Title: Full Circle of Life
Chapter: The Fall
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First Four Series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: Buffy's death results in a paradox. Years later Buffy and Xander are uniquely cursed by a demon; can they survive to fulfil a destiny that had already come to pass? (Not a post Gift Fic.)
AN: No Glory, no Dawn, and no Dracula. Riley died in the big battle *_* means Spell, '_' means thought "_" means speech [_] means the Ranger's language.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy and Xander stood in front of the throne, heads bowed in reverence. Queen Tara sat upon the throne looking down at the pair.
"The preparations are ready?" Queen Tara asked.
"Almost, Your Majesty. Some of our forces are slowing the demon army and the mass evacuation will begin in three days. The evacuation is estimated to be completed in a week and the invaders will be here a week after that." Xander said.
"Good. You have both served The City well for many years. Is there any gift that I can give you in return for you're loyal service?" The Queen inquired.
Buffy and Xander looked at each other for a second before Buffy responded.
"Just one, Majesty."
"Name it." Tara said, pleased to be able to help her life long friends.
"We ask that you consent to marry us, Majesty." Xander responded.
"Well. You've known each other for five hundred and forty years, been courting for the last forty. I'd just like to say. About bloody time!" Tara said, causing Buffy and Xander to crack up laughing. "Ok, I'll bite. What's so funny?"
"That is what Xander said when I told him I loved him." Buffy said, still laughing.
After a second of shocked silence, Tara also began to laugh.
********
"I now pronounce you man and Wife. You may kiss the Bride." Tara announced.
The crowd cheered. Every member of the armed forces not on duty or out of The City and most residents of The City were present at the marriage of the two greatest and most famous General's in The City's extensive history and presided over by the Queen.
Buffy and Xander dressed in their full combat armour turned and began to walk down the very long line of service men and woman. The first service lining the walk were the Cavalry, sitting on their horses and making a tunnel with their Sabres and when the couple reached the end of the Cavalry the turned, rasing their now drawn Sabres the shouted the Cavalry motto.
"The Charge!" The couple shouted.
"The Charge!" Came the response.
The next service in line was the Infantry, who stood with their Longswords in front of their faces. Again, when Buffy and Xander reached the end of the line of Infantry they turned and, mimicking their fellow soldiers, raised their Longswords in front of their faces and shouted.
"Stand tall, honour the fallen!" They called.
"Hurrah." Came the response.
As they turned to continue down the line, the Rangers, the next service, all dropped to one knee, bowed their hood covered heads and, drawing their daggers as they dropped, planted the daggers in the ground in front of them shoulder width apart.
Buffy and Xander walked down the rank of Rangers, turned, raising their hoods, knelt and planted their dagger like the others, then all the Rangers, Buffy and Xander included, began to chant in a language that no one in the crowd, except former Rangers could understand. It sounded like the natural sounds of the forest. A few of the more astute crowd members noticed that the Queen had taken the same position as the Rangers and was saying the same as the Rangers.
[With knife and bow, we come and go. Amen]
[Through forest thick and water slick. Amen]
[We seek and find, protect mankind. Amen]
[The Ranger way, the only way. Amen]
All of the Ranger's, the newly wed couple and the Queen all rose at the same time, sheathing their dagger. Buffy and Xander through back their hoods and proceeded through the rest of the procession of services, the Archer's with their motto 'Aim straight, shoot straight', the Mages and the Clerics.
"You still owe me a night of dancing." Xander whispered as the left the final part of the length procession.
Buffy just grinned and they kept on walking.
********
"That's the plan. Anyone how does not wish to participate, you will not be thought a coward. Plus we need people to escort the evacuating citizens. Fir those who chose to stay, assignments will be issued at a later date." Buffy finished her speech to the assembled troops.
"I won't do it. I'll escort for the evacuation. I can't think of a crazier plan." One of the soldiers called out.
"Attack the Mayor with Humus." Xander said casually, with a deadpan expression that caused Buffy to crack up laughing.
The assemble troops look at their commander oddly. The pair were considered strange at time by those who served under them, but they were also the greatest military commanders in The City's history and genuinely care for the soldiers under their command.
