Ladybard chapter 17, by Slayergirl
Please suspend all credibility, and remember what you believed in when you were a child. I'm indulging my whimsiness – please join me, and relive all those dreams you had!
*** *** *** ***
Dawn awoke in Angel's arms, as she often did. She blinked at the unexpected sunlight that filtered in through the window. 'Close the curtains!' she thought in a panic. 'No curtains, oh my God…' then a soft laugh made her look up.
"Sleep well, Dawnie?"
"Buffy! There are no curtains, Angel…"
"Angel what?" he murmured sleepily. "Morning Buffy. Morning Spike. Morning – uh – Estrellita?"
Dawn snapped her head up. "Oh! Hi, didn't see you there – how come he's not burning up?"
"Different dimension, sweetheart," Angel smiled. "I think we're home."
"Possibly," said Estrellita. "You're here on sufferance. You must prove yourself worthy, just as Bard did – he found true love, and brought hope to the world in the form of the Ladybard. But first, come and eat and drink." She smiled at Dawn. "But you are home, Key – the Key no longer."
"What am I then?" she asked.
"What we all are," said Estrellita cryptically. "Come now, join your friends for breakfast."
There was much laughter at that meal. Willow and Tara giggled childishly at each other, licking honey off each other's fingers. Spike and Buffy seemed to function as a single entity, feeding each other and finishing each other's sentences. Giles, however, was a little withdrawn.
It made Angel feel a little uneasy. 'Poor Giles,' he thought. 'The only one on his own.' He thought of Jenny, guilt streaking through him like fire. He knew it was because of this that he had to pass the test, prove himself worthy again. 'If only it could be undone! If only I could bring her back!' he thought wretchedly.
"Say it aloud," commanded Estrellita, making him jump. "Say what you wished for."
Angel struggled to find the words he wanted, but turned to Giles anyway. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's not enough – it'll never be enough – for taking from you the woman you love. It should never have happened. If…" he swallowed. "If I could wish anything – I'd wish that she could share Willow and Tara's reward, and be here with you, always. It hurts – to see you alone. And she did as much as the rest of us to save the world."
Giles looked at him, speechless. "I – well, I – look, it's a long time ago, and – I know you feel bad about it…"
Estrellita laid a hand on their shoulders. "Well said," she said to Angel. "Yes, you are right, you are here because you fought to save the world from darkness, all of you. You wished well, Souled One, and you have passed the test." Then she turned to Giles. "Would you wish the same? That she should spend eternity with you?" she asked softly.
"Well, I…" He looked up and smiled, hopeful. "Only if it was what she wanted too."
Estrellita laughed softly, motioning to the woman at the door. "Why don't you ask her?"
*** ***
Eventually, the hugging and kissing of reunion died down as Jenny joined them at the table. Dawn, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, decided to ask the questions she longed to know the answers to. "So, where are we, exactly? What are we? Who and what are you?" she asked Estrellita.
She smiled. "You know that this is a different dimension. It is my own, I rule it. Some may say that I am a god, but I do not care for that title. Gods are about power and worship. I – care only for peace and joy, harmony and concord. I am able to grant wishes, if I choose…"
"So, are you a vengeance demon, then? Or is this some kind of wish dimension?" asked Dawn.
"Neither," she laughed. "Have none of you guessed? What you are? The Seer knew – and yet you did not?" She gazed at them. "Think!" she urged them. They gazed back at her blankly. She turned to Spike. "The names of your line, Bard. What are they?"
"Stella, my daughter; Seren and Taliesin, my grandchildren."
"And?" she pressed. "What do those names mean to you?"
"Well, Stella means 'star'," he said.
"So does Seren!" added Jenny.
"And Taliesin?" asked Estrellita gently.
"'Shining brow'," said Giles. "Wait, before I came here…"
"The stars!" said Spike. "You were tracing the movements of some stars…"
"…Another one joined them when you left…" interrupted Dawn.
"…And Estrellita means, uh, 'little star' in Spanish!" he finished triumphantly.
"Quite," smiled Estrellita.
"We're all stars? I always thought that was a rather fanciful notion," said Giles dryly.
