Disclaimer: okay, now that I think about it, everything used in this chapter is made in a referential context and therefore attributed accordingly within and therefore this pis pointless. R&R please.

Previously in our story:

"What is the Nexus?" Taylor

"The center, outside of space, thought and time. The place where all things, all universes begin and branch out, including your own." Avatar

"All universes began in this moment, infinite in number and never-ending, ever expanding and multiplying. We exist in all of these, in many forms." Avatar

"You created me. I'm the one you've been waiting for, the one who can access the Power of the Ages." Taylor

"No, You are the Power of the Ages." Avatar

"What am I? What is my power? What is this Us you keep mentioning?" Taylor

"You are the Chosen, the one for whom we have long been waiting. You are the Son of the Universal Power. You are the Power. You have seen what you are, what we are. We are one. The same. We are the Power." Avatar

"Soon the time will come when it will be made unfathomably clear and you will no longer be able to hide from it or deny it. In order to Become you must first submit." Avatar

"My dreams. This is where they come from. What is that?" Taylor

"What is next. All that is to come. Don't you see it? The Countdown? It's closer now than it has ever been. The Big Bang grand finale is approaching. It is coming hard and fast and you have to be ready to do what you must. There will be choices that you have to make. Decisions with consequences. But it will be easier. Soon you will know all that it is you need to know about who and what you are and with that knowledge the choices will flow out of you." Avatar

"Frodo?" Taylor

"Do you hear that?" Taylor

"Hear what?" Ashlee

"That music." Taylor

"You brought me into a movie?" Taylor

"This, is not a movie. This is a parallel world." Hosha

"Care to tell me why I'm here?" Taylor

"You are going along. The Evil here is stronger than it is supposed to be. Something else is at work here that does not belong in this world." Hosha

"All that is known is that something is feeding the darkness of this world, making it stronger, more deliberate. It is growing, out of order. Things are chaotic, but the cause, things are, unclear." Hosha

"What must I do?" Taylor

"Save the world." Hosha

"Taylor, are you okay? Taylor?" Neah

"It's worse." Taylor

"The people who say you are not facing reality actually mean that you are not facing their idea of reality. Reality is above all else a variable. With a firm enough commitment, you can sometimes create a reality which did not exist before."

Margaret Halsey

Chapter Two: Behold the Power of Belief

"Okay, I know that you've told us a couple of times already, but I'm having a hard time, like, absorbing and digesting all the info, so could you recap? Again?" Ashlee asked as she, Neah, and their friend Justuce followed Taylor up the stairs of their apartment building.

"Fine. A big other worldly badness is threatening the existence of Middle Earth and since our world created Middle Earth, I am duty bound to protect it. So I'm going there to stop the badness. Got it?" Taylor explained as he led the group up to the fourth floor.

"Yeah, for now. Wait a while though, I'll probably ask again." They were all having a hard time completely grasping what was going on since it was all happening so fast. One minute they had been walking. Then Taylor had heard something and froze for a few seconds. Then he was huddled on the sidewalk saying it was bad. From there they had booked it home, Taylor attempting to explain what was going on.

"You've gotten better at the summarizing," Neah quipped with a smile as they entered the fourth floor apartment where they lived.

"That happens when you explain the same thing about four times in a row in an increasingly simplified manner. Hey, maybe next time, all I'll do is grunt and gesture!" Taylor said, apparently getting quite annoyed and frustrated with it all.

Neah whacked him over the head. "Play nice," She growled and he looked at her sheepishly.

"Okay, for those of us in our audience without super powers and a prenatural understanding of the weirdness you just said, could you maybe add a little depth to that?" Justuce asked, hoping she wasn't upsetting Taylor any further.

Taylor just gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay, you're new in this line of questioning. Fire away."

"Middle Earth? As in "Lord of the Rings" Middle Earth? With all the Dwarf people and the Elves and the Hobbits and, my god, Elijah Wood is hot!" Justuce stared dazedly to the side for a moment as the others stared at her in disbelief. "Sorry. How is that possible?" Justuce asked after regaining her composure, sitting down on the couch in the living room.

"I don't know, good genetics?" Taylor shrugged as he walked past.

"I mean Middle Earth," Justuce called after him.

"Right, so, um, Alternate Dimension, like the Buffyverse," Taylor said walking into the open kitchen.

