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buffyfic Digest       Saturday, August 30 1997       Volume 01 : Number 020



In this issue:

    BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5/11
    BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  5C/11
    BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5B/11
    BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5D/11
    BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 6/11

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the buffyfic
or buffyfic-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:52:00 -0400
From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5/11

Sealed with a Kiss          5/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER: see part one

Part Five

The catacombs beneath the city of Sunnydale predated the access
tunnels the city council had implemented in the 1940's. Roughly
hewn, natural structures, they bore the markings of the neolithic
cultures that had dwelled in the region so long ago. Formerly
surface caves, the walls were rich in paintings, carvings and natural
minerals. Carefully carved arches linked the series of caves forming
tunnels, and the tunnels led down into the earth, straight to the
mouth of hell.

Angel had descended into the surface tunnel as morning had first
approached. Advising Giles that he would meet them at the
entrance to the catacombs, the vampire scouted ahead for hidden
traps. Now, leaning casually against a wall, Angel smiled to see the
Slayer and her friends approaching.

"You made good time!" He greeted them.

Buffy restrained the urge to throw herself at him for a hug. No
matter how much she wanted it, it was wrong. He was a vampire,
she was the Slayer. A match truly made in Hell. "You left a good
trail!" she forced herself to say cheerfully.

Xander rolled his eyes melodramatically. Shaking his head
dismally, he wandered over to study one of the wall frescoes.
Depicting a blue pillar, with a group of people forming a circle
around it, monsters seemed to be climb out of the thick blue line.

Hearing a soft shuffle beside him, he tilted his head to the side and
saw Willow. Flashing him a quick smile, she too looked at the wall
paintings. Her entire outlook and health seemed to have been
restored with two good nights of sleep. The puffiness beneath her
eyes was gone, and she seemed to be back to the quiet, but alert girl
he'd always known.

Xander wasn't ashamed of how relieved he felt. At the height of her
apathy, Xander's worst imaginings seemed to be coming true.
Losing Willow's friendship would have destroyed him. Sure, he
loved Buffy, but Willow truly was his best friend. There wasn't
anything he couldn't tell her.

"These are kinda creepy," she murmured looking around the wall
more.

Xander followed her gaze. Monsters and demons everywhere eating
people were the images surrounding the central images of the pillar.
"What do think this is? A message or just really bad impressionist
art work?"

Willow reached up with a slender finger to stroke the blue line. "I
think this is supposed to represent the Seal. And those," She made a
sweeping gesture to the monsters and like, "Are the creatures of the
Hellmouth."

Xander was silent for a moment, studying the pictures again. "I
hope the Hellmouth never has the chance to open, then." He said
finally, his eyes resting on a particularly gruesome monster.

"Amen, to that." Willow whispered softly, again, her eyes drawn to
the blue pillar. Moving a step closer, she peered at it as if a clue
would jump out at her. Xander stood behind her, still shining the
flashlight on the wall with one hand. The other hand came up to
rest on her shoulder.

"We should get going." He gave her shoulder a light shake, jarring
her from her fascination. She nodded, turning to rejoin the others,
but Xander stopped her. "I...Willow....the next time you're having
problems, I don't care if it's a hangnail, please don't hide it? You
scared me so much, and..." He paused, searching for whatever he
wanted to say. Meeting her eyes again, he smile wryly, "Hell, just
don't leave me? Okay? Your friendship is the most important thing
in my life. I mean that."

Willow smiled, unaccountably feeling tears in her eyes. It wasn't a
declaration of love, but it was a display of affection. Reaching up
she gave him a quick hug. "I won't leave. And your friendship is
special to me too."

Xander suddenly smiled his normal bright carefree grin. "Good.
Now forget all that sentimental stuff. I'd hate to have my reputation
ruined."

Willow laughed, punching him lightly in the stomach. "What
reputation? The one you WISHED you had?"

"Hey! I have a cool reputation!" Xander protested, leading her away
from the wall, and back to where the others were clustered.

Willow shook her head sadly, "Cool? Xander, be serious. Since
when was being classified as a 'looser' cool? --Cordelia's words, not
mine, you understand."

Xander lips curved into a evil little grin, "Look who's talking,
Science nerd."

"Yeah. So. Your point?" Willow sniffed. Buffy stared at them like
they had just snapped, so Willow winked at her. The Slayer relaxed
visibly.

Giles loudly cleared his throat. "If you two are finished playing?"
The Watcher cast a "Why me" upwards, before tossing Buffy an
irritated look. It was her fault he was here. What need would the
Slayer have for her Watcher right now? Instant research?
Repressing the urge to sigh, he gave Angle the nod to go ahead.

The vampire straightened. "Earlier today I discovered a direct route
to the Seal. I originally thought it was on the same level as the
Master's prison, but apparently not. It's below that. The passageway
to the Seal is guarded with traps..so, it'll be dangerous."