"Sorry. Inside joke." Xander said with a chuckle. "You need not decide now. You all have three days to decide. Dismissed."
The troops broke up; discussing the plan and wether they wanted to be part of it.
********
Xander held his wife close as they danced slowly to the music. The Great Hall in The City's Royal Palace was deserted except for the small blond Slayer and her White Knight. The City had been completely evacuated two days ago, so the couple were relaxing and settling an old bet.
The music was being provided by an enchantment, so they could select any song that they remembered or had ever heard to be played. Xander revelled in the simple act of holding Buffy while they danced, knowing that soon she would be angry with him. They danced in silence for one more song before Xander broached the topic that she would not like.
"Buffy. I want to talk to you about the battle." Xander said.
"What about it?" Buffy asked concerned.
"I want you to lead the forces that come in from the field, while I lead the fresh troops." Xander said.
"WHAT?!?!" Buffy screamed.
For a woman of small stature, Buffy had an amazing lung capacity. Xander thought for a second that he had gone deaf.
"Yes, love. They need one of us to lead them or their moral will be broken. They will have been fighting, almost non stop for weeks. You will make a better impression on them than I will." Xander said, trying to do his best impression of Willow's famous Resolve Face.
"No, no, no, no and no! And just in case you missed it the first five times. NO!" Buffy said. "We fight together. I need to be with you. I need to know you are alright, you keep me going. Please?"
Buffy was begging by the end. As Xander saw the look of pain in her eyes, the pleading and it broke his heart to see her like this.
"It is the way it has to be." Xander said softly.
"Fine. I'll see you after the battle, if you make it." Buffy said, leaving the Great Hall with tears in her eyes.
********
The final elements of The City troops that had been delaying the demonic army retreated through the gates of The City. Lead by Buffy, they filled into a series of tunnels that were located near the gates, and were sealed shut after the last soldier was inside. The demonic army was only ten minutes behind the delay troops.
While the tired troops were making their way through the tunnels, the fresh volunteers were engaging the demonic army inside The City. They fought fiercely, giving ground reluctantly but still falling slowly back. Sometimes the defenders would seem to break and run, but they always lead the demonic invaders into well laid traps. Meanwhile, overhead, the second stage of the defence was under way.
A mystical barrier slowly began to from and descended upon The City. When the barrier reached the ground, it changed in colour from sky blue to deep purple, trapping all but a few of the demon inside, including Mahkesh inside The City. When this occurred the defenders quickly disengaged the demons and rand for a series of tunnels to the outside of The City that were situated near the central citadel, knowing that they had only a few minutes to escape.
Outside The City, the troops lead by Buffy attacked the few remaining demons as soon as the barrier touched the ground, the Buffy silently prayed for those still inside.
********
Xander jumped down into the tunnel and, grudgingly, sealed the entrance from below. Giving a quick prayer for a quick death for those above, he began to run down the tunnel, passing between light and darkness of the widely spaced torches.
As he neared the end of the tunnel he saw a light blue curtain appear from the floor just ahead of him and he managed to pass it by jumping through the gap near the ceiling before it closed. When he reached the outside, Xander and the survivors meet up with the force lead by Buffy, who was greatly relieved that he was alive, and they watched the final destruction of The City.
In sealed towers around The City, a full Score of Mages began to cast one final spell. From the towers, lines of light crossed The City to all the other towers, and then each of the lines began branching towards the protective shield surrounding The City and towards the other lines. Within a few minutes, the entire shield was glowing with a brilliant light then The City disappeared.
It was transported into a demon dimension, and Xander silently hoped that the Mages had time to use their daggers before they were trapped in that place. A group of Mages bordering the giant crater that used to be The City and incanted another spell that quickly filled the space from the surrounding area, leaving no visible sign that The City had ever existed.
There was, however, an after-effect of the final struggle of the Mahkesh Wars. The spell that had transported The City into the hell dimension had weakened the dimensional barriers and the resultant effect would last for millennia. Occasionally the effect would, through accident or interference, either human or divine, move geological locations until it eventually ended up under the library of a small high school in a flyspeck town in what would become Southern California that had been called by the original discoverers 'Boca Dell Inferno'. Hence was born the Hellmouth.
