They hid in the shadows outside the warehouse. Buffy climbed up the fire escape to the nearest window and looked inside.
"There's no sign of Angel," she said, "and only a handful of vampires. I can take them."
Legolas drew his bow and reached for an arrow from the quiver on his back. "Not alone," he said.
Buffy jumped back down. "On three."
She walked over to the door, her foot raised ready to kick it in. "One....two..." But Xander rushed past her and slammed into it, pushing it open.
"Three," Buffy said redundantly.
The vampires came running when they heard the crash. An arrow from Legolas' bow cut one down before he crossed the warehouse floor. As he exploded into dust, they all ran in.
"Find Willow," Buffy yelled as she kicked the nearest vampire. Legolas had drawn another arrow and was aiming it at another vampire when he caught a glimpse of the redhead hiding behind some crates.
"Over there," he called, pointing to the crates.
Buffy saw her. "Willow," she yelled.
Willow didn't hesitate when she saw her friends. She ran out from her hiding place and sprinted across the floor, but a vampire caught her.
"She is mine," he snarled.
Buffy stabbed her stake into the heart of the vampire she'd been fighting and looked at the vampire holding Willow. He was big, but she'd taken on bigger. She was about to make her move towards him when he gasped, then turned to dust in front of her eyes. When the dust settled, there was Xander standing behind Willow, stake in his hand.
"Good timing," Buffy said, turning back to help Legolas.
Willow turned around. "Xander?" she asked before she fainted.
He caught her in his arms and carried her through the fighting and outside of the warehouse. He was about to put her down in the shadows and go back to help the others when they ran out to join them.
"Let's go," Buffy shouted as she ran past.
Xander didn't argue. He slung Willow over his shoulder and ran after Buffy with Legolas behind him.
They made it back to the library and to Giles safely. Xander gently placed Willow down on one of the chairs.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
Buffy checked her neck. "Just fainted," she said.
Giles looked up from his book. "Nothing," he sighed. "I can't find any trace of these diaries. Not a trace of anything."
"Okay, someone want to fill me in on what's going on here?" Buffy said as she sat down opposite Giles.
"I will," Xander said.
~*~
"So who is he?" Buffy said when Xander finally finished his story.
"I don't know," Xander replied. "All I know is he is from a long line, probably going all the way back to your times." He threw a glance at Legolas who had remained quiet throughout the story.
"And the daughter of fire?"
"I don't know that either. I think she might be the demon I saw in my crypt. She had flame coloured hair and knew of the diaries existance."
"Or she might be working for the one who wants them," Buffy said. "Do you have any idea who would want these diaries Legolas?"
"The Ring has strong powers. It has the power to enslave the world. Anyone who possesses it, possesses its power and with it, the world. It can also bring Sauron back. Saruman."
"Saruman?" Giles reached for a book. "That name sounds familiar."
"He was one of the greatest wizards. Saruman the wise. But he was seduced by the dark powers Sauron offered him and he switched his alligience. He betrayed us all."
"What happened to him?"
"I do not know," Legolas replied.
"Of course you don't," Buffy said quietly. "Stupid question. So this one from a long line could possibly be a descendant of Saruman?"
"It's possible," Giles replied. "The story of the Ring could have been passed down in the family for centuries, longer probably, and now, one of his descendants is in the position to fulfill what his ancestor failed to do. Possess the Ring and bring back Sauron."
"Great," Buffy said. "Angelus has returned, there's this Boromir demon, Xander, a long lost vampire love of Xander's, and now this ancestor guy trying to bring back a Ring that was destroyed and could be used to bring back this evil guy and take over the world. Can this day get any better?"
"Hey!" Xander exclaimed.
"Sorry Xand. I wasn't blaming you."
"But I am," he said softly.
"We've already been through this," she said kindly. "There's no point going over it again."
"Yes, we have to figure out who is behind all this and stop him before he gets hold of any diaries," Giles said.
"I think we should look into finding this daughter of flames. Maybe she will know something we don't," Buffy said.
"Good idea," Giles said before darting off to search for some more books.
Buffy watched him go as she fell down onto a chair beside Willow. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Like I am trapped inside some weird dream or something," she replied. "I'm so confused."