"In every fairytale, there is a grain of truth," she said softly. "Remember the rhyme… 'Star bright, star light, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight'?" They all nodded. "Most of the rest of that is forgotten. It is part of the ritual incantation which invokes me."
"Well!" said Giles. You learn something new every day."
The others were too stunned to comment. Then Angel began to laugh. "Angelus the scourge of Europe becomes a star and goes to live happily ever after in a perfect dimension where nothing ever goes wrong? How did I land that one, when I should be in hell?"
"You've tried to make amends," she said simply. "As did Bard." She placed a hand on Willow's shoulder. "Ultimately, it is the Sorceress you have to thank."
"Oh?"
"Uh – well, I made a wish, using the rhyme, thingy – just idly wishing that Buffy and Spike could get along better, face up to how they felt about each other. I didn't know it would turn out like this. Guess it kick-started the whole thing," said Willow bashfully.
"I'm not complaining!" said Angel. "Beats going to hell, anyway."
"Mm," agreed Spike. "With you on that one. Being a good boy does have its advantages…"
"And more than just avoiding hell," teased Buffy, waggling her eyebrows at him.
"So," said Jenny. "You're the evening star, then?" Estrellita nodded.
"There are strange things written about this dimension," said Giles pensively. "I read the prophecies about the Ladybard. But although I'd heard of it before that, I never believed that the dimension itself ever existed. I just thought the writers were making it all up – or were stoned. It always sounded too good to be true, the kind of place you'd make up if you were a kid. And I never had proof of any kind until Spike showed me a flower he picked here."
Estrellita smiled. "I prefer to keep it that way. Mine is a shadowy dimension, hard to find, that none can enter without my help. And equally, none can leave without my help. Not that they wish to, usually!"
"You can see why!" said Willow.
"I always used to think people became stars when they died," said Tara dreamily. "When I was a child. My family laughed at me for it. But I kept on dreaming, hoping for something better…"
Willow hugged her, thinking of her girlfriend's repressive family. "Your dream came true, honey," she said softly. "But you were always my star."
TBC…
Please suspend all credibility, and remember what you believed in when you were a child. I'm indulging my whimsiness – please join me, and relive all those dreams you had!
*** *** *** ***
Dawn awoke in Angel's arms, as she often did. She blinked at the unexpected sunlight that filtered in through the window. 'Close the curtains!' she thought in a panic. 'No curtains, oh my God…' then a soft laugh made her look up.
"Sleep well, Dawnie?"
"Buffy! There are no curtains, Angel…"
"Angel what?" he murmured sleepily. "Morning Buffy. Morning Spike. Morning – uh – Estrellita?"
Dawn snapped her head up. "Oh! Hi, didn't see you there – how come he's not burning up?"
"Different dimension, sweetheart," Angel smiled. "I think we're home."
"Possibly," said Estrellita. "You're here on sufferance. You must prove yourself worthy, just as Bard did – he found true love, and brought hope to the world in the form of the Ladybard. But first, come and eat and drink." She smiled at Dawn. "But you are home, Key – the Key no longer."
"What am I then?" she asked.
"What we all are," said Estrellita cryptically. "Come now, join your friends for breakfast."
There was much laughter at that meal. Willow and Tara giggled childishly at each other, licking honey off each other's fingers. Spike and Buffy seemed to function as a single entity, feeding each other and finishing each other's sentences. Giles, however, was a little withdrawn.
It made Angel feel a little uneasy. 'Poor Giles,' he thought. 'The only one on his own.' He thought of Jenny, guilt streaking through him like fire. He knew it was because of this that he had to pass the test, prove himself worthy again. 'If only it could be undone! If only I could bring her back!' he thought wretchedly.
"Say it aloud," commanded Estrellita, making him jump. "Say what you wished for."
Angel struggled to find the words he wanted, but turned to Giles anyway. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's not enough – it'll never be enough – for taking from you the woman you love. It should never have happened. If…" he swallowed. "If I could wish anything – I'd wish that she could share Willow and Tara's reward, and be here with you, always. It hurts – to see you alone. And she did as much as the rest of us to save the world."
