"The Guardian is becoming too powerful, too independent with each generation," Number 1, One of the future P.T.B. said.
"Yes, we cannot risk it. Something has to be done." Number 2 added
"I can completely agree with you. I think we need to remove them from the equation altogether. Block their power if you will." Number 3 inserted into the conversation.
"Yes their access to magic must be removed, that what awakens them." Number 4 said
"Ok, we agreed that something has to be done about The Guardian, and we agreed on what. We will decide on how at a latter time; now to the second problem, Immortals." Number 1 said
"Their power grows with each generation, already there are some who are Sorcerers or Sorceresses. We must find a way to stop them or one of them will become an Arch-Mage, War-Mage, Arch/War-Mage, or creator help us a Warp-Mage." Number 7 added to the mix.
There was a general dislike of that idea around a table
"The last time an Arch/War-Mage walked on this plane we got confined into our chambers for eternity." The two mortals that Number 5 and 6, Oracles, were using for this meeting spoke simultaneously. "And can you believe the gall of that mortal. She had the audacity to force us to speak the truth always. Just because we lied to her and she lost her mate!"
All of the future P.T.B. remembered that episode. When one of them, no one new who, said, "Thanks god she was mortal!" Moreover, that was the whole of their problems, because the Immortals starting to study magic more thoroughly would lead to another possible Arch/War-Mage and they didn't have to go that far; a run of the mill Arch-Mage or War-Mage will make controlling them impossible.
"So, we need to remove or somehow block their magic's as well." Number 3 said
"We can't remove their magic's, it will destroy them, both Immortals and The Guardian line," he looked around the table "and we all know what will happen to us the moment after. Therefore, we will have to change their magic fields so that the Immortals would not be able to access or control more magic then, let's say a mediocre witch.
However, for The Guardian line we could block it completely and add a constant random factor which would make all spells involving one of them, backfire in some way."
There was a general agreement around the table on that decision.
Then Number 1 reminded them all "What should we do about their ability to reproduce themselves as well not to forget that as they will get older or farther away in generations from the time when the blocks were placed the blocks and curses we are planning on putting on them will start to crumble and fall apart."
"Let's observe them for some time and decide on what to do." Number 7 said
"I have already observed them and I think I know what we should do." Everybody looked expectantly at him. Number 2 continued, "We should make them hunt and kill each other. That way the old will die down as they become tired of the hun… Game," he snapped his fingers "'The Game' that what we will call it; and the young will continue to hunt their own kind. In addition, about their having children, we will make them barren. That way we will control the amount of new Immortals added into the Game."
There was a general laugh around the table about that
"But what about their honor, they wouldn't fight each other except one on one." Number 4 added
"We will make them fight each other one on one until only one remains. You know it gives me an idea. Their motto if you will. 'There Can Be Only One.'" One of the Oracles said
"No fighting on Holly Grounds, any kind and any religion." Number 9 said.
When everybody looked at her with question in their eyes she clarified. "We don't want to attract her attention, do we?"
"Yes, with the action we are planning today a lot of the upper echelons and maybe the Creator herself might choose to interfere, they could use that as an excuse." Number 1 confirmed.
"So, then we better then make sure all of our plans and goals happen at the same time. As the creator tries to point to us, sometimes, 'if it's done, it cannot be undone.'" One of the Oracles added.
Everybody laughed with an evil laugh at that.
"Too bad we cannot find the Pre-Immortals." One of them complained.
All the immortals and the Guardian were gathered together for a meeting when P. T. B. struck; bringing their plans to fruition. At the same time they manipulated nature to kill other warriors who had even a distant potential (as they thought, they did not now how Guardian was chosen.) of becoming a Guardian. They also destroyed Atlantis, the capital of the Immortal world.
A protector for a small village had gone into a mountain to check out the rumors about an open Hellmouth inside one of the caves. While exploring the cave system she felt a massive earthquake roll over her and the cave collapsed killing her and activating her immortality, but not before the sterilization spell was cast. So, while the first part of P.T.B. plan worked, making all of the immortals sterile, the second part didn't, but only on her, because she was dead.
They just finished with their spells when a blinding light enveloped them and Metatron; Voice of Creator appeared in front of them.
"You have done it this time, immortals and The Guardian at the same time, are you what, crazy." Metatron asked "We had created a different guardian for the planet. We call her 'The Slayer.'" One of P.T.B said "What, are you out of your mind as well." Then he stopped as if listening to somebody only he could hear. "Yes … Ok … Ok … You are lucky. Ok, back to the business at hand. Again, you have fucked up big. For that you will never be able to directly interfere in the mortal plain. You will not be able to find Immortals, Guardians, like you are not able to find Pre-Immortals now." He stopped, took a breath, "Oh, before I forget, that organization you created, what's it called … ah yes 'Watchers' are not allowed to do anything but watch Immortals only, make sure of that. Or else!"
All the P. T. B. swallowed hard and nodded their heads, knowing that no Guardian or Warp-Mage will walk on earth again, if ever.
One of the seers, everybody avoided, because of her hate of the Gods, who she called fools, started to chant.
"When two walk on Earth
When there suppose to be one.
When one of them is betrayed,
By their support and teachers.
