Found

She dreamed. They were vivid, and real, but they weren’t about her. It was as if she was watching a movie. She saw Rupert in the Seston’s library. He had come to show her his acceptance letter into Oxford, but all he found was destruction, and his friend missing. She saw Mr. Giles tell him to forget about her. Then she saw Rupert in Oxford. After a time, he suppressed her memory, ran from himself and his destiny by losing himself in the dark magics, just like his father had done. Rupert didn’t know his father’s addiction though, and in time, he proved stronger than that of his father. He broke from Ethan Rayne, returned to his studies, and eventually accepted his destiny at the Watcher’s Council. The last scene she saw before awakening was Rupert in the library in Sunnydale, handing his new charge, his slayer, a book entitled, “Vampyr”. Deidra awoke with a start.

Allison was there, and greeted her with an angelic smile. Deidra sat up, and smiled tentatively in return. “Good morning,” Deidra said.

In her hands, Allison held up a luxurious white bathrobe. She showed Deidra the bathroom, and told her to freshen up, opening a wardrobe full of clothing. “After you have dressed, Sulu will meet you for breakfast in the garden. He’s waiting for you.” And then with a small bow, Allison was gone.

Deidra took a long, hot shower, letting the water sluice away the soreness in her body. Her mind recalled the dreams of her sleep, and she knew they had not been dreams at all. Somehow, she came to know what had happened to Rupert in the last twelve years. She was surprised to find herself not angry at him at all for his transgressions. She was proud of him, in fact. He had overcome the blackness that had filled his life. She sensed he was still aloof, and lonely, and sad. But he had accepted his lot in life, and would put his all in training and protecting his slayer…Buffy.

Rupert hadn’t thought much of her over the years though. That darkness that his father and Travers had inflicted in him remained. He was told to forget her, that she didn’t exist anymore, and in time, he had done just that. But what choice had he had, really? Deidra understood. She wasn’t angry at him. But she would find and pummel Travers when she got the chance! She just prayed Rupert would understand and accept her, despite Travers.

With renewed vigor, she toweled off and put on the clothing she had chosen from the wardrobe. Jeans and a nice white cotton tee shirt. Perhaps it should have been strange that everything fit perfectly, but she had come to expect perfection in this land. She yearned to stay here, in peace and joy. She was afraid to leave the bed chamber to learn her fate. It was with trepidation that she tread down the passage way to the ornate door at the end of the great hall.

Sunlight flooded her vision as the door opened before her. The garden was the same, and Sulu was dressed the same, again sitting on the stone bench. Before him sat a wooden table with fresh fruit and bread, and cups of what Deidra recognized as the nectar drink she had enjoyed last night.

“Good Morning Deidra. Please, join me at table for some breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day.” He said with a smile. “I trust you slept well?”

Deidra joined him at the table. “I feel rested, but I dreamed.” She looked at him questioningly.

“Yes, and no. They weren’t dreams, Deidra. But I expect you know that. Please, eat, and then we will talk.” He leaned back and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the garden, showing Deidra that there would be no conversation until his bidding was done. He smiled at her, and waved his hand to get her to proceed with her breakfast.

The nectar was as sweet as the night before, and the grapes and various other unidentifiable fruits were the best she had ever eaten. How could she ever eat again in comparison?

When she had finished her breakfast, Sulu clapped his hands once and the table evaporated before her very eyes. “Wow! Neat trick. Is that in my training?”

Sulu laughed. “Not exactly. Now, tell me of your dreams.”

Deidra told him of her visions, of Rupert’s struggles, and finally his acceptance. She tried to leave out her feelings, and just state the things she had seen. Sulu, in all his wisdom, knew her thoughts and feelings better than she did, but he didn’t let on. When she had finished telling him of the dreams, they both sat inpanipanionable silence for a few moments. Finally Deidra asked, “Why was I shown all of this, Sulu? I mean, I realize these are the actions that have occurred in the time I’ve been away. It is so strange though to think of it in those terms. I feel like I’ve only been gone two days, not twelve years!”

“Actually, the longer you stay here, the more time passes.”

“What? You mean I’ve been here more than twelve years? I thought the portal caused the time to elapse?” Deidra cried.

“It takes one twelve years to pass through the portal, but every day you spend here is about another year’s time in your world. Today, you are 29 in your years. Now you understand the urgency in this matter. We must prepare you as soon as possible. These visions you have been shown are more than just to orient you with events. They are to show you how important the power of choice and following one’s destiny is, my child. Rupert had a choice to lose himself in the darkness, as his father had, but he was strong enough to resist and to follow his path in life. Life is all about choices. Thus far, his choices have been the correct ones. His choices, and those of Buffy, have saved your world several times. Even more times than you yet know. However, the biggest battle has yet to come, and I fear it’s outcome.”

Sulu then stood up from the bench, and beckoned Deidra to follow him down the garden path. The path wound through various flowers that she had never seen before, their colors so vivid they were almost hard to look at with her human eyes.

“What is this battle?” Deidra asked her new mentor.

“It is the Last battle.” Sulu continued. “It is the battle of the prophesy from which Travers read, and I wrote.”

“Well, if you wrote it, you know how it ends, don’t you?”

“Deidra, have you been listening?” he frowned at her.

“Oh. Yesterday, I was told that prophesy is an interpretation. And I assume it is going to involve choice. My choice? As I am the “Forgotten One” whatever that is. What am I, Sulu?”

“I cannot answer all of your questions, Deidra. You must find the answers in yourself. All I can do is prepare you in heart, mind, and body for the battle to come.” They had reached the end of the path, and another stone building rested at the bottom of a hill, left of the path. Sulu stopped and turned his gaze to meet Deidra’s. “Inside that building you will find Magna. He will begin your physical lessons.”

“I thought Laus demons were nonviolent?” Deidra asked.

“Magna is not a Laus demon. He’s a 300 year old vampire.”

“A vampire? To give me lessons? Won’t he just drink my blood and kill me? It’s not that I don’t trust you, Sulu, but….a vampire? Is there such thing as a nice vampire?”

Sulu chuckled. Deidra had no knowledge of Angel yet, or Spike for that matter. But she would learn. “Deidra, some things are not always what they appear to be. Knowledge comes with all kind of covers. Some books are black, some are white, and some are gray. But all contain some form of knowledge. Magna is like a book, with many chapters. Some chapters are darker than others. But you are in luck. He is in a light chapter of his life now.” Sulu laughed at his own joke. Deidra just looked at him with confusion.

“Sorry, my child. I do not mean to laugh at your expense. Magna was an evil vampire as you can imagine, in his days. But he has possessed a soul for some years nowand has been living here in peace. He has been waiting for you. To train you is a redemption of sorts for him. It is his job to see that you can fight to stay alive before you even reach the Last battle. There will be many demons and creatures after you when you leave this world. Travers is only one of many who seek to rule the melding of dimensions. You must learn how to protect yourself, and others. That is Magna’s job.”

“I have had some training. Mr. Giles, er…Rupert’s father, trained me as a slayer.”

“That’s a start. It will be a foundation from which Magna will build off of. Now, go to him, and we will meet when you have finished.” Deidra started to ask another question, but Sulu vanished before her very eyes. He seemed to know a lot of neat tricks, she thought, as she loped towards the building, and opened the heavy wooden door.

TBC