The Slayer and her team had settled into a motel fifteen miles from the
sinkhole that was Sunnydale California. Many girls died in the battle to
kill the Turok-Han and thwart the First. Everyone mourned their deaths,
they were once faceless girls frightened and shivering in a house built for
three. But Willow's magic imbued them with the spirit and skill of a
vampire Slayer. Unfortunately some still met their end in the apocalyptic
battle, including the former demoness Anya. The newly called Slayers were
given two options, either they could go back to their family and live
normal lives or stay with the Slayer and her team to fight evil. Many of
the girls opted to go home but Rona, Kennedy, and twenty other Slayers
stayed. It was a grueling week, they had spent a few days of mourning for
their fallen comrades and needed a place to live. Fortunately they had
saved a motel owner from vampires and in gratitude they were given free
lodging.
Giles had set himself on the desk a cup of hot tea and held his glasses in his right hand with his left rubbing his forehead.
"Rupert Giles..." the voice was familiar and very faint. It seemed to have wisped around his ears.
Giles looked around perplexed.
"Rupert Giles..." the voice had grown stronger and more masculine.
Fingering an object in his right coat pocket. Giles began mumbling "Nostero Straratta..." A clap of thunder shattered his concentration and a peal of lightning split the sky. Giles's vision became pure white.
The walls were paneled with mahogany and Giles could smell the wood polish and feel the leather chair that held him.
"Ahh Rupert. Glad to see you're awake." The voice was muddled but Giles opened his eyes and saw the late Quintin Travers standing before him.
"You disgusting worm! I know who you are!" Giles's blood boiled. In his rage he raised his body from the chair and pointed a purple shard of amethyst at him. "Images shattered by foul spirits old. Ancient ones past their prime. I..." As he chanted the piece of amethyst grew hot and glimmered.
"We'll have no more of that. Imetra!" Rayne paralyzed the watcher as his hands carved an upside down star in the air. Giles's voice was arrested in his throat. His body slumped over back into the chair. Through the haze of teleportation, he wasn't able to examine his situation, till now. Sitting next to him complacently was his exfriend Ethan Rayne, with his usual smug grin plastered all over his face.
"Naughty naughty brother. Wanted to hurt daddy. After he brought you here. Ungrateful brother." The vampiress Drusilla made a disapproving tsk.
"I'm am not your brother." Giles hissed.
"Well actually you old fart, you are." The voice came from what Giles believed to be a young boy around the age of ten.
"Now, Now Ryan..." The First shifted forms from Travers to Jenny Calendar. "We don't want to upset Rupert now do we?"
"Your cheap tricks don't fool me. The Slayer will destroy you. Kill me for all I care. There will be a legion of girls strong enough to decimate your feeble attempts."
"Cheap tricks? Come on Rupert, you must know why we're here. What magicks brought us to this place. It's the legacy stone. Traver's last ditch effort to protect the sanctity of the Council."
Many years ago, after the Second World War and Quintin Travers had taken charge. A large red stone was found in an excavation of a demon lair deep within the Himalayas. Using the resources of the Council the stones origin had been traced it was a powerful form of magick used by an extinct race of demons. They were able to lock within the stone their memories, powers, visions, secrets; anything that they needed to survive was kept within the stone. Housed within the crystalline lattice. Fearing another attack on the Council Quintin ordered that the stone be imbued with the full knowledge and capacity of the Council. That way in case only a few members were left surviving they would be able to tap into the reservoir of knowledge, he dubbed the stone the Legacy Stone. Travers had ordered that the stone be hidden within the body of Charles Easten, and that upon his deathbed he should pass it on to his son and so forth. But the First had gotten to Charle's son first.
Miss Calender looked Giles in the eye and saw a light of understanding flash behind his eyes. The First shifted again from Miss Calender to Mayer Wilkins. "That's right Mr. Giles. These three rights here are my lieutenants and your family. I lead them through the rites and placed them within the Black Shed. I'm proud to say that they've all passed and were richly rewarded as you are. Doesn't that feel Jim Dandy eh Mr. Giles? You aren't the only watcher left alive anymore. Now those girls can have a strong father figure in their lives."
"I'm not alone..." Giles hissed through his teeth again. Ethan's spell held his throat tight as he spoke in sibilance.
"Oh of course you aren't. There's Mr. Windam-Pryce. But well he's working for the Wolf Ram and Hart now. And the stone just can't get through their force field. Must be like Hogwarts in there, no apparating in or out." Mayor Wilkins laughed to himself. "Well frivolity aside, and my goodness where are my manners I forgot to introduce the other members of the new Council. This young boy is Ryan, his family just couldn't keep this little firebrand so I found him a better home with us. And well you've met Drusilla before. And to your left is your dear old friend Ethan. Welcome to the new Watcher's council Mr. Giles. Hmm oh dear." Mayor Wilkins paused and looked at his watch. "The stone's power is going to send you back soon so I believe we have to end this meeting. But allow me the liberty to say these final words. The activation of the Potentials was just the beginning. You thought the battle with the Turok-Han was an apocalypse. That was nothing compared to what I have in store for all of you. I'd keep those girls close if I were you. Every Slayer needs a Watcher."
