FF: Requiem.

[honouredfool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Title: Requiem Chapt 1/?.
Disclaimer: The characters associated with BtVS and Angel belong to
Joss Whedon et al. I'm just going to play with them for a while and
them put back the same way I found them.
Spoilers: To Season 4ish.
Feedback: I've said it before and I'll say it again. "Taste the
Rainbow"
Authour's Notes: Special thanks to Shyfox for giving this a beta
read
and keeping it around long enough to save me when my email ate it.
Note also, character death ahead. Oh yeah, this will be a B/W fic in
the next part, I promise.

Prologue

:WE will need a tool. An instrument of our PURPOSE:
:Yes. Summon the God:
:How May I serve?:
:WE need a man:
:One that will live a long time.:
:WE will teach him:

:You will teach her and those who follow her.:
"Yes Master."
:Watch for The One. You will know her eyes.:

"Merlin, if you don't learn this I'm going to feed you to the wolves."

"And now it is time for the students to become the masters. I charge
you, the Council of Watchers to train and guide the generations of
Chosen Ones until The One emerges."

"Lin Xi? You are the Slayer? May I look into your eyes child? Not
The One."

"Why did you betray me?"
"I got a better offer."

"Catherine Duvalier? You are the Slayer? May I look in your eyes
child? Not The One."

"Why did you kill her? Was it worth your losses?"
"Oh yes, they can easily be replaced, there are always those who
would
serve the Dark. As to why I did it? Simple. A hundred thousand
lost
would have been worth the anguish I've caused you."

"Sonya Dubinsky? You are the Slayer? May I look in your eyes child?
Not The One."

"Hello Angel, my name is Whistler, tell me would you like a reason
to
live?"

"Lily Harper? You are the Slayer? May I look into your eyes child?
Not the One."

"Ripper, isn't it time you grew up?"

Chapter 1

Buffy ignored the three vamps circling behind her as she fought
desperately to keep the five in front of her from turning the little
girl at her feet into dinner. She didn't notice the shadow of a man
emerge behind the vamps and scold them quietly for trying to sneak up
on his Slayer. She didn't notice the two weapons emerge from the
folds of a very large coat. She didn't notice the vamps turn to dust
as their heads were separated from their necks. She didn't notice
the
shadow merge with the night, disappearing whence it came. However,
she did notice the absence of the three vampires as turned to fight
them. Who was she to complain though, if they were gone that was
three less for her to chase down.
As Buffy was walking home she had the feeling that she was being
followed. "Maybe it's the other three, looking for more." She spun
around at the sound of cans falling behind her. Out of the shadows
emerged a man, at least she thought it was a man, whose clothes had
obviously seen better days. She turned to walk away but stopped when
the man spoke.
Elizabeth Anne Summers?
"Who are you?" The walking shadow came closer.
"You are the Slayer?"
"Who wants to know?"
"May I look at your eyes child?" Buffy felt the overwhelming
urge to comply.
"Sure, if you want to." The big man leaned down, gently
taking her head in his hands and peered intently into her eye. After
about fifteen seconds he gasped and pulled away. "The One." He
breathed and with that faded back into the night.
***
The encounter had been disconcerting, to say the least. She
told Giles about it when she stopped by his house the next day after
class and he had promised to look into it, but he didn't sound overly
optimistic about being able to track down someone, or something,
Buffy
had described as, "a big guy in a black coat. Kind of old looking
too."
Turned out he never had to. Two nights later Buffy and her
friends were sitting around Giles' discussing a recent downturn in
demonic activity.
"I know," Xander quipped, "maybe they heard about you and just
decided to stop trying."
"No that's not it."
As a group their heads swung in unison to the kitchen where
the voice had come from. Much to his surprise Giles' refrigerator
door was open and someone was rooting in it. As they looked on, too
surprised to say anything just yet, the man righted himself and
turned
to face them. "Hello Chosen One, do you mind if I call you Buffy?
Chosen One takes so long and Slayer, well that just reeks of demon.
And you all must be the world famous Scooby Gang, yes? Let's see now
around the room, Willow, Xander, Anya, Giles and?Oh! You're new!

Hmmm?Tara, yes?".
Finally Buffy recovered enough to interrupt this lengthy
monologue "Do we know you?"
"In a sense. My name is Owen Roberts. We serve the same
master."
"Last time I checked we didn't serve any master." Buffy
answered defiantly.
The old man laughed. "Oh yes girl all of us serve a master.
We serve the Powers That Be and through them we serve the Light."
"Oh well that explains everything." Xander called out from his
corner.
"Giles knows me, don't you Giles?" Giles took his glasses
off
and began to rub them.
"I'm afraid if we've met I don't remember. Sorry." The old
man's appearance altered slightly and he aged about 10 years before
their eyes.
"Come now Ripper, don't you think it's time you grew up?"
"Ooh my goodness. Roberts! But, but you were in your 70s
when I knew you and that was at least thirty years ago. How did
you--?"
"You know the answer to that Giles?Does this help? The
old
man asked, rolling up his sleeve as he spoke. On the inside of a not
insubstantial forearm a very small rectangle with two inverted "L"s
facing lying face to face."
Seeing this Giles' face paled and he began to stutter
"But?but?you're?you're not a real person."
"Strange, I feel real. You there, Willow, come here for a
minute. That's a good girl, now poke me in the arm. Ow! Not so hard
woman, saints alive!"
"He feels like a real person to me Giles." Willow noted
"What's that tattoo for?"
"It's the letter symbol for a very old river, the River of
Eternity, which ironically enough was dried out some thousands of
years ago for some reason, to irrigate a field I believe. It serves
as a reminder of my task."
"But?"
"Yes Rupert, I know, I'm not real. Perhaps you'd like to
review that position while I explain a few things to the Slayer, yes?
Right then, Buffy you wanted to know who I was. I can't tell you my
real name, its something of a secret, so you'll have to settle for
Roberts. Owen Roberts. Unless, of course, you can think of something
you'd prefer to call me"
"How bout Sneaky Pete?" Buffy muttered under her breath.
"Thank you no. Now please listen so that I can get this said
before Thursday, yes? I was "born" when humanity was in its very
infancy, scraping out an animal existence in caves. I wasn't born in
the traditional sense either, more willed into existence by my
master.
I was taught my task by the PTB for about two thousand years or so.
They taught me magik and the Way of Light and other things I would
need to know for my purpose. Then they sent me out into the world as
the first soldier of the Light. I was present at the birth of the
first Slayer, and will be present at the birth of the last. The
Oracles told me that the dark knew who I was and therefore exactly
where to find the Slayer. To prevent this from continuing I founded
the Watchers Council and guided it through its infancy so that I
could
leave the Slayers and be far away whenever one was born. After its
first few years I left the Council and wandered into the world,
fading
into their lore as a mythological character, an allegory for the lost
beginnings of the Council."

