Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted materials contained herein. They are the rightful property of their respective creators and associated companies. I make no profit off of this whatsoever and I have no intention of changing this in the future. I write because it's fun and because there are those who enjoy reading my work.

Note 1: Sorry for the long wait but Real Life and more specifically my job required my full attention. Thank you for your patience.

The Apartment of Rupert Giles, A Little Over Half an Hour Later, Rupert Giles' POV

"Now that we have some manner of privacy, perhaps you could elaborate on why it is you have sought out Xander, Mr. Gandalf." he said in a tone that could not be misinterpreted. "Depending on your answer I may see fit to offer you some tea."

"Very well, then. I suppose I should start at the beginning as that is always a good place to begin such a long story," Gandalf said with a friendly smile despite his wizard-like appearance. "My companions and I come from another world, a world I imagine would seem as strange to you as yours does to us, on the most urgent of missions. There, in the lands known as Middle Earth, there is a great threat growing in the eastern lands, the full context of which I believe you should know in order to fully understand our plight."

It was from there that the elderly man told the tale of a member of a race known as the Ainur, once known as Malron the Admirable and that man's fall from grace. How, while good in the beginning was soon corrupted by the Dark Lord Morgoth and made the evil man's lieutenant, whose duties included spying on beings who very much sounded like counterparts to the Powers That Be. Malron took on the name Sauron during this time, handling one front of his master's plans while his lord handled the other side of his ambitions. For the most part it sounded as though the being once known as Malron performed his duties admirably but, as was often the case with beings of evil, Sauron fled into hiding after being handily defeated by the she-elf known as Luthien. No doubt the man feared his master's wrath for failing in such a manner and only resurfaced after Morgoth had been defeated and captured.

For five hundred years following the defeat of his master Sauron took no action but then, little by little, he began to move, with the first step being to claim the lands of Mordor as his own. In those dark lands the being of darkness built his fortress of Barad-dur and began to raise an army of foul creatures such as orcs, trolls and numerous other monsters. Members of the race of men were also recruited placed under delusions of power and wealth promised to them if they faithfully served him, with the Easterlings and Haradim being chief among them. Sauron even attempted to deceive the elves by taking on a pleasing form and, through his offer of knowledge, tried to trick them into creating rings of power. In this the ruler of Mordor was only partially successful for, while the rings were created and bestowed upon the chosen few, his true intentions were revealed when he placed a secretly forged ring on his finger. The elves managed to escape enslavement but this enraged Sauron, causing him to go to open war with the demand that all the rings of power be returned to him immediately.

Three were successfully hidden but, of the sixteen that remained, some were successfully captured, while others were destroyed or lost during the course of the struggle to reclaim them. Of those that had been given rings of power only the nine given to the kings of men succeeded in the task of corrupting and enslaving them, with the ones given to the dwarves only producing an insatiable lust for gold. The nine kings of men became the Nazgul, neither living nor dead, the deadliest of Sauron's servants and those who were often charged with the most important of tasks. With the creation of the Nazgul darkness spread out across the lands through the connection that the kings had with their subjects, leaving only the elves and the Númenórians free. Together King Tar-Minastir of the Numenorians and Celebrimbor of the elves eventually managed to turn the tide, forcing Sauron to retreat back into his realm of Mordor in order to recover his strength.

It was near the end of the time period Gandalf referred to as the Second Age that the dark lord once more began his campaign to conquer all of Middle-Earth. So arrogant was the man that he assumed titles such as 'Lord of the Earth' and 'King of Men' even when victory was still in question. This offended the people of the isle of Numenor as they had heard similar proclamations from Morgoth and so, in great number they travelled to Middle-Earth under King Ar-Pharazon. The King demanded Sauron humble himself and, while the ruler of Mordor did come forth, the evil man's attempts to fool the ruler of Numenor failed. Insisting that Sauron surrender to be taken back to Numenor as a hostage, Ar-Pharazon got his way but this, as would later be discovered, was a fatal mistake.

With skill as a wordsmith the dark lord managed to ascend from being a prisoner to the king's most trusted advisor, all in the royal court likewise trusting the evil man. Using the fear of death present in all Numenorians, he convinced them that he could save them from death through human sacrifices to Morgoth from within a temple built especially for that purpose. It was, however, Sauron's venture afterwards that spelled the end for the isle of Numenor and its people: he persuaded the king to rebel against the Valar and attempt to seize the land of Valinor for himself.

Sadly Eru, the supreme deity of the dimension, chose to directly intervene by sinking Numenor beneath the sea, destroying its navy, imprisoning those that fled to Aman underground and destroying Sauron's body. This, however, did not spell the end of the lord of Mordor for the evil man's spirit was tied to the ring of power he'd forged to control all of the others and, so long as it remained intact, his spirit lived on. Returning to Mordor Sauron constructed a new body for himself and began preparing a new army for the war that he knew was on the horizon. Losing the ability to assume another form with the creation of his new body Sauron instead chose to conquer through terror and force. Opposing him this time were a few Numenorians still faithful to the Valar and the elves who together created a final alliance through which they hoped to finally slay Sauron for good.

For seven years the two forces clashed until Sauron himself came forth to cast down his enemies, successfully managing to kill both the Elven-king Gil-galad and the leader of the Numenorian's Elendil. However, when the dark lord turned to do the same to Elendil's son, Isildur, the young prince took up his father's sword and cut Sauron's ring of power from his new body's hand. With the connection severed the lord of Mordor's new body was destroyed and the spirit that had been inhabiting it was greatly weakened as a result, almost to the point of final death.

