Title: The Gathering
Author: Adalisa
Email: [email protected]

Feedback: I love it. It's inspiring... and let's face it, it's the only real reason to keep writing.
Distribution: Mama Chelle's site, XanderSlash's site, the WWOMB and my site. Anywhere else, just ask. I won't say no.
Web site: http://members.tripod.com/luxshine/

Summary: The End of the world is coming. The Slayerettes are divided between the two groups that will be involved on it, and one wrong choice could doom them all.
Rating: R for Violence
Warnings: Violence, Characters dying.

Disclaimer: Buffy, Xander, Angel, Riley, and all Buffy characters are property of Joss Wheldon, Warner Bros. X and all the characters in that story are property of CLAMP and Kadokawa.

Content: X/A... eventually. Series: When Destiny becomes us, pt. 1
Spoilers: The whole series is warped some how. But good knowledge of it up to Hush would be good. Also, Angel the Series up to I'll Remember. Which means that, of course, Doyle's alive (^_^)
Notes: This is my longest and most complicated series so far, because unlike Xander the Vampire Slayer, it is not cut in many episodes. I don't know how long each part will be, but I know there will be 3 parts: The Gathering, The Storm and The Battle. If you know the comic X (Or X-1999 for those living in America) you will probably guess who's who and where this is going. It's an AU, so many of the people who is dead in the series might be alive here. Anyway, I hope It's a good ride.

It was a rainy night in the City of Nuestra Senora de los Angeles. Even the darkest creatures didn't dare to go out.

Still, standing in the top of one of the tallest buildings, a young man watched in silence as the water cleaned the city, as if giving it a last ablution.

He was dressed in black leather, wearing a long black trench coat. His eyes were light brown, and shone with an inner light that gave away the fact that he was not from the city. Such light died very soon in L.A.

And he was smiling.

"It took me years, Jesse..." The young man muttered under his breath. "But I am back. I just hope I can do things right."

"I had the dream again, Xander." Jesse McNally sat at his best friend side, sighing. He hadn't had a good night of sleep and dark bags were under his eyes.

"The scary one about Cordelia naked, or the other one?" Xander Harris smiled, trying to cheer up his friend.

"The 'other' one." But Jesse didn't smile back. Ever since his summer trip to L.A. with the Harris' family he had been having constant nightmares. After four months, it was no longer a joke. "But this time it was different."

"How?"

"Well... It started like always, right?" Jesse began, as he kept his eyes open in case anyone else came closer. He didn't want anyone else besides Xander knowing about his dreams. Not even his other best friend, Willow Rosenberg. "It's a tall building in L.A.... and nothing else stands. There are seven people with hoods in one side, and seven in the other. I hear the cries of people begging for help, but the fourteen don't move a muscle. And then one of them lifts her head, and it's this blonde girl with blue eyes. And she smiles at me."

"That's the same dream as always, Jesse." Xander interrupted, frowning.

"Yeah, but then things got dark and I was at the Bronze. And she... killed... me... She kept smiling... but crying at the same time. I woke up, and couldn't go back to sleep in like, hours!"

Xander opened his mouth to say something, but in that moment he caught a glimpse of Willow coming near to them and waved to her.

Jesse also saw her and nodded, but before changing the subject completely, he whispered something else. "I had another dream. And you two were in it."

"Doesn't part of the 'conversation' entails you paying attention to me?"

"Wha? Oh... Sorry, Anya. I was distracted." Xander forced himself to smile. "I was just remembering something from high school."

"Because of my dream?" the former demon frowned as she recalled many of her conversations with him. None of them were about high school.

"I had a friend who had weird dreams about Buffy too." He explained, kissing her forehead tenderly. "But he got them wrong. Don't worry, Anya, it must be nothing."

"But I was a demon." Anya insisted. Her dream about the Slayer arriving to L.A. had unsettled her. She had seen Buffy surrounded by six hooded people, with a strange killer gleam in her eyes. And her voice... so... cold...

