Chapter 19

As they enter the library Faith and Kendra move over toward Giles and Linda. The others spread out around the room. Wesley looks at Giles, “It seems 'The Powers that Be' are now 'The Powers that Were'. Since Guardian was upset with them pretending to be him and trying to change the timeline back to what it was.”

Giles scowled, “With Buffy's death there is no way to get the timeline back to what it was.”

Willow snorted, “Buffy was part of it. I was the other. I went power hungry after doing a major curse in the old timeline. Between Buffy and me... well let’s just say I put a trigger in myself that if I ever do anything like that again I will lose all my power.”

Xander and Jesse looked at Willow, “Wills..”

Willow shook her head. “After everything you said and what little I have seen. Can you blame me? I sold out humanity for power because I believed it was the only thing. I destroyed the world. And don't try and get technical on me and say I didn't. I helped cause the end of humanity, or how you put it “Perfect Balance was achieved” and we all know the only way that can happen is if there is no life on the planet. Tell me I'm wrong.”

Xander looked at her, “I achieved perfect balance not you.”

“Yeah and why did you do it?” Xander looked at the ground Willow snorted. “Yeah, to save people from a worse fate. Why did I do it?”

Xander looked at her. “I know why Willow. And you will not go there this time. You have proven your stronger.”

Willow looked at Xander. “No, I proved I could learn this time. He was wanting me to do a spell that required a lot of power and you said it was the starter. So last time I was much more powerful. And if your being honest you will agree. I listened to the tapes. I closed the portal. It was considered a Hellmouth at that time. I resouled Angel which is what he was having me do. I nearly destroyed the world. I did a “my will be done” spell without realizing it. Oh I was much more powerful, and completely clueless. I was easily led and believed that power was everything. I built my entire persona around that. I may have picked that up from Buffy but I followed her like a sheep. Cheryl talks about cliques and stuff in other cities. I was a flunky of Buffy's. No matter what you say we both know it is true. You said it yourself, what I lost was Willow. I will not have that happen again and there is no way my body can be used by another and do it either.”

Xander looked at her and his face took a harder look. “You would not get the chance this time. I am happy that you saw what your problems were and went to fix them because it will not be allowed again.”

Everyone looked and nodded at Guardian. They could tell it was him even though he sounded like Xander.

Xander looked at Kendra. “So how was your night?”

Faith snorted and Kendra looked around. “Faith and I talked a lot about what I learned last night. If what the demon normally does to slayers nightly the Watchers call helpful I am sure Guardian can help them relearn the word.” Faith snorted again and Kendra nodded “Between what we loosened and everything the Demon in me and I was able to communicate some. It was not a nice night. I pulled Faith in since you said you knew she was a slayer after me. He also showed where she was tainted already just by being a potential.”

Ssallaa looked at Faith. “I do not read you as tainted, nor did I read Kendra as tainted before she activated. Did he say how they hid the taint?”

Kendra nodded. “He told me a lot. Like Guardian they are not happy. They agreed with the Orchorracks and are furious that it was taken and twisted like it was. The Eearrans should of died out from this hundreds of years ago. The Watchers use the “Killing of demons” part to offset the damage done by inserting a demon into what they thought was only their girl children. Part of the it was the first guys that became the watchers made a deal with the Eearrans. The Eearrans helped them gather up people in the nearby villages as slaves to sell, they worked on making it so the women wouldn't abort the children. While some of the old lines don't have Eearran blood in them many of the others do. Take Sam, he may not realize it but he is tainted the same as Faith and I. He has Eearran blood in him. His mother was an uncalled potentials. The watchers not in the main lines where they keep watch of the bloodline for other reasons.” Ethan smirked “Snobs” Rupert and Wesley turn red “Yes we know how we are about bloodlines for titles and such.” Everyone else smiles at them.

“It is also interesting to note that the blood has been destroyed in many areas. While the slaves were shipped around the world, some areas did not agree even after the Watchers hid the taint, many of the Eastern cultures still saw it. While one or two may slip through, more in areas that the English had sway over since many of the soldiers were second or third onward of Eearrans and Watchers mixed. If you compare the number of slayers in China versus the rest of the world you would see a disproportioning amount. In China there is 3 potentials. That is all. Considering the population that is incredibly small amount. There are more in Jamaica than that, with a much smaller population. I found out that there is 50 of us over 10 islands.”

Ethan looked startled at that. “Is that potentials or Eearrans? Since our records only show 4 girls that we need to rescue in the area.”

Kendra looked at Ethan. “They are classified as 'not eligible' so they aren't on your list. They are on the reproduce lists for more babies. Some of them are only 12 or 13 years old and already have 2 kids.”

