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 As the door clicks closed behind a bickering Spike and Buffy Willow sighs, she knows that in the box Oz brought is the diary of watcher Greer Jameson and her slayer. Willow ignores the watcher’s journal, she had been through it earlier as references, instead she picks up the cream colored silk diary with the name Etana Athena Hadassa in gold lettering, the first entry was dated: December 29th 1992, Mother game me this diary for Chanukah and I would never have written in it except that Greer, my watcher, has said that as a slayer its my duty to keep a diary. I’m going to have to keep this hidden from mom, if she saw the words slayer and watcher on every page she might very well die of shock. Greer says that I should write down who I am for future generations of slayers to read. So here I go, my name is Etana Athena Hadassa, my name represents my parents and where they come from. Etana is a Hebrew name and that represents my Jewish father. Athena is a Greek goddess, and that part would be my mother who is 100% pure Grecian, here parents were both born and raised in Greece. My maternal grandfather is very wealthy and they sent my mother to a boarding school in London where my parents met and eventually married and had me and my siblings. I am the youngest of five children and I always get lost in the shuffle, I guess this is a good thing considering my mother all ready notices my absences to often. Willow stares down at the perfect script written across the page, realizing how different this slayer was from the three Willow had known. Kendra who had died years ago was rigid and the perfect slayer in the eyes of the council. Faith, who has been dead for a year now, she’d died fighting alongside Buffy in the last battle and was the councils worst nightmares come true. And Buffy was a one of a kind slayer, a slayer with friends, another job and who was taking care of, as much as Dawn needed it now at least, her little sister, not to mention her tendencies to date reformed vampires. Willow flips through the journal not surprised to find that there are few pages filled out, did Buffy even keep a slayer’s journal? January 5th 1993, Well Greer has bought me another diary to right personal, non-slayer stuff. I dusted four vampires on patrol tonight, it was amazing, even Greer who gives us English people the stuck up name we have because she is so straight laced, even said for only being a slayer two months I am doing very well. Mother and Father say they have an announcement for me, so I have an appointment with them now. January 15th 1993, Well I’m in the US now, Mother and Father’s announcement was that I would be going with my tutor to America so I could explore another country. In all reality something big is happening in Arizona so Greer, my watcher and tutor, made up some story about learning about another countries traditions. My parents bought it and here I am preparing to fight a battle I know I might not win. February 1st 1993, Well I survived my biggest battle, Greer keeps reminding me that it’s only my biggest battle thus far. The battle really made me think though because somehow I was totally calm, even though I knew I could be walking into a trap. Willow finds herself more and more intrigued by the diary as she goes along, Etana who came to earn the nickname Ana from Greer was for the most part what Willow thought of as a typical slayer. Friendless, family less with nothing else in her life except slaying, but that was not to say she was lacking in personality. Ana seemed to be very intelligent and cheerful despite that her whole world was slaying she still seemed to live in a teenage world. When Willow turned the page though the lights flickered and went out, cursing Willow reaches for a candle and matches sitting on her bedside table but when the matches and then even the light won’t work Willow gives up. Setting the book down Willow sighs, “well Etana Athena, looks like we have to finish tomorrow.” Willow lays back on her pillow attempting, but failing, to fall asleep, after probably 20 minutes Willow can hear the front door open and close. “Willow! We’re back!” Dawn calls up the stairs. Willow pushes herself off the bed and heads down the stairs, “how was the movie?” Dawn takes her jacket off and hangs it up allowing Xander to answer, “the power went out before the end, the entire city is without power. The weird thing is that none of places with generators can get them running.” Willow’s eyes go wide and her face pales and she is gland for the dark. “My lighters and matches didn’t work earlier when I tried to light my candles.” “Great,” Dawn sighs, “I wondering what the big bad is now.” “We’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Willow replies. “All right, well since there is obviously nothing better to do I’m going to bed.” Dawn replies. “All right, night Dawnie.” Both Willow and Xander call after her. “Wil, I’m confused.” Xander confesses once they hear Dawn’s door close. “I know Xander, so am I.” “What is this?” Xander questions. “One of the signs Oz talks about? Or the big bad Angel, his spawn, and her highness brought news about?” “I’m not sure, I was reading the diary of Greer’s slayer, Etana Hadassa, but the power went out before I could finish reading the last page.” “The one before her final battle.” Xander states simply. “Yup.” Willow nods, “but I can use magic to light the candles before I just thought it was a coincidence.” Willow and Xander hurry up the stairs right past Dawn who had been listening to Willow and Xander, ‘something really bad is going on,’ Dawn thinks to herself, ‘if Angel, Oz and Cordelia are here things must be really bad.’ Knowing that Xander and Willow won’t tell her anything tonight Angel creeps back up the stairs and slips quietly into her room. With the candles now lit by magic Willow picks up the diary and begins to read aloud to Xander. September 1st 1996, I have been a slayer for 3 years now, amazing isn’t it? But I think my time as a slayer is drawing to a close. I’ve always known, deep down, and even before I became a slayer that I would never live to an old age. I really don’t know how I know, I just do. Things in Phoenix are falling apart. The power has been out for days and it has been rainy and cloudy for just as long. I was kind of afraid that because of the lack of sun that Phoenix would be overrun with vampires but even the demons dislike this weather. I told Greer that I feel like my life is coming to an end and she just gave me one of her looks and said “you only feel that way because of the lack of sunlight, it’s making you depressed. Now go run around the block the endorphins will cheer you up.” And so I went for a run and I only had to slay one vampire and I guess I felt cheered up a little, but that was hours ago maybe I should go running again. I hope this weather breaks soon. Willow and Xander exchange glances in the candle light, “that’s it.” Willow responds, “her last entry.” “How’d she die?” Xander asks, “check her watchers last diary entry.” Willow picks up the little black bound book: September 10th 1996, My job as a watcher is completed. My slayer was murdered by a vampire by the name of Drusilla on the first of September 1996. Her parents flew her body back to London to me buries, this ends my diary as watcher. “Drusilla?” Xander asks stunned when Willow falls silent. “It can’t be Spike’s Drusilla, could it?” Willow shrugs, “you would think we’d have know. Giles would have told us..” “Not if he didn’t know.” Xander points out. “We’ll ask Spike tomorrow.” Willow states. “If we ask tonight he’s going to want to know why and where we found out.” Xander nods, “you’re right.” The two long time friends fall silent, lost in their own similar thoughts until Xander breaks the silence asking in a voice he used when he had broken Willow’s mom’s favorite vase and he wanted to know if she would be mad. The voice was so soft and upset that Willow burst into tears, “Wil, do you think Buffy’s going to die? Do you believe all of these signs?” Willow sniffs, brushing back th tears streaming down her cheeks and responds, “I’m not sure Xander. The theory makes sense, that the universe reacts to the death and calling of a slayer. All of Greer Jamesons’ reports say that these are signs but for only about half of the slayers do they come true.” Willow sniffs again and then continues, “even in our experience we have seen the death of four slayers, Buffy, Kendra, Buffy, Faith. The only time we have seen these exact signs was when Faith died, but surrounding all of the deaths there were earthquakes, meteors hitting the ground, tidal waves, everywhere around the world.” “Fighting with Buffy so long has taught me that nothings is coincidence.” Xander states solemnly. Willow nods, “I agree. The only thing is that in some instances even with Buffy the signs have led to nothing, sometimes not even a battle, sometimes they really are just a lot of natural disasters.” “We’ll have to figure it out tomorrow when we have everyone’s input.” Xander states as the door below opens and a laughing Buffy and Spike can be heard below. “I’ll be right down.” Willow states as Xander heads out of the bedroom. “How was the party?” Willow asks joining the group lighting a couple candles in the living room. “Boring.” Spike responds. Buffy glares at him and then smiles, “it was a lot of fun. It was held in a hotel outside of town, which I am thinking was a good thing. How long has the power been out?” Xander glances at his watch, “about an hour now.” “Here’s the weird thing, lighters, matches, flashlights, and generators aren’t working.” Willow informs. Buffy sighs, “sounds like a new big bad, but I’m to tired to think about it now.” “How about a Scooby meeting tomorrow at one?” Willow asks. “Good, that’s good.” Buffy yawns, “I’m going to go to bed.” Buffy and Spike call good night as they head up to Buffy’s room. “I should probably get going too. Anya...” Willow nods, “can you and Anya go pick up Giles? He was flying into the airport in the next town over, I’d got but then I would have to make up an excuse.” Xander nods, “not a problem.” |
