Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Buffy, Xander, Spike, Willow or
Dawn and am in no way affiliated with Joss Whedon or Mutant Enemy and am
not looking to profit from this story.
Authors Note: As always, much thanks to Evie for being my proof-reader and for reigning me in when I wander to far off topic. Cheers to ya Evie!
Fragments of dust wafted downward towards the ground as Buffy stared... hard... "What the...." The sentence remained unfinished, she just didn't have words for what stood before her. A girl, hand outstretched stood over her, and she was unlike any girl Buffy had ever seen before. She was was tall and nondescript looking. She had a cute button nose and a mouth which bore a half smile. Her hair was long, as was her dress, and her bare arms could only be called uneventful. All this would have made her alarmingly plain except....she had no color! She wasn't black or white, or even gold, she was nothing. Buffy could see right through her. What is going on? Buffy wondered. She's got to be a ghost.... wait, even ghosts have color!" The girl girl held out her hand to Buffy, and Buffy grasped it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. The hand was solid and warm and Buffy was even more confused. "Thanks..." She managed. "Thank you." The girl said. Her voice couldn't be called anything less the musical, a joy to hear and Buffy was mesmerized by it. "You woke one from her slumber, and one humbly thanks you mistress." The transparent girl then bowed and got on down on one knee before her. "What would the mistress have one do now?" She asked softly, keeping her eyes to the ground. "One is sorry to have touched you or looked at you good lady." Buffy was so startled she nearly fell on the ground. "Good Lady? Mistress? What the hell is going on?" A tear cut from the corner of the girls eye as she continued to bow. "One is sorry to have startled the mistress, but you called, and one came." Buffy backed up slowly. "Ok.. so thanks for coming, you can go now.. see ya!" She turned and started to briskly walk away. Buffy heard the shuffling behind her as the girl rose to her feet and ran up to her. "On no, Mistress must not leave one, one would not know what to do? She must do as mistress commands." Buffy looked her up and down and decided to get to the bottom of the situation. "Sit" she commanded and the girl sat on the grass. Buffy settled in across from her. "Now, you are going to tell me who you are and why your here, and why you think I'm your mistress." The girl's voice grew noticeably soft, timid and she kept her gaze on the ground. "One...does not understand your wishes." Buffy looked at her squarely. "Where are you from?" "From beyond." "From beyond what? life, this world?" "This reality." Buffy shook her head "ah.. ok...so why are you here?" "Because you wished it of one." "Wished it of you? what are you talking about I never wished for-" Buffy Clapped her hand over her mouth. Those words.. Wished it of ...of course!! "You're her, aren't you? The girl from my dream!" She said almost accusingly. The girl nodded miserably and continued to stare at Buffy's feet." "Why are you here? And don't say because I wished it.. If I did I didn't mean to and I need you to explain it to me." The girl brushed her hair from her face and was silent for a moment, clearly trying to collect her thoughts. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she began to speak again. "One sleeps, in the mist between realities. Long, long sleeps sometimes. But one can be awakened. By someone good, very good, who does things that would help this world. When someone so good has people they love they sometimes fear for their safety... This fear is very strong, like a shout, and it can sometimes wake one from her eternal slumber. You are as such. You have many whom you love and you are afraid you cannot protect them. Your fear is so load... You have called, One has come. To help...to help protect." She looked up at Buffy and then quickly down again, but Buffy was lost to her look, things were starting to fall into place. Different forms...Different times....so much power. "I did call you, didn't I? You've been showing yourself to me in my dreams, preparing me for your coming... am I right?" "Mistress is always right." "Will you stop calling me that? I'm Buffy." "Mistress Buffy." "No, Just Buffy." Buffy got to her feet and looked down at her. "Aren't you getting up?" "Do you wish one to?" "Does it matter?" "Yes, One can only do as Mistress..er..Buffy want's. One is here to serve, and must be told what to do." "What If I don't tell you what to do?" "Then one does nothing." "Okay...Get up." In an instant the girl was on her feet. "You...you look different then in my dreams." "One is always different." "No, really different.. look at your hands, tell me why?" The girl lifted her hands and then laughed. "Oh that! One is made in THY image Mis-Buffy, you make one look as you will." "So I decide how you look?" "Yes." "Ok, so say i think your hair should be blue then it-" Buffy paused to watch the girl her mouth making a silent oh shape. From deep in the middle of the girls translucent hair a blue spark appeared. Lightning quick it began to spread outward until her hair was a mass of deep blue waves. Blue save for a few locks of hair framing her face, which had turned a brilliant white. "Why are those locks white?" "They represent One's power, One's goodness." "Okay...that makes sense...so anyways, I can make you look ANYWAY I want? This could be fun...."
