor, hope draining from his eyes. "Very well," he then declared, "we must start over."
"Giles," Tara reached for him as he began to move down the hallway, "you have to rest."
"There isn't time to rest," Giles answered. "We must start over from the beginning and try again—"
"Maybe not," a voice said from behind. They turned to see Dawn standing in the hall with an expression of determination.
Buffy's eyes opened to the darkness of the tent she was in. She couldn't tell whether it was the crickets chirping outside that woke her up, or just Xander's snoring. She sat up in her cot and gazed around in the dark to see Willow sleeping on her right, Xander sleeping on her left, with Sam, Merry and Pippin.
Frodo, she thought with a slight gasp. She rolled out of her cot and quietly stepped over the snoring hobbits, and it felt like high school all over again. Except with hobbits. She pushed the déjà vu feeling out of her mind as she exited the tent. Buffy gazed around at the peacefully quiet Lothlórien setting, to see Spike sleeping on the ground near the tree.
Glancing down at the ground, she noticed a trail of footprints seemingly coming from two rather large, bare feet. Buffy looked back at the tent, and then followed the footprints through the trees.
She slowly stepped down a long flight of stairs that ran alongside a crystal clear stream of water. Buffy could faintly hear voices at the bottom of the stairs, but her vision was obscured by ferns and tree branches. She could distinguish the voice of the woman elf, Galadriel, as it grew to a loud, thundering voice. Bright, blue light beamed out from the bottom of the stairs and shined the leaves and branches of the trees, followed by a gust of wind.
Suddenly, all was quiet and still once again. Buffy continued down the stairs and stopped in the middle to see Galadriel and Frodo standing apart from each other as Galadriel breathed hard, trying to catch her breath.
"I pass the test," the lovely woman whispered as she looked away from Frodo towards the ground. "I will diminish... and go into the West ...and remain Galadriel."
"I cannot do this alone," Frodo shook his head, his blue eyes full of dread.
Galadriel turned to him with a warm expression as she answered, "You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone." Buffy let out a small breath of air, feeling as if Galadriel was addressing her directly. She gazed down at Frodo with sympathy in her eyes as Galadriel explained, "This task was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way... no one will."
Frodo thought deeply to himself, finally replying after a few moments, "Then I know what I must do. It's just..." He let the words fade away as Buffy listened carefully, "...I'm afraid to do it."
Galadriel stared at him kindly and bent down, whispering to him, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." He stared at her intently, then closed the Ring in his little hand, turning away and leaving Galadriel behind. Buffy watched as he disappeared amongst the trees, heading back towards the tents. Both of the women watched him go in silence.
Buffy slowly began to turn around, leaving as quietly as she possibly could. "Your heart is kind, Slayer," she heard Galadriel announced, and she froze, turning back towards the woman. Galadriel still had her head turned away, staring at the path Frodo had taken.
"Right," Buffy nodded with a half-smile as she began to walk down the stairs towards Galadriel, "I forgot you elf people have good hearing." Galadriel turned to her in silence as Buffy walked down to the ground where she was standing. Between them was a small pedestal with a silver bowl of water, and behind Galadriel was a fountain where water from the spring came down into a tiny pond.
Moonlight continued to shine down on them as Buffy asked casually, "So, why were you guys having a pajama party in the middle of the night?"
Galadriel gazed up at her with a smile, "He looked into the mirror."
Buffy looked over at the pedestal with the bowl of water on top of it, "You mean your birdbath?"
Galadriel's eyes held on Buffy as she answered, "He saw things that have not yet come to pass."
"Like what?" she asked.
"I cannot tell you, Slayer," Galadriel replied, "for it is his destiny."
"How do you know I'm the Slayer?" Buffy asked. "More of that freaky mind-reading trick? 'Cause, I have to tell you, that's kinda disturbing."
"Your friends are searching for you," Galadriel answered as she leisurely began to pace. "But there is a price for all things. They have paid a price for trying to return you to your dimension."
"A price," Buffy repeated with concern. "They're okay, right? Nothing's happened to them."
"Something has happened," she replied. "But they continue to live." Buffy's face was clouded with worry as she added, "I know now why they care so much for you. Your heart aches for people you have no right to know. You continue on this quest even though it does not affect your fate."
Buffy stared at her silently, and then responded, "I want to help."
"You feel it is part of your destiny," Galadriel declared. "That is something your friends cannot understand. You share something with the Halfling that no one in your world could comprehend."