In what should have been the crowning moment of the war, though, a terrible thing happened that left a way open for Sauron to return. After his victorious act Isildur was led deep into the volcano where the ring had been forged and should have tossed it in to be destroyed for good. However the ring had a mind of its own and, through its power, it corrupted the new leader of the Numenorians, causing the man to take the cursed item and make it an heirloom of his line. None of the elves could forcibly take it lest it corrupt them as well and replace one dark lord with another. None of the Men would go against their leader for they had absolute faith and loyalty where Isildur was concerned, especially considering the feat the young man had just accomplished. Thus it was that the one ring left Mordor hanging from a chain around the neck of the one who'd cast aside the best chance Middle Earth had to be free of Sauron for good.

Unsurprisingly, at least from the point of view of those who knew better, the ring of the enemy betrayed Isildur and, when orcs ambushed the man's party, they killed him at Gladden Fields. However fate chose to be kind to them for in the same skirmish the ring of power, the one meant to control all others, became lost in the river that ran through the fields. While some worried over the lack of resolution to the matter, most embraced the peace that followed and as the centuries passed the enemy of the free peoples of Middle Earth was reduced to mere legend.

A little under thirty years ago, according to Gandalf, signs began to show themselves that caused those learned enough to worry that something dark was stirring. Animals and creatures had begun to leave what had been their normal territory for centuries and a forest that had been under the watchful eye of a friend was beginning to show signs of dark corruption. The taint was traced back to the fortress Dol Guldur where it was discovered that a necromancer had taken up residence in the old structure but that was all that could be determined before the investigator had to flee for his life. However it was the one item that was taken from the fortress that had caused the most concern, for it was a Morgul blade that could only have been crafted by the leader of the Nazgul.

It was only when Gandalf himself investigated Dol Guldur that the true identity of the necromancer was revealed and, with this discovery, the ancient enemy was driven out of the forest and back to its realm of Mordor. Since then the enemies of Sauron had watched the events of Middle Earth carefully for the actions of their foe and what they had seen caused them growing concern. The being once known as Malron was rebuilding his army of old, calling all old allies to him, no doubt with the intention of waging war once more against the free people's of Middle Earth. This did not bode well for the alliances of old had weakened and the bonds that once connected the kingdoms of Men had frayed.

Yet there had still been a ray of hope to cling to in the form of Isildur's heir, Aragorn.

Directly descended from the man who defeated Sauron so long ago it had been the hope of many that when the Dunedain came into his inheritance and assumed the throne of Gondor that the alliances of old could be renewed. Aragorn, though willing to oppose the dark lord Sauron, refused to claim the inheritance that was the throne of Gondor and Arnor out of fear that Isildur's weakness was within him. Many had attempted to reassure him that he would overcome his ancestor's weakness and lead his people into a new golden age but the son of Arathorn's doubt was strong. They had all hoped that, given enough time, they could wear him down and disperse his doubt but now they no longer had that choice.

Aragorn had been slain while in the service of the steward of Gondor and so it was that their best hope for reuniting the kingdoms of Man was lost.

"Look… um… it sounds like you guys are in trouble and everything, but… what's that got to do with me?" Xander asked, sounding just as entranced by the tale as the rest of them.

Indeed, he was no exception; the world that the three came from fascinated him but at the same time horrified for in their tale he saw what might befall his world should a foul demonic lord of old return to unite the various species hostile to humanity.

Throughout the long centuries that had passed since the exodus of the Old Ones there had been times in which a single demon had risen to power with the goal of uniting all demons against the humans. It was either hatred or ambition that drove them and, were it not for the efforts of the Watchers or their allies, war might very well have broken out between man and demon. The Watchers most common tactics were to either sow the seeds of mistrust between the demon breeds allying together or kill key targets, without whom an alliance could not prosper. It was the weakness of the demon species that they were so full of hate and evil that trust was often a foreign concept to them and allying with those not of their kind was often wrought with difficulties. By encouraging these difficulties and eliminating those capable of fostering co-operation, they averted war after war safeguarding humanity's future until the next threat arose.

If this Middle Earth was facing a war with such creatures that could not be avoided then they were in dire straits indeed.

"It was when Lady Galadriel, ruler of Lothlorien, received confirmation that Aragorn had been slain that she received a vision from Valinor indicating a way that hope might still endure," Gandalf replied, looking at Xander intently. "The vision showed one who was descended through many generations from the elf maiden Nimrodel of Lorien and one who possessed the potential to do what Aragorn no longer can. She was shown a vision of you, Xander."

Right at that moment he was ever so glad that he hadn't been sipping a bit of tea at that moment, for if he had he almost certainly would have done a clichéd spit take or caused the liquid to go down the wrong way.

The others had similar reactions.

Oz was shocked enough that there wasn't even a bit of facial movement to denote what was going on inside.

Willow looked as though her mind was trying and failing to make the connection between 'elf' and her longtime friend.

Buffy looked like a large part of her wanted to call the three travelers insane and simply ship them off to an asylum but was stalled by the fact that one of them looked rather authentic.

However the reaction that'd likely determine the course the discussion would take from this point onward, so he chose to focus on the young man at the center of everything.

Needless to say when the lad fainted on the spot it was somehow both appropriate and disappointing.

"Well, I'd venture that we have time for that tea now," he said as he got up from his chair. "It'll likely be a couple of minutes before he comes to."