TBC.
Chapter: The Fall
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First Four Series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: Buffy's death results in a paradox. Years later Buffy and Xander are uniquely cursed by a demon; can they survive to fulfil a destiny that had already come to pass? (Not a post Gift Fic.)
AN: No Glory, no Dawn, and no Dracula. Riley died in the big battle *_* means Spell, '_' means thought "_" means speech [_] means the Ranger's language.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy and Xander stood in front of the throne, heads bowed in reverence. Queen Tara sat upon the throne looking down at the pair.
"The preparations are ready?" Queen Tara asked.
"Almost, Your Majesty. Some of our forces are slowing the demon army and the mass evacuation will begin in three days. The evacuation is estimated to be completed in a week and the invaders will be here a week after that." Xander said.
"Good. You have both served The City well for many years. Is there any gift that I can give you in return for you're loyal service?" The Queen inquired.
Buffy and Xander looked at each other for a second before Buffy responded.
"Just one, Majesty."
"Name it." Tara said, pleased to be able to help her life long friends.
"We ask that you consent to marry us, Majesty." Xander responded.
"Well. You've known each other for five hundred and forty years, been courting for the last forty. I'd just like to say. About bloody time!" Tara said, causing Buffy and Xander to crack up laughing. "Ok, I'll bite. What's so funny?"
"That is what Xander said when I told him I loved him." Buffy said, still laughing.
After a second of shocked silence, Tara also began to laugh.
********
"I now pronounce you man and Wife. You may kiss the Bride." Tara announced.
The crowd cheered. Every member of the armed forces not on duty or out of The City and most residents of The City were present at the marriage of the two greatest and most famous General's in The City's extensive history and presided over by the Queen.
Buffy and Xander dressed in their full combat armour turned and began to walk down the very long line of service men and woman. The first service lining the walk were the Cavalry, sitting on their horses and making a tunnel with their Sabres and when the couple reached the end of the Cavalry the turned, rasing their now drawn Sabres the shouted the Cavalry motto.
"The Charge!" The couple shouted.
"The Charge!" Came the response.
The next service in line was the Infantry, who stood with their Longswords in front of their faces. Again, when Buffy and Xander reached the end of the line of Infantry they turned and, mimicking their fellow soldiers, raised their Longswords in front of their faces and shouted.
"Stand tall, honour the fallen!" They called.
"Hurrah." Came the response.
As they turned to continue down the line, the Rangers, the next service, all dropped to one knee, bowed their hood covered heads and, drawing their daggers as they dropped, planted the daggers in the ground in front of them shoulder width apart.
Buffy and Xander walked down the rank of Rangers, turned, raising their hoods, knelt and planted their dagger like the others, then all the Rangers, Buffy and Xander included, began to chant in a language that no one in the crowd, except former Rangers could understand. It sounded like the natural sounds of the forest. A few of the more astute crowd members noticed that the Queen had taken the same position as the Rangers and was saying the same as the Rangers.
[With knife and bow, we come and go. Amen]
[Through forest thick and water slick. Amen]
[We seek and find, protect mankind. Amen]
[The Ranger way, the only way. Amen]
All of the Ranger's, the newly wed couple and the Queen all rose at the same time, sheathing their dagger. Buffy and Xander through back their hoods and proceeded through the rest of the procession of services, the Archer's with their motto 'Aim straight, shoot straight', the Mages and the Clerics.
"You still owe me a night of dancing." Xander whispered as the left the final part of the length procession.
Buffy just grinned and they kept on walking.
********
"That's the plan. Anyone how does not wish to participate, you will not be thought a coward. Plus we need people to escort the evacuating citizens. Fir those who chose to stay, assignments will be issued at a later date." Buffy finished her speech to the assembled troops.
"I won't do it. I'll escort for the evacuation. I can't think of a crazier plan." One of the soldiers called out.
"Attack the Mayor with Humus." Xander said casually, with a deadpan expression that caused Buffy to crack up laughing.
The assemble troops look at their commander oddly. The pair were considered strange at time by those who served under them, but they were also the greatest military commanders in The City's history and genuinely care for the soldiers under their command.