*I'll kill him*

She had said, her eyes piercing Anya, so coldly that the former demoness had woken up, sweating as scared as when she realized that Xander was going to be at the Ascension ceremony.

"'Was' is our special word, Anya." Xander stood up and held out his hand to her, and soon they were out in the street, walking to Anya's room at UC Sunnydale.

She was very glad that this was his day off, so they could be together. Of course, Anya knew that his feelings for her weren't as deep as hers for him. When she had had her powers, she had seen his heart, before granting Cordelia her wish. But Xander didn't know that, Anya had kept the secret, because she had fallen in love with him and didn't want to loose his confidence, and the part of his heart that was hers.

They were walking embraced through Campus when from the bushes a vampire came rushing through, pushing Anya against a light pole, banging her head, trying to escape. The last thing Anya heard before falling unconscious was Buffy's enraged voice.

"I'll kill him!"

//Where am I?//

Anya was floating in a strange, gray place. Far away, she could hear a clock ticking, and a very low humming.

She walked aimlessly in the grayness, when she suddenly saw a round crystal ball.

//What is that?//

Almost as in answer to her thoughts or maybe she had spoken out loud? She couldn't tell- the ball began to glow, and inside she could see the carefully carved designs reflected on its surface.

//...earth?...//

The ball began to float upwards, then fall, then bounced up again, as if a child was playing with it. Grayness shifted, and Anya saw who was playing with the ball, as it landed softly on a human hand.

Buffy Summers.

The Slayer held the crystal earth carefully, almost motherly, when she saw Anya. Then her smile turned cold, cruel.

"It is _my_ choice." Buffy said...

And then she let the sphere fall and break in a thousand pieces.

Anya began to scream, closing her eyes just as Buffy's face started to shift.

Sunnydale's local hospital was far better than any other hospital in a small town. They had to be, since every day they had victims of bites, gang fights, and abuse.

In the second floor, where the private rooms began, two young women slept in two separate rooms. The first one had been in a coma for almost a year and a half, beaten almost to death. The second one had only been there for a couple of months. The doctors didn't have any hope that either would wake up, but their families and friends seemed to think otherwise.

Jenny Calendar's room was filled with flowers, balloons and get well cards. Once every two weeks a group of teenagers came to visit her, to talk to her, in hopes that she would open her eyes.

Faith's room was not that joyful. Only a single rose, delivered each week, adorned her otherwise empty table. The Mayor had left enough money to take care of her, but since his disappearance, no one came to see the dormant girl.

And so, they both slept, waiting for the final day.

In a hidden sanctuary, deep below L.A., a blind man opened his eyes.

//It is beginning.// His soundless voice echoed through the empty walls. //I wish I could see her face// he laughed.

Months ago... lifetimes ago, he had been known as Mayor Wilkins. He had been a human being, an almost demon and a pure demon. Now, he was something else.

After his transformation in a pure demon, and following defeat at the Chosen One's hands, Mayor Wilkins had thought that he was finally dead. No such luck. He had awaken in the sanctuary, deaf, blind, mute, with no memory of his past.

His first sense to return had been hearing. And with the sounds, his memories came forward. It had not been a good month. He got depressed, angry and suicidal.

Then his new assistant had arrived, explaining him why he was alive. And even when he could only communicate with thoughts, the whole thing seemed incredibly interesting. Something that would be worth to see, when his sight returned.

He laughed again, and this time one of the doors of his inner sanctuary opened, allowing his assistant to enter.

"Miss Edith told me you wanted to see me, daddy."

//Yes, yes, princess// he laughed, moving his hands towards her face. He was really glad that his sense of touch had returned. //Are you wearing your new dress, child?//

A happy giggle was his answer, as he felt the soft brush of a long silk skirt near his face, and he could smell the sweet scent of distant flowers. This made the Mayor feel better. Drusilla reminded him of his other daughter, the girl who had decided to help him before the ascension. His little Faith.