Ethan and Rupert looked sharply. “Not eligible? I do not remember seeing that.” Wesley scowled looking at the floor. “Is that the same as the 'parts only' list?”

Kendra nodded and everyone got a sick look at the mere thought of what the watchers really thought of the girls. Rupert looked at Ethan. “Those girls need out first and fast.”

Kendra nodded her head crying. “Yeah, what they are doing to a lot of them.. and it’s not all girls though most of them are. There are a bunch of boys in there too. All kids of potentials that they didn't like and didn't want to 'taint' the line so they are trying to clean it up.”

Faith looked at them. “So K brought me in a lot last night while she and Big B talked. It was … Big B kept showing her and opened the taint in me a bit more so I would see some of it. The Demons were to be called into the Eearrans and then while not exactly the driver’s seat they took over more and more as the kid aged. A kid would still mostly be in the front seat and at the early teens the demon would take over more. However, they are a different breed that what comes in for vamps but same principal, however, they are in for life. The no female born is was to try and free us from what the Eearrans opened themselves up to. They didn't realize it but by offering Aaeala up for possession then trying to control her she was considered a victim of theirs at first as well. The Orchorracks wanted to make it so there would be no females to breed with, and to get revenge for Aaeala. Aaeala was used because her husband wanted to bring 3 more brides in but she didn't want that. She told him if he did he wouldn't be in her bed, since one of the 3 he wanted was someone she didn't like. So he gave her over for this and took the 3 other brides. Let’s just say Aaeala lived longer than those 3, since when they got pregnant they felt the demon in the baby. The first one aborted and saw the fetus. It wasn't human. Aaeala had been ostracized by the village since she didn't do what they wanted. They wanted her to kill all the Orchorracks so they would be out of the deal. She didn't. They thought they had spelled her to attack everything, the demon in her made it so they couldn't. That’s part of the reason when they worked with the watchers they started raising the girls to be totally obedient. Since the Demon make it so they can’t be taken over so easily since the demon likes being more in control. And the Demon goes into control the longer a slayer is alive. It’s not a kill everyone and take over the world type, more a small dictator. Setting up their area where they are boss. From what little we gleaned from you guys that is what happened last time to the slayer who lived so long.”

Xander frowned, “Is the demon more in control or less?”

Faith looked and Kendra said, “Influence more than control. He's a voice in the back of my head telling me things.”

Xander nodded. “So someone trying to take control of their life is more likely to not listen to him than someone who is just wanting to go back to what she was?”

Kendra nodded looking skeptical, “Why?”

Xander looked at Kendra. “It explains Faiths ability to come back to good.”

Faith jerked up, “What!”

Xander looked straight at her. “Friendly fire accident, you killed a human Buffy threw at you. We weren't supportive and the Council was out for a new slayer. You went to the old mayor and joined his side. However, you also later turned yourself in and went to prison. Yeah, the prison only held you because you wanted it to. You repented and stayed on the straight and narrow... or your version of it, from then on. You never developed like Buffy the Queen attitude. If it’s because you didn't listen to the demon then the attitude comes a lot with the demon.”

Kendra shook her head. “No, the demon just takes what’s in us and uses that.” She glanced from Xander to Joyce then back to Xander “Buffy wanted Power, she wanted to be Queen. In her mind popularity, social standing, all that was the most important thing. I know you are trying to find excuses but the demon just brings out our worse traits and tries to push what we feel most strongly about. He showed me what he saw in me and what was seen in Buffy. And since he has been in me since birth.”

Ssallaa jerked. “So all Eearrans still have a demon in them, they are just hidden. And they stay in contact with each other?”

Kendra nodded. “Male, female, it doesn't matter, we all have demons in us. The watchers did a lot of deals to get the shielding around us we have. That is why most of the old line looses two children every decade from the main tree, maybe an outside branch but off the main line. Many deals were done in the main families, they tried using some of their offspring from the Eearrans and the children were refused and they were informed it was as if they were attempting to break the contract. Every 10 years each of the main lines take two children and they are given to the Brallats.” All the realmers and Ethan, Rupert and Wesley jumped and shook their heads no at that. “They dealed with the Vranas and the deal is 2 children, under the age of 10, every decade to the Brallats. What the watchers also forgot is that by keeping the children in the main tree they have current families for every main line watcher and blood ties back.”

Ethan, “They could destroy the Watchers whenever they want, why are they waiting?”

Kendra smiled. “Why should they, they have control of the group without them knowing it and free children every decade that they train as assassins. The watchers think their kids are dead or something not really caring. However, the Brallats actually give the kids to the Vrana's, the kids are then taken and trained and informed why they were there and see their parents drop off the next ones when they are teens. Most of the humans in the Order of the Takra are actually children of Watchers.”

