The Last Prophecy
By NightDragon
This is a Crossover between Buffy and the World of Darkness
I don't own Buffy, I don't own the World of Darkness. The only things I own are a couple of the
characters. I am making no money off of this. This story takes place in the summer of 1999, or between the
third and fourth seasons of Buffy.
_ _ _ _ _
The glade could have passed for a normal clearing in a normal forest, but there were several
problems that you wouldn't notice right away. The glade was sunny and well lit, however, if you happened
to glance up, you'd see no sun in the sky... no indication of where the light was coming from. A second
look at the trees surrounding the clearing would let you see leaves that where too bright a green to exist
anywhere in the world anymore.
The man who walked into the glade did not look as if he belonged there. He was a tall man, about
six feet in height, and his hair was long, and a dark black. The darkness of his hair contrasted starkly with
the almost white paleness of his skin, and hung loosely around his face, reaching his shoulders. He was
dressed completely in black; a silk dress shirt, leather pants and boots, and a long, flowing leather trench
coat. The man's eyes were hidden behind a pair of black, round-rimmed sunglasses.
In his left hand, he carried a four-foot long cane. The shaft of the cane was black wood, the head
an elegantly carved dragon's claw made of silver. The dragon's claw gripped a dark blue sapphire that was
almost as large as a golf ball. The sunlight that came from nowhere glinted off of the gem.
The man looked around nervously. He kept looking upwards, as if he was uncomfortable being
outside. He continued to stand there, silent, for an unknown length of time, glancing around every once in
awhile.
"You really don't like being in the sun, do you my child," a female voice said quietly. The man's
shoulders stiffened slightly, then relaxed. He turned around, toward the source of the voice. He took in the
sight of a lovely woman that was standing in at the edge of the glade. She was at least a foot shorter than
the man, and dressed in a flowing white robe. Her hair was as dark as the man's, and hung down to her
waist. Her bright blue eyes shone out against the paleness of her skin. She was striking, but looked cold,
almost like a statue.
"Hello mother," the man said, his voice quiet and controlled, betraying no emotion. "You look
well." The woman smiled, and stepped into the glade, standing in front of the man, a few feet away.
"So do you," she said. The man looked up at the sky once more.
"We're not really in the sun are we though," he said, a tiny amount of amusement slipping into his
voice. The woman gave a quick laugh that turned into a sigh. She reached up and brushed her fingers across
the man's face briefly, then turned and moved over to a large, flat rock. She sat down on the rock and
looked back at him.
"You came here for a reason. Why don't you tell me what it is," she said seriously.
"The prophecy," he said. The woman sighed deeply, shaking her head.
"You are still trying to fight the good fight. It amazes me," she said in a tired sounding voice. She
reached up and ran a hand through her hair. The man watched her silently for a moment, then spoke.
"I've seen a few things that have made me think that time is running short. I need to find the first
of them. The Hunter. I've been told you can tell me where to look," he said quietly. The woman nodded.
"I might be able to point you in the right direction," she said tiredly. "I wish I could help you
more." The man snarled.
"If you really wanted to help you wouldn't have gotten yourself...!" he started to shout, and then
he sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I suppose you couldn't have helped that," he said quietly. The woman looked at him,
concern on his face. She walked over to him, and gently wrapped her arms around him, laying her head
against his chest. The man's entire body stiffened momentarily then relaxed slightly. He slowly raised his
right hand and laid it on her shoulder.
"I can tell you where to start looking for two of them. The Hunter, and the Bard." She said quietly.
The man looked down at her.
"You've heard of the Slayer?" she asked. The man blinked, then nodded.
"The girl. The one that fights the demon blood," he said. "Of course I have. What does she have to do with all this?"
The woman looked up at him.
"There are two of them. The one that is sleeping will lead you to the Bard. The other will lead you
to the Hunter," she said.
_ _ _ _ _
A short while later, the man in black exited the forest. Waiting for him there was another man and
a horse. The horse was massive, and black as midnight. The man was tall, almost six and a half feet, and
was missing his right arm. His eyes were bright green, and his pupils cat-like. His ears were pointed, and
his hair almost white. The man with the white hair stepped forward.
"Did you find the answers you were looking for, lord?" he asked. The man in black lifted himself
into the saddle on the horse, then replied.
"I found a few clues," he said quietly. "I have to go to California."
_ _ _ _ _
Chapter One: Set Them Up...
Or Why Boredom is Deadlier than Prozac
_ _ _ _ _
The Bronze was particularly busy that evening, a fact that depressed Buffy for some reason. Then,
a lot of things had been depressing her as of late. Surviving graduation and the Mayor's Ascension had
been great at the time, but afterwards she had been left feeling strangely empty. Having had something to
focus on, to concentrate her energies on for so long, had gotten her used to having a purpose. Now, with it
all over, she didn't know what to do with her self.
"Angel leaving didn't help much," she said under her breath. She sighed, leaning back on the
couch she was occupying. She looked around, catching a glance of Willow as she danced. She smiled just a
little. Willow had been trying so hard to cheer her up over the past few weeks.
"Well it's nice to see a smile on your face for once," Xander said as he sat on the couch next to
her. "I was beginning to think you were turning into Prozac-Girl."
"Cute, Xander," Buffy grumbled. He turned and smiled at her.
"I was teasing Buff. Lighten up. You have been way to serious lately," he said. She turned to look
at him, running a hand through her blonde hair.
