Thanks to my lovely and talented Beta's, AthenaHahn and BlacknBlue2

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Buffy picked up the sword and unsheathed it. Its silver hilt gleamed dully in the light from the lamps around the room, while the ebony blade seemed to simply absorb what light struck it. “As I stated before, the sword was a gift from my father, on my 16th birthday. I believe his words regarding the making of the sword were…” Buffy trailed off, lost in thought. “Oh yes, ‘Forged in the fires of hell, cast from the bones of eternity, and tempered in the blood of a Dragon’s Heart’. He told me the sword has a soul, and I believe it.”

“A sword with a soul. Well, can’t be all that different than a vampire with a soul, now can it?” Xander quipped. “Except I’d warrant the sword is more useful.”

Everyone laughed at Xander’s remark.

“Sure is… at least the sword doesn’t go all pervy around young girls,” Joyce muttered under her breath.

Giles cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Now then, ‘Forged in the fires of hell’ is, I’m assuming a metaphor for something?”

“Nope, it means what it says. Father used the very fires of hell to forge the sword, which is why the blade is black. And as you can see, tends to absorb light. Makes it damned hard to see in the dark.” Buffy’s grin was full of mischief. “Gives me a bit of an edge in night combat.”

“No kidding. When she killed that demon last night, I didn’t SEE the sword hit him. All I saw was her holding this silver thing in her hands, and then poof… his parts were falling off,” Xander said, even as he squirmed at the thought of parts being lopped off.

“Right, then. And the ‘cast from the bones of eternity’ I’m assuming means the material from which it was made?” Giles asked, even as he continued to write.

“Yes. When I asked him, he said it was the same substance from which his forefathers had forged the world-heart. This makes the sword unbreakable.” Buffy replied. “Or at least I have never come across anything that can break it, or even chip it. And that includes lasers. Darius tested it. The dumbass,” Buffy muttered under her breath.

Spike glanced down at where Buffy was almost draped over his legs. “Darius? I seem to have heard that name before. Some kind of monk?”

“Sort of. Darius was a student of mine a while back. I found him just after his first quickening. He came to hate the entire ‘lets kill all the immortals’ routine, and retired to holy ground roughly 200 years ago. He was killed 2 years ago by the Watcher’s Council.” Buffy said.

Willow blinked in confusion. “I thought the Council only watched slayers? Why would they kill this guy, Darius?”

“Because he knew things the council didn’t want anyone to find out. Like the real truth of the creation of the slayer, and what the watchers originally were.” Buffy said with a shrug. “The ass who killed Darius was killed by Duncan shortly afterwards.”

“What was the name of this ass—err watcher?” Giles asked.

“James Horton. Apparently his murder of Darius was a means to draw Mac out into the open. He had this theory that Duncan was out to take over the world.” Buffy shook her head in disbelief. “Mac doesn’t want to take over the world. He’d rather brood and tease the old man.”

Tara asked quietly, “Mac? Duncan? You speak of them like they are the same person.”

It was Dawn who answered. “They are. Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod. Most people call him Mac.”

“Interesting, very interesting.” Giles muttered as he wrote down everything. “Now the last point. ‘Tempered in the blood of a dragon’s heart’, are you telling me you father hunted down and killed a dragon just to temper your sword?” he asked with some indignation.

“Nope, he didn’t hunt down a dragon. He IS the Dragon. He stuck the sword into his own chest, bonding the sword to his blood. This means ONLY those of his blood could wield the sword. A kind of security feature you might say.” Buffy replied.

Xander gasped, “Your dad was a dragon? Wow. Betcha that shocked the shit outta your mom.”

“My mother knew what my father is, Xander. He offered her the chance to bear his child and she agreed. There was no force, no coercion. My mother was a priestess in the Temple. She could see the things to come, and knew that a child born of her and my father would one day save all our people. She just forgot to mention the fact that I would also be the cause of the destruction of the city,” Buffy replied gently.

Giles queried. “Buffy, you said your father was a dragon…”

“IS, Giles, IS a dragon. And not just any dragon, but THE Dragon,” Buffy interrupted.

“Could you enlighten me as to his name?” Giles asked softly.

“Sure. His name is Draco. He is one of the Elder Gods. And the only one of them to remain behind when the rest left,” Buffy told everyone.

“GOOD LORD!” Giles exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “You mean… you are… oh lord…” Giles fell to his knees, stuttering and stammering. “The Draconis. The Dragon’s Daughter. She who raised up the Four Horsemen and set them on their dark path.”


“That would be me.” Buffy replied with a smirk.