Now that Buffy's back in her own show, my Alternate Universe fanfic's just in time to have her meet up with her old friends again. Sorry it took me so long, but as you can see; FF.net had some problems not too long ago so I figured I had to put this off until everything settled back to normalcy.
Chapter 12: "Complications…."(Houston, we HAVE a problem: somebody forgot to send us instruction manuals!)
The rest of the Scooby Gang (those still left standing and conscious) stared at the woman in front of them carrying the voice of their old friend. It was clear to everybody just then what went through their minds as they took in the impossible in front of them.
Buffy? ALIVE?!?
Her friends took all the hope and relief they could get from that.
Xaranon, the fallen Angel, on the other hand was more than annoyed. Seeing the resurrected Slayer with the traitorous vamp was no surprise since he figured it might be him or one of the Witches who would find a way to revive her. But to see the creature that alighted on the ground next to them was turning surprise to a complete "blah".
"YOU!" Xaranon bellowed, then sniffed the air. Becoming a trifle confused at the scent the Cosmic Protector gave off. "I've heard of you, but you're not one of the heavenly hosts."
"And I'm no Demon either." Ja'Redd (a.k.a. Richard Todd in his cosmic guise) replied. "But I can tell you this: I am their friend. Mess with them – you mess with me."
The devil himself smiled and this time directed his voice to the newly returned Slayer. "And so the battle begins, eh?"
Buffy stood her ground and held her sword aloft. "Bring it on!"
Xaranon bowed, and then everything suddenly went black. The former Angel's voice echoing in the darkness: "Let the games begin, and the first round goes to the Slayer and her friends."
When they could see again, Buffy and company realized that they were the only ones left out on the streets. It seemed that every demon and vampire within the battle zone (with the exception of Spike) have disappeared.
The Slayer looked at Ja'Redd and barked out a few choice words as she tended to her friends with Spike's help. "Get Dawn down from up there and join us inside the shop, would you? I think it's high time they found out exactly what's been happening to me."
Ja'Redd nodded and flew up to claim Dawn, reverting back to his human form as he did so. Worry was etched on his face as he tried to digest the ramifications of the Arch-Devil's abrupt departure along with his demonic army. It did not bode well for the Slayer and her friends. He again checked Dawn's vitals and found her none worse for the wear. A bit stressed and slightly bruised from all the excitement, but otherwise whole and healthy.
Once settled inside the shop, her friends tried to adjust to her being back alive. As Richard entered with a sleeping Dawn in his arms, he noted that he had barged right in the middle of a very ecstatic reunion between her extended family, hugging all around. He saw that Spike, Faith and Max Quaylen – having already slightly recovered - were standing a little off to the side, enjoying the view. With the peroxide vamp, and the rogue Slayer feeling a mite envious at the same time. All the while, questions and expressions of wide-eyed teary disbelief reverberated around the blushing Slayer who had to hold up a hand for them to calm down so she could speak. Teary-eyed herself from the huge outpouring of emotion from the people she loved warmed her; she had to take a deep breath to start talking.
"How?" Rupert asked, beating her time as he gazed with wonder at the miracle before him.
"I think I'll answer that, Mr. Giles." Richard said as they turned to him as one, leaving the Slayer to recover from the emotional welcome with Dawn sleeping by her side. He told them as much as he knew how he did what he did and explained in partial detail where the second piece of the tablet came from. There were mixed responses from the group, and there was that slack-jawed awe from Quaylen as Richard relayed the message his opponent in the void gave to him for Max.
"You met St. Michael?!" Max acted like he shrieked in a tiny voice. "I can't believe you met an Archangel Warrior and he let you live!!"
Buffy herself was surprised, the Cosmic Protector left that little detail out when telling her how she came back. "And that is bad how?" She asked the former angel.
"As a root of fact; angels of the warrior class are the most primal, most savage, and most dangerous kind of heavenly beings." Max explained, "They live for the glory of the hunt and care less for the simple niceties. Very raw in power and strength, their ultimate aim is to seek and utterly destroy the enemies of the Lord. One of their soldiers can easily wreck an entire city the size of L.A. in a heartbeat. St. Michael himself was powerful enough to cause the re-arranging of the continents to what they are today with Xaranon when they last fought against each other. Believe me when I tell you that facing them down would lead to your permanent death, no matter who or what you are. I don't know how powerful Richard here is, but be glad Michael seemed to underestimated him this time – to which you can guarantee that he won't do so again when next you meet. Staying clear of him and Xaranon when they butt heads is a great idea – getting clear off the planet in one piece while they fight is even better than the alternative of finding the nearest bolt hole when they do."
