CHAPTER SIX
Can we get a move on?

There were many trials and errors while Willow worked to find the right combination of spells and other magics that would open dimensional portals. She even got Dawn involved with her experimentation, thinking there was a way they could harness or channel the ancient mystical energy of 'The Key' within her to help. Glory had shown it was possible, using The Key to unlock the gates between all existing dimensions, but Willow wanted to avoid draining Dawn's blood.

Their initial trials had shown promise. In retrospect, Willow should have been more cautious in her attempts… The Key could open the gates between all existing dimensions, but only at a certain time and place.

At least Riley hadn't been around to witness their attempts. The government wouldn't have been happy—to say the least—if they found out what had almost happened. Buffy still shuddered at how close they had come to unleashing an apocalypse on Sunnydale and the world.

She'd been a part of the group observing when Willow made her first attempt at opening a portal to another dimension. Everyone stood transfixed in disbelief as Willow succeeded and a shimmering portal formed, creating a gateway into a different dimension.

Their surprise and disbelief grew as it wasn't long before the portal began attracting attention from the "residents" of the other dimension. The situation began spinning out of control as the deformed hideous-looking creatures swarmed towards the portal. It should have been easy for them to close the portal. Yet, at that crucial moment everyone stood mesmerized… helpless as if hypnotized as the nightmarish creatures drew closer to the portal and their world.

It was only Adriana's timely intervention that snapped them out of their trance-like state. Willow reacted fast enough, ending the spell and closing the portal before any of those creatures got through.

Buffy and the others still suffered nightmares from what they witnessed. The inhabitants of the other dimension were some of the evilest and grossest looking creatures she'd ever seen which was saying a lot for her.

What was worse was the voice that seemed to invade her head and thoughts as the creatures poured towards the portal. The voice sounded old… ancient, radiating a vile purposeful hate as it spoke. Afterwards, Willow and the others would confess to hearing the same voice echoing in their heads. Even now, looking back on it, all Buffy could recall was how the voice made her feel and one word the voice repeated…

Buffy didn't know who or what "Forerunners" were, but the voice definitely wasn't a fan from the hatred that dripped from the voice whenever it said the word.

Adriana's reaction to those creatures surprised Buffy and the others. When they asked Adriana how she'd recognized the threat, the AI had been reluctant at first to divulge any classified UNSC information. It was only after much prodding and sweet-talking by Willow that Adriana relented and briefed them on what they'd encountered.

Even their name sent a chill down Buffy's back when the AI told them about "The Flood". The background information on those creatures only added to her nightmares… knowing those creatures were once living sentient beings forever consumed and changed.

If it had been only that one incident, Buffy could have just chalked it up to just bad luck. It was only after another close call that she put her foot down, stopping Dawn's involvement and ending trying to harness The Key's energy's in Willow experiments. They would have to find another way.

Dawn had protested, but that was from more out of an ingrained sibling reflex than actual disappointment. She would later admit that almost being turned back into a green shimmering light had freaked her out more than seeing The Flood. Despite, any pitfalls or simmering loathing at being Buffy's baby sister, she very much wanted to stay human.

Buffy prepared to battle Faith—who'd also pushed for Dawn's involvement—over her decision to stop Dawn's active participation. It surprised and relieved Buffy to see Faith able to put her own personal agenda aside in the interests of keeping Dawn safe. To mollify her baby sister and make up for not helping Willow, Buffy relented to let Dawn train with Spike, and work with Giles and Anya overseeing the Potentials.

oOoOo

Despite the setbacks suffered, Willow continued on with her research. She seemed to be only encountering failure with her efforts and began despairing if she would about ever find an answer. Yet, they finally caught a break when she stumbled across the right combination of spells and incantations to open a stable dimensional portal. There was only one minor problem with the spell… the gateway between the dimensions would only stay open for a short time. As Willow explained it to Buffy and Faith that meant it was a one-way trip for whoever went through.

Even facing this somewhat "small problem" a re-energized and determined Willow dove back into her research to find an answer. Again, fortune favored them and she found a solution to their portal problem. In fact, it surprised her by how fast it had taken her to find a lead towards the solution… almost as simple as typing her search parameters into Google.