"Huh?" Justuce was confused.

"She wasn't in London with us," Neah called over her shoulder to Taylor as she sat in the chair adjacent to the couch.

"We still told her about," Taylor countered defensively, then sighed at the look Neah gave him. "Right, okay. Well, it's like this. It's belief. Belief is this Uber-Powerful thing. And when enough people do it, it can create entire worlds," Taylor explained from the kitchen as he poured himself some water.

"Gee, could you vague that up a little more?" Ashlee asked sweetly as she leaned on the counter island across from Taylor.

"I'm trying, just, shh!" Taylor poked Ashlee on the forehead. He sat down at the counter and thought for a second before starting again. "Okay, Middle Earth and the Buffyverse exist as parallel dimensions that are deeply intertwined with our own. We created them."

"How?" Justuce asked.

"By believing in them. You see, it all started out small, with on person having an idea. That's what started the possibility. As Tolkien and Whedon kept imagining and extending and refining their ideas, they added layers and complexity, breathing life into them. But they were each only one person. One usually isn't enough to create a world," Taylor paused, silent for a moment in reflection.

Justuce glanced at Neah who silently mouthed "Dune" to her. Justuce understood.

Taylor shook out of it, "You follow so far?"

Justuce nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Continue."

"Tolkien wrote his ideas down in books; the books spread the ideas to others."

"And Joss Whedon made a TV show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Justuce said as she began to realize more what Taylor was saying.

"Right. More and more people read and saw these worlds and they imagined them. And believed in them. Collective belief is a very powerful force. It can change the course of the future. Stop wars..."

"START wars," Ashlee chimed in countering.

Taylor glared. "Overthrow governments..."

"Create New Worlds," Neah finished quietly and simply, turning to look at Taylor again.

"Yeah, but you see, even though we created them, they don't they were created. In their worlds, they've always existed. We're the ones who were created by them," Taylor added, finishing his drink.

"Um, I think I speak for everyone in this room who is me when I say, huh?" Justuce was confused again.

"In Buffy land, we are a TV show to them. So, in Middle Earth, I guess we're a book. We were created by someone in their worlds, at least to them," Neah explained as Taylor and Ashlee rejoined them in the main area.

"But how do we know they're wrong? Maybe we were the ones created by them," Ashlee suggested.

Taylor rubbed his temples. "Not that again. That's too much thinking for me. Ask Journey, he was the one who talked about the metaphysical and quantum mechanics and all that for three hours with Willow, Giles and Hope & Gloria. And besides, I'm going on the word of a goddess here that we created them."

"A goddess who was also featured prominently on the TV show, if I remember what Dawn told us," Ashlee added.

"You know, that always bugged me. Who gave them the right to go inside my head and put it on TV? That's just, what am I saying? Stop! You're making this more confusing than it needs to be. You're the one who always complained about the Portal Physics! And either way it's all highly irrelevant. They exist and some thing's wrong. I need to go," Taylor said as he walked over to Binky's armory by the front window.

"But wait, what do they look like?" Justuce asked, turning to watch Taylor go through weapons.

"How people imagine they would look," Taylor replied.

"Okay, fine, simple for Buffy since the TV show gives collective imagery for everyone to imagine with, but Middle Earth exists in books. Isn't that a chaotic state?" Justuce asked.

"Okay, me confused now," Ashlee said dumbly, raising her hand in indication.

"Shocker, shocker," Neah teased quietly. Justuce giggled as Ashlee stuck her tongue out.

"She means, with books you have to use your own imagination to make the imagery of the story. And people don't imagine the same, so with all those people imagining the same story in different ways, yes, Middle Earth was in flux for a long time," Taylor selected a broad sword, "But..."

"But the movies came out," Justuce finished, now understanding.

"And provided a common image. And voile! Stableness!" Taylor said with a smile and an enthused gesture. Ashlee ducked to avoid the swinging blade.

"So that's where you're going?" Justuce asked.

"Yes, I believe I can now."

"Alone?"

"That's the plan. Hey, don't give me that look, someone has to stay here and keep things in order. I am the Chosen, it's my duty to go, ergo, go I do," Taylor explained as he resheathed the sword and fastened it to his back by its leather harness.

"What do you want us to do?" Neah asked, standing up as Taylor made his way to the closet.

