Scavenger Hunt players PLEASE read note at bottom when you have
finished the story.
***************
"Just a moment. It is here somewhere!" Giles told them as he
shuffled through the papers on the library table. He kept
running his hand through his hair, as if he had found something
extremely important. While he was doing this, the gang lounged
about in different places, thinking about anything BUT what
Giles was saying.
**I really need to do my nails tonight,** Cordy realized as she
examined her hands.
**I wonder if Cordy is thinking about sex,** thought Xander as
he watched his girlfriend look at her nails.
**Willow. Sex.** Oz mused as he looked at the pretty redhead
seated next to him.
**We had sex. We had SEX! We HAD SEX! Oz and I HAD sex. I can't
believe that Oz and I had sex! I have to talk to Buffy. I just
have to!** Willow thought as she turned her head to look at her
best friend.
**Hmmm.. I didn't know he was so James Spader-like. If he wasn't
a vampire, he could be a movie star, I'm sure,** Buffy
speculated as she sat on the stairs near Angel, who was standing
there against the wall, looking broody as usual. She turned to
look at him, then realized what she had just been thinking. She
gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. **OH MY GOD! I did
NOT just think of Spike in that way. No way. I did not. God, I
SO have to talk to Willow.**
Her gasp caused Angel to look at her. His mind had been blank,
other than feeling guilty for wanting this innocent golden girl,
and her gasp had interrupted this pleasant, not-there,
sensation. Looking at her caused his mind to start up again,
though. **I love this girl. I do. But I don't deserve her. I
don't. I should leave her alone, but I can't stay away from her.
I need to suffer. I CAN'T be happy...---** his brooding
cogitations were suddenly broken off, interrupted by Giles who
had yelled out to the assembled group in his excitement.
"Yes, I knew it was here!" He started waving his hands in the
air, with a small piece of ragged parchment held up in his right
hand. "This is most profound! Most. You will all be extremely
surprised by this..." his voice trailed off as he brought his
hand down to have another look at the paper and then seemed to
be stopped in his tracks.
"Uh, Giles... could you.. maybe.. reveal the deal?" Buffy asked
her watcher, and upon seeing his inability to translate her
words, added, "You know, let us in on your little thrill?
Y'know, the thingie you found." **And please hurry. I HAVE to
talk to Willow right now.**
"Uh, yes, that is right." He fumbled around with his glasses and
then began reading the words on the paper.
"There will come a day
When the Slayer of Gold
Meets the One of the Night
Who is not as he seems
And although they are lost
They shall be found
When they stand together
On holy ground."
"Uhm, that's nice," Buffy responded, "but what's it have to
do
with us?"
"Well, Buffy, you are the Slayer of Gold," Giles told her.
"Yeah, Buffy, your hair is sorta golden," Willow added her words
in agreement with Giles.
The rest of the group sounded out with 'yeahs' to show they
also agreed.
"Okay, fine. I'm the Golden Slayer. So, that must mean that
Angel is the One of the Night, right?" Seeing Giles nod his
head, she continued. "Well, even if this is all true, what is
supposed to happen when we stand on this ground?"
Giles took off his glasses and rubbed them with his
handkerchief. "I don't know. Part of the page has been ripped
off, and...unfortunately, this is all that I have right now. But
based on our past experiences with prophecies, we DO need to
find out what it means. After all, a dire situation will
undoubtedly occur if we don't discover what needs to be done."
At his words, Buffy sighed. She had hoped for an early night,
but it looked as if they would be stuck here. She was,
therefore, quite surprised when she heard his next words.
"There is nothing more that you can do here tonight. I suggest
you all go home and come back in the morning. I need to ring the
Watcher's Council to get some more information. I'll see you all
bright and early," Giles finished his statement and started
gathering his papers together in order to head to his apartment.
Soon the gathered group was walking out the door.
No one noticed a flickering gold light shoot across the top of
the room...
****************
When they reached Buffy's house, both girls said goodbye to Oz
and headed up the stairs. Joyce was out of town on business, so
the two had the house to themselves. They quickly changed into
their PJ's and went to her room. As soon as the door was closed,
Willow pounced on the bed.
"Oh my God, Buffy. You'll never guess what happened. What I
did!" she babbled.
"Okay, calm down, Wil." Buffy laughed at her friend's antics.
"What's the big secret, 'cause I've got one of my own," she told
her with a sly grin on her face.
"What did you do, Buffy?" Wil questioned.
"No, you go first."
"No, you..."
"C'mon, Wil, I can tell it's something mega important. So...let
drip," Buffy told her friend while waiting expectantly. She
watched as Willow changed from white to pink to red and back to
white and was amused at her friend's obvious embarrassment.
Finally, the redhead worked up the courage and opened her mouth
to speak.
"Well, Oz and I..we.. well.." Buffy laughed outloud at her
friend's discomfiture.
"You know, Wil, the coffee will never get made this way and it
IS a slow drip," she teased.
"Ha ha. Hold your horses." Willow took in a breath, then started
to tell Buffy her news, but before she could finish the second
word, a flickering gold light shot through the room and both
girls were swept up in it. All across Sunnydale, the same light
appeared in select rooms at six other residences and those who
were in the rooms vanished...