The Upstairs Guest Bedroom of Rupert Giles' Apartment, A Little While Later, Xander's POV

Ooohhh! I think I better get some evasion training from Giles, he thought as he returned to the waking world. Getting hit in the head so bad you get concussed makes you see all sorts of crazy stuff. Though why I hallucinated about three people out of a D&D convention, I'll never understand. I'd rather hallucinate about Buffy and Cordy in string bikinis, whispering naughty things in my ear.

True, the likelihood of THAT particular hallucination ever popping up was about the same as him becoming the absolute monarch of the United Kingdom, so it'd remain a fantasy for the time being.

Deciding the best way to get his mind working again would be to go back through his most recent memories one by one, he thought back to the beginning of the graduation ceremony. As he got out of the bed and tested his balance, he remembered how everyone in the know about what was about to happen sat in their seats awaiting the signal. He clearly remembered the Mayor transforming into a demonic serpent and how everyone had sprung into action, throwing off their robes before taking up their arms. The fighting was a bit more of a blur but that was to be expected in a fight where too much thinking could make it so you didn't stay capable of thinking anything anymore. As he left the room to join with the others, who were presumably downstairs waiting for him, he recalled giving out the orders and then entering into the fighting himself with his favorite axe.

However it was at that point though that his hallucination seemed determined to stick around because, no matter how hard he tried, he could not rid himself of the image of an elf saving his life. Even as he reached the bottom of the stairs his mind kept telling him that after the battle, three people who looked like their fashion sense had gotten stuck in the eleventh century had been there. It was as he entered the living room to find those very same people sitting down drinking tea that he wondered just how concussed he really was for three hallucinations to still be floating in front of his eyes.

"Giles? You see an old guy, a scruffy guy and an elf sitting there right?" he asked, pointing at the three and probably sounding like he'd prefer it if the answer was no.

If his hallucinations took offense to his names for them they didn't show it. The old guy, Gandalf he thought his name was, actually seemed amused by his question, showing that even if it was a figment of his imagination it had a good sense of humor.

"Yes I see them, Xander. If you're hoping that they're simple a result of that blow to the head you took earlier I am afraid I shall have to disappoint you," Giles replied, sounding half amused and half concerned. "They are as real as I am or the bed you woke up on."

Okay, that started to make his mind sputter every so often like an engine that was beginning to experience problems but was still managing somehow to putter along.

"But if they're real then everything I heard them say must've been real too and that's crazy talk," he said, trying to use logic to get himself out of the bizarre situation. "I mean it sounded like they wanted me to jump dimensions and become this big time hero or something. We both know that's not me! That's what you or Buffy or maybe even Willow in a couple of years could do but me… I'm the sidekick! I'm a member of the pit crew! I'm… I'm no leader."

"Perhaps not now, young man, but that does not mean that it is impossible for you to become one," Gandalf said, sounding like he saw more than others. "Few men are born with the natural ability to lead and for some that potential can be hard to see if you don't know where to look. In your case, however, I could see it from the start. I saw how you led your fellow students in that battle and, more than, that I saw how you supported two of them when they took on more than they could handle. You have the potential, Xander. All you need ask now is if you are prepared to make the most of it."

Potential? Potential to become a leader? He wasn't sure where they were looking but it certainly wasn't at him. He'd just been following the game plan that Giles and Buffy had worked out with a few bits he'd retained from his soldier possession two Halloweens ago. Put him up against someone with real talent, real skill and leadership abilities, and he'd be humiliated just to be compared to that person, never mind have all his faults laid out for everyone to see.

"Look, I get that you guys are in a pinch and everything but you're looking at the wrong guy. Why doesn't Halbarad or the elf do it? They seem pretty good in a fight and probably know a lot more about leading then I do."

"The kingdoms of Men would never accept an elf as a leader and I am a mere ranger. We are regarded as little more than mercenaries since we have sworn no formal allegiance to a recognized ruler," Halbrad explained, sounding all other options had been considered already. "Aragorn had an opening to do so because of his bloodline but even then we fully expected there to be resistance. The nobles of Gondor would never accept one not born of noble blood as their king."

"Then to hell with them! The normal people who aren't nobles have to outnumber them, right?" he asked rhetorically, still intent on fighting their idea. "So just get the people to support one of you and that'll be it."

"If only it were so easy, dear fellow," Gandalf said, sounding like he was willing to debate the matter with him for the time being. "Sadly in the world of Middle Earth it is the nobles and their allies in the various merchant guilds that control the majority of the resources, as well as the military. What's more is that the people know this and so they would be unwilling to risk the costly consequences of defying those who rank above them."

Great, so this Middle Earth is ruled by the haves rather than the have nots! he thought with a groan of disappointment. And they apparently want me to become the top have guy of them all.

That only made him want even less to go with these guys because he was an American and proud of it. They were a democracy where the people had a say in what the people behind the desks did, plus there were a bunch of checks and balances in place to make sure no one in power could get too powerful. If he went along with them he'd definitely change things and probably get assassinated by one of the nobles inside of a year so things could stay the way those silver spooned idiots liked it.

"Then what makes you think they'd accept me?" he asked, deciding to use their own words against them. "You really think they'll follow someone related to an elf that hasn't been seen in what I'm guessing is centuries?"

"While we have not fully contemplated that part, it would not be difficult to make them believe that YOU are Isildur's heir," Gandalf said with only a little uncertainty. "Due to your Elven heritage you will live a great deal longer than an ordinary man. Your appearance, while not a precise match with Aragorn's, would not be an insurmountable obstacle."

