Full Title: Regency of the Four Families: Forged in Hellfire
Author's note:
Hello everyone and welcome to my first Buffy the Vampire Slayer story! This has been a real passion project of mine as I have been developing the plot for this story over the course of a whole year. However, progress has been slow and difficult.
This is a heavy AU that is based off a combination of the new comics, old season 8-12 comics, and the show itself. I want to keep it as close to the show as possible, but in a more modern setting with several characters being updated to have an enhanced storyline. This is the first story in a planned series of four that I hope to write.
A young girl awoke in a field of flower, rising as she blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes. The flattened the flaps of her dress and smoothed out her long blonde hair. After sorting herself out, the girl finally got up the courage to call out for help.
"Hello?"
There was no response except for the gentle breeze in her face. She looked around nervously, but could find nothing except an endless sea of flowers. Realizing that she was alone and not in any danger, she relaxed slightly and began to walk in a random direction. She had no idea in her mind about where to go or where she was, but it was better to keep moving than stay still.
The sound of a sharp squawk broke through her thoughts and she looked up just in time to catch the shadow of a bird pass over her head. She watched in awe as the bird made a few passes before swooping down to settle at her head height; flapping it's great black wings before her and staring through its beady eyes. Strangely, the girl felt no fear as the great raven regarded her for a few moments before turning to fly away.
Without a sense of direction of reason, the girl began to follow it as it soared in the sky above her, beating its great wings. The grass parted around her as she dashed through the fields. Gradually, a dark forest began to emerge over the hill and she eagerly climbed it to gain sight over her surroundings. As the bird came to a stop on a nearby branch, she rested her hands on her knees and caught her breath.
Her respite was short lived though as the raven hovered only for a few seconds before taking off into the woods. The girl, desperate for a companion in the lonely landscape, quickly tried to dash after it as it bobbed and weaved through the branches. Her journey led her to run for what seemed like hours before she saw where the bird had been leading her. As she exited the darkness of the treeline, she gasped at what she found.
There was a small hill that was topped with a gigantic tree at its center. Roses dotted the slopes and a river ran around the clearing. The long stands that fell from the willow tree swayed gently in the wind. As she approached, the sound of laughter reached the girl's ears and two kids; a boy and a girl; emerged from the other side of the tree chasing each other.
"Hello!" the girl tentatively called out, but the other two children ignored her as they continued their chase, seemingly oblivious to her presence.
Suddenly, the sun began to glow a dark red. The girl barely had time to shield her eyes before it erupted into a firestorm of light that cascaded all over the clearing. The willow tree was the first to go as it's branches lit up with a blistering flame. The girl could only watch helplessly as the two kids barely had time to scream before the inferno turned them to ash. She screamed as the fire danced around girl in a circle, scorching the entire forest except for a small circle around her.
She blinked away tears from her eyes as something emerged from the firestorm. First a leg, then an arm, and soon the unburnt body of a woman came into view. The girl could only look on in shock when she recognized her.
"Y-you did this?"
The woman simply tilted her head in response.
"I-I did this?"
The woman laughed at her younger self as she bathed in the flames around her. She leaned in close with a wicked smile on her face.
"Oh little one, I will always be a part of you. In time, you will embrace all that I am."
With that, her features shifted as her body enlarged itself. Her face became crossed with black veins and her hair grew black. Her skin turned pale and her eyes turned dark. Soon, the girl was looking into the face of a towering monster. She closed her eyes as the woman lunged toward her…
"Buffy wake up!"
The girl's eyes shot open to the beautiful sight of her mother in front of her. Immediately, she burst into tears as she was embraced lovingly.
"Was it the same dream again?"
The girl could only nod mutely through her crying and her mother sighed.
"I'm sorry honey," she said as she caressed Buffy's back. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Stay with me?" she whispered back.
As the two lay together in the darkness, the girl could only close her eyes and try to shut the sounds of the screams out of her head.
Not all chapters are going to be like this. I like to write this way, but it gets tiring and is a bit slow. Next chapter will be longer I promise.