Ms. Calendar frowned, "What kind of traps? And how do you know
there ARE traps?" She tossed Giles a concerned look. They were
the only two adults present, excluding Angel. The teenagers safety
was ultimately their responsibility, and Samantha Calendar didn't
like the thought that they were blatantly marching into a dangerous
situation.

Angel shrugged, and swept his arm back, indicating the walls
around them. "Someone wrote on these walls, in Gaelic, Latin, and
a few languages that remind me of Linear A. They're warnings for
the average traveler." Walking towards one ornate archway, he let
his hand sweep down a carved column. "These structures were once
very accessible, and the Guardian who protected the Seal didn't
want to endanger the average individual. I think he or she instituted
protections and traps to keep people away from the Seal."

Buffy walked in a slow small circle, studying the walls around her.
"Can you identify the traps before we hit them?"

Angel nodded once, curtly. Buffy stared at him unblinkingly for a
long moment before she nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's do this."

One by one, they entered the passageway leading into the oldest
parts of the Catacombs. The width of the tunnels was meant for
only a single individual. Xander went behind Willow, not for any
reasons of cowardice or reluctance, but to provide his friend with
reassurance, should she need it.

As Giles disappeared into the tunnel, Willow inhaled deeply, and
took that final step. The darkness broken only by random flashes of
light, threatened self composure. Feeling her calm dissipating,
Willow threw her thoughts back to the library, and Giles' nearly
comedic rush to get out of there.

Originally, they were first going home, having dinner, and then
going out to save the world. And as Willow had walked into the
library after classes finished for the day, that plan had still stood.

The doors to the library were slightly ajar when she wandered in.
Much to her bemusement, Giles was practically racing through the
library, gathering up as many books as he could, and stashing them
in various hiding spots. It took him quite a few minutes to even see
Willow there.

"Willow!" The Watcher stopped for a fraction of a moment. "Good!
Help me hide anything the superintendent might find..." He
floundered for a word.

"Suspicious?" Willow offered with a wide-eyed innocent smile.

Giles grimaced. "Yes."

"Why is the superintendent going to find anything suspicious?"
Willow asked as she wheeled the book-truck to the central table.
Methodically picking up the books not normally on every
highschool bookshelves, she neatly stacked them onto the cart.

The librarian shoved a memo onto the table, a sign of his
aggravation that he would show a student such a document.
Reading it, she barely managed to prevent a gasp, but still
unwittingly murmured "Oh, my..."

"Quite." Giles said tersely. He grabbed the book-truck, preparing to
wheel it into his office.

Willow bit her lower lip, "Uh. Mr. Giles? Won't they be going into
the office? For the paperwork on your orders, and stuff?"

Giles froze. He had cases, upon cases of books that the
Superintendent would frown upon. And it wasn't like he could
relocate them all within the next forty-five minutes.

Buffy, of course, bounced into the library, Xander following like a
faithful puppy. Sliding up beside the diminutive hacker, Buffy
looked around enquiringly before turning to Willow, an elegant
eyebrow raised. Willow slid the memo along the table to her.

"Oh, my.." Buffy gasped. She passed the same letter to Xander.

"Oh boy!"

"Umm. Giles? How many, uh..special edition volumes do you
own?" Willow asked, her mind working as fast as was reasonably
possible.

The librarian reappeared from the recesses of his office. "I really
have no idea, perhaps four hundred or so.." He disappeared again,
another bundle of books in his arms.

"Ooookay. So, isn't it conceivable that those are books from your
own private collection?" Willow nearly shouted.

Buffy looked at her, a small smile on her face. "You've got an
idea!"

Willow smiled widely for a flash of a moment, removing the smile
as soon as Giles returned.

"Conceivable, yes..but there's a lot of single-edition books in that
collection, I don't see.."

Willow walked right up to the librarian, "No, no. Think about it
from the American perspective. You're British. You've got some
strange different ways, you used to be assistant Curator at a very
prestigious museum...of course you'd have some weird things!"

Giles favoured her with a dry, "Thank you."

"No problem." Willow said eagerly, "So, if we tuck all the
incriminating books into those nice lockable bookcases in your
office, and leave a note on each case with something like...'don't
touch, private property of Mr. R. Giles, Assisstant Curator, British
Museum'..wouldn't that lead the superintendant to believe that
they're all yours..privately?"

- ---------------------------Continued in 5B/11---------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:52:18 -0400
From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  5C/11

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 5C/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

Smiling softly, Willow found herself relaxing. She eyed Xander out
of the corner of her eye, taking pleasure in the small smile of
delight on his face.

Behind them, Willow could hear the soft murmers of Ms. Calander
and Giles, discussing the Seal, and Ms. Calander's role in it.
"....willpower,"Ms. Calendar was saying quietly, "A concentration
of the fields and energies around, and the willpower to just
maintain it, absorb any attacks or inconsistencies..."

"Willpower, " Willow thought quietly, feeling better to know
something so simple could be so fundamental. Letting her mind
debate the subject Willow's mind drifted out of conscious
awareness.

A sudden screeching roar brought her back sharply, as did Buffy's
suddenly shouted, "Holy SHIT!"

