Disclaimer: Don't own Buffy, Angel or any of the support characters. Just
borrowing them for a little fun.
Chapter One: New Friends.
It's the middle of the night and three people are crouched in the small bunks of the boat, the silence was deafening until one of them began to stir.
"Aren't we there yet?" He asked stretching out his arms.
"We'll be there soon. Now stop your complaining." A voice came from the door on the far side of the very small room.
"I'm sorry sir, it's. it's just, why are we out here in the middle of nowhere anyway?"
"All in good time Eric. Now get up all of you, we have to prepare." And with that said, he left the doorway. Eric stood up and woke the others.
"Uh. we, are we there?" Said the woman on the top bunk rather sleepily.
"No. But we need to get up," Eric said with a touch of hostility in his voice, "we need to prepare, apparently."
"Well it's about time we got to do something," a voice came from the middle bunk, "Well it is!" seeing the harsh look from Cassandra's face.
Meanwhile on deck Alex was preparing the area, marking out a large circle and inscribing it with strange symbols. When Eric and the others walked out of the door, shivering with the intense cold as the wind blew over the still ocean.
"Oh please, it's not that cold," Alex said without looking up, "I thought you three were a little tougher than that. Perhaps you're not what I need."
"Look we can do what you've asked, it's just we're not used to such cold," Cassandra managed to say before succumbing to the cold once more, "I mean this is far colder than our home."
"I hope this won't interfere with my plans?" Alex asked with a coldness that rivalled that of the weather.
"Of course not!" Eric retorted sharply.
"Good now can we start preparing, before the window of opportunity closes?" Alex said before getting up off the deck and walking past Jordan, leaving Eric and the others to prepare.
"Well he's just a barrel of laughs tonight." Jordan sighed quietly. "Does he even realise what he's asking us to do will cause a sever imbalance?"
"Such matters do not concern us, Jordan." Cassandra whispered under her breath, which was rising from the cold. "So long as we get paid I really don't care what he wants us to do."
(Meanwhile in Cleveland)
"What d'you mean there's no need to get worried? We're standing on the new and improved Hellmouth, or have you forgotten?" Buffy let out a little louder than she expected drawing the attention of the whole house.
"Buffy I know you're worried about it and I understand completely but there's just no need to." Giles said before being interrupted.
"To what? Worry that all manner of hell can be released from right down the street? Oh, gosh I guess you're right there's no need to worry, I mean just look at how well we handled the last Hellmouth we lived on." Buffy retorted slamming her hand down hard on the table.
"Okay, stepping in here," Xander said waving his hands in front of the both of them, "Buffy I think you should listen to Giles and besides I personally feel we handled the whole Hellmouth thing well, I mean, hey the world's still turning and the sun still rises."
"Fine," Buffy said in a defeated way, "I'll listen to Giles but I still think I'm right." Buffy took a seat as Giles motioned the rest of the on lookers to also take a seat.
"As I was saying, though this is a Hellmouth, it is considerably smaller in size than the one in Sunnydale. The mystical vibes aren't nearly as strong." Giles explained as he cleaned his glasses before also taking a seat.
"So what you're saying is that this is like a baby Hellmouth, like a Hellmouth with out the nasty rows upon rows of teeth?" Willow replied with a smile, but Giles just quashed it before it moved through the rest of the house.
"It's a bit more serious than that Willow. I mean it is still a gate way between this world and the next and undoubtedly it will become bigger and stronger," seeing Buffy rearrange herself as looking to say 'I told you so' he continued, "but that by no means require us to panic." As Giles finished the house sat quite for a while until Kennedy broke the silence.
"So what do we have to do today? I mean do we really have to start looking for the new slayers?"
"Yeah I mean there's so much more we could do, like oh we could go to a movie, I hear they're like this really cool place where you sit in the dark and they play moving pictures and they even have sound." Rona said whilst trying to avoid the glares from the original Scooby gang.
"Oh sure now you've got the power you're all going to just sit around and what. huh do nothing?" Buffy said with a glint of fire in her eyes.
"Buffy's right, we have to find the new slayers." Willow said as she untangled her fingers from Kennedy. "I mean who knows when some evil force will rise up and try to suck the world into hell."
"Well thanks a lot Will!" Xander said throwing his pillow at her, unfortunately missing, "You just had to go and jinx us."
"No I didn't. I mean. Oh god I'm sorry." Looking at everyone, "I just ."
"Will it's okay. It's not like we could avoid danger if we just stopped talking about it." Faith said trying to not be over come with fits of laughter at Willow's fearful expression.
"Faith's right, I mean it's only going to take time for evil to rise again." Buffy replied also trying not to laugh at her best friend's expression.
"Great! Now we're sure to be attacked. I'm surprised that something doesn't just come barging through the door and kill us all where we sit." Xander said in defeat.
"Hate to break it to you Xand but you've probably just jinxed the hell out of us." Willow retorted smiling at her friend.
"I know." Replied Xander has his head sank to his chest, "there's no point in denying it anymore we're doomed to spend the rest of our lives fighting demons, hey d'you think there's an insurance company that would cover us for like saving the world? Because each time we do I always break something." With that said the gang all walk off leaving Xander to ponder his insurance coverage.
(Later that same day)
The streets of New York seemed unnaturally quiet, people were rushing past one another, cars were honking their horns yet there was a hush that no one seemed to notice but that wasn't the only thing that went unnoticed. Standing in the middle of the gridlocked street stood a man, he couldn't have been older than twenty but he had an air of power to him. He stood there frozen for a while staring down one of the alleys, he began to walk ever so slowly down the alley and yet still no one noticed. The further down the alley the more the stern look of resolve covered his face. As he reached the end of the alley, he heard a man's voice demanding a handbag. At this, the young man whispered something under his breath and proceeded to walk into the light and confront the man.
"Look lady, give us the bag now before I have to get serious." The man said standing over a terrified woman.
"You know threatening someone like this is just a cry for help, you know that right?" The young man said with a small sign of humour.
"What! Hey where'd you.? Get out of here if you don't wanna get hurt?" The man growled moving slightly to make sure he'd be able to see both them if one were to make a move.
"Well I'd love to get out of here but unfortunately I can't." He retorted as he jumped to sit on the edge of a dumpster, "It's people like you that stop me from doing the things I've always wanted, you know, like sail around the world, visit Rome, now that it's all ruiny and such, but nope can't do all that. Gotta stay here and do this."
"Please can you help me?" The woman pleaded, tears streaming down her pale face.
"Hey there's no need to be scared," He replied calmly, "You see that dumpster over there," pointing to the dumpster that was at least a hundred feet away, "this guy here's gonna be lying face first in it in oh." looking at his watch, "five seconds."
"And how are you gonna do that, might I ask, cause the moment you move I'll slit her throat." The guy retorted coolly.
"Well you see I'm not actually gonna move." And with that said he raised his hand and the older guy was sent flying into the air and landed face down in the dumpster. "See didn't move, much." As he jumped down the young woman just lay there in complete shock.
"How. how'd. how'd you do that?" She managed to string together despite her body being frozen in amazement.
"What? That? Easy but I think you might want to get home, you know Lizzy's worried." And with that said he began to walk back down the alley.
"Hey, hey, what's your name?" The woman called out having got up from the ground.
"I have so many, but at the moment you can call me Nicholas." He replied, as he just seemed to fade into the alley leaving the young woman standing in complete amazement.
(Meanwhile back on the boat)
"What's taking so long?" Alex asked as his patience was starting to spread thin. "I thought you three were the strongest witches in the known world!"
"It takes time to open a portal this big." Cassandra said wearily.
"And it doesn't help matters with the destination you're asking for." Jordan added harshly. The three witches where kneeling around the outside of the inscribed circle their foreheads now had a symbol drawn on it, corresponding with one of the symbols within the circle. Eric had his eyes closed and was chanting but his concentration was broken by Alex as he kicked a bucket and sent it into the ocean.
"You know the more noise and distractions you make the longer this will take." Eric said as he tried to regain his concentration.
"You've got until sun rise and then I'll kill you three and find someone else to open this portal." Alex replied as he moved into the cabin.
"Pleasant fellow, don't you think?" Jordan said standing up to stretch his legs. "I don't know why he wants us to open a portal, especially out here in the middle of nowhere, I mean look where we are?"
"Hey as long as we get paid I don't care where he wants this thing opened." Cassandra replied.
"Oh come off it Cass, you know as well as I do that this portal he wants opened is guarded with spells and incantations stronger than we've ever encountered. Who ever sealed it didn't want anyone opening it anytime soon." Jordan replied sharply as he knelt down once more.
"Hey you two could we have less chatter and more chanting, I'd much rather stay alive today, if it's alright with you." Eric said quietly as he once again tried to concentrate. With that said, the two other witches began once again to chant.
(Back at the Slayer's residence)
"Dawn! Have you seen my hair spray?" Buffy yelled down the corridor.
"It's. how the hell should I know? I mean I get lost just walking down the street." Dawn replied with a somewhat sadness in her tone.
"Hey what's the matter?" Buffy asked as she placed her arm around her sister.
"It's nothing really, it's just I miss our old house, I mean it's where mom." Dawn was cut off as Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
"Hey, it's okay. Everything will be fine, just give it time, I promise." As Buffy had said that, there was a huge crash from downstairs. "What the hell was that?" Buffy asked as she came racing down the stairs.
"Oh nothing much just Kennedy killed the bad lamp." Xander replied pointing to Kennedy holding a crossbow and then the lamp laying on the floor with an arrow threw it.
"Hey it's not my fault the trigger's faulty." Kennedy retorted in defence as Buffy looked at her with a slight glare of fury.
"You know how many vamps I've killed with that before all of you came into our lives?" Buffy said staring Kennedy down.
"Hey it's not my fault it's getting on in days." As Kennedy said that the slight glare of fury that was in Buffy's eyes erupted into a full out blaze and Kennedy just put the cross bow down and exited the room quickly.
"Y'know Buff, you've got that look down pat now." Xander said staring with his one eye at the vacant spot that was Kennedy.
"Yeah I know, but it's so useful, I mean it can clear a room in seconds." Buffy replied with as small chuckle as she sat down beside Xander. She turned to Xander smile leave his face once again. "Hey why so glum?" she asked trying not to sound over concerned.
