Interesting Times

      Buffy Summers was in Japan. Japan, as in the place that was bombed in World War II. Japan, as in the country that brought the world Sailor Moon, Sony Discmans, and Nintendo. She was in Japan, on the other side of the world, and taking it all amazingly in stride.
      It's all the Hellmouth's fault, Buffy thought to herself as she gave the globe on the desk a spin. It had to be all those years of living on the Hellmouth that made her immune to things like this. Only four years of slaying vampires and battling all sorts of evils -- including the SAT's and Principal Snyder -- could make a person this nonchalant about suddenly being teleported half way around the world.
      Closing her eyes, Buffy reached out and stopped the globe. Glancing down at the location of her finger, she sighed heavily. Her finger landed right about where Sunnydale would have been -- well, Sunnydale and most of southern California -- if Sunnydale had been labeled on this globe. Coincidence? Somehow, she doubted it.
      "Is that where you're from?"
      Buffy looked down at Touma, who had crawled up onto the desk besides the globe. Heaving a sigh, she nodded. "Yep. Sunnydale, California. Boca del Infierno."
      "Boca del..." Touma stopped, his forehead wrinkling and nose scrunching up as he tried to wrap his mouth around the unfamiliar words.
      "It's Spanish," Buffy leaned forward and rested her lower arms on the desk. "It means 'Mouth of... the bad place."
      "You mean Hell," the little one announced in matter-of-fact tones. "That's what you said before."
      Buffy frowned at him. "Yeah, but I was never allowed to say Hell when I was six years old."
      "But you're not a Yoroiden Samurai Trooper."
      She had to give the kid credit, he certainly had a point. She wasn't a Samurai Trooper. A warrior in her own right, certainly, but there was no mystical armor or growing swords on her side of the world. The closest she got to mystical was watching Giles and Willow cast spells.
      And thinking of Giles and her best friend reminded her yet again of her unusual predicament. She would need to call Giles -- and soon -- but it would probably help if she contacted him armed with a few more answers and details other than being dropped from the sky and meeting escapees from the Barney cast armed with swords.
      Giles was a real stickler about that sort of thing.
      "So what exactly is a Yoro-yoro..."
      "Yoroiden Samurai Trooper," Touma replied helpfully.
      "Yeah, that would be it. So what do you guys do?"
      Touma scratched his head thoughtfully. "Um... well, we fight bad guys and kick their butts?"
      "Most of the time," Buffy teased. "So, do you always play hard to get when someone asks you a question?"
      "Huh?" It was clear from the expression on his small face, he wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about. Buffy sighed.
      "It's a little more complicated than that," Nasuti said gently. Buffy looked up to find her leaning against the door. The corners of her mouth were twitching with what looked to be a smile.
      "It usually is," Buffy agreed. She waved her hand, indicating the room around her. "You have a nice place here."
      Nice didn't even begin to cover it. Nasuti didn't live in a house. She lived in a mansion. And while it might not have been anything like the new, oftentimes garish palatial dwellings in Sunnydale's "good" neighborhoods, Buffy liked it. The place had a welcoming aura, an air of serenity that drew her. And she really liked Nasuti's study. It reminded her of the library at Sunnydale High. Well, the library before the Mayor had destroyed it.
      She felt a brief pang at the thought. She didn't miss high school. Fighting demons was easier than surviving high school had been. However, she did miss the library. For three years, the library had been her haven. Even when things had been at their worst, there had always been the knowledge that she could walk into that library and Giles would be there with his cup of tea and an ever present book. Xander and Cordy would be at the table sniping at each other and trying to hide just how much they really cared for each other. And Willow would be doing her Net girl schtick with Oz sitting next to her, feeding her animal crackers. And sometimes at night, Angel would come...
      Angel. Buffy closed that door, feeling a lump in her throat as she did so. Angel might be out of her life, but he was still in her heart. He always would be.
      However, right now she did not have the time to get mopey. Besides, she had left her ice cream and Molly Ringwald collection back in Sunnydale. You just couldn't have a good mopey, moony fest without a Molly Ringwald movie.