"We all are Willow," Buffy said. "Everything is so messed up and it looks like there is a huge disaster coming, but we can deal. We always do."
Willow smiled. Buffy always made the terrifying seem like nothing more than a tacky teen slasher movie. Once upon a time they'd scared her, but after everything she'd been through and seen, Freddy Krueger was no more terrifying than Bugs Bunny. Bad comparison, she told herself. These days, her whole life was a teen slasher movie, except without the obligatory tit shot.
"Remind me to stop watching Scream so much," she whispered to Buffy.
"Huh? Scream?" Buffy was puzzled.
"Just remind me," Willow said.
Buffy shrugged. "Okay Will." She turned to look at Legolas. "Daughter of flames mean anything to you?"
Legolas shook his head. "No," he said.
"Well maybe Giles will find something. When you're ready, do you think you can look on the web for something Wills?"
Willow jumped up. "Oh I did find something," she exclaimed. "I stumbled onto the Watcher's Council site, accidentally of course, and in them, I found some stuff about Xander and the beginning of the Council. I couldn't read much but maybe Legolas would be able to translate them."
"That's great Willow," Buffy said. "Where is it? Can you access it from here?"
Willow shook her head. "I printed everything out and its safe at home. Maybe we can go and get it?"
"Good idea," said Giles who had been listening. "Buffy, you, Willow and Legolas go to retrieve the pages from Willow's house, Xander, you stay here and help me with this reading. Maybe something will seem familiar."
"We won't be long," Buffy said as she stood up and moved towards the door. "I just hope we find something soon."
~*~
"Idiot!" Angelus bellowed. "How could you let her escape?"
Boromir scowled. He was getting sick of all this. And from a lowly vampire. Just who did this Angelus think he was?
"You think I just let her walk out of here?" Boromir yelled back. "I lost most of my best soldiers."
Angelus growled. Best soldiers, he thought to himself. If they'd been the best, Willow would still be here and Buffy would have never been able to defeat them. He was sick of Boromir and his whining. Sick of the whole situation. It was time for him to find someone else how could help him achieve what he wanted. Someone who wasn't hung up on some ring that was beyond possessing now. Someone who had the power to help him. Help him destroy the slayer once and for all.
"There's no sign of Angel," she said, "and only a handful of vampires. I can take them."
Legolas drew his bow and reached for an arrow from the quiver on his back. "Not alone," he said.
Buffy jumped back down. "On three."
She walked over to the door, her foot raised ready to kick it in. "One....two..." But Xander rushed past her and slammed into it, pushing it open.
"Three," Buffy said redundantly.
The vampires came running when they heard the crash. An arrow from Legolas' bow cut one down before he crossed the warehouse floor. As he exploded into dust, they all ran in.
"Find Willow," Buffy yelled as she kicked the nearest vampire. Legolas had drawn another arrow and was aiming it at another vampire when he caught a glimpse of the redhead hiding behind some crates.
"Over there," he called, pointing to the crates.
Buffy saw her. "Willow," she yelled.
Willow didn't hesitate when she saw her friends. She ran out from her hiding place and sprinted across the floor, but a vampire caught her.
"She is mine," he snarled.
Buffy stabbed her stake into the heart of the vampire she'd been fighting and looked at the vampire holding Willow. He was big, but she'd taken on bigger. She was about to make her move towards him when he gasped, then turned to dust in front of her eyes. When the dust settled, there was Xander standing behind Willow, stake in his hand.
"Good timing," Buffy said, turning back to help Legolas.
Willow turned around. "Xander?" she asked before she fainted.
He caught her in his arms and carried her through the fighting and outside of the warehouse. He was about to put her down in the shadows and go back to help the others when they ran out to join them.
"Let's go," Buffy shouted as she ran past.
Xander didn't argue. He slung Willow over his shoulder and ran after Buffy with Legolas behind him.
They made it back to the library and to Giles safely. Xander gently placed Willow down on one of the chairs.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
Buffy checked her neck. "Just fainted," she said.
Giles looked up from his book. "Nothing," he sighed. "I can't find any trace of these diaries. Not a trace of anything."
"Okay, someone want to fill me in on what's going on here?" Buffy said as she sat down opposite Giles.
"I will," Xander said.
~*~
"So who is he?" Buffy said when Xander finally finished his story.