//Be very careful, dear.// He told her, clasping her hand //I don't want to loose my princess. Just watch the Chosen One, until she makes her choice.//

"Miss Edith told me a secret." She whispered, kneeling at his side. "She knows where the Shinken is."

//It is not the time yet, Princess. Don't risk yourself.//

It was apparently a normal patrol night for Buffy. She had been walking around campus, carrying her stakes and wishing to meet Riley since she still felt a little guilty for Anya's injury, three days ago. It was then when she was cornered by five men in black suits.

"What?" She asked, as they surrounded her. Since her 'vamp-dar' was not beeping, Buffy knew that the mysterious new arrivals weren't vampires and without definitive proof that they were not humans, she wanted them to make the first move. "The Initiative decided to go with the 'men in black' look?"

One of them, maybe the leader, moved his hand forward and a gust of wind blew her away, cutting her cheek as the others formed a barrier.

"O.k. This means your label is non-human." She grinned and tried to kick her attacker. However, whatever they were, they were fast conjurers and as soon as she managed to hit one, wind blades appeared from every direction, cutting her skin. In no time, she was pinned to the ground.

"GET OFF ME!!" When she screamed, white blazing energy seemed to emanate from her body, slashing her opponents' bodies in thousand shreds. However, they didn't bleed or puff into ashes, but melted until the only thing left were some paper sheets with weird symbols on them. "Cool... How did I do that?" She whispered to herself, before standing up, and running away fast.

She never saw that in the darkness, gleaming eyes were witnesses to her newly found power.

Below UC Sunnydale, Dr. Welsh watched the computers with interest. She had waited a long time for the signal to appear. And now, her efforts were giving fruit. At least, she could control destiny.

"I have news." Riley Finn came into the room, uninvited. He was the only one of her soldiers with that right because he was not only a soldier... He was her contact with the end. "She's the One."

"The Slayer?" Dr. Welsh lifted an eyebrow, impressed. "Are you sure?"

"She just sliced some curse-zombies with the power of her will." Riley stated, sitting down and caressing the control console with a lover's touch. Outside the initiative he was an easy going student, always ready to help. The other initiative commandos knew him as a loyal soldier. But only Dr. Welsh knew this other side of him. The cold, calculating man who was going to give her the chance to change the world. "In a few days, she'll be flying around campus."

"Did anyone try to contact her?" The Dr. looked at the computer again, her greatest creation that was only waiting for its rightful user.

"No. And I wouldn't worry about that." The blond man smiled, the cold smile that could chill a human heart. "After all, who is she going to trust? Her boyfriend, one of the Seven Angels... Or one of the Seven Demons?"

Ethan Rayne was worried. He had never expected to return to Sunnydale after the candy fiasco. He had wished to keep his business away from the psycho slayer, away from Ripper, away from painful memories.

But obviously, he hadn't a choice on the matter.

He had returned, called by strange dreams, knowing that this time it was very possible to die.

After all, he doubted the Slayer would trust him.

"Still, we have to talk to her. We have to know that the choice is fair." The child-like female voice interrupted his musings, but Ethan didn't even bother with turning around. He had cast a spell around himself, to make him completely invisible to all eyes. Except for those who would be present on the final day.

"I'm guessing that you know because you're like me." He said, lifting his left palm so his visitor could see the glowing tattoo of seven stars, connected in a line.

"One of the Seven Demons." She answered, showing her own tattoo. "My name is Drusilla."

"You're pretty, for a demon." Ethan joked, as she walked nearer. She was wearing a sleeveless dress with flowers printed on the fabric that made her look younger than what she had been when she had died. "I was wondering if I would grown horns when I discovered I was part of the merry group."

"Not all of the Seven are Demons." Drusilla explained, and then she leaned closer, giggling. "I know. Miss. Edith showed them to me."

"Did your friend knew what choice will she make?"