"That bad huh?" Faith said with a loud pop of her gum.
"Yeah," Max replied. "Guess you either caught Mike on an off day or he was testing just how far you would go to do what you had to do."
"Thanks a lot, Quaylen." Richard groused, "You really know how to make a guy feel good about himself."
"Whatever." Buffy said as she faced Giles and asked. "Mind you telling me what happened while I was kind of dead?"
"Actually," The Watcher began. "There's not really much to tell. We took over most of the slaying with Spike's help during the summer. I was contemplating on returning to England until this business reared its ugly head. The tablets themselves and its import defied so much sense that even the Council doesn't know what to make of it. Its too mind-boggling." He gestured over to the table ahead of him at where the stone tablets in question lay.
Buffy walked towards it and ran her hands over the jagged breaks the two pieces had and tried to fit it together, but to no avail. They simply didn't fit. The central piece was missing and it was obvious that all they had was the beginning and the end of the prophetic puzzle. She glanced at the rough translation beside and looked at Giles in disbelief.
The prophecy read:
Unto the dawn of the new age
Would come a great hush of mourning
Of the loss of the brightest light
The world has ever known
Only to return stronger
To await the coming trials
That certain death and darkness brings
By the fallen few who multiply
……………..
…………….
………
Once more in despair
From the darkest day of grieving
Comes forth that which has passed on
Not once, but twice –
To fulfill a destiny, which cannot be denied
Aided by one who is forever alone and all this warrior's clan
To above all put rest all to that one dreaded immortal soul
That feeds on life … the very tapestry …
Of what is real, now joined
Both with light and darkness within as without
Shall conquer that which was forever lost. . . . .
"Sounds like another one about me." Buffy said, her tone was flat and devoid of inflection. "It doesn't make much sense. What the hell does it mean?"
"I don't know." Giles answered wearily, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Until we have the last piece of the prophecy, we could very well be shooting in the dark for false guesses. I didn't even make the connection with you until you just told us. The fact that you're standing here alive gives it some sense – but not all."
"And while we seem to have a little respite from the forces of darkness," Giles continued. "I suggest we all get some rest and find out what else is there to this puzzling tablet tomorrow."
"I agree." Max gaze held them all. "Faith and me aren't in fighting condition from the beating we took, and I'm sure most of you are tired enough as it is." He looked at the risen Slayer and said, "Buffy, take Dawn and the rest to your house and rest up. Faith's coming back with me to my hotel, Richard can join us if he wants to."
Buffy nodded assent and was about to say something when Richard spoke up. "Thanks Max, but I have a friend I want to check up on – so I guess I'll pass your offer to bunk in with you."
"Which reminds me, Hey Spike!" Max called to the blond vampire, "Pick up the Panday tomorrow after sundown. I'm just sorry I couldn't have prepared you for him, but his flight arrives by seven p.m. at the private airstrip just outside of town."
"Who?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Well," Max explained, "Since the armies of Hell is literally after us on this caper of ours, I decided to raise a little army of our own – consisting of some warriors of light I've manage to acquaint myself in my long life. And since you showed up with the cosmic wonder over there - my guess is that the playing field is more than level now."
"Oh," was all the blond Slayer said as they all left their separate ways to their respective homes.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Somewhere above the Pacific Rim, the youngish figure seated near the window in economy class on Cathay Pacific flight 2790 watched the stars as the plane flew onward toward its destination. He mused at what life brought him now that he has to answer to a blood calling forged ever since his ancestor first created the sword he now carried tucked hidden within his clothes. He never really believed in destiny, until his long-lost father suddenly showed up on his doorstep and asked him to carry on the legacy of his bloodline before he died in his arms – a legacy to battle against the forces of evil no matter what forms it took. And now here he sat, answering a summons from someone called the "Eternal Champion" left for his father.
"What a way to start." He mused grimly. "I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into."
He gazed out again at the stars as the plane neared U.S. shores.