"So basically you're saying we'd be lying to everyone? Making them think I'm someone I'm not isn't the best way to gain their trust and it'll all fall apart if they find out the truth. It's not right."

"An honorable statement and an example of why you might be better suited to the role than you think," Gandalf said with a grin on his face. "Some Men would not care if they gained power through lies or deceit. It speaks well of your character that you oppose such actions."

Great. Now the guy's using my own words against me! he thought angrily as he tried to find something else to throw at them.

It wasn't that he was a coward or anything.

If they'd come asking Buffy to help them out, he'd be more than happy to go along and back the Slayer up as best he could. However what they were asking was for him to take on the lead role rather than be in a supporting role and that is what he had issues with. He wasn't a star jock who made the big plays on the field. He wasn't the egghead that could write his own ticket with the big name companies. He certainly wasn't heartthrob material that made all the girls swoon with a look. Hell, at the moment his job prospects were looking only slightly above average, especially since he didn't have the money to go to college like Buffy and Willow were planning to do. What kind of leader could he possibly become with such a lack of qualifications?

"Perhaps you may be more convinced if you were to speak with the one who had the vision that led us here?" Gandalf said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Lady Galadrial awaits us just outside your town where she maintains the connection with our world. Would you be willing to hear what she has to say, Xander?"

Why won't these guys just take a hint?! he thought with frustration as they continued to press him. I'm not the leader they're looking for! Hell, I'd probably barely be able to fit in with their rank and file people!

Still, maybe if he managed to convince this high society lady he wasn't the guy they were looking for the rest of them would fall into line.

"Fine. Let's get walking, 'cause the sooner she realizes what a big mistake she's made, the sooner you can all go home." He gestured towards the door, "Guests first."

Heading out of Sunnydale, A Dozen or So Minutes Later, Gandalf's POV

"I was wondering if I could ask you a question about Xander, Rupert," he asked from the rear of the group as he used his appearance as an old man to explain his slow pace.

"I will answer what I can but as I am sure you can understand certain things are not mine to tell." Rupert replied with a somewhat guarded look on his face.

That was to be expected given how little they knew of each other but he hoped that he would still be able to get the answers he sought just the same. Ever since he had gotten close enough to take a real look at Xander, he had seen a contradiction of sorts within the lad that had him somewhat puzzled. On the one hands he saw the makings of a leader of Men in the lad both in how he'd directed his citizen troops against the foul creatures that had besieged them and in how he reasoned. There were improvements to be made, of course, instruction to be given, but the raw materials with which they could forge the leader and future king they desired was there in the lad clear as day.

On the other side of the coin though he saw a young man with little confidence in himself or his future and was likely thankful for whatever good luck came his way rather than trying for something better. In a way it reminded him of Bilbo all those years ago when he'd roped the then young hobbit into the quest to retake Erebor, but he did not believe that it was simply a deviation from routine that was holding Nimrodel's heir back. It almost seemed as though the lad was afraid to become something more than what he was or perhaps afraid of the consequences of failure that all leaders had to come to terms with eventually.

Before they reached Galadrial he needed to know more about what chains held the young man back so that he might free the boy from them.

"Xander appears rather unusually resistant to the idea that someone would seek his aid in this manner. While I understand that it is a life changing decision I do not believe that that is at the core of his reluctance," he said, working his way up to his real question. "Would you happen to know why he holds such a poor opinion of himself?"

"While I cannot go into too many details as I do not know them myself, I believe that the lad has had a less than ideal home life." Rupert replied in a somewhat low voice so his words wouldn't carry too far. "To my knowledge he has never invited anyone over to his home for a gathering of any kind, nor has he spoken of his parents or family in any way but the briefest of comments. I believe he wishes very strongly that no one learn of what transpires there for fear of how it would cause others to change their opinion of him."

"Do you believe they mistreat him in some manner?" he asked, gaining a glimmer of understanding from the learned man's words.

"I cannot say for certain but that is one of the possibilities that I deduced the few times I pondered the matter myself," Rupert replied, glancing ahead to Xander who was in the lead position of the group. "If it is indeed the case, it would explain much. Those who grow up being physically or mentally mistreated eventually come to believe what is said about them if the words are repeated often enough. In Xander's case it is likely that he has been told that he will never amount to anything or truly matter to anyone. His friends have helped his self-image somewhat but the poisonous words still linger."

"I fear you are right."

If Rupert's suspicions proved accurate then it would explain much about Xander's refusal concerning the idea that he could become a leader of Men. Indeed, in the long years of his life he had unfortunately seen many who had been beaten down by others until they believed themselves incapable of ascending any higher than they already had. Some were even terrified that even the smallest of mistakes might result in them being cast into the ditch and left alone to die. It often took a great deal of work to help them recover their inner belief in themselves and some time before they began to make plans for the future.

In Xander's case, though, it might not be as difficult as all that to undo the damage caused by the young man's less than kind parents.

If we could just show the boy that he is better than he believes himself to be it would do much to improve his opinion of himself and make our task much easier. he thought, still desiring to gain the aid of Nimrodel's heir.

