Faith was bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. After the plane had landed in Cairo and Giles had rented an open air jeep so they could drive across this impossibly hot desert to get to a place called Valley of the Mists (duh, it was misty) and he had cleared the entrance by reciting aloud a phrase in Ancient Sumarian and the mist had cleared, they'd found the entrance to the Tomb of the Souls. There'd been a very simple logic puzzle on the door and Faith had solved it. Problem was, it reset and now the resident brain trusts were discussing, at great length mind you, why simply solving the puzzle wasn't enough. Then Giles said something that caught Faith's attention.
"It simply should not be easy to gain entrance to a place housing an artifact as dangerous as the Slayers Heart. There must be more to it than just solving a ridiculously easy puzzle."
"Maybe that's the problem."
"What do you mean, Faith?" Giles asked.
"All the way here, you told us to expect anything, but you're expecting more from this test. Maybe, you just need to admit, it's an easy test."
Giles looked at her for a moment and then said. "That boy can be so infuriating."
"Who, Giles?" Willow asked.
"Xander. He came to see me before we left. He told me that you and I both have the same problem. Thinking our intelligence makes us better than others. Faith's right, I came here with expectations, despite what I told you all. Maybe the answer isn't the puzzle itself, but admitting it's a simple puzzle."
Willow turned toward the entrance and said. "I admit, this is a simple puzzle. I accept that it is simple."
The locking mechanism clicked into place and the door slid open.
"Maybe Xander was giving us clues in the things he said to us." Willow suggested.
"Whatever. Can we go in now?" Buffy asked.
They made their way into the pyramid, wondering what the next test would be.
As Angel, Wesley and Gunn arrived in Japan and hired their own car to drive to a long abandoned Shaolin Temple, they too were discussing what to expect and having their own expectations, none of which would match the reality.
As they approached the entrance they saw a sign above the door, written in Japanese characters.
"Anyone read Japanese?" Gunn asked.
"I came prepared with a Japanese to English dictionary." Wesley replied, pulling it from his bag. He looked up each character, carefully writing down the translation. Finally, he said. "I believe I have it. It states, 'reveal a deeply held personal fear to gain entrance.'
"So we say something we're afraid of?" Gunn asked. "Seems simple enough."
"I think it might be more than that." Wesley said. "I think the deeply part implies something serious."
"Okay, like me saying I'm afraid to fly because my cousin died in a plane crash. Is that serious enough?"
"It might be. Let me try. I am afraid of failing."
"Your turn Angel." Gunn told him.
"I am afraid Angelus may get loose again."
The locking mechanism clicked open and the three men proceeded into the Temple.
As Buffy and those with her cleared the entrance, it slammed shut behind them. They were immediately plugged into darkness. Willow said something in Latin and a light appeared above them, illuminating the room they were in. They could see the entrance to the next room. Unfortunately, it was blocked by a large, round boulder. Buffy went to it and attempted to roll it away. It wouldn't budge.
"Let me help, B." Faith said, moving towards her. Together they pushed but couldn't move it.
"This doesn't make any sense." Buffy said. "We should be able to move it. Especially with the two of us pushing on it. It doesn't seem to be held there and there's nothing blocking it, so why can't we move it?"
"Maybe it's something simple again." Willow suggested. "Remember that old joke, 'can God make a stone so big, even He can't move it? The answer is yes and no, simultaneously, because God can make anything, and no, because nothing is impossible for God. If you can't move it, then maybe I can." So saying, she went to the stone and pushed on it. It rolled to the side and the door was free.
"What is that supposed to prove?" Buffy asked, both curious and irritated.
"That you can't always rely on strength, maybe?" Willow offered.
As the three men moved into the Temple, they found another door, again with a phrase in Japanese characters above the door. Again, Wesley translated it.
"To move beyond, one must give up a worldly possession."
"So we give up something we own, that we brought with us?" Gunn asked, digging into his backpack. He pulled out a CD he'd brought along and laid down it in front of the door. Wesley laid a comb beside it and Angel laid a book next to it. The door slid open and once again, they moved forward.
Faith was the last one through the next door. As she entered, the floor in front of them seemed to disappear.
"What the hell?!" This one was going to be a doozy.
Giles dropped to his knees and began to feel along the edge, there seemed to be nothing there, that is until he reached a point about half way across. He moved forward cautiously, inching his way along. When Buffy went to follow him, Faith had to grab her as she nearly fell. Whatever solid space Giles was finding wasn't available for her. Buffy dropped to her knees as well and felt along until she too found a space. Willow and Faith followed suit, each inching their way across the divide until they reached the other side. Once there, the door opened and they stepped into the last room. There, on an altar resting in a stand, was a small red crystal. The Slayers Heart.
Angel, Wesley and Gunn had also reached the last room. In front of them was another altar and also resting in a stand, was a prism. The Essence Prism.
Now all that was left was to get a hold of them. Easier said than done.