"No." Drusilla shook her head and looked up, sadly. "I see seven stars rising, seven stars falling. I see two witches, a soldier, the summer, the Watcher, the Slayer. I see a demon, two warlocks, three vampires. I see a mirror, two shinken. They're hidden inside flesh, close to the Chosen One, but the mirror hides her face. A soldier, a grinning man. When the blood begins to flow, nothing will stop the change. Nothing will be the same again. The sphere will break."

"Somehow, that doesn't sound very good." Ethan whispered, and placed his hand on her cold shoulder, realizing what kind of creature she was. One of the three vampires in her dream, which meant that he was one of the two warlocks. "We better go now. I've heard that this campus isn't safe for your kind."

"Giles, we have a problem." Buffy and Willow didn't even bothered to knock, having a key to Giles' house. They didn't even acknowledge Xander and Anya's presence.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Giles' question was answered by both girls showing up their hands. In Willow's right palm there was a glowing tattoo that showed six flames surrounding a seventh. The same symbol was on Buffy's right hand, only that it wasn't glowing. On the Slayer's left hand there was a tattoo of seven stars.

"They appeared while we were sleeping." Buffy elaborated. "And Willow had a nightmare." With very short sentences, the Slayer explained what had happened with the melting zombies, the power coming from nowhere, and her friend nightmarish vision of the end of the world.

"A voice kept calling me." Willow added, when Buffy finished. "Telling me to embrace my destiny as one of the Seven Angels."

Anya paled and clasped Xander's hand with all her strength. "What's the problem, Anya?" He asked, embracing her as she began to shake with fear.

"The end of the world." She said, her voice trembling. "I heard a lot of stories about it. In the final day, the Seven Angels and the Seven Demons will fight, but the Chosen will decide the outcome... by the one who makes the choice between the two sides. The Seventh. The one who can wield the Shinken, the Sacred Sword. And that choice will mark the difference between the destruction and peace."

"Cool..." Willow whispered. "So the mark means I'm one of the Angels?"

"If the flames represent the Angels...What about the stars?" Buffy asked, looking at her hands. "Are they supposed to be the demons? I have to choose?"

"And how are you supposed to know which side to choose?" Xander asked, suddenly serious. There was no trace of the silent joke that seemed to lurk behind his voice at all times. "I mean... how do you know who are the ones who are supposed to be the ones who want peace?"

"I dunno." Buffy answered, and sarcasm was very present in her voice. "Maybe the _demon_ part is a good clue of who are supposed to be the bad boys."

"Ah... I don't think... we should precipitate." Giles stammered. "First we... ah... should find the Shinken..."

"Good idea. And maybe we could find the other Angels or maybe the Demons." Willow added, giggling. The whole idea of her being a chosen one was amazing, and she was sure that she would never fight against Buffy or destroy the world. Buffy _had_ to choose the Angels.

No one gave notice to the fact that Giles was using gloves.

Joyce Summers smiled, looking at the room that until that year had been her daughter's bedroom and now was her new study.

It had taken some time before she stopped feeling guilty for it, when she stopped believing that it was like throwing her daughter out.

And now, it was perfect.

"A nice place, now that your daughter doesn't exist anymore."

The female voice seemed to come from behind her, but when Joyce turned around, there was no one in the room.

"Wha-?"

"Of course you can't see me." The voice continued. "No one can. But I can see you. I know what do you hide..."

"I don't hide anything!!" Joyce screamed, scared. She had seen many evil things in Sunnydale, but never one directed right at her.

"Oh, but you do." She sing-sang. But her madness didn't go away. If anything it sounded less human. It was then when Joyce saw the scalpel.

"No..."

Two hours later, all was finished.

The remains of the body once inhabited by Joyce Summers were messily sprayed around but her killer didn't care. The police would find most of it, anyway.

She picked the Shinken very carefully, wrapping it in a white cloth. It was funny how such a big sword came from a small human... But then again, the woman _had_ exploded after the first five cuts, spoiling most of the fun.