Angel pushed through them to Buffy, moving as fast as his vampiric
speed would let him, openly vamped out. Xander grabbed Willow's
arm, pushing her behind him, to Giles. In turn, Giles pulled Willow
behind him, despite her struggles to the contrary.

And suddenly, she stopped struggling as they saw what Buffy was
fighting with all the strength the Slayer possessed. It was huge,
perhaps forty feet in length, and so ugly....it was also straight out of
Willow's nightmares.

A snake-like reptile, it had dozens of legs allowing it move with
incredible speed and grace. Fluidly dodging Buffy's strikes, it
attempted it's own, it's head easily the size of two full grown human
males, and closely resembling a crocodile. It snapped it's head
down, jaws fully extended, trying to devour Buffy or Angel whole.

"Buffy!" Giles shouted, "That is a Beithir, a demon snake! It might
be able to discharge lightening bolts!"

The ozone smell hadn't fully disappaited as Giles finished speaking.
"No, I was wrong, it CAN discharge lightening bolts." Giles
muttered, as he pulled the two remaining teenagers out of the way.

Willow just stared in horror. This was a nightmare coming to pass.
Buffy dodged aside a ferocious attack, spinning round with a round-
house kick into the side of it's head. A flick of her wrist dropped a
stake from the sleeve of her jacket into the confident grip of her
hand. A quick feint under, and a quicker signal to Angel, and Buffy
rammed the stake into where she instinctively knew it's heart would
be.

The stake snapped like a twig against the glistening scales on the
monster's belly, and the rippling undulation it made as Buffy struck
tossed Buffy into a wall. Sliding down, the Slayer remained
motionless for a moment, and yet the serpent never went after her.
Instead it scanned the others in the far corner and began to move
towards them, ignoring Angel's assault.

Shakily, Buffy stood up. Nursing her arm, and feeling the sticky
sensation of blood, she rolled her head, feeling the *click-snap* of
her joints getting realigned properly. She frowned at the creature,
pulling out another stake. "I should have brought a spear, or the
crossbow."

Seeing the Beithir launch itself at the others, Buffy levelled the
stake like a javelin, throwing it with all her might. It hit the
creatures head and eye. It roared back, bellowing an enraged
screech, and discharged a flash of lightening, right at Giles, and the
others.

Xander had been facing the creature at the time, and saw the initial
discharge, grabbing Willow, he practically threw her across the
floor, before running after her. But the flash of lightening blinded
him..and instead he stood lost, unseeing and helpless for a
disorienting moment.

Willow screamed, seeing the glazed look in Xander's face.
Wrenching herself out of Gile's grip, she ran towards her friend,
seizing his arm. If she had stopped to consider her actions, she
would have been petrified. Instead, she just reacted.

Turning, pulling Xander behind, she came face to face with the
Beithir. It opened it's huge maw showing all those rows of sharp,
wickedly curved teeth and moved forward quickly.

Buffy's call alerted Willow, and amazingly, she caught the stake
Buffy threw to her, and daringly jammed it into the creatures fleshy
jaw. Again, it's head snapped up in pain, and it prepared to level
another bolt of electrical lightening. Grabbing Xander again,
Willow pushed him with all her might away, and then pulled out
the crystal he had put in her pocket. Praying that the image her
mind had seen was a sign, she thrust the stone up as the creature
loosed it's blast. Willow cried out, feeling the heat on her hand, and
around her, she could hear Buffy's shrill horrified scream.

The crystal pulsed to life as the lightening hit, casting the power of
the strike away and at the ceiling. A loud crack-boom echoed
through the chamber, and the Beithir's head suddenly slumped
lifelessly to the floor. Its unholy existence ended by a long sharp
deadly stalactite which had pierced great body, right though where
the heart should have been.

Shaking, Willow tottered backwards, away from the grisly head,
falling over it's long tail end. Giles and Ms. Calendar quickly pulled
her away, Ms. Calendar's arm wrapped comfortingly around the
terrified girl's shoulder, and Giles examining her hand holding it
gently at the wrist.

Xander sat quietly against a wall, only now beginning to discern
rough shapes. The initial blindness had been a confining cut-off
from a sense he had come to depend on. If Willow hadn't dared so
much for him....

Buffy carefully walked around the demon, frowning as she
examined the crystal stake that had killed it. Joining the two adults,
she carefully hugged Willow, careful not to jar the wounded hand.
"You're okay, you did good.." Buffy crooned softly to the frightened
girl.

Willow was by nature shy, quiet and demure, but her loyality and
love for her friends were unquestioning. Buffy wasn't surprised by
Willow's near sacrifice for Xander, she was, though, by Willow's
survival. The nearness that her friend had come to dying...Buffy
shied away from the mental image.

Pulling back, Buffy watched as Giles pulled out a flask of water.
Pouring some of it on Willows reddened and tender flesh, he
maintained his firm grip, as she flinched and cried out softly.