"I've been depressed. It's perfectly understandable. Giles said so," she said, an exaggerated look
of sadness on her face.
"Giles is British. They are always depressed," he replied. "Get over it or I'll tie you up and attack
you with a feather."
"Pervert," she said, turning to look around the room again. The dance floor was filled with people,
half of whom she didn't recognize. Buffy sighed again.
"I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself now Xander. Everything is changing. High
school is over, the Mayor's defeated, Angel left, and I don't know what's going to happen next," she said
quietly.
"Probably something bad, the way our luck goes," Xander said, a depressed look on his face now.
Buffy turned, and frowned at him. He just shrugged.
"Look, I'm just saying, when things get boring for us bad things start happening. It's a pattern,
see," Xander said as he watched Buffy. She just shook her head.
"I know, I know. You'd think I'd learn to appreciate the quiet times. But they just tend to disturb
me these days," Buffy said. She looked up then and smiled as Willow walked over, collapsing onto the
couch between her and Xander.
"What's going on guys?" Willow asked brightly. Xander just shook his head.
"Buffy's feeling sorry for her self because there is no great evil for her to fight," he said. He turned
to look at Buffy, expecting a look of annoyance on her face. Instead, he saw that she was staring across the
room. He followed her gaze, then frowned.
Against the far wall, a nice looking young man was staring into the eyes of a tall, dark-haired
woman. The woman was dressed in black leather, and had a playfully evil grin on her face. The man was
looking up at her, his expression totally blank. The woman licked her lips, and at that moment, all three of
the people on the couch caught a glimpse of fangs.
The leather-clad woman started walking toward the door, and the young man started following
her, the blank look still on his face. The woman and the man walked outside. Xander turned and looked at
Buffy, who was already standing up, pulling a wooden stake out of her purse.
"And you were complaining there was nothing to do," he said.
_ _ _ _ _
On the other side of the club, a man and a woman sat at one of the tables near the wall. Both of
them had drinks in front of them, both of them untouched. They both scanned the room constantly,
occasionally stopping their gaze to watch Buffy.
The man looked young, seeming to be no more than eighteen at most. He was about six feet in
height, thin, with short dark blonde hair, and eyes that were light brown. His clothing looked as if it had
seen better days; his blue jeans had several rips in them, his combat boots were scuffed. The red T-shirt he
wore was faded, and his black leather jacket was battered, and had several holes in the back of it, holes that
looked like there were made by bullets.
The woman looked to be a few years older than the man, about twenty-five or so. She was about
five feet tall, and pale. Her dark read hair was tied back in a tight, long braid. Large rings of black makeup,
making it look as it she hadn't slept in days surrounded her eyes. She wore what looked to be a black
wedding dress that only reached to her knees, fishnet stockings with a large number of runs in them, and a
pair of high-heeled leather boots. An old-fashioned monocle hung around her neck on a silver chain.
"What am I doing here Jason," the woman asked. The man, Jason, turned and looked at her.
"Because you were bored in Frisco and asked to come along Chelle," he replied. He reached into
his jacket pocket and pulled out a crumpled, half-empty pack of cigarettes.
"I should have known better. Everyone in the Circle told me to avoid this town like the plague.
We've already been attacked twice. We should bail," Chelle said, looking around nervously. She looked
back to Jason as he pulled a silver-plated Zippo lighter from his pocket.
"Callista will be here, if she isn't here already," He said, lighting a cigarette with the Zippo. "The
Slayer isn't ready for someone like her." Chelle frowned.
"Maybe, but why is it your job to deal with it?" she asked. Jason sighed and took a long drag off
his cigarette.
"It's not my job to deal with it. I just want to. Callista and I have issues. That's why she is coming
here. She's trying to get inside my head," he said, exhaling smoke through his nose as he spoke. Chelle
shrugged as Jason turned to look at Buffy once more. He saw her get up and head toward the door, holding
a stake in her hand. He turned and looked at the door, catching sight of who Buffy was following.
"Well speak of the Devil," he said.
_ _ _ _ _
Buffy stepped outside, looking around franticly. Xander and Willow ran out the door just as Buffy
turned and ran toward the nearest alley. She caught sight of the woman, who was holding the man by the
throat, pressing him against the wall.
"You know, I never did like people who don't play nice," Buffy said as she moved into a fighting
stance, raising the stake defensively. The woman turned toward Buffy, letting go of the man and setting her
hands on her hips.
"Ah, I knew if I made that little show in there, I'd lure you out. You have to be the Slayer," she
said in a dark and throaty tone of voice. "My name is Callista."
"That's nice, but it doesn't really matter what your name is. You'll be dust soon," Buffy said,
walking toward Callista. Callista smiled, showing her fangs again. Buffy stopped. She had never seen a
vampire that had shown fangs without her face turning into the usual demonic visage.
Buffy shook her head and started moving toward Callista. She noticed Willow and Xander
stopping at the entrance of the alley, watching. Buffy smiled, glad they knew when to stay out of the way.
She then moved forward quickly aiming a punch at Callista's face.
The punch connected solidly, sending Callista's head snapping to the side. Callista didn't move at
all as Buffy laid in a few more punishing blows to her face, then raised the stake and rammed it into her
chest, then yanked it out. She watched Callista, waiting for her to collapse into dust.
Callista grunted, reaching up to lay a hand over the hole in her chest. She collapsed to one knee,
then seemed to be paralyzed. Then she shook her head, and stood up, smiling at Buffy wickedly. Buffy's
eyes widened, and the stake fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers.
