Title: THE REAL LIZ
Author: AlienAdele
E-mail:
adelesmith4@yahoo.comDisclaimer: Don't own the shows only the strangers and the poem is mine
Summary: Picks up where Angel got a chance left off. Another tragedy waits for the group.
Rating: PG 13(Language)
Category: Crossover + part 3 to the 'Death of a friend' series
Author's note: This one goes entirely to Melissa J
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To recap
Liz helped Angel to become human, just to find out that he wasn't human after all. Buffy turns out to be Liz's cousin and not her sister.
**************
As the group saw the five aliens leave Liz could sence that this wasn't over for her. She looked at the cave and remembered the message about Tess being Max's destiny. She sat near the Granolith and felt a sob escaping her throat. Buffy and Maria came and sat next to her. Maria placed her hand on her friends' shoulder and said,
"You still have your memory of them"
When Liz heard that her head jerked up and she said,
"It's not just them that I remember, but I remember their planet".
Maria looked at her friend and she could see a glint in her eyes. Liz stood up and walked over to the Granolith. As she stood there she began to tell them what she remembered.
"The most powerful memory I have is about a relative I had on Antar, but we weren't very close. He wanted me to help him destroy the royal family. I told him that I wouldn't do that. Vilandra and Ava were my best friends and I could never betray them. My brother told me that if I don't help him he would kill me with the others. I decided to go to the queen and I told her what happened. Well, you know the rest. Khivar killed the group and we were send to Earth. My pod was the Granolith and when they hatched I already left"
Maria and Buffy looked at Liz and saw the seriousness in her eyes. They knew then that when they helped Angel get his identity back to Liam and then Maleck the memories of Liz's past was revealed to her by the Granolith
"Liz, what are you going to do now?" the two asked in unison.
"I don't know" Liz answered.
They saw that the sun has already gone down and they went back to the CrashDown.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ANTAR
As the ship descended onto the plain the five were petrified. They didn't know what to expect. Tess expected everything to be the same as what it was before they left to go to Earth. Max didn't know what to expect as the same with Michael, Isabel was scared the last thing she could remember was betraying her brother. Maleck (Liam) didn't know what he would find. As they climbed down the first one to greet them was Lareck. Maleck looked at his brother and went over to him. For a few minutes there was total silence. Then it all changed; Lareck embraced his brother and asked,
"Where is Zaley?"
The group looked at each other and then back at Lareck. It was Max who asked him who Zaley was. Lareck looked at the king and said,
"Your highness, Zaley was your best friend and she stayed your best friend even on Earth. There is just one thing I have to warn you about Zaley and that is that she's Khivar's sister and he won't be pleased to know that she survived. She helped you in the war and that is why your mother send her to Earth too"
Max stood there and asked dumbfounded "Do you mean to tell me that Liz Parker is Zaley?"
"That is precisely what I'm saying, but you must get her before her brother gets to her" Lareck looked at his brother and said,
"I'm so glad that you are back here. What happened to you?"
The group looked at each other and Maleck said,
"It's a long story and I don't want you to know about it".
"That is fine with me. I'm just glad to see you"
On the other side of the planet Khivar looked at the reports in front of him and suddenly he shouted,
"What the damn is going on here! I told you guys to kill the five and now I must find out that there's a sixth one, do you know who it is?"
Nicholas looked at the two spies and said,
"I think you better tell him before he kills you"
"Sir, we found out that the sixth one is Zaley, your sister"
"What! How is that possible? I thought you killed her"
"We did, it's just the queen took her essence and placed her with the four. She's a human/ alien hybrid. The only way for her to remember who she was is by taking her to her pod"
"Where is her pod?" Khivar asked
The spy stood there and at first didn't want to reveal it, but he knew that he wouldn't have a choice so he said,
"Sir her pod was the Granolith"
Khivar dropped everything he was doing and looked at the group,
"We must go back to Earth. If we can kill her and take the Granolith, then the five will be easy to destroy. I think I will go personally to Earth and look for my sister"
He told Nicholas to help him prepare a husk and so he went to Earth.
+++++++++++++++++
Earth
Liz went out the door of the Crashdown, she felt like she was loosing her mind. The memories, and now the powers that she was displaying. Even though she disappeared with her friends during the Wipeout, she knew that she wasn't human. Her real identity was Zaley and she's the enemy's sister. She started to walk towards the flat that her cousin rented, but she felt like someone was following her. She started to pace faster, but suddenly she felt a stun on her neck. Before she fainted she saw the dreaded face of her brother. Khivar looked at the drugged form of his sister and dragged her to a remote area near the cave. He couldn't locate the Granolith and he felt like she might know where it might be. Twenty minutes went by and slowly Liz opened her eyes. As her vision got clearer and clearer she knew that she was near the cave. She looked into the eyes of her brother. Khivar saw his sister's eyes open as they did he went over to her and said,
"Zaley, you thought that you could get away from me, but I'm one step ahead of you"
He went closer to Liz and extended his hand. The blinding pain started to hit Liz's body in waves. She looked at her brother and she heard him shout,
"Where did they place the Granolith!"
She looked at him and said,
"I don't know where it is. I can't remember the years before my fifth birthday"
"Don't you play coy with me. I know that you have seen the Granolith, because how in the world would you remember who I am"
She looked at him again and said that she would never reveal its location to him.
