Date written: 24 Jan 2016

Author: Starway Man

Email: theop at hotkey dot net dot au

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Ironbear, Alkeni and Greywizard for beta'ing this fanfic. And thanks to Buffyworld, too, for the episode transcripts consulted in the writing of this story.

Category: AU, Action, Adventure, Angst, Romance

Symbols: "word" indicates speech, { word } indicates thoughts, and [ word ] indicates mental communication.

Feedback: As they say, it's the coin of the realm. Well, either that or gold-pressed latinum! So please tell me what you thought of it.

Disclaimer: It has been said that no one truly owns anything. However, that statement obviously wasn't made by a lawyer! Consequently, for the record I will state that I do not own any of the Buffy and Angel references, they belong to Joss and his gang of writer idi... er, geniuses, and all associated entities. And those parts of the story that are more or less taken from the BTVS novel, "Spark and Burn," obviously belong to Diana G. Gallagher. All references to the novel "Blackout" belong to Keith R.A. DeCandido, and the reference to Geoffrey Wyndam-Pryce comes from the comic "Angel: Blood & Trenches." Anything else you recognize, it belongs to whichever legal entity owns it. This is a work of fanfiction, and no remuneration is expected or will be received.

Author Notes: This story was originally inspired by Doodled93's excellent fanfic, "Truth In Madness". If you haven't read it, I definitely suggest you give it a try!

Rating: Overall R, most parts PG-13

Warning: Some very adult situations/concepts and bad language are present in this story. So if you're underage, don't read this!

Summary: Spike and Drusilla show up in Sunnydale over a year early. How will the lives of Scooby Gang turn out?

Title: The Oracle

"Well, that works out well, because I talk much."

(Xander Harris, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)

"All of a sudden, rich and handsome isn't enough for me. Now I expect a guy to be all brave and interesting."

(Cordelia Chase, ANGEL)

"I speak prophecies. The oracle spirit kind of hijacks me once in a while."

(Rachel Elizabeth Dare, THE LOST HERO)

Chapter One: Summer Daze

Marseilles, France

June 21st, 1996

No other place on Earth does sordid quite like Marseilles.

That was one part of the reason why the vampires known as Spike and Drusilla were present here, at this point in time. The other part was that Spike knew how Drusilla simply couldn't stand Paris, for some reason, and so this particular burg was much better for keeping his sire happy during their European 'vacation.'

But even the most sordid of cities can't hold a vampire's interest forever –

"So what do ya reckon, luv? Should we head off to Prague next, then?" Spike asked.

"NO, NO, NO!" Drusilla suddenly screamed loudly into the sultry midsummer's eve, as Spike looked at her in alarm.

"Wot's wrong, luv, what's the matter?" the bleached-blond vampire asked at once, instinctively looking around to see if they were under attack. Spike very much doubted that his beloved would have had such an extreme reaction to his suggestion of visiting the Czech Republic, anyway.

Then he saw the look on Drusilla's face, it was something he had seen before. Many times. His beloved had obviously had some sort of vision of the future –

"It's not s'posed to be like that! The stars aren't happy no more, Spoike, they whisper such 'orribly wicked things to Miss Edith! Horrible things 'bout you – and oh, my, the Kitten too! And a very naughty girl! But red in tooth and claw, like ripe, bleeding tomatoes..." Dru trailed off, suddenly looking confused.

{ Eh? Something bad's gonna happen to me? And a kitten? And a naughty girl? Sodding heck. What's she goin' on about? } Spike thought to himself in confusion, before he focused and said comfortingly, "There, there, now, ducks. It's alright, talk to me – what are the, uh, stars sayin' we need to do, exactly?"

"Not the stars, my precious Spoike. The moon, it says we need to find Grandmother," Drusilla replied, looking up at the lunar object in question.

Spike grimaced at the mention of his great-grandsire. "Darla? Why do we need to track 'er down for?"

"We have to. We have to. We have to," Drusilla chanted, before the dark-haired vampiress started glaring at Spike. Not unlike like an unruly child who was determined to get its own way against a stern parent.