"Huh.? Oh it's nothing," but seeing Buffy's face just seemed to bring all of Xander's thoughts flooding back to the surface. "It's just I never got to. Y'know tell her how."
"How much you loved her." Buffy said taking Xander's hand, "I'm sure she knew how you felt."
"Thanks, I just miss her." He replied blinking back the tears that had begun to form at the corner of his eye. "How are we for things?"
"Things?" Buffy asked not sure of what he was referring to.
"Yeah you know food, what did you think I meant?" Xander asked with a small smile creeping over his face.
"Xander!" Buffy said hitting him lightly on the arm.
"Sorry couldn't help myself."
(Just before sunrise)
"Can't you chant any faster?" Alex bellowed impatiently.
"The more you jump up and down screaming the longer it'll take," Jordan spat. "So if you want us to finish before the damn sun rises sit there and shut up!" Alex was taken back by Jordan's outburst, but he remained quite.
//Soon the world will crumble at our feet// Alex thought to himself. As the soft glow of the rising sun danced over the horizon, the symbols on the deck began to glow an eerie green. Alex's face also began to glow but this was the glow of the shear delight he would take when bringing the world to its knees. The symbols now seemed to float above the deck and began to swirl, opening the portal. //Finally she shall be free//
(At that very moment)
Nicholas was walking through Central Park when he spotted a small crowd, as he moved closer he realised that four teens were picking on a young kid.
"When we you people ever learn?" Nicholas said rather tiredly. "I mean do you realise that the time and energy you waste trying to make yourselves 'feel' bigger could achieve so much more?"
"Hey get outta here man before we rearrange your face"
"Yeah like that's ever gonna happen." Nicholas replied unenthusiastically.
"Just deal with him and we can get back to her" one of the guys said pointing to the little child. As one of the guys took a swing, Nicholas simply blocked it.
"Like I was saying you never learn." And with that, Nicholas waved his hand at the guy who tried to hit him, sending him flying into a nearby tree. "You see what I mean? People aren't supposed to fly without the assistance of a plane." The other three just stared at Nicholas in complete shock.
"How. how'd you.? What are you man?" One of the smaller guys managed to say.
"Well I don't think you're quite ready for that I mean you can barely stand as it is." Nicholas said as he walked past them to the little girl, "Are you okay?" he asked as he picked her up, "Lets go find your mommy hey? Get you away from these bad people." The little girl smiled and hugged Nicholas. As they begun to walk away the guy in the tree fell out landing with a small crunch. Nicholas turned and then looked back at the little girl, "You go find your mommy, she's over there looking for you." He said pointing over to the playground. As he put the little girl down, she began to run over to where her mommy was.
"Man what are you? Some kinda freak?" The guy whose leg was clearly broken asked wincing under the pain.
"Like I said I'm too much for you to handle." Just then Nicholas was hit with a sever shot of pain, his eyes turned white then he collapsed to the ground. "No it can't be. it's not possible!" Stumbling to get up Nicholas was again overcome with pain, this time much stronger, as if someone had reached inside his chest and was crushing his heart with their hand. "I can't let... arrgghhh!" Nicholas finally overcome with the searing pain collapsed. The other guys who were once shock into paralysis were now making their way over to them.
"Well you're not so tough now are you?" One of the guys said as he kicked Nicholas's back.
"Yeah! Oh look the poor little baby's trying to get up." But as he was about to stand on Nicholas's hand he noticed that Nicholas had begun to glow white and that he was becoming fuzzy around the edges of his body.
"I won't let you." Nicholas said weakly as he faded away, leaving stunned looks on their faces.
(Meanwhile back at the Scoobies's residence)
Willow was sitting meditating in her room when Kennedy entered looking rather worse for wear.
"Hey, what's with the heavy breathing and dirty clothes? Have you been seeing someone behind my back?" Willow asked with an air of humour.
"Nope, just 'another' training session". Kennedy replied collapsing on the bed. "I mean I'm a slayer as well but man Buffy and Faith-they don't seem to tire out. They're like machines."
"Well they have been at it a lot longer so I'm guessing they're somewhat more. buff than you lot." Willow retorted not catching Kennedy's glare.
"What are you saying that, that they're stronger than me?"
"No, hey twisting my words here, not fair." Willow replied with a little pout, "What I mean is they're, well, used to the onslaught of being slayers, you newbie's are well newbie's."
"You're not helping yourself here, you know that right?" Kennedy said with a small smile. "Anyway what are you doing?" She asked looking at the floor in front off Willow, which was full of jars, and other items one wouldn't normally find in a house.
"Oh this?" She asked, pointing to the items in front of her, "well I'm casting a locator spell, y'know see what sorts of demons we're likely to be dealing with here, being a new place 'n' all." Willow lowered her head and began chanting, but before she knew it, she was sent flying across the room.
"Willow!" Kennedy shouted as she saw her girlfriend hit the far wall-hard. Rushing over to her side "Will are you.?"
"Whoa!" Before Kennedy could ask anything else, Willow ran out the room and down the stairs. "Buffy, we have a problem." Willow said with a steel resolve.
"What, what's wrong?" Buffy replied noticing that Willow had a small cut above her left eye.
"That's what I'd like to know!" Came Kennedy's voice from the bottom of the stairs. "What the hell was that?"
"Okay, would someone please tell me what's going on, here?" Xander asked, fearful of the response.
"I was up stairs doing a locator spell, y'know to see what sorts of demons we could expect to run into here, but before I could start I was overwhelmed by this powerful dark force," turning to face Buffy head on. "Something's happened, something big. I've never felt power like that, not even from The First." Both Buffy and Xander's face dropped, something stronger than The First Evil, could it be possible?
"Are you sure?" Xander asked in complete shock, "I mean, about it being stronger than The First?"
"Trust me what ever it was it was big, powerful and extremely pissed." Willow replied with the utmost resolve.
"Arise great lady of darkness," Eric bellowed as the portal began to swirl faster and faster, producing a blinding light, "We, the humble servants of Tao Jinn, the one who commands the four elements, break the ancient seals and license thee to appear." As Eric uttered the final words the portals energy begun to shudder sending the three witches flying into the sides of the boat. Alex's face gleamed with pure delight as the energy began to take form, the form of a woman.
"Finally after a thousand eons the Queen of Darkness, Shalimar returns!" As Alex's words hit the ears of the witches their faces filled with pure fear, what had they done? What had they released into an unsuspecting world?
Buffy had managed to calm Willow down enough to get a more accurate picture of what happened. It was clear however that Willow's fear had not been completely removed, for as Giles entered the room, Willow jumped out of the chair and sent Giles flying into the wall.
"Oh! Giles, I'm. I'm so sorry, I thought," Willow said as she realised what or more importantly who she set flying.
"No, no it's quite alright," he replied as both Xander and Andrew helped him up, "Entirely my fault. That'll teach me for rushing through door at any rate."
"Yeah cause I'm thinking anymore bumps to the head and we'll have to find a new source of old stuffy Watcher info." Xander retorted with a small chuckle. "Well apparently no one around here's in the mood for Watcher joke so I'll be quiet now." As Giles began to stand under his own steam Andrew moved in closer to Xander.
"Well I thought it was funny" Xander still a little uncomfortable around Andrew simply smiled then proceeded to walk into the living room with the others.
"I assume you had a good reason to hurl me across the room like that?" Giles asked as he slowly sat down.
"Giles, Will thinks that something big is going to happen. A force stronger than The First. Is that possible?" Buffy asked remembering how hard the battle was with The First.
"Something stronger than The First? Are you sure?" He replied in astonishment.
"Giles this is no time for your Watcher curiosities to kick in, we need info, not a little school boy hoping to impress the teacher here." Faith said bluntly.
"Well," taken back by Faith's words, "It could be possible I suppose but to be sure I'd need the specifics." He replied removing his glasses and wiping the nonexistent fingerprints away. As he replaced his glasses back there was a knock at the door. Andrew raced to the door hoping to be the first to answer it but as no one bothered to flinch he was the only in his little race. As he straightened his clothes he reached out to the door handle but the other person had already opened the door. It was Cordelia.
"Doesn't anyone around here bother to answer the door?" She said as she walked straight past Andrew and proceeded to the living room.
"Cordy? What are you doing here? How did you know where here was?" Buffy asked in pure amazement.
"Well it's nice to see you too!" Cordelia added with a small smile. "Didn't Willow tell you? I'm, well, I was a higher being."
"A what?" Xander replied with a stunned expression.
"You know all high and powerful," Cordy responded with a sly look on her face, "all seeing too." At that, Xander's face suddenly became all flushed and he couldn't help but squirm in his seat.
"So what brings you all the way from," Willow said looking aimlessly to the ceiling, "well where ever you came from".
"There's something happening and it's sending ripples, and I'm not talking tiny 'I wanna destroy all slayers and over run the world' ripples, I'm talking 'I'm pissed and revenge doesn't even come close to what I'm gonna do.'"
"Well as all ways thanks for dropping by and couldn't you get Angel to deal with that? I mean we just smacked down The First. Don't we at least get, I don't know paid leave?" Xander added with a somewhat less than enthused attitude.
"Well I hate to burst your bubble Xander Harris but there's no rest, and even if Angel knew about it I'm not sure there's much he could do." Cordelia said as she sank into the vacant chair.
"What d'you mean? Is there something wrong with Angel?" Faith asked her voice full of concern.
"What? Oh no it's just that this problem really requires a somewhat different approach then Angel's capable of giving."
"You mean we, us, this group here can do this and Dead boy can't?" Xander said with renewed enthusiasm.
"Xander!" Buffy said defensively.
"What you all know that I'm not his biggest fan."
"Unfortunately Xander's right, Angel's no match for what's coming. So if we don't hurry and jump right in it could be too late."
"Erm, Cordy," Willow said looking apprehensively at the ceiling, "I think it's already a bit too late." As the final words left Willow's mouth a huge ball of energy appeared on the ceiling and fell to the floor with an unusual amount of force knocking everyone one back. To everyone's surprise the energy faded and all that was left was a young man laying on the floor huddled in a small ball. He managed to raise his head slightly, just enough to whisper some faint words. 'It has begun' before passing out completely.
"Oh for crap sake". Cordy managed to say before the room erupted with questions.
"Erm is everyone else seeing," Xander said pointing to the body in the middle of the room, "this? Cause if not." Xander was cut off as Cordy rushed past to kneel at the side of the still body. "Hey you sure that's wise I mean who, whatever it is it might be oh I don't know dangerous!"