      Giles would love this place, Buffy thought, surveying her surroundings with appreciation. She certainly loved all the armor and weaponry lying about. Looks like someone's hit the 'Ye Olde Samurai Stuff' magazine, she thought. Where was this place when I was battling the Mayor? I could've used those swords on the wall. And that crossbow. Oh, and that armor...
      "Thank you," Nasuti was replying as Buffy returned to reality. "This place used to be my grandfather's. I remember coming here during the summer and sitting right where Touma is sitting now. And he would tell me such wonderful stories about warriors and monsters... Of course," Nasuti reflected, "that was before I knew all the stories were true."
      Buffy nodded in understanding. She, too, could remember a time when she had loved listening to horror stories and fairy tales. That had been before she had learned that there were things that went bump in the night and they were even more unpleasant than the stories hinted at.
      "So where'd those guys I saw earlier go?" Buffy asked. Upon returning to the mansion, they had met up with two other men. Naaza and Rajura, Nasuti had called them. Though she had tried to be polite, she knew she had been staring at the green-haired one. Green hair? And according to Nasuti, it was natural.
      If Cordelia were here, she'd be having a field day. Buffy shook her head, thinking of her more style-conscious friend. Then again, Buffy thought, glancing down at little Touma's shock of midnight blue hair, maybe she was the odd one out here. She tried to imagine herself with blue or green hair, then shuddered at the image she got. I think I'll just stick to being a blonde, bad jokes and all, she decided.
      "Naaza and Rajura are checking around the house just in case we have any more... visitors wanting to drop in." Nasuti's face tightened and it was clear she was under tremendous pressure. "Anubis is upstairs putting the other Troopers to bed."
      "Trying to put them all to bed," replied a weary voice at the door. Both women turned to find Anubis entering the room with Shu clinging to his legs and squealing with laughter when the older man nearly toppled over. "As you can see, I wasn't entirely successful."
      "Shu," Nasuti admonished. The little boy started then reluctantly released his hold on Anubis' leg.
      "Sorry, Nasuti-san," he mumbled.
      "You're such a baby sometimes, Shu," Touma teased his friend, his tiny legs kicking off the edge of the desk.
      Shu's round face turned bright red. "I am NOT!" he yelled. He headed for the desk, apparently intending to yank Touma off the edge and wrestle him into submission when Buffy put a stop to it. Quicker than he could react, she scooped him up and lurched off the side of the desk where she had been leaning. He struggled, hands clawing at the air.
      "Hey," Buffy said. "Knock it off, okay?"
      "Put me down," Shu demanded in obvious outrage.
      "Cool it," the Slayer said curtly, "and I will."
      He looked at her sullenly, then turned his head. "Make her put me down, Nasuti-san."
      "I think you'd better let him down," Nasuti said apologetically. Then she gave Shu a no-nonsense stare that made him squirm. "As for you... do you want to go to bed? Because that's where you're going if you can't behave."
      "Awww, but-"
      "No buts. Which is it to be?"
      He pouted. "Okay. I'll leave him alone."
      Buffy lowered him, giving him a look she'd seen her mom use on her on numerous occasions. The one that made her freeze in her tracks in open dread. Unfortunately, all it did for Shu was make him sniff and stalk off to another corner of the room.
      "Sorry," Nasuti looked pained, "they're not normally like this."
      "They're just cranky," Buffy shrugged. "Probably past their bedtime."
      "No, I think you misunderstand. They're not normally like this. They're not normally..." Nasuti drew in a deep breath, "children."
      "Okay, I'll make my confusion official with a 'Huh?'" Buffy crossed her arms.
      "It's a long story."
      "So give me the Cliff Notes version," Buffy said.
      Nasuti exchanged a long glance with Anubis who was clearly not happy with the situation, but he seemed to soften a little at Nasuti's pleading expression. After another few seconds, he nodded.
      "Well, for starters," Nasuti began delicately, "the Troopers aren't really six, they're seventeen."
      Buffy glanced over at Touma and Shu. "Someone hasn't been taking their vitamins, I see." Anubis snickered, then caught himself. "So what happened?" Buffy asked, taking a seat on the desk. Oh, I can't wait to hear this one, she thought.
      "They were poisoned by the master of the creatures you fought earlier," Anubis rumbled.
      "The man in the golden mask?"
      "No, he's just a petty underling. His mistress is far more formidable."