She left her message written on the wall. It didn't hurt as much as it had three years ago, but it seemed appropriate. After all, it was a message for the Chosen one, so she would see what happened if she made the wrong choice.

She laughed. If anyone had been able to see her, they would have seen a beautiful naked girl, barely past eighteen. A naked girl, covered in blood and holding a wrapped something in her left hand.

If someone could see her, they would have seen seven fire flames glowing in her right hand.

Willow didn't bother with concealing her new tattoo. She felt very proud of it, and anyway, it didn't glow unless she was close to Buffy.

Tara was the first one to see it, but the shy witch didn't mention anything. She was too happy with Willow's company, so she remained silent.

Together they walked towards the library, since Willow wanted to research about the Angels and the Shinken. She didn't care much for the demons, after all, if they were evil the only thing they needed to know was how to kill them. The redhead was chatting happily about her dream, wondering out loud what would be required of her as an angel, when she bumped into Riley.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Riley..." She stammered, nervous since she knew exactly what Buffy's boyfriend did by night, and wasn't sure of how that would affect her now. "I wasn't..."

But Riley didn't let her finish. He grabbed her hand, watching the glowing tattoo with interest. "Wow, Willow." He said, smiling. It was a smile that made Tara's blood grow cold. "I didn't know you were one of us." As he spoke, Riley let to see his right hand, and the tale-telling tattoo glowing on its palm.

"You're an angel too?" The witch squealed with delight. "Cool! And you know more about this, right? I mean... since..."

"If you come with me, I'll tell you all."

They left together walking to Riley's room and the Initiative' headquarters, leaving a very stricken Tara behind.

When the news of Joyce Summer's death reached Giles, he forbade Buffy from going to the crime scene. But the Slayer didn't listen. She wanted to see what kind of monster had dared to touch her mother, if there were any clues to its whereabouts... and how long would it take to her to cut it into as many pieces as her mother had been found. She didn't lose time crying, even when she was destroyed inside. But Buffy knew that if she stop for a little while, for seconds, to cry, the killer would escape.

Her _mother's_ killer.

The cops had asked her to identify the head. They had spared her the rest of the gore, but she had managed to see one leg, without a foot. One arm, without a hand.

They didn't know how she had been killed.

Her house was a grim place now. It was no good for her mood. What had been her room, was now splattered with blood. All the furniture, the walls... even the ceiling was now red.

And there was a message for her. A message written in her Mother's blood.

_Have a nice Summer_

When she read that, Buffy left the room crying. Around her hands, a strange glow began to swirl, creating fire. She noticed, and her tears stopped. As if a switch had been turned on in her head, she knew what to do. She was going to find the demon who had killed her mother and burn it to death.

During daylight, Angel Investigations didn't have much action. But even so, Cordelia and Doyle stayed in the office for the unlikely possibility that a client arrived.

They talked about everything and nothing. Most of the time, it was about Cordelia's last audition, or fashion, or the latest gossip from Sunnydale. Sometimes, she even heard about Doyle's life.

It was a welcome routine for Cordelia. She knew that the older man as interested in her, but didn't show it. After all, she was not blind, and had noticed that Doyle hid something from her. She didn't pry, but it was the knowledge of not being trusted what kept her from acknowledging his advances.

The young woman was in the middle of explaining how phantom Dennis had helped her to memorize some lines, half-hoping to make Doyle jealous, when the vision hit.

And even when she was used to see his painful reaction, she was not ready to hear him scream, or to see his left palm burn.

She was definitively not ready to see his gentle, sometimes mocking face contort, change, and fill with spikes.

It was then when she began to scream too, and in a second, Angel was upstairs.

//Death, Pain, Cry, Help, Kill, Run, Save, Death, Pain, Cry//

The echoes of a thousand voices were hammering Doyle's brain. He had grown used to the pain, to the spinning images. But sounds were new. And he wished he were deaf.

He saw L.A. destroyed, heard people cry in terror.

He saw a blonde woman explode, and her blood marking the shape of another woman, her killer.