The stars shown so brightly that the group didn't notice the anomaly in the desert, Buffy and Maria were talking about how to help Liz recover from the shock she received. Suddenly their conversation was cut short when they heard a knock at the door. Maria went over to the door and opened it, when she looked up she looked into the face of Liam (Maleck) and Max.
"Oh, hi there" she said startled.
"Do you mind letting us in?" Michael asked sarcastically.
Maria stood a side and let the group enter her house. They sat down and Max started to ask Maria and Buffy if they knew where Liz could be.
"Sorry Max, I haven't heard from her since the day at the cave. She said that she could remember your planet and that it left her confused"
"I know. We just found out about her and we must get to her before Khivar does".
Suddenly Isabel looked at Max and the look revealed that Khivar has captured Liz. 'Liam' said that the only person who can kill Khivar is he and that is just what he's going to do.
Khivar looked at the cave and the empty pods unaware that the Granolith was hidden there. He knew that it wouldn't be soon before the group become aware that he was in the vicinity. As he left the cave he knew that he left his sister in his most trusted emissary. Nicholas was the only one who could keep his sister from escaping.
"I better let them know that I'm here"
He placed a triangle shaped object on the ground and a blinding flash came out of the object.
Max and the other four left Maria and Buffy standing in the doorway of her house when Maleck (Liam) saw the message. He looked at Max and said,
"Let me deal with Khivar. I think that your highness must search for Zaley (Liz)"
Max looked at Tess and then back to him and said,
"I think you are right, just be careful when you confront him"
They went their separate ways and Buffy looked bewildered out of the window. Maria came up to her and said,
"Don't worry. They will find her"
Buffy closed the curtains and went back to the living room.
Liam (Maleck) walked slowly towards the place where he saw the message. He knows that someday this would happen, but he never thought that this would be the day.
"Oh, I see that you came alone" he heard a voice say.
"Do you really think that I couldn't kill you?" Maleck (Liam) asked.
Khivar crept out of the shadows and looked at his rival. He knew that this man was a force to be reckon with, but he never knew how it could work against him.
"I think the time has come for you to face the music for what you did to the royal family!"
The two rivals looked at each other and Khivar lifted his hand. A force hit Maleck that he nearly lost his balance, but he stood still. Then it was his turn to extend hand and this time Khivar's body hit the ground with a loud thud. Maleck came and stood over Khivar and with a grin he said,
"You will never be able to hurt anyone anymore",
before he gave Khivar the lethal blow Khivar looked at him and said,
"You can kill me, but if my sister dies you wouldn't be able to bring her back the second time. I'm the only one who can do it"
Nicholas looked at Liz's frail body and said to her that her friends won't be able to save her. Her brother is the only one who holds the key to her survival. Suddenly the cave shook and Max, Tess, Michael and Isabel came into the dimly lit cave
"Long time no see!" Nicholas said.
Max looked at the demented teenager in front of him and said,
"We came for Zaley"
He went over to where the two was and Max couldn't belief that this was the same person as what he remembered. Her body was full of bruises and cuts and he grimace to think of the eternal injuries she might have. He took one swipe at Nicholas and the man disappeared from his sight. He took Liz in his arms and said,
"Don't worry, I'll help you".
With a weak smile Liz said,
" Max, there's a letter in my breast pocket. Take it. I won't be able to be with you"
those were the last words she said before she blew out her last breath. Max placed her on the ground and tried to revive her, but suddenly Maleck (Liam) came into the cave and said,
"You won't be able to do that. Khivar is the only one who can and I just killed him"
Max looked at the letter and opened it.
"Dear Max
When you read this letter I'm probably dead by now, but please remember that I valued our friendship here just as much as on Antar. Give my love to Maria and Buffy and remember this poem.
Beyond
As I looked up to the stars
I thought I knew who you were
Were you ever going to tell me you love me?
Or was it just a dream from beyond the stars
Sometimes I thought that love's overrated
Now knowing when to quit
Quit thinking of beyond
I know that time stood still
Nothing seemed to go my way
That's why I won't stay,
And wait for you to tell me those words
The words I thought that is from beyond
Now I know the truth
The truth of the galaxy
The galaxy that's from my dream
You aren't what I thought you would be
Beyond the stars in the sky
Asking the questions to why
Look into yourself before you say it
Trust your own heart~ then end with me
Max, remember that I will love you always
Liz"
Max looked at the folded letter and then to his friends,
"I think we must break the news to Buffy and Maria"
They left the cave with Liz's body in Max's arms, as they entered the house Maria and Buffy looked at the group.
"I'm sorry, but I can't bring her back" Max said.
"No, not Lizzie too!" Maria screamed.
Buffy and the others started to sob at their loss. Max sat down in one of the chairs and said,
"Even though this happen. I think it's time for us to return to Antar".
"I think so too," Tess said.
Buffy and Maria looked at Maleck (Liam) and asked what will become of the Granolith. Maleck looked at Max before speaking
"We will return to Antar with the Granolith, maybe one day you could come and visit us"
"We will think about it" Buffy said.
Days went by and the five aliens went back to their home planet. Max told Lareck what happened and said that Zaley died in the fight against Khivar, but one thing is for certain and that is they got the Granolith.
+++++++++++++++++++
EARTH
Buffy stood by Liz's grave and placed a white rose on the head stone. She looked up at the sky and said,
"Liz, don't worry. We will always remember you and never forget a thing you did for us".
She stood up from the ground and wiped a tear from her eyes.
"Liz, I'll remember you" she whispered.
And with those words she left the cemetery with Maria. The real Liz was in fact an alien from Antar.
~END~