"Sorry. Inside joke." Xander said with a chuckle. "You need not decide now. You all have three days to decide. Dismissed."
The troops broke up; discussing the plan and wether they wanted to be part of it.
********
Xander held his wife close as they danced slowly to the music. The Great Hall in The City's Royal Palace was deserted except for the small blond Slayer and her White Knight. The City had been completely evacuated two days ago, so the couple were relaxing and settling an old bet.
The music was being provided by an enchantment, so they could select any song that they remembered or had ever heard to be played. Xander revelled in the simple act of holding Buffy while they danced, knowing that soon she would be angry with him. They danced in silence for one more song before Xander broached the topic that she would not like.
"Buffy. I want to talk to you about the battle." Xander said.
"What about it?" Buffy asked concerned.
"I want you to lead the forces that come in from the field, while I lead the fresh troops." Xander said.
"WHAT?!?!" Buffy screamed.
For a woman of small stature, Buffy had an amazing lung capacity. Xander thought for a second that he had gone deaf.
"Yes, love. They need one of us to lead them or their moral will be broken. They will have been fighting, almost non stop for weeks. You will make a better impression on them than I will." Xander said, trying to do his best impression of Willow's famous Resolve Face.
"No, no, no, no and no! And just in case you missed it the first five times. NO!" Buffy said. "We fight together. I need to be with you. I need to know you are alright, you keep me going. Please?"
Buffy was begging by the end. As Xander saw the look of pain in her eyes, the pleading and it broke his heart to see her like this.
"It is the way it has to be." Xander said softly.
"Fine. I'll see you after the battle, if you make it." Buffy said, leaving the Great Hall with tears in her eyes.
********
The final elements of The City troops that had been delaying the demonic army retreated through the gates of The City. Lead by Buffy, they filled into a series of tunnels that were located near the gates, and were sealed shut after the last soldier was inside. The demonic army was only ten minutes behind the delay troops.
While the tired troops were making their way through the tunnels, the fresh volunteers were engaging the demonic army inside The City. They fought fiercely, giving ground reluctantly but still falling slowly back. Sometimes the defenders would seem to break and run, but they always lead the demonic invaders into well laid traps. Meanwhile, overhead, the second stage of the defence was under way.
A mystical barrier slowly began to from and descended upon The City. When the barrier reached the ground, it changed in colour from sky blue to deep purple, trapping all but a few of the demon inside, including Mahkesh inside The City. When this occurred the defenders quickly disengaged the demons and rand for a series of tunnels to the outside of The City that were situated near the central citadel, knowing that they had only a few minutes to escape.
Outside The City, the troops lead by Buffy attacked the few remaining demons as soon as the barrier touched the ground, the Buffy silently prayed for those still inside.
********
Xander jumped down into the tunnel and, grudgingly, sealed the entrance from below. Giving a quick prayer for a quick death for those above, he began to run down the tunnel, passing between light and darkness of the widely spaced torches.
As he neared the end of the tunnel he saw a light blue curtain appear from the floor just ahead of him and he managed to pass it by jumping through the gap near the ceiling before it closed. When he reached the outside, Xander and the survivors meet up with the force lead by Buffy, who was greatly relieved that he was alive, and they watched the final destruction of The City.
In sealed towers around The City, a full Score of Mages began to cast one final spell. From the towers, lines of light crossed The City to all the other towers, and then each of the lines began branching towards the protective shield surrounding The City and towards the other lines. Within a few minutes, the entire shield was glowing with a brilliant light then The City disappeared.
It was transported into a demon dimension, and Xander silently hoped that the Mages had time to use their daggers before they were trapped in that place. A group of Mages bordering the giant crater that used to be The City and incanted another spell that quickly filled the space from the surrounding area, leaving no visible sign that The City had ever existed.
There was, however, an after-effect of the final struggle of the Mahkesh Wars. The spell that had transported The City into the hell dimension had weakened the dimensional barriers and the resultant effect would last for millennia. Occasionally the effect would, through accident or interference, either human or divine, move geological locations until it eventually ended up under the library of a small high school in a flyspeck town in what would become Southern California that had been called by the original discoverers 'Boca Dell Inferno'. Hence was born the Hellmouth.
TBC.