Title: Red Willow, Red Sands
Author: AriellaGiselle
Rating: R, for violent imagery and situations.
Summary: A member of the Scooby Gang is destined to save the world, and this time, it's not Buffy. The Mummy Returns/Buffy crossover.
Remider: Alex O'Connell was born in November, 1928, and Sheila (Rosenberg) O'Connell was born in January, 1944.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy belongs to Joss, the Mummy belongs to Universal. No copyright infringement is intended.
*****
--2000--
Daniel Archem smiled at the reflection in the steamy mirror. His long white-blonde hair was pulled back into a loose braid at the nape of his neck, hanging almost to his waist. He wrapped a towel around his hips and sauntered out of the hotel bathroom.
Strewn across the desk were ancient papers and parchments, as well as a collection of books that, despite their excellent condition, were as old, if not older than the papers. His smile was decidedly evil as he surveyed his work.
"Mine, all mine for the taking," he said, a horrific cackle playing on his lips. "Now, what to do with my new toys."
Three years ago, Daniel and his wife, Alisha, had been on a dig in Thebes when they'd found a carefully wrapped and preserved sheet of papyrus. He'd spent months translating it. As he neared the end of the work, Alisha was killed in a mysterious car accident. Further investigation revealed that the break line on her car had been cut. Someone had killed her.
Her death sent Daniel on a downward spiral, his nerves frayed and his will to live drained. His grief was inconceivably violent. After spending eighteen months in a mental hospital, he was still grieving. Only now, his pain had become anger, a need for vengeance. He'd been visited by a couple of Justice Demons and turned them down; he needed his own vengeance, not some magickal bottled demon version.
He completed his translations and made his plans. He would raise them. Destroy the people that had destroyed his love, and the world along with them.
*****
--2001--
"Imhotep." Daniel stood, staring in awe at the bald man before him. His spells and charms and plans had worked.
"What do you want?!" Imohtep thundered.
"I want what you want, my lord. To be reunited with the love of my life. I will help you restore Anuk-su-namun and destroy this accursed world." Daniel's eyes shimmered a dark blue, the glint in them more evil than any demon, vampire or Hellmouth beastie. Sunnydale's evil was Mickey Mouse compared to the duo occupying the small ritual room.
Imhotep visibly tensed. "She is dead. She was weak."
Daniel glared at him. "She loved you. Her fear was overwhelming most likely. Instinct is powerful, no?"
The priest's shoulders slumped. He still loved her and wanted to be with her. Any reason for why he was willing to forgive her so quickly was quelled by his anger and hurt. But his heart was not ready to let go. "I need her. We will raise her."
*****
Buffy's eyes misted, her fingers shaking as she opened the first letter. She read it twice, recognizing the handwriting and voice of the writer. "Mom," her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. In the letters, she called Ardeth and Marika Mom and Dad, she talked about her studies in some, her engagement to Hank, her pregnancies with Buffy and Dawn, and then the divorce. Buffy's chest tightened as she sobbed, careful not to get the pages wet.
"Buffy? Are you in here? Did the books attack you?" Willow's tone was laced with good-natured mirth, but Buffy couldn't bring herself to move. She clutched idly at the letters, staring at them in some form of shock she couldn't place.
The redheaded witch knelt at Buffy's side as she heard her whisper something unintellegible. Willow glanced at the papers in the Slayer's hands, reading the names and dates. "Joyce was Ardeth's daughter?"
*****
After picking Buffy up off the floor and getting her to a bed, Willow went in search of the Medjai leader. She found him sitting at a desk, reading over some of her work from earlier in the day. The letters left her hand and landed noisily on the desk. His head snapped up to glare at her softly.
She took a focusing, cleansing breath and exhaled slowly. "When were you going to tell me, Ardeth?" Her Arabic words came out far harsher than she'd intended.
His brown eyes closed as he leaned back in his chair. "Joyce and her mother were my life. Marika's death was expected; she was quite old. My daughter's was a shock. I hurt unbearably, I still do. I cannot share my granddaughters' pain; they are far too fragile."
"But that doesn't explain why you didn't tell me," she snapped. Her eyes lit with red fire that blazed its way around her emerald irises.
"I couldn't. Would you have kept it from Buffy or Dawn?" asked the Arab, his face questioning and tired.
"No, I would've told them. They deserve to know!" Willow yelled. "Now Buffy's catatonic again, and it's your fault. You're going to have to help me snap her out of it. It barely worked the first time, and I don't know if I can do it again, or whether she's strong enough. But I need her to help me fight this evil. There's never been anything that I couldn't do without her support and friendship, and I'm not about to do this alone, damn it."
Ardeth bowed his head. "What do you need to bring her back?"