It was as they came within sight of the Doorway and Lady Galadrial, though, that he sensed something amiss in the air and instantly he froze so that he might focus all of his attention on discern the cause of his disquiet. Stretching forth with his senses both normal and arcane to trace the source of the disharmony to its source, he sifted though the information he received. It was difficult, so difficult, given his unfamiliarity with the energies of this foreign dimension but there were enough similarities that he was not totally lost in his efforts. He could feel the waning taint of the unnatural energies of what Rupert called the Hellmouth behind him. He could sense the potent forces that made up the Doorway ahead of them as it pushed against the fabric of this world. Somewhere in between, though, he felt… something, something that did not belong to this world yet could not be seen by the naked eye no matter how carefully he looked.

Yet this told him enough to know that danger was close.

"Gandalf? Is something the matter?" Rupert asked, noticing his lack of motion.

Dividing his attention to take in the actions of the group while still searching for those that hid, he could tell that the others were puzzled by his pause.

"We are not alone," he said, risking the revelation in the hopes that those unseen might do something to give away their location and their intentions.

Those of Xander's group looked about but he could tell that all but the one called Buffy were looking only with their normal eyes and thus saw nothing out of sorts. The lady with the coloring of one born of Rohan seemed to perceive something but knew not what save that it was unlike anything she had felt before. Legolas seemed to sense something as well but the taint of the Hellmouth was no doubt interfering with the elf's ability to connect to nature. Nevertheless, both he and Halbarad trusted him enough to instantly bring their guard up, with the Ranger unsheathing his sword and the son of Thranduil readying his bow for use. Thankfully he did not need to ask them to take up defensive positions around Xander's group for, of the lot of them, only Buffy and Nimrodel's heir were visibly armed. The former carried a short sword in her hands while the latter held the axe from the earlier battle with both preparing for a potential fight to break out.

"Where are they?" Xander asked in a tone that implied he did not sense anything but trusted Buffy's instincts in such matters.

"I do not know. Some manner of sorcery conceals them from normal sight," he replied, getting closer to determining the locations of the disturbances that concerned him, "but I shall allow them to do so no longer!"

Placing a white crystal from his pocket onto the top of his staff, he channeled the power that was his through it and instantly light as bright as the sun sprung from it. For a few seconds it only pushed back the darkness of the late hour but, as he channeled more of his power into the crystal, his efforts were rewarded. From out of nowhere shadows stretched forth, shadows that at first glance looked to be of Men, with weapons in their hands that showed their true nature.

"Orcs!" he bellowed, warning the others that agents of the enemy were amongst them.

This proved to be the tipping point for, while most of Sauron's twisted horde were consumed by their base desires, some were wise enough to know when a tactic would no longer aid them. One by one the magic that had concealed the evil beings vanished but this proved to be a mixed blessing for, while now they were clear to see, their numbers were nearly three times that of their honorable group.

"KILL THEM ALL! LEAVE NONE ALIVE!" the leader of the orcs yelled before it charged, intent on spilling a great deal of blood.

With the battle upon them he made a quick decision and unsheathed Glamdring before passing it to Rupert for him to wield. While he would prefer to have both weapons, he could manage well enough with just his staff and arming those capable of fighting would improve their chances of victory. Once he was sure that the scholar was armed, he looked to the others finding both Buffy and Xander had taken up defensive positions on either side of young Willow. A wise choice as, while the inquisitive young woman appeared to have talent for sorcery, she was far too new to it to be of much use in this battle. At that point there was no more time for reassuring looks towards allies for the enemy was upon them and the fight for survival began.

With snarls and shrieks of bloodthirsty beasts the orcs attacked with their crude yet effective weapons and so he began to use his staff to either block or parry before delivering a blow of his own. When opportunity appeared he lashed out with his power, using unseen force to knock an orc to the ground and most times one of his allies capitalized on the opening to end that fallen foe. When a seconds long respite came about he rendered what aid he could to others by sending a blast of force to thwart orc attacks that would have drawn blood otherwise. The chaos of battle ebbed and flowed as it was wont to do, with it being difficult to tell which side would emerge victorious in the end. The orcs had numbers and savagery working in their favor, along with armor that was quite strong all things considered. He and his allies, though, possessed superior skill as well as the ability to work together whereas the orcs attacked with no heed to what their kin were doing beyond the obvious.

May the Valar guide our hands and keep us safe.

Willow's POV

"Aahhh!" she exclaimed as a black sword nearly hit her only to be parried away by Buffy before the Slayer forced the ugly creature to back away with a flurry of slashes.

It was murder on her nerves, these close calls, but she couldn't blame her friends for they were doing everything they could to protect both her and themselves at the same time. Normally these numbers would not be a problem but the fact that the enemy was clad in durable armor was forcing her friends as well as the others to be more careful with their attacks. Opportunities to strike did not come often and those chances were few since the monsters were smart enough to protect those places either with shield or sword. Still, they were making progress as, every once in a while, one of the creatures Gandalf had called orcs dropped dead to the ground.

"I'm seriously missing the vamps right about now!" Xander said as he caught a blade with his axe before kicking the foul weapon's owner back.

"I know! They smell better and have better dress sense!" Buffy said as she parried two quick attacks from the orc attacking her before executing a slash of her own.

"I was talking about the fact that they're wearing armor over all their important bits!" Xander yelled back as orc he was facing went on the offensive again.

"Yeah, that's annoying too!" Buffy said as though that fact was no more than an afterthought for her. "But I'm learning to work around it!"

