"What happens now?"
The male and female walked around the fallen Xander.
"Things must be put right," the male said.
"What things? How?" Xander asked.
"The things you disturbed," the female replied. "You must stop the evil."
"What evil? Just answer me. Stop talking in riddles," Xander yelled.
The male and female paused. Did he really not understand what he had done?
"So where will we find Xander's diaries?" Buffy asked again.
"It does not say," Legolas replied.
"But you believe they will have the answers?"
Giles slipped off his glasses and stood polishing the lenses.
"I think so," he said after a long pause. "From what little is said in that book, Beleg, Xander, wrote a diary of what had been and what was happening around him. If we find his diaries, we will be able to find out what happened to him after he left us and I only hope he wrote down enough about that Ring and its powers to help us find a way to get him back and to send Legolas back."
Buffy's heart sank at the thought of losing Legolas but she knew he had to go back. Sunnydale was no place for an Elf. Not even one as gorgeous as he was.
"Slayer? What is a Slayer?"
Boromir walked closer to Angel, his sword held tightly in his hand.
"Buffy? The Slayer? The one you want dead," Angel replied, keeping his eyes on the sword in Boromir's hand.
"I know no Buffy," Boromir snarled. "I want the one who tricked me and stole my Ring."
"Ah, Faith," Angel chuckled. "Where you find Faith, you'll find Buffy."
"Why should I trust you?" Boromir asked. "You could be one of them. You are here to steal my Ring from me. My precious."
"Ring? What Ring?" Angel watched the Demon stop walking. He still held tight to his sword though. "I want the Slayer's head. I could care less about some worthless piece of metal. But we could help each other get what we both want."
Boromir slowly lowered his sword.
"Why would you help me?" he asked.
"Together, the Slayers are a challenge. I can't do it alone, and neither can you," Angel replied.
"But I'm not alone," Boromir said, raising his sword again. He took one step closer to Angel and ran the blade of his sword right through his body.
"Ow!" Angel gasped as Boromir pulled it out. "Now why did you go and do that? This is a $200 shirt."
"You should be dead," Boromir gasped. "No-one could survive a wound such as that."
"No-one human," Angel replied, his face changing.
"The books mustn't fall into the wrong hands," the male said.
"Already there are signs telling us that he is near to possessing them," the female added.
"And when he does, darkness will come to the world, much like in forgotten times," finished the male.
Xander paused. These two made about as much sense as Giles. But at least Giles arrived at an answer and he thought that was something he wouldn't be getting from these two. He had absolutely no idea what books they were talking about. If they knew who "he" was, why couldn't they stop him themselves instead of dragging him into it.
"What has this to do with me?" he asked finally.
"They are your books," replied the male.
"The ones you wrote and the ones the Elves kept," added the female.
"My diaries?"
The figures nodded.
"But there was nothing in them but..." he paused as the memories slowly became clearer. "Everything."
"Yes. If he gains possession of your diaries, he can reforge the Ring and rule over all of the world."
"Human, Demon and Vampire alike."
"You cannot let it happen. He must be stopped."
Xander looked up. "Who is he?"
Richard caressed the cover of the book softly, much like a lover would.
"Soon," he crooned softly. "Soon all will be as it should have been. Soon the whole world will be mine."
The male and female walked around the fallen Xander.
"Things must be put right," the male said.
"What things? How?" Xander asked.
"The things you disturbed," the female replied. "You must stop the evil."
"What evil? Just answer me. Stop talking in riddles," Xander yelled.
The male and female paused. Did he really not understand what he had done?
"So where will we find Xander's diaries?" Buffy asked again.
"It does not say," Legolas replied.
"But you believe they will have the answers?"
Giles slipped off his glasses and stood polishing the lenses.
"I think so," he said after a long pause. "From what little is said in that book, Beleg, Xander, wrote a diary of what had been and what was happening around him. If we find his diaries, we will be able to find out what happened to him after he left us and I only hope he wrote down enough about that Ring and its powers to help us find a way to get him back and to send Legolas back."
Buffy's heart sank at the thought of losing Legolas but she knew he had to go back. Sunnydale was no place for an Elf. Not even one as gorgeous as he was.
"Slayer? What is a Slayer?"
Boromir walked closer to Angel, his sword held tightly in his hand.
"Buffy? The Slayer? The one you want dead," Angel replied, keeping his eyes on the sword in Boromir's hand.
"I know no Buffy," Boromir snarled. "I want the one who tricked me and stole my Ring."
"Ah, Faith," Angel chuckled. "Where you find Faith, you'll find Buffy."
"Why should I trust you?" Boromir asked. "You could be one of them. You are here to steal my Ring from me. My precious."
"Ring? What Ring?" Angel watched the Demon stop walking. He still held tight to his sword though. "I want the Slayer's head. I could care less about some worthless piece of metal. But we could help each other get what we both want."
Boromir slowly lowered his sword.
"Why would you help me?" he asked.
"Together, the Slayers are a challenge. I can't do it alone, and neither can you," Angel replied.
"But I'm not alone," Boromir said, raising his sword again. He took one step closer to Angel and ran the blade of his sword right through his body.
"Ow!" Angel gasped as Boromir pulled it out. "Now why did you go and do that? This is a $200 shirt."
"You should be dead," Boromir gasped. "No-one could survive a wound such as that."
"No-one human," Angel replied, his face changing.
"The books mustn't fall into the wrong hands," the male said.
"Already there are signs telling us that he is near to possessing them," the female added.
"And when he does, darkness will come to the world, much like in forgotten times," finished the male.
Xander paused. These two made about as much sense as Giles. But at least Giles arrived at an answer and he thought that was something he wouldn't be getting from these two. He had absolutely no idea what books they were talking about. If they knew who "he" was, why couldn't they stop him themselves instead of dragging him into it.
"What has this to do with me?" he asked finally.
"They are your books," replied the male.
"The ones you wrote and the ones the Elves kept," added the female.
"My diaries?"
The figures nodded.
"But there was nothing in them but..." he paused as the memories slowly became clearer. "Everything."
"Yes. If he gains possession of your diaries, he can reforge the Ring and rule over all of the world."
"Human, Demon and Vampire alike."
"You cannot let it happen. He must be stopped."
Xander looked up. "Who is he?"
Richard caressed the cover of the book softly, much like a lover would.
"Soon," he crooned softly. "Soon all will be as it should have been. Soon the whole world will be mine."