"Here," Angel spoke from behind Buffy. Turning to face him, he
held out the shirt he had been wearing over his black t-shirt. Buffy
understood immediately, and swiftly ripped the shirt into long
strips.

Giles soaked one strip in water, and wrapped it around Willow's
hand, before covering that with a dry strip. "The skin isn't broken,
but it is burned. This really isn't the best way to treat it, but it'll
sooth the irritation for awhile." He fixed Willow with a stern look,
"If it feels any worse, or you loose feeling in the hand, I want to
know right away, understood?"

Sniffing and wiping her eyes with her free hand, Willow gave an
unsteady nod. "Okay." Behind her, Xander shuffled up, sliding on
his back end since he didn't trust his sense of direction entirely on
his feet yet. His hands came up to comfortably curl around her
shoulders.

Twisting slightly, she looked straight at his eyes. "Are you okay?"
She asked, forcing the tremor out of her voice. No matter what,
Xander was alive, and that in and of itself was a good thing. He
wasn't being eaten alive like her nightmare said he would.

Xander leaned forward, carefully and lightly kissing her on the
forehead. "Thank you, Willow." He grinned openly at her blush.
"Everythings a little hazy, like I'm looking through a fog, but it's
getting better every second."

Buffy waited until after Giles finished with Willow before showing
him the jagged cut on her arm. Her Watcher grumbled something
about not being a medic, but wiped down the cut and wrapping a
third strip of Angel's shirt along the serpentine cut. Slowly, Buffy
worked the muscle in the arm, hissing once or twice when it stung
too much.

They rested there for a little while, before Willow pulled herself
carefully to her feet, cautiously avoiding putting any weight or
contact onto her burned hand. The crystal was lying where Willow
had previously stood, and she made no move to fetch it. Seeing this,
Angel darted over the Beithir's corpse, and pocketed the clear stone
in his jeans, careful to keep Willow froom seeing him.

Buffy and Willow flanked Xander, and the three walked together,
supporting one another as they carried on. Now, guarding against
any possible trap, each and every member of the party scrutinized
their surrounding.

They made steady if slow progress through the catacombs, stopping
twice to rince and change the bandages on Willow's hand. Angel
had assumed the advance position, a few paces ahead of Buffy and
her friends. Giles walked a few paces behind them all, listening
carefully for sounds coming up behind them.

A final pass brought a huge pair of bronzed doors into view. Ornate,
and embossed with detailed images they stood easily fifteen feet
high. Two round disks were engraved into the centre of each door,
fancy symbols etched around the outside of the disks.

Ms. Calendar stepped towards the doors, squinting upwards. "Can
you all shine your flashlights at the centre of this door?" She asked.
Three beams of light coalesced into a radiant source illuminating
the markings clearly. "Those must represent the Seal, they're
protective symbols."

Buffy walked up beside the teacher, "So the Seal is behind those
doors?"

Giles joined them, reading what symbols and signs he could. "Yes. I
believe so. We have backtracked to roughly the same distance to
the library, so..."

"So, all we have to do is get in," Xander finished. "Anybody bring
the key?"

Buffy smiled widely, forming a fist, she raised her arm partially,
"Got it right here with me!" Giles and Ms. Calendar stepped back a
few paces, allowing the Slayer plenty of room. Buffy drew her arm
back, and swung forward placing a great deal of force into the
swing.

The sound was akin to that of gongs, as her first strike hit the centre
of one door. Something cracked and gave, and the door partially
shifted back. Buffy looked at Angel, jerking her chin. Together they
rammed their shoulders into the door, and it swung open.

Dust and small sprays of stone rained down on them as they walked
in. Ms. Calendar and Giles entering last.

"There!" Ms. Calendar exclaimed, spotting the flat disk. It glowed
with small flames of power, resembling the fires inside a gas
furnace. Bright blue flames darted around the surface, warm,
inviting. A clear aura casted upwards from those flames, slightly
blue in color.

"That's it," Angel agreed tersely. He seemed incredibly
uncomfortable.

"Angel?" He turned away quickly from the Seal, moving to their
furthest point away from it.

"Sorry, it's painful to me, kind of like the presence of a cross." He
muttered, keeping his vision firmly away from the Seal itself. It was
like his skin was itching with a million small insect bites.

Buffy cast a worried glance at the Seal, then at him. "It can't hurt
you...can it?"

"No, but it can make me very uncomfortable." He reassured her.
The others of their group approached the two. "Do we know what
we are doing, yet?"

"From the look of the Seal, I would hazzard a guess, that someone
will have to 'hold' the Seal, while the rest of us find what's
preventing it from doing it's work."

- -------------------Continued in 5D/11----------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:52:09 -0400
From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5B/11

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 5b/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"No problem." Willow said eagerly, "So, if we tuck all the
incriminating books into those nice lockable bookcases in your
office, and leave a note on each case with something like...'don't
touch, private property of Mr. R. Giles, Assisstant Curator, British
Museum'..wouldn't that lead the superintendant to believe that
they're all yours..privately?"