{ Bloody hell, } Spike mentally grumbled, before he suddenly realized something. "Hang about, luv – few years ago, didn't Darla go back to hanging 'round the ugly ol' pillock who turned her? That so-called Master?"

"Oh, yes! Great-grandfather's asleep right now, far away in the dale of the sun, but Grandmother's still bein' a dutiful daughter of the manor. Oooh," Drusilla said in a somewhat dreamy way, her head now swaying from side to side. "Eventually Daddy will be there, too! 'Ow lovely..."

"Great," Spike grumbled, remembering that meeting with his grandsire aboard that cramped and smelly submarine during 1943. { That's all I need, Angelus orderin' me around like that again! } "Look, pet, are ya sure about this? I mean, wouldn't ya prefer a quick jaunt to –"

"NO!" Drusilla roared, before her face vamped out and her hands became claws. She viciously slapped him across the face, drawing blood. "Bad dog, arguing with Mummy!"

Spike growled at her – an animalistic, feral noise deep down from the base of his throat – before Dru abruptly resumed her human mask, pouting at him, the anger vanishing as abruptly as it appeared. "Don't you love me anymore, my sweet Willy?"

"'Course I do, Dru," Spike said as he calmed himself down, before using a finger to wipe the blood off his cheek and then licking his own finger clean. "And whatever my dark goddess wants, she gets! C'mon, then..."

The two undead things headed for the local docks, Spike quickly deciding to find a ship heading for the U.S. to fulfill Drusilla's desires.

Sunnydale, California

A while earlier

Xander Harris honestly wasn't sure how he'd managed to end up alone with Cordelia Chase today.

Except, maybe sorta, he actually did.

He'd been waiting for his friends, Willow Rosenberg and Jesse McNally, at Playa Linda Beach earlier this morning. They were all supposed to meet up and have fun together on the longest day of the year, dagnabbit! But both Willow and Jesse had been a complete no-show.

His best female bud had most likely managed to get herself distracted by some summer project or other, and lost all track of time. Xander figured that later today, around five or six o'clock, Willow would probably look up, frown as if trying to remember something important, before smacking herself on the forehead and going 'oh no!' And then she'd be all apologies later on, when she called him on the phone – or when she hunted him up at his house tomorrow morning, more likely.

Xander sighed. At least the odds were that Willow wouldn't try to pull out the Resolve Face in order to get him to forgive her for not showing up today. Because he didn't have the heart to tell her that the Resolve Face hadn't really worked on either him or Jesse since they were ten years old.

And speaking of his best male friend... well, he had probably been shanghaied by his folks into doing his chores at home, or else Willow had sucked Jesse into helping her out on whatever she was up to – or, possibly, the guy had gotten sidetracked by a luscious pair of breasts at the mall, and subsequently wandered off after the girl in question.

(And if that was the case, Xander couldn't really blame him. Ever since the start of freshman year, he'd done that once or twice himself. Despite the risk of a restraining order, or worse.)

Still, just before he'd left the beach in order to mope at home, he'd run into the one and only Queen C of Sunnydale High. And damned if Cordelia hadn't somehow achieved Junior Penthouse Model status, since he'd last seen her in a bathing suit!

Not that he'd told her that, of course – what with the bad mood the girl had been in...

Apparently, she'd been stood up in almost the exact same way he himself had been. Her cousins Tim and Miranda had been grounded, thanks to a wild party they'd thrown while their parents were away in Sacramento, and Tim had forgotten to tell Cordelia that neither he nor his sister would be able to meet up with her today.

The worst part was that Cordy had deliberately ditched all her popular friends for some quality family time. And after learning it was all for nothing? Well, that had made the Queen of Mean seriously and totally pissed!

At the time, Xander had asked himself why the heck he hadn't simply offered Cordelia a few choice insults and then left. But deep down, he knew the answer to that – he simply couldn't resist a good snark-fest with that girl. Nor she with him. Their verbal stoushes had become, like, traditional or something. And it wasn't like he had anything else to do at that point.

