There was a flash and then everything went black. Xander opened his eyes and looked around. He had no idea where he was. It looked the set of some old Roman or Greek movie he watched late at night when he couldn't sleep due to his parents fighting. Slowly, he walked around the columns, his hands running over them to make sure they were real, and that this wasn't some weird dream.
"So it is time," came a female voice from the darkness.
Xander looked around, trying to find who else was there. Slowly two figures materialised from the darkness beyond the columns. A man and a woman. The woman was holding a glowly green prism. It looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place it. It was like he was living some strange deja vu.
"Time for what?" he asked in a small voice.
Were they going to sacrifice him to some evil Demon, or turn him into one? Xander wished Buffy was here. She'd soon kick their arses.
"For you to return to what you trully are," the male said, circling Xander slowly.
"What I trully am? And, and what is that?" he asked but for some reason he didn't want an answer.
The female smiled as she held out the prism. It's glow flowed around Xander, wrapping him up in its green aura. He felt it seeping into every pore, its energy flowing inside his body. Then he couldn't breathe. His hands reached for his throat as he fell to the ground, his eyes looking up at the figures standing before him. They were going to kill him.
The figures watched as the humanity drained from Xander and the Vampire soul took its place.
Xander stopped breathing, but he was still 'alive'. As he lay on the ground a million thoughts rushed through his head. What had they done to him? Return to what he trully was? Why hadn't they answered him? What was he? He stood and faced them, feeling stronger than he'd ever felt. Suddenly images flashed in front of his eyes.
Blood. Everywhere. Demonic faces all around him, worshipping him. Other faces twisted in terror. Screams all around him. And Faith. Lying on the ground in some strange village. She wasn't moving. Voices surrounding him. A female on speaking in a language he couldn't understand. Then he felt pain. He felt guilt.
He remembered.
"Giles?" Buffy turned to her Watcher. "What? Where?"
But he didn't know what had happened or where Aragorn, Faith and Xander had vanished to. He turned from the blonde Slayer and looked at the Elf.
"They have returned to Middle Earth," Legolas said softly. "And I am still here."
Part of Buffy was glad he was, but why had they taken Xander and left him? Nothing was making sense. Then the words Giles had spoken just as they disappeared came rushing back to her.
'In the times of dark trust, the saviour will come from the Sunny Dale to be your protector against the evil ones. Don't you see, she's not the saviour, she's the evil.'
Faith was what Legolas and Aragorn had come to Sunnydale to stop and they had ended up returning her to their world where she would destroy them and everyone else living there. Maybe even this whole world too.
"There has to be a way to get to your Middle Earth and to stop faith," Buffy said finally.
"Yes," Giles spoke at last.
Legolas sank down onto his knees. He looked up at them with a look of confusion and hopelessness in his eyes.
"Without the Ring," he said, "there is nothing we can do."
"I don't accept that," Buffy said reaching for a book. "Giles, you found that translation. There has to be something else. Something more we can do. We can't let Faith destroy everything."
"Yes, a book," Giles mumbled. He rushed off behind the shelves and was soon enthralled in his collection of books, desperately trying to find anything that would help them.
"Wills?"
Buffy looked over at Willow. She'd been silent throughout this all. The redhead was staring at the space where Xander had stood before he vanished. She was back with Oz now, but she had history with Xander. They may never be together as she had always wanted in the past, she'd loved him almost all her entire life, but he was still important to her. He always would be. What would she do without him there to talk to? Would he ever come back? Had this been the last time she would ever see him? Would she never be able to touch him again? Tell him she did love him and even though she would never be with him, she always would love him? Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned from the spot he had stood and looked at Buffy.
"He's gone," she said in a tiny, painfilled voice.
Buffy rushed to her side and held her as the tears broke free and rolled down her cheeks. She stroked her hair but could say nothing. She was afraid she would say the wrong thing or would cry with her, and she had to be strong. She had to hold it together for everyone. They had to hold on to what little strength they all had and find a way to bring Xander back and to stop Faith, again.