This caused Adriana a little embarrassment as she sheepishly admitted that somehow she'd missed that information in her data sweeps. With this information, Adriana now assisted Willow in researching a return spell that anyone could use to open a portal to return home from the same point they had arrived.

What seemed the more difficult part of the whole process for Willow was having to explain everything to a confused Buffy and Faith.

Once the dimensional portal closed, the energy that opened the portal would still be there, causing the barrier between the dimensions to remain weak. Over time, this energy would dissipate and the barrier would become strong again. Fortunately, it would last long enough that a simple spell used at the same point of entry could reopen the portal for someone to return. The return spell was easy enough for anyone to learn how to use it.

Willow's timing couldn't have been more fortunate as Xander, Giles and the Potentials assisting them completed the first batch of beacons. Her success only energized them to work harder to ready more of them.

The beacons were to be the critical component of their search efforts. Once deployed in the other dimension, they would broadcast a continuous signal over a communications channel only a Spartan could access with a maximum signal range of five-hundred kilometers. The batteries would power the beacon for sixty-days before they drained. Inside each beacon would be a copy of the return spell, so Michael could get home.

With the major problems surmounted, it was time to start the actual search. There had been talk of sending multiple teams out to search multiple dimensions at the same time. The main problem was they didn't have a point of reference to start from.

They would be starting this search blind, relying on luck to guide them. Then there were the unknowns in each dimension they would have to deal with. Their encounter with The Flood was still fresh in their minds, and almost everyone agreed they needed to take a safe, cautious approach. There was also the issue that they had limited resources, so they couldn't spread themselves thin.

Even though Faith wasn't happy with the decision, she realized she had no real choice in the matter. Struggling to keep her growing frustration in check at the foot-dragging, she reluctantly agreed. Until they had some leads on where Michael was, they would use only one search team. Everyone realized it wasn't a perfect system, considering they were trying to find one person among an unknown number of dimensions, but it was at least a start.

While everything seemed to be coming together, Willow had a growing concern regarding Adriana. It still surprised her how the AI had missed the return spell information. She didn't know if she was worrying over nothing, but she asked Adriana to run a self-diagnostics. Of course, the AI reported back a clean bill of health with no problems detected. This still didn't ease Willow's concerns even with Adriana's reassurances that in over six years of operation, she'd experienced no technical problems or glitches.

When Willow confided in Buffy, expressing her concerns about Adriana, it surprised her to find she wasn't the only one concerned about the AI's recent behavior. Buffy still harbored concerns when Adriana threatened Riley and the US government. She realized the AI was more than capable of carrying out her threats.

Considering they'd almost unleashed The Flood on their world, the last thing Buffy wanted to do was to unleash—as Xander would put it—a "Skynet" on the world.

Willow told Buffy she got the sense that Adriana was hiding something important from them, but she didn't have a clue what it was. They kept their concerns and worries to themselves for now, deciding to keep a closer eye on Adriana in the meantime and watch her behavior. Buffy also asked Willow to see if they could isolate or even shutdown Adriana if they had to. Willow was not so optimistic about their chances of success.

Despite concerns about Adriana's status, the time had come for Faith to start her search for Michael…

oOoOo

Sunnydale, California
May 3, 2004 — 2149 PST

To say that Faith was getting frustrated would have been a slight understatement. Their search efforts had taken them to five different dimensions. Other than deploying the beacons they had little to show for their efforts.

Everything had already settled into a routine… Willow would perform the spell to open the portal, and Faith would lead her team of Potentials through. Once on the other side, Faith and her team would setup the beacon and power it on. Once the beacon was online, they would check out the area on the off-chance of finding any information to help their search.

Faith realized her wandering around the area was a forlorn hope, but she had to do something even though she knew the beacons were their best hope of finding Michael. For the Potentials on her team, they were more caught up in the excitement and adventure of what they were doing. There was only one objective for Faith… finding Michael and bringing him home.