Giles looked at him, speechless. "I – well, I – look, it's a long time ago, and – I know you feel bad about it…"
Estrellita laid a hand on their shoulders. "Well said," she said to Angel. "Yes, you are right, you are here because you fought to save the world from darkness, all of you. You wished well, Souled One, and you have passed the test." Then she turned to Giles. "Would you wish the same? That she should spend eternity with you?" she asked softly.
"Well, I…" He looked up and smiled, hopeful. "Only if it was what she wanted too."
Estrellita laughed softly, motioning to the woman at the door. "Why don't you ask her?"
*** ***
Eventually, the hugging and kissing of reunion died down as Jenny joined them at the table. Dawn, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, decided to ask the questions she longed to know the answers to. "So, where are we, exactly? What are we? Who and what are you?" she asked Estrellita.
She smiled. "You know that this is a different dimension. It is my own, I rule it. Some may say that I am a god, but I do not care for that title. Gods are about power and worship. I – care only for peace and joy, harmony and concord. I am able to grant wishes, if I choose…"
"So, are you a vengeance demon, then? Or is this some kind of wish dimension?" asked Dawn.
"Neither," she laughed. "Have none of you guessed? What you are? The Seer knew – and yet you did not?" She gazed at them. "Think!" she urged them. They gazed back at her blankly. She turned to Spike. "The names of your line, Bard. What are they?"
"Stella, my daughter; Seren and Taliesin, my grandchildren."
"And?" she pressed. "What do those names mean to you?"
"Well, Stella means 'star'," he said.
"So does Seren!" added Jenny.
"And Taliesin?" asked Estrellita gently.
"'Shining brow'," said Giles. "Wait, before I came here…"
"The stars!" said Spike. "You were tracing the movements of some stars…"
"…Another one joined them when you left…" interrupted Dawn.
"…And Estrellita means, uh, 'little star' in Spanish!" he finished triumphantly.
"Quite," smiled Estrellita.
"We're all stars? I always thought that was a rather fanciful notion," said Giles dryly.
"In every fairytale, there is a grain of truth," she said softly. "Remember the rhyme… 'Star bright, star light, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight'?" They all nodded. "Most of the rest of that is forgotten. It is part of the ritual incantation which invokes me."
"Well!" said Giles. You learn something new every day."
The others were too stunned to comment. Then Angel began to laugh. "Angelus the scourge of Europe becomes a star and goes to live happily ever after in a perfect dimension where nothing ever goes wrong? How did I land that one, when I should be in hell?"
"You've tried to make amends," she said simply. "As did Bard." She placed a hand on Willow's shoulder. "Ultimately, it is the Sorceress you have to thank."
"Oh?"
"Uh – well, I made a wish, using the rhyme, thingy – just idly wishing that Buffy and Spike could get along better, face up to how they felt about each other. I didn't know it would turn out like this. Guess it kick-started the whole thing," said Willow bashfully.
"I'm not complaining!" said Angel. "Beats going to hell, anyway."
"Mm," agreed Spike. "With you on that one. Being a good boy does have its advantages…"
"And more than just avoiding hell," teased Buffy, waggling her eyebrows at him.
"So," said Jenny. "You're the evening star, then?" Estrellita nodded.
"There are strange things written about this dimension," said Giles pensively. "I read the prophecies about the Ladybard. But although I'd heard of it before that, I never believed that the dimension itself ever existed. I just thought the writers were making it all up – or were stoned. It always sounded too good to be true, the kind of place you'd make up if you were a kid. And I never had proof of any kind until Spike showed me a flower he picked here."
Estrellita smiled. "I prefer to keep it that way. Mine is a shadowy dimension, hard to find, that none can enter without my help. And equally, none can leave without my help. Not that they wish to, usually!"
"You can see why!" said Willow.
"I always used to think people became stars when they died," said Tara dreamily. "When I was a child. My family laughed at me for it. But I kept on dreaming, hoping for something better…"
Willow hugged her, thinking of her girlfriend's repressive family. "Your dream came true, honey," she said softly. "But you were always my star."
TBC…