Giles blinked twice. "That... I...." He floundered for a moment,
blinking owlishly again.

"What he means to say, Willow, is that is the most simplistically
devious idea he's heard all day!" Buffy filled in for him.

Xander tossed his bag onto the table "But Giles is still stuck here
for the meeting tonight." Lazily Xander hooked a chair with an
ankle, swinging it around so that he could straddle it. His chin
rested on the high chair back.

Buffy frowned at Xander, and then Giles. "He's right. How are we
going to get you out of that?" Buffy paced back and forward,
Xander's head bobbing as he followed her movements.

"How about a doctor's certificate?" Willow offered helpfully.

"That would have worked, yes.." Buffy mused, "But we don't have
time to get one. Besides, what reason would Giles give for needing
one?"

Willow coughed discretely, "I didn't mean a 'real' one."

Giles looked at the Slayer, and then at Willow. "I'm going to go
shelve those books, lock those cabinets, and put up some notes. If a
doctor's certificate appears before I get back, I do NOT want to
know how it got there."

The two girls smiled sweetly.

Twenty minutes later, they were out of the school. Ms. Calendar
almost had whiplash they swept her up so fast. The girls had gone
with Ms. Calendar, making pit-stops at their homes for changes of
clothes, and to dole out excuses to parents. The two men did
whatever men do before saving the world.

"At least they remembered to get flashlights, " Willow mused, as
the beam from Xander's flashlight hit the wall ahead of them.

"I'm out!" Buffy's shout drifted back. The relief was indescrible.
Willow had never thought she was claustraphobic, but after a walk
in that tunnel...she could understand how people could become so
paralyzed by confined spaces.

Walking into a wider, but equally dark antichamber, Willow
studied the walls revealled by the flashlights. The carvings were so
complex, and detailed. It was amazing.

A massive archway lined the southern exposed wall. A huge
sweeping cornice moulding at the top, flowing down with detailed
lintels. Wandering over to it, Willow slid a hand along the side
grooves, marvelling at the handiwork.

Unlike the previous room they had been in, these walls were not
painted with scenes of horror. Rather, they reminded Willow of the
reconstructed images of Grecian temples.

Around her, the other's spread out to walk the room in a circuit,
admiring the grace and splendor of such intricate work.
"Astonishing," Giles murmured. Ms. Calendar made a small soft
sound of agreement.

Willow smiled, catching the wonder on all their faces. Turning
around her eyes were caught by a small alter worked into a wall. It
reminded her of the niche in a church, where an imaged of the
Madonna would reside, a small bench beneath for petitioners to
pray at.

Walking slowly over to it, she studied the empty space above the
alter. Her hands lightly touched the altar, instinctively running
along the edges of the stone structure. Slipping her index finger
along the underside, she felt the hidden button and froze. Memory
flashed, and she knew instinctively that by triggering that button, a
panel would open behind the empty niche.

Backing away, she bumped into Xander. "What'ya find?" He asked,
boldy stepping up to the altar. He imitated Willow's actions and
quickly found the button.

"Xander...don't!" Willow hissed, mind full of Angel's dire warnings
of traps. But Xander tripped the switch anyway.

They both jumped back, Xander instinctively hiding behind
Willow, cringing as the panel slid open with a grating sound of
ancient mechanisms turning. He peaked over her shoulder.

"You do realize, that you're hiding behind a little teeny girl, don't
you?" Willow asked acerbically, annoyed that Xander would be so
uncautious.

"I'm not hiding!" Xander argued.

"Oh, forgive me...you're protecting me from behind."

Willow stepped back up to the altar to peer inside. A little pedestal
base lay inside the niche, and on it two things, a scroll, and a clear
crystal. Frowning, she reached her hand in, but memory again
struck.

*Xander's eyes, the warm brown overlayed by a blind white.
Herself, holding the crystal high. A flash of lightening...*

Her hand jerked back, instead she turned, elbowing Xander away,
and called for Giles.

The Watcher hurried over, Buffy, Angel and Ms. Calendar in tow.
Reaching into the niche, he gently pulled out the scroll, unrolling it
with the most care, all the while muttering.

Buffy scooped the stone out of the crevice, eyeing it for a moment
before giving it to Xander. "See, Xander..you've found a pretty
rock."

"I don't want it. 'Sides, Willow's really the one who found it."

"I didn't open that panel..you did." Willow protested, more
interested in what Giles was finding. The Watcher had given Ms.
Calendar his flashlight, and she was shining it down onto the
document.

"Iloeur y'ieuaric...." He muttered, frowning deeply, his brow
furrowed in concentration.

"Young moon." Angel offered helpfully.

Giles shot him a blank look. "You know gaelic?"

Angel shrugged, "Actually, I think that was Welsh." He walked
behind Giles, peering down at the document in the Watcher's hands.
"That's a prophecy!"

"Yes. But, I'm not sure if I'm translating it right." Giles grumbled.

"Try, Giles. Just try." Buffy suggested. The others all nodded their
agreement. "Even if you get a wrong word or two, the gist of the
idea wills till be there!"

