*A/n This story is a re-writing of my other story the Vortex, same idea
just better (I hope!) it is completely AU meaning characters appear where
they shouldn't and I totally play around with them and their lives (hee
hee). You can try and guess what season this story is set in, but honestly
I don't know! Have fun reading!! And please read n review!!!*
*Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon, WB and Co. I am just playing with them and will return them when I finish*
Chapter One- Midnight Dreams
She was running, running as fast as she could, weaving her way in and out of the worn streets as she willed her legs to move faster and carry her away from her eternal hell. Turning another corner she pushed onward, ever searching for the black walls that held her trapped in her prison, *I must reach the Gate* she thought, as she clamped her hand on her aching side-a result of hours of running. She focused only on the freedom she would have once she was outside the kingdom walls, how she would dance on the hills as the wind played in her hair, and swim in the lakes as the radiant sun above shone down on her.
She thought not of the many nameless streets she ran through or the countless unfamiliar corners she turned, or how she thought she would faint from exhaustion, until she saw it before her, the Black Gate, she had reached it. Many a tale she had heard about the Gate and its glory but never had she imagined she would feast upon it with her own eyes. It was as black as night and stretched so far up that she was sure it must reach the heavens. She slowly approached the Gate, drawing her filthy, smelly, stolen rags around her head to cover most of her face.
"Excuse me' she called out, waking the large sleeping man who sat at the front of the Gate. "Wat yer want?" he asked grumbling as he sat up and looked at her "Can you open the Gate" she replied politely, glancing quickly over her shoulder to see if they were still chasing her, "Wat for" he asked closely studying the shabby girl in front of him, "To let me out" she replied impatiently "I can come and go as I please" The large man smiled at her revealing several missing teeth, he leaned forward as though her intended to whisper in her ear although she was standing several feet away, "You can go" he said knowingly "But yer can't come bac' in 'less the King says so" he finished with a laugh. She smiled sweetly at him, *I don't care* she thought, *I don't ever want to come back* "I know that now, thank you, but please open the Gate!" There was an element of urgency in her voice that made him peer suspiciously at her. She held her breath as he looked at her closely. "Do I know yer?" he asked, she didn't answer fearing she had already given too much away.
As though he found what he was looking for in her eyes he broke eye contact, smiled and turned towards the gate. Laying his hand on the black steel, he closed his eyes and began whispering to it. She watched mesmerized as one by one the many locks on the Gate opened and it began to rise. Slowly, ever so slowly it rose and she feared it would never open, for it took so long. She began inching forward, knowing that the invisible magical barrier would not allow her through until the Gate was fully open. She peered outwards as the never-ending landscape gradually revealed itself to her; a dusty road leading towards an endless forest, to her it was heaven, because it meant she was free and finally she would be with her sister.
Suddenly the Gate slammed back down to the ground, startled she turned and looked at the large man, he had stopped chanting, her eyes widened as she saw an arrow sticking out of his chest.
'No' she whispered as she slowly turned to face the man who had shot the arrow. Fear flooded her eyes as she faced him, the same man she had been running from, the same man who had held her prisoner for so long. He smiled.
"Now tell me Princess, where are you going?" he enquired as he sat on his horse. You aren't running away where you? And what exactly are you wearing?" he added sarcastically, leaning to look at her filthy rags.
She stood defiantly before him, drawing herself up as high before she spoke "Am I a prisoner that you prevent me from seeing the rest of my kingdom? Riley" she asked bitterly, she had purposefully addressed him by his name knowing it would anger him, maybe enough to kill her and set her free from her misery.
Riley smirked at her, and looked directly into her raging eyes "Yes Princess, you are...take her back to the palace" he motioned to the guards, who ambled forward to fulfil his command. She screamed as they bound her arms behind her, "Help me" she pleaded to the large man who had been chanting to the Gate "please."
He sat there motionless, holding his chest wound, gasping for his life. Riley looked at the man lying pitifully at the foot of the Gate, he dismounted his horse and wandered over to him.
"So, it was you that tried to help the Princess escape" he accused advancing towards the dying man "No my King, I didn't, I didn't kno-" "Silence" Riley shouted cutting the man off "You tried to help her, do you know what the punishment is..." he questioned as he clasped the hilt of his sword and pulled it out slowly so the metal glinted in the moonlight. "Riley, no, please, he didn't know who I was" the Princess begged struggling to free herself. Riley ignored her as he moved closer towards the man "death" he whispered into his ear, before swiftly drawing back his sword and striking the man.
"NOOOOOO" she screamed as the body slumped to the floor, dead.
Riley wiped the blood from his sword, Smiling as he picked the decapitated head from the floor. "Let it be known..." he said turning to face the Princess and the guards, "that this is what happens to those who defy the King and help the Princess.' He handed the head to one of his guards "put it with the others"
"Please some one help me," the princess whimpered, struggling against the guards
"buffy" a distant voice called
"See what you have done" Riley said turning to the princess "he' s dead because of you"
"No" she whimpered
"Buffy" that voice again, but louder
"Always you"
"Nooooo!"
"BUFFY!!!!"
Buffy Summers woke with a start, and sat up panting, "Are you ok Buffy?" Dawn asked worried. Buffy looked at her sister blankly, the images of the all to real dream still floating in her head. Dawn tentatively reached out and touched her sister's face. "Dawn?" Buffy asked startled, seeing her sister for the first time "Are you ok" Dawn repeated, "yeah" Buffy answered, "I just...I need to see Giles."
