"The Harvest?" Rory asked, after Xander had filled him in on what they'd learned from interrogating the fancy vampire. "A rite and transfer of energy implies Magic. Let's ask around the Magic community in town. One of them should know something that can helps us." Using his phone, he started calling various Magic users, while Xander and Jesse talked.
"If one vampire is transferring energy from themselves to another, what kind of energy are we talking about?" Xander questioned.
"With vampires, they take life and in Magic, any kind of Magic, life energy is extremely powerful. It's why human sacrifices are a thing." Rory answered, as he waited for the line to be picked up.
"So he'd probably need a lot to get this Master guy out of where he's trapped." Jesse offered. "Which means he needs to find a lot of humans. Just roaming around town at night isn't going to get him big numbers of people. So he needs to go where he'll find the numbers he needs."
"It's winter." Xander pointed out. "There's really only two places open after dark, the Mall and the Bronze. The Mall is too open, too public and with too many entrances and exits, they'd never be able to contain everyone. The Bronze, on the other hand, is contained. It has two entrances, front and back and a skylight. Possibly enough people for this Harvest, this transfer of energy."
"We have two days warning, is that enough time to prepare? And how are we going to prepare?" Jesse wondered.
Xander smiled. "By stacking the deck in our favor." As Rory returned with information and they filled him in on their discussion.
The next day Buffy headed to the library on her off period, still feeling glum that she hadn't been able to find Willow. She'd expected to find the vampire feeding on her outside the Bronze or worse, that the vampire had finished, but she hadn't found anything.
"So, librarian guy, do you have a name?" She asked, trying not to dwell on her failure.
"It's Rupert Giles." He answered absently.
"Seriously?! That's really a name?" Glad to have something else to focus on.
"Yes." He gave her a disapproving look.
"Find out anything about this Harvest dealio?"
"Yes." He explained what he'd found. "The star alinement that allows for it happens once a century and will occur in two days. I believe it will be used to free a vampire known as the Master of the Order of Aurelius. It seems the mystical convergence I mentioned before that led to this area being known as La Boca del Inferno or the mouth of Hell, is literal. There's a portal to a Hell dimension in Sunnydale and it leaks energy that attracts vampires and demons. This Master intended to open it and let loose the demons on Earth, but he somehow became trapped instead. The Harvest will transfer energy from a chosen vampire to the Master, giving him the strength to free himself from the trap."
"So no brainer, I dust this chosen guy before he can transfer any energy to this Master. How do I find him?"
"He'll be marked with a three sided star on his forehead." Giles drew a picture of it on his whiteboard. "But you need to find him, the Vessel, as he'll be known as, will be preparing for the rite. After that it will be a matter of finding enough people to satisfy the requirements of the rite."
"So he needs a good number of people to make this happen. Where would he find enough people all together in Sunnydale?"
"There's any number of places, I'm sure."
"Have you bothered to learn anything useful about Sunnydale since you got here?"
"Yes, of course I have! I know it's a mecca for vampires and demons because they're drawn to the energy this Hellmouth gives off. I know - ."
"Useful, like is there a Mall or a movie theater or bowling alley? Anywhere where people gather in big enough numbers to make it worth this Vessel guy's time to go there?"
"Um, well there's the Bronze where I found you last night. Large numbers of teenagers gathered and they have a great deal of life energy."
"Okay, that sounds like a good place for me to find this Vessel guy. I dust anyone wearing that star thing on their forehead and the Harvest can't happen, right?"
"Correct, without the transfer of energy the Master will remain trapped."
"When is this Harvest happening again?"
"Two days."
"Two days, I'll deal with it."
Two days later as Buffy climbed to the roof of the Bronze and entered through the skylight, Xander and Cordelia, along with Jesse and Amy, occupied a table at the Bronze. Rory's contacts in the magical community had known the details of the Harvest rite and the four teens were patiently waiting to see if their supposition that the vampires would come to the Bronze for the Harvest was correct. When Xander stiffened slightly, the others knew something had caught his attention.
"Whole mess of vamps coming in the front door." He murmured softly and the others readied themselves. And then something horrifying happened as the four teens slowly stood up.
"Xander?" Cordelia murmured softly. "Is she dressed that way because it's not her anymore?"
"Yes." His voice shook as he watched Willow Rosenberg, wearing a tight and very short dress with a revealing neckline saunter towards them. "One of them killed Willow."