Giles had set himself on the desk a cup of hot tea and held his glasses in his right hand with his left rubbing his forehead.
"Rupert Giles..." the voice was familiar and very faint. It seemed to have wisped around his ears.
Giles looked around perplexed.
"Rupert Giles..." the voice had grown stronger and more masculine.
Fingering an object in his right coat pocket. Giles began mumbling "Nostero Straratta..." A clap of thunder shattered his concentration and a peal of lightning split the sky. Giles's vision became pure white.
The walls were paneled with mahogany and Giles could smell the wood polish and feel the leather chair that held him.
"Ahh Rupert. Glad to see you're awake." The voice was muddled but Giles opened his eyes and saw the late Quintin Travers standing before him.
"You disgusting worm! I know who you are!" Giles's blood boiled. In his rage he raised his body from the chair and pointed a purple shard of amethyst at him. "Images shattered by foul spirits old. Ancient ones past their prime. I..." As he chanted the piece of amethyst grew hot and glimmered.
"We'll have no more of that. Imetra!" Rayne paralyzed the watcher as his hands carved an upside down star in the air. Giles's voice was arrested in his throat. His body slumped over back into the chair. Through the haze of teleportation, he wasn't able to examine his situation, till now. Sitting next to him complacently was his exfriend Ethan Rayne, with his usual smug grin plastered all over his face.
"Naughty naughty brother. Wanted to hurt daddy. After he brought you here. Ungrateful brother." The vampiress Drusilla made a disapproving tsk.
"I'm am not your brother." Giles hissed.
"Well actually you old fart, you are." The voice came from what Giles believed to be a young boy around the age of ten.
"Now, Now Ryan..." The First shifted forms from Travers to Jenny Calendar. "We don't want to upset Rupert now do we?"
"Your cheap tricks don't fool me. The Slayer will destroy you. Kill me for all I care. There will be a legion of girls strong enough to decimate your feeble attempts."
"Cheap tricks? Come on Rupert, you must know why we're here. What magicks brought us to this place. It's the legacy stone. Traver's last ditch effort to protect the sanctity of the Council."
Many years ago, after the Second World War and Quintin Travers had taken charge. A large red stone was found in an excavation of a demon lair deep within the Himalayas. Using the resources of the Council the stones origin had been traced it was a powerful form of magick used by an extinct race of demons. They were able to lock within the stone their memories, powers, visions, secrets; anything that they needed to survive was kept within the stone. Housed within the crystalline lattice. Fearing another attack on the Council Quintin ordered that the stone be imbued with the full knowledge and capacity of the Council. That way in case only a few members were left surviving they would be able to tap into the reservoir of knowledge, he dubbed the stone the Legacy Stone. Travers had ordered that the stone be hidden within the body of Charles Easten, and that upon his deathbed he should pass it on to his son and so forth. But the First had gotten to Charle's son first.
Miss Calender looked Giles in the eye and saw a light of understanding flash behind his eyes. The First shifted again from Miss Calender to Mayer Wilkins. "That's right Mr. Giles. These three rights here are my lieutenants and your family. I lead them through the rites and placed them within the Black Shed. I'm proud to say that they've all passed and were richly rewarded as you are. Doesn't that feel Jim Dandy eh Mr. Giles? You aren't the only watcher left alive anymore. Now those girls can have a strong father figure in their lives."
"I'm not alone..." Giles hissed through his teeth again. Ethan's spell held his throat tight as he spoke in sibilance.
"Oh of course you aren't. There's Mr. Windam-Pryce. But well he's working for the Wolf Ram and Hart now. And the stone just can't get through their force field. Must be like Hogwarts in there, no apparating in or out." Mayor Wilkins laughed to himself. "Well frivolity aside, and my goodness where are my manners I forgot to introduce the other members of the new Council. This young boy is Ryan, his family just couldn't keep this little firebrand so I found him a better home with us. And well you've met Drusilla before. And to your left is your dear old friend Ethan. Welcome to the new Watcher's council Mr. Giles. Hmm oh dear." Mayor Wilkins paused and looked at his watch. "The stone's power is going to send you back soon so I believe we have to end this meeting. But allow me the liberty to say these final words. The activation of the Potentials was just the beginning. You thought the battle with the Turok-Han was an apocalypse. That was nothing compared to what I have in store for all of you. I'd keep those girls close if I were you. Every Slayer needs a Watcher."