"Holy shit," she heard Xander say. At that moment, four men dressed similar to Callista appeared
at the entrance to the alley. They pushed Willow and Xander deeper into the alley. All of them smiled,
showing fangs without the face change, like Callista. The man Callista had been threatening stood up,
showing a mouthful of fangs as well.
"Ohhh, the Archbishop is going to be so happy. He was worried you'd be trouble when the siege
began. Wait till I tell him you're dead," Callista said happily. Buffy shook her head, then kicked the
dropped stake into the air, catching it and moving into a fighting stance.
"I'm not dead yet," Buffy said. Callista laughed.
"That stick isn't going to help you, little girl," she said, stepping toward Buffy. The four vampires
behind Buffy took a hold of Xander and Willow, opening their mouths wide. Buffy turned and moved
quickly toward her friends, aiming a kick to the face of one of the vampires holding Willow. The vampire's
head snapped back with a loud crack, and he fell to the ground... then stood up, his head hanging at an odd
angle.
Buffy laughed, but was cut short as she felt something rope-like wrap itself around her throat.
Buffy gasped for air as she was lifted off the ground and turned around. Her eyes widened in shock. The
tendril around her throat was coming from Callista. Her left hand had changed into a long, thin tendril of
flesh that was slowly choking the life out of Buffy. Callista grinned up at her.
"You are nowhere near as dangerous as they said you were. I was hoping for a challenge," she said
almost sadly. She raised her free hand, and Buffy watched in horror as the hand stretched itself into a huge,
misshapen claw. The sound of bones and tendons snapping filled the air as Callista raised the claw. Buffy
head Willow scream.
A thin strip of white parchment flew through the air, striking Callista in the forehead, where it
stuck. There was a string of Japanese writing on it, which flared into flash of blue-white light. Callista
screamed, dropping Buffy to the concrete. Callista's hands returned to normal as she pressed them against
her forehead. She dropped to her knees as Buffy tried to get to her feet.
"You always did go down easy. That was probably how you got your job," a male voice said. Both
Buffy and the vampires turned to look where the voice was coming from. Standing at the entrance to the
alley was Jason and Chelle. Jason was smoking a cigarette, and standing in a relaxed pose. Chelle was
pointing an ancient flintlock pistol at the vampires. The pistol had to be at least 300 years old.
Callista stood up slowly, moving her hands away from her face. The strip of parchment was gone,
the writing that had been on the paper was burned into the flesh of her forehead.
"I wasn't ready for you yet," she snarled. She gestured to the other vampires, who promptly turned
and charged at Jason and Chelle. Chelle pointed a finger at the onrushing vamps, saying something too
quiet to be heard. The monocle hanging around her throat glinted. Two of the vampires suddenly tripped,
slamming to the concrete face first with a sickening thud.
The other three vampire stopped for a second, looking at their fallen comrades. At that moment,
Jason moved forward quickly. A spin kick sent one vampire slamming into the wall with a sick thud. The
other two turned toward Jason, raising their hands to hit him. Jason spun out of the way quickly, coming
around to face the vamps in a fighting stance.
One of the vamps rushed at Jason. Jason waited until he came in close, then struck, his fist
slamming into the vampire's jaw at an odd angle. There was an extremely loud crack as the vampire's jaw
literally exploded, sending chunks of flesh and bone raining down onto the ground. The vamp sunk to his
knees, and incoherent scream coming from what was left of his mouth.
Buffy watched all this in amazement. She shook her head and started toward the rest of the vamps.
She caught one of tripped ones with a sharp kick to the jaw, sending its head snapping back as it tried to get
up. Buffy raised the stake and rammed it into the back of the vampire's throat. She ripped it sideways and
the vamp's head fell from its shoulders. Buffy stepped back, expecting the body to explode into dust.
Instead, the body lay there, dribbling some dark blood onto the concrete. She shook her head, then turned to
find the next target.
She saw Jason as he fought against the remaining vamps. He was fighting only two of them now,
and Buffy watched in amazement. Jason moved gracefully, not wasting a single movement. Each attack he
made hit, causing damage to the vamps. There was already one vampire corpse at his feet, its head missing.
Buffy wasn't sure how he had managed to do that without any weapons.
Buffy caught sight of Chelle moving to Xander and Willow, getting them towards the street. She
smiled briefly, then turned to see the other tripped vampire finally stand up, its face a bruised and bloody
mess. The injuries started to heal themselves as the vampire rushed at Buffy. She raised the stake and
rammed it into his heart easily. She blinked in surprise as the vampire suddenly stopped, his entire body
stiffening, as if paralyzed. The vamp fell backwards, a look of shock frozen on its face.
"Not bad," Jason said. "You must be the Slayer."
Buffy turned toward Jason. The two vampires he had been fighting were gone. She saw them run
off into the street, limping and bleeding. The corpses of the two decapitated vampires looked as if they had
started to decay. There was no sign of Callista. Buffy looked to Xander and Willow.
"You two okay?" she asked. Xander and Willow nodded, and Buffy turned, looking at Jason and
Chelle.
"Who are you two?" she asked. Jason and Chelle looked at each other, then toward Buffy.
"My name is Jason Redtree," Jason replied. "The lady with the taste for the Goth is Chelle. We
have a lot to talk about Miss Summers."
"You think?" Xander asked.
