As the group sit in the old decrepit tomb Buffy mopes bored, playing with her stake "why exactly are we here again?"
The watcher glares at her slightly and reads "because from the original Latin I've managed to translate the prophesy, it reads 'on the night of the blue moon the blood of the pure with salt the bones of the Nekomata, the guardian will join his master, giving himself and together they will strive for the life that was taken.' As for why we are here this is the only cat named burial site!"
Each of the students look at him blankly and he sighs "for god's sake... FELIS is Latin for Cat!"
Willow nods and says "oh right, because a Nekomata is a cat creature!"
He sighs, placing the book down and starts polishing his glasses "yes Willow, quite right!"
Xander stomps over to one of the old stone, vine ravaged coffins and jumps onto it like a seat "guys we've been here all night! It's like six in the morning, a Saturday morning I might add, remember those, of course not, no one dose because it tradition to sleep through them!"
Giles sighs "Xander's right, the sun will be up shortly and next blue moon is not for another twelve years, I guess until then we can put this to bed and… go to bed!"
Buffy throws her head back and sighs "thank god!"
As they walk out the younger man slides from the stone and gasps "ouch! Dame it!" looking at his hand, caught on a thorn, finding a slice down the palm.
He holds his hand as he runs after the others "hey guys wait up!"
Not noticing the trail of blood he's left on the coffin, dripping into the gash of the cracked stone and the darkness confiding bones of the long forgotten. As the droplets trickle onto the skeletons finger a glow emerges from inside the bleak cold gloom, a black circular stone cradled in a cobweb of white metal, lying limply on the neck of the decrepit bones and outdated yellowed dress.
As the light burns through the darkness snow white flesh ripples around the bone, caramel brown hair weaving out as vivid jade eyes unseal and petal pink splintered lips taking their first breath for century's!
But as those eyes open the only thing they see is darkness, a sliver of light breaking though a single crack as the resurrected girl couches out the dirt from her unused throat and feels around the cold compacted stone and then screams to the top of her lungs.
After some time she continues to scream through the soreness swelling in her throat and burning her lungs "commodo succurro mihi! Sit mihi!" - (please help me! let me out!)
As these screams echo from inside the tomb a boy walks past and hears these muffled cry's, he looks at the crypt quizzically and curiously takes a step inside "um…hello?"
At the sound of the unfamiliar voice she bangs on the stone and screams for help in her Latin tongue! The boy rushes to the sound and quickly tries to push at the lid of the coffin "hang on! I'm here!"
Her breaths heavily, struggling as the boy rams the stone, the lone crack splitting at the force, making the lid loose and fractured. He quickly shoves the head end of the lid to the ground and thrusts his hand into lift the girl from her prison.
She smells of dirt, reaches of it, her fingertips broken and bloody from scratching at the walls, he stares at her and asks "are you ok? How did you get in there?"
She just looks at him for a moment, he's pale and scrawny, hair black and spiked, her jade eyes meeting sea blue black rimmed and it's like a light goes on, a flip is switched and she falls weak into his arms, he holds her up and asks "do… do I know you?"
She smiles weakly and raises her shaking hand, gingerly touches his cheek, both their eyes shine brightly, glowing as the resurrected young woman takes a look into the mind of her savior, absorbing the information she seeks and smiling, lowing her hand.
"He… hello, gu… g, guardian!" she says, brokenly unused to the language swimming in her head
He just smiles at her, a moment ago that statement would have made the Goth wonder, but not know, now he now's his place is by her side, knows he'd do anything for her and shed die for him, the instant bond , like brother and sister "it's Ed, you can call me Ed."
She nods happily as he starts to walk them out of the mausoleum "Lotkara. I'm Lotkara!"
He supported her up all the way to his house, the image of the suburban home; she's not used to walking, talking and breathing!
Now as she sits in the bath, surrounded by bubbles as Ed helps her clean, mostly just making sure she doesn't slip under and drown, he smiles as she blows at the bubbles "hey, you ready to get out?"
She looks at him and nods "yes!"
He hold the towel up as she stands, looking away out of respect for his companion "so I got you some of my clothes for now, we'll get you some of your own later."
She nods as he helps her from the tub and changes quickly into the sweats and baggy t-shirt offered, he follows her as she wonders out and into his room quietly. The Goth boy had given her a quick tour earlier, careful the keep quite as not to wake his mother, that reminds him actually he needs to go the store and get some food, because the moment Lotkara entered the kitchen all things eatable were in peril!
He sees as she sits on his bed, her thigh length ringlets fanning slightly on the comforter "why do I feel like I have to protect you, like I've known you all my life, most importantly why aren't I freaking out about the fact you were a corpse a few hours ago?"
"You're the guardian Ed, you we're chosen to be at my side forever by the powers that be, it's your destiny!" she says matter-of-factly.
His heart swells with a sense of pride and belonging, something he hasn't felt for a long time "what will we tell your mother?"
He snaps out of his trance and runs his fingers through his hair "one step at a time! we'll cross that bridge when we drive into it! We need to do something about your name, Lotkara is nice but I think people will wonder about it! ...what about Lottie?"
A pensive look comes to her brightened face "Lottie, I like it!" she yarns the last part
He walks over and moves the cover down "I think you should sleep for a few hours, we'll sort everything out later."
She nods and climbs happily into the cool softness, completely trusting this man and panicking as he goes to leave the room "Ed, where are you going?"
He turns back to her and says simply "the guest room, didn't want to make you uncomfortable!"
She seems slightly shaken as she begs "don't leave me alone in the dark, please Ed, don't!"
He quickly shuts the door and runs to her, pulling her into a hug "its ok, Lottie, its ok, I'm here, you're not alone!"
She calms and ghosts as smile as he climbs in with her, holding her the way a brother would when his kid sisters has a nightmare, comfort and safety. As they lay there Lottie's eyes begin to drift as she whispers "Xander…" and succumbs to sleep, not the empty death shed awoken from but a sweet easy rest.