      "Ah, and let me guess: that would be the mean lady with the six arms you guys were telling me about," Buffy directed the question at Touma and Shu. "Six arms, huh? That's gotta be handy with housework."
      "Her name's Sachiriku," Nasuti said. "And I assure you that she's no laughing matter. She's quite insane."
      Oh goody, Buffy grimaced. Another psycho-loony bent on world domination? This schtick was getting more than a little old. "So she poisoned them, why?"
      "Their armors," Nasuti said. "She wants the power of the armors so she can destroy Arago."
      "Who?"
      "A ghost," Anubis jumped in. "A demon lord that was destroyed years ago."
      "Oh," Buffy blinked. "Okay, so now I know why she wants them. How did they become kids?"
      "She lured them to a dimensional pocket called the Demon's Gate. And somehow, I'm not quite sure what happened, but whatever she did to them was killing them." Nasuti wrapped her arms around herself.
      Buffy noticed the gesture and her heart went out to the girl. It was obvious she cared very deeply for the Troopers and seeing them hurt in this manner hurt her. Just as it would have hurt Buffy if anything were to happen to Willow or Xander or heaven forbid, even Cordy. "They look pretty lively to me."
      "That's because the Gate's Keeper took pity on them," spoke a new voice. They all looked up. Standing in the door was a tall woman with long black hair spilling out of a loose coif and carrying a staff of some sort.
      "Naaza told me what happened," the woman said to Anubis and Nasuti. "We were lucky this time, but next time we might not be so fortunate."
      "I know," Nasuti nodded in agreement. "Kayura, this is Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Lady Kayura."
      Kayura looked her up and down curiously, "Vampire Slayer?"
      "Yes, how did you know?"
      "My clan has known about the Slayers for centuries, and from what Naaza told me... well, it wasn't that hard to put two and two together."
      "Lady Kayura watches over the Netherworld," Nasuti explained. "Her clan has been devoted to protecting the mortal realm for a very long time now."
      "Nice stick," Buffy commented, indicating the staff. "I bet you can crack a lot of heads with it."
      Anubis stiffened in visible outrage and even Nasuti looked a little nervous. Kayura, on the other hand, simply smiled, saying, "Such spirit."
      "Yeah, well comes with the whole slaying gig."
      "Please," Kayura gestured at Nasuti, "continue. It was not my intention to interrupt."
      "So this Gate Keeper took pity on them?"
      "They were dying and she did the only think she could think of to save them." Nasuti's eyes flickered over Touma and Shu. "She made them children."
      Buffy found her own gaze drawn to the two children. Touma was watching and listening with a solemn, thoughtful expression. Shu was on the floor, ostensibly playing with a toy truck, but she could tell from the set of his shoulders that he, too, was listening.
      "And in doing so, erased their memories of being adults," Kayura added.
      "But not of how to use their armors?"
      "No," Nasuti frowned, "the armors are the strange thing."
      "How so?"
      "They were destroyed," Anubis replied bluntly.
      "Funny, they looked pretty real to me," Buffy commented. "That sword felt pretty damn real, too."
      "What's this?" Kayura asked with interest alighting her pretty features.
      "The girl was able to use Korin's sword," Anubis jumped in, glaring at Buffy accusingly as if she had done something horribly wrong instead of saving the Troopers' lives.
      "Interesting." Kayura stared off into space, apparently lost in thought.
      "The armors were destroyed," Nasuti continued. "And yet... yet somehow, Sachikiru was able to call them forth again. She used some sort of spell to call up the essences of the armors and..."
      "Now they're all shiny and brand new again," Buffy finished for her. Mystical armors, demon queens, and dimensional rips - Giles was going to be in heaven when he heard about this.
      "Essentially," Nasuti nodded. "She cannot be allowed to get her hands on the armors, Buffy. The consequences would be catastrophic."
      Buffy nodded. "Which would be why I was dropped here."
      "That would be my guess," Nasuti agreed, then hesitated. "There's something else."
      "What?"
      Nasuti gestured for her to sit beside her. Buffy frowned, then headed over to where she was sitting. Nasuti leaned forward, speaking in a voice so low that Buffy had to strain to hear. "Kiyemon, the Guardian of the Demon's Gate, was able to slow the poison down by making the Troopers children, but... it's a delay, not a cure. If we can't find away to counteract the poison, the Troopers will die anyway."