Well, one thing had led to another and for some reason, he had ended up inviting Cordelia to lunch at the nearby Fat Burger. Probably temporary insanity. Still, he'd set off for the fast food establishment, and before long she had followed after him.

Not without Cordy complaining loudly about the injustice of her entire day being shot to hell, granted, or telling him how the only thing worse than being seen having lunch with a known loser was being seen having lunch, all by yourself –

Oddly, lunch hadn't been too bad once he'd managed to shove some food down his throat and Cordelia had done likewise. Not that she ever ate like a pig, of course – she was Cordelia Chase, and she didn't do stuff like that. Xander had been somewhat surprised over how they'd actually managed to have a civilized conversation for the first time in maybe seven years, before realizing that neither of them had any plans for the day any longer.

"Tell you what," Harris said to his reluctant lunch date with a smirk, before withdrawing a dime from his pocket. "How about a coin toss to decide what we do for the rest of the Solstice holiday?"

"What's all this 'we' stuff, Dweeb? What makes you think I'm even interestedin hanging with you after lunch?" Cordelia asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Because you're bored and you've got nothing to do today, Cor – otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Xander pointed out, which made the girl scowl at him in annoyance. "Anyway, if you win, we'll do whatever you want. Which, knowing you, probably means me being your pack mule while you go shopping at the mall! But if I win..."

"Yeah?"

"You come with me to find Jesse. He, uh, he wants to ask you out on a date Saturday night," Xander said in a rush, hoping for the best while preparing himself for the worst. Namely, the imminent arrival of Hurricane Cordelia.

And sure enough, she didn't disappoint.

"You want me to what?!" Cordelia jumped up from her seat at their patio lunch table, her hazel eyes blazing.

"Oh, come on! I mean Jesse's a great guy, if you just gave him a chance –" Xander started to say pleadingly, as he got up from his chair as well.

"As if!" the young woman interrupted fiercely. "Seriously, Dimwit; what in God's name makes you think I'd ever date the acne-faced creep who's practically my stalker!? I'd rather date you, if it ever came down to a so-horrible choice between two such pathetic geeks!"

"Well, gee. Don't do me any favors, then," Xander told her angrily, before looking around at all the people staring at them. "Oh, geez..."

Cordelia abruptly realized she was also the focus of unwelcome public attention; and almost visibly steaming, she strode away. Xander hurried to catch up to her outside the fast food establishment, reaching out to grab her tanned, graceful-looking arm. "Hey, wait up –"

"Don't touch me, Doofus!" the brunette hissed angrily. Cordelia turned and glared heatedly at him, as Xander immediately let go of her. "What the hell was I thinking, that I could actually spend some time with you – without you trying to pimp me out to your best friend?!"

{ Okay, now that hurt. } "I'm no pimp, Cor. And at least I have a best friend," Harris told her icily. "Why the hell else do you think I'd ask you for something like that, huh? And just between us – I think Jesse could do a lot better than you, even if he's way too blind to see it!"

WHAP!

"How dare you say something like that to me?!" Cordelia yelled angrily, after she'd viciously slapped him. "You, you – peon!"

Xander rubbed his cheek in annoyance. "Oh, right, here we go with the insults again. Even if you're obviously not at your bitchiest best, right at the moment."

Eyes blazing all over again, Cordelia said roughly, "Oh yeah? Then I got two words for ya, skeezoid – Bite. Me!"

"No way. There's no telling what I might catch," Xander told her, and then he quickly ducked as she furiously tried to slap him again.

"Stand still, you lamer!" Cordelia shouted, as she continued trying to slap him silly.

"Okay, okay, enough! Cordelia, I'm sorry if I upset you by implying that you don't have any real friends," Harris said hurriedly, even as he moved to safe distance. "And I'm likewise sorry about that crack regarding whether you've got any sort of disease as well. That was majorly out of line, and I apologize for it. All right?"

Cordelia looked to be of two minds on whether to turn around and stalk off in an angry sulk – but much to Xander's surprise, she eventually huffed and said, "Fine. Apology accepted, whatever. Just don't do something like that again, Harris. And I mean it – never again!"

