When the world decided to stop spinning from her lovely venture through Sunnydale’s latest magically induced portal, Buffy’s vision decided to come into focus.
“Well, guess that worked.”
Hearing various voices echoing through the cavern, she slowly walked towards the sound to find a group of three men in full tribal dress.
I guess the watcher’s council wore different threads back in the day.
“Hello? I’m Buffy. I’m the Slayer.”
All three men turned to look at her and suddenly Buffy found herself feeling as if she were a hog being judged for meat quality. All in all, the glances seemed far more appraising that encouraging.
“Umm…sorry for interrupting your little chanting session, but this is kinda an emergency.”
Slowly, one of the men dressed in a red tribal headdress separated himself from his fellows and walked over to the young woman standing on the edge of their sanctuary. Although he spoke in a foreign language Buffy found herself understanding him perfectly.
“You have finally come.”
Great, another all knowing mystic dude, oh well, here goes nothing…
“Uh, yeah. I came to-“
The man silenced her with a single hand, “We know why you are here, you seek to find an end to the First Evil.”
Wow, got it in one.
“Yes, yes I do. How can-“
“There is only one way to defeat it.” And again with the interrupting. “And unfortunately you must find the power to do so yourself. We no longer have the spirit of the First slayer at our disposal. Her essence already resides within you, there is no more to give.”
“You have no more to give? What in the hell is that supposed to mean? I thought you guys were supposed to save us, not run out of funding.”
The old man’s face split into a smile that was a strange mixture of disapproval and amusement.
“The power you seek was once taken from a great demon queen. A queen who is no longer living and whose essence still remains as a guiding power for you, as well as your future and past sisters.
Great, just great, I arrange a portal, get stuck in a strange dimension, get accosted by bossy tribal watchers, and all I have to show for it is… wait a minute.
“Hold on, did you say *demon* queen?”
The man’s face once again broke into that strange grin that seemed to reveal so little and yet so much of his inner thoughts.
“Why, of course, did you think such strength was derived from a mortal?”
Buffy was stunned; there was no other way to describe the sense of confusion and icy shock that was begging to slowly spread throughout her body. Was he implying what she thought he was?
“But… slayers are fighters of the light. How can we fight evil if we are evil?”
Now the man appeared to be simply puzzled.
“And whoever said that demon equivocated evil? There is no evil or good, just light and darkness. You fight the dark within the dark, and therefore in order to defeat your enemy we made it part of you.”
Buffy couldn’t believe it. In all of her years of being a slayer she had never questioned that her power had been nothing more than a gift from the Powers that Be. The old man had to be wrong. There was no way she could be-
“I see the doubt on your face young one, but be assured that I do not error. Do not fear. You may hold a component of the night within you but you still live within the day. No amount of demonic power will ever be able to conquer that. We have assured it by placing spells of protection into your line that are woven within the very particles of your being.”
Wow, that’s a relief. I only get to be part demon, geez glad that’s cleared up.
Buffy tried, but failed to keep the sarcasm completely from her voice, “Forgive me if I am not thrilled at this little revelation. I was taught-“
“You were taught incorrectly. And we do not have the time to correct your lessons. You have no choice but to accept your origins for they are irreversible, and I have no doubt that you will find a way to adapt. What we must do now is give you the power you need to defeat the First Evil.”
Now it was Buffy’s turn to appear confused, “But I thought you said that you couldn’t help me. That all the hocus pocus had run out.”
The old man smiled once more.
God, I wish he would stop doing that. I am so not seeing anything worth smiling about here.
“I said that this council could not supply any of the original slayer’s essence. However, we can allow you to drain the demonic presence from another. We can allow you to take another beings’ power and infuse it within yourself.”
“Right… and if I don’t want to be a power-sucking leach?”
This time there was no smile. In fact, the elder appeared absolutely solemn as his voice once again filled the darkness, “Then you will perish.”
Buffy’s face slowly began to fall in realization of the inevitability of the task that lay before her, but she steeled herself as the elder moved towards her. In his hands he held before him a slim silver chain upon which hung a single emerald pendant.
“Through this charm you will be able to absorb the power of a single demon into yourself. Its power combined with yours will be what will assist you in defeating the First Evil. However, choose wisely, the charm may only be used once and only a strong demonic spirit will be able to coincide with the one you already hold.”
As Buffy reached out and took the amulet the world around her began to fade, and she cried out once more in desperation, “But how will I know how to use it?!”
“Find your donor. The amulet will take care of the rest.”
Buffy only had time to once more glance at the tribal leader’s strange grin before she suddenly found herself standing in her living room… the amulet slowly swinging from her now shaking hand.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
During "Get it Done."