      Chilled, Buffy glanced over at two children of whom they were speaking. Though she hadn't known them very long, the thought of these children dead... well, it wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. In fact, she refused to dwell on it. 'Cause it wasn't going to happen.
      Not as long as she was still alive and kicking as the Slayer.
      "So basically what we need to do is find a cure, turn them back into adults, and waste this witch?" Buffy asked thoughtfully. "Sounds like fun. Count me in."
      "As easy as all that?" Nasuti asked rather sadly.
      "If it needs to be," Buffy replied, letting a little bit of steel in her voice.
      Though the worry didn't fade, there was a more hopeful glimmer in Nasuti's dark eyes, "Thank you, Buffy."
      "There's still another matter we've yet to address," Anubis remarked. "Seoul."
      "Soul?" Buffy asked bewildered, "Whose soul? Do we need the Exorcist or something?"
      "Not soul, Buffy. Seoul."
      "Pretend I'm clueless and help me here."
      "She claims to be part of Sachiriku," Anubis spoke up. "She claims that she used to be a woman named Lelani and that Arago, sensing her potential, split her good and evil sides so that he might use her in plans for conquest of the mortal realm."
      "Oh. Ouch," Buffy winced.
      "Indeed. She claims she is here to help us," Anubis was clearly skeptical.
      "And what's her angle?" Buffy asked.
      Anubis regarded her with something a little more akin to respect. "She wants us to reunite the halves of her soul."
      "A lot of tall orders going around tonight," Buffy muttered. Then she straightened. "Nasuti, do you have a phone?"
      "Yes," Nasuti replied puzzled, "why?"
      "Because I think it's about time I called in some back-up."
      "Back-up? Who?"
      "Oh, just someone who's going to find this whole thing right up his alley," Buffy sighed.

*****

      During his long tenure on the Hellmouth, Rupert Giles had become accustomed to a great many things. Demons of varying kinds, vampires most certainly, even the determined blind eye the community of Sunnydale turned when ever presented with anything out of the ordinary. The one thing he had never grown accustomed to was the worry. The nagging fear that one day his Slayer would go out to battle the forces of darkness and she would never return.
      There was, he was forced to admit, a very good reason that the Watchers were not supposed to permit themselves to care for their charges. Emotional attachments clouded the mind. They were dangerous to the cause. Or so the Watchers' Council drummed into minds of all their members.
      He supposed, therefore, that it was a pretty damn good thing he was no longer a Watcher. At least, he didn't have to feel guilty for not following the rules of his former job anymore.
      And right now, Rupert Giles was very, very worried.
      He hadn't been at first. Yes, he considered Buffy's nightly patrol report a part of his normal bedtime routine. He was used to the blonde Slayer popping into his apartment and giving him a 'run-down' of the night's events, often in language that he didn't fully understand. Barring that, he would receive a phone call, or at least emerge from the shower to the flickering message light on his answering machine.
      But, when none of that happened, Giles still had not worried. It was not uncommon for Buffy to disappear to the Bronze with her friends after a night of "slayage" and to put her report on hold until early the next day. In this case, early by the Slayer's definition, was usually when she clambered out of bed sometime around noon. No report, was usually a sign of good news -- and no evil stirring on the Hellmouth.
      Despite all of his logic and rationale, Giles had not been able to dismiss the nagging sensation that tugged at him most of the evening. He had not slept well, when he slept at all, and he had awoken around one a.m. with the terrible pressing fear that something was seriously out of sync.
      That suspicion had only been confirmed when Joyce Summers had shown up at his door less than an hour ago. Aside from the lateness of the hour, that alone had been enough to put him on the alert. Enough to have him call Oz and have the boy round up Willow and Xander to tear around Sunnydale looking for their friend.
      "Where could she be?" Joyce wrung her hands, pacing the floor anxiously and peering out his window. From the sofa, he sat hunched over a cup of steaming tea with the phone on the table in front of him, trying to calm his nerves. However, the combination of the Slayer's frantic mother and his own fears were making the wait interminable.
      "I don't know," he admitted, "but I'm sure she's all right."