He saw Cordelia, being thorn to pieces, crying tears of blood.

He saw seven people, closing in for the kill.

He saw six demons at his side, trying to protect his loved ones.

Seven stars, seven flames. The Earth engulfed by darkness.

He saw Angel, being sent to hell again.

He saw Angelus, killing the Slayer.

And he heard a voice, calling him, guiding him.

Then Doyle knew he had no choice, and began to cry.

He came to himself to see Angel and Cordelia staring at him with worry. His first thought was that he had screamed too loud, but then he noticed his hand and knew that in his pain, he had changed.

"What did you see, Doyle?" Angel asked, slowly. Cordelia just stared at him, her face unreadable. With a deep breath, the Irish half-demon managed to control his body and return to human shape.

"The End, Angel." He whispered, scared. "Of all we know. And we can't do anything to stop it."

"What do you mean?" The vampire asked again, now puzzled. "Why can't it be stopped?"

"Because it might not be our role to stop it." Doyle muttered, his voice sour. "The vision was very clear, the final day is coming and everyone has a seat assigned. I heard a lot of stories before coming to L.A. The Stars and The Flames, the Demons and the Angels will fight, and the winner decides the fate of Earth. The thing is... it all depends on one person."

"Who?"

Doyle shook his head, saying he didn't know. Angel seemed unconvinced by it, but still decided to stop the interrogation. He knew that Cordelia and Doyle needed time to talk.

Once the vampire was gone back to the basement that he called home, the silence stretched between mortal and demon.

"So... What did you not tell Angel?" Cordelia finally asked, her tone calm. Almost as if nothing had happened.

"I don't know what you're talking about." But the ex-May Queen didn't buy the lie. She folded her arms and stared at him in silence. Doyle lasted five minutes before giving up. "I'm one of the demons involved." He said, as he showed his left palm where a tattoo of seven stars was engraved. "And Angelus... he's probably one too. The thing is... I... I don't know how will he take it."

"Are you going to help destroy the world?" Cordelia leaned down on her desk, crossing her legs.

"I still don't know." He admitted. "I suppose I should try and contact the other demons..."

"So, you _will_ help to destroy the world."

"It's not that simple." He stammered, closing his hand around the tattoo.

"Like the fact that you're an ugly demon?" Again, Cordelia's tone didn't let much room to lies.

"Half demon." He confessed, and waited for the reaction of disgust and horror he knew was long overdue.

"Whatever. You could have told me."

"Could I?" Now Doyle couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not after all of Cordelia's complains about the evil of demons. "I..."

"Please! I was born in Sunny hell! My boyfriend's dating and ex-demon of vengeance, and shares his basement with a vampire." Cordelia rolled her eyes, and kneeled near him. "Say... you can control those spikes, right?"

"You hadn't discover me so far... Why do you...?" But Doyle couldn't finish his question, as Cordelia leaned down and kissed him.

Anya was sleeping under the watchful eyes of Xander and Spike. Giles had insisted that the vampire had to be out of his house for at least a week while he investigated more about the Shinken, and since the Initiative were still looking for him, the neutered Big Bad couldn't stay in his crypt. The former demoness had been having nightmares, ever since Joyce's death, ever since she saw Buffy burning a demon to death with her new powers only because he had wished her a nice summer after assuring her that he didn't know anything about the murder. Only Xander's nearness could help her sleep.

"Angelus knew about this." Spike suddenly said, getting Xander's attention.

"What?" The mortal asked, looking up at him.

"When he didn't kill the gypsy, I asked him about it. Told him he was getting soft." Spike answered. He was not tied, Xander had given up to that long ago, especially since if a demon appeared, the vampire was of real help. Spike, who usually just got in the way, wasn't thrilled at the idea of the Apocalypse and did everything in his hands to avert it. Especially since there still was little hope of getting the damned chip out of his head. "He told me that she would die in her own time, when the End came."