Giles didn't look pleased, but read slowly aloud,

"Lo and Behold, the Seal shall Shudder and Power Leaks,
A dark One Rises whilst the Guardian doth sleep,
The Mare wakes the young Moon's strength
Two to right all that lies wrong at any length

Guardian Sun does the Moon soon replace
The blue stone guards, the Tri make haste
Demon assassin, the blinding light,
Be the Maiden devoured, lost is the fight

The Crone shall pass her burden to the Maiden,
A Power once claimed, a World not forsaken.
Amulet imprisons, the Power will heal
Let not the Guardian forget Her Seal

Fair ones awaken, a revenent revives
The young one is taken, to test Her ire
A Soul-taker destroyed, the sight is empowered
Now three in strength, nigh comes true Power"

Giles finished, and the room remained quiet for a moment. Buffy
sighed heartily, "Well, that was delightfully cryptic. How come it
rhymes in English if it's written in another language?"

Giles frowned again at the document, "I really don't know. I also
don't know how such a document could survive so long down here.
It should have crumbled into dust centuries ago."

Angel grunted. "Unless it was specifically created for us to find.
They would have chosen words for us." He stalked back to the
niche, examining it closely.

Buffy watched him quietly, before turning to Giles. "So, any ideas
on what it means?"

Giles frowned, "Not at this point. I can make some guesses, but..."
He looked at the paper again, "The Guardian's are changing, and the
Seal is in danger, that's clear. I can even speculate that the young
Moon means a female guardian, and the Sun a male."

Willow seemed agitated again, "But what about the Tri, and the
Demon Assassin...why would a prophecy been left for us to find if
it didn't apply to us?"

Giles seemed so weary, "I truly do not know, Willow. It pains me to
admit that, but I don't."

Buffy gave him a reassuring smile, "We'll just take this a step at a
time." She pulled herself together, and moved off to the southern
archway. "I suggest we get moving, the day isn't getting any
younger."

Xander dropped the stone into Willow's pocket, despite her protest,
and moved up to join Buffy. Rolling her shoulders to dispel the
tension, Willow jogged across the room to join her friends. "After
you, Buffy." Willow smiled.

"Gee, thanks..throw me to the wolves..and you, my best friend!"
Buffy sniffed melodramatically. She grinned tightly, before turning
and walking through. "What's the worst that could happen, after
all?" Her voice echoed back at them.

Xander looked at Willow with a "she had to ask that?" expression,
before they walked after Buffy. Behind them were Ms. Calendar
and Giles, and Angel brought up the rear.

This passageway was considerably wider. Easily the distance of a
residental street, the walls were bare, water trickling down on some
surfaces, other's just dry stone. There was a natural fluroescent light
source from some of the lichen and stones, making their visibility
easier. Looking up, Willow could see stalactite's hanging down, the
long elegant crystals of calcite reflecting the luminescent lite of the
growths below. All in all, it was quite beautiful. *Be nice for a
romantic walk* Willow thought irrationally, *If I had someone to
go for a romantic walk with, that is.*

Smiling softly, Willow found herself relaxing. She eyed Xander out
of the corner of her eye, taking pleasure in the small smile of
delight on his face.

- ----------------Continued in 5C/11-----------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:52:25 -0400
From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5D/11

Sealed with a Kiss     5D/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"From the look of the Seal, I would hazzard a guess, that someone
will have to 'hold' the Seal, while the rest of us find what's
preventing it from doing it's work."

Leaning against the wall, to Angel's right, Ms. Calendar nodded in
agreement. "And I'm the someone to hold our Seal. I'm ready to do
it."

"Okay, so you protect the Seal, and we'll go find our interloper?"
Buffy suggested to the group at large. Glances were exchanged
around, and a general concent sounded.

Ms. Calendar straightened, "If you don't mind, could someone stay
here with me? I may need help, after I finish with the Seal."

Buffy gave Giles a long look, before turning to Willow. "Would you
mind staying, Willow? I think you've had enough of a scare, and
your hand is still sore... I don't want to endanger you any further."

Xander's hand came up again to her shoulder, squeezing lightly in
support.

Willow stared a her shoes for a bit, noticing the demons blood on
the white leather for the first time. Feeling panicked, she met
Buffy's concerned gaze, "I'll stay."

Buffy nodded briskly, moving quickly back to the doorway, and her
bag tucked just outside, Ms. Calendar a step behind. The two
women scooped up the bags, and walked back inside, Buffy
absently testing the doors hinges to see if it could safely be shut
when the rest of them left.

As she tugged softly at the door, more loose stones fell down, but
this time, the top corner of the door pulled away from it's wall
anchor, rupturing the sill and stone above the sill.

Willow watched, almost as if in slow motion as the rock slid away
from the wall. It was huge, and falling fast. She opened her mouth
to call out to Ms. Calendar...but too late.

Running, Willow narrowly caught Ms. Calendar before her head
slammed against the stone floor. The gash on her forehead was long
and messy...and the woman herself completely unconscious.