Indeed, as the Slayer Buffy had an easier time adapting to their enemy's strengths than Xander and was able to strike at their weak points more often. Despite this, though, her attempts to strike a killing blow were being thwarted more often than not and, even when they bled from wounds in the neck, the creatures continued to fight. It was this lack of self-preservation that made it difficult to anticipate their actions and probably led to the close calls that almost got her hurt. Still, she was alive still and amazingly uninjured but how long that would last was anyone's guess.

It was about this time that a new element entered the battle that had been absent: Arrows.

Arrows flew through the air and while the close quarters fighting made it hard for the orcs firing them to get a clear shot the creatures still tried. THIS was bad. None of the Scoobies were wearing armor, just normal clothing, and that meant they might as well be naked as far as the arrows were concerned. There were even a few times in which an orc archer hit one of their own by accident, either killing it instantly or providing an opening Buffy or Xander could use to their advantage.

However it was as she looked over to see how the others were doing that she saw something that greatly worried her: Giles was being pressured by two orcs and was barely holding its own. He had a sword, Gandalf's, presumably, but his favoritism towards books was beginning to show in his limited strength and stamina. The old wizard was trying to support the former Watcher but the orcs viewed the staff wielder as a significant threat and there were four orcs attacking him at all times. Aside from a few invisible pushes sent at random, the librarian was pretty much on his own and this was not a good thing. She wanted to do something, ANYTHING, to help the man she looked at as a mentor had an increasingly hard time blocking the attacks being sent his way. Too bad all the magic she knew required prior set up or a heap load of concentration in order to be effective. Even her floaty pencil trick wouldn't be too good at the moment considering her emotions were running helter skelter through her body.

It was as she saw her mentor knocked to the ground by a particularly vicious blow that she knew she had to do something or risk losing him. Pushing out with both hands, she didn't try to grab the orc advancing on Giles but instead tried to send a blast of arcane energy at it. Her first attempt was barely noticed by the monstrosity. Her second attempt seemed to jostle the armor it wore a bit but nothing more.

"GO DOWN YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" she yelled as she put all her emotion into the next blast.

What came out was a barely perceivable blast of white light that, while chaotic and unfocused, did more than she could have expected.

Not only did it knock the thing off its feet but it also tore a chunk out of its armor while damaging some of the flesh beneath. It wouldn't be enough to keep the orc down but it did prove to be enough to give Giles the time he needed to get his feet back under him and bring his sword to bear. That was about all she saw before a wave of exhaustion rolled over her, causing her to drop to one knee, breathing heavily as though she'd just run a marathon. She knew right then that if she even tried another blast like the one she had just now she'd either lose consciousness or… or maybe even slip into a coma. She didn't like the fact that she was so helpless in this situation, so unable to help her friends and maybe even hindered them since they had to protect her along with themselves.

If we live through this then I am damn sure going to ask Giles to teach me how to use a knife or bo staff or something.

"Nice save, Wills… ungh… but I'm thinking you're going to have to sit this one out!" Xander said as he blocked a particularly nasty sword swing.

"Yeah… I think so, too," she muttered as she resumed her previous position between him and Buffy.

For what seemed like forever the battle continued with no break in the steady pattern of blocked blows intermixed with the occasional lucky strike hitting orc flesh. It became a question of who would begin to tire first, the orcs or the good guys, because whichever side felt fatigue's heavy grip first would be the one to begin feeling defeat's icy fingers wrap around their throats. She wanted to believe that her friends and their new allies would fare better with their measured blows and careful strikes when compared to the reckless savagery of the orcs. She wanted to believe that this battle would end no worse than any of the other fights the Scooby gang had been in since their formation almost three years ago. Perhaps a few weeks hospital stay for one or two of them, some pain medication once they were discharged, but no more than that.

Sadly, whether it was the sisters of fate or some other destiny determining deity, her beliefs would be for naught.

In a move that no one could've seen coming, two orcs charged Buffy and Xander with no defense whatsoever, throwing themselves on her friends taking them to the ground. The blonde Slayer had managed to get her blade up in time to impale the foul creature and Xander was using the wooden handle of his axe to keep the orc's horrid mouth and dirty hands from anything important. However it was as she saw two more orcs advance that she realized what their enemies' intentions were and she feared it would succeed. The orcs that had knocked her friends to the ground had never intended to be the ones to deal the killing blow, but rather to tangle up her friends so that others could drive their blades home. While Buffy looked to be well on her way to getting her foe off of her so that she could defend herself, Xander's efforts were fully centered on keeping the orc on top of him at bay. As she watched an orc bringing its dirty spear up in order to impale both its comrade and Xander, she knew her best friend would be unable to defend himself in time.

And so her heart and her soul commanded her body to act when her mind froze with fear.

Pain! Terrible pain!

That is what caused her mind to function once more but this only made her realize what the caused the pain and oddly enough she felt strangely calm with it all. Looking down she saw the shaft of a spear sticking out of her stomach, blood covering a good inch of it even as both her hands were oddly clamped around it, preventing the weapon from being pushed in further or withdrawn. Raising her gaze, a wellspring of defiance filled her being even as she felt her strength leaving her and with great defiance she looked into the creature's eyes.

"Y-you…you will not harm him!" she gasped out with what dwindling strength remained. "You...will…NOT…KILL HIM!"

Her defiance did not buy much time, though, for when her strength dipped she became little more than a mass of flesh rather than something that could oppose the creature. Thus was she cast aside to the ground a few feet away, landing with a painful thump, unable to muster the strength to even push herself up onto her elbows, never mind sit fully up. Thus did she remain on the cold ground fighting for breaths that were increasingly difficult to obtain as a cold chill began to spread inward from the edges of her body.