"Alright, fine." { And sorry, buddy, but from now on you're strictly on your own in trying to catch the interest of Her Royal Bitca-ness! } "I solemnly swear that I will not attempt to fix you up with Jesse again, in any way, shape or form. Cross my heart and hope to wear Prada," Xander promised, putting a hand over his heart.

"As if you would ever wear anything made by those people!"

"Fine, would you accept Payless instead?"

Cordy snorted, shaking her head. "I wouldn't accept anything from you, Dork, unless my life depended on it! Like, literally!"

Xander exhaled. "Whatever." He brought out the dime again and flicked it upwards, before catching the spinning coin and slapping it down on the back of his hand. "You call it."

"Uh, heads!" Cordelia said hastily. Before Xander could take his hand off the coin though, she added, "Oh, wait – I mean, what happens if you win? Because like I said – that whole date thing with McNally is so not happening!"

Xander shrugged. "How about we spend the day at the Palisades Fair, you know – the circus that set up shop not far from Kingman's Bluff?" Without waiting for a reply, he lifted his hand and showed her the coin.

"Damn it!" Cordelia cursed, seeing the olive branch, torch and oak branch instead of the image of Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Oh, fine. May as well spend the day there, after all – I'm already saddled with one of its clowns!"

Xander looked hurt, as they started walking towards the nearby taxi rank. "Hey! I am so not a clown! Clowns are nightmarish evil, I'll have ya know..."

Not far from Kingman's Bluff, Sunnydale

A few hours later

Cordelia had to admit it, if only to herself – the Palisades Fair was a lot more fun than she'd expected it to be.

So far, she and Xander had visited the petting zoo and the Banana Derby where monkeys raced around on the backs of dogs. They had also gone on camel rides, a roller coaster and even a Lost World safari tour with all sorts of prehistoric animatronic mammals. Plus there had been a trapeze act, an illusionist act, and even a shooting gallery...

(And she was so not smirking over the fact that Xander had failed to win anything before claiming the sights on the .22 rifle had to be crooked, and she'd stepped up and instantly won herself a stuffed brown Gund bear.)

And the best part was that no one she knew had actually seen her spending the day with the Lamest of Lameoids, from Planet Lame. Or that she was actually having fun doing so –

Huh. Well, maybe 'fun' wasn't exactly the right word. 'A passably good time' was probably a better way to put it. Wouldn't want to give the Dweeb any ideas, after all.

"Okay, so, what now?" Xander asked, holding her stuffed bear with the air of a man who was suffering stoically. God bless those unwritten rules stating that a guy had to carry such things for the lady faire in public! "Wanna visit the aquarium exhibit?"

"No, I don't feel like doing anything that's water-related. And for the record? I don't know what you were thinking, suggesting I get on that water-dunking platform earlier on!"

"What?" Xander asked innocently. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't have liked to see me demonstrate my old Little League pitcher prowess, can you? Back in second grade, remember, when we were friends – you used to cheer me on all the time!"

"That's, like, irrelevant! And don't think I didn't figure out how your teeny-tiny, so-perverted Harris brain just wanted to see me end up in the water – half-naked, and completely wet!" Cordy briefly glared at him.

"Not like every other guy at school wouldn't enjoy seeing that, including Jesse," Xander nodded affably, before noticing her glare intensify. "Ah, I shouldn't mention his name again?"

"Not if you ever want to go out on a date with someone other than an inflatable doll!"

"Hey, now that's just too cruel!" Xander briefly scrunched up his nose. Then Cordelia's heart sank, as the jerk's face suddenly lit up like a beacon and she saw what he was pointing at. "Okay, that's our next stop!"

"Oh, no – no way!" Cordelia immediately shook her head, reading the sign outside the fortune-teller's tent. "Xander, I am not going to listen to some damn charlatan telling me my fortune!"

"Why not?" Xander had a surprised look on his face. "I mean, what's the dire?"