"Yeah Cordy maybe we should tie it up." Buffy said apprehensively as Cordy place her hand over the body's forehead.
"There's no need. He no more dangerous than him," She replied pointing to Andrew who was no cowering behind the sofa.
"Hey I resent that!"
"Resent all you want and besides he's out cold." Cordy looked up at Willow who seemed to agree. "Can you fetch me some blankets and some water?"
"Whoa! First I think we need to find out who or what 'he' is and secondly why the hell he's here, I mean ordinary people well they use the front door, not the ceiling." Faith replied moving in front of Cordy.
"Faith's right. We don't know anything about him, unless you know something you're not telling?" Buffy added looking at Cordy. Everyone's gaze was now on Cordelia as she stood up slowly.
"Well I know something but it's not much," Cordy paused as the gazes became sharper, "You know that big bad Willow was feeling well, he knows what it is and more importantly how to fight it." Cordy was now confronted by gazes of confusion. "Look he'll be able to explain but we need to." Cordy was cut short by a hand taking hold of hers, the body had come to.
"It's okay I mean you no harm but I do require your assistance." He said wearily. "My name's Nicholas and I'm afraid the world is in serious danger." With that said Nicholas lost his balance and was once more laying on the floor. Cordy could see a hundred questions brewing in each of them but insisted that Nicholas be allowed to rest, everyone agreed, all except Kennedy and Rona.
"You can't honestly let him stay in here. He could kill us all."
"Kennedy I don't think he's in any condition to attack us. Anyway there's what four Slayers and one bad ass Wiccan here, who'd be stupid enough to attack us?" Dawn added with a hint of enthusiasm.
"Like you'd know anything you're just a kid." Kennedy snapped, "He's dangerous but hey we let dangerous 'things' just wander around free now don't we!" Willow seeing the anger brewing in Buffy's eyes guided both Kennedy and Rona into the kitchen.
"I swear if she says anything. I'll. I'll lose it I'm telling you."
"That's nice but we have more important things to worry about, oh like say the guy laying on the floor unconscious." Cordy said as she found Xander's jacket on the couch using to prop up Nicholas's head. Cordelia looked around at everyone who was just standing there. "Y'know a little help would be useful." Still no one seemed willing to help this stranger, who just appeared out of nowhere. "Come on people it's not like I'm asking for any vital organs just a little help!" Cordy bellowed which cause Andrew to jump out of his hiding spot. "Finally!" Cordy sighed in relief, "erm," searching for his name, "whoever you are fetch some water."
"Aww why do I." Andrew began but he noticed the same fire in her eyes as Buffy had shown Kennedy just a moment ago and he ran to the kitchen. Finally the other on lookers gave in and began to offer their assistance, apprehensively but Cordy understood- hey if this had happened a couple of years ago Cordelia would have paid anyone just to get away from helping out her friends let alone a complete stranger. Giles knelt down beside Cordelia and began checking Nicholas's vitals.
"Well his pulse is remarkably strong and he appears to be breathing. I'd suggest we move him into one of the bedrooms."
"Xander's is closest" Cordy replied.
"How'd you." Xander began until he remembered what Cordy had said earlier about being all seeing and what not. Faith helped Giles to pick up Nicholas but in the end, Faith was the one to carry his unconscious body up the stairs.
"You know G you're not looking all that great lately. What happened? You see enough apocalypses and decided to let yourself go?" Faith asked smiling behind Nicholas.
"I like, everyone else enjoys poking fun at Mr. Stuffy over here but can't it wait until Nicholas is at least on the bed?"
"Look at you Cor, taking charge an all." Xander said with the sound of sheer amazement in his voice.
"Don't even get me started on you Cyclops." Cordy retorted playfully. "And where the hells the water boy?" Cordy turned back to the stairs and yelled as loud as she could. "Hey water boy what are you doing digging for water or what?"
Buffy watched as Faith laid Nicholas on the bed. "Do you think he's dangerous?" She asked softly.
"I don't know, I have this kinda weird feeling that he's okay, y'know?" Faith replied.
"Yeah I have the same feeling but all the same I don't wanna take any chances. I want one of us in here all the time." Buffy said just as Cordy entered the room dragging a very worried looking Andrew behind her.
"Why do you even keep him here? It's not like he's much use, he can't even fetch a simple glass of water."
"Sympathy." Buffy said without a beat. Andrew's face scrunched in shock. "What? You know we pity you, I mean come on no ones that oblivious."
"But I. I help out with stuff." Andrew replied sheepishly.
"Yeah Buff, if it weren't for him acting all baity and stuff we'd never have as much fun as we do on patrols." Came a voice from just outside the door.
"Well I suppose he does have his uses Xan." Buffy replied as she turned to face Cordy, "unless you wanna be all baity Cor?"
"Been there, done that." Cordelia replied smiling at Xander. At that moment, Nicholas began to move, drawing everyone's attention. "Nicholas here drink this." She said handing him the glass.
"Thanks," Nicholas took the drink and drank it all in one go, as he placed the glass down he began looking around the room, "Where am I?"
"In the most happening hot spot." Xander replied but Cordy just glared.
"You're at the Slayer's home."
"Erm not to spoil this very interesting moment but I have a few questions." Buffy said in a rather impatient tone. "Like just exactly who are you? And how d'you get here? And where d'you come from?"
"Buffy give him some space." Giles added seeing more questions forming in both Buffy and Faith.
"It's okay Mr. Giles. Questions are to be expected." Nicholas managed to say as he forced himself into an upright position. "But I think we should deal with an easier set of questions first." At that everyone's face- except Cordelia's became wrapped in confusion.
"What could possibly be simpler than who you are?" Andrew asked still cowering in the corner.
"Well I suppose you're right." Taking a breath, "Well my name is Nicholas, well at least it is for the moment and as you've probably guessed I'm not exactly what you'd call normal."
"Have you seen the kinds of people that live in this house?" Xander scoffed.
"Well on this houses scale I'd probably be still classed as weird or unearthly freaky, you see I'm a God." As those words left his mouth, the whole room fell silent. There was a God in their house, the last time they faced a God Buffy sacrificed her own life to save the world.
"I'm sorry. you said you were a.." Xander asked trying to grasp the situation.
"A God".
"Thought that's what you said."
"But nothing like Glory." Nicholas added seeing that the room was still in a silent state. "Glory was a cosmic slip up, she was never meant to break free of her confinement." The room still stood silent but Cordy's patience was starting to wear thin.
"Oh for God sack snap out of it! We have bigger problems to deal with here."
"Cordelia give them time to deal." Nicholas said smiling wearily. "It can't be easy, Glory nearly destroyed the world, in fact she almost destroyed all of existence." The room stood in silence for a while longer until Willow entered.
"Hey what's with all the long faces? I thought you'd be able to cheer me up not the other way round."
"Huh? Did you say something?" Xander replied.
"Hey you all haven't happened to do a lot of drugs now have ya?" Willow retorted jokingly but as the room remains in a state of silence, she starts to become concerned. "What the hell happened?"
"Promise you won't join them in the land of freak-out?" Cordy said sheepishly.
"Cordy it's me here."
"Well Nicholas here just told them he's a." Cordelia took a deep breath, "that he's a God." Cordy winced as she saw the shock in Willow's eyes. "Hey no freak-out remember!?"
"No freak-out just, you're not evil, 'cause if you are we'll have to kill you? It's nothing personal but yeah." Willow said with a somewhat light hearted tone.
"Not evil, promise."
"Good. That clears that up." Looking at the others Willow turned back to Nicholas, "so how long do you think they'll be like this?"
"Not much longer." Cordy waved her hand in front of them and they all seemed to snap back to reality.
"Neat trick." Willow said in appreciation.
"Yeah it's not bad."
"So if you're a God how come you're all fainty and stuff? Aren't Gods, well almighty and petty?" Willow asked somewhat bewildered.
"Gods aren't exactly as you would think, we don't sit on clouds looking at the Earth, thinking of ways to have fun," Nicholas stopped for a moment as he remembered why exactly he was here, "Well most Gods aren't anyway."
"So you're a God now why exactly are you here, in our house?" Buffy asked recovering from her momentary lapse of reality.
"A great evil has been released. If it is not stopped Hell itself will look like a holiday."
"I knew it we've so jinxed ourselves." Xander said trying to lighten the mood. Nicholas was about to continue when Wood entered the room.
"What's everyone doing in here?"
"New evil rising. We're getting the low-down." Faith replied without so much glancing at Wood.
"Oh!" Wood retorted no noticing Faiths avoidance. "So what is it? Vampires, some kinda Demon?"
"Neither". Willow answered.
"Okay so what is it?" Wood asked looking rather confused. No one spoke they just looked at Nicholas as to say ask him. "You're new."
"Actually he's about, oh I don't know a zillion years older than you." Cordelia added not particularly interested in Wood's input.
Wood paused for a moment as he was trying to make sense of Cordy's comment. "I don't get it. What is he? Some kind of Demon?"
"Robin," Buffy said looking like something very bad had just happened.
"Yeah Buffy".
"Shut up! Please".
"Huh?"
"Hey dumb ass, you're talking, or well insulting a God here". Faith replied as she pointed towards Nicholas, who was wearing a very large smile.
"A God?"
"Yeah you know as in an immortal being whose power and strength is unsurpassed by mere mortals, like yourself." Faith replied rather harshly, it was becoming obvious to the rest of the house that there definitely was some issue or issues between Faith and Wood but for the moment they had more pressing matters to deal with.
Wood just stood there. Frozen on the spot, was it fear or did he simply not believe that Nicholas was in fact a God? Was it possible in all his time as a vampire hunter, then working with the Slayer to fight The First he'd never given much thought to the idea of Gods, but he was sure they were simply joking around.
"A God you say?"
"Yeah". Cordy replied. She could see Wood's mind working, trying to process the information, or was it?
"So you're telling me this guy is a God. As in all powerful, all knowing? Come off it what do you take me for?" Wood said shaking his head. The other just looked on as Nicholas got up and walked over to where Wood was standing. They knew Nicholas was going to prove he was a God but they didn't know how.