"WILLOW!" came Xander's cry of fear and desperation through the darkening sky.

He's still alive…good. Then it was not for nothing. Live…Xander…live…my first love.

Buffy's POV

"WILLOW!" came Xander's cry of fear and desperation cutting through the air.

With a quick and powerful kick to send the second orc that had tried to take advantage of the first one's sacrifice to the ground a good couple of feet away, she turned to see the one thing she'd feared since her friends first chose to fight by her side. Standing on his feet with his axe smashing aside his immediate foe's defenses, she could see that Xander himself was fine but when she looked to find Willow, she saw a body that was only barely moving. With her Slayer eyesight she could see the gaping wound in the redhead's stomach, blood flowing freely from it, with the girl's chest rising and falling ever slower.

All at once a fury filled her such as she had never felt before and with death in her gaze she locked eyes on the nearest orc before descending upon it like the Grim Reaper itself. Empowered by her rage her body moved with a speed and strength not normally found in it, allowing her to snake around the THING'S defenses as though the gap of skill between them had tripled. Wherever her blade fell black blood sprang forth, wherever her limbs struck bones shattered, and whatever pain was caused she felt none. With every second that passed her world gained greater clarity with the things in it becoming one of two things: that which must be ended and that which had to be preserved at all cost. As soon as one foe fell she sought out another and another and another, feeling no fatigue regardless of how much energy she put into her blows.

When she peripherally became aware that her blade had broken she did not let this deter her; she merely stole a new one from her latest foe before running the creature through with it. Time ceased to have meaning for her, her mind filled with the desire for vengeance, but eventually she looked about to find no more orcs on their feet and the others relaxing as the battle came to an end.

As the concept of victory sank in the details of the world returned to her and time resumed its normal flow but that was all of secondary concern to her. Casting aside the weapon of the enemy she ran to Willow's side, sliding the last leg of it on her knees and was soon joined by Xander, albeit with his axe still at his side.

"Willow! Willow! Stay with me!" he pleaded desperately as he frantically inspected the wound. "We'll… we'll put a quick bandage on this and… and then we'll get you to a hospital! Everything'll be fine! You'll see! GILES!"

Even as the founding male member of the Scoobies took off his shirt and began to tear it into strips of cloth she could hear the footsteps of the others approaching. She prayed that they would be able to help because, at that moment, she was reminded of one of the frustrating limitations of being the Slayer. Her abilities could only kill and destroy things. There was nothing she could do to heal Willow and she seriously doubted that the first aid course she took back in second year at Giles' insistence would be enough in this situation. Giles knelt down by Willow's side just as Xander pressed all but two strips of cloth to the wound, using those to tie the clump to her body. After that the guy who was her friend without being her boyfriend stopped ministering so as to allow those of greater knowledge to do what they could.

But they did nothing.

She couldn't understand why they weren't doing anything!

"Giles?" she asked, her confusion and fear mixing with her words. "Can't you do anything? Shouldn't we be getting her to a hospital?"

"She'd never make it," Giles said as tears began to trickle from his eyes. "Her wound is too severe… she'd bleed out before we got more than halfway."

"NO! No it can't end like this!" Xander said desperately fighting against what they both feared was coming, "Gandalf! You're a wizard right!? Don't you have a spell that can heal her!?"

"While there does exist magic that can heal, young Xander, it is beyond my ability to undo what has been done to your friend." Gandalf replied with true regret and sympathy. "For even if I could mend the damage caused by the spearhead, orcs commonly coat their blades with poison in order to ensure the deaths of their victims. Poison I do not have the ingredients to counter."

"B-but there has to be…THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING!" Xander exclaimed as pain that ran deep into his very soul shook him. "ANYTHING!"

"Xan…der…" Willow said with difficulty that didn't belong to one she considered a dear friend.

"Quiet Willow!" Xander ordered as he began to place his arms under his friend's weak body, "I'm getting you to a hospital and you're going to make it! That's an order!"

"Sorry…can't…" Willow said as her head slowly turned to look Xan in the eyes. "…can't follow…that order. So tired…so cold…"

"Giving in is NOT an option Willow!" Xander roared back as though he could keep her alive through sheer willpower, "You will FIGHT! You will fight to live! FIGHT!"

"Heh… they didn't win, Xander… they might've killed me… but I'll become something…more powerful…than they ever imagined." Willow said with a familiar smile on her face, "Goodbye…Xander…I….loved…you…"

And with those words the light of life left the eyes of the first girl friend she'd made in Sunnydale the young woman's body going limp soon after.

"Willow? WILLOW!?" Xander yelled as though trying to wake her from a deep slumber.

No movement that was not caused by Xander occurred despite his frantic words and actions, nevertheless it took almost a full two minutes before the truth sunk in for them all. Grief overwhelmed her, causing her to drop to her knees and wrap her arms around herself as though that might somehow ease the indescribable pain she now felt. For the second time in less than two weeks her heart felt like it had been torn out in the most brutal of manner ever known. First when Angel told her that he'd be leaving Sunnydale after they defeated Wilkins and now Willow had been killed. Her body shook as she cried, as she screamed with anguish for all to hear, barely feeling Giles' arms wrap around her body in an effort to give her comfort.

"Westu hál. Ferðu, Willow Ferðu…" Gandalf whispered with everything after those words being too quiet for even her to hear in her grief.