      Joyce whirled on him, her disarrayed blond hair flying. "How... how can you be so damn sure? She could be lying in an alley somewhere, hurt or..."
      Giles set aside his cup of tea and counted to ten. Lashing out at Joyce right now wouldn't do any good. She was Buffy's mother. It was only natural that she would worry about her daughter's whereabouts, especially knowing as she did the true nature of Buffy's calling. He was also worried, although unlike Joyce, he was making a supreme effort not to fly off the handle.
      "I don't know for certain. What I do know it that Buffy is the Slayer and a resourceful one at that. She's acquitted herself in trial by combat many times. I'm certain that if something has arisen, she is handling it."
      Joyce crossed her arms. "And how much of that do you actually believe?"
      "Not much," he sighed. "I know you don't believe this, but I am worried, Joyce. However, short of running blindly through Sunnydale, there is little I can do save wait for Xander, Willow, and Oz to check back in."
      As if his words were a sudden cue, the phone in front of him jangled. He and Joyce shared a long look. Though both of them were dying for news about Buffy, he realized that they were equally afraid of what that news might be. Get a grip, old man, he thought and reached for the phone. "Hello?"
      There was a blast of static, then, "Giles?"
      "Buffy? Is that you?" Giles stood up, feeling the very urgent need to move around. Joyce was by his side in an instant.
      "Yeah, Giles. It's everybody's favorite Slay Gal."
      "Is she all right?" The Slayer's mother asked anxiously. "Where is she? What's happened?"
      Giles held up a hand for silence. Rather to his surprise, Joyce complied, slipping down to have a seat on the edge of the couch, her eyes half-relieved, half-fearful. Waiting, as he was, for the other shoe to drop.
      "Is Mom there with you?" Buffy asked, sounding terribly guilty.
      "Yes, she is. 'Where are you?' is the question on both of our minds, however, Buffy. Are you all right?"
      "I'm okay," she confirmed. "Well, as okay as my life gets anyway."
      "You can tell me all about it when your mother and I come and pick you up."
      There was a pause. "That may be difficult at the moment."
      "Oh?"
      "Yeah. I don't think any car's going to help, let alone that old clunker you drive," Buffy said.
      Giles massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on, "Do stop being cryptic, Buffy. Where exactly are you?"
      She told him. He lifted the phone away and stared at it, quite sure he hadn't heard her right. Joyce watched him in growing alarm, "What?"
      He ignored her, replacing the phone against his ear. "Would you mind repeating that, Buffy?"
      "Japan, Giles, I'm in Japan." His Slayer sounded exasperated. "You know, where they make all those neat gizmos like Playstation and Tamagotchis?"
      "Quite. I was hoping I had misheard..."
      "I wish."
      "Might I inquire as to how you came to be there?"
      "I'll take 'Weird Freak Happenings on the Hellmouth' for a thousand, Alex."
      "Where is she?" Joyce demanded, no longer willing to stay silent. "What's happened? What's going on, Rupert?"
      "She Rupert-ed you," Buffy's voice came through the phone with a note of wariness. "You're not going all band candy again and comforting my mom, are you? Wait. Nevermind. Don't want to know. Bad visual place I so do not want to visit."
      Giles began to wish that he kept the bottle of aspirin in a desk drawer and not in the medicine cabinet. He tossed a quieting glare in Joyce's direction, and then upon realizing he could not glare at Buffy through the phone, also gave Joyce the glare meant for her daughter. "Buffy is in Japan, Joyce, and I am --"
      "Japan! What the hell is she doing in Japan? Is this some kind of joke, because you can tell her right now that it is not funny. Does she think that it's funny that I have to have a daughter who's the Slayer and now this? I want her home, now."
      "Been there, done that. Tell her I would love to be the dutiful daughter and obey, but we have the small matter of rather big ocean separating us."
      "Well?" Joyce demanded. "Tell her!"
      Placing his hand over the mouthpiece, Giles waved the telephone in the direction of his Slayer's mother. "Joyce, I'm afraid that Buffy is not playing a prank. Now, I need to speak to her and find out what happened, and I can not do that with you shrilling in my ear." He paused, taking the tone of voice he usually reserved for Buffy and the Slayerettes. "Now, sit down and do be quiet so that we can get to the bottom of this."