When "White Knight,"
Thinks he becomes,
That which he hates the most.
When Binds that those fools put,
Are broken, and Death reveals himself.
When cursed, become parents by blood,
Thrice.
The Guardian will return.
The Warp-Mage walk on Earth.
Tremble you fools,
Judge has come,
And you will be one of the first Judged."
She repeated that few more times then laughed and died.
Deep in his thoughts, Xander drove down the highway out of Sunnydale.
<Why can they accept that I can help, moreover that I want to help.' he mused 'Wasn't I good enough during graduation, when we stop the ascension. Or any other time during our stint through high school.> The musing continued all the way to Los Angeles Xander was leaving Sunnydale with a heavy hart. <It was only few weeks ago when Buffy, Willow, and I destroyed an ascended Major Willkins. Now we are back again to square one, they again pushed me out, "We don't want you to get hurt," and his favorite, "We would like you to have a normal life" as if he could ever stop protecting others.>
Xander pulled into a tiny motel on the outskirts of LA and shut off the engine.
<Great! Another little rundown hole in the wall.> he thought to himself as he got out of the car. Just before entering the building he heard the sounds of a struggle coming from an alley behind the motel. Pulling a stake from one of the holders he had built that attached to his arm, he took off down a side street towards the alley praying he wasn't to late. As he came around the corner, he saw two vampires that looked like they could have been professional lineman in football, except for the fact that they looked dumber than rocks at the same time. Xander launched himself into the vampire that was about to drain a girl, and managed to get his stake up just before impact. The vampire just stared at the stake dumbfounded as he dusted while his companion came up and lifted Xander up in a hold that crushed more then a few ribs of the young man.
"You killed Cliff! I'm going to turn you and then kill you painfully! ." The Vampire roared in Xander's ear. With that said, and before Xander could make a decent quip he tore into Xander's neck and began draining him. Meanwhile the vampire took one wrist and slit it with a claw before placing it at Xander's mouth. "Drink." It told him.
Xander's subconscious sensing fluid drank greedily, however the subconscious was not the only thing drinking. The Hyena as well as the soldier, both of whom had never left, just been suppressed when the magic ended, added to the force of Xander's sucking. The vamp, sensing it was time to let up, tried to move his wrist only to have Xander's hands grip his arms and hold the wrist there. "Wha...?" The Vamp said dumbly as Xander finished sucking and fell down dead. The vamp watched as the area around his wrist turned a light gray before disintegrating. The disintegration gained speed as it consumed more of the vampire's body. A full minute after Xander's heart had stopped a coating of ash covered his body.
A few minutes later dark blue electricity could be seen leaping around where the vampire had drained.
A Blood demon, Lesky the original vampire, watched amazed as a portal opened in front of him. He was over 100,000 years old, the oldest of his kind as well as the first, and 'The Prototype' on which all other were based on. The amount of power needed to bring him across was horrendous, it would have taken all of the sire's blood to do so.
Wondering who would make such a mistake, he walked into the portal. He knew with the powers he had gained over his life that he could take out a slayer without flinching, not only that but he could completely disregard the memories of his host as well allowing him to keep his accumulated knowledge of demons, magic, fighting styles, and other supernatural beings.
Inside Xander's body, the demon was asserting itself. It found the Soldier and Hyena and, after taking their knowledge and powers threw them out of the body. It then began changing Xander's body, enhancing his senses as well as increasing the power of his muscles. The bones were made strong enough to survive the destruction of the planet and the quirk in the boy's energy flow, that caused so many spells to go wrong with him, was corrected allowing the vampire to use magic in Xander's body. It was after it finished changing Xander's body and adding its knowledge to Xander's brain that it stumbled onto something unexpected. There, in front of it, was a giant ball of energy, that was Xander's Quickening. The last thought as the Quickening consumed the helpless demon was 'OH SHIT!!!'.
If anybody were present in that alley, they would have seen a blue light envelop Xander's body from which few moments later dust exploded.
The Quickening, satisfied that the invader was gone, went to work.
The Quickening was now much stronger due to its consumption of the Blood demon, this being in addition to the amount of power it had accumulated before Xander had left Sunnydale simply from the sheer energy put out by the hellmouth. It left the changes and knowledge the demon had left behind, with the exception of adding its own power to what was there, further adding onto Xander's physical abilities. It then set up its power of regeneration with the vampire's one, giving Xander the ability to come back to life from anything but complete decapitation or disintegration. The Quickening, having finished sent the energy to restart Xander's body and mind then retreated to its own niche in Xander's body.
After reviving, Xander started going over the events of last night. "Oh, shit. I need at stake!"
While looking for a stake, he cut himself accidentally, on a dagger he always carried with him.
He watched in start fascination as blue, "Quickening" his memory supplied, started to dance around the wound closing it.
When he started to look for more information about it, it came pouring out. "Immortals, Watchers, Quickening, found links, and The Game, there was no other way to call it."
"Oh, God. I have to go back to Sunnyhell to prepare." Xander, his face ashen with shock murmured almost inaudible. Than as an afterthought, "who would believe that the only place safe for me, now, has for the last couple of years done its best to kill me."
Then he picked himself up and moved toward his car to start on a trip back.