"He probably meant Acathla." Xander turned to Anya, caressing her cheek as she slept peacefully.

"No. Acathla was only meant to swallow Sunnydale." The vampire insisted. "He said that it would slow down the time for the choice. And that Dru and I would knew our place by the then."

"Well... It seems that the time is coming." With a sigh, Xander closed his eyes as if praying. "Do you know your place now?"

Willow returned to her room with a dazzled look in her eyes. She had been down in the Initiative HQ two days talking with Dr. Walsh. The woman was not only a great teacher, she was also the leader of the Angels. The one towards which all of them would go, sooner or later.

More so, she had given Willow a gift of power. Only remembering the feeling of ecstasies flowing through her body as she had accessed the main computer of the Initiative made Willow want to return and connect again, be in control of everything. With that computer, she could find Oz, make him return to her, get her life back in track. She was one with the machine.

But she still hadn't found much about the Demons. She knew who the Angels were, people that had been hurt by demons, who now had the power to fight back. She and Riley were ready now, and the others would come. They would gather in time for Buffy's choice.

"Night, Buffy." She told her roommate, smiling. Buffy was standing there, her hands on fire. "Are... are you all right?"

"They killed my mom..." The Slayer cried, her voice small. "They killed her and mock me and laugh at me... and I can't stop them all..."

"Yes you can." Willow looked at her, her eyes shinning with a cold gleam. "You can stop them forever if you side with the Angels."

Amy Madison woke up from her dreams, and dressed hurriedly. She knew what she had to do, and how to do it.

With extreme care, she pulled out a small box she had hidden under the table, a box which had been empty until the day of Graduation, when she had stole just one thing from her old High School, before it was destroyed.

Her Mother's cheer leading trophy.

Her Mother.

For three years, Amy had lived in the shadow of Mother, as a person and as a witch.

No more.

It was time to bury the past.

She lit up a fire, and watched until her Cauldron was hot red.

"Good-bye Mother." As she spoke, she could feel tendrils of energy caressing her body, and she lowered the golden statue into the burning liquid inside the cauldron. She could hear Mother's screams in her mind, feel her growing agony.

And Amy laughed.

When the last of the statue had melt, seven flames came out of the Cauldron, dancing around Amy's laughing figure before finally engraving themselves into her right hand.

No one saw the man enter Faith Wilkins' room. No one cared enough to pay attention.

Wesley Windham Pryce watched his Slayer's peaceful sleep, and smiled. Soon she would have to wake up, and embrace her true destiny.

He looked at his right hand, at the glowing flames in his palm. He had been on his way to meet the Council when he had the first dream, when his destiny was made clear. Sure, the Council hadn't been thrilled...

But the Council hadn't much to say in the matter anymore. Not in the subject of the End, or in any other.

Wesley had took care of it.

"The time of the choice will be here soon." A female voice said behind him, and he turned around, to find nothing. "I'm sure the chosen will make the right one."

"And the Shinken?" Wesley was not surprised. His dreams, his more explicit dreams, had prepared him for this encounter.

"In a safe place." The bodiless voice laughed. "I've found the others. You were the last one to arrive."

"We should meet with them." Wesley agreed, feeling a soft caress in her cheek. "But I'd like to wait until the choice is made."

"I like you." The voice finished, and the Watcher found himself pulled into a deep, insistent kiss.

Tara woke up, sweating.

It was the first time in almost ten years since she had had such a terrible nightmare.

Since the death of her grandmother, who had taught her all she knew about magic. Since she had dreamed of the choice.

She left her bed, and dressed hurriedly. Despite all her wishes that the End wouldn't come in her lifetime, that she would only have to pass the terrible burden to her daughter because she was sure that just like everyone in her family, she would only had daughters- and live a long life. But when she had meet Willow Rosenberg, she had seen her dreams and hopes destroyed.

Especially when she saw the tattoo.