"So you really don't but that I'm a God?" Nicholas asked smiling at Wood. "Hey I don't blame you. If I truly was a God I'd have oh, I don't know a white toga and long flowing white hair." Wood was now beginning to suspect that something was up but he didn't move, he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to move his legs wouldn't allow him to. "What's the matter?" Nicholas asked looking concerned.
"It's nothing". Wood replied trying not to think about it.
"If you're sure. Where was I? Oh yeah, Gods," He said moving himself over to the bed to sit back down, "they have tremendous power. I mean Gods have been known to wipe-out entire towns at the drop of a hat. Someone with that kind of power wouldn't possibly need the help of a small bunch of mortals. I could just wipe my enemies from the face of the Earth."
"What's he doing?" Xander asked Willow with a voice no more than a whisper.
"I don't know but Wood looks scared out of his mind." She replied.
"Oh I don't think he's scared. I mean he knows I'm not a God". Nicholas said causing both Willow and Xander to jump out of their skins. Nicholas moved in close to Wood, leaned over to his ear and whispered "Your mother says she's proud of the man you've become," and walked over to the doorway, "I don't think this room's big enough for a discussion, who agrees?" As they walked out of the room Wood fell to the floor in tears.
"What did you say to him?" Faith asked with a hint of concern.
"He'll be fine. I just gave him a message from someone he knew a loge time ago". As they came down the stairs both Kennedy and Rona were carrying a small arsenal.
"What's with all the weapons?" Willow asked.
"I told you I don't trust him. So I'm prepared."
Willow was about to speak when Nicholas interrupted her. "Willow it's alright, I mean if she wants to carry those then by all means let her." As Willow backed off Kennedy shot Nicholas a stare that could only mean one thing, 'one wrong step and I'll kill you' but all Nicholas could do was laugh.
"Please don't like turn me into any creepy crawly but exactly how can we help out a God? I mean you're like really strong yeah?" Xander asked cowering slightly as he finished.
"It's okay I'm not going to turn you into a rat or anything." Nicholas replied motioning everyone to sit down. "It's really quite simple."
"Oh I like simple." Willow added whimsically.
"Simple in the fact that I know what this evil is, not how beat it. That will require a lot of planning and even more power then you could possibly comprehend".
"So you're talking uber evil?" Faith replied despondently.
"Think, every evil force you've ever encountered", Nicholas paused for a beat, "then multiply it by a thousand and you might come close". Just at that moment Dawn entered the room carrying a tray full of snacks.
"Thought seeing as there's evil a brewin' we could do with some snacks." As Dawn placed the tray down she caught Nicholas's staring her. "Do I have something in my hair?" she replied squirming to see.
"No nothing like that." Nicholas replied still staring at Dawn.
"Then what?"
"It's just, I've forgot how beautiful you are." Dawn along with the rest of the house just stared in complete shock.
"Did you just say that Dawn, my sister, is beautiful? Cause you know I'll still go to town on your arse God or no God." Buffy retorted.
Nicholas just laughed. "You misunderstand. The last time I saw her she was merely a ball of pure energy, the Key and now, now she's just this beautiful young woman."
"What do you know of The Key?" Buffy asked somewhat hesitantly.
"Everything". Nicholas said reaching for a snack, "I created her, or well it anyway".
"You what?" Dawn said spilling her drink.
"The Key, I created it", pointing to Dawn, "well you, in your original form anyway. I had no idea when the monks made you human that they would send you to the Slayer".
"You created The Key? Dawn?" Buffy asked once more trying to come to grips with what was just said.
"Yes. I created The Key, as a means of trapping and banishing the evil from the Earth".
"But I thought The Key was created to open the doorway, all the doorways between the realities." Xander said in disbelief.
"The Key was created to open the doors between the worlds yes but for a specific purpose, to trap Shalimar." Nicholas replied sensing the fear in the room. "Dawn you weren't created for Glory's wishes. You were created to help save the world, all worlds."
"Oh, well I, I erm think that I should, you know, go and wash the, the dishes." Dawn said still in a state of shock.
"No please stay. " Nicholas said as he grabbed Dawn's hand, "I think you should stay." A smile crossed his face, which seemed to fill Dawn with a strange sense of reassurance. "Good now we need to get down to business. Cause we haven't much time".
"What d'you mean we haven't got much time? How much time exactly is it that we have?" Kennedy said still watching Nicholas like a hawk.
"I'm afraid that the doorway has already been opened and Shalimar is now free." Seeing the whole room pull back at the news that the big nasty had already been set free Nicholas began to fill them in on exactly who and what Shalimar was.
(Back on the Boat)
"What do you mean we need to seal her back? Are you crazy?" Jordan said no louder than a whisper.
"Do you have any idea who she is? If we don't seal her back there won't be anything left. She's insane!" Cassandra replied, her eyes full of fear and regret.
"Even if we wanted to we're no match for her power. She'll flay us before we could reopen the portal". Eric added trying to make as little noise as possible.
"I can't believe you two. I mean yeah sure she's you know what but her power is severely weakened, if we don't do it now we won't get another chance!"
"She's right you know, but you won't even get a first chance." The three witches turned to see Shalimar standing in the doorway smiling viscously. "But hey at least you won't be here for my return celebrations, they're going to be a blast, literally".
Cassandra called up the largest ball of energy she could manage. It wasn't much as opening the portal had severely drained her power. She fired the energy at Shalimar who simply batted it away.
"Oh please like you could even manage to break one of my nails. I mean honestly do you think you, even with your powers at their fullest could match mine? I'm a God." With that Shalimar raise her hand and pointed a single finger at the witches causing them to erupt in flames. "Witches, they're so common, not even a challenge".
(Nicholas is still telling his story, now to a crowd in complete awe.)
"You see, Shalimar is, well insane."
"Like Glory?" Willow asked.
"No, Glory was insane because of the humanity that plagued her in the form of Ben. Shalimar, she's insane because of the power she possesses."
"Don't turn me into a frog or something but don't you both possess the same power? I mean you're both, well both Gods." Xander asked moving slightly in his seat.
"No Shalimar and I have very different powers. She spreads darkness, discourse and death, all the things I have tried so hard to stop but there are sim. arrgghhh!" Nicholas was no clutching his head as though he was in severe pain. "She's.. arrgghhh!"
"What is it? Nicholas what is it?" Cordy asked rushing over to Nicholas's side. "Nicholas!"
"Centrum est obscurus!" Willow bellowed sending waves of green energy over Nicholas, causing him to rise into the air and float motionless.
"Will what did you do?" Faith asked, sounding both impressed and concerned at the same time.
"It's a confinement spell. It should protect him from what ever is causing his pain. At least until we figure what it is anyway." But no one seemed to know nearly enough about Nicholas or what was causing his pain to even know where to begin.
"Cordy surely you know something? I mean you're the one who's the higher being and all." Faith turned and asked Cordelia.
"Hey I only know what they let me know. It's not like they're forthcoming with the info then!" Cordy retorted.
"Invenietur." Came a weak voice. The energy field around Nicholas faded and he fell to the ground.
"Nicholas are you.?" Cordy asked rushing over to his side.
"I'm fine."
"Okay what was that?" Xander asked looking extremely worried. "I mean you being all God like and stuff."
"Shalimar, that bitch! She's just killed someone." Nicholas replied dragging himself up off the floor.
"How'd you know? Was it like when Obi Wan sensed the destruction of.?" Andrew began to ask.
"Man you are a nerd." Cordy said with sarcastic shock in her voice.
"I like to think of it more as sci-fi aware." Andrew rebutted with a slight sense of confidence.
"Didn't I tell you if you talked about Star Wars I was going to hit you?" Xander replied looking at Andrew.
"Hey big bad remember!" Faith and Buffy said at the same moment.
"Okay, you're definitely spending too much time together that or popping into each other's heads whilst the other's in a coma thing has really messed with your minds." Willow retorted with a slight smile. As Cordy helped Nicholas over to the chair all eyes where on him. He was a God but he was in pain, who has power strong enough to harm a God? What were their chances of defeating her if she had such power?
Nicholas looked up at everyone's pained expressions, but all he could do was laugh. He'd never seen such concern for his welfare before. "Y'know I'm fine." Nicholas finally trying his best to reassure them.
"Yeah I'm sure being overcome by pain is what like a weekly occurrence?" Faith replied.
"Well no it's not." Nicholas retorted with a small smile, "But now I know that the bitch is back!" As those words left his mouth, the room filled with a sense of fear and anticipation. "Look, now we definitely know she's out we can begin to plan our assault."
"There's one detail you have neglected to mention." Giles said, "What are her plans? Does she have any particular strategy, any goals, other than the destruction of the world of course?"
Nicholas had been dreading this question. Why was Shalimar back? What did she have planned for the world this time? Nicholas may be a God but the inner working of Shalimar's mind still eluded him, for which a part of him was grateful.
"I'm not sure." These words didn't instil much confidence in the Scoobies but found a spot of humour within Kennedy and Rona.
"So much for being all powerful." Rona said from behind Buffy.
"Yeah I mean what help can he be if he doesn't even know why she's here?" Kennedy added harshly.
"Kennedy, Rona that's enough!" Giles said turning and motioning them to leave, but they simple stared at him.
"You think you can make us leave, especially now he's here?" Rona retorted.
"You think you could take me?" Faith replied grabbing both Kennedy and Rona and forcing them outside. "Well that takes care of them for a while at least."
"What has gotten into those two?" Giles asked looking rather puzzled.
"They're brats, plain and simple." Xander replied not catching Willow's gaze.
"I think it's more than that Xander." Willow retorted bluntly.
"She's right." Nicholas added, "I can sense a powerful force trying to take hold of them."
"What! What force?" Willow asked looking extremely worried.
"Shalimar, she wants to take hold of the world. What better way then through an army of Slayers. No one would be able to stand in her way."
"There must be something we can do, like some sort of protection spell?" Willow said realizing that Nicholas was right. With an army of slayers, no one would be able to stand in her way.
"There's only one way but it requires time and that's something we're running extremely thin on." At that moment, Cordelia was sent flying right into the rear wall.
"Cordelia!" Giles bellowed.
"She's having a vision, but they're not supposed to affect her this way any more." Nicholas replied looking rather stunned. "Cordy what do you see?" The stress of the vision was too much for Cordelia. She could feel everything, the pain, the terror and the overwhelming joy. Millions of people where being burned alive, buildings exploded in massive blasts leaving huge gapping craters. Within moments the once bustling city was nothing more than a gaping hole, nothing was left alive.