"I don't know," Xander replied. "All I know is he is from a long line, probably going all the way back to your times." He threw a glance at Legolas who had remained quiet throughout the story.
"And the daughter of fire?"
"I don't know that either. I think she might be the demon I saw in my crypt. She had flame coloured hair and knew of the diaries existance."
"Or she might be working for the one who wants them," Buffy said. "Do you have any idea who would want these diaries Legolas?"
"The Ring has strong powers. It has the power to enslave the world. Anyone who possesses it, possesses its power and with it, the world. It can also bring Sauron back. Saruman."
"Saruman?" Giles reached for a book. "That name sounds familiar."
"He was one of the greatest wizards. Saruman the wise. But he was seduced by the dark powers Sauron offered him and he switched his alligience. He betrayed us all."
"What happened to him?"
"I do not know," Legolas replied.
"Of course you don't," Buffy said quietly. "Stupid question. So this one from a long line could possibly be a descendant of Saruman?"
"It's possible," Giles replied. "The story of the Ring could have been passed down in the family for centuries, longer probably, and now, one of his descendants is in the position to fulfill what his ancestor failed to do. Possess the Ring and bring back Sauron."
"Great," Buffy said. "Angelus has returned, there's this Boromir demon, Xander, a long lost vampire love of Xander's, and now this ancestor guy trying to bring back a Ring that was destroyed and could be used to bring back this evil guy and take over the world. Can this day get any better?"
"Hey!" Xander exclaimed.
"Sorry Xand. I wasn't blaming you."
"But I am," he said softly.
"We've already been through this," she said kindly. "There's no point going over it again."
"Yes, we have to figure out who is behind all this and stop him before he gets hold of any diaries," Giles said.
"I think we should look into finding this daughter of flames. Maybe she will know something we don't," Buffy said.
"Good idea," Giles said before darting off to search for some more books.
Buffy watched him go as she fell down onto a chair beside Willow. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Like I am trapped inside some weird dream or something," she replied. "I'm so confused."
"We all are Willow," Buffy said. "Everything is so messed up and it looks like there is a huge disaster coming, but we can deal. We always do."
Willow smiled. Buffy always made the terrifying seem like nothing more than a tacky teen slasher movie. Once upon a time they'd scared her, but after everything she'd been through and seen, Freddy Krueger was no more terrifying than Bugs Bunny. Bad comparison, she told herself. These days, her whole life was a teen slasher movie, except without the obligatory tit shot.
"Remind me to stop watching Scream so much," she whispered to Buffy.
"Huh? Scream?" Buffy was puzzled.
"Just remind me," Willow said.
Buffy shrugged. "Okay Will." She turned to look at Legolas. "Daughter of flames mean anything to you?"
Legolas shook his head. "No," he said.
"Well maybe Giles will find something. When you're ready, do you think you can look on the web for something Wills?"
Willow jumped up. "Oh I did find something," she exclaimed. "I stumbled onto the Watcher's Council site, accidentally of course, and in them, I found some stuff about Xander and the beginning of the Council. I couldn't read much but maybe Legolas would be able to translate them."
"That's great Willow," Buffy said. "Where is it? Can you access it from here?"
Willow shook her head. "I printed everything out and its safe at home. Maybe we can go and get it?"
"Good idea," said Giles who had been listening. "Buffy, you, Willow and Legolas go to retrieve the pages from Willow's house, Xander, you stay here and help me with this reading. Maybe something will seem familiar."
"We won't be long," Buffy said as she stood up and moved towards the door. "I just hope we find something soon."
~*~
"Idiot!" Angelus bellowed. "How could you let her escape?"
Boromir scowled. He was getting sick of all this. And from a lowly vampire. Just who did this Angelus think he was?
"You think I just let her walk out of here?" Boromir yelled back. "I lost most of my best soldiers."
Angelus growled. Best soldiers, he thought to himself. If they'd been the best, Willow would still be here and Buffy would have never been able to defeat them. He was sick of Boromir and his whining. Sick of the whole situation. It was time for him to find someone else how could help him achieve what he wanted. Someone who wasn't hung up on some ring that was beyond possessing now. Someone who had the power to help him. Help him destroy the slayer once and for all.