(A.N. Since I posted the previous chapter, I've received a couple of reviews and a couple of emails pointing out that Halfrek and Cecily Addams (first seen in the episode Fool For Love) were the same, and after William was turned by Drusilla, that somehow, sometime Cecily became Halfrek. This same discussion ran for a few weeks on the alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer newsgroup. And the general conclusion was that since we never saw Cecily become Halfrek then there is no actual proof they were, indeed, one and the same. But even if they were - who's to say Halfrek wasn't posing as Cecily for whatever reason she might have had? So, my version will remain as I wrote it.)

Chapter Nineteen

"Maybe if you hypnotize her again she'll remember."

"Dawny, after three times, I don't think a fourth time is going to work."

"I'm afraid Willow's right," Giles agreed. "We must face the fact that all of her proto-Sumerian language skills are gone."

"But she remembered how to write it."

"A latent memory. Which now is probably also gone. We were lucky we got it when we did."

"So basically, it's a worthless piece of paper," Anya stated.

"Well, not entirely. What we have here is the largest collection of proto-Sumerian script ever discovered, on a single page. If we could translate it fully, it would be priceless. And even as it is, to the universities and historical researchers specializing in ancient writings, it could be worth thousands."

"Then just sell the damned thing on Ebay and let's get what we can out of it."

Giles shook his head in amazement.

"What about all those books you have?" Xander asked. "There's nothing in any them?"

"Very little, I'm afraid."

The five of them sat, thinking, trying to come up with a solution of some kind.

Then Dawn asked, "Anya, when you became a Vengeance Demon it was a long time ago, right? Were you able to read it then?"

"I'm not THAT old! That proto-whatever was WAY before my time. Although, now that I think about it, I probably could have read it. We VDs traveled all around the world, and languages were no problem for us at all. But that was . . . then."

"But, you were friends with other Vengeance Demons, weren't you? Maybe you could ask one of them."

"I was never very friendly with many of them. Well, any of them really. Except there was one I became pretty good friends with. She was much older than I was and she took me under her wing, showed me the ropes, gave me advice. But after I was expelled from the demon community, I was just as good as dead to them. And I'm sure she feels the same way."

"Do you know how to get in touch with her? Like a spell or something? You never know."

"I suppose I could just call her out. We VDs were very name-sensitive."

"Could you at least try?" Willow asked.

"Sure. What could it hurt?"

Anya took a deep breath, the yelled at the top of her lungs.

"HALLIE! HALLIEEE! HALFREK! HAL-FREK!"

There was a brightness, then suddenly in front of them a rather attractive dark-haired woman appeared. Attractive if her face and neck hadn't been pockmarked with deep, red blemishes.

"WHO calls my NAME?" She thundered. "WHO risks my retribution?"

"Hallie, it's me, Anyanka."

"Anyanka? It IS you! This is a surprise! You look well, considering . . . ."

"Well, so do you. How've you been?"

"I've been well, very well. In fact, I'm having a ball!"

As they talked, Halfrek's demon face slowly reverted into that of a very pretty, clear-skinned woman.

After the small talk was done with, Halfrek asked, "So, Anyanka, I know this isn't just a social occasion. Why did you summon me?"

"We want to know if you can read this. And translate it."

Halfrek took the paper from Giles and began to read down the page, nodding in places. Then she smiled, then gave a small laugh.

"So? What does it say?"

"It's a spell. A time traveling spell. Where did you get this?"

"D'Hoffryn gave it to me," Willow answered. "We wanted to send someone back in time and he gave me that."

"Oh, that D'Hoffryn!"

"What?"

"I recognize the spell, even used it a time or two. But the last line, he changed it."

"How?"

"You know, most demons don't realize it, but D'Hoffryn has quite the sense of humor. Oh I can just see it now."

"See what? What did he do to the spell?" Willow was getting impatient to the point of anger.

"Right here. Look, see where it says 'Hardra na poseva.' It should read 'Hardra TA poseva.' I bet your friend left all his belongings behind, right?"

"Yes, but he was a she. Everything was still here – her food and water and clothes."

Halfrek laughed again.

"He changed the spell to read 'Let you now be gone with no possessions' when it was suppose to say 'Let you now be gone with all possessions."

"That bastard!" Dawn yelled out.

"Oh, it was just a small prank. I'm sure she got back in one piece."

"But she didn't. She's not back and we don't know how to reach her. I gave her an amulet with the words to come home, but it was left behind, too."

"Oh, well that CAN be a problem. Do you know where and when you sent her?"

"She was sent to Greece about 2000 years, give or take a few decades, into the past," Giles said. "She wanted to try to find a female warrior named Xena."

"Now, that name sounds familiar. But I haven't heard it in, well, quite a few centuries."

"She also wanted to find Xena's companion named Gabrielle." Willow was becoming excited.

"Oh. I think I'm remembering something. Your friend, her name was Buddy, or . . . ?"

"Buffy! It's Buffy! Did you know her? Did you see her? Was she okay?" Dawn was verging on hysteria.

"Buffy. Oh yes, I do remember her. She was traveling with Xena and Gabrielle."

"Thank god!" Willow exclaimed. "Then she was all right?"

"Except that she had no shoes. And her clothes didn't fit her very well."

"Just how did a Vengeance Demon come to know Buffy?" Giles asked.

"Oh, I wasn't a VD at the time, I was an Amazon warrior. And the three of them came into our hunting grounds. We challenged them, and your Buffy got a bit snippy so I ordered one of my archers to shoot her through the heart."

"WHAT?" Willow, Dawn and Xander yelled out.

"But she caught the arrow. No harm was done to her. But because of her I am what I am today."

"How so?"

"While she was explaining everything about where she came from and how she got there, she mentioned D'Hoffryn's name, so I went to see him. And after a very pleasant conversation, I became one of his Vengeance Demons. So I guess I have her to thank for it."

"I know you had more important things to do after your ascension and didn't stick around very long," Anya said, "but whatever happened to Buffy?"

"Oh, when I left, she and Xena were fighting to the death."

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