Chapter One: New Friends.
It's the middle of the night and three people are crouched in the small bunks of the boat, the silence was deafening until one of them began to stir.
"Aren't we there yet?" He asked stretching out his arms.
"We'll be there soon. Now stop your complaining." A voice came from the door on the far side of the very small room.
"I'm sorry sir, it's. it's just, why are we out here in the middle of nowhere anyway?"
"All in good time Eric. Now get up all of you, we have to prepare." And with that said, he left the doorway. Eric stood up and woke the others.
"Uh. we, are we there?" Said the woman on the top bunk rather sleepily.
"No. But we need to get up," Eric said with a touch of hostility in his voice, "we need to prepare, apparently."
"Well it's about time we got to do something," a voice came from the middle bunk, "Well it is!" seeing the harsh look from Cassandra's face.
Meanwhile on deck Alex was preparing the area, marking out a large circle and inscribing it with strange symbols. When Eric and the others walked out of the door, shivering with the intense cold as the wind blew over the still ocean.
"Oh please, it's not that cold," Alex said without looking up, "I thought you three were a little tougher than that. Perhaps you're not what I need."
"Look we can do what you've asked, it's just we're not used to such cold," Cassandra managed to say before succumbing to the cold once more, "I mean this is far colder than our home."
"I hope this won't interfere with my plans?" Alex asked with a coldness that rivalled that of the weather.
"Of course not!" Eric retorted sharply.
"Good now can we start preparing, before the window of opportunity closes?" Alex said before getting up off the deck and walking past Jordan, leaving Eric and the others to prepare.
"Well he's just a barrel of laughs tonight." Jordan sighed quietly. "Does he even realise what he's asking us to do will cause a sever imbalance?"
"Such matters do not concern us, Jordan." Cassandra whispered under her breath, which was rising from the cold. "So long as we get paid I really don't care what he wants us to do."
(Meanwhile in Cleveland)
"What d'you mean there's no need to get worried? We're standing on the new and improved Hellmouth, or have you forgotten?" Buffy let out a little louder than she expected drawing the attention of the whole house.
"Buffy I know you're worried about it and I understand completely but there's just no need to." Giles said before being interrupted.
"To what? Worry that all manner of hell can be released from right down the street? Oh, gosh I guess you're right there's no need to worry, I mean just look at how well we handled the last Hellmouth we lived on." Buffy retorted slamming her hand down hard on the table.
"Okay, stepping in here," Xander said waving his hands in front of the both of them, "Buffy I think you should listen to Giles and besides I personally feel we handled the whole Hellmouth thing well, I mean, hey the world's still turning and the sun still rises."
"Fine," Buffy said in a defeated way, "I'll listen to Giles but I still think I'm right." Buffy took a seat as Giles motioned the rest of the on lookers to also take a seat.
"As I was saying, though this is a Hellmouth, it is considerably smaller in size than the one in Sunnydale. The mystical vibes aren't nearly as strong." Giles explained as he cleaned his glasses before also taking a seat.
"So what you're saying is that this is like a baby Hellmouth, like a Hellmouth with out the nasty rows upon rows of teeth?" Willow replied with a smile, but Giles just quashed it before it moved through the rest of the house.
"It's a bit more serious than that Willow. I mean it is still a gate way between this world and the next and undoubtedly it will become bigger and stronger," seeing Buffy rearrange herself as looking to say 'I told you so' he continued, "but that by no means require us to panic." As Giles finished the house sat quite for a while until Kennedy broke the silence.
"So what do we have to do today? I mean do we really have to start looking for the new slayers?"
"Yeah I mean there's so much more we could do, like oh we could go to a movie, I hear they're like this really cool place where you sit in the dark and they play moving pictures and they even have sound." Rona said whilst trying to avoid the glares from the original Scooby gang.
"Oh sure now you've got the power you're all going to just sit around and what. huh do nothing?" Buffy said with a glint of fire in her eyes.
"Buffy's right, we have to find the new slayers." Willow said as she untangled her fingers from Kennedy. "I mean who knows when some evil force will rise up and try to suck the world into hell."
"Well thanks a lot Will!" Xander said throwing his pillow at her, unfortunately missing, "You just had to go and jinx us."
"No I didn't. I mean. Oh god I'm sorry." Looking at everyone, "I just ."
"Will it's okay. It's not like we could avoid danger if we just stopped talking about it." Faith said trying to not be over come with fits of laughter at Willow's fearful expression.
"Faith's right, I mean it's only going to take time for evil to rise again." Buffy replied also trying not to laugh at her best friend's expression.
"Great! Now we're sure to be attacked. I'm surprised that something doesn't just come barging through the door and kill us all where we sit." Xander said in defeat.
"Hate to break it to you Xand but you've probably just jinxed the hell out of us." Willow retorted smiling at her friend.
"I know." Replied Xander has his head sank to his chest, "there's no point in denying it anymore we're doomed to spend the rest of our lives fighting demons, hey d'you think there's an insurance company that would cover us for like saving the world? Because each time we do I always break something." With that said the gang all walk off leaving Xander to ponder his insurance coverage.
(Later that same day)
The streets of New York seemed unnaturally quiet, people were rushing past one another, cars were honking their horns yet there was a hush that no one seemed to notice but that wasn't the only thing that went unnoticed. Standing in the middle of the gridlocked street stood a man, he couldn't have been older than twenty but he had an air of power to him. He stood there frozen for a while staring down one of the alleys, he began to walk ever so slowly down the alley and yet still no one noticed. The further down the alley the more the stern look of resolve covered his face. As he reached the end of the alley, he heard a man's voice demanding a handbag. At this, the young man whispered something under his breath and proceeded to walk into the light and confront the man.
"Look lady, give us the bag now before I have to get serious." The man said standing over a terrified woman.
"You know threatening someone like this is just a cry for help, you know that right?" The young man said with a small sign of humour.
"What! Hey where'd you.? Get out of here if you don't wanna get hurt?" The man growled moving slightly to make sure he'd be able to see both them if one were to make a move.
"Well I'd love to get out of here but unfortunately I can't." He retorted as he jumped to sit on the edge of a dumpster, "It's people like you that stop me from doing the things I've always wanted, you know, like sail around the world, visit Rome, now that it's all ruiny and such, but nope can't do all that. Gotta stay here and do this."
"Please can you help me?" The woman pleaded, tears streaming down her pale face.
"Hey there's no need to be scared," He replied calmly, "You see that dumpster over there," pointing to the dumpster that was at least a hundred feet away, "this guy here's gonna be lying face first in it in oh." looking at his watch, "five seconds."
"And how are you gonna do that, might I ask, cause the moment you move I'll slit her throat." The guy retorted coolly.
"Well you see I'm not actually gonna move." And with that said he raised his hand and the older guy was sent flying into the air and landed face down in the dumpster. "See didn't move, much." As he jumped down the young woman just lay there in complete shock.
"How. how'd. how'd you do that?" She managed to string together despite her body being frozen in amazement.
"What? That? Easy but I think you might want to get home, you know Lizzy's worried." And with that said he began to walk back down the alley.
"Hey, hey, what's your name?" The woman called out having got up from the ground.
"I have so many, but at the moment you can call me Nicholas." He replied, as he just seemed to fade into the alley leaving the young woman standing in complete amazement.
(Meanwhile back on the boat)
"What's taking so long?" Alex asked as his patience was starting to spread thin. "I thought you three were the strongest witches in the known world!"
"It takes time to open a portal this big." Cassandra said wearily.
"And it doesn't help matters with the destination you're asking for." Jordan added harshly. The three witches where kneeling around the outside of the inscribed circle their foreheads now had a symbol drawn on it, corresponding with one of the symbols within the circle. Eric had his eyes closed and was chanting but his concentration was broken by Alex as he kicked a bucket and sent it into the ocean.
"You know the more noise and distractions you make the longer this will take." Eric said as he tried to regain his concentration.
"You've got until sun rise and then I'll kill you three and find someone else to open this portal." Alex replied as he moved into the cabin.
"Pleasant fellow, don't you think?" Jordan said standing up to stretch his legs. "I don't know why he wants us to open a portal, especially out here in the middle of nowhere, I mean look where we are?"
"Hey as long as we get paid I don't care where he wants this thing opened." Cassandra replied.
"Oh come off it Cass, you know as well as I do that this portal he wants opened is guarded with spells and incantations stronger than we've ever encountered. Who ever sealed it didn't want anyone opening it anytime soon." Jordan replied sharply as he knelt down once more.
"Hey you two could we have less chatter and more chanting, I'd much rather stay alive today, if it's alright with you." Eric said quietly as he once again tried to concentrate. With that said, the two other witches began once again to chant.
(Back at the Slayer's residence)
"Dawn! Have you seen my hair spray?" Buffy yelled down the corridor.
"It's. how the hell should I know? I mean I get lost just walking down the street." Dawn replied with a somewhat sadness in her tone.
"Hey what's the matter?" Buffy asked as she placed her arm around her sister.
"It's nothing really, it's just I miss our old house, I mean it's where mom." Dawn was cut off as Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
"Hey, it's okay. Everything will be fine, just give it time, I promise." As Buffy had said that, there was a huge crash from downstairs. "What the hell was that?" Buffy asked as she came racing down the stairs.
"Oh nothing much just Kennedy killed the bad lamp." Xander replied pointing to Kennedy holding a crossbow and then the lamp laying on the floor with an arrow threw it.
"Hey it's not my fault the trigger's faulty." Kennedy retorted in defence as Buffy looked at her with a slight glare of fury.
"You know how many vamps I've killed with that before all of you came into our lives?" Buffy said staring Kennedy down.
"Hey it's not my fault it's getting on in days." As Kennedy said that the slight glare of fury that was in Buffy's eyes erupted into a full out blaze and Kennedy just put the cross bow down and exited the room quickly.
"Y'know Buff, you've got that look down pat now." Xander said staring with his one eye at the vacant spot that was Kennedy.
"Yeah I know, but it's so useful, I mean it can clear a room in seconds." Buffy replied with as small chuckle as she sat down beside Xander. She turned to Xander smile leave his face once again. "Hey why so glum?" she asked trying not to sound over concerned.
"Huh.? Oh it's nothing," but seeing Buffy's face just seemed to bring all of Xander's thoughts flooding back to the surface. "It's just I never got to. Y'know tell her how."
