Disclaimer: Who ever owns Buffy owns ... well, Buffy. I try not to infringe... sorry.
AN: Long and very overdue. Many apologies. I had a really busy summer, far away from any sort of technology... pens and paper was what I had at my disposal... which I never touched. I also got stuck with a minor case of ... writers block ... it's been almost resolved. Below is a teaser, I have a lot more written but I need to revise and try to figure out where to take this. I haven't forgotten, I need that voice back because I want to feel okay with how I write. The setup of the chapters will change, and you patient reader could see a new update as soon as next week... or as late as ...
New AN: Alright, here is the new update, as promised. And, for the record I meant fall. I had a really busy fall. I do not know if this will be adequate, or even expected. If you are unhappy (or tired) of the tone that I have taken with this shit I apologize. If you are unhappy (or tired) with the strange location of the point of view, then I really apologize. It is not my intent to confuse any of you, this is just the way I can get this shit out of my head. I guess I need to explain a couple things. This was (before I got dumb) supposed to be 4 chapters, but very long chapters. The same style as the first one. That will not occur since I am unable to write that fast, or even remember where this was supposed to go (I think I got it now). Secondly, and lastly, an explanation is coming (as to Buffy and her crazy ass attitude). I just, could not get into writing her character in Voices, so I made her mean and angry and psycho (because I like that lol) but now I realized (with the help of a reviewer, I think) that, that was not good enough. So if you can suffer through the psychotic-ness of what is going to happen in the next few chapters... thank you. I hope it gets much, much better (as there is no excuse for it to be so, so bad). Read, and do not be afraid to tell me what you really think.
1
When the woman who had called herself 'Temperance' had handed a knife to the young woman named 'Buffy' a tremor rand through time, and the Powers that Be took notice once again. With disgust they set out to solve the problem that had been placed in their hands, yet again. A problem that they had been unable to solve using any of their normal 'high grade' plans.
Two events were inspected closely, the events preceding the two directly were not altered, the outcomes however, were altered. A death undone and two brought into the fold (they had been a radical plan that was in place... but was never to be used).
"This should do nicely." A voice, spoken to no one from no where, rang out in a place that didn't exist.
2
The air was cool, a gentle breeze ran over her face, her body, all around. The grass tickled her bare arms, and then something crawly (ants) tickled her bare feet.
"Oh, my gosh!" Buffy let out a girly shriek and ran her hands over her legs. This was not a very slayerish thing to do. She let out a sigh and laid back on the ground. Her smile was subconscious, but she was genuinely happy, and quite pleased with herself.
"Time to go away ants, all is good. Except you..." She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
The woman was lying to herself, all was not good. The world around her was slowly turning to chaos. Grass was becoming overgrown (which wasn't bad except the overgrowth was purple), trees grew crooked, clouds hung still in the sky even when the wind blew hard. There was no logic here anymore, there was no one to notice it anyways.
Buffy, the one and only, was alone (for now) in her fantastical world of crooked trees and purple grass, and she saw just as normally as any other thing: green grass, lush trees. Her world, in her eyes, was fantastic. Fan-fucking-tastic. A word Faith had uttered upon seeing who she would be sitting beside: a mother and her screaming boy. Buffy had been more than thrilled to sit beside the newlyweds, until their 3rd trip to the bathroom... Economy class can fuck off and die... they both though. The first time the two lovers had snuck off, Faith looked at Buffy and winked. Buffy looked shocked, which evoked a large laugh from Faith, and a wail from the child next to her. She didn't know how Faith could keep her cool with such an annoying child beside her. The second time Faith uttered 'fan-fucking-tastic' was when she saw the castle, the tone was not good.
"Go away Faith. You are not wanted here." Memories of the dark slayer would pop in every now and then, her voice was more frequent though. Buffy ignored her, as she usually did, Buffy really just ignored everything. A crack in the earth could open beside her, let loose a herd of hell-beasts and Buffy would only comment on how the clouds looked like puppy dogs.
"I'm needed here, Buffy." Faith spoke again as she invaded Buffy's fantastical world. There was a consistency to her voice that suggested: wake the fuck up Blondie.
"I'm ignoring you!" Buffy said with a huge smile, a Blondie song now stuck in her head. 'In between what I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine, Love is so confusing, there's no peace of mind'
"Can't ignore me forever. I always come back." Faith spoke very calmly, and very closely. Faith, dressed in a blood soaked tank top and filthy jeans, was standing at Buffy's feet. They were both barefoot.