*****
Author: AriellaGiselle
Rating: R, for violent imagery and situations.
Summary: A member of the Scooby Gang is destined to save the world, and this time, it's not Buffy. The Mummy Returns/Buffy crossover.
Remider: Alex O'Connell was born in November, 1928, and Sheila (Rosenberg) O'Connell was born in January, 1944.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy belongs to Joss, the Mummy belongs to Universal. No copyright infringement is intended.
*****
--2000--
Daniel Archem smiled at the reflection in the steamy mirror. His long white-blonde hair was pulled back into a loose braid at the nape of his neck, hanging almost to his waist. He wrapped a towel around his hips and sauntered out of the hotel bathroom.
Strewn across the desk were ancient papers and parchments, as well as a collection of books that, despite their excellent condition, were as old, if not older than the papers. His smile was decidedly evil as he surveyed his work.
"Mine, all mine for the taking," he said, a horrific cackle playing on his lips. "Now, what to do with my new toys."
Three years ago, Daniel and his wife, Alisha, had been on a dig in Thebes when they'd found a carefully wrapped and preserved sheet of papyrus. He'd spent months translating it. As he neared the end of the work, Alisha was killed in a mysterious car accident. Further investigation revealed that the break line on her car had been cut. Someone had killed her.
Her death sent Daniel on a downward spiral, his nerves frayed and his will to live drained. His grief was inconceivably violent. After spending eighteen months in a mental hospital, he was still grieving. Only now, his pain had become anger, a need for vengeance. He'd been visited by a couple of Justice Demons and turned them down; he needed his own vengeance, not some magickal bottled demon version.
He completed his translations and made his plans. He would raise them. Destroy the people that had destroyed his love, and the world along with them.
*****
--2001--
"Imhotep." Daniel stood, staring in awe at the bald man before him. His spells and charms and plans had worked.
"What do you want?!" Imohtep thundered.
"I want what you want, my lord. To be reunited with the love of my life. I will help you restore Anuk-su-namun and destroy this accursed world." Daniel's eyes shimmered a dark blue, the glint in them more evil than any demon, vampire or Hellmouth beastie. Sunnydale's evil was Mickey Mouse compared to the duo occupying the small ritual room.
Imhotep visibly tensed. "She is dead. She was weak."
Daniel glared at him. "She loved you. Her fear was overwhelming most likely. Instinct is powerful, no?"
The priest's shoulders slumped. He still loved her and wanted to be with her. Any reason for why he was willing to forgive her so quickly was quelled by his anger and hurt. But his heart was not ready to let go. "I need her. We will raise her."
*****
Buffy's eyes misted, her fingers shaking as she opened the first letter. She read it twice, recognizing the handwriting and voice of the writer. "Mom," her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. In the letters, she called Ardeth and Marika Mom and Dad, she talked about her studies in some, her engagement to Hank, her pregnancies with Buffy and Dawn, and then the divorce. Buffy's chest tightened as she sobbed, careful not to get the pages wet.
"Buffy? Are you in here? Did the books attack you?" Willow's tone was laced with good-natured mirth, but Buffy couldn't bring herself to move. She clutched idly at the letters, staring at them in some form of shock she couldn't place.
The redheaded witch knelt at Buffy's side as she heard her whisper something unintellegible. Willow glanced at the papers in the Slayer's hands, reading the names and dates. "Joyce was Ardeth's daughter?"
*****
After picking Buffy up off the floor and getting her to a bed, Willow went in search of the Medjai leader. She found him sitting at a desk, reading over some of her work from earlier in the day. The letters left her hand and landed noisily on the desk. His head snapped up to glare at her softly.
She took a focusing, cleansing breath and exhaled slowly. "When were you going to tell me, Ardeth?" Her Arabic words came out far harsher than she'd intended.
His brown eyes closed as he leaned back in his chair. "Joyce and her mother were my life. Marika's death was expected; she was quite old. My daughter's was a shock. I hurt unbearably, I still do. I cannot share my granddaughters' pain; they are far too fragile."
"But that doesn't explain why you didn't tell me," she snapped. Her eyes lit with red fire that blazed its way around her emerald irises.
"I couldn't. Would you have kept it from Buffy or Dawn?" asked the Arab, his face questioning and tired.
"No, I would've told them. They deserve to know!" Willow yelled. "Now Buffy's catatonic again, and it's your fault. You're going to have to help me snap her out of it. It barely worked the first time, and I don't know if I can do it again, or whether she's strong enough. But I need her to help me fight this evil. There's never been anything that I couldn't do without her support and friendship, and I'm not about to do this alone, damn it."
Ardeth bowed his head. "What do you need to bring her back?"
*****