"How much you loved her." Buffy said taking Xander's hand, "I'm sure she knew how you felt."
"Thanks, I just miss her." He replied blinking back the tears that had begun to form at the corner of his eye. "How are we for things?"
"Things?" Buffy asked not sure of what he was referring to.
"Yeah you know food, what did you think I meant?" Xander asked with a small smile creeping over his face.
"Xander!" Buffy said hitting him lightly on the arm.
"Sorry couldn't help myself."
(Just before sunrise)
"Can't you chant any faster?" Alex bellowed impatiently.
"The more you jump up and down screaming the longer it'll take," Jordan spat. "So if you want us to finish before the damn sun rises sit there and shut up!" Alex was taken back by Jordan's outburst, but he remained quite.
//Soon the world will crumble at our feet// Alex thought to himself. As the soft glow of the rising sun danced over the horizon, the symbols on the deck began to glow an eerie green. Alex's face also began to glow but this was the glow of the shear delight he would take when bringing the world to its knees. The symbols now seemed to float above the deck and began to swirl, opening the portal. //Finally she shall be free//
(At that very moment)
Nicholas was walking through Central Park when he spotted a small crowd, as he moved closer he realised that four teens were picking on a young kid.
"When we you people ever learn?" Nicholas said rather tiredly. "I mean do you realise that the time and energy you waste trying to make yourselves 'feel' bigger could achieve so much more?"
"Hey get outta here man before we rearrange your face"
"Yeah like that's ever gonna happen." Nicholas replied unenthusiastically.
"Just deal with him and we can get back to her" one of the guys said pointing to the little child. As one of the guys took a swing, Nicholas simply blocked it.
"Like I was saying you never learn." And with that, Nicholas waved his hand at the guy who tried to hit him, sending him flying into a nearby tree. "You see what I mean? People aren't supposed to fly without the assistance of a plane." The other three just stared at Nicholas in complete shock.
"How. how'd you.? What are you man?" One of the smaller guys managed to say.
"Well I don't think you're quite ready for that I mean you can barely stand as it is." Nicholas said as he walked past them to the little girl, "Are you okay?" he asked as he picked her up, "Lets go find your mommy hey? Get you away from these bad people." The little girl smiled and hugged Nicholas. As they begun to walk away the guy in the tree fell out landing with a small crunch. Nicholas turned and then looked back at the little girl, "You go find your mommy, she's over there looking for you." He said pointing over to the playground. As he put the little girl down, she began to run over to where her mommy was.
"Man what are you? Some kinda freak?" The guy whose leg was clearly broken asked wincing under the pain.
"Like I said I'm too much for you to handle." Just then Nicholas was hit with a sever shot of pain, his eyes turned white then he collapsed to the ground. "No it can't be. it's not possible!" Stumbling to get up Nicholas was again overcome with pain, this time much stronger, as if someone had reached inside his chest and was crushing his heart with their hand. "I can't let... arrgghhh!" Nicholas finally overcome with the searing pain collapsed. The other guys who were once shock into paralysis were now making their way over to them.
"Well you're not so tough now are you?" One of the guys said as he kicked Nicholas's back.
"Yeah! Oh look the poor little baby's trying to get up." But as he was about to stand on Nicholas's hand he noticed that Nicholas had begun to glow white and that he was becoming fuzzy around the edges of his body.
"I won't let you." Nicholas said weakly as he faded away, leaving stunned looks on their faces.
(Meanwhile back at the Scoobies's residence)
Willow was sitting meditating in her room when Kennedy entered looking rather worse for wear.
"Hey, what's with the heavy breathing and dirty clothes? Have you been seeing someone behind my back?" Willow asked with an air of humour.
"Nope, just 'another' training session". Kennedy replied collapsing on the bed. "I mean I'm a slayer as well but man Buffy and Faith-they don't seem to tire out. They're like machines."
"Well they have been at it a lot longer so I'm guessing they're somewhat more. buff than you lot." Willow retorted not catching Kennedy's glare.
"What are you saying that, that they're stronger than me?"
"No, hey twisting my words here, not fair." Willow replied with a little pout, "What I mean is they're, well, used to the onslaught of being slayers, you newbie's are well newbie's."
"You're not helping yourself here, you know that right?" Kennedy said with a small smile. "Anyway what are you doing?" She asked looking at the floor in front off Willow, which was full of jars, and other items one wouldn't normally find in a house.
"Oh this?" She asked, pointing to the items in front of her, "well I'm casting a locator spell, y'know see what sorts of demons we're likely to be dealing with here, being a new place 'n' all." Willow lowered her head and began chanting, but before she knew it, she was sent flying across the room.
"Willow!" Kennedy shouted as she saw her girlfriend hit the far wall-hard. Rushing over to her side "Will are you.?"
"Whoa!" Before Kennedy could ask anything else, Willow ran out the room and down the stairs. "Buffy, we have a problem." Willow said with a steel resolve.
"What, what's wrong?" Buffy replied noticing that Willow had a small cut above her left eye.
"That's what I'd like to know!" Came Kennedy's voice from the bottom of the stairs. "What the hell was that?"
"Okay, would someone please tell me what's going on, here?" Xander asked, fearful of the response.
"I was up stairs doing a locator spell, y'know to see what sorts of demons we could expect to run into here, but before I could start I was overwhelmed by this powerful dark force," turning to face Buffy head on. "Something's happened, something big. I've never felt power like that, not even from The First." Both Buffy and Xander's face dropped, something stronger than The First Evil, could it be possible?
"Are you sure?" Xander asked in complete shock, "I mean, about it being stronger than The First?"
"Trust me what ever it was it was big, powerful and extremely pissed." Willow replied with the utmost resolve.
"Arise great lady of darkness," Eric bellowed as the portal began to swirl faster and faster, producing a blinding light, "We, the humble servants of Tao Jinn, the one who commands the four elements, break the ancient seals and license thee to appear." As Eric uttered the final words the portals energy begun to shudder sending the three witches flying into the sides of the boat. Alex's face gleamed with pure delight as the energy began to take form, the form of a woman.
"Finally after a thousand eons the Queen of Darkness, Shalimar returns!" As Alex's words hit the ears of the witches their faces filled with pure fear, what had they done? What had they released into an unsuspecting world?
Buffy had managed to calm Willow down enough to get a more accurate picture of what happened. It was clear however that Willow's fear had not been completely removed, for as Giles entered the room, Willow jumped out of the chair and sent Giles flying into the wall.
"Oh! Giles, I'm. I'm so sorry, I thought," Willow said as she realised what or more importantly who she set flying.
"No, no it's quite alright," he replied as both Xander and Andrew helped him up, "Entirely my fault. That'll teach me for rushing through door at any rate."
"Yeah cause I'm thinking anymore bumps to the head and we'll have to find a new source of old stuffy Watcher info." Xander retorted with a small chuckle. "Well apparently no one around here's in the mood for Watcher joke so I'll be quiet now." As Giles began to stand under his own steam Andrew moved in closer to Xander.
"Well I thought it was funny" Xander still a little uncomfortable around Andrew simply smiled then proceeded to walk into the living room with the others.
"I assume you had a good reason to hurl me across the room like that?" Giles asked as he slowly sat down.
"Giles, Will thinks that something big is going to happen. A force stronger than The First. Is that possible?" Buffy asked remembering how hard the battle was with The First.
"Something stronger than The First? Are you sure?" He replied in astonishment.
"Giles this is no time for your Watcher curiosities to kick in, we need info, not a little school boy hoping to impress the teacher here." Faith said bluntly.
"Well," taken back by Faith's words, "It could be possible I suppose but to be sure I'd need the specifics." He replied removing his glasses and wiping the nonexistent fingerprints away. As he replaced his glasses back there was a knock at the door. Andrew raced to the door hoping to be the first to answer it but as no one bothered to flinch he was the only in his little race. As he straightened his clothes he reached out to the door handle but the other person had already opened the door. It was Cordelia.
"Doesn't anyone around here bother to answer the door?" She said as she walked straight past Andrew and proceeded to the living room.
"Cordy? What are you doing here? How did you know where here was?" Buffy asked in pure amazement.
"Well it's nice to see you too!" Cordelia added with a small smile. "Didn't Willow tell you? I'm, well, I was a higher being."
"A what?" Xander replied with a stunned expression.
"You know all high and powerful," Cordy responded with a sly look on her face, "all seeing too." At that, Xander's face suddenly became all flushed and he couldn't help but squirm in his seat.
"So what brings you all the way from," Willow said looking aimlessly to the ceiling, "well where ever you came from".
"There's something happening and it's sending ripples, and I'm not talking tiny 'I wanna destroy all slayers and over run the world' ripples, I'm talking 'I'm pissed and revenge doesn't even come close to what I'm gonna do.'"
"Well as all ways thanks for dropping by and couldn't you get Angel to deal with that? I mean we just smacked down The First. Don't we at least get, I don't know paid leave?" Xander added with a somewhat less than enthused attitude.
"Well I hate to burst your bubble Xander Harris but there's no rest, and even if Angel knew about it I'm not sure there's much he could do." Cordelia said as she sank into the vacant chair.
"What d'you mean? Is there something wrong with Angel?" Faith asked her voice full of concern.
"What? Oh no it's just that this problem really requires a somewhat different approach then Angel's capable of giving."
"You mean we, us, this group here can do this and Dead boy can't?" Xander said with renewed enthusiasm.
"Xander!" Buffy said defensively.
"What you all know that I'm not his biggest fan."
"Unfortunately Xander's right, Angel's no match for what's coming. So if we don't hurry and jump right in it could be too late."
"Erm, Cordy," Willow said looking apprehensively at the ceiling, "I think it's already a bit too late." As the final words left Willow's mouth a huge ball of energy appeared on the ceiling and fell to the floor with an unusual amount of force knocking everyone one back. To everyone's surprise the energy faded and all that was left was a young man laying on the floor huddled in a small ball. He managed to raise his head slightly, just enough to whisper some faint words. 'It has begun' before passing out completely.
"Oh for crap sake". Cordy managed to say before the room erupted with questions.
"Erm is everyone else seeing," Xander said pointing to the body in the middle of the room, "this? Cause if not." Xander was cut off as Cordy rushed past to kneel at the side of the still body. "Hey you sure that's wise I mean who, whatever it is it might be oh I don't know dangerous!"