_ _ _ _ _
The intensive care ward of the Sunnydale Hospital was quiet at night. Patients recovering from
surgery, or who were in comas, or in some other way unable to take care of themselves were placed here.
A nurse sat at a reception desk, monitoring a bank of equipment that showed the life signs of the patients.
The nurse who was supposed to be watching them was in a deep sleep, her chin resting against her chest.
The man in black walked down the corridor silently, his eyes still hidden behind his sunglasses,
despite the lack of light. He looked much more comfortable moving down the dark hall than he had
standing in the sunny glade. He looked from side to side as he walked, looking for something.
He finally stopped in front of a door. He tested the doorknob, and found it locked. He shook his
head and tapped a finger against the doorframe. The door slowly swung open on its own. The man walked
into the room and took a look around.
The room was empty expect for a bed life support equipment. Lying on the bed was a teenage girl,
dark-haired, pretty. There was an IV stuck in her arm and a mask over her face to assist her breathing. She
looked as if she hadn't moved in a while.
The man walks over to the side of the bed, looking down at the girl. He shook his head, and
reached down, removing the breathing mask from her face and tossing it to the side. He then touched her
face, moving it slightly so her mouth opened a little. He stroked her face with his fingers softly, then lifted
his hand, running his thumbnail across his other palm sharply. A line of dark blood welled up, and the man
lowered his hand, allowing some of the blood to drip into the girl's mouth. He held his hand there for a few
moments, watching as the dark blood fill her mouth and trickle down her throat, then lifted it away, the cut
on his palm sealing itself.
The girl laid there for a few moments then suddenly opened her eyes. She sat up, coughing
violently, some of the dark blood running down her chin. Her coughing slowed, and she turned bleary and
confused eyes upward to look at the man.
"What... where... who are you?" she said in a raspy voice.
"My name is Raven. Come with me Faith. We have business to attend to," the man said, holding
his hand out to her.
_ _ _ _ _
"So let me get this straight," Xander said. "You two are demon hunters?"
"No. He's a demon hunter. I'm just along for the ride," Chelle said. She looked at Xander as if he
was an idiot. He flinched. Buffy shook her head and looked at Jason. The five of them were sitting at a
table in a corner of the Bronze, as out of the way as they could be.
"And what was the deal with little Miss Play-Do Hands and her band of friends. I've never seen
vampires like that before," Buffy said. Jason took a long drag off his cigarette before he spoke.
"They are a completely different species of vampires, one you've never dealt with before. Some
of them like to call themselves Kindred," Jason said quietly. "They tend to be a lot more subtle than the
demon-vampires you deal with. They try to avoid the Slayers."
"Then why did they try and kill Buffy?" Willow asked quietly. Jason and Chelle looked at each
other before Jason replied.
"It's a long story. Amongst the Kindred, there are a number of different bloodlines, or clans," he
started explaining. "A large number of these clans are divided into these two sects, the Camarilla and the
Sabbat. They both have very different ideas about how to interact with the human race."
"This doesn't sound good," Buffy said. Jason smiled wryly.
"It's not. The Camarilla is the lesser of two evils. They just want to keep a low profile. The have
this wonderful thing they call the Masquerade. They try to stay hidden, and aren't much for wholesale
slaughter. They do still kill humans, but they try to avoid it." Jason said, taking another drag off his
cigarette.
"What about the Sabbat," Buffy asked.
"The Sabbat think humans are cattle. They think that they are the rightful rulers of the world. They
tend to be violent, and will do anything they feel will help them achieve their goals. Some of them believe
they are the servants of Satan. They don't care if humans know if they exist." Jason said as he watched his
cigarette burn.
"Oh, they sound like a fun bunch," Xander quipped. Buffy and Willow glared at him.
"They aren't very fun, really. Callista is leader of a Sabbat war pack. She reports directly to some
Archbishop in Mexico. I don't know why she's here, I just know she likes to cause trouble." Jason said, the
expression on his face blank.
"She probably wanted to kill you Miss Summers because she knew you could be a lot of trouble
for her," Chelle said nervously. Xander leaned over and whispered into Willow's ear.
"You get the feeling they aren't telling us something?" he whispered.
_ _ _ _ _
Callista kneeled on one knee in the center of what looked to be an abandoned church. The place
was old, covered in cobwebs, and looked to be falling apart. A lot of the leftover religious paraphernalia
had been broken or desecrated in one way or another. A number of symbols were written on the walls in
what looked like dried blood.
"YOU HAVE FAILED TO KILL THE SLAYER, CALLISTA," a dark, booming voice spoke out
of the darkness. Callista winced.
"The Stormbringer and his little mage bitch showed up," she said quietly.
"IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MATTERED! YOU ARE ONE OF MY BEST WARRIORS
CALLISTA, BUT IF YOU FAIL ME ONCE MORE, YOU WILL BE REPLACED," the voice said.
"I'll not fail you, Archbishop. But I need more troops," she spoke up.
The voice seemed to consider this.
"I WILL SEND YOU ANOTHER PACK, AND SEVERAL GHOULS. MAKE AS MANY
GHOULS AND VAMPIRES FOR CANNON FODDER AS YOU NEED. DO NOT FAIL THE BLACK
HAND, CALLISTA." The voice boomed, before going quiet.
Callista stood up slowly, a smile on her face.
"I'll be ready for you this time, Stormbringer. You can't protect the Slayer forever," she said,
before laughing for a very long time...
