Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow II: The Rising Sun

Notes: I'm making all of the stuff about the Powers that Be up. I don't know if they were ever explained on Buffy or Angel, so I'm just going to run with it. Sorry this one's short, but I've got a ton of stuff to do. I'll be out of town tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update or not. But I will have the next chapter up on Sunday.

Previously:

"Alright then. So, I'll call Jack and Buffy, tell them to alert the others. We'll meet at Buffy's house ten o'clock tomorrow morning," Giles instructed. "Be careful on your way home," he said as Kara and Kennedy moved toward the door.

Chapter Five:

"Everyone, this is Rebecca Hart. The Coven sent her to explain a bit about the Powers that Be, at least, what we know thus far," Giles announced, then sat on the couch next to Joyce as Rebecca stood to address the group gathered before her. They were all sitting in Buffy's living room, as usual, armed with coffee and doughnuts, much to Xander's delight.

"Unfortunately, we don't know that much," Rebecca said, her voice carrying a proper English accent. "However, we do have some basic information that we gathered from an ancient text written by one of the watchers whose slayer had dealings with the Powers. According to him, the Powers are chosen from those who died serving the cause of good and righteousness."

"Who chooses them?" Faith asked, taking a sip of her coffee, which was more sugar than anything else.

"We don't know," Rebecca answered. "What we do know is that Lucian, Veronica, and the third Power are not the original Powers. It would seem as though the Powers are intermittently replaced, or else they voluntarily diminish."

"What do you mean?" Lucian asked.

"This watcher, Giorgio Umberto, referred to two of the Powers by name, neither of which matched yours or Veronica's. Naturally, we assumed then that the Powers run in cycles. If the same beings controlled the universe from its conception until now, nothing would ever change. However, with new leadership taking control throughout the centuries, things are bound to happen to move the universe forward – to progress," Rebecca said.

"We haven't read any account of a Power killing another, nor of a Power turning evil. I imagine it would be safe to assume that we are dealing with an entirely new situation. Though Lucian has not been able to tap into his powers, as of yet, that's not to say that this third Power cannot. In fact, I would wager that this individual is actively seeking out Lucian with all of the power he or she possesses. If the third Power has come here, breaking the unwritten law that the Powers that Be have stood by for centuries, we could be in serious trouble," Rebecca stated.

"No one knows that Lucian is here though," Cordelia argued.

"Then how do you explain the wee mutts that attacked both Dawn and I last night and the lot of you?" Spike asked. "Someone has to know."

"Which means that someone is looking for you as we speak," Kara said, looking over at Lucian.

"Will I be safe here?" Lucian asked, turning toward Rebecca and Giles.

"The Council and the Coven will do everything in our power to ensure your safety, that much we both can guarantee you," Giles answered. "However, with what little knowledge we have, we don't know what to protect you from."

"All we know right now is that by killing Veronica, the third Power has clearly indicated that he or she is actively trying to take control of everything. We cannot rightly say whether the Power killed Veronica out of evil, or out of some necessity to prevent a greater harm. However, I feel it is best if we assume the worst. If the Power succeeds in killing Lucian, than nothing will stand between him, hypothetically, and the ability to destroy everything in this world, and every other world, at whim," Rebecca said.

"We will do everything in our power to ensure that doesn't happen," Giles said forcefully. "Alright, here's the plan for now. The Council and the Coven will continue to research the Powers that Be. Hopefully we'll be able to find out who the third Power is. Until then, someone must remain with Lucian at all times, preferably a slayer. Don't trust any strangers and don't leave the house unless it's absolutely necessary. The third Power could be in Sunnydale now, looking for you," Giles said, glancing over at Lucian. Then turning to Joyce, he said, "I hope you don't mind having another house guest, but I think it would be best if he stayed here."

"It's perfectly fine," Joyce responded, smiling warmly at Lucian.

"I can stay with him during the days," Spike spoke up. "It's not like I can go out or anything, and I'm here anyway."

"Good," Giles said approvingly. "Any volunteers for tonight?"

"Kennedy and I can do it," Kara said. "We didn't really have any plans."

"Alright, so we're set for today at least. Willow and I will construct a schedule for the rest of the week. We'll see what happens after that. Any questions?" When no one spoke up, Giles nodded. "Okay, I believe we're done here."

Everyone got up to leave, each having places to be and things to do. Spike looked over at Lucian and smiled. "Looks like it's just you and me, mate," he said.

"Yeah. So what do you want to do?" Lucian asked.

"Ever seen Passions?"