Giles was on the phone now with the researchers. They'd all returned to the room he'd rented after Willow had gone over the scene herself. Using all her abilities she tried to feel for the portal to get some indication of where it led and how to get Xander back. Everything she tried failed, and her frustration and fear were not only taking their toll on her, but those with her. She'd rebuffed Kennedy and Giles' attempts to comfort her, and she continued to pace.
At first Willow had held it together as she worked through everything she could think of to find Xander. As each spell failed and each avenue dead-ended, Willow's control slipped. She'd exhausted all the spells she'd known to try earlier, and since then she'd been pacing with tears flowing. She'd admitted to being afraid of being afraid for him or being angry at what happened to or because of him. She'd sunk herself almost into depression out of the fear of what she might do if she were to get angry over what happened. Even for Xander she couldn't walk that path again.
"Willow, please sit down," Giles said as he set the phone back in its cradle. Willow sat quickly, turning an expectant and hopeful gaze onto Giles. Her look clearly dimmed as she caught the aborted movement of his hand to his glasses. "The researches came up with a little information. The demons were T'nkwacs," Giles started, his voice shifting into a lecturing mode. "They're a nearly extinct demonic race of warriors. They're nearly extinct because they were the best warriors, but they never changed over the years. They never adapted as technology came. Mind you, not many do, but their usual victims did and advance and turned the tables, many of them banding together to decimate the T'nkwacs.
"T'nkwacs were known for seeking glory and adulation for, shall we say, shoddy work. They'd be hired to go to war and would end up destroying as much of their employer's holdings as their enemy's. I believe the researcher liked the term 'glory hogs,' they…"
"Giles, I think we get the idea. Could you move it along?" Kennedy interrupted. She'd been watching Willow while Giles explained, and could see her girlfriend getting more and more upset.
"Oh, yes. The ritual itself is something that none of the researchers had seen or heard of. It's similar to others, all made to open portals to specific places or times. We could attempt to do the ritual ourselves, but without knowing the location they intended to go, or how the alignment of heavenly bodies or, or even what Xander may have done to interrupt, there really is little… there is nothing we can do right now to retrieve him," Giles finished, the last of it choking him up slightly.
Kennedy held Willow as she began to shake and cry out no and call for Xander. The brunette's heart nearly broke for Willow's pain. "Giles, we can't find him but is there some way to know if he's okay? I don't understand magic but couldn't there be something?" Kennedy asked as she continued to comfort the sobbing Willow.
Giles was silent for a moment as he thought, before snapping his fingers and standing quickly. Rummaging through a bag of magical supplies he'd brought, Giles pulled out a small glass sphere, the size of a large marble. "Willow, did you use anything personal of Xander's for your spells?"
The puffy-eyed witch nodded, "I use a lock of his hair that I made him give me before he left. I want to make sure I had something so I could… could find him."
"Willow, do you still have it with you?" Willow nodded. "Please go get it. We may not be able to find him, but I think we'll be able to know if he's okay." Willow sprang into action, nearly running to her bags to get the baggie she'd kept Xander's hair in. Finding it quickly she handed it to Giles, who had pulled out a couple of containers of magical herbs.
"Hold this please, just like this," Giles said, placing the sphere in Willow's hands with an opening facing up. "I need you to concentrate very hard on Xander, on your memories for him as I do this. Okay?"
"Yes, you're creating a life orb, aren't you?"
"Yes Willow," Giles said. Then he began a low chant as he added various items in small measures to the sphere. Kennedy looked on, not understanding what was happening but hoping in some small way it would help Willow. It wasn't long until the clear sphere was dark with herbs and Giles added Xander's hair. The moment his hair touched the other ingredients there was an overwhelming bright light. When everyone could see again, the sphere was now solid, no opening.
Willow let out a sob and nearly collapsed as tears fell again. "Giles, it's not glowing… if he were alive…" Willow nearly dropped sphere, Giles grabbing it and setting is aside as he held the girl he thought of as family.
"It may be that he is merely too far away for our magic to detect him Willow, it doesn't mean he's gone. He's… a remarkable young man… no, he's a remarkable man Willow. Don't count him out yet," Giles said as he held willow tight to his chest.
"Guys, look again," Kennedy said from behind Willow. She'd instantly moved to give comfort too, when she saw the sphere beginning to glow. The others turned to look at the sphere, now giving off a steady, soft white light. "I think that's good, right?"
Willow let out a near hysterical laugh and hugged Giles before hugging Kennedy. She then moved over to the sphere and looked at it carefully, then looked hopefully at Giles. "He's really alive, isn't he?"
"Yes Willow, he is," Giles smiled at the look of relief on Willow's face. "When we leave here, we'll go see the coven at Devon. I'm sure they'll be happy to add their magic to help search for Xander. And they can always make us up a Nodmas orb to alert us when Xander is back on earth." At Willow's look, Giles gave her a fatherly smile. "Don't count Xander out Willow, I truly doubt we've seen the last of him."