Whether it was minutes or an hour later her sadness soon ebbed to the point where she could be more aware of her surroundings and it was because of this that she became aware of Xander bending down to give Willow a single kiss on the forehead before rising to his feet.

"We are truly sorry, Xander," Gandalf said with true regret and remorse. "We knew that the enemy would notice our actions and send a force to the Doorway but we genuinely thought that we had more time. I swear to you that had we known that agents of the enemy were so close we never would have risked your lives like this."

"I don't blame you Gandalf. You or your friends," Xander said with growing steel in his voice. "You're basically at war, even if it is a secret one at the moment. No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. You did the best with what you had at hand."

In this she had to reluctantly agree.

While the angry, grieving part of her wanted to tear into the trio for bringing this new evil to their world and indirectly causing the death of a dear friend, she could tell by looking at them that they mourned the death of any innocent slain in their struggle. Besides, she had learned in her four years as the Slayer that she couldn't save everyone and that death was always going to be a part of her life. She'd fight against it and do whatever she could to keep the angel of death from those she cared for but a small part of her knew that one day it would not be enough.

She just never expected it to be today.

"Gandalf… you wanted someone to unite Middle Earth against Sauron?" Xander asked rhetorically as a healthy helping of cold fury entered his voice. "Consider that someone found. I'm in!"

"Xander… you are not thinking clearly…what you are being asked to do—" Giles said, trying to interject some reason into the situation.

"Is what I'm planning on doing with or without their help, Giles!" Xand snapped coldly as he looked the former Watcher in the eye. "Sauron, the…the THING those orcs answer to, killed Willow just as if he was here to do it himself! I plan on returning the favor!"

That sentiment resonated within her soul and soon an echo began to build within her until she too knew what she had to do. It would not be easy but it had to be done and once this Sauron guy was dead the tall elves could just send her back home.

Besides, she couldn't leave Xander to shoulder the burden he was taking on alone. She couldn't live with herself if he died in that far off world because she wasn't there to back him up.

"Make that 'we' plan on returning the favor. Sauron's about to learn what it means to deal with a totally pissed off Slayer."

"Buffy—" Giles tried to argue before she cut him off with a glare.

"No, Giles! None of that Slayer crap!" she declared with a look that would not be defied. "There are two Slayers now and if Faith doesn't step up to do the job, tell Travers he can do what he has to do to get the next girl in line."

"Buffy! You can't mean that." Giles exclaimed, no doubt shocked at what she'd implied.

"Can't I? Faith's never taken the weight of the Calling seriously since day one and she betrayed us to join up with Wilkins. If she won't step up now that she'll be the only Slayer again then it's time to make room for someone who will."

Giles was a bit stunned by this but like the seasoned Watcher he kept his wits about him and tried another tactic.

"What about your mother? You can't expect her to follow you to Middle Earth and it would hurt her terribly to lose her only daughter," Giles said, going for her one other weakness like a pro.

"I won't be gone forever," she said, trying to say something to comfort him. "As much as I'd like to kick Sauron's ass and slay him personally, I know that'd be too big for me. I'll just stick around long enough to make sure Xander won't kill himself and maybe take down a couple of lieutenants. You'll be able to use this Doorway thingy to send me back after that, right?"

"Precautions would have to be taken and we will have to confer with both Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel but I see little reason why they would be against such action," Gandalf said, looking like the gears in his head were turning.

"There! You see?" she asked rhetorically with a look of victory. "I figure it won't take much more than a year or two for Xander to get the hang of the leader thing and for me to lop off a few big bad heads. Just tell mom to keep a light on for me and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then, reluctantly, she put one more thing forward.

"Plus she'll have you there to comfort her while I'm gone." She remembered the night of the cursed candy. "I might not be completely cool with the idea of you two being… together, but I think you'd get along great together. You'd take care of her anyway, right?"

It was with this implied request that she could see him realize that he wouldn't be talking her out of her chosen course of action.

"I swear I will keep her safe until you return," Giles said like he was swearing the most important oath of his life. "Just try not to be too long."

"Expect me when you see me."

"Well, if that's done, let's get going." Xander turning to Gandalf, "I doubt it'd be a good thing to leave the Doorway open forever."

"Indeed it wouldn't be," Gandalf said with a trace of… worry in his voice.

With that a few last minute hugs and goodbyes were shared but Giles went one way with Willow's body in his arms and she went another way with others towards a world she had never see before.

She hoped that both would survive the experience.

Note 2: Okay boys and girls this is the point where I'll be needing help from those of you who are quite familiar with Tolkien's world and the various parts that comprise it. As you can probably guess both Buffy and Xander are going to need to learn more than a few things if they expect to succeed in Middle Earth. However aside from a few general ideas I'm not sure what they should be. I need specifics in order to properly construct the next phase of the story and that's where you come in. I would greatly appreciate it if you could list five things that you believe are essential things someone from modern Earth would need to know in order to survive and thrive in Middle Earth. What languages both written and spoken would be essential? What combat and/or travel skills would the people of Middle Earth take for granted that odds are neither Buffy or Xander know nothing about?

Now I know that many of you would say 'read the books' but sadly I'm someone who watched the movies first but never read the books and I am not inclined to do so. For me watching all of the recent movies, combing through the LotR wiki pages and reading some of the more successful BtVS/LotR crossover fanfics is about as far as I'll go.

In the end it's up to you: toss me a few bones to help me with my fanfic or do nothing and watch as I fumble a bit trying to piece together something half decent.