Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, they all belong to Joss Whedon and others
Timeline: Shortly after the end of Angel first season. All that happened in the episode 'New Moon Rising' has happened only Oz didn't come back
Spoilers: Whole of Angel season one and all of Buffy up to the end of season four, to be safe.
Authors Note: I began this before the start of Angel season two and Buffy season five, so events will bear little to no relation to anything that happens in them.
My Sister, My Brother.
Prologue
Her soul drifted in the darkness that was death. Her body, not yet cold, lay on the floor of the house that had once been her home. She could see, or maybe sense, the light. The light that promised peace and joy. Happiness. Family. All the things she longed for. And yet, still she lingered. Still her soul cried out in pain and betrayal. Because Liam would not be there. Liam, her brother who had played with her and teased her and always been there for her as she grew up. Liam, whose body had been found limp and lifeless in a dark alley. Liam, who she had mourned at his graveside with her Mother and Father. Liam, who in ecstatic joy she had invited into their house, believing him to be an Angel, miraculously returned to her. And she had believed that, until his face had changed into the terrifying visage of a demon and sank his fangs into her neck and drained the lifeblood from her. If souls could weep, hers did at that moment.
Although all bonds had been severed between her and her body at the moment of death, she yet retained a faint hold upon it. So she was aware as it was moved, as still warm hands laid hold of it, and yet the sensation did not intrude upon her keening grief. Then, she felt it. Before there had been only darkness and the persistent yet gentle urge of the light. And her tremendous grief. But then, she felt it. A tugging on her very soul which was any thing but gentle. She tried to resist, then if she had still possessed a mouth she would have screamed as claws sank into her soul and pulled at her viscously, dragging her, unwillingly too where she did not know. She reached out desperately to the light, willing now to heed its call, but it was receding away, as iron bands grasped her tightly and pulled her, spiralling down into utter darkness.
She became aware again slowly, and as she did so she realised she once again felt the restrictions of an earthly body, something she had not even been aware of before her...death. But something was wrong, subtly but extremely wrong. Her body wasn't right, it felt almost...dead. She gasped in horror and fought to keep herself from hyperventilating. She was trapped! Trapped in a dead body. The part of her mind that wasn't screaming in abject terror dimly wondered if this was what had happened to Liam..? She became aware, on the edge of her hearing, of voices speaking and she latched onto them, desperately seeking anything to focus on that would take her mind off the circles it was inscribing around her present and recent past. She heard a deep, man's voice speaking, and another's, high with terror, answering as she started to make sense of their words.
"We shall know soon enough, my Lord," frightened man was saying, "This is an extremely complex spell we are undertaking and I don't believe there has ever been a single recorded incident when it was performed correctly."
"Then we shall have to be the first, won't we?" deep voice was replying, "Only, of course, we won't be recording this will we?"
"O-of course my Lord," the first man said nervously, "But, to bind a soul to an already dead body... it takes an enormous amount of power, and pure intent... even the human sacrifices you provided me with may not have granted me enough power to succeed...and if her soul had already passed on into the light... well, not even the most powerful of spell casters can go up against the powers themselves!"
"For your sake, my friend," the deep voice was deceptively mild, "You had better have succeeded. All the prophecies tell of the coming of the Warrior, and I must have a weapon against him when he arises!"
"But, but my Lord Wolfram," the scared voice was trembling now, "Prophecies can be averted..."
"That they can, and you may be sure I will be vigilant in my attempts to thwart them, but he is spoken of in the Scrolls of Aberjian, and I am not about to dismiss them lightly."
She shifted slightly on the floor and opened her eyes in an attempt to see her surroundings. It was hot, she realised dimly, and she could see the huge fires that produced it. As more of her senses reawakened the smell of blood and death assaulted her. She became aware she was lying in the centre of a pentagram, drawn in blood and incense burning at all five points. She could see the two men standing a short distance away, both dressed in the robes of the one's who know magic. As if becoming aware of her gaze the taller turned and swept towards her, kneeling down and staring into her eyes. She stared back up at him, eyes wide with fear meeting eyes that glowed amber. A wolves eyes.
"Hello Kathy," Wolfram smiled coldly and the fires of hell danced in his eyes. "I am Wolfram."
