Sorry it took so long, but I've got
no excuse this time – I've just got plain old writer's block.
Chapter 7: "The
Slayer Returns" (another new movie by Tim Burton – NOT!)
Richard was getting tired of dodging
the man with wings. He knew he couldn't
dodge the jerk forever in the void. In
a desperate attempt to fly past his opponent, Richard dove and feinted - right
then left. Seeing this, his adversary
vanished and reappeared a split second away from behind him and bore down his
flaming sword at the unprotected back.
The cosmically powered former human
barely had time to react, turned and slammed both his hands together to stop
the sword from completely falling through him. Cosmic as he is, he still doesn't know his full potential, or his full
weaknesses. So he instinctively
performed the butterfly sword catch technique.
The impact of the sword being clapped
by two hands was astounding to say the least.
Both combatants were thrown fifty
feet away from each other by the explosion of sheer energy. Seeing that his adversary was a bit dazed,
Richard shot for his targeted opening and dove through the very fabric of the
temporal eddies that were also doorways to the past or future.
Stunned and totally dismayed, the
dazed being flew after him.
And both found themselves witnessing
the "EVENT", as what most Watchers had unanimously named for the greatest stand
a Slayer has ever had in sacrificing herself for the good of humanity.
Buffy was on the ledge, preparing to
jump. Dawn was behind her, weak and
imploring her sister to abandon her decision. With one last long look, the Slayer who beat the odds turned and faced
her destiny.
She jumped.
And time splintered to a halt as
Richard commanded it to be so.
The winged man's voice echoed throughout
stilled time towards the Cosmic Protector.
"You have no right to change what has
already happened!"
Richard then flared and assumed his
cosmic identity: Ja'Redd - giving the winged being another shock and paused in
mid-flight. "You're right," he
said, "I can't change the past."
"Then what ARE you doing?!"
"I'm changing the future." Ja'Redd replied and took out Buffy's life
force, wrapping it in a ball of energy. He turned and faced his opponent once more and continued. "She has to die today, to live
tomorrow. So she can beat the odds once
more"
The being nodded, now understanding,
"They were right about you. But I HAD
to know, for all our sakes."
"Like what and who?"
"Nothing you'd care to know for
now." The man said, "Make sure that they protect her this
time. And make sure you stay on the
path of light, though not even heaven knows what to do with the singular likes
of you."
Both looked down at the drama frozen
in time, the being extinguished his flaming sword and gestured at the air. Time once more ran forward, and the Slayer
fell through the portal – severing the connection between multiverses, dark or
light. Richard was torn at seeing her
beloved friends in anguish, standing, kneeling, broken, battered, and now alone
– hovering over her body as if the world did indeed end for them that very
night.
With his wings aglow, the man faced
his worthy adversary again and advised him – respect and friendship on his
face. "Godspeed, Protector!" He said, "And please tell Max Quaylen the his old friend Michael sends his
regards."
With another gesture, Michael brought
forth the light and enveloped the Protector.
It was blinding, one moment Richard
was hovering in midair – the next, he fell face down onto a cold hard marble
floor. Dazed, he gathered his wits
about him and realized he was back at the crypt that used to belong to
Spike. Immediately, he stood up and
checked to see if he still had her life energy, finding that it was still with
him; he hurried to the Slayer's body.
Again, checking her body for any
residual traces of dimensional energy and finding little of it left – he
brought the glowing energy sphere above her chest.
And watched it sink back down into
her body.
The explosion of light and sound blew
him five feet away.
Right into Spike, as the vampire
entered his former crypt to see if the Slayer was well cared for. As both men tried to untangle themselves,
they stopped short when they heard a loud gasp coming from above the marble
slab, which now doubled as a bed.
As one, they stood and went towards a
very confused Slayer that was looking at them as if she never saw them before
in her life. Something rested by her
foot, something shaped like a piece of a stone tablet. Spike's eyes went wide at the very sight of
seeing her alive!
Buffy saw the blond vampire – taking
in his expression to be too deep in shock, her memories now rushing back to
her. She turned her gaze at Richard,
then back to the vampire.
"Spike." Was all she said, beginning to smile - and then she promptly
fainted. Spike just nodded, not
believing it at all.
Richard moved to find something to
use as Buffy's blanket when he heard a thud behind him.
Looks like Spike passed out too.
Richard sighed a
familiar phrase, "Oh, boy."
More words from a lazy, writer's
blocked author:
I have no excuse for this one getting
away from me, there was too much work to be done and last month was the worst
for the company. But now that things
have slightly settled down again, I can think clearly and continue where I left
off. I hope this was worth the wait and
I do apologize for the inconvenience.