**********************end part 5*************************

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:52:37 -0400
From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 6/11

Sealed with a Kiss     Part 6/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER:These characters listed below belong to Joss
Whedon, WB and co. No infringement is intended. The characters
of Cai and Carmilla belong to me!

Part 6

Willow rested Ms. Calendar's head in her lap, the others clustered
around. Buffy kneeled down beside the young hacker, picking up
Ms. Calendar's hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...oh God...it's my
fault!" The Slayer whispered repeatedly.

Angel gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, crouching low
beside her. Willow couldn't hear what he was saying to her, but he
led her away from the hurt teacher, speaking in a steady soft voice.

A scrap of cloth was passed to her, soaked in Giles' ever present
water bottle. Willow wiped the blood away, then used the cloth as a
compact to stop further bleeding. Probing around the hurt area for
any sign of extensive damage, and then gently checking Ms.
Calendar's neck. "I don't think anything is broken..but.."

Buffy still looked close to tears, shouldering the blame for this
accident entirely upon herself. "What are we going to do? We
needed Ms. Calendar..and because of me, now she can't protect the
Seal!" Her voice bordered on hysterical, surprising everyone in the
room. Buffy always seemed so self-composed and calm.

Willow sighed heavily, closing her eyes in attempt to find inner
peace. From the moment she saw the falling rock, Willow knew
Ms. Calendar was going to be hurt. She knew Ms. Calendar
wouldn't be able to work with the Seal. Just like that horrible snake
monster, it was a repeated part of her nightmares.

Only, now, Willow wasn't sure that those nightly episodes of pure
terror were nightmares. Four aspects of those nightmares had
already happened, albeit, the end result of one was different. The
stone hidden in the niche, the cut on Buffy's arm, the monster that
Giles called a Beithir, and Ms. Calendar was hurt. If these
nightmares were true to form...the Seal would rupture soon and
thousands of demons would pour forth.

A cold shiver went down her spine. Willow opened her eyes again,
and looked at Giles. The Watcher was upset, but hiding it well in
deference to his Slayer. Buffy's hysterics were probably more
unnerving for him than for everyone else present.

"Buffy, this was meant to happen, I'm afraid. I'm just not sure what
happens next." Giles began soothingly.

"Meant to happen? How is someone getting hurt because of ME
meant to happen?" Buffy exploded. She shook off Angel's
restraining hand and stalked over to Giles.

Giles didn't move, he simply stood very firm. "What I mean is that
the prophecy had a line in it: 'The Crone shall pass her burden to the
Maiden', and I'm afraid it meant Ms. Calendar as the Crone."

"Oh, that'll go over well when _she_ hears that!" Xander muttered
quietly. The gangly slayerette stood a few feet away from Giles,
watching Buffy's tirade with stunned eyes.

Buffy seemed to mull Giles words over. "Fine. So the burden was
the job of watching the Seal?" At Giles nod, Buffy frowned. "Okay.
Then I'll do it. I'm a maiden. I'll protect the Seal, since I'm the one
that KO'D Ms. Calendar, it should be my responsibility to fix
things." She crossed her arms, and set her jaw firmly.

"No." Giles said simply. It was to his credit that he didn't cringe
from the furious look the Slayer gave him. "You can't protect the
Seal. You are needed to fight whatever individual is attacking the
Seal."

Buffy shrugged, fully intending to pass that burden onto Angel. Half
turned towards the vampire, she gestured to him with a dismissive
wave.

"I can't do it alone." Angel spoke before Buffy could. "And no, as
helpful as Xander, Giles and Willow are, they don't have your
strength. They can't make up the difference for you."

Willow watched Buffy's fist close and open in aggravation. The
muscle's in her jaw trembled, making Willow silently ache for her
pain. Buffy had such a tremendous responsibility already, there was
no way fate or destiny could ask more from her...could it?

Looking past Buffy, Willow's gaze settled onto the Seal. On first
impression, it seemed so strong, so overwhelming, but that, Willow
realized, was a human reaction to being in the presence of
something so sacred and powerful. In actual fact, as she watched
the flames flicker, it was weak. The picture in the catacombs had
shown a solid blue streak, not two differing types of blue. A deep
blue flame at the bottom, and a ghostly film of blue in a pillar.

'The Crone passes her burden to the Maiden'...if that didn't mean
Buffy. Willow's eyes snapped wide and she stared in shock at the
Seal. If it wasn't Buffy, and Ms. Calendar was the Crone...then SHE
was the one who was supposed to guard the Seal.

The idea stunned her, fascinated her, and still terrified her. All that
research in the library hadn't prepared her for this, listening to Ms.
Calendar speak to Giles hadn't taught her enough, she didn't know
how to protect the Seal, beyond willpower.

*Who am I kidding? I don't have the kind of willpower to do this!*
Willow felt her mouth go dry. "I can't do this!" She whispered to
herself.