Timeline: Shortly after the end of Angel first season. All that happened in the episode 'New Moon Rising' has happened only Oz didn't come back
Spoilers: Whole of Angel season one and all of Buffy up to the end of season four, to be safe.
Authors Note: I began this before the start of Angel season two and Buffy season five, so events will bear little to no relation to anything that happens in them.
My Sister, My Brother.
Prologue
Her soul drifted in the darkness that was death. Her body, not yet cold, lay on the floor of the house that had once been her home. She could see, or maybe sense, the light. The light that promised peace and joy. Happiness. Family. All the things she longed for. And yet, still she lingered. Still her soul cried out in pain and betrayal. Because Liam would not be there. Liam, her brother who had played with her and teased her and always been there for her as she grew up. Liam, whose body had been found limp and lifeless in a dark alley. Liam, who she had mourned at his graveside with her Mother and Father. Liam, who in ecstatic joy she had invited into their house, believing him to be an Angel, miraculously returned to her. And she had believed that, until his face had changed into the terrifying visage of a demon and sank his fangs into her neck and drained the lifeblood from her. If souls could weep, hers did at that moment.
Although all bonds had been severed between her and her body at the moment of death, she yet retained a faint hold upon it. So she was aware as it was moved, as still warm hands laid hold of it, and yet the sensation did not intrude upon her keening grief. Then, she felt it. Before there had been only darkness and the persistent yet gentle urge of the light. And her tremendous grief. But then, she felt it. A tugging on her very soul which was any thing but gentle. She tried to resist, then if she had still possessed a mouth she would have screamed as claws sank into her soul and pulled at her viscously, dragging her, unwillingly too where she did not know. She reached out desperately to the light, willing now to heed its call, but it was receding away, as iron bands grasped her tightly and pulled her, spiralling down into utter darkness.
She became aware again slowly, and as she did so she realised she once again felt the restrictions of an earthly body, something she had not even been aware of before her...death. But something was wrong, subtly but extremely wrong. Her body wasn't right, it felt almost...dead. She gasped in horror and fought to keep herself from hyperventilating. She was trapped! Trapped in a dead body. The part of her mind that wasn't screaming in abject terror dimly wondered if this was what had happened to Liam..? She became aware, on the edge of her hearing, of voices speaking and she latched onto them, desperately seeking anything to focus on that would take her mind off the circles it was inscribing around her present and recent past. She heard a deep, man's voice speaking, and another's, high with terror, answering as she started to make sense of their words.
"We shall know soon enough, my Lord," frightened man was saying, "This is an extremely complex spell we are undertaking and I don't believe there has ever been a single recorded incident when it was performed correctly."
"Then we shall have to be the first, won't we?" deep voice was replying, "Only, of course, we won't be recording this will we?"
"O-of course my Lord," the first man said nervously, "But, to bind a soul to an already dead body... it takes an enormous amount of power, and pure intent... even the human sacrifices you provided me with may not have granted me enough power to succeed...and if her soul had already passed on into the light... well, not even the most powerful of spell casters can go up against the powers themselves!"
"For your sake, my friend," the deep voice was deceptively mild, "You had better have succeeded. All the prophecies tell of the coming of the Warrior, and I must have a weapon against him when he arises!"
"But, but my Lord Wolfram," the scared voice was trembling now, "Prophecies can be averted..."
"That they can, and you may be sure I will be vigilant in my attempts to thwart them, but he is spoken of in the Scrolls of Aberjian, and I am not about to dismiss them lightly."
She shifted slightly on the floor and opened her eyes in an attempt to see her surroundings. It was hot, she realised dimly, and she could see the huge fires that produced it. As more of her senses reawakened the smell of blood and death assaulted her. She became aware she was lying in the centre of a pentagram, drawn in blood and incense burning at all five points. She could see the two men standing a short distance away, both dressed in the robes of the one's who know magic. As if becoming aware of her gaze the taller turned and swept towards her, kneeling down and staring into her eyes. She stared back up at him, eyes wide with fear meeting eyes that glowed amber. A wolves eyes.
"Hello Kathy," Wolfram smiled coldly and the fires of hell danced in his eyes. "I am Wolfram."