Each time they brought a beacon online, a silent prayer would echo in her thoughts that they would get a signal from Michael. Every time her prayers and hopes remained unanswered. After spending several hours of checking out the surrounding area around the beacon, Faith and her team would use the return spell to go home. Once back home they would wait a few days, then repeat the cycle.

The lack of progress weighed on Faith and this manifested in her growing impatience and frustration with other people. She was becoming more confrontational when someone disagreed with her with occasional outbursts of anger. So far, the only victims of her anger were a couple of walls—with holes punched in them—along with several destroyed heavy punching bags in the workout area.

This backsliding into old behavior territory resurrected all the old stories and rumors that hung over her… her battles against Buffy, and how she'd ended up in prison. It was public knowledge that she'd gone over to the dark side at one time, killing people. Her behavior was sending ripples of concern and worry through everyone… nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of her anger.

Buffy was especially concerned about Faith and the mental toll it was taking on her. She knew Faith was walking a mental tightrope, having witnessed her condition when she found her in Los Angeles. It was clear that Faith was becoming obsessed in her search to find Michael, and Buffy did her best to act as a buffer between her and the others. Yet, Faith's behavior was getting to a point that Giles, Xander and Willow were becoming more vocal in expressing their own concerns… and fears about her.

What finally pushed Buffy to act was when Willow told her of another incident with Faith. This time Faith had approached Willow urging her to open more portals at faster intervals. They'd agreed to the intervals between portal openings to make sure Willow had a handle on the magic and it didn't drain her. The conversation stared to spiral out of control when Faith began "insisting" that Willow speed up her efforts. Fortunately, Kennedy had been there and stepped in, telling Faith to back off.

Buffy realized she couldn't let this go on and she needed to intervene before something happened. This resulted in Buffy finding herself standing outside Faith's room one evening, staring at the door. Even though she knew she had to deal with this problem, she wasn't looking forward to it. It took a few moments for Buffy to overcome her hesitation and knock on the door.

Buffy caught Faith's voice through the door, "Come in… it's open."

As Buffy entered, she realized she'd never been in this room before. This was Michael's room that he and Faith shared and she took the opportunity to check it out. She noted how sparsely furnished it was with only a bed, a bedside table with a lamp and a desk with a chair. Despite the sparseness, the room seemed to radiate a warm, lived in feeling. Buffy let out an involuntary shudder as if she'd stepped on a grave. She realized that even when he wasn't here, Michael left a presence behind.

God, it's like living with a ghost, Buffy thought, seeing Faith sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What's up, B? What did I do now?" Faith said, giving her a slight smirk.

Faith's quick deduction for her visit caught Buffy off guard, "W-What do you mean? Couldn't I just stop by to have a friendly chat with a fellow Slayer?" she said, trying to sound innocent.

Faith snorted, "Buffy, whenever you stop by to 'chat', it's always about something I said or did."

Buffy sighed, realizing it was time to be honest and straight, "Okay-Okay… I'm busted," she said, gathering her thoughts.

This seemed so much easier when I played this out in my head…

"Faith… I'm worried about you. This search for Michael is consuming you, causing you no end of stress and pain! It's starting to affect your behavior and how you're getting along with people."

Faith held her hand up, interrupting Buffy, "Can I show you something?" she said in a low voice.

Faith's request caught Buffy off guard, but she still nodded and watched curiously as Faith got up and went over to the desk. Her curiosity flared as Faith pulled a large sketchpad from the desk drawer and handed it to her before sitting back down on the bed. Buffy stared at the sketchpad, hesitating unsure of what to do.

"Go ahead, and open it… There's nothing embarrassing in it," Faith said.

Still feeling unsure, Buffy opened the sketchpad and arched an eyebrow in surprise at seeing a drawing of Faith. As she flipped through the sketchpad, she saw that all the drawings were of Faith's face, showing different moods and expressions. The detail and intensity in each drawing took her breath away, but what struck her were the eyes… they almost seemed alive in each drawing. Buffy knew enough about art from her mom's gallery and what she took in college to understand the quality and how impressive these drawings were.