Willow looked at Xander, “So how to you plan on helping the slayers and yet not getting everyone mad when we do. It seems there is a lot of things going on that is tied to the slayers.

Xander smiled. “I understand that a lot of demons are going to lose out on their deals. However, my concern is Humanity. And if you look you will see in the last 100 years the numbers have grown of children with the demon inside of them. Buffy was missed as a child, more because she is from a line of an unknown affair. There are more like her out there. Do you honestly think the watchers kept control of all the slave lines. After they made it so the women didn't feel the evil in the baby and it looked normal, every female they caught wasn't sold until she was pregnant. Then she and the baby went to their new owner. That child then had many children and so on. The taint isn’t in a few hundred people.”

Seeing that everyone was looking confused. “Ok let’s do simple math. Rupert you are the first Eearran child in the area. You are male since there are more male children born. You have a bunch of female slaves, etc and maybe 4 or 5 kids. Or more, in that time period it was common to have a lot of children. That’s 6 of you in 20 years, since it’s easier to use than say 16 or so. Each of your 5 children have 6 children that’s 30 grandchildren and 6 of you for a total of 36. Your maybe 40 at this time. Next time, your 60, your 30 grandchildren each had 5 children, wow you now have 150 great grandchildren. Add all together, 186 and your 60. So your now 80, your 150 great grandchildren has 5 children apiece so that’s 750 great great-grandchildren? 936 by the time your 80. Now we know they aren't doing only 5 children apiece. Why your dad had 15 children from the potentials. That’s only this generation. You already know how many nieces and nephews you have from that 15. you said it yourself only one was a girl and I bet they grew up with the 'go forth and multiply' so firmly in their physique that they don't even realize it.”

Rupert blushed. “I have 35 nieces and nephews. But your point is well made. The taint is out there badly. However, I cannot see the demons allowing us to remove them.”

Kendra looked at Xander who nodded before speaking. “The demons being used won’t care. They aren't in the driver’s seat now. The only ones they get any sort of freedom with is the slayers, and they die before they can do a lot, purposely, the watchers do not want the demon growing strong enough that the we realizes what is happening.” A flash of pain and despair flashed across Kendra's face. Xander nodded and watched as Jesse went and put a hand on Kendra she moved closer and he put his hands on her shoulders and stroked her, offering support.

Ethan looked at Xander. “And the Watchers are tainted as badly as the Eearrans. Come boy, it took a bit but when I finally found how they hid the taint on Faith I looked around. Wesley, Rupert, and Linda all carry the same taint as Faith.”

Xander looked at Ethan. “The Orchorrack's are furious. Their revenge has been reversed and actually there are more of them now than ever before. The initial deal between the demons and the Eearran's have had that broken. The Vrana's know that the watchers used them and actually considered the initial contract void when they started giving them tainted children. At this point the Watchers have broken every deal out there. This allows us to do what we need to do to free all the children.”

Wesley looked at Xander, “For some reason I don’t think the Vranas or the demons care about the children so how did you get them to agree.”

Willow looked at Xander, “Balance... consequences... Xander you mean you really...”

Jesse looked. “No, brother you mean you... wow.. and they agreed?”

Xander smirked, “The deal has changed and the other parties like how it has changed. The Orchorrack's want children protected, the Vrana's don't care much about it since they have what they want, many lines dedicated to them. With the children they got from the watchers their numbers have re-grown after their war with the Prollecs. They now have enough to actually survive and defend themselves without issue. And the lines are fully dedicated to them. The demons want a way in and the ability to take over some people. They are not the same as most other demon races, they are more like realmers in some ways but more violent and they are not able to take a solid form. They are more vapor/mist like.”

Willow looked, “And the spell needed to do this?”

Xander smirked. “Spell... Why would we need a spell?”

Jesse looked over, “You don't expect a major demon to give you a boon do you.”

Xander snorted. “Hell no.”

Cordy looked at Xander. “The deals were reworked. When does the new deals go into effect?”

Xander looked at Kendra. “It is not my decision.”

Kendra looked at Xander. “And this 'New Deal'”

Xander smirked. “Why don't you ask your passenger. You write down what he says, I will write down what I know. We make sure they match. And we go from there.”

Kendra nodded and Faith handed her a notebook and pen she got out. Willow handed one to Xander. After a few moments of pen scratching on paper Xander handed his to Faith. Kendra looked and handed hers to Willow.

Faith read and they saw her eyes get wide. “Oh shit, they agreed to this?”

Willow looked up wide eye. “Wow how did you get this agreed to?”