TITLE: Deluge
AUTHOR: clarrie
DISCLAIMER:
Obviously don't own Giles, Wesley, Buffy and the Scooby gang. Alice Boston and others are mine, most of the info about watchers and the watchers council was made up by me and is based on my interpretation of it as an institution.
All witchy stuff made up by me and bares little resemblance to say, Wicca or any of the other old faiths.
Lines taken from 'Vicious' By Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground.
SPOILERS: mild up to mid season 3, but as if faith and the mayor had not existed and Anya and Xander had got together earlier. Does include Wesley character though.
At the time of story Oz had ginger hair.
Giles took the glowing ember from the dying fire and lit the small green candles one by one. A russet flame sparked forth from each one and blue, sweet scented smoke suffused the library air. 'Alice.'
Alice dropped a globule of dark and rich scented oil into the blistering copper burner.
'con questi olii portiamo il thee avanti dalla nerezza dei angoli e dei posti nascondentesi.'
Giles stepped forward and added a small bundle of dried vegetation to the mix.
'con queste erbe portiamo il thee avanti dalla nerezza dei angoli e dei posti nascondentesi.'
The mixture ignited and burnt with a violent blue flame. Giles stepped forward and took Alice's hands in his.'Con questa fiamma comandiamo la forma dell' introito di thee.'
She echoed his words.
'Ades Dum.'
'Obsequor!'
'Ades Dum.'
'Obsequor!'
The dust in the library began to eddy and swirl, forming strange shapes before their eyes.
'Nel verde leghiamo il thee.'
'Nel verde leghiamo il thee.' Alice raised her voice in song. Echoing his words as the eldritch figures took form around them.
'In oro leghiamo il thee.'
'In oro leghiamo il thee.'
'Nel colore rosso leghiamo il thee.'
'Nel colore rosso leghiamo il thee.'
The figures floated in the air before them chittering and shrieking in panic. Alice and Giles, their hands linked around the burning oils, lifted their arms above their heads.
'Con l' pontenza di due leghiamo il thee.'
'Obsequor.'
'Con l' pontenza di due leghiamo il thee.'
'Obsequor.'
The Tengu clawed the air as the words buffeted them into submission.
'Obsequor.' Alice rose her voice to a bellow. 'OBSEQUOR!'
Giles began to chant in harmony.
'Vinculum.'
'OBSEQUOR!'
'Vinculum.'
'OBSEQUOR!'
'Vinculum.'
Their voices rose and fell like a tidal force. Merging into one cry as the Tengu began to stretch and squeal, The roar of wind filled the library space as the gibbering creatures were sucked down into the flame, and they were gone.
Silence filled the darkened library.
Alice sank to he floor and yawned. 'Got the buggers.'
Giles picked up the small metal container in which the Tengu had been imprisoned. He put an arm around Alice's shoulder and smiled. 'Theys bassads.'
They blinked painfully as they lights were switched on.
Xander stood in the doorway holding an assortment of Buffy's weapons. 'And what exactly has been going on here?'
Giles stared blankly for a moment. 'What? Oh, oh this?' He gestured casually as if standing barefoot in a darkened library wearing only a grey hooded robe was the new black.
'Um, yes this.'
Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'It, that is…' He frowned wearily. 'It does occasionally require robes you know.'
Xander raised an eyebrow archly. 'Yeah, that's what they all say.'
Alice giggled. 'We've been performing the rite of Vinculum.'
'So that's what the kids are calling it these days.'
'Really Xander, I do think you could try and stretch your mind…'
'I know, I know. Gutter boy strikes again.'
'You came here for a reason Xander?' Alice struggled to her feet and slipped on her shoes. 'Or did you just pop by to get tooled up?' She gestured to the pile of weapons that Xander was attempting to balance in his arms.
'Well, let's just say that the vampires have decided to have a poolside party and they didn't take to kindly to Buffy crashing it, so it's all hands on stakes.'
'Oh,' Giles composed himself. 'Alice, give Xander a hand with those weapons, I'll... Well I think I had better put some trousers on first.' He grabbed his clothes from the back of a chair.
'But then I'll do something pretty damn Watcher- ish. You just watch me.'
'I think it's because of my soul.' Angel took a swipe at a nearby vampire, turning him to dust. 'Us, the whole soul/Slayer girlfriend deal' Another vampire was dispatched 'But I can't give you any specifics.'
Buffy wiped her forehead and jumped back as another vampire leapt at them. 'Well you're just Mr brooding mystery aren't you.'
'It's not my fault.'
The vampires crowded in on them, herding them into a corner through sheer weight of numbers.
'Alice, Catch!'
The vampires turned in the direction of Xander's voice. Distracted from their purpose momentarily they watched as a brightly coloured object flew through the air above their heads.
'Wahoo!'
The nearest of the vampires screamed as Alice stood on the bridge and showered the ranks of vampires below her with a stream of Holy water. 'Wahoo!' She pumped the water pistol before firing into the crowd again. 'Eat, um, Water. Drac!'
Giles shook his head, as he took the more dignified route of stakes shot from a crossbow. 'Buffy!' He called over the crowd. ' Get the Monsignor. He's the leader.'
'The Monsignor? How will I know who he is?'