She finished flipping through the sketchpad, standing there as she closed it unable to find the words to describe what she'd just viewed. Buffy handed it back to Faith as she found her voice, "Did Michael draw these?"

Buffy noted how Faith held the sketchpad in her hands and could see how important it was to her. A sad smile filled Faith's face as she met Buffy's eyes, "Yeah… he did. Pretty good, huh?" she whispered.

"Pretty good? They're amazing! When did he draw them? When did he have time?" Buffy said.

"He drew them before we even meet… He drew them from memory," Faith said, noting Buffy's shock and surprise. She explained to Buffy about what Michael had told her… about how he used to have dreams of her back in his universe.

"He told me he was here because I needed him and he needed me! He said he loved me because he saw himself in me… all the good, and all the bad!"

Faith paused because it became harder to see, "Buffy, he crossed universes… dimensions or whatever you want to call them to be with me! Me! You understand!" she said, fighting to control her emotions.

Buffy always realized how Michael and Faith seemed to be a good match for each other, but she had no idea how deep of a connection there was between them. She glanced again at the sketchpad in Faith's hands and was only beginning to grasp how intense their relationship was.

"I-I never knew," Buffy stammered out, finding herself dealing with a momentary twinge of jealousy towards Faith and her relationship with Michael.

Faith shook her head, "You saw me in LA and what I was doing… I'd given up! I not only gave up on him, I gave up on myself, trying to bury myself in whatever hole I could find. It was so bad, I still have blank spots… I can't remember everything I did there. That's how far I dug myself down, and I didn't want to come out… I didn't want to live! When Adriana showed us that video, and I heard Michael's voice, I swore I would never give up on him again! I will find him…! God as my witness, I will find him!"

Buffy stood there trying to put her thoughts together. Even though she now had a better understanding of what was pushing Faith's obsessive behavior, there was still the problem of what to do about it to help her. She knew she would have to tread carefully.

"I understand… I honestly know where you're coming from, but you've got to understand that it will take time to find him. I know you don't want to hear it, but we also have to be realistic that we may never find him. Whatever happens, you need to keep it together… it's what Michael would want," she said.

A small smile flashed on Faith's face, giving Buffy hope that her message had gotten through, "I'll try Buffy. I'll honestly try, but I don't know if I can."

Despite Faith's response, Buffy saw a sign of hope, "Hey, at least it's a start. If you start to lose it, how about I give you a nudge?"

Faith laughed, a rare smile filling her face, "Hell, if I lose it, you can punch me! Deal?"

Buffy laughed, "Deal!"

oOoOo

It was several days later, and everyone gathered in the exercise area to get ready for another portal opening. Faith stood off to the side checking her equipment again for the third time trying to keep her thoughts and emotions in check.

Yet, despite her attempts to maintain her focus on her mission, her thoughts kept going back to Buffy's visit. She appreciated the visit because it gave her a chance to talk to someone and unload some of what she was carrying around. Even though she'd promised Buffy she would try to control herself, she also realized how twisted up her emotions were. Knowing he was out there somewhere continually tore at her, even her dreams—when she could sleep—were of Michael.

It didn't help her state of mind knowing what the others thought of and were saying about her. She'd overheard the whispering among the Potentials… this was all a waste of time… how could he still be alive out there after so long?

A part of her understood their lack of faith… there was nothing to say or support that Michael was still alive. For Faith, she only had her gut and heart and they were telling her he was still alive and trying to get back to her. She had no rational reason for the feeling, but it seemed right and natural and she refused to give up.

Her attention turned back to her mission as she caught sight of Willow getting ready to cast the spell. She made one final check of her equipment, trying to keep herself focused and relaxed as she felt her hopes build once again. Finished with her equipment check, she took a deep breath and joined her team to make sure they were ready.

As she checked over her team, Faith caught Buffy and Xander, out of the corner of her eye, coming over to join them. She snorted, shaking her head, as a brief wave of frustration grew in her knowing they were coming over to check on her. Faith took a deep breath, trying to remind herself they were only trying to keep an eye out for her. She turned to face them as they joined the group.

"Standard drill… you go through the portal, setup the beacon, look around and—," Xander started to say, using his drill sergeant tone on the group.