"Yeah Cordy maybe we should tie it up." Buffy said apprehensively as Cordy place her hand over the body's forehead.
"There's no need. He no more dangerous than him," She replied pointing to Andrew who was no cowering behind the sofa.
"Hey I resent that!"
"Resent all you want and besides he's out cold." Cordy looked up at Willow who seemed to agree. "Can you fetch me some blankets and some water?"
"Whoa! First I think we need to find out who or what 'he' is and secondly why the hell he's here, I mean ordinary people well they use the front door, not the ceiling." Faith replied moving in front of Cordy.
"Faith's right. We don't know anything about him, unless you know something you're not telling?" Buffy added looking at Cordy. Everyone's gaze was now on Cordelia as she stood up slowly.
"Well I know something but it's not much," Cordy paused as the gazes became sharper, "You know that big bad Willow was feeling well, he knows what it is and more importantly how to fight it." Cordy was now confronted by gazes of confusion. "Look he'll be able to explain but we need to." Cordy was cut short by a hand taking hold of hers, the body had come to.
"It's okay I mean you no harm but I do require your assistance." He said wearily. "My name's Nicholas and I'm afraid the world is in serious danger." With that said Nicholas lost his balance and was once more laying on the floor. Cordy could see a hundred questions brewing in each of them but insisted that Nicholas be allowed to rest, everyone agreed, all except Kennedy and Rona.
"You can't honestly let him stay in here. He could kill us all."
"Kennedy I don't think he's in any condition to attack us. Anyway there's what four Slayers and one bad ass Wiccan here, who'd be stupid enough to attack us?" Dawn added with a hint of enthusiasm.
"Like you'd know anything you're just a kid." Kennedy snapped, "He's dangerous but hey we let dangerous 'things' just wander around free now don't we!" Willow seeing the anger brewing in Buffy's eyes guided both Kennedy and Rona into the kitchen.
"I swear if she says anything. I'll. I'll lose it I'm telling you."
"That's nice but we have more important things to worry about, oh like say the guy laying on the floor unconscious." Cordy said as she found Xander's jacket on the couch using to prop up Nicholas's head. Cordelia looked around at everyone who was just standing there. "Y'know a little help would be useful." Still no one seemed willing to help this stranger, who just appeared out of nowhere. "Come on people it's not like I'm asking for any vital organs just a little help!" Cordy bellowed which cause Andrew to jump out of his hiding spot. "Finally!" Cordy sighed in relief, "erm," searching for his name, "whoever you are fetch some water."
"Aww why do I." Andrew began but he noticed the same fire in her eyes as Buffy had shown Kennedy just a moment ago and he ran to the kitchen. Finally the other on lookers gave in and began to offer their assistance, apprehensively but Cordy understood- hey if this had happened a couple of years ago Cordelia would have paid anyone just to get away from helping out her friends let alone a complete stranger. Giles knelt down beside Cordelia and began checking Nicholas's vitals.
"Well his pulse is remarkably strong and he appears to be breathing. I'd suggest we move him into one of the bedrooms."
"Xander's is closest" Cordy replied.
"How'd you." Xander began until he remembered what Cordy had said earlier about being all seeing and what not. Faith helped Giles to pick up Nicholas but in the end, Faith was the one to carry his unconscious body up the stairs.
"You know G you're not looking all that great lately. What happened? You see enough apocalypses and decided to let yourself go?" Faith asked smiling behind Nicholas.
"I like, everyone else enjoys poking fun at Mr. Stuffy over here but can't it wait until Nicholas is at least on the bed?"
"Look at you Cor, taking charge an all." Xander said with the sound of sheer amazement in his voice.
"Don't even get me started on you Cyclops." Cordy retorted playfully. "And where the hells the water boy?" Cordy turned back to the stairs and yelled as loud as she could. "Hey water boy what are you doing digging for water or what?"
Buffy watched as Faith laid Nicholas on the bed. "Do you think he's dangerous?" She asked softly.
"I don't know, I have this kinda weird feeling that he's okay, y'know?" Faith replied.
"Yeah I have the same feeling but all the same I don't wanna take any chances. I want one of us in here all the time." Buffy said just as Cordy entered the room dragging a very worried looking Andrew behind her.
"Why do you even keep him here? It's not like he's much use, he can't even fetch a simple glass of water."
"Sympathy." Buffy said without a beat. Andrew's face scrunched in shock. "What? You know we pity you, I mean come on no ones that oblivious."
"But I. I help out with stuff." Andrew replied sheepishly.
"Yeah Buff, if it weren't for him acting all baity and stuff we'd never have as much fun as we do on patrols." Came a voice from just outside the door.
"Well I suppose he does have his uses Xan." Buffy replied as she turned to face Cordy, "unless you wanna be all baity Cor?"
"Been there, done that." Cordelia replied smiling at Xander. At that moment, Nicholas began to move, drawing everyone's attention. "Nicholas here drink this." She said handing him the glass.
"Thanks," Nicholas took the drink and drank it all in one go, as he placed the glass down he began looking around the room, "Where am I?"
"In the most happening hot spot." Xander replied but Cordy just glared.
"You're at the Slayer's home."
"Erm not to spoil this very interesting moment but I have a few questions." Buffy said in a rather impatient tone. "Like just exactly who are you? And how d'you get here? And where d'you come from?"
"Buffy give him some space." Giles added seeing more questions forming in both Buffy and Faith.
"It's okay Mr. Giles. Questions are to be expected." Nicholas managed to say as he forced himself into an upright position. "But I think we should deal with an easier set of questions first." At that everyone's face- except Cordelia's became wrapped in confusion.
"What could possibly be simpler than who you are?" Andrew asked still cowering in the corner.
"Well I suppose you're right." Taking a breath, "Well my name is Nicholas, well at least it is for the moment and as you've probably guessed I'm not exactly what you'd call normal."
"Have you seen the kinds of people that live in this house?" Xander scoffed.
"Well on this houses scale I'd probably be still classed as weird or unearthly freaky, you see I'm a God." As those words left his mouth, the whole room fell silent. There was a God in their house, the last time they faced a God Buffy sacrificed her own life to save the world.
"I'm sorry. you said you were a.." Xander asked trying to grasp the situation.
"A God".
"Thought that's what you said."
"But nothing like Glory." Nicholas added seeing that the room was still in a silent state. "Glory was a cosmic slip up, she was never meant to break free of her confinement." The room still stood silent but Cordy's patience was starting to wear thin.
"Oh for God sack snap out of it! We have bigger problems to deal with here."
"Cordelia give them time to deal." Nicholas said smiling wearily. "It can't be easy, Glory nearly destroyed the world, in fact she almost destroyed all of existence." The room stood in silence for a while longer until Willow entered.
"Hey what's with all the long faces? I thought you'd be able to cheer me up not the other way round."
"Huh? Did you say something?" Xander replied.
"Hey you all haven't happened to do a lot of drugs now have ya?" Willow retorted jokingly but as the room remains in a state of silence, she starts to become concerned. "What the hell happened?"
"Promise you won't join them in the land of freak-out?" Cordy said sheepishly.
"Cordy it's me here."
"Well Nicholas here just told them he's a." Cordelia took a deep breath, "that he's a God." Cordy winced as she saw the shock in Willow's eyes. "Hey no freak-out remember!?"
"No freak-out just, you're not evil, 'cause if you are we'll have to kill you? It's nothing personal but yeah." Willow said with a somewhat light hearted tone.
"Not evil, promise."
"Good. That clears that up." Looking at the others Willow turned back to Nicholas, "so how long do you think they'll be like this?"
"Not much longer." Cordy waved her hand in front of them and they all seemed to snap back to reality.
"Neat trick." Willow said in appreciation.
"Yeah it's not bad."
"So if you're a God how come you're all fainty and stuff? Aren't Gods, well almighty and petty?" Willow asked somewhat bewildered.
"Gods aren't exactly as you would think, we don't sit on clouds looking at the Earth, thinking of ways to have fun," Nicholas stopped for a moment as he remembered why exactly he was here, "Well most Gods aren't anyway."
"So you're a God now why exactly are you here, in our house?" Buffy asked recovering from her momentary lapse of reality.
"A great evil has been released. If it is not stopped Hell itself will look like a holiday."
"I knew it we've so jinxed ourselves." Xander said trying to lighten the mood. Nicholas was about to continue when Wood entered the room.
"What's everyone doing in here?"
"New evil rising. We're getting the low-down." Faith replied without so much glancing at Wood.
"Oh!" Wood retorted no noticing Faiths avoidance. "So what is it? Vampires, some kinda Demon?"
"Neither". Willow answered.
"Okay so what is it?" Wood asked looking rather confused. No one spoke they just looked at Nicholas as to say ask him. "You're new."
"Actually he's about, oh I don't know a zillion years older than you." Cordelia added not particularly interested in Wood's input.
Wood paused for a moment as he was trying to make sense of Cordy's comment. "I don't get it. What is he? Some kind of Demon?"
"Robin," Buffy said looking like something very bad had just happened.
"Yeah Buffy".
"Shut up! Please".
"Huh?"
"Hey dumb ass, you're talking, or well insulting a God here". Faith replied as she pointed towards Nicholas, who was wearing a very large smile.
"A God?"
"Yeah you know as in an immortal being whose power and strength is unsurpassed by mere mortals, like yourself." Faith replied rather harshly, it was becoming obvious to the rest of the house that there definitely was some issue or issues between Faith and Wood but for the moment they had more pressing matters to deal with.
Wood just stood there. Frozen on the spot, was it fear or did he simply not believe that Nicholas was in fact a God? Was it possible in all his time as a vampire hunter, then working with the Slayer to fight The First he'd never given much thought to the idea of Gods, but he was sure they were simply joking around.
"A God you say?"
"Yeah". Cordy replied. She could see Wood's mind working, trying to process the information, or was it?
"So you're telling me this guy is a God. As in all powerful, all knowing? Come off it what do you take me for?" Wood said shaking his head. The other just looked on as Nicholas got up and walked over to where Wood was standing. They knew Nicholas was going to prove he was a God but they didn't know how.
"So you really don't but that I'm a God?" Nicholas asked smiling at Wood. "Hey I don't blame you. If I truly was a God I'd have oh, I don't know a white toga and long flowing white hair." Wood was now beginning to suspect that something was up but he didn't move, he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to move his legs wouldn't allow him to. "What's the matter?" Nicholas asked looking concerned.