Cordelia sighed and briefly glared at him. "Alright, look. If I tell you, then you damn well have to promise to keep it a secret. Understood? Not even the nerd and the idiot you call your best friends hear about this from you, or I will make your life a living hell for the next three years at Sunnydale High! Comprendez?"

Dork Boy shrugged. "Fine. Not one word will pass my lips regarding the secrets of Cordelia Rose Chase to my best buds. This I swear, by the Almighty Twinkie."

She rolled her eyes and sighed again, before deciding to accept his oath of silence. "My mother... she got taken in once by this so-called psychic. When Daddy found out what was going on, he was like totally furious – and my parents had a huge fight about it! It got so bad that for a while there, I actually thought..." Cordelia trailed off, looking away.

"Divorce?" Xander asked quietly. Off her nod, he shrugged. "Yeah, well, been there. Lost track of all the times I thought my mom and dad would give up and call it quits, myself. But hey; my parents are still together and so are yours, right? So..."

"It was one of the worst times of my life," Cordelia said, as if he hadn't said anything. She looked up at Harris and added, "Do you remember that Saturday you found me alone at Weatherly Park? I was sitting on the swings crying my eyes out, and you came up and asked me what was wrong... and I made up some lame excuse or other. And then you actually tried to cheer me up, even though we hated each other by then!"

Xander had a stunned look on his face. "Oh. Wow. I mean, yeah, I remember that. And, uh, I guess congratulations are in order; you sure fooled me that day. Good job!" He hesitantly gave her two thumbs-up. Then the Dumbass said more gently, "Okay, then, let's skip the fortune-teller; I'm sure there's lot of other sideshow attractions here –"

"No. On second thoughts, let's do this," Cordelia abruptly decided, grabbing his right hand and dragging the guy towards the tent in question. "'Cause I need to face my demons one day, and I may as well do it sooner rather than later!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Cordy? You got major grip, ya know!" Xander complained, as she yanked him inside the tent with her.

The interior was dark and full of incense odors, pretty much as Cordelia had expected. There was a plain table with a crystal ball in the middle of it, and a couple of wicker chairs on the opposite side of the fortune-teller. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the black woman...

{ Let's see. Puffy shirt, cream color, plus a corset and layered skirts. Large purple head scarf, plus huge hoop earrings. Leather knee-high boots. Oh, yeah, color me surprised by the clothing ensemble! } Cordelia thought to herself in annoyance.

"Welcome. I am Madam Devora. Please be seated," the fortune-teller told both teens in a calm, melodious voice.

"Uh, I don't think we're gonna be here long enough for –" Xander started to say.

"Yes you will," Madam Devora interrupted him. "You are the Defender of Mankind, after all."

"What? HIM?" Cordelia demanded in sheer incredulity, before darting a look at Xander's semi-annoyed features. She then said Madam Devora, "Oh, come on! Xander can't even defend himself from the bullies like Tor Hauer and Kyle DuFours!"

"I was referring to his name, Alexander. It comes from the Greek; alexein, to protect, and aner, man. Thus, the protector or defender of men," the fortune-teller replied with perfect equanimity.

"And, uh, how exactly did you know my name, before Cordy sorta mentioned it?" Xander asked, looking puzzled. "I mean, we've never met before. Have we?"

"No. And as for how I knew that – like the sign says outside, I'm psychic," Madam Devora sent him a slight smile.

"Look, before this goes any further? I'd just like to say there is absolutely no evidence to support that clairvoyance of any kind actually exists. So that means you're a fraud, your profession is a swindle, and your livelihood is dependent on the gullibility of stupid people. No personal offense intended," Cordelia said, with a slight shrug and absolutely no sense of tact.

"Very little taken," Madam Devora said, giving her another calm look – even as Xander stared at her in stunned disbelief. "Sit. I'd like to do a reading on you, as well as your gentleman friend."

"Oh, we're not friends. I mean, Cordy and I haven't been friends since –" Xander started to say, as he and Cordelia sat down on the two chairs.

"Since the third grade, when you spilled that chocolate milkshake down the front of her brand new formal dress," Madam Devora interrupted, briefly closing her eyes. "And for whatever it's worth, she didn't actually intend for your nose to get broken – when her fist crashed into your face immediately afterwards."