She kneeled down in front of her chest, the one from where she had drawn many things to make spells at Willow's side, feeling her heart soar with happiness, but this time she didn't stop in those memories. She simply took everything away, and opened the fake bottom, to take out a small mirror, carved in the shape of a white dragon. As the keeper of the mirror, the guardian of the message, the day to carry her duty had finally come.

Giles opened the door of his house, not really surprised to see Ethan in the threshold.

"I should had known." The ex-Watcher commented dryly, moving aside to let the warlock in. "You had to be one of them."

"Of _them_?" Ethan joked, pointing at Giles' gloves in such a way that the glowing stars on his left hand were clearly seen. "Or of _us_, Ripper?"

"Just because I am destined to be one of the demons, doesn't mean I am thrilled." Giles took off his gloves, since there was no point in hiding them as long as Willow of Buffy didn't come. "How did you know I was one?"

"Those involved in the end will gather together." The follower of chaos answered, winking enigmatically. "One of our fellow demons had a dream, made a prophecy, 'Seven Stars; three vampires, a demon, two warlocks.'"

"And you thought of me?" In Giles' question, Ethan could hear a little of Ripper. The part of Ripper that didn't just want to break every single bone of his body. "How flattering."

"You know we're running out of time. Buffy is about to make the choice."

"And? Our role is very defined, even if you hate to admit it." The older man slumped in his coach, taking of his glasses. "If she chooses the demons, we fight to protect her. If she chooses the angels, she'll kill us. There's no way out."

"'A mirror, two shinken. A grinning man, a soldier.'" Ethan quoted again, as he walked to Giles' refrigerator to get a beer.

"What was that?"

"The last part of the dream, old friend." The younger warlock smiled, as Ripper turned to look at him. "Think of it: The demons and the angels are only six. The Seventh place is for the one with the choice. But in the final battle, there are Seven Angels _and_ Seven Demons... The mirror..."

"... Means that there's another Seventh!" Giles answered, opening his eyes with excitement. "One whose place will be defined by the choice of the other... Which means that there _are_ two Shinken!!"

"Rupert..." Jenny Calendar's voice filled the room, and both Warlocks turned to see a strange, translucid image of Jenny Calendar. "I need you... Please... Come for me... Take me away... Hide me..."

The Witch watched silently the Harris' house.

She knew that two demons were hiding there. She knew one of them was part of the Seven.

And that sooner or later, the chosen one would come.

She was ready for the choice.

Taking Jenny away from the hospital was easy for the two warlocks. She was awake when they arrived, but very weak. She had only kissed Giles' cheek before begging to be taken to the watcher's house.

Once there, Jenny tried to stand, and when Giles attempted to help her, she shook her head, sadly.

"We don't have anymore time, dear Rupert." She whispered. "...The end is coming... The time for the choice is here..."

Anya was trembling in Xander's arms. She had had another dream, another nightmare, and no matter how much Xander insisted, she refused to talk about it.

"Just kiss me..." She had begged.

Spike left for the bathroom then, allowing them some privacy.

Still, Xander wanted to know what was wrong. He had kissed her gently, softly, like he had never done before. He had hugged her comforting, just trying to make her feel safe.

And feeling guilty in the process. Her dreams, or at least the ones she had told him about, mirrored the ones that Jesse had had. Xander hadn't listened to Jesse's fears then...

He had killed Jesse...

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden black out.

Buffy stopped in her way to the Harris house, trying to center her raging thoughts.

She had been talking to Willow, when her friend had told her the way to recognize a Demon or an Angel... When she had told her of her suspicions on who the demons could be...

Demons who had hurt her friends, who had tried to kill her once and again.

Who had the power to warp reality with a word.

Two of her 'allies' fit those descriptions... both of them under the protection of the one who had betrayed her once.

Buffy was still not ready to make a choice. Something in the back of her mind, a little part of herself which had the voice of her mother, kept telling her that she should wait, gather more facts... maybe even talk to Giles without Willow present.

But foremost, she wanted to find her mother's killers.

And no one was going to stand in the way.

The end