End of Chapter One
By NightDragon
This is a Crossover between Buffy and the World of Darkness
I don't own Buffy, I don't own the World of Darkness. The only things I own are a couple of the
characters. I am making no money off of this. This story takes place in the summer of 1999, or between the
third and fourth seasons of Buffy.
_ _ _ _ _
The glade could have passed for a normal clearing in a normal forest, but there were several
problems that you wouldn't notice right away. The glade was sunny and well lit, however, if you happened
to glance up, you'd see no sun in the sky... no indication of where the light was coming from. A second
look at the trees surrounding the clearing would let you see leaves that where too bright a green to exist
anywhere in the world anymore.
The man who walked into the glade did not look as if he belonged there. He was a tall man, about
six feet in height, and his hair was long, and a dark black. The darkness of his hair contrasted starkly with
the almost white paleness of his skin, and hung loosely around his face, reaching his shoulders. He was
dressed completely in black; a silk dress shirt, leather pants and boots, and a long, flowing leather trench
coat. The man's eyes were hidden behind a pair of black, round-rimmed sunglasses.
In his left hand, he carried a four-foot long cane. The shaft of the cane was black wood, the head
an elegantly carved dragon's claw made of silver. The dragon's claw gripped a dark blue sapphire that was
almost as large as a golf ball. The sunlight that came from nowhere glinted off of the gem.
The man looked around nervously. He kept looking upwards, as if he was uncomfortable being
outside. He continued to stand there, silent, for an unknown length of time, glancing around every once in
awhile.
"You really don't like being in the sun, do you my child," a female voice said quietly. The man's
shoulders stiffened slightly, then relaxed. He turned around, toward the source of the voice. He took in the
sight of a lovely woman that was standing in at the edge of the glade. She was at least a foot shorter than
the man, and dressed in a flowing white robe. Her hair was as dark as the man's, and hung down to her
waist. Her bright blue eyes shone out against the paleness of her skin. She was striking, but looked cold,
almost like a statue.
"Hello mother," the man said, his voice quiet and controlled, betraying no emotion. "You look
well." The woman smiled, and stepped into the glade, standing in front of the man, a few feet away.
"So do you," she said. The man looked up at the sky once more.
"We're not really in the sun are we though," he said, a tiny amount of amusement slipping into his
voice. The woman gave a quick laugh that turned into a sigh. She reached up and brushed her fingers across
the man's face briefly, then turned and moved over to a large, flat rock. She sat down on the rock and
looked back at him.
"You came here for a reason. Why don't you tell me what it is," she said seriously.
"The prophecy," he said. The woman sighed deeply, shaking her head.
"You are still trying to fight the good fight. It amazes me," she said in a tired sounding voice. She
reached up and ran a hand through her hair. The man watched her silently for a moment, then spoke.
"I've seen a few things that have made me think that time is running short. I need to find the first
of them. The Hunter. I've been told you can tell me where to look," he said quietly. The woman nodded.
"I might be able to point you in the right direction," she said tiredly. "I wish I could help you
more." The man snarled.
"If you really wanted to help you wouldn't have gotten yourself...!" he started to shout, and then
he sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I suppose you couldn't have helped that," he said quietly. The woman looked at him,
concern on his face. She walked over to him, and gently wrapped her arms around him, laying her head
against his chest. The man's entire body stiffened momentarily then relaxed slightly. He slowly raised his
right hand and laid it on her shoulder.
"I can tell you where to start looking for two of them. The Hunter, and the Bard." She said quietly.
The man looked down at her.
"You've heard of the Slayer?" she asked. The man blinked, then nodded.
"The girl. The one that fights the demon blood," he said. "Of course I have. What does she have to do with all this?"
The woman looked up at him.
"There are two of them. The one that is sleeping will lead you to the Bard. The other will lead you
to the Hunter," she said.
_ _ _ _ _
A short while later, the man in black exited the forest. Waiting for him there was another man and
a horse. The horse was massive, and black as midnight. The man was tall, almost six and a half feet, and
was missing his right arm. His eyes were bright green, and his pupils cat-like. His ears were pointed, and
his hair almost white. The man with the white hair stepped forward.
"Did you find the answers you were looking for, lord?" he asked. The man in black lifted himself
into the saddle on the horse, then replied.
"I found a few clues," he said quietly. "I have to go to California."
_ _ _ _ _
Chapter One: Set Them Up...
Or Why Boredom is Deadlier than Prozac
_ _ _ _ _
The Bronze was particularly busy that evening, a fact that depressed Buffy for some reason. Then,
a lot of things had been depressing her as of late. Surviving graduation and the Mayor's Ascension had
been great at the time, but afterwards she had been left feeling strangely empty. Having had something to
focus on, to concentrate her energies on for so long, had gotten her used to having a purpose. Now, with it
all over, she didn't know what to do with her self.
"Angel leaving didn't help much," she said under her breath. She sighed, leaning back on the
couch she was occupying. She looked around, catching a glance of Willow as she danced. She smiled just a
little. Willow had been trying so hard to cheer her up over the past few weeks.
"Well it's nice to see a smile on your face for once," Xander said as he sat on the couch next to
her. "I was beginning to think you were turning into Prozac-Girl."
"Cute, Xander," Buffy grumbled. He turned and smiled at her.
"I was teasing Buff. Lighten up. You have been way to serious lately," he said. She turned to look
at him, running a hand through her blonde hair.