To be continued...
(A/n did ya like it? Do ya want more? Then please review!!!!!!! It'll make me write faster!)
*Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon, WB and Co. I am just playing with them and will return them when I finish*
Chapter One- Midnight Dreams
She was running, running as fast as she could, weaving her way in and out of the worn streets as she willed her legs to move faster and carry her away from her eternal hell. Turning another corner she pushed onward, ever searching for the black walls that held her trapped in her prison, *I must reach the Gate* she thought, as she clamped her hand on her aching side-a result of hours of running. She focused only on the freedom she would have once she was outside the kingdom walls, how she would dance on the hills as the wind played in her hair, and swim in the lakes as the radiant sun above shone down on her.
She thought not of the many nameless streets she ran through or the countless unfamiliar corners she turned, or how she thought she would faint from exhaustion, until she saw it before her, the Black Gate, she had reached it. Many a tale she had heard about the Gate and its glory but never had she imagined she would feast upon it with her own eyes. It was as black as night and stretched so far up that she was sure it must reach the heavens. She slowly approached the Gate, drawing her filthy, smelly, stolen rags around her head to cover most of her face.
"Excuse me' she called out, waking the large sleeping man who sat at the front of the Gate. "Wat yer want?" he asked grumbling as he sat up and looked at her "Can you open the Gate" she replied politely, glancing quickly over her shoulder to see if they were still chasing her, "Wat for" he asked closely studying the shabby girl in front of him, "To let me out" she replied impatiently "I can come and go as I please" The large man smiled at her revealing several missing teeth, he leaned forward as though her intended to whisper in her ear although she was standing several feet away, "You can go" he said knowingly "But yer can't come bac' in 'less the King says so" he finished with a laugh. She smiled sweetly at him, *I don't care* she thought, *I don't ever want to come back* "I know that now, thank you, but please open the Gate!" There was an element of urgency in her voice that made him peer suspiciously at her. She held her breath as he looked at her closely. "Do I know yer?" he asked, she didn't answer fearing she had already given too much away.
As though he found what he was looking for in her eyes he broke eye contact, smiled and turned towards the gate. Laying his hand on the black steel, he closed his eyes and began whispering to it. She watched mesmerized as one by one the many locks on the Gate opened and it began to rise. Slowly, ever so slowly it rose and she feared it would never open, for it took so long. She began inching forward, knowing that the invisible magical barrier would not allow her through until the Gate was fully open. She peered outwards as the never-ending landscape gradually revealed itself to her; a dusty road leading towards an endless forest, to her it was heaven, because it meant she was free and finally she would be with her sister.
Suddenly the Gate slammed back down to the ground, startled she turned and looked at the large man, he had stopped chanting, her eyes widened as she saw an arrow sticking out of his chest.
'No' she whispered as she slowly turned to face the man who had shot the arrow. Fear flooded her eyes as she faced him, the same man she had been running from, the same man who had held her prisoner for so long. He smiled.
"Now tell me Princess, where are you going?" he enquired as he sat on his horse. You aren't running away where you? And what exactly are you wearing?" he added sarcastically, leaning to look at her filthy rags.
She stood defiantly before him, drawing herself up as high before she spoke "Am I a prisoner that you prevent me from seeing the rest of my kingdom? Riley" she asked bitterly, she had purposefully addressed him by his name knowing it would anger him, maybe enough to kill her and set her free from her misery.
Riley smirked at her, and looked directly into her raging eyes "Yes Princess, you are...take her back to the palace" he motioned to the guards, who ambled forward to fulfil his command. She screamed as they bound her arms behind her, "Help me" she pleaded to the large man who had been chanting to the Gate "please."
He sat there motionless, holding his chest wound, gasping for his life. Riley looked at the man lying pitifully at the foot of the Gate, he dismounted his horse and wandered over to him.
"So, it was you that tried to help the Princess escape" he accused advancing towards the dying man "No my King, I didn't, I didn't kno-" "Silence" Riley shouted cutting the man off "You tried to help her, do you know what the punishment is..." he questioned as he clasped the hilt of his sword and pulled it out slowly so the metal glinted in the moonlight. "Riley, no, please, he didn't know who I was" the Princess begged struggling to free herself. Riley ignored her as he moved closer towards the man "death" he whispered into his ear, before swiftly drawing back his sword and striking the man.
"NOOOOOO" she screamed as the body slumped to the floor, dead.
Riley wiped the blood from his sword, Smiling as he picked the decapitated head from the floor. "Let it be known..." he said turning to face the Princess and the guards, "that this is what happens to those who defy the King and help the Princess.' He handed the head to one of his guards "put it with the others"
"Please some one help me," the princess whimpered, struggling against the guards
"buffy" a distant voice called
"See what you have done" Riley said turning to the princess "he' s dead because of you"
"No" she whimpered
"Buffy" that voice again, but louder
"Always you"
"Nooooo!"
"BUFFY!!!!"
Buffy Summers woke with a start, and sat up panting, "Are you ok Buffy?" Dawn asked worried. Buffy looked at her sister blankly, the images of the all to real dream still floating in her head. Dawn tentatively reached out and touched her sister's face. "Dawn?" Buffy asked startled, seeing her sister for the first time "Are you ok" Dawn repeated, "yeah" Buffy answered, "I just...I need to see Giles."
To be continued...
(A/n did ya like it? Do ya want more? Then please review!!!!!!! It'll make me write faster!)