"Who is he?" Xander asked again.
The male and female figures looked at each other.
"He is the last of the line of an ancient one," said the female.
"He must not gain control of the diaries," said the male.
"Ancient one?" asked Xander. "Who? How can I stop him?"
"You will know when the time is right," replied the female. "And you won't be alone."
"The last in the line of another ancient one will help you," added the male. "Together you will defeat him and stop the evil returning."
"Stop speaking in riddles," Xander yelled. "Who am I supposed to stop? Who is the one who will help me?"
"That we cannot tell you," the female said softly.
"It is not our place," said the male. "But you will find them and things must be put right."
"But..." Xander blurted just as things went black again. He blinked to regain some focus, and when the light returned, he found himself back in his crypt at the foot of Mt. Doom.
"Another Vampire," Boromir growled as he sheathed his sword. "What is it you want?"
"I told you. I want Buffy dead, and I think we can help each other," Angel replied.
"I'm listening."
Boromir wandered over to a chair and sat. He gestured for Angel to join him.
"I know this town, the ones you are wanting," he began. "They trust me and using that, I can move amongst them and find out where Faith is and where this Ring you want are."
Boromir was intrigued. "And in return?"
"In return, you help me destroy them all."
They had been searching for weeks and only one diary had been found. Krytalia was starting to get nervous. If they weren't found soon, the mayor would have their heads...literally. She had the book from the old ones that told of their existance, but it was not clear on what happened to them after the 'Father' left. It had been assumed that they had been buried with him.
Over the centuries, his crypt had been a shrine to the evil that he had unleashed on the Earth. Demons made pilgrimages to it and worshipped there. But as time marched on, it had been forgotten to all but a few. Those that did remember, had long since moved on to other shores.
Krytalia remembered the story of the 'Father' as a bedtime story. It was a fairytale, a myth, but not real. Now she was beginning to believe it. The first diary had proved the existance of something/someone. The 'Father' of all Demons?
"We've found it," came a shout from ahead.
Had they finally found the crypt of the 'Father' after all this time searching? Would the remaining diaries be there?
Xander heard the noise of someone approaching. He looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. There was also nothing he could use as a weapon either. He braced himself.
Krytalia ran her hand over the markings. She couldn't read the words, but she appreciated the script it was written in.
"Wait here," she said softly to the other smaller Demons who had found it.
"But..." one started to say but she cut him off with a glare.
"Wait here," she said again with more force in her voice.
The others shrank back. They knew better than to argue with her. She was a Gravitas Demon and had the power to kill them with a look from her icy blue eyes. If she wanted to go in alone, so be it.
Krytalia stood for a minute summoning up the courage to take the first step inside the crypt. She had no idea what she would find inside, but she knew that it was something she had to do. Richard demanded the diaries, and she also knew what would happen if she didn't find them. Slowly, she took the first step inside.
"Aha," Giles exclaimed.
Everyone jumped. It had been so silent in the library for hours as they all had been busy reading every book they could find trying to find any mention of the 'Xander Diaries' as they had come to call them.
"What have you found?" Buffy asked, rushing over to him.
"Here," he replied. "This must be one of his diaries."
He held a small, ancient looking book in his hand.
"I can't believe I overlooked it," he muttered to himself. "Its been here all along and I overlooked it."
"Giles," Buffy said sharply, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What does it say?"
Everyone gathered around as he opened the book. Willow peeked over his shoulder.
"Thats his writing alright," she said.
"Ah yes," Giles said as he adjusted his glasses.
He was silent for a long time as he read through several pages. His face went pale and his lips parted as he read.
"Giles!" Buffy said louder. "What does it say?"
He looked up from the book. Legolas could see it on his face. He knew about the monster Xander had become. He knew everything evil in the world existed mostly because of Xander.
The male and female figures looked at each other.
"He is the last of the line of an ancient one," said the female.
"He must not gain control of the diaries," said the male.
"Ancient one?" asked Xander. "Who? How can I stop him?"
"You will know when the time is right," replied the female. "And you won't be alone."
"The last in the line of another ancient one will help you," added the male. "Together you will defeat him and stop the evil returning."
"Stop speaking in riddles," Xander yelled. "Who am I supposed to stop? Who is the one who will help me?"
"That we cannot tell you," the female said softly.
"It is not our place," said the male. "But you will find them and things must be put right."
"But..." Xander blurted just as things went black again. He blinked to regain some focus, and when the light returned, he found himself back in his crypt at the foot of Mt. Doom.
"Another Vampire," Boromir growled as he sheathed his sword. "What is it you want?"
"I told you. I want Buffy dead, and I think we can help each other," Angel replied.
"I'm listening."
Boromir wandered over to a chair and sat. He gestured for Angel to join him.
"I know this town, the ones you are wanting," he began. "They trust me and using that, I can move amongst them and find out where Faith is and where this Ring you want are."
Boromir was intrigued. "And in return?"
"In return, you help me destroy them all."
They had been searching for weeks and only one diary had been found. Krytalia was starting to get nervous. If they weren't found soon, the mayor would have their heads...literally. She had the book from the old ones that told of their existance, but it was not clear on what happened to them after the 'Father' left. It had been assumed that they had been buried with him.
Over the centuries, his crypt had been a shrine to the evil that he had unleashed on the Earth. Demons made pilgrimages to it and worshipped there. But as time marched on, it had been forgotten to all but a few. Those that did remember, had long since moved on to other shores.
Krytalia remembered the story of the 'Father' as a bedtime story. It was a fairytale, a myth, but not real. Now she was beginning to believe it. The first diary had proved the existance of something/someone. The 'Father' of all Demons?
"We've found it," came a shout from ahead.
Had they finally found the crypt of the 'Father' after all this time searching? Would the remaining diaries be there?
Xander heard the noise of someone approaching. He looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. There was also nothing he could use as a weapon either. He braced himself.
Krytalia ran her hand over the markings. She couldn't read the words, but she appreciated the script it was written in.
"Wait here," she said softly to the other smaller Demons who had found it.
"But..." one started to say but she cut him off with a glare.
"Wait here," she said again with more force in her voice.
The others shrank back. They knew better than to argue with her. She was a Gravitas Demon and had the power to kill them with a look from her icy blue eyes. If she wanted to go in alone, so be it.
Krytalia stood for a minute summoning up the courage to take the first step inside the crypt. She had no idea what she would find inside, but she knew that it was something she had to do. Richard demanded the diaries, and she also knew what would happen if she didn't find them. Slowly, she took the first step inside.
"Aha," Giles exclaimed.
Everyone jumped. It had been so silent in the library for hours as they all had been busy reading every book they could find trying to find any mention of the 'Xander Diaries' as they had come to call them.
"What have you found?" Buffy asked, rushing over to him.
"Here," he replied. "This must be one of his diaries."
He held a small, ancient looking book in his hand.
"I can't believe I overlooked it," he muttered to himself. "Its been here all along and I overlooked it."
"Giles," Buffy said sharply, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What does it say?"
Everyone gathered around as he opened the book. Willow peeked over his shoulder.
"Thats his writing alright," she said.
"Ah yes," Giles said as he adjusted his glasses.
He was silent for a long time as he read through several pages. His face went pale and his lips parted as he read.
"Giles!" Buffy said louder. "What does it say?"
He looked up from the book. Legolas could see it on his face. He knew about the monster Xander had become. He knew everything evil in the world existed mostly because of Xander.