'He dresses in a clerical fashion!'
'Guh?'
'All in Black!'
'Um, Giles?' Xander stood at Gile's side with a crossbow. ' Do you need me to point out that they all….'
'He wears a broken crucifix!' Giles fired another bolt into the crowd. 'Look for the one wearing a broken cross!'
Buffy surveyed the ranks of the vampires for the one wearing a cross. 'I can't see him!' She absentmindedly staked another vampire through the heart. 'He's not Hhmmph…' Her sentence was cut off as a large hand was placed over her mouth. The monsignor dragged her up onto the bridge. She felt the acid touch of a knife edge at her throat as the Monsignor held her hands behind her back.
'People!'
A great cheer went up from the crowd as the vampires saw who was on the bridge.
'We have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams!' He brandished the wide eyed slayer before the crowd. 'Angelus! We have the slayer!' He passed Buffy to a large vampire at his side and stepped forward. 'Reveal yourself to my minions.'
'Who says minions for God's sake?' Alice held the now empty water pistol redundantly in her hands and winced visibly as she realised that she was thinking aloud.
The monsignor turned towards her. 'Silence HAG!' He raised his arm to slap her face but stopped. Smiling grimly he grabbed her by the collar.
'Angelus? Do you need proof of our intentions?' He held Alice above the dark swollen currents of the river. ' Say goodbye to your Hag, Slayer. ' The Monsignor loosened his grip and cast Alice into the deep.
'ALICE!'
Xander held Giles back from the crowd. 'Buffy comes first, Giles.' He cast his eyes downwards. 'There's nothing you could have done.'
Giles stared silently at the Monsignor and bit his lip.
'ANGELUS! Reveal thy self!' The monsignor bellowed into the crowd.
Angel stepped forward and was immediately gripped by two of The Monsignor's henchmen. One held a stake to his chest.
'Stop!' The monsignor halted his hand. 'Bring him to me.' The Monsignor took Buffy from his henchmen and held the knife to her throat once more. ' You will watch your slayer die Angelus. As a preparation.'
Staring into Angel's eyes Buffy saw a reflection which caused hope to leap in her heart.
The monsignor took the knife from her throat and raised his arm to cheers from the crowds below. 'TO FREEDOM! TO SELF-RESPECT! TO THE DEATH OF TREACHERY.'
Buffy twisted herself free from his grip and elbowed him in the stomach. 'I don't care from freedom.' She kicked the knife away and punched him on the jaw. 'I don't care from self respect.' She kicked him in the chest knocking him to the ground. 'And I don't care from death to treachery.' She turned as the Monsignor's minions rushed to his aid.
'Foolish child!' The Monsignor stood wheezing on the edge of the bridge. 'For every one of my followers that you slaughter, a thousand will step forward in their place. The river will yet run red with your….' His impassioned speech was cut short as he dissolved into a pile of dust.
'Hag me will you!' Alice stood soaked and breathless, her robe stained and heavy hanging to her as she gulped down the night air. She struggled to the centre of the bridge and raised her hands above her head. 'Look upon me vampires of Sunnydale for I am your God!'
Buffy pulled her to the ground as a hail of hastily carved missiles flew through the air towards them.
'The Monsignor is dead!' Angel addressed the crowd below them. 'Go from this place before the wrath of the Slayer falls upon thee.'
The vampires began to scatter, they went mildly as if a spell had been broken, Not even affecting a pretence of bravery.
Xander and Giles yelled after them taking pot shots with their crossbows 'Go on, Cowards!'
Before long the crowd had scattered completely, Xander and Giles joined the others on the bridge.
'For I am your God?' Giles smiled at Alice's lack of a sense of self-preservation. 'Really Alice!'
Alice shook herself like a dog and grinned.
'Why, what is she not human or something?' Xander stared puzzled at Alice, who despite being soaked to the skin and at risk of a severe chill was nevertheless still very much alive. 'I mean, we saw you drown.'
Alice clasped the locket which she wore around her neck. 'Caul baby.'
'Baby!'
'Oh very funny.' Alice snapped open the locket to reveal a dried rust red substance. ' No, I was a caul baby. Born with a caul. The buggers couldn't drown me if they… Well, I suppose they did try…'
Xander poked the dried chunk of afterbirth with his middle finger…'What is that thing?'
Alice told him.
'Auugh!' He leapt back in revulsion. 'Oh, dear God! What are you Hannibal Lecter? Does it amuse you to make me feel ill?'
'Gosh Wes, back in grey again?' They sat around the table in the school library. Giles, Buffy, Wesley, Alice, Willow, Oz, Xander and Angel. Alice took a sip of her tea and watched as Thurgood scrambled around the tabletop. 'You'll have to find a home for that.'
Xander drunk his soda unemotionally. 'Willow's keeping it for me.'
Willow nodded. 'I already have the cage.'
Buffy tapped the small metal box in the centre of the table. 'Is this the Tengu you wanted me to bury in the graveyard tonight?'
'Yes.'
Buffy picked up the box and inspected it. 'You wouldn't think such a little thing could cause so much trouble.'
'Indeed.' Giles stood and picked up an armful of books. 'Now let us never speak of it again…'