"Keep an eye on our world. See what effects I have on the story. Work at HUSH," Taylor suggested.

"Okay," Neah kissed him on the cheek.

"What if things get rough?" Ashlee asked, concerned.

"In this story? Things are guaranteed to be rough. If it looks like it's getting extreme, come in and save me. Look, I have to go now. It'll be fine. I'll be okay. Trust me," Taylor insisted, holding onto her arms and looking her in the eye. Ashlee smiled and he moved back towards the closet.

"You be careful, we still need you," Neah said, following him to the door.

"I will," Taylor said, leaning over and giving her a kiss as he pulled the door open.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"You make it sound like he's not coming back. Don't," Ashlee said, a little freaked out by the whole deal. "Kick ass, Psycho."

"I will, Slayer," Taylor said and smiled at his best friend.

"Good luck!" Justuce called from behind the girls.

"Thanks," Taylor called back and turned to look at the closet. "Oh, someone may want to see about Reese. He gets home tomorrow and I sorta promised to meet him."

"You think you'll be gone for that long? I thought time wasn't an issue for you," Ashlee asked, standing by Neah.

"Did you know that Reese and I saw all three movies on their opening nights?" Taylor asked looking at the two girls. They looked back. "He can help you understand what may be changing. Get him here now." Taylor sighed. "Keep watch. See ya in a few." And then he was gone. The door closed, lightning flashed and thunder clapped. Leaving the girls alone.

Neah stood silently, staring fixedly at the door. Ashlee walked closer and studied her expression. "You're thinking."

"It happens," Neah cracked and turned to walk down the hall. Ashlee and Justuce followed her.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Ashlee asked as she walked behind the Chainkan girl.

"Yeah." Neah stopped at a door at the end of the hall with a key entry pad next to it. She punched in a few numbers then leaned next to the speaker. "Neahila Wonakowa." The door slid open to reveal the Headquarters of HUSH.

"Feel what? What do you feel?" Justuce asked as the three girls walked into the bustling command center.

"The power," Neah said flatly and walked over to a center ringed console where a small Rabbit and Esomo sat bickering together over who was the cuter (you know, matters of utmost importance). "Bunny, I need an eye on the Middle Earth universe and constant surveillance of Taylor."

"Excuse me, missy, but are you the one in command of this organization? No, I do think not. It is I who have the power and wield the control and I will decide what we do and when we will do it. And right now I am currently occupied with the much more important and dire task of convincing this hair-brained bovine that he is nowhere near as delectably cute as the wondrous me!"

"I am not a cow!" Jayar squeaked in his defense. (They were both cute)

"Nak'to!" Neah's voice echoed and thundered through the small room. Darkness fell around them as lightning and thunder flashed. Neah's eyes glowed white as she stared firmly down at the little animals. "Your Prime is out risking himself to save all forms of life at this very moment, again." Her voice was multi-toned and shook the room. "He is risking himself so that we all might continue to exist, even thought there something out there is extremely meddlesome. I think you could show some appreciation of his activities. Activate your transdimensional surveillance system. I know you have it. Watch him so we can get him back. We owe him that much." Bunny shivered and quaked, and looked highly annoyed, but obeyed. She hated when Neah got all power-trippy but knew better than to argue over matters regarding Taylor. Screens all around the room lit up and featured the many settings of Middle Earth, from the fields of the Shire to the black darkness of Mordor.

"What did you mean by 'the power'?" Justuce asked, coming to stand next to Neah, who had now returned to a calmer state.

"It's a central theme in the stories," Ashlee explained, walking up behind the girls and cutting between them. "The Ring is a representation of power, Ultimate power. It's seductive and highly sought after and it corrupts if not careful. There's a center on power everywhere in that world." She walked over to one of the screens and watched intently.

"And?" Justuce asked, moving slowly next to her.

"And Taylor is Power." Neah moved to Ashlee's other side and the three girls watched as, on the small screen, five Uruk-Hai stalked slowly through the forests of the Shire, closing in on an unaware group of four small Hobbits.

"Find Reese and get him the frell here now!"

End of Chapter Two. Any info in this section that seems confusing or inside info like, email the specific section to me and i will delve into it in the glossary chapter. Comments, Questions and Critiques are highly welcomed.

-Taylor the Infallible