Faith's frustration got the best of her and she cut him off, "We know the drill," she said, not hiding her sarcasm. She caught the expression on Buffy's and sighed, knowing she'd screwed up. Faith took a deep breath to relax and shake off the frustration, "Sorry… go ahead," she said, giving Xander a nod.

Xander eyed Faith curiously, he'd missed Buffy's face, "Like I was saying… standard drill. You setup the beacon, look around. If we hear nothing from you after twelve hours, Willow will reopen the portal. Understood?"

Faith and the four Potentials in her team nodded their understanding. They made sure they had everything with them as they moved closer to where Willow planned to open the dimensional portal. Even though they had done this before, everyone still held their breath and their eyes turned to Willow. She was sitting in a circle with a pentagram symbol drawn on the floor in the middle of the room. At the five points of the pentagram, candles were burning… sending their smoke wafting into the air of the room.

As the room's lights dimmed, Willow closed her eyes, taking some deep breaths, concentrating and focusing her thoughts and energy as she began chanting…

"Invoco deam…"

"Meam audi vocationem…"

"Aperuit ostium ut inveniam aliam quaerimus orbem…"

"Aperi ego præcipio…"

To everyone in the room, even after all the previous times, it was still amazing to watch as the air in the room began to swirl and change color. A bright flash filled the room, causing everyone to turn away. When they turned back, a vertical shimmering tear in the fabric of the space time continuum appeared, hovering in the middle of the room, creating an opening to another dimension.

Faith and her team took their cue and moved towards the shimmering dimensional portal. She took a moment to glance at Buffy and Xander, giving them a nod before stepping through the portal… and into another dimension.

oOoOo

If Faith's focus wasn't on finding Michael, she might have taken more enjoyment out of what she was doing. She was traveling to different dimensions… not something that everyone did every day.

The thought of enjoying herself while Michael was still missing only stoked feelings of guilt in her. As the rest of her team exited the portal behind her, she pushed down any thoughts of enjoyment and guilt, focusing on why they were here. After doing a quick check to make sure everyone was in one piece, they turned their attention to where they were…

They found themselves in a small clearing surrounded by forest. Small low hills poked through the trees nearby while a huge range of mountains with their snow-capped peaks shimmered in the distance.

While some may have taken a moment to take in and enjoy the scenery, Faith's focus was all business, "Everyone knows the drill. Stacey… You and Lisa setup the beacon. Kylie… You and Madison do a sweep around the beacon site, don't go any further than two hundred meters out for now. I'm going to check out that hill over that way and see if I can get a better view of wherever we are. Remember, keep your comms open and holler out if you see anything. Okay?"

The rest of the team acknowledged their tasks, getting to work as Faith headed off to the hill.

oOoOo

By now, Stacey and Lisa were old hands at placing and setting up beacons. It didn't take them long to put it in position and perform power-up checks. Everything looked good as they performed the last step of connecting the power supply to turn the beacon on. A green light rewarded them on the panel, confirming that the beacon was now online and broadcasting.

Lisa took a moment to relax, gazing around at the scenery, "So, this is at least a better place than the last one?" she said.

"Yeah, it took me a week to dry off from that swamp world… Yuck." Stacey replied, sticking out her tongue.

Lisa laughed, "I hear you."

Thoughts of what they were doing and why filled Lisa's thoughts. She glanced back at the beacon, "Do you think we'll find anything here or if we will ever find him?" she said.

Stacey eyed Lisa strangely as if she was speaking gibberish, "I've got a good feeling about this place. We'll find Michael… I'm sure of it!" she said, getting excited in her response.

The other woman's response surprised Lisa, causing her to feel uncomfortable, "Hey, take it easy. You sound like we're looking for your boyfriend?"

Stacey blushed, embarrassed by her outburst, "Well, he saved our lives back in Sunnydale. We owe him something… We owe him not to give up."

Lisa shrugged, adding a sigh, "Yeah, I know. But, we got to face facts that this could take a long time."

Kylie and Madison's return from their perimeter sweep ended any further discussion.