"Wow, you're good!" Xander said with a big smile, as Cordelia started to feel uncomfortable about what was happening here. "Lemme guess; one of our classmates has been here today, and told you about that? There was quite a big audience when that happened, way back when." He then said laughingly, "Okay, we've done the past – so, uh, what does the future hold?"

"You spirit guides are telling me that there are two paths available for both of you," the fortune-teller said, leaning forward and staring into the crystal ball.

"Yeah, well, my spirit guides can go suck," Cordelia replied dismissively, tossing her chestnut-colored hair to one side.

"Aw, never mind her. So what are these, uh, spirit guides, what are they telling you about Cordelia's future?" Xander asked, still looking amused.

Madam Devora opened her eyes and stared at the female teen. "Are you sure that you want for him to hear this? Most of my clients prefer such information to remain private, after all."

"Well, since all of this is complete hokum, what the hell! Hit me," Cordelia said, raising both eyebrows.

"Very well." Madam Devora briefly closed her eyes and then opened them again, before saying, "In one path, your life will be filled with sorrow, heartbreak and tragedy. Poverty and pain will replace wealth and luxury for you, soon enough. And you will die young – a needless, horrible death in Los Angeles, in less than a decade's time."

Her heart instantly filled with rage, Cordelia might have gotten up and actually punched the fortune-teller – but she found her left hand tightly gripped in Xander's right one, and then she saw him shake his head at her, silently urging her not to do it. { Yeah, damn it, he's right – I don't want to give this bitch the satisfaction of letting her know how much she's getting to me! Or hit my parents with a lawsuit, whatever. }

"Well, maybe it's just me – but all that sounds like it really sucks," Xander said, all the humor now gone from his voice. "So, uh, what about the other path?"

"Marriage, roughly two and a half years after receiving her high school diploma. Children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, after roughly a century of life," Madam Devora replied, briefly closing her eyes again.

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Cordelia shrugged, privately admitting to herself that if nothing else, this so-called mystic was one hell of an actress...

"Indeed. But you should be aware that he is the man you would eventually marry, and procreate with, before deciding whether that's true," Madam Devora gestured casually in Xander's direction.

"ME?!" Xander's eyes almost literally bulged out in disbelief.

"HIM?! Okay, that's it! I'm outta here," Cordelia angrily shook off Xander's hand and got up, heading for the tent flap. "And FYI? There is no way in hell I'd ever marry this jerk! Not even if Loser Boy was, like, the last man on Earth!" She then stormed out, metaphorical storm clouds gathering around her head.

Fortune-teller's tent, Palisades Fair

A moment later

Xander watched Cordelia exit the tent, feeling somewhat stung by the whole 'last man on Earth' comment – before he quickly dismissed the Cordy-ism, and then turned back to Madam Devora.

"Look, no offense. But you really need to work on your sales pitch, if you're gonna just make stuff up like that! Anyway, how much do I owe ya?" He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his wallet. "Uh, it said five bucks per reading outside, right? So, here ya go. And sheesh – now I gotta chase after Cordy, make sure she doesn't do anything –"

"You need not fear, she will be fine – for now. And don't you wish to know what the future holds for you, as well?" Madam Devora interrupted.

Xander shrugged, standing up from the chair. "Didn't we go through this already? Marriage, kids, yadda yadda yadda. Although if ya wanted to be convincing, you shoulda come up with someone other than me as Chase husband material! I mean, you heard her, right? Ain't no way Cordy would ever buy that one!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. But as I said, I saw two paths for the both of you. And whilst in that one you would be joined with her in holy matrimony for all those decades, until death finally did you part, the other road you could travel..." Madam Devora trailed off, as Xander glanced at her impatiently from the opening to the tent.

"Yeah? What happens to me, if Cordelia doesn't end up Mrs. Xander Harris?" he asked impatiently.

