The Slayer walked. Her every sense was focused on the surroundings around her. There wasn't a vampire out there who stood a chance of remaining undusted, the mood she was in right now.
But if she was honest it wasn't vampires she wanted to kill right now, it was memories. Her jumbled thoughts knew no rest. Just when she had put Riley in the past, that reminder had to come through the mail, photos of a time she had thought she could be happy.
An older, wiser Buffy knew that any of happiness she thought she had had with Riley had been pure illusion. She knew he had just been there for the Slayer equivalent of the rebound.
As for Angel, well, Buffy didn't need to try and face her thoughts to know that he would be in them. He was an *always* in her life. She knew no other way to describe it. Rarely did she open the door to that area of her heart which was his eternal, for such was the raw pain that would filter out of it. The pain of Riley leaving she knew paled in comparison.
Turning around she frowned, there was never an obliging Nasty to beat the crap out when you wanted one.
Then suddenly there was. Her inherent ability to sense what didn't belong made her whirl around and come face to face with a....a
Ghost?
Before Buffy had appeared a translucent, ethereal *something* that hovered about half a metre off of the ground in front of her. Buffy kept her stake raised, mainly out of habit, she knew such a weapon would have no effect on something through which the gravestones could be seen on the far side.
Blinking Buffy took one step closer and got a better look. The being had taken human form, crystalline eyes of the palest blue now gazed out at Buffy. Dark hair whipped around porcelain features even though there was not the slightest breeze. Those features were clearly feminine, and that cat-like stare couldn't be anything else.
As much whatever it was would have loved to continue this stare-down it was rapidly approaching enough already for the Slayer. Asking what the hell it was seemed as good a place as any to start.
`Who are you' Buffy asked.
`She' smiled and floated closer to the ground. `Ah yes' she said at last in a high lilting voice that floated like silk. `I know I am in the right realm, you beings here place such importance on names' She seemed to look at Buffy as well as straight through her, it was just mildly disturbing.
`The right realm?' Buffy groaned silently. Not another one....
`Yes, you asked what I am? It translates best in your language as Realmkeeper, that is what me and my kind have done for all eternity. Only problem now is, I'm bored.'
`Bored?' Buffy asked incredulously, having that to cope with as well as the news she had just been told.
`Yeah, you try it Buffy, there is more eternity then there are realms to fill it, and once you've seen the first (untranslatable number) you have pretty much seen them all!'
Buffy continued to stare. Then realised that she had been addressed by her name.
`Hey, you know my name!'
`Of course I do! Everyone does...your the one who...' she stopped suddenly `Of course it hasn't happened yet. Excuse me you don't know my name do you?'
Buffy let it go for now, this whole thing was too surreal. `No I don't know your name' she admitted.
The being, if it was possible bounced up and down.
`Neither do I' she exclaimed and then looked saddened, `I am not allowed one...However, you could give me one!'
`Er ok' said Buffy, not sure what would happen if she refused, but where else better to get inspiration then a graveyard? She cast about reading the gloomy stones....Somehow she couldn't see this Realmkeeper being a Doris...
`Lexie' she said at last. The being bounced again, whatever that meant.
`So erm, why are you here, why me I'm just a...'
`Hah! Buffy don't pull that one on me, I know who you are, your the Slayer, and the reason I'm here, you see your what makes this realm unique, no other one has a Slayer. And well like I said I was bored so I decided to drop by.'
`To see me?' said Buffy
Lexie looked slightly irritated and sighed `I believe that was what I said. The problem is I am only a 27^th class Realmkeeper and that means I only have access to the lower realms. So your what passes for excitement for us.
Buffy wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not. But Lexie carried on oblivious.
`To put it bluntly Buffy dear, you are my ticket to the next level, I have been sent to test you, you have a destiny Buffy but it is one that you cannot fulfil alone. I am here so you can decide who that one will be.'
Buffy was lost now. She didn't have a clue what Lexie was talking about.
Lexie gained altitude and said `You see there is one more thing unique to this realm, the concept of a soulmate, such a thing intrigues us and it is something we wish to study more through you. To fulfil your destiny with the one you love most...that is what I am here to supervise.
Buffy sighed again, as if her love-life wasn't complicated enough already she now had some outer-realm being sticking her oar in as well!