"It's nothing". Wood replied trying not to think about it.
"If you're sure. Where was I? Oh yeah, Gods," He said moving himself over to the bed to sit back down, "they have tremendous power. I mean Gods have been known to wipe-out entire towns at the drop of a hat. Someone with that kind of power wouldn't possibly need the help of a small bunch of mortals. I could just wipe my enemies from the face of the Earth."
"What's he doing?" Xander asked Willow with a voice no more than a whisper.
"I don't know but Wood looks scared out of his mind." She replied.
"Oh I don't think he's scared. I mean he knows I'm not a God". Nicholas said causing both Willow and Xander to jump out of their skins. Nicholas moved in close to Wood, leaned over to his ear and whispered "Your mother says she's proud of the man you've become," and walked over to the doorway, "I don't think this room's big enough for a discussion, who agrees?" As they walked out of the room Wood fell to the floor in tears.
"What did you say to him?" Faith asked with a hint of concern.
"He'll be fine. I just gave him a message from someone he knew a loge time ago". As they came down the stairs both Kennedy and Rona were carrying a small arsenal.
"What's with all the weapons?" Willow asked.
"I told you I don't trust him. So I'm prepared."
Willow was about to speak when Nicholas interrupted her. "Willow it's alright, I mean if she wants to carry those then by all means let her." As Willow backed off Kennedy shot Nicholas a stare that could only mean one thing, 'one wrong step and I'll kill you' but all Nicholas could do was laugh.
"Please don't like turn me into any creepy crawly but exactly how can we help out a God? I mean you're like really strong yeah?" Xander asked cowering slightly as he finished.
"It's okay I'm not going to turn you into a rat or anything." Nicholas replied motioning everyone to sit down. "It's really quite simple."
"Oh I like simple." Willow added whimsically.
"Simple in the fact that I know what this evil is, not how beat it. That will require a lot of planning and even more power then you could possibly comprehend".
"So you're talking uber evil?" Faith replied despondently.
"Think, every evil force you've ever encountered", Nicholas paused for a beat, "then multiply it by a thousand and you might come close". Just at that moment Dawn entered the room carrying a tray full of snacks.
"Thought seeing as there's evil a brewin' we could do with some snacks." As Dawn placed the tray down she caught Nicholas's staring her. "Do I have something in my hair?" she replied squirming to see.
"No nothing like that." Nicholas replied still staring at Dawn.
"Then what?"
"It's just, I've forgot how beautiful you are." Dawn along with the rest of the house just stared in complete shock.
"Did you just say that Dawn, my sister, is beautiful? Cause you know I'll still go to town on your arse God or no God." Buffy retorted.
Nicholas just laughed. "You misunderstand. The last time I saw her she was merely a ball of pure energy, the Key and now, now she's just this beautiful young woman."
"What do you know of The Key?" Buffy asked somewhat hesitantly.
"Everything". Nicholas said reaching for a snack, "I created her, or well it anyway".
"You what?" Dawn said spilling her drink.
"The Key, I created it", pointing to Dawn, "well you, in your original form anyway. I had no idea when the monks made you human that they would send you to the Slayer".
"You created The Key? Dawn?" Buffy asked once more trying to come to grips with what was just said.
"Yes. I created The Key, as a means of trapping and banishing the evil from the Earth".
"But I thought The Key was created to open the doorway, all the doorways between the realities." Xander said in disbelief.
"The Key was created to open the doors between the worlds yes but for a specific purpose, to trap Shalimar." Nicholas replied sensing the fear in the room. "Dawn you weren't created for Glory's wishes. You were created to help save the world, all worlds."
"Oh, well I, I erm think that I should, you know, go and wash the, the dishes." Dawn said still in a state of shock.
"No please stay. " Nicholas said as he grabbed Dawn's hand, "I think you should stay." A smile crossed his face, which seemed to fill Dawn with a strange sense of reassurance. "Good now we need to get down to business. Cause we haven't much time".
"What d'you mean we haven't got much time? How much time exactly is it that we have?" Kennedy said still watching Nicholas like a hawk.
"I'm afraid that the doorway has already been opened and Shalimar is now free." Seeing the whole room pull back at the news that the big nasty had already been set free Nicholas began to fill them in on exactly who and what Shalimar was.
(Back on the Boat)
"What do you mean we need to seal her back? Are you crazy?" Jordan said no louder than a whisper.
"Do you have any idea who she is? If we don't seal her back there won't be anything left. She's insane!" Cassandra replied, her eyes full of fear and regret.
"Even if we wanted to we're no match for her power. She'll flay us before we could reopen the portal". Eric added trying to make as little noise as possible.
"I can't believe you two. I mean yeah sure she's you know what but her power is severely weakened, if we don't do it now we won't get another chance!"
"She's right you know, but you won't even get a first chance." The three witches turned to see Shalimar standing in the doorway smiling viscously. "But hey at least you won't be here for my return celebrations, they're going to be a blast, literally".
Cassandra called up the largest ball of energy she could manage. It wasn't much as opening the portal had severely drained her power. She fired the energy at Shalimar who simply batted it away.
"Oh please like you could even manage to break one of my nails. I mean honestly do you think you, even with your powers at their fullest could match mine? I'm a God." With that Shalimar raise her hand and pointed a single finger at the witches causing them to erupt in flames. "Witches, they're so common, not even a challenge".
(Nicholas is still telling his story, now to a crowd in complete awe.)
"You see, Shalimar is, well insane."
"Like Glory?" Willow asked.
"No, Glory was insane because of the humanity that plagued her in the form of Ben. Shalimar, she's insane because of the power she possesses."
"Don't turn me into a frog or something but don't you both possess the same power? I mean you're both, well both Gods." Xander asked moving slightly in his seat.
"No Shalimar and I have very different powers. She spreads darkness, discourse and death, all the things I have tried so hard to stop but there are sim. arrgghhh!" Nicholas was no clutching his head as though he was in severe pain. "She's.. arrgghhh!"
"What is it? Nicholas what is it?" Cordy asked rushing over to Nicholas's side. "Nicholas!"
"Centrum est obscurus!" Willow bellowed sending waves of green energy over Nicholas, causing him to rise into the air and float motionless.
"Will what did you do?" Faith asked, sounding both impressed and concerned at the same time.
"It's a confinement spell. It should protect him from what ever is causing his pain. At least until we figure what it is anyway." But no one seemed to know nearly enough about Nicholas or what was causing his pain to even know where to begin.
"Cordy surely you know something? I mean you're the one who's the higher being and all." Faith turned and asked Cordelia.
"Hey I only know what they let me know. It's not like they're forthcoming with the info then!" Cordy retorted.
"Invenietur." Came a weak voice. The energy field around Nicholas faded and he fell to the ground.
"Nicholas are you.?" Cordy asked rushing over to his side.
"I'm fine."
"Okay what was that?" Xander asked looking extremely worried. "I mean you being all God like and stuff."
"Shalimar, that bitch! She's just killed someone." Nicholas replied dragging himself up off the floor.
"How'd you know? Was it like when Obi Wan sensed the destruction of.?" Andrew began to ask.
"Man you are a nerd." Cordy said with sarcastic shock in her voice.
"I like to think of it more as sci-fi aware." Andrew rebutted with a slight sense of confidence.
"Didn't I tell you if you talked about Star Wars I was going to hit you?" Xander replied looking at Andrew.
"Hey big bad remember!" Faith and Buffy said at the same moment.
"Okay, you're definitely spending too much time together that or popping into each other's heads whilst the other's in a coma thing has really messed with your minds." Willow retorted with a slight smile. As Cordy helped Nicholas over to the chair all eyes where on him. He was a God but he was in pain, who has power strong enough to harm a God? What were their chances of defeating her if she had such power?
Nicholas looked up at everyone's pained expressions, but all he could do was laugh. He'd never seen such concern for his welfare before. "Y'know I'm fine." Nicholas finally trying his best to reassure them.
"Yeah I'm sure being overcome by pain is what like a weekly occurrence?" Faith replied.
"Well no it's not." Nicholas retorted with a small smile, "But now I know that the bitch is back!" As those words left his mouth, the room filled with a sense of fear and anticipation. "Look, now we definitely know she's out we can begin to plan our assault."
"There's one detail you have neglected to mention." Giles said, "What are her plans? Does she have any particular strategy, any goals, other than the destruction of the world of course?"
Nicholas had been dreading this question. Why was Shalimar back? What did she have planned for the world this time? Nicholas may be a God but the inner working of Shalimar's mind still eluded him, for which a part of him was grateful.
"I'm not sure." These words didn't instil much confidence in the Scoobies but found a spot of humour within Kennedy and Rona.
"So much for being all powerful." Rona said from behind Buffy.
"Yeah I mean what help can he be if he doesn't even know why she's here?" Kennedy added harshly.
"Kennedy, Rona that's enough!" Giles said turning and motioning them to leave, but they simple stared at him.
"You think you can make us leave, especially now he's here?" Rona retorted.
"You think you could take me?" Faith replied grabbing both Kennedy and Rona and forcing them outside. "Well that takes care of them for a while at least."
"What has gotten into those two?" Giles asked looking rather puzzled.
"They're brats, plain and simple." Xander replied not catching Willow's gaze.
"I think it's more than that Xander." Willow retorted bluntly.
"She's right." Nicholas added, "I can sense a powerful force trying to take hold of them."
"What! What force?" Willow asked looking extremely worried.
"Shalimar, she wants to take hold of the world. What better way then through an army of Slayers. No one would be able to stand in her way."
"There must be something we can do, like some sort of protection spell?" Willow said realizing that Nicholas was right. With an army of slayers, no one would be able to stand in her way.
"There's only one way but it requires time and that's something we're running extremely thin on." At that moment, Cordelia was sent flying right into the rear wall.
"Cordelia!" Giles bellowed.
"She's having a vision, but they're not supposed to affect her this way any more." Nicholas replied looking rather stunned. "Cordy what do you see?" The stress of the vision was too much for Cordelia. She could feel everything, the pain, the terror and the overwhelming joy. Millions of people where being burned alive, buildings exploded in massive blasts leaving huge gapping craters. Within moments the once bustling city was nothing more than a gaping hole, nothing was left alive.