Were Fighting for the Crown

Were Fighting for the Crown

Buffy, Draco, and Faith were the only ones who landed upright. Willow, Giles, and Xander had landed in a puddle of limbs and luggage.

“That was fun!” Buffy said

“Let’s do it again!” Faith shared her enthusiasm.

“NO!” Giles’ voice came from under a suitcase.

Faith giggled, but her giggles were shared by a rather masculine voice also. She and Buffy whipped around and ended up in very similar fighting stances. The man just stared at both of them. “Wow.” He said, and Buffy relaxed visibly.

“Harry. Faith. Faith. Harry.”

“Nice to meet you Faith.” Faith just looked at him, sizing him up. “Yeah.”

Giles ‘ahem-ed’ and the girls turned back to him. He, Willow, and Xander had managed to untangle themselves and were righting the luggage.

“Ah. I see you made it.” Professor Dumbledore’s voice filled the house as he appeared, along with two men and Mrs. Weasley.

“Buffy.”

“Hi Molly.”

Introductions were made, and they all sat down at the coffee table. Dawn had been seated next to Professor Snape, and she kept shifting uncomfortably. Willow understood this, and had to keep stifling her giggles. She had been seated next to the other man, an older, kinder-looking man that Buffy and Faith were looking on edge about.

“As I’m sure Draco mentioned, there is a prophecy that we need your help deciphering. It has already been translated into English several times, so there is no questioning its wording. But, there are certain parts that are still unclear.”

“Well, we’d be glad to help in any way that we can,” Willow offered.

“Thank you, Miss Rosenberg.” He smiled.

“Can we see the prophecy?” Buffy and Giles were eager to begin.

“If you like. I thought you might want to get settled first.” Buffy looked around at her friends and they all answered unanimously.

“No.”

Dumbledore smiled again. “All right then.”

He pulled a piece of parchment out of his robes and laid it upon the table.

He also handed everyone their own copy. In a loud strong voice, he began to read.

‘Under the ninth of twelve, in the year of the rooster,
He who fell shall rise again.
Mortals shall fear him, demons shall envy him
And the Chosen one shall strike him down
The Dragon, the Pirate,
Her fellow sister,
The Heathen Goddess,
The Father, and the Key.
Together they will win the war.
For as long as they live in her memory,
At her hands, he will fall.
But if the Key is taken from its lock
And blood is spilled upon the Earth
Every mortal will cease to live
And the master will join his minions.
Under the ninth of twelve,
When the ground is bright under the full of the moon,
In the year of the rooster,
He who fell shall rise again.
And one alone can strike him down.
But if her key is not in her lock,
The Chosen one will fall.’

“Wow.” Remus Lupin sighed when Dumbledore finished.

“Well?” Severus Snape asked. That’s when he noticed that the newcomers (i.e. the Scoobies) had all gone silent.

“What’s wrong?” Dumbledore asked, worry in his eyes.

Buffy groaned into Draco’s shoulder. “Have I ever mentioned that I hate prophecies!?”

“Buffy?” He asked.

Instead, Willow cleared her throat and began the explanation.

“Under the ninth of twelve, in the year of the rooster, he who fell shall rise again. Mortals shall fear him, demons shall envy him and the Chosen one shall strike him down. The ninth of twelve…is September.”

“Whoa Willow. It IS September.”

“I know,” She continued. “The Chosen one…is Buffy.”

“Continue.” Dumbledore prodded.

“The Dragon, the Pirate, her fellow sister, the Heathen Goddess, the Father, and the Key.
Together they will win the war. The dragon…”

“Is me.” Draco suddenly realized. He looked at Buffy.

Willow nodded.

“The pirate…”

Xander groaned. “I knew there was a reason I hated those pirate jokes so much!” He pounded his fist into a pillow.

“Her fellow sister.”

“Well that’s an easy one.” Faith chimed in.

“It should seem obvious.” Snape said snidely. “Miss Summers only has one sister.”

Dawn opened her mouth to speak up.

“That one’s me.” Faith cut in rather forcefully. Snape started to say something but she sent him a glare so evil even he started in his seat. “Continue.” He said instead.

“The Heathen goddess.” She stopped. “I am not a heathen!” She pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“Willow.” Giles said.

“Oh right. The Father.”

“Is that God?” asked Dawn.

“Can’t be. I’m a heathen, remember?”

“Willow.”

“Geez Giles. You know, sometimes you’re just like – ” she stopped.

“Like what?” Xander asked.

Buffy spoke up. “Like her father.”

“Wow.” Lupin spoke up again.

“And the Key.” Willow looked up and bit her lip.

“Gee. I wonder who that could be. Willow? Any idea?” Willow looked at Buffy, understanding in her eyes.

“No. But we should move on.”

“For as long as they live in her memory, at her hands, he will fall. But if the Key is taken from its lock and blood is spilled upon the Earth every mortal will cease to live and the master will join his minions.”

“Crap.” Faith said.

“So basically if they kill ‘the Key’ some great lord will rise and kill us all?” Remus volunteered.

“No.” Buffy whispered. All eyes turned to her.

“If even one drop of Key blood is spilled, then I don’t have a chance.”

“So some great lord will rise and kill us all?” He pressed.

“It’s not a great lord. It’s the Master.”

“Right.”

“Not any master. The Master.”

“Good lord. And his minions-”

“Vampires.” Buffy finished Giles’ thought.

“Under the ninth of twelve, when the ground is bright under the full of the moon,
In the year of the rooster, he who fell shall rise again. And one alone can strike him down. But if her key is not in her lock, the Chosen one will fall.”

“So. We’ve got September, a full moon, the year of the rooster”

“That’s this year.”

“What?”

“Chinese Zodiac. The year of the rooster. It’s this year.”

Buffy continued. “So we’ve got a when. Is there a full moon in September?”

“The 28th” Lupin answered a bit too softly.

“Wolf.” Buffy said.

“Cool.” Faith said

“I should have recognized the scent.” Buffy whispered. He just stared at her.

“Okay. We’ve got a concrete when. Do we have a what?”

“The master shall rise.”

“Very good. Do we have a who?”

“Apparently, some Vamps will bring him back, and as long as we’re all in your memory, you’ll kill him.”

“Except for the key.” Dawn said softly.

“Exactly.” Buffy stared straight at her. “Which is why the Key will have to stay safe until this is all over. Which is why we need to protect the Key with our lives.”

“Okay.” Xander broke the tension. “We’ve got a who, a what, and a when. Who’s got a where?”

“Well that should seem obvious Xander.”

He blinked. “It should?”

“Yes. When you want to resurrect someone, you need their bones. And the Master’s bones are in…”

“Good. Old. Sunnyhell.” Xander punctuated each word.

Buffy just groaned again.