ASHES
TO ASHES DUST TO DUST
(Warriors
of Destiny and Fate Saga 2)
Written
by Twinstar
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss
This
is the second half to "For All My Past Sins."
The
End of Days has arrived and Buffy and Angel have to work together to save the
world. They are in for a few surprises
and heartache along the way.
Please
send feedback to twinstar_dust@hotmail.com
Enjoy!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We
have to be ready. The next time we face
Glory she just won't walk away like before. She is toying with us as if we her puppets but eventually she will end
up breaking us and like a spoiled child not even blink an eye.
I'm
crouching on the floor taking a break with all the training I have been
doing. I look across the room where
Buffy is practicing her kicking style on a block of wood
It
has been hectic for the past couple of days. The run in with Glory a few days ago have gotten Buffy and I working on
our fighting skills. Our losing the
fight with her has opened our eyes with startling clarity. I try not to be worried but I have this
nagging intuition that we are in for some surprises.
"Angel…Angel?" Buffy touching my shoulder sends a shock
coursing through my body. I look up
into her questioning eyes.
"Sorry
I was thinking. What's the matter?" I
reply, shaking my head to clear out the cobwebs.
"I
hate to tell you this but I need to go home and check up on my mom. I'll be back in a few 'kay."
"We
need a break anyways. I'll see you
later."
With
that Buffy turns around and head out the door. I stare at her retreating form and I think how could I have stayed away
from her for so long. I have been back
in Sunnydale and her life for only a few days and I'm already thinking how hard
it will be to leave again. Will I have
the strength to walk away?
It's
been a few minutes since Buffy went home to check up on her mom. Willow tells me that Buffy has basically
been the head of the family. She has
taken care of her mom and Dawn since her mom has taken sick with the brain
tumour. She will never lead a normal
life if it's not her slayer duties it's something else. She has grown up since the last time I've
seen her. She still has that inner glow
but the innocence has been replaced with maturity and experience. She has made the transition from childhood
to adulthood but I expect that it wasn't an easy one. I wish I had been here for her this past year but I still believe
I made the right decision. I would have
just been another burden for her emotionally if I stayed and she would never
have gotten the chance to live a somewhat normal life. My angel has grown up, has she left me
behind?
Ring…Ring…
Giles
picks up the phone.
"Buffy…slow
down take a deep breath. What's wrong?"
I
look at Giles face, he is not saying anything but from the expression on his
face it's not good news. I just want to
grab the phone away from his hands. I
sense that something is dreadfully wrong.
"Oh
God, Buffy don't touch anything. We
will be over right away. Be strong."
Giles
puts the phone back on the hook. His
hand is shaking and he rakes his hand through his hair and takes a long
breath. He turns around and his eyes
are glistening with unshed tears.
"We
better head over to Buffy's right away. Buffy needs us. When she got
home her mom was just lying on the couch and not moving. She thinks her mom is dead…"
This
cannot be happening, not to my love. She has a lot of things going on in her head right now. She doesn't need this. In the past I have never gotten along with
her mom but I understood Joyce's weariness towards me. If I had a daughter who was in love with a
man hundreds of years older than her and who wasn't even human, I would try
everything in my power to see that she was not hurt. Joyce was just trying to protect her daughter from harm and
heartache. I approve of that and
totally support her decision. I even
applaud it because Joyce loved her daughter with all her heart. I looked round the room and everyone was not
taking the news well either.
When
we all reached Buffy's house the door was unlocked. Buffy laid crumbled on the floor and on the couch was her
mother. I hold Buffy in my arms trying
to shelter her from all the hurt she must be feeling. I don't think she realizes that we finally came. Her face had a look of total lost and
confusion. The look in her eyes will
haunt me forever. They were pools of
total anguish and despair. They were
bright with unshed tears but they also showed her soul trying to unleash the
information that her mind was trying to let her forget. She looked right into my eyes and I was
caught up with her pain.
"Mom.
Mom…mommy."
"Shh
now I am here, we are all here. Everything will be okay now."
Why
am I lying to her? I have no idea how
things will be. The only thing I can do
is to be here for her, to comfort her and reassure that she is not alone.
I
have lived hundreds of years. Before I
received a soul I participated in the harm and death of countless number of people. I have seen dead bodies before but when I
looked over to see Joyce's body something in me just shattered. I have not experienced such pain before. When I killed my family years ago I had no
soul, no remorse. When I remember those
moments now, I am bothered by the guilt
but the emotions are like as if I'm in a dream. When I look at Buffy and then I look over at Joyce my soul is
weeping.
Giles
shakily goes over to the body and touches her neck to feel for a pulse. She is already cold and must have been dead
for a while. Joyce's eyes are
wide-open; ever so gentle Giles closes her eyes forever. Willow and Oz silently weeping in each
other's arms. Cordelia is weeping as
well in Doyle's arms. Zander looking
very shocked at the whole situation and for once in his life completely
speechless. Anya looking at Buffy,
Joyce and Zander in total confusion opening her mouth and quickly closing it
again. Giles walks over to Buffy and
offers his hand in comfort.
"Buffy
I am so sorry but yes she is gone"
"Was
it Glory?" Buffy whispered so softly that Giles had to read her lips.
"No
it doesn't look as if there is any trauma. If I had to guess and with your mom's recent brain tumour I would
suspect it was an aneurysm."
I
can feel her body starting to shake and I hold on to her tighter. She turns her head towards my chest and she
finally cries. Her chest is heaving in
a laboured fast rhythm as if she is trying hard to breath. I stroke her hair and whisper in her ears
words of comfort.
After
what seems like a lifetime she stops crying and I help her to her feet. She is shaky and leaning heavily on me but I
don't care I need to be with her and she needs my strength.
"I
have to go and get Dawnie at school. She needs to be here." Her voice
has regained some of her strength and she is standing on her own two feet once
again.
I
am so proud of her. She is back in
control and even if she is experiencing her own pain at the sudden lost of her
mother, her thoughts are on her little sister.
"I'll
call the hospital. We need to get…
Joyce looked at. Don't worry I'll see
to everything. Buffy go and talk to
Dawn and be with her, she will need you." Giles says getting things organized.
Buffy
just nods her head and takes my hand.
"Buffy
maybe you should take Willow with you."
She
looks at me in confusion and shakes her head.
"Oh
I forgot. It's still daylight and the
school has a lot of windows…it's okay I'll go by myself. Dawn and I need this time alone anyways."
She
walks into my arms and I take her in my arms. I kiss her forehead and I start to apologize but she puts a finger on my
mouth to quiet me. She speaks to me
with her eyes and I can't help but hug her tighter.
I
watch her go into the sunlight and deep down inside I wish I were beside her. Maybe once this trial with Glory is over and
we win…maybe. The death of Joyce has
just made the task harder. Buffy's
thoughts are not focused with fighting Glory. She is in so much pain maybe I can do this without her? She needs time to heal from the shock of
losing her mother but the fate of humanity is her first priority. She will never be able to have a normal
life. She should be having a wonderful
time in college, with her friends and be doing all the things a girl does at
her age. No…wait she is a woman now
with all the weight of the world on her shoulders.
I
think to myself.
Fates
I don't know what you are up to. This
is another test for your warriors, isn't it? I haven't thought of religion or faith in a long time but all of a sudden
I remember the day they buried my family. The same thing is going to happen to Buffy's mom. They are going to put her in the cold ground
and the only things that will be left are memories. The haunting words echo in my mind "Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust…"
To be continued.