"I've been depressed. It's perfectly understandable. Giles said so," she said, an exaggerated look
of sadness on her face.
"Giles is British. They are always depressed," he replied. "Get over it or I'll tie you up and attack
you with a feather."
"Pervert," she said, turning to look around the room again. The dance floor was filled with people,
half of whom she didn't recognize. Buffy sighed again.
"I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself now Xander. Everything is changing. High
school is over, the Mayor's defeated, Angel left, and I don't know what's going to happen next," she said
quietly.
"Probably something bad, the way our luck goes," Xander said, a depressed look on his face now.
Buffy turned, and frowned at him. He just shrugged.
"Look, I'm just saying, when things get boring for us bad things start happening. It's a pattern,
see," Xander said as he watched Buffy. She just shook her head.
"I know, I know. You'd think I'd learn to appreciate the quiet times. But they just tend to disturb
me these days," Buffy said. She looked up then and smiled as Willow walked over, collapsing onto the
couch between her and Xander.
"What's going on guys?" Willow asked brightly. Xander just shook his head.
"Buffy's feeling sorry for her self because there is no great evil for her to fight," he said. He turned
to look at Buffy, expecting a look of annoyance on her face. Instead, he saw that she was staring across the
room. He followed her gaze, then frowned.
Against the far wall, a nice looking young man was staring into the eyes of a tall, dark-haired
woman. The woman was dressed in black leather, and had a playfully evil grin on her face. The man was
looking up at her, his expression totally blank. The woman licked her lips, and at that moment, all three of
the people on the couch caught a glimpse of fangs.
The leather-clad woman started walking toward the door, and the young man started following
her, the blank look still on his face. The woman and the man walked outside. Xander turned and looked at
Buffy, who was already standing up, pulling a wooden stake out of her purse.
"And you were complaining there was nothing to do," he said.
_ _ _ _ _
On the other side of the club, a man and a woman sat at one of the tables near the wall. Both of
them had drinks in front of them, both of them untouched. They both scanned the room constantly,
occasionally stopping their gaze to watch Buffy.
The man looked young, seeming to be no more than eighteen at most. He was about six feet in
height, thin, with short dark blonde hair, and eyes that were light brown. His clothing looked as if it had
seen better days; his blue jeans had several rips in them, his combat boots were scuffed. The red T-shirt he
wore was faded, and his black leather jacket was battered, and had several holes in the back of it, holes that
looked like there were made by bullets.
The woman looked to be a few years older than the man, about twenty-five or so. She was about
five feet tall, and pale. Her dark read hair was tied back in a tight, long braid. Large rings of black makeup,
making it look as it she hadn't slept in days surrounded her eyes. She wore what looked to be a black
wedding dress that only reached to her knees, fishnet stockings with a large number of runs in them, and a
pair of high-heeled leather boots. An old-fashioned monocle hung around her neck on a silver chain.
"What am I doing here Jason," the woman asked. The man, Jason, turned and looked at her.
"Because you were bored in Frisco and asked to come along Chelle," he replied. He reached into
his jacket pocket and pulled out a crumpled, half-empty pack of cigarettes.
"I should have known better. Everyone in the Circle told me to avoid this town like the plague.
We've already been attacked twice. We should bail," Chelle said, looking around nervously. She looked
back to Jason as he pulled a silver-plated Zippo lighter from his pocket.
"Callista will be here, if she isn't here already," He said, lighting a cigarette with the Zippo. "The
Slayer isn't ready for someone like her." Chelle frowned.
"Maybe, but why is it your job to deal with it?" she asked. Jason sighed and took a long drag off
his cigarette.
"It's not my job to deal with it. I just want to. Callista and I have issues. That's why she is coming
here. She's trying to get inside my head," he said, exhaling smoke through his nose as he spoke. Chelle
shrugged as Jason turned to look at Buffy once more. He saw her get up and head toward the door, holding
a stake in her hand. He turned and looked at the door, catching sight of who Buffy was following.
"Well speak of the Devil," he said.
_ _ _ _ _
Buffy stepped outside, looking around franticly. Xander and Willow ran out the door just as Buffy
turned and ran toward the nearest alley. She caught sight of the woman, who was holding the man by the
throat, pressing him against the wall.
"You know, I never did like people who don't play nice," Buffy said as she moved into a fighting
stance, raising the stake defensively. The woman turned toward Buffy, letting go of the man and setting her
hands on her hips.
"Ah, I knew if I made that little show in there, I'd lure you out. You have to be the Slayer," she
said in a dark and throaty tone of voice. "My name is Callista."
"That's nice, but it doesn't really matter what your name is. You'll be dust soon," Buffy said,
walking toward Callista. Callista smiled, showing her fangs again. Buffy stopped. She had never seen a
vampire that had shown fangs without her face turning into the usual demonic visage.
Buffy shook her head and started moving toward Callista. She noticed Willow and Xander
stopping at the entrance of the alley, watching. Buffy smiled, glad they knew when to stay out of the way.
She then moved forward quickly aiming a punch at Callista's face.
The punch connected solidly, sending Callista's head snapping to the side. Callista didn't move at
all as Buffy laid in a few more punishing blows to her face, then raised the stake and rammed it into her
chest, then yanked it out. She watched Callista, waiting for her to collapse into dust.
Callista grunted, reaching up to lay a hand over the hole in her chest. She collapsed to one knee,
then seemed to be paralyzed. Then she shook her head, and stood up, smiling at Buffy wickedly. Buffy's
eyes widened, and the stake fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers.