"You guys find anything?" Stacey shouted, waving at the approaching women.

"Nothing… Nada… It's all quiet. Looks like a nice place though… better than that the last world," Kylie said, getting laughs from Stacey and Lisa.

"Any news from Faith?" Kylie asked.

Stacey rolled her eyes, "No word from our fearless leader," she said, not hiding her sarcasm.

Stacey's tone and response caught Kylie by surprise, I wonder what's bugging her, she thought.

Faith's voice coming over the comms cut off any further thoughts or discussions, "Guys, get your asses over here to the hill I'm at! Hurry up!"

The surprised Potentials looked at each other, wondering what was going on as they headed towards Faith's position.

oOoOo

The steepness of the hill was greater than what it appeared from a distance, and it slowed them down. It took them thirty minutes to get to the top, and they were all winded by the time they reached Faith's position.

"What's up Boss?" Kylie said, catching her breath.

Faith pointed off in a direction, "Check that out."

All the Potentials looked towards where Faith was pointing… smoke was rising from the trees, not too far in the distance.

"Is it a forest fire?" Lisa said, looking on in surprise.

"Look closer," Faith said, handing her binoculars to Kylie.

Each Potential took turns looking through the binoculars. The sight of what looked like buildings through the trees shocked them all.

"Looks like somebody lives there," Lisa observed.

"This is the first time that we've run into people… what do we do?" Madison said.

"I say we go check it out," Stacey said, giving her enthusiastic opinion, getting an agreeing nod from Kylie.

Faith took the binoculars, "Hold on everyone. I agree we should go check it out, but let's take it a step at a time," she said, again studying the houses and the surrounding area.

Funny… You would think I would be the one rushing down there, and here I am all acting cautious and responsible. Maybe Buffy and Michael are rubbing off on me, Faith thought, considering their next move.

"Okay, here's the plan… We take it nice and easy. We hike down and take a closer look at who's down there. We watch them and see if they're friendly."

"If they're friendly, then what?" Kylie said.

A grin grew on Faith's face, "We ask them if they've seen our lost Spartan."

oOoOo

The terrain was rough, so it took some time for them to get closer to get a good position to observe the area where they'd spotted the buildings. It surprised them to find they'd discovered a whole village of people going about their daily business. They watched for a bit to get a sense of the village and its inhabitants. It was a relief to see the people appear normal and non-threatening… there were no obvious threats visible.

For Faith, it was struggling to keep her focus and her anxiousness grew as she decided what to do next. She realized that whatever she decided to do, she needed to do it soon. Time wasn't on their side, and she didn't want to be tramping through the woods in the dark trying to find their portal point. If was just her, it wouldn't be much of a decision, but she was also responsible for others… that weighed on her decision of what to do next.

In for a penny, in for a pound, Faith thought.

She gathered her team, laying out her plan on what they would do next. Stacey and Lisa would go with Faith, they would make their way down and head into the village and talk to the inhabitants. Kylie and Madison would hang back to provide cover, just in case things turned bad.

As Faith with Stacey and Lisa in tow, descended from their position, they came across a wide well-worn trail that would take them to the village. They tried to stay calm as they got closer to the village. To look as non-threatening as possible, they'd shouldered their weapons.

As they approached the village, Faith got a better view of the village… people were working in the fields around the village while children ran around playing. She tensed up when she noted the villagers had spotted them and stopped whatever they were doing to watch them approach.

Now, the moment of truth, Faith thought.

Her apprehension and nervousness grew as she saw several people run back towards the village… to spread word of the approaching strangers. It wasn't long before a large crowd gathered as Faith and the others reached the edge of the village. Stopping before the gathering crowd, Faith experienced a moment of uneasiness as the crowd grew in size as more villagers rushed join.

I guess they don't get many visitors, she thought.

It seemed to her as if the whole village had gathered in front of her and the others. Her uneasiness grew because she felt out of her element with this situation, but there was no turning back now. She wasn't sure what to do next, so she decided on the simplest approach…

"Hi… Does anyone understand me?"

