We Happy Few: The Nature of the Beast
by Sibling
"What's with bringing in the Redemption Squad, Faith?" Buffy finally asked after she'd calmed down. "We've got the Fourteen Para-whatsis taken care of already."

The former Slayer rolled her eyes. "B, I told you before, we're in uncharted territory here. All the cosmic screw-ups since Angel went bad have made this whole prophecy gig way too fuzzy for my liking. And remember, I'm part of the 'Redemption Squad' too. If you guys lose this fight, you still deserve to go to Heaven. But if I screw this job up, I go to Hell. For good. So pardon me if I load the dice as much as I can.

"Plus, there's a catch to this whole fourteen paradoxes thing. You all have to be around at the end of the fight. That means no more swan dives, B. You die, you lose. And the friggin' world ends."

That shut Buffy up. Faith might still have some of the same old 'tude, but she was taking this Guardian thing seriously.

"What about Connor, Faith?" Cordelia said. "When do we get Angel's son back?"

In response, Faith glanced over at Rachel. "You can probably give 'em the answer to that. Just look up 'The Destroyer' in that book of yours."

Rachel blinked at the name, and the rest of the crowd murmured uncomfortably as she looked it up. "'The Destroyer will come to the Hellmouth at the setting of the new moon, seeking vengeance. Though it knows it not, it also comes seeking the Key, its match, its balance."

"Gag me," grumbled Dawn.

"Could be worse, Dawnie," Tara said, trying to sound comforting.

"How?"

"The Powers could've suddenly decided you needed to fall in love with a girl."

There were gasps and snickers from several of the people in the room, including a muffled grunt from Faith.

Willow smiled at Tara. "Not that there's anything wrong with loving girls. And I'm very happy to be loving the girl I love." She gave Tara a kiss on the cheek. "But yeah . . . feeling like you were made to turn your whole life around, to go through all the emotional roller-coasters, and wondering how your friends are gonna handle this huge change, just to bring someone into the big fight between Good and Evil? Well, it kinda sucks."

"You can say that again," muttered Rachel.

Tara gave Willow a half-smile. "Hey, if Destiny is what brought you to me, I say, go Destiny."

Cordelia snorted loudly. "If we can just focus on one question at a time, people? So Connor's gonna show up here when the new moon sets? When's that?"

Rachel answered her. "The new moon is tonight, and it sets just after sunset. Call it ten minutes after sunset." At several questioning looks, she answered, "It's the kind of thing most practitioners of magic have to keep track of. I'll bet Tara knew the answer as well."

At that, the blonde nodded.

"So what're we gonna do until dark? Just sit around on our hands until nightfall?" Cordelia grumbled.

Buffy spoke up. "Well, there's one thing I've been waiting to find out since this all started -- who's the Big Bad? Who's going to try to end the world this time?"

Giles reddened. "Well . . . that is . . . um . . . " the Watcher started.

"Well? Whose ass to I have to kick for causing this?"

Rachel humphed. "Well, you'd have to start with Rupert and Willow --"

"Hey!" the redhead protested. "I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, you did, Willow -- or, rather, we did," Giles admitted. "You see . . . we closed the Hellmouth."

"Huh? Since when is that a bad thing?" the witch asked.

Giles sighed. "It turns out that many of the things we've assumed about the Hellmouth are wrong. It is an interdimensional portal, yes, but it is far more than that. For one thing, it doesn't just lead to Hell. It leads . . . everywhere. To all dimensions."

"So why is it that every time it's opened, we just get demons trying to come through?" asked Buffy.

"Because the Higher Beings don't like to interfere with humanity's destiny. It would take a very special set of circumstances for one of them to set foot on Earth."

"And demons trying to come through the Hellmouth don't count?" Xander protested.

"That's why the Slayer was created, to protect humanity from the demons," Giles responded.

"Besides," Buffy said quietly. "If you were in Heaven, would you wanna come here?"

There was an awkward silence, eventually broken by Giles. "Well . . . ah, yes . . . as I was saying, the Hellmouth passes through every dimension that exists. And, according to !Kannl's prophecies, it is necessary that it remain at least partly open. It, hmmm . . . " He glanced at Rachel.

She continued for him. "Essentially, the Hellmouth is the primary source of the world's magic. It would be theoretically impossible to close it entirely, because any spell that tried to do so would destroy itself, cutting off the source of its own power."

Xander brightened. "Oh! Like the time when I ran the vacuum cleaner over its own cord!"

Rachel laughed. "Exactly."

Giles went on. "So, by binding the Hellmouth three years ago, I'm afraid we created an imbalance in the primal forces of the world. Pressure is building up behind the magical binding we created, and if it isn't released soon, it will burst."

Willow's green eyes opened wide. "You mean we . . . ?"

Giles nodded. "Yes, Willow. We're going to have to open the Hellmouth ourselves, to release that pressure, and then put a less-restrictive binding on it. Something that will keep the demons out, but allow the free flow of mystical energies to and from this world."

Buffy groaned. "But in the meantime, as soon as you guys break the first spell, that big tentacle-beast is gonna try to come through and kill us all, right?"

"And all the other demons behind it, as well." Faith confirmed. "Okay, looks like my job's done here, for the time being. You've got the big picture now, and I'd just be in the way around here."

"You're leaving again?" Dawn asked.

Faith sighed. "Yeah D, I'm outta here. Best thing I can do is see if I can find anyone else who can help you guys out. Hey Red, you mind if I send Wolfboy this way if I see him?"

Willow looked uncertain. "As long as Tara doesn't mind . . . " The blonde shook her head. "Then no, I don't mind."

Angel grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled down a few names. "These are some demons who owe me favors. Some of them might be willing to help out."

Faith smiled at him. "Thanks, Angel." She turned to go.

"Wait!" Dawn cried, running up to her.

Faith turned back around to face the younger girl. "What is it, D?" she said quietly.

"Is . . . is it my fault you don't wanna stick around?"

Faith's eyes widened. "D . . . "

"I mean . . . you were supposed to be the Slayer in this, but now I am, and . . . " Dawn looked down and shuffled her feet a little. "Are you mad at me because I took your place?"

Faith put her hands on Dawn's shoulders. "D . . . You know I always liked you. Even when everything went to crap between me and the rest of the Scoobies, I never hated you. And I don't hate you now." She gently lifted the girl's chin so she could look her in the eye. "And you didn't just 'take my place,' D. Didn't you hear that prophecy about the Destroyer and the Key? You were always gonna be a part of this thing. It's just my damn fault that you got stuck with being a Slayer as well."

To everyone's surprise, Faith finished her speech by pulling Dawn into a hug. "I'll be back before the end, D, I promise. I wanna see you kick a little demon ass."

Then she let go of the girl, turned, and left the store without another word.

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