"Holy shit," she heard Xander say. At that moment, four men dressed similar to Callista appeared
at the entrance to the alley. They pushed Willow and Xander deeper into the alley. All of them smiled,
showing fangs without the face change, like Callista. The man Callista had been threatening stood up,
showing a mouthful of fangs as well.
"Ohhh, the Archbishop is going to be so happy. He was worried you'd be trouble when the siege
began. Wait till I tell him you're dead," Callista said happily. Buffy shook her head, then kicked the
dropped stake into the air, catching it and moving into a fighting stance.
"I'm not dead yet," Buffy said. Callista laughed.
"That stick isn't going to help you, little girl," she said, stepping toward Buffy. The four vampires
behind Buffy took a hold of Xander and Willow, opening their mouths wide. Buffy turned and moved
quickly toward her friends, aiming a kick to the face of one of the vampires holding Willow. The vampire's
head snapped back with a loud crack, and he fell to the ground... then stood up, his head hanging at an odd
angle.
Buffy laughed, but was cut short as she felt something rope-like wrap itself around her throat.
Buffy gasped for air as she was lifted off the ground and turned around. Her eyes widened in shock. The
tendril around her throat was coming from Callista. Her left hand had changed into a long, thin tendril of
flesh that was slowly choking the life out of Buffy. Callista grinned up at her.
"You are nowhere near as dangerous as they said you were. I was hoping for a challenge," she said
almost sadly. She raised her free hand, and Buffy watched in horror as the hand stretched itself into a huge,
misshapen claw. The sound of bones and tendons snapping filled the air as Callista raised the claw. Buffy
head Willow scream.
A thin strip of white parchment flew through the air, striking Callista in the forehead, where it
stuck. There was a string of Japanese writing on it, which flared into flash of blue-white light. Callista
screamed, dropping Buffy to the concrete. Callista's hands returned to normal as she pressed them against
her forehead. She dropped to her knees as Buffy tried to get to her feet.
"You always did go down easy. That was probably how you got your job," a male voice said. Both
Buffy and the vampires turned to look where the voice was coming from. Standing at the entrance to the
alley was Jason and Chelle. Jason was smoking a cigarette, and standing in a relaxed pose. Chelle was
pointing an ancient flintlock pistol at the vampires. The pistol had to be at least 300 years old.
Callista stood up slowly, moving her hands away from her face. The strip of parchment was gone,
the writing that had been on the paper was burned into the flesh of her forehead.
"I wasn't ready for you yet," she snarled. She gestured to the other vampires, who promptly turned
and charged at Jason and Chelle. Chelle pointed a finger at the onrushing vamps, saying something too
quiet to be heard. The monocle hanging around her throat glinted. Two of the vampires suddenly tripped,
slamming to the concrete face first with a sickening thud.
The other three vampire stopped for a second, looking at their fallen comrades. At that moment,
Jason moved forward quickly. A spin kick sent one vampire slamming into the wall with a sick thud. The
other two turned toward Jason, raising their hands to hit him. Jason spun out of the way quickly, coming
around to face the vamps in a fighting stance.
One of the vamps rushed at Jason. Jason waited until he came in close, then struck, his fist
slamming into the vampire's jaw at an odd angle. There was an extremely loud crack as the vampire's jaw
literally exploded, sending chunks of flesh and bone raining down onto the ground. The vamp sunk to his
knees, and incoherent scream coming from what was left of his mouth.
Buffy watched all this in amazement. She shook her head and started toward the rest of the vamps.
She caught one of tripped ones with a sharp kick to the jaw, sending its head snapping back as it tried to get
up. Buffy raised the stake and rammed it into the back of the vampire's throat. She ripped it sideways and
the vamp's head fell from its shoulders. Buffy stepped back, expecting the body to explode into dust.
Instead, the body lay there, dribbling some dark blood onto the concrete. She shook her head, then turned to
find the next target.
She saw Jason as he fought against the remaining vamps. He was fighting only two of them now,
and Buffy watched in amazement. Jason moved gracefully, not wasting a single movement. Each attack he
made hit, causing damage to the vamps. There was already one vampire corpse at his feet, its head missing.
Buffy wasn't sure how he had managed to do that without any weapons.
Buffy caught sight of Chelle moving to Xander and Willow, getting them towards the street. She
smiled briefly, then turned to see the other tripped vampire finally stand up, its face a bruised and bloody
mess. The injuries started to heal themselves as the vampire rushed at Buffy. She raised the stake and
rammed it into his heart easily. She blinked in surprise as the vampire suddenly stopped, his entire body
stiffening, as if paralyzed. The vamp fell backwards, a look of shock frozen on its face.
"Not bad," Jason said. "You must be the Slayer."
Buffy turned toward Jason. The two vampires he had been fighting were gone. She saw them run
off into the street, limping and bleeding. The corpses of the two decapitated vampires looked as if they had
started to decay. There was no sign of Callista. Buffy looked to Xander and Willow.
"You two okay?" she asked. Xander and Willow nodded, and Buffy turned, looking at Jason and
Chelle.
"Who are you two?" she asked. Jason and Chelle looked at each other, then toward Buffy.
"My name is Jason Redtree," Jason replied. "The lady with the taste for the Goth is Chelle. We
have a lot to talk about Miss Summers."
"You think?" Xander asked.