"La-la-la..." Buffy sang (horribly) with fingers stuck in her ears. "I can't hear you." Faith stood with a confused look on her face, eyebrows raised, lips slightly parted.
"What are you, B, five?" Faith's tone was sultry... smooth like a shot of ice cold Jack Daniels.
Buffy continued her childishness, so did Faith, but in a different way. Neither of them seemed to notice how wrecked Faith looked, faded cuts and bruises on her arms, her hair looked singed, the fact that she was barefoot, a clean slice down her arms that lined up with the one on her abdomen, they all seemed to remain... hidden from view.
Faith rested her head in her hands as Buffy belted out an extremely bad version of Heart of Glass, if there had been birds they would have flown away, dogs would have been howling. Faith then noticed the surroundings. She was standing barefoot in the field she had died in, listening to a dumb blonde singing Blondie songs. The field was burnt to the tree line.
"B..." Burnt swords, spears and axes littered the ground. I did this. Faith had slayed them all, with the help of a traitor turned good guy. "Buffy!" Faith kicked Buffy's foot very roughly.
"What ever is it that you need so badly, Faith?" After being interrupted from her solo, Buffy was definitely in a fowler mood.
"Why'd you bring me here?" Faith's voice was low, whispering.
"This place is nice. Trees, grass, no one to bother me."
"If you think this is nice, you have a twisted view of reality." Faith spoke quietly, she sounded small, afraid... cautious. Buffy sighed and got to her feet.
"You win, I'm up." Buffy turned her torso to check out her ass, to see if it was covered in dry grass or dirt. It wasn't. She turned back to Faith who had disappeared. No... just moved. Who's the other dude...oh, hey! Shaman Cam!
One-hundred feet from where Buffy was standing, Faith and Cammoro where having it out.
"You fuckin' stabbed me in the back!" She yelled, Buffy didn't catch the rest of it. She had neglected to remember that Cam was the bad guy, her opinion of him was still of the good. Shaman Cammoro, to observers, was tall and wiry, Faith wished she could break him over her knee... he wasn't that tiny. His hair was short-cropped, which allowed for his grey eyes to appear even duller. He was the sort of man you could never accurately describe, as his visuals left your mind the moment your eyes left him. Observers would not see an evil man, soon-to-be-god, who was attempting to kill the only slayer who knew of his plans, and the only slayer who could potentially stop him. Buffy saw him as the man who had provided her, Cruz and Nora shelter, food and water. He had healed Nora after their battle and had given Cruz the answers to his problems. He was nice and when he had asked about Faith, Buffy hadn't thought twice about telling him whatever he wanted to know.
While Buffy was stuck in a memory, Faith had run Cammoro through with a very pretty broadsword.
I didn't know she had a broadsword. Buffy thought as reality sunk in, Faith had killed a man... again. "Faith!" She screamed, but Faith was unable (unwilling) to hear Buffy. The sword's tip poked through the back of his cloak, they were moving together, faster toward the... fire. Buffy looked around, evidence of battle... swords and weapons lying haphazardly. The sky was dark, it was night.
The two had come to a quick stop before Buffy could think of something to say, Faith ripped the sword from his chest and shoved him hard, back into the fire. Buffy was moving, as quick as she could, fuelled by rage and hate, Faith had killed,"a man ... a demon... named Cammoro. Does it sound familiar?" a demon! Faith hit the ground hard on her knees, her white shirt was a muddy red. For a moment there was no movement, then a wobble and finally a connection was made. She fell back, her feet (thankfully) popped out in front of her... her back and shoulders hit first, then her head and her hands fell open, slightly curled. There was no attempt from Faith to grab the sword, and clutch the grass.
A pop, or crackle made Buffy slow as she neared Faith's body. A louder pop, and a hiss. It was coming from the fire. Black smoke began to billow, a spark flew out and hit the ground. Trap? Buffy thought.
Another spark, then two, three, five, more and more came into contact with the ground. Each spark set a small fire, those small joined together creating larger fires. The sparks kept flying, the ground kept burning...the distance between Faith and Buffy had become a wall of fire. Faith was no longer visible.
Acid churned in Buffy's stomach, bile started an ascent...No! She turned and ran, ran through grass that wasn't burning yet, ran toward the trees. To any observer the woman running was not blonde, she wasn't short, she was carrying a knife... there would have been no rage in her heart, only fear and Faith. There would be one name in her mind, Buffy. To any observer, they would be able to see a path clearing to Faith's body. They would be able to see two smoking figures who looked like American firefighters rushing toward Faith, covering her body in steaming blankets, removing her from the fire. The Powers that Be watched, only to devise new plans if this one should also fail.
