Raksha stepped into a large richly decorated room with Isis. The Goddess sat down in a chair and motioned for Raksha to do the same. Raksha quickly complied not looking to be on the receiving end of any of Isis' wrath.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Isis asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Mistress..." Raksha began.

"The formality ended when we left that room," Isis interrupted. "We are equals here."

Raksha nodded. The few times that she had talked to the goddess since she had become a huntress had been informal -- the way the goddess requested that they be. "Why?"

"Why what?" Isis asked annoyance coloring her voice.

"Why did you save me?" Raksha asked. "Why are putting me through this? Why are you putting those who don't deserve it through this? Why didn't you just let me die? Don't I deserve a rest?"

"It's not that simple, my child," Isis answered. Her tone had softened. "I have plans for you. It was not your time yet. I have reason to believe that you'll be needed in the near future."

"For what, may I ask?" Raksha questioned Isis.

"It has been prophesied that there is going to be a period of enlightenment -- a time when the light finds out about the darkness," Isis answered vaguely.

Raksha had expected a cryptic answer and just nodded. She looked down at her bonds. A quick examination with her senses revealed that they would block any of her powers or magic. "Magic-ed metal?" she asked. "You must be expecting a fight."

Isis sighed and shook her head. "I told them that it was unnecessary but some of them insisted. They're afraid of you -- of what you can do. Returning Angel's soul proved to them how strong you are." Isis smiled at her. "Of course, none of them will admit that they are scared."

Raksha returned Isis' smile. "I doubt that it is that. If they are scared of me they probably don't know what the emotion is... They've probably have never felt it before."

Isis shook her head. "All beings have felt fear -- including my brothers and sister as well as myself. Most just do not recognize it."

"Then do you fear me?" Raksha asked, seeing her goddess in a new light.

"Under different circumstances, I might, but no I do not," Isis answered truthfully.

"'Different circumstances'?" Raksha queried.

"If you were not so loyal; if you had strayed from enlightenment... Then I might be scared," Isis replied. "You have been loyal for five thousand years and have never abandoned us. Many others would have not done so in your place. You deserve my trust."

Raksha tried to kneel before the goddess, but was restricted by the chains and had to settle for an awkward bow. "I'm honored that you speak so well of me, milady," Raksha said, slipping back into formality. Raksha straightened. "Do you actually think I have a chance of coming out of this trial? Going back to the way I was?"

Isis sighed. "I do not know. But we must try. You are needed."

Raksha nodded. She had expected as much.

"Let us go, child. We need to talk over strategy with the others," Isis said, starting to leave the room.

Raksha followed Isis out of the room and back down the hall. The Slayer and others were huddled in a corner talking. Raksha was surprised to see Spike with them even though he had separated himself slightly, standing off to the side.

Isis walked over to them, with Raksha close behind. "You must be ready to face your opponents. They will do anything to get you to say something bad about Raksha. Hold your tongue. Don't say anything to offend them. They won't take to it kindly. The exact opposite indeed."

Raksha looked at Spike. "You'll have to be able to defend our relationship."

Spike's head shot up. "Defend it, pet? What's there to defend? It happened."

Raksha looked at the ground so that no one could see the hurt in her eyes. She had gotten too attached to Spike in the brief amount of time that had elapsed. Pushing back the hurt to be processed later, she composed herself.

Isis took note of Raksha's silence and picked up the slack. "Well, you'll have to explain Raksha's point of view."

Raksha looked up regarding Spike coolly. "There's nothing to explain. I was desperate. It was just sex and nothing more."

Spike glared at Raksha with his famous expressionless face. "I'm glad we agree on that, pet."

"Good. I thought we understood each other," Raksha responded.

As the two lovers stared each other down, silence ruled supremely. The others had watched the exchange between Raksha and Spike and were shocked. It was obvious that they cared for each other. The way that Raksha had kissed Spike before she was supposed to die and the way he acted after she died were proof of that. Why were they hurting each other this way? It made no sense.

Suddenly the goddess named Maat spoke loud enough so that her voice filled the room and echoed off the walls. "It is time now."