Drawing back deep inside herself, Willow looked up, meeting
Giles' eyes for the first time. *He knows!* she realized, astonished.
There was sympathy, and confidence in that gaze, infusing Willow
with the Watcher's own secure trust in her abilities.

Willow gave a tiny shake of her head, tilting it towards Buffy.
Relief swept through her as Giles nodded his agreement. He
wouldn't say anything to the others. Shoulders slumping, Willow
looked down once more at the unconscious Ms. Calendar. Her
breathing was even, put she still wasn't stirring. That was
worrisome.

"Buffy, let's drop this for now. What are we going to do about her?"
Xander asked, pointing to Ms. Calendar. "She can't come with us
like that."

Giles walked closer to Willow and Ms. Calendar. "No. You are
quite right." Bending down, he carefully gathered Ms. Calendar into
his arms, moving to a far corner of the chamber. Passing his burden
to Angel, Giles shrugged his jacket off, folding it up into quarters.
Using that as a pillow, he reclaimed Ms. Calendar and set her down
with the utmost attention.

Riffling through one of the three backpacks, Willow found a small
rough wool blanket. Passing it to Xander, he in turn gave it to Giles.

Buffy watched none of this. Instead she stalked closer to the Seal,
glaring at it balefully. Her back was rigid, fists clenched to either
side of her body.

Giles studied her for a moment before mustering the courage to
tackle Buffy's anger. Moving purposefully, he stood to the one side
of her, attempting to make the Slayer see reason.

Willow watched their little battle. Buffy's arms swung all over the
place as they spoke more with hands than words. A small smile
twisted onto her face before she let her eyes sit on the Seal again.
Her sight became unfocused as she watched the flames dance. Deep
within a feeling rose, the urge to dance with those giddy little imps
of fire.

Breathing slowing, the fires soothed her, lulled her, enchanted
her...called her. Staring deeply into those fires, she could almost
feel the Power... Would it hurt to walk into those flames?

Above her, Xander exchanged a dark look with Angel, before
glancing down at Willow. Still kneeling, her body was partially
turned towards Buffy and Giles' little pantomime. She stared in
horrifying fascination at the glowing Seal. Moving towards her,
Xander crouched down, following her exact line of sight.

The Seal was the only 'thing' holding the Hellmouth closed. A
fragile thing of beauty it radiated it's small blue fires steadily. "Lo
and Behold, the Seal shall Shudder and Power Leaks," Xander
whispered softly. Willow jumped, startled, her body falling
backwards somewhat. Xander reached out, griping her elbow to
steady her. Unsaid, they both knew if that seal broke.... Willow
whimpered softly.

"Hey, you okay?" Xander murmured softly. Catching her wrist, he
raised her bandaged hand to inspect it. The make-shift bandages
seemed secure, and his tender probing didn't seem to cause any
discomfort. Carefully, he slipped an arm around her tiny little waist,
helping her stand, before leading her away from the others.
Willow's secrecy was getting out of hand. He knew by the little
crease on her forehead that something was bothering her, just as he
knew by the set of her mouth that she wasn't about to tell him all
about it.

But just because she wasn't _inclined_ to tell him all about it, didn't
mean he wasn't going to go fish for it.

"Why don't you tell Uncle Xander all about what's bothering you?
Hmm?" He intentionally kept a teasing note into his voice. Most
times, people didn't expect him to be serious, a perception Xander
tried very hard to maintain. It came in handy, sometimes.

Willow shook her head earnestly in negative, plastering a false
smile on her face. "I can't." She looked away from her childhood
friend, ashamed of her lack of confidence in herself.

"Why not," Xander whispered, the devil's advocate. "Don't you trust
me?" It was emotional blackmail, and Xander had no hesitation in
using it.

Willow rounded on him, fury in her eyes. "How dare you even
THINK that! I have never had any lack of trust in you! Never!"

It was a side of Willow rarely seen. She could spit fire and
brimstone as well as anyone he'd ever known, better than some, he
conceded, since she did it so rarely. "Prove it. Tell me what's going
on." It was, for their friendship, a dangerous gambit but Xander
played it anyway. He'd apologize later for doing this to her.

A silent war waged inside Willow, ending as her body slumped.
Thinking she was going to pass out on him, Xander grabbed both
her shoulders bracing her.

"It's those nightmares. Everything in those nightmares is coming
true.." She breathed it so softly Xander almost didn't hear her speak
at all.

"Tell me about them. What happened in them?" He urged in an
equally quiet voice. Buffy and Giles still raged on. Sparks should
have been flying from her swinging limbs, as the passion of her
arguments could overcome the implacable logic Giles brought to
bear against her.

"I saw Ms. Calendar's wounds, in my dreams. And of you blind,
from the lightening..and Buffy's cut. I knew that stone and that
scroll was hidden there...I knew how to use that stone... I saw all of
that in my dreams." Willow rubbed the palm of her hand across her
forehead.

"You all died." Willow continued in a flat voice.

- ------------------Continued in Part 6B/11----------------------

------------------------------

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