      To his surprise, Joyce once again complied. Whether out of shock or simple frustration, he didn't know. And at the moment, he didn't particularly care.
      Giles returned his attention to the telephone. "Let's try this again, Buffy. How did you come to be in Japan?"
      "Don't know. Couldn't tell you. Heard a voice. Felt like I was falling. And then suddenly I was surrounded by armored and armed escapees from Romper Room. Who were surrounded by shadow... shadow..." Buffy paused and Giles heard a muffled voice in the background. "Shadowlings. That's it. Oh, and I speak Japanese. I think. Are you writing all this down so you can look it up later?"
      "Buffy..." he replied warningly.
      "I'm serious, Giles. You need a playbill just to keep up with everything that's going on over here. There's some seriously bad stuff going down here. Oh and did I mention that I can now speak Japanese?"
      "Yes, Buffy," he replied patiently, "and knowing your language skills as I do, I assume that some sort of magical spell has been wrought to achieve this sudden proficiency."
      There was a moment of silence. "I don't know whether I should be insulted or say 'Huh?'" she replied.
      "I believed you mentioned the word 'Shadowlings'?" he asked, deftly ignoring her comment as his mind turned to other matters.
      "Yeah, ring any bells?"
      "A few. Of course, I'll have to consult my books to be certain."
      "I wouldn't have it any other way," she assured him. "Giles, I'm going to need you out here."
      "You want me to come to Japan?"
      "As quickly as possible. I know it's short notice and a weird request and all but..." she paused and he could almost imagine her twirling the phone cord in her hands. "Giles, these people need help."
      "Yes, that is another thing. Buffy, who are these people you keep referring to?"
      "I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you," she sighed. "I'm not even sure I believe it."
      "Buffy, might I remind you of the snake-like demon that used to be our mayor," he asked delicately, "I doubt these people could be any more surprising than that. And God knows they can't be any more horrifying than Wesley."
      "Point," she conceded with a shudder, "at least the Mayor had the excuse of being evil."
      "Quite."
      There was a lengthy pause. "Buffy?" Giles prodded her.
      "Well, it's kind of hard to explain. I mean, it's like that episode of the 'Twilight Zone' where William Shatner sees that thing on the wing. It's that level of weird."
      "Do leave out the colorful explanations and cut to the chase, please."
      "They call themselves Yor... Yoroiden Samurai Troopers. The munchkins. Only they're not really munchkins, they used to be adults. At least that's what Nasuti says..."
      "Buffy, you're babbling."
      "I'm babbling," she acknowledged. "And now I'm shutting up."
      Meanwhile Giles was focused on other things. "...Samurai Troopers," he muttered. "Yoroiden."
      "I'm taking it that means something to you?" the Slayer observed.
      "Hmm?" Giles replied absently, as he knelt down beside one of the numerous crates dotting the house. They had managed to move his rather sizable collection of arcane texts out of the library before the Graduation Day fiasco with the mayor had destroyed the place though he had yet to unpack them yet. It... it felt too much like he was closing a chapter in his life before he was ready to.
      His fingers traced the spines of several volumes before finding the one he wanted. It was a rather ancient book, held together only through numerous repairs. The remnants of once brilliant gold lettering shone dully under the overhead light, the words barely discernable: The Demon Wars by Sakanishi Michitaro. Frau von Forsch had given it to him the last time he had visited her at Frankfurt University. It had come from her private collection, one of the most extensive mythological and arcane libraries in the world. He had been honored and tried to thank her, but she had only shrugged with a mysterious smile.
      "It might be of interest to you, Herr Giles," she had said as she had placed the volume in his hands. "And of use. Living on the mouth of Hell, who knows what might show up, ja?"
      "Giles?"
      "Give me a second," he grunted, carefully opening the fragile book. Though the author was Japanese (a language he knew little of), the work itself had been translated into German and he could work with that. Sakanishi had been a samurai during Kamkura Period; unlike most of his peers, he had not written a journal filled with tales of military victory over mortal foes but of a war between the demon and the mortal realms. In particular he had mentioned something about...