_ _ _ _ _
The intensive care ward of the Sunnydale Hospital was quiet at night. Patients recovering from
surgery, or who were in comas, or in some other way unable to take care of themselves were placed here.
A nurse sat at a reception desk, monitoring a bank of equipment that showed the life signs of the patients.
The nurse who was supposed to be watching them was in a deep sleep, her chin resting against her chest.
The man in black walked down the corridor silently, his eyes still hidden behind his sunglasses,
despite the lack of light. He looked much more comfortable moving down the dark hall than he had
standing in the sunny glade. He looked from side to side as he walked, looking for something.
He finally stopped in front of a door. He tested the doorknob, and found it locked. He shook his
head and tapped a finger against the doorframe. The door slowly swung open on its own. The man walked
into the room and took a look around.
The room was empty expect for a bed life support equipment. Lying on the bed was a teenage girl,
dark-haired, pretty. There was an IV stuck in her arm and a mask over her face to assist her breathing. She
looked as if she hadn't moved in a while.
The man walks over to the side of the bed, looking down at the girl. He shook his head, and
reached down, removing the breathing mask from her face and tossing it to the side. He then touched her
face, moving it slightly so her mouth opened a little. He stroked her face with his fingers softly, then lifted
his hand, running his thumbnail across his other palm sharply. A line of dark blood welled up, and the man
lowered his hand, allowing some of the blood to drip into the girl's mouth. He held his hand there for a few
moments, watching as the dark blood fill her mouth and trickle down her throat, then lifted it away, the cut
on his palm sealing itself.
The girl laid there for a few moments then suddenly opened her eyes. She sat up, coughing
violently, some of the dark blood running down her chin. Her coughing slowed, and she turned bleary and
confused eyes upward to look at the man.
"What... where... who are you?" she said in a raspy voice.
"My name is Raven. Come with me Faith. We have business to attend to," the man said, holding
his hand out to her.
_ _ _ _ _
"So let me get this straight," Xander said. "You two are demon hunters?"
"No. He's a demon hunter. I'm just along for the ride," Chelle said. She looked at Xander as if he
was an idiot. He flinched. Buffy shook her head and looked at Jason. The five of them were sitting at a
table in a corner of the Bronze, as out of the way as they could be.
"And what was the deal with little Miss Play-Do Hands and her band of friends. I've never seen
vampires like that before," Buffy said. Jason took a long drag off his cigarette before he spoke.
"They are a completely different species of vampires, one you've never dealt with before. Some
of them like to call themselves Kindred," Jason said quietly. "They tend to be a lot more subtle than the
demon-vampires you deal with. They try to avoid the Slayers."
"Then why did they try and kill Buffy?" Willow asked quietly. Jason and Chelle looked at each
other before Jason replied.
"It's a long story. Amongst the Kindred, there are a number of different bloodlines, or clans," he
started explaining. "A large number of these clans are divided into these two sects, the Camarilla and the
Sabbat. They both have very different ideas about how to interact with the human race."
"This doesn't sound good," Buffy said. Jason smiled wryly.
"It's not. The Camarilla is the lesser of two evils. They just want to keep a low profile. The have
this wonderful thing they call the Masquerade. They try to stay hidden, and aren't much for wholesale
slaughter. They do still kill humans, but they try to avoid it." Jason said, taking another drag off his
cigarette.
"What about the Sabbat," Buffy asked.
"The Sabbat think humans are cattle. They think that they are the rightful rulers of the world. They
tend to be violent, and will do anything they feel will help them achieve their goals. Some of them believe
they are the servants of Satan. They don't care if humans know if they exist." Jason said as he watched his
cigarette burn.
"Oh, they sound like a fun bunch," Xander quipped. Buffy and Willow glared at him.
"They aren't very fun, really. Callista is leader of a Sabbat war pack. She reports directly to some
Archbishop in Mexico. I don't know why she's here, I just know she likes to cause trouble." Jason said, the
expression on his face blank.
"She probably wanted to kill you Miss Summers because she knew you could be a lot of trouble
for her," Chelle said nervously. Xander leaned over and whispered into Willow's ear.
"You get the feeling they aren't telling us something?" he whispered.
_ _ _ _ _
Callista kneeled on one knee in the center of what looked to be an abandoned church. The place
was old, covered in cobwebs, and looked to be falling apart. A lot of the leftover religious paraphernalia
had been broken or desecrated in one way or another. A number of symbols were written on the walls in
what looked like dried blood.
"YOU HAVE FAILED TO KILL THE SLAYER, CALLISTA," a dark, booming voice spoke out
of the darkness. Callista winced.
"The Stormbringer and his little mage bitch showed up," she said quietly.
"IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MATTERED! YOU ARE ONE OF MY BEST WARRIORS
CALLISTA, BUT IF YOU FAIL ME ONCE MORE, YOU WILL BE REPLACED," the voice said.
"I'll not fail you, Archbishop. But I need more troops," she spoke up.
The voice seemed to consider this.
"I WILL SEND YOU ANOTHER PACK, AND SEVERAL GHOULS. MAKE AS MANY
GHOULS AND VAMPIRES FOR CANNON FODDER AS YOU NEED. DO NOT FAIL THE BLACK
HAND, CALLISTA." The voice boomed, before going quiet.
Callista stood up slowly, a smile on her face.
"I'll be ready for you this time, Stormbringer. You can't protect the Slayer forever," she said,
before laughing for a very long time...
End of Chapter One