"We'll bring him back Wills," she said after a long silence. "We just have a lot of work to do. But we WILL bring Xander back."
"So it is time," came a female voice from the darkness.
Xander looked around, trying to find who else was there. Slowly two figures materialised from the darkness beyond the columns. A man and a woman. The woman was holding a glowly green prism. It looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place it. It was like he was living some strange deja vu.
"Time for what?" he asked in a small voice.
Were they going to sacrifice him to some evil Demon, or turn him into one? Xander wished Buffy was here. She'd soon kick their arses.
"For you to return to what you trully are," the male said, circling Xander slowly.
"What I trully am? And, and what is that?" he asked but for some reason he didn't want an answer.
The female smiled as she held out the prism. It's glow flowed around Xander, wrapping him up in its green aura. He felt it seeping into every pore, its energy flowing inside his body. Then he couldn't breathe. His hands reached for his throat as he fell to the ground, his eyes looking up at the figures standing before him. They were going to kill him.
The figures watched as the humanity drained from Xander and the Vampire soul took its place.
Xander stopped breathing, but he was still 'alive'. As he lay on the ground a million thoughts rushed through his head. What had they done to him? Return to what he trully was? Why hadn't they answered him? What was he? He stood and faced them, feeling stronger than he'd ever felt. Suddenly images flashed in front of his eyes.
Blood. Everywhere. Demonic faces all around him, worshipping him. Other faces twisted in terror. Screams all around him. And Faith. Lying on the ground in some strange village. She wasn't moving. Voices surrounding him. A female on speaking in a language he couldn't understand. Then he felt pain. He felt guilt.
He remembered.
"Giles?" Buffy turned to her Watcher. "What? Where?"
But he didn't know what had happened or where Aragorn, Faith and Xander had vanished to. He turned from the blonde Slayer and looked at the Elf.
"They have returned to Middle Earth," Legolas said softly. "And I am still here."
Part of Buffy was glad he was, but why had they taken Xander and left him? Nothing was making sense. Then the words Giles had spoken just as they disappeared came rushing back to her.
'In the times of dark trust, the saviour will come from the Sunny Dale to be your protector against the evil ones. Don't you see, she's not the saviour, she's the evil.'
Faith was what Legolas and Aragorn had come to Sunnydale to stop and they had ended up returning her to their world where she would destroy them and everyone else living there. Maybe even this whole world too.
"There has to be a way to get to your Middle Earth and to stop faith," Buffy said finally.
"Yes," Giles spoke at last.
Legolas sank down onto his knees. He looked up at them with a look of confusion and hopelessness in his eyes.
"Without the Ring," he said, "there is nothing we can do."
"I don't accept that," Buffy said reaching for a book. "Giles, you found that translation. There has to be something else. Something more we can do. We can't let Faith destroy everything."
"Yes, a book," Giles mumbled. He rushed off behind the shelves and was soon enthralled in his collection of books, desperately trying to find anything that would help them.
"Wills?"
Buffy looked over at Willow. She'd been silent throughout this all. The redhead was staring at the space where Xander had stood before he vanished. She was back with Oz now, but she had history with Xander. They may never be together as she had always wanted in the past, she'd loved him almost all her entire life, but he was still important to her. He always would be. What would she do without him there to talk to? Would he ever come back? Had this been the last time she would ever see him? Would she never be able to touch him again? Tell him she did love him and even though she would never be with him, she always would love him? Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned from the spot he had stood and looked at Buffy.
"He's gone," she said in a tiny, painfilled voice.
Buffy rushed to her side and held her as the tears broke free and rolled down her cheeks. She stroked her hair but could say nothing. She was afraid she would say the wrong thing or would cry with her, and she had to be strong. She had to hold it together for everyone. They had to hold on to what little strength they all had and find a way to bring Xander back and to stop Faith, again.
"We'll bring him back Wills," she said after a long silence. "We just have a lot of work to do. But we WILL bring Xander back."