"Do you think we should have left her there all alone like that? I mean 15 Vamps, that's a lot, dumb or not." Xander was pacing slowly in the living room. Dawn and Willow sat on the sofa each watching Xander with a tiny smile. Xander, Willow, and Buffy were all best friends, but their had been a time when Xander's feelings for Buffy were much more. Willow's smiled widened. Even after dating and almost getting married, some of those feelings never changed for Xander, and she figured a tiny part of him would always be in love with Buffy, and moments like these made that glaringly clear. It was adorable really. "She said she would be just fine didn't she? I'm sure she is." "But she's been gone for hours." She stopped by Spikes.. remember...kinky handcuffs?" Dawn came awake at that. "Kinky handcuffs? who has kinky handcuffs?" "Nobody" Willow and Xander said in unison and Dawn sighed. "You guys never tell me anything good, and don't give me that "when your older" speech Xander Harris, I'm older now then you were when you started thinking about kinky handcuffs I'll bet." Xander opened his mouth to protest but closed it when he realized she was right, and gave her a small smile. "Can't argue with that" Dawn opened her mouth to ask again about the handcuffs but an impatient rap on the door beet her to the punch. Without waiting it swung open and Spike stepped into the foyer, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. "Got cold feet did she? Wouldn't have figured her to back out of the hot and bothersome." Spike's rant died on his lips when he saw the three blank faces staring at him. "Buffy's not here? She never showed up..." "You didn't go looking for her?" Xander said sharply. Spikes eyes narrowed considerably. "Like I was saying, she never showed up, but I didn't think to worry, she does that sometimes. I guess the making me squirm is some kind of turn on... like this one time-" "We REALLY don't need to know." Willow cut in, with a twisted smile. "But we do need to find Buffy. She could be in trouble." Xander began rummaging around Buffy's weapons chest. "Ok Will, can you do a locator spell? I'll start dolling out weapons and then we'll do ourselves a little rescuing." "I'm on it!" Will said heading to kitchen with her supplies. "Dawn you want to give me a hand?" "Sure" Dawn said trailing after her. Once they were out of the room Xander tossed Spike an axe....hard. "Watch it mate, little less aim and you'll take a bloke's head off" Xander glared at him. "I'm not your mate, not even a friend. I tolerate you for her sake and you should have come earlier. I don't want to hear you slap & tickle stories" He said as Spike opened his mouth "You should have come earlier." "A might saucy tonight boy." Xanders grip on the sword he was holding tightened. "Feeling a bit left out are we?" "You have no idea" he growled Spike laughed. "You want to test your wrinklies then step on up and we'll have ourselves a go but not now, we've got bigger problems then your need to feel all manly." Xander snorted softly in anger but said nothing, he knew Spike was right. "Whatever, just give me a hand here will ya?" There sparring was interrupted by a shrill scream that came from the kitchen followed by a large crash. "Willow?" Xander and Spike hurried in to find dawn shrinking back against the wall and Willow flat on her back. The table on which she was doing her spell sputtered and thick purple smoke wafted through the room. "Will...Dawn..what's going on are you guys ok?" Xander coughed. Willow sat up slowly and shook her head to clear in. "I'm...ok...Dawn?" "I'm ok" Dawn said shakily as Spike helped her to sit down. "What happened." Willow got to her feet. "I'm not sure. Everything was working fine, the spell was cast and then..... I was on the floor" "did you see anything?" "No..maybe...I don't know" "I saw something." Dawn said slowly "A light" "A light?" "Yea, a really bright white light. It picked Willow right off her feet...then the room filled with that weird purple smoke." Spike gestured to the ashy remains of the map. "Well, I don't think that can help us much." He said holding up the remaining piece. "Wait a second...." He peered at it closely. "Uh....Willow? Why would something that burns so hot leave this space completely untouched?" He handed it to her "This is the park...Hey that's where we left Buffy!" "Well" Spike growled "Looks like we've found ourselves a bread crumb."