(So what do you think? This is my first attempt so let me know if you think I should bother to continue)
But if she was honest it wasn't vampires she wanted to kill right now, it was memories. Her jumbled thoughts knew no rest. Just when she had put Riley in the past, that reminder had to come through the mail, photos of a time she had thought she could be happy.
An older, wiser Buffy knew that any of happiness she thought she had had with Riley had been pure illusion. She knew he had just been there for the Slayer equivalent of the rebound.
As for Angel, well, Buffy didn't need to try and face her thoughts to know that he would be in them. He was an *always* in her life. She knew no other way to describe it. Rarely did she open the door to that area of her heart which was his eternal, for such was the raw pain that would filter out of it. The pain of Riley leaving she knew paled in comparison.
Turning around she frowned, there was never an obliging Nasty to beat the crap out when you wanted one.
Then suddenly there was. Her inherent ability to sense what didn't belong made her whirl around and come face to face with a....a
Ghost?
Before Buffy had appeared a translucent, ethereal *something* that hovered about half a metre off of the ground in front of her. Buffy kept her stake raised, mainly out of habit, she knew such a weapon would have no effect on something through which the gravestones could be seen on the far side.
Blinking Buffy took one step closer and got a better look. The being had taken human form, crystalline eyes of the palest blue now gazed out at Buffy. Dark hair whipped around porcelain features even though there was not the slightest breeze. Those features were clearly feminine, and that cat-like stare couldn't be anything else.
As much whatever it was would have loved to continue this stare-down it was rapidly approaching enough already for the Slayer. Asking what the hell it was seemed as good a place as any to start.
`Who are you' Buffy asked.
`She' smiled and floated closer to the ground. `Ah yes' she said at last in a high lilting voice that floated like silk. `I know I am in the right realm, you beings here place such importance on names' She seemed to look at Buffy as well as straight through her, it was just mildly disturbing.
`The right realm?' Buffy groaned silently. Not another one....
`Yes, you asked what I am? It translates best in your language as Realmkeeper, that is what me and my kind have done for all eternity. Only problem now is, I'm bored.'
`Bored?' Buffy asked incredulously, having that to cope with as well as the news she had just been told.
`Yeah, you try it Buffy, there is more eternity then there are realms to fill it, and once you've seen the first (untranslatable number) you have pretty much seen them all!'
Buffy continued to stare. Then realised that she had been addressed by her name.
`Hey, you know my name!'
`Of course I do! Everyone does...your the one who...' she stopped suddenly `Of course it hasn't happened yet. Excuse me you don't know my name do you?'
Buffy let it go for now, this whole thing was too surreal. `No I don't know your name' she admitted.
The being, if it was possible bounced up and down.
`Neither do I' she exclaimed and then looked saddened, `I am not allowed one...However, you could give me one!'
`Er ok' said Buffy, not sure what would happen if she refused, but where else better to get inspiration then a graveyard? She cast about reading the gloomy stones....Somehow she couldn't see this Realmkeeper being a Doris...
`Lexie' she said at last. The being bounced again, whatever that meant.
`So erm, why are you here, why me I'm just a...'
`Hah! Buffy don't pull that one on me, I know who you are, your the Slayer, and the reason I'm here, you see your what makes this realm unique, no other one has a Slayer. And well like I said I was bored so I decided to drop by.'
`To see me?' said Buffy
Lexie looked slightly irritated and sighed `I believe that was what I said. The problem is I am only a 27^th class Realmkeeper and that means I only have access to the lower realms. So your what passes for excitement for us.
Buffy wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not. But Lexie carried on oblivious.
`To put it bluntly Buffy dear, you are my ticket to the next level, I have been sent to test you, you have a destiny Buffy but it is one that you cannot fulfil alone. I am here so you can decide who that one will be.'
Buffy was lost now. She didn't have a clue what Lexie was talking about.
Lexie gained altitude and said `You see there is one more thing unique to this realm, the concept of a soulmate, such a thing intrigues us and it is something we wish to study more through you. To fulfil your destiny with the one you love most...that is what I am here to supervise.
Buffy sighed again, as if her love-life wasn't complicated enough already she now had some outer-realm being sticking her oar in as well!
(So what do you think? This is my first attempt so let me know if you think I should bother to continue)