Silence answered her as the crowd stared at her. The way they were staring at her only caused her unease and discomfort to grow. She tried again, "Is there anyone here that understands me, and will speak to me? I need to ask some questions."

Again silence and stares met her questions.

The silence and stares were unnerving Faith, adding to her discomfort and unease was a growing level of frustration. They'd finally found people, but couldn't talk to them. Her frustration boiled over, letting it show, "Does anyone here speak English? Habla English anyone?"

Stacey and Lisa struggled not to laugh out loud as Faith's lack of diplomacy and frustration added to the whole atmosphere of the situation.

Faith, seeing herself getting nowhere was ready to give up and leave. What was also unnerving was the way everyone was staring at her. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, an old man stepped forward… he stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost. She shook her head in frustration, "So, what's up with you pops?" she sighed, not expecting an answer.

The old man caught Faith, Stacey and Lisa by surprise as he spoke, "We understand you."

Faith managed to keep her mouth from hanging open as she recovered from her shock. A sigh of relief escaped at having caught a break and they were finally making some progress, "Well, that's good to hear," she said.

"Is your name… Faith?" the old man said in a hushed voice.

His words punched her in the gut as they sank in while Stacey and Lisa stood there with their mouths hanging open in shock. This was the last thing she expected to hear, and her mind buzzed with myriad thoughts and feelings. She took some deep breaths to get herself under control as her excitement and hope flared. Her imagination ran wild as she tried to speak, "Y-Yes… I'm Faith. H-How do you know my name?" she said.

The old man smiled at her, "You are the one that the Spartan seeks to return to," he said.

oOoOo

Stunned couldn't even describe what Faith was experiencing at the moment. A flood of emotions filled her… she didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream or faint. It took more deep breathing to calm herself down enough to put a coherent thought together, so she could ask the old man questions.

Nervous energy filled Faith, and it took all her self-control to keep from fidgeting as the old man told her about Michael's arrival. The old man explained how the Spartan had saved a hunting party then stayed with them for some time, gathering supplies and planning his next move. The old man said that Michael had been a blessing for the village, sharing his knowledge and strength to help the village. Everyone in the village owed the Spartan a great debt for everything he'd done for them.

Faith couldn't believe they'd stumbled upon Michael's trail. Her mind was a haze of questions and emotions as she let out a barrage of questions, "How long ago was Michael here? When did he leave? Where did he go?"

The old man smiled, seeing her concern and eagerness, "The Spartan came to us eight full moon cycles ago… He left us seven full moon cycles ago. We tried to convince him to stay here, but he said he needed to get home… he said he had a promise to keep."

Faith's heart pounded knowing that Michael was still trying to get back home to her. The old man continued on, explaining how the Spartan had just disappeared one day in a blinding light. Before he'd disappeared the Spartan had tried explaining what he was doing, but they didn't understand where he was going. Since then there had been no word or sightings of him.

Faith tried wrapping her head around all this. From what the old man described, it appeared Michael had found some way to travel between dimensions. It was the only explanation since he hadn't returned to the village. As her mind swirled with thoughts, one thing still nagged at her, "How did you recognize me?" she said to the old man.

The old man again smiled and beckoned Faith to follow him. Faith with Stacey and Lisa in tow followed the old man as he led them through the village, taking them down a wide trail towards a river. Faith still felt uneasy as a large crowd followed behind them.

As they came out of the woods on to the river bank, the old man pointed toward a huge boulder perched on the river bank. Faith blinked in disbelief, staring at a large version of her face drawn on the side of the boulder…

oOoOo

Faith was setting a hard pace to get back to the clearing before dark. Her mind was a whirlwind, but she still caught the other's babbling about what they'd discovered in the village. They were going on about what they should do next and that it was only a matter of time before they found him.

Faith wanted to share in their optimism, but she also had to be realistic. Michael had been here, but he'd also left some time ago. He was still out there somewhere with no clue of where he was heading. Yet, despite the logical part of her trying to keep her grounded, her heart screamed in excitement and her thoughts raced at this first bit of good news.

We just missed each other! Damn, we were so close! I'm going to find you, Michael! That's my promise!