The room was dead silent for a long time when Roberts had
finished his story. No one, not even Xander, had anything to say.
Finally Willow spoke up "Why come back now? I mean you've been
hiding
for centuries and then all the sudden you just show up again? Why?"
"Because it's almost time. Buffy, How old are you?"
"22."
"A good long time for a Slayer, yes? Did you ever wonder
why?"
"I just thought I was really good."
The strange man laughed. "Good, yes, very good. The best ever
probably. Better than the other two of your generation, certainly."
He paused "Don't tell Faith I said that though, she'd be quite angry
with me. It's almost over now, the final battle between the Light
and
the Dark is almost upon us. Ho! Giles! Wake-up there and bring us
your copy of Elbat Codex."

Giles dragged himself out of his disbelief and went to his
book shelf returning with a rather thick volume of prophecy. He
handed it to Mr. Roberts who in turn passed it to Willow. "Willow,
you have a beautiful voice for reading, could you turn to about the
middle and start to read?"
"And at the end of the Third Age a battle will be joined
between the Dark and the Light to decide the fate of the favorite
world of Gods. The Champion of Light will meet the Dark a final time
and then all is finished. Beware, Son of Light, without her
Companions The One will fail in her quest and all you've given will
be
for not." Willow looked up from the book, "That's it."
"Neat-O!" quipped Xander from his corner of the room.
"Yeah that's really nice Mr. Roberts but what the hell does it
mean?" asked Buffy
"You mentioned a slow down in demon activity to Giles yes?
That's my enemy. He's calling the Dark to him in order to prepare
for
the end of the Third Age. I am, quite literally, the Son of the
Light. The Powers That Be need me to exist and ordered my Master to
cause me and they taught me the Light. Only I will know the Champion
and her Companions and even then only when I am supposed to. Right
now I couldn't even say that any of you are involved. I am assuming
it, since you are the best fighters of Dark in the world today and I
know the end of the Third Age is coming. The time is coming though
and we have to be ready. I will leave you now, you have a great
deal
to discuss and I have a package to get back before it's too late."
With that Mr. Roberts strode to the door and exited before
anyone could stop him?If anyone had actually wanted to.
"Obviously a psycho" stated Buffy.
"Yup, a little too much whacky juice for that funster."
Xander noted.
"Now Buffy, Xander," Giles started, "do not be so quick to
condemn. That tattoo he showed us does appear in the Council's
Chronicles. No one has believed that the story surrounding it was
true but it does appear."
"And he mentioned the Oracles and the PTB," interjected Willow
"I-I- k-k-know I'm the new kid here but something about him
reminded me of someone. I think he's alright." Tara stammered.
Buffy
glared at Tara, an unreasonable feeling of hostility springing to her
mind.
"But did you hear how casually he mentioned Faith," Buffy
continued to protest, "like he knew her, and even scarier, cared what
she thought of him."
"Let's at least wait and see what he does before we have
committed shall we?" Giles suggested. Buffy threw up her hands in
defeat. "Thank you. Now, let's everyone get going and we'll meet
back here tomorrow afternoon."
By now night had fallen so Buffy, Willow and Tara walked back
towards UCS together. Following behind them at some distance was a
small silver fox.
<Ugh, I feel like such a third wheel.> This was a thought
Buffy had been having a lot recently. Ever since Willow had come out
to her, Buffy had been experiencing very strange thoughts about her
best friend. She had also been getting less and less fond of Tara.
There was no Willow-Buffy time anymore, it was always Willow-Tara
time
with Buffy along for the ride. And Buffy hated it.
As the three girls entered the front doors of Stevenson Hall
the fox following them slowly morphed into a man whose clothes had
definitely seen better days. Mr. Roberts watched the door with a
mournful face for a minute and then turned away. He had found what
he
was looking for , the Sacrificial Love.
***
Meanwhile back at his apartment Rupert Giles had gotten on the
phone as soon as his young charges had left. And was loathe to do
so.
"I'm telling you Quentin he knew the whole story, right down to the
River of Eternity."
"Rupert he could have heard that story somewhere else. The
Son of Light does not exist."
"Don't be stupid man! How could anyone but a Watcher know the
story? And this man was not a Watcher. If you would just send me
the
damn records I could look."
"Fine, for old times sake Rupert, I'll send you the records
on
the condition that you tell no one else of your "discovery."
Giles bit back a retort, he did after all need those records.
"Thank
you Quentin."
"Goodbye Giles."
<It must be him>