      "Ah, yes," he spoke aloud, "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, bearers of the Yoroi armor. These armors were imbued with mystical virtures and each armor was composed of an element: fire, light, strata, water, and earth. These warriors were engaged in a war with a demon lord, Arago-"
      "Okay, I'm taking it that it means a whole lot to you. All of which you can share with me when you get here," Buffy interrupted hurriedly. "Giles, I need you to research some things for me... have you got a pen and pencil handy?"
      "Hang on a moment," he pushed the phone aside, to cock his head at Joyce. "Could you please hand me the legal pad and pen on the table... thank you. All right, Buffy, I'm ready."
      He scribbled furiously as she simultaneously reeled off names and tried to fill him in on what was happening. By the time she was done, Giles was already mentally mapping out a course of action and what he would need to pack for his journey.
      "Oh, and Giles?"
      "Yes?"
      "I think you'd better grab Will and bring her along. We may need her to Sabrina for us."
      "Of course," Then he frowned, "Exactly how am I supposed to explain this to her parents?"
      "You could try the truth... no, I don't suppose saying, 'Hello, Mr and Mrs. Rosenberg, I need to borrow your little girl and take her to Japan so she can work a few spells on some cursed kiddies and save the world in the process', will cut it, huh?"
      "I very much doubt it."
      "I'm sure you'll think of something."
      "Thank you," he replied wryly. "I think it's time for you to speak with your mother and explain this to her, don't you?"
      "You fight dirty, Giles," she accused.
      He ignored that. "I'll be out there on the next available flight, Buffy. With or without Willow."
      Buffy's voice was warm with gratitude. "Thanks, Giles."
      "Of course, Buffy. If you'll hold on a moment, I'll let you speak with your mother-"
      Buffy groaned. "Awww, do I have to?"

*****

      After reassuring her mother that yes, indeedy she was all right and yes, she was really in Japan and that she would be careful, Buffy replaced the phone in its cradle with a grateful sigh. Then she gave Nasuti a guilty look. "Sorry if I ran up your phone bill."
      Nasuti waved that off. "So are your friends coming?"
      "On the next available flight out," Buffy confirmed. "Giles said he'd call us at the airport before they caught the flight. Are you sure you don't mind putting all of us up for a while?"
      "Consider it payment for what you did back there," Nasuti smiled.
      "That was nothing," she said as modestly as she could manage. Then she laughed, "Okay, that sounded really cheesy, didn't it?"
      "A little," Nasuti laughed.
      Buffy liked Nasuti. Granted she had only known her for a matter of hours, but in many ways she reminded Buffy of Willow. Both of them were intelligent, caring individuals determined to stand by their friends no matter what. And they had the same gentle, teasing sense of humor. Those kids-er, adults-turned-kids-Troopers, whatever, were incredibly lucky to have her.
      "What?" Nasuti asked curiously.
      "Oh, I was just thinking that of how you reminded me of someone, that's all."
      "Nasuti-san?" a sleepy voice drawled. In the entranceway to the kitchen, Chibi Ryo stood, rubbing his eyes and querulously asking, "Where's Yaku-chan, Nasuti? He always checks on me when I'm sleepin' only he hasn't yet."
      "Yaku..." All the color drained from Nasuti's face.
      This cannot be good, Buffy thought with some dismay.
      Evidently, Chibi Ryo agreed. The sleepy look faded and his light blue eyes grew huge with alarm. "Where's Yaku-chan?" he demanded.
      "I-I'm sure he's fine," Nasuti said weakly, "he probably went out for a walk or something."
      Chibi Ryo ran for the door, throwing it open as he hollered into the night, "Yaku-chan! Yaku-chan, where are you?"
      Nasuti crossed over to kneel down beside the small boy. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, Ryo."
      The little boy stared at her, openly distressed and clearly not believing her. And with the way Buffy's internal alarm system had suddenly gone off... well, he wasn't the only one. Something had happened, she knew and the feeling would not be banished.
      "If you want, I can go take a look 'round outside," Buffy offered.
      "Yes!" Ryo shouted.
      "Would you?" Nasuti asked in relief. "I'll get Anubis to go with you. I'm sure you'll find him between the two of you."
      Buffy nodded and smiled as comfortingly as she could manage at Ryo. Somehow, she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy. Call it a hunch.
      The thing was, her hunches had an uncanny and terrible way of being right.

***End of Chapter Three