"I don't want to see him get hurt," Buffy denied her claim, shaking her head. "When we first got here, these elves tried to shoot us. If it wasn't for Frodo and Aragorn—"
"They stood by your side," Galadriel nodded, "but in your heart you know that is not why you wish to involve yourself here." Buffy looked up at the beautiful woman uncomfortably as she explained, "In your dimension, you bear the weight of your world. Your destiny separates you from the ones you love. It has made you hard. Alone."
Buffy glanced down at the ground while she continued, "Now you venture into this place and find that you are not alone. There are others who are also destined to save their world. You feel for them because you have felt their burden." Galadriel added as she glanced up at her, "For so long you have wanted someone else to support the weight of your destiny. Now you would not wish that kind of pain on anyone. That is why when the door appears, you will not be ready for it."
Buffy grimaced with confusion, "Huh?"
"As I said before," Galadriel explained as she picked up a silver pitcher like the one Spike was given, "there is a price for all things." She walked over to the fountain and scooped water from it, then walked over to the silver bowl and poured the water in. "You have a destiny, Slayer. And it does not lie here."
Hesitantly, Buffy stepped up to the 'birdbath' and peered down at the clear water. Galadriel announced, "By coming into this dimension, you have changed its course. For this alone, one in the Fellowship will die."
Buffy looked up at Galadriel suddenly, "What?" Her anger began to mount, "But one already has died! Why should there be another?"
"It is the price," Galadriel answered. Buffy stared down at the rippling water as light began to emanate from it. Inside of the glowing water, there were lines... shapes... and finally there were pictures.
An orc. However, this was bigger and uglier than any of the orcs she had seen in the mines. It had black hair held back behind its skull and black skin with wretched teeth. Strangely, it stood in the daylight. She peered down carefully into the water and deciphered that it was in a wooded area in the shade of trees. Its face was covered with a large, white handprint. It roared like a lion and tightly held back an arrow in its bow.
The water became rippled once again as the image faded away. The lines and shapes reappeared and made up a new image.
Aragorn. He was bloody-mouthed with his dark hair in his face as he stood in the same, wooded area. The white-faced orc slammed him easily against a tree and he lay back against it groggily.
The white-faced orc picked up a sword from the ground. Buffy recognized it as Aragorn's Ranger sword. With a mighty roar, the orc pulled back the sword and thrust it directly into Aragorn's chest. A twisted expression of horrible pain came across Aragorn's face as he glanced down at the sword impaling him to the tree. The orc ripped the bloody sword out and released Aragorn as he dropped to his knees and fell dead to the ground.
"Aragorn!" Buffy screamed as the image faded away and the water stopped glowing. She breathed heavily in terror as she glanced up at Galadriel, who watched her carefully.
Buffy glared at her, thinking in her mind, "[I can stop it.]"
"[Can you?]" Galadriel stared at her. "[True. There are some things in this world that can be undone. Then there are some things in this world that are changed forever.]"
"[I didn't ask to come here!]" Buffy thought. "[It's not... fair... for them.]" Her eyes were full of guilt and misery, "[He doesn't deserve this. They don't deserve this.]"
"[I feel your pain, Buffy,]" Galadriel answered mentally. "[I know it is not what you wanted.]"
"Please," Buffy pleaded in her voice, "don't let any of them die..."
"It is not my place," Galadriel shook her head, "even if it is my wish."
Buffy declared, "But you know it's not meant to be—!"
"Can you accept what is meant to be?" she asked and Buffy was silent.
"I came to the shop because I thought of something," Dawn declared, as she, Giles and Tara stood in the hospital hallway. "We were thinking about Cloutier's message all wrong."
"I think that's obvious," Giles responded. "Clearly, we must have had the wrong people when he said a champion, a demon, a loving heart and a bearer of power."
"Not the wrong people," Dawn shook her head. "It's all one person."
"What?" Tara declared, turning towards Giles. "What does she mean?" Dawn pulled a silver cross necklace out of her pocket and held it up for them to see. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I remember this," Giles answered, taking the cross in his hands. "Buffy used to wear it in high school."
"Wait a second," Tara shook her head, "we're looking for someone who has power, a loving heart, who's a demon and—"
"A champion," Giles affirmed, thinking to himself. He stared down at the necklace, then raised his head and declared with certainty, "Angel."