"Grief, anguish and a love cursed right from the start. Pain, from a gouged-out left eye. And an ignored and ignominious death in Africa, roughly a year after the girl who just left dies in the City of Angels," Madam Devora told him bluntly.

Xander paused, staring at the fortune-teller in pure disbelief. Shaking his head, he said, "Unbelievable..." and he attempted to leave –

– only for something to drag him back inside the tent, and deposit him into his chair.

"What the fu –" Xander started to say, looking completely dumbfounded. He then demanded of Madam Devora, "Hey, how did you do that?"

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Defender of Mankind, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. At least, in your current one," Madam Devora replied – but in a strange, reverberating voice that gave Xander a definite case of the creeps. He then saw her reach down for something underneath the table, before placing it on the tabletop.

It was a plain wooden cup, dull brown in appearance.

"What's that supposed to mean? And what's with the cup, and the Deep Throat imitation?" Harris asked, ignoring the telekinesis act for the moment.

Madam Devora didn't reply. She just reached down out of sight again, and quickly placed a jug of muddy water onto the table. She then took hold of the cup and slowly, carefully poured the brown-colored liquid within the jug into it.

"Drink, if you wish and think you should," the fortune-teller said in that disturbing, echoing voice.

"Are you kidding me? I mean – what is that, well water? It looks like it's more well than water, anyway," Xander said with distaste.

"Look closer."

Harris peered down into the cup itself, and to his astonishment, the cup was full of clear, almost sparkling liquid instead of the brown muck he'd been expecting. "Wow! I said it before and I'll say it again, you're good. Okay, but what's all this for?"

"All is not as it should be. The forces of darkness seek to gain advantage and bring about the end of the world, thanks to the mad Seer who will arrive here much earlier than was previously ordained. The balance is disrupted – which is where you come in. The choice is yours, Defender of Mankind – drink, or not. But know that the fate of your world depends on what choice you make, here and now."

Xander immediately burst out laughing, he simply couldn't help himself. Then he said, "Yeah, right, that's a good one! What next, lady, you're gonna say 'do or do not, there is no try'? Oh, what the hell, I guess I paid good money for this –"

He brought the cup to his lips, and took a small sip of the water therein. He frowned at the taste, before taking a deeper gulp of the stuff. And then another, and another. In a few moments, he had drained the cup dry.

"What the – why did I-?" Xander suddenly started to feel woozy, even as he asked Madam Devora the half-formed question.

"You have chosen wisely – thus, the new future has now taken root in the present. And for all the rest of your days, you shall be My Voice. My Speaker. My Oracle!"

Everything went as dark as a Witches' Sabbath, and Alexander LaVelle Harris collapsed to the ground – completely unconscious.

The Master's underground cavern, Sunnydale

June 22nd, 1996

As the midnight hour arrived, the two vampires called Darla and Luke paused in their seemingly never-ending argument – when the Master suddenly arose from his pool of blood.

Once known as the only man ever born without a soul, back when he was human, the Master had for centuries been the head of a group of vampires called the Order of Aurelius. He was devoted to evil ritual and prophecy. He had also been entombed here for the past six decades, given that he had been devoted to bringing back the Old Ones (the pure demons that had ruled the Earth, millions of year ago) and initiating the extermination of humanity. However, he had failed in the attempt –

– and he had gotten stuck here in this church, which had been buried in the earthquake of 1937 along with him. Imprisoned by mystical forces, unable to leave his underground cage, the Master had survived this long by entering into a state of suspended animation.

But now the sleeper had awoken, and long before Luke and Darla had expected it.

"Master!" both undead things exclaimed, immediately dropping to one knee.

"Forgive us, Master. We were not expecting your arrival for another six moons, at least," Darla said deferentially.

"What is your command, Master?" Luke asked, his head likewise bowed.

"Arise, both of you," the Master said, looking distracted. He tested the strength of his cage, but the invisible force field was still as strong as ever. Mentally cursing, the vampire then said, "Bring me a fresh meal. And as for why I have awoken – something is different now, here, on the Hellmouth. I can feel it. And whatever else it may be – I strongly suspect it is our enemy..."

TBC...