Part 16

Penthesilea waited until the Niurin and the Tau'ri had all taken a seat before turning to Giles. "This place is safe?"

"It is well guarded, yes."

The Furling turned to the door and swiped her hand in an arc causing the door to slowly fade into the wall.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy tensed and prepared for an attack. The only thing that stopped her from rushing the tall red head was that she had come with Willow and Buffy trusted Willow's judgment.

Jack smirked and prepared to watch the show. He wanted to see how the Furling handled a 'lesser being' that wasn't constrained by military rules or diplomatic regulations.

Penthesilea ignored Buffy's question, instead she concentrated on the pulses that were emanating from her armband. An enemy was in the room with them. Her eyes scanned those that were either standing or seated around the room.

"Demon!"

Spike blinked rapidly as Dawn's hand flew out and caught the stake the red head had thrown within inches of his heart. Giles' eyes widened as he took note of Dawn's Slayer-like reflexes.

"Excellent reflexes, young warrior. But why do you save a demon?"

"He's a friend and besides he's chipped."

"Chipped?"

Willow tried to explain, "A computer chip was put into his body that causes him physical pain if he were to harm a human."

"Ah, you domesticated a demon."

Spike growled, "I'm no one's pet."

The Furling ignored Spike, "Are there more like him?"

"He's one of a kind." Buffy said with a slight smile.

"If the chip were removed would you still have stopped the stake?" Penthesilea asked Dawn.

"Always. Spike's my friend."

The Amazon turned to Buffy, "Would you, warrior?"

Buffy looked over at Spike and a small smile tilted her lips, "Yes I would."

Spike's lips curved into a smile.

The Furling nodded before turning her attention to Willow, "And you, young mage. Would you have prevented this demon's death if the chip were removed?"

Willow thoughtfully looked at Spike. "The answer to that is not black and white. I'd like to think he wouldn't revert back to the Spike that used to terrorize me. I hope that the time he spent with us changed him in some way but neither am I blind to the fact that he is a demon. So I guess my answer is it depends on what happened before the stake was thrown."

Penthesilia smiled at Willow, "See, this is the reason Mages were activated along with the Warriors."

Giles cleared his throat, "Activated?"

The Furling turned her attention to Giles, "Ah, you are Giles of the Watcher's Council."

Giles's eyes widened at that before he realized Willow must have told her something. He turned to look at Willow but Penthesilea's next words brought his attention back.

"Why has a Council of Men interfered with the calling of the Warriors?"

"I-I beg your pardon?"

"Penthesilea said that Slayers and Mages are activated when needed. There is only one per generation called but when another is needed they are activated with the knowledge of the previous Slayers."

Dawn's eyes widened, "So that's what happened to me."

Willow turned to Dawn, "It started out as a tingling sensation and then BAM sensory overload?"

"Yeah. All of a sudden I knew stuff. Lots of stuff." Dawn closed her eyes as she concentrated. "Wait! I know all about the demons that Faith killed but nothing about Faith. I mean besides what I already know. But I know all sorts of things about other Slayers." A mischievous grin split her face, "Oooh, so many new things about Buffy."

Giles immediately went into 'Watcher mode'. "How is it you know about the Slayers and the Watcher's Council?"

"How much do you know of Goa'uld?"

"Just what Colonel O'Neil and the others have told us."

Penthesilea glanced over at the Tau'ri who nodded slightly. "Niurin has been under the protection of the Furlings for many a millennia. There are many sects within the Furlings. I am from the sect of Amtuth that colonized Niurin. Some of the humans that were brought here were gifted with special powers to defeat the demons that also inhabited this planet."

"Why give humans special powers when obviously you're very advanced. Couldn't you have just defeated them on your own?"

"The demons escaped into another dimension of your world, a dimension where we could not follow. There was a barrier that we could not cross. That is why some of the humans were given the ability and knowledge to defeat the demons that might return after we left. The power and knowledge of our sisters became activated in the warriors and the mages. It lies dormant within their genes until it is needed."

"How come when I was activated I didn't get that knowledge? Kendra had a Slayer's handbook, Dawn gets knowledge of Slayers and I get nothing."

Penthesilea held out her arm with her palm facing Buffy. A red and orange light shot out from her wristband and engulfed Buffy.

"Buffy!" Willow cried as she saw the light hit her best friend.

Spike moved to grab Buffy as her whole body tensed but quickly moved his hands back as the light burned and the skin began to smoke. His face morphed into his demon visage as he growled in pain and turned amber eyes at the Furling.

Jack reached for his weapon but before he could raise it the light faded and Buffy's body relaxed. "Whoa, head rush."

"What did you do?" Spike growled.

"She is now as she was meant to be."

"Buffy? Are you all right?" Dawn shakily asked as she moved to sit by her sister.

Giles moved to stand by his Slayer but turned worried eyes to Penthesilea. God, what had the Council done to the Slayers? First the drug testing to dampen their abilities as a 'test', then he finds out the Council had somehow dampened the abilities of the Slayer for thousands of years or at least as long as there was a Council. "I can assure you I had no idea the Council had done anything to the Slayers."

The Furling saw the truth in his eyes. "That is a matter for the Alliance. There are more important matters, your planet is in danger."

Xander rolled his eyes, "When isn't our planet in danger?"

"There is a new System Lord rising in the Goa'uld. She is building an alliance among other lesser know Lords."

Jack sat a little straighter, now it was getting interesting. The Amazon hadn't mentioned this while she was at the SGC. Which new System Lord was rising?

"That's nice but what does that have to do with us and the demons?"

"She wants new and powerful hosts for symbiots. Some of the Jaffa and others are causing difficulties. She is looking to build a new army and alliance with those that can't host."

"But I thought it was forbidden to come here?" Willow asked.

"In her quest for power and dominion she is willing to risk much."

"So all we have to do is defeat the Gold guys?"

"Goa'uld." Giles automatically corrected Buffy who just rolled her eyes.

Before the Amazon could answer Buffy a bright white light flooded the backroom once again. Buffy, Dawn and Willow tensed as Jack stood and had his weapon raised.

"Greetings, sister."