Crown and Key: Chapter 19
by Kerythand Ginafae
Crown and Key
By Sandra and William Johnson
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure it’s in here?” Xander asked Giles as he blew a large tuft of dust off of an ancient, leather bound volume on the shelf in his apartment.
“Positive.” Giles said. “Henry left the diary to my father, who upon learning of my calling as a watcher, thought it might be useful in my quests.”
“And we need this old diary because…” Xander’s voice trailed off. Giles looked up at him in exhasperation.
‘While it is true that many have searched for the Holy Grail and found nothing, the very proof of Merlin’s existence is proof of the grail. When Henry and his son found the Temple of the Crescent Moon, the Grail was lost. Where is the most famous place for lost mystical artifacts to turn up?
“The Hellmouth!” Xander snapped his fingers, catching on.
“And if you were a crazy Hellgod with a flair for the dramatic intent on going home…”
“Then I would re-create the holiness of it’s last resting place just to mock my brother Arthur, his incompetence, and the fact that he triumphed over me once before when I set the stage for my final victory.” Lara finished as she entered the room. She pulled a tiny old leather journal out of the pocket of her trench coat. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
Giles grimaced. “Where did you get that?” He questioned. Lara smiled sheepishly as she avoided making eye contact with her old tutor. “A girl has got to read from time to time.” She tossed it on the table. “Now, if we aren’t going to the canyon, what do we need the Grail Diary for?”
Giles sat down and perched his glasses on the edge of his nose. “There are three trials one must face to open the path to the sanctuary. I am assuming that this is where Glory plans to hold her ceremony. Henry had them listed in here, only they were riddles that needed to be figured out as they were done…” he thumbed anxiously through the pages. “Ah yes here they are:
The Breath of God- only the penitent man will pass.
The Word of God- only in the footsteps of God will he proceed.
The Path of God- Only in a leap form the lion’s head will he prove his worth”
Lara leaned in, reading over his shoulder. “It even explains here how Dr. Jones completed each task.” She said as she took in the detailed descriptions.
“Just remember that Glory is above all things vain. I wouldn’t put it past her to attempt to copy the original design, with slight modifications.” Giles admonished warningly. Lara smiled as she re-pocketed the diary. “Let’s go, the others are waiting.”
* * * *
Meanwhile, back at the Summer’s home, the Slayer was fighting a losing battle.
With herself.
Buffy was trying her best to focus her energy and find her zen, but with her sister being held prisoner by a crazed, full powered Hellgod, who wanted them both dead, that wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.
As she sat cross legged on her bedroom rug, her arms straight out, Buffy attempted for the fourth time to focus her thoughts on the task at hand.
Outside her window, a dog barked.
Buffy jumped three feet in the air, knocking over the candles she had placed in a circle around herself for a clamiong effect.
‘SHIT!” She said, and stopped herself. Her nerves were frazzled, as proven by her use of profanity.
‘It’s hard when they go after your loved ones, isn’t it?” A soft, deep female voice said. Buffy looked up, expecting to find Lara in her door, ad was surprised when she found herself face to face with She-Ra.
“They always pull the friends and family card on me.” She smiled. “You think I’d be used to it by now, right?”
She-Ra crossed the room, and gently placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “You never really get used to it. Not when you’re the defender of the world.” She smiled cynically for a moment. “I can’t count the number of times Skeletor or Hordac have kidnapped me, my brother, or Orco in an attempt to get the other one to submit to their will. And try as much as you like, you can’t win them all.” She paused. “I know that when I look up at Etheria’s three moons every night I wonder if my parents and brother are safe. More than anything I wish to be there with them, but my calling is elsewhere.”
“I’m sorry, I had no idea—“ Buffy began. She-Ra cut her off.
“I’m not implying that you should have. I’m only saying that there is someone else out there who understands what it’s like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, and to worry about how you’re friends and family are faring at the same time. I also know what it’s like to want a normal life and family more than anything in the world, and know that as long as you live you’ll never have that particular luxury.”
Buffy looked at her, respect shining out of her blue eyes. “So how do you deal with it?”
She-Ra smiled. “The only way that I can. One catastrophe at a time, with a healthy dose of bad puns in my back pocket.”
****
Can you feel Hell Spawning tonight…
Glory smiled as Shadoweaver finished her incantations and the building reformed into something more her liking. “Yes. That’s much better. Much more my style than that work in progress they call a High School. And so much quicker than using mind wiped dupes.”
Skeletor sneered, “It doesn’t look menacing enough for my taste and seems a bit overdramatic.”
Glory smiled as she looked at Skeletor, “This from a guy who lives in a mountain with a giant stone snake coiled around it. Like you’re Cobra commander or something.”
Skeletor looked shocked, “That moronic fool? He’s already contacted me wanting to join forces.”
Shadoweaver hissed, “Shall we enter the new Temple?”
Glory nodded, “Yeah, whatever. You, Catwoman, and you, Orange Orangutang Man, bring my Crown and Key. And be careful with the Key!” A slow sinister smile spread across Glory’s demonically beautiful features. “After all, bruising is such a waste of blood, isn’t it, Dawnny?”” As she spoke, Glory walked up the stone steps past the two statues that stood watch. Her grin grew. “Oh, won’t they be surprised when they get here. And you know they will. The Slayer and her Scoobies just couldn’t pass up a chance to try and stop me again. But this time, I’ll be ready for them.” As she spoke she ran her fingers over the two statues of the knights, her fingers glowing, a small ray of yellowish light running from the tip into the stone. “And so appropriate too. My brother and his best friend forced to stand watch over my sanctum.”
Skeletor looked at the two statues, “And they should give that pesky He-Man and She-Ra something to think about as well” and then, as Katra passed by bearing the crown, he threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
“Yes. And I shall finally be able to properly thank Lady Croft for aiding me in my ascension to the head of the Illuminati.” Ethan Rayne said, emerging from the shadows of some nearby trees. “And, perhaps, settle accounts with Ripper as well.” He smiled, humming a little ditty, and walked up the steps behind Beastman, who held the squirming Dawn in his arms. “One moment Beastman.” He said, tapping the orange furred giant on the shoulder.
“Huh?” Beastman grunted as he turned around.
Ethan reached into Dawn’s left pocket and withdrew a small silver object. “There. Now you can go inside with Glorificus’ key.” And then he turned around looking back over the parking lot. “Can’t have little Dawn here calling for help before the party is ready” and he smiled again and dropped the cell phone to the ground and stomped on it, smashing the delicate plastic phone beneath the heel of his shoe.



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