"So why do you talk like that?" "Like what?" "You know, with all the "one" and "she"...how come you never "I" when you talk about yourself? Most people don't talk like like that, in third person I mean, unless they are insane or crazy conceited." "One is not a person, so she must" "Well, you're a person now, so ...Hey!" Buffy's eyes went wide "If you always talk in third person, they why did I always hear "Do you wish it of me" in my dreams?" The girl played with a blade of grass sheepishly. "One had to speak with words you would understand. Would you remember well if "wish it of one?" had echoed from your dreams?" Buffy Laughed "Maybe not. But you can then cant you? Talk normally?" "yes..one suposes..." "Then do it. all the "one" and "she" gets me confused. Just talk normally, now that I know you can." "one...er...I..will if that is what you desire." Buffy smiled. "It is"
"Are you sure we should have left Willow at Buffy's? She's the one who's all down with the magic, we might need her." Xander hurried along side Spike, panting slightly from having to keep up with his long strides. "Someone had to stay with Dawn" "Still" "Punch it up girly pants. If I'd had my way YOU would have stayed with Dawn...last thing I need is a glorified bricklayer on my heels. Lets not start right? We've got else to worry about." Xander glared out into the night. "You're an ass Spike" "You're point being?" "I think I just made it" Spike grabbed Xanders arm. "Look" he said angrily "I've had about as much of you as I can take now....SSSHH!" He said sharply. "I hear something." They flattened themselves against a tree and listened. "...now that I know you can...." "It's Buffy!" Xander said and shot around the tree with a start. "Buffy! Where have you been we've been looking all over for...." Xander stopped, open mouthed "What the hell?"
End of Part 2
Authors Note: As always, much thanks to Evie for being my proof-reader and for reigning me in when I wander to far off topic. Cheers to ya Evie!
Fragments of dust wafted downward towards the ground as Buffy stared... hard... "What the...." The sentence remained unfinished, she just didn't have words for what stood before her. A girl, hand outstretched stood over her, and she was unlike any girl Buffy had ever seen before. She was was tall and nondescript looking. She had a cute button nose and a mouth which bore a half smile. Her hair was long, as was her dress, and her bare arms could only be called uneventful. All this would have made her alarmingly plain except....she had no color! She wasn't black or white, or even gold, she was nothing. Buffy could see right through her. What is going on? Buffy wondered. She's got to be a ghost.... wait, even ghosts have color!" The girl girl held out her hand to Buffy, and Buffy grasped it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. The hand was solid and warm and Buffy was even more confused. "Thanks..." She managed. "Thank you." The girl said. Her voice couldn't be called anything less the musical, a joy to hear and Buffy was mesmerized by it. "You woke one from her slumber, and one humbly thanks you mistress." The transparent girl then bowed and got on down on one knee before her. "What would the mistress have one do now?" She asked softly, keeping her eyes to the ground. "One is sorry to have touched you or looked at you good lady." Buffy was so startled she nearly fell on the ground. "Good Lady? Mistress? What the hell is going on?" A tear cut from the corner of the girls eye as she continued to bow. "One is sorry to have startled the mistress, but you called, and one came." Buffy backed up slowly. "Ok.. so thanks for coming, you can go now.. see ya!" She turned and started to briskly walk away. Buffy heard the shuffling behind her as the girl rose to her feet and ran up to her. "On no, Mistress must not leave one, one would not know what to do? She must do as mistress commands." Buffy looked her up and down and decided to get to the bottom of the situation. "Sit" she commanded and the girl sat on the grass. Buffy settled in across from her. "Now, you are going to tell me who you are and why your here, and why you think I'm your mistress." The girl's voice grew noticeably soft, timid and she kept her gaze on the ground. "One...does not understand your wishes." Buffy looked at her squarely. "Where are you from?" "From beyond." "From beyond what? life, this world?" "This reality." Buffy shook her head "ah.. ok...so why are you here?" "Because you wished it of one." "Wished it of you? what are you talking about I never wished for-" Buffy Clapped her hand over her mouth. Those words.. Wished it of ...of course!! "You're her, aren't you? The girl from my dream!" She said almost accusingly. The girl nodded miserably and continued to stare at Buffy's feet." "Why are you here? And don't say because I wished it.. If I did I didn't mean to and I need you to explain it to me." The girl brushed her hair from her face and was silent for a moment, clearly trying to collect her thoughts. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she began to speak again. "One sleeps, in the mist between realities. Long, long sleeps sometimes. But one can be awakened. By someone good, very good, who does things that would help this world. When someone so good has people they love they sometimes fear for their safety... This fear is very strong, like a shout, and it can sometimes wake one from her eternal slumber. You are as such. You have many whom you love and you are afraid you cannot protect them. Your fear is so load... You have called, One has come. To help...to help protect." She looked up at Buffy and then quickly down again, but Buffy was lost to her look, things were starting to fall into place. Different forms...Different times....so much power. "I did call you, didn't I? You've been showing yourself to me in my dreams, preparing me for your coming... am I right?" "Mistress is always right." "Will you stop calling me that? I'm Buffy." "Mistress Buffy." "No, Just Buffy." Buffy got to her feet and looked down at her. "Aren't you getting up?" "Do you wish one to?" "Does it matter?" "Yes, One can only do as Mistress..er..Buffy want's. One is here to serve, and must be told what to do." "What If I don't tell you what to do?" "Then one does nothing." "Okay...Get up." In an instant the girl was on her feet. "You...you look different then in my dreams." "One is always different." "No, really different.. look at your hands, tell me why?" The girl lifted her hands and then laughed. "Oh that! One is made in THY image Mis-Buffy, you make one look as you will." "So I decide how you look?" "Yes." "Ok, so say i think your hair should be blue then it-" Buffy paused to watch the girl her mouth making a silent oh shape. From deep in the middle of the girls translucent hair a blue spark appeared. Lightning quick it began to spread outward until her hair was a mass of deep blue waves. Blue save for a few locks of hair framing her face, which had turned a brilliant white. "Why are those locks white?" "They represent One's power, One's goodness." "Okay...that makes sense...so anyways, I can make you look ANYWAY I want? This could be fun...."
"Do you think we should have left her there all alone like that? I mean 15 Vamps, that's a lot, dumb or not." Xander was pacing slowly in the living room. Dawn and Willow sat on the sofa each watching Xander with a tiny smile. Xander, Willow, and Buffy were all best friends, but their had been a time when Xander's feelings for Buffy were much more. Willow's smiled widened. Even after dating and almost getting married, some of those feelings never changed for Xander, and she figured a tiny part of him would always be in love with Buffy, and moments like these made that glaringly clear. It was adorable really. "She said she would be just fine didn't she? I'm sure she is." "But she's been gone for hours." She stopped by Spikes.. remember...kinky handcuffs?" Dawn came awake at that. "Kinky handcuffs? who has kinky handcuffs?" "Nobody" Willow and Xander said in unison and Dawn sighed. "You guys never tell me anything good, and don't give me that "when your older" speech Xander Harris, I'm older now then you were when you started thinking about kinky handcuffs I'll bet." Xander opened his mouth to protest but closed it when he realized she was right, and gave her a small smile. "Can't argue with that" Dawn opened her mouth to ask again about the handcuffs but an impatient rap on the door beet her to the punch. Without waiting it swung open and Spike stepped into the foyer, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. "Got cold feet did she? Wouldn't have figured her to back out of the hot and bothersome." Spike's rant died on his lips when he saw the three blank faces staring at him. "Buffy's not here? She never showed up..." "You didn't go looking for her?" Xander said sharply. Spikes eyes narrowed considerably. "Like I was saying, she never showed up, but I didn't think to worry, she does that sometimes. I guess the making me squirm is some kind of turn on... like this one time-" "We REALLY don't need to know." Willow cut in, with a twisted smile. "But we do need to find Buffy. She could be in trouble." Xander began rummaging around Buffy's weapons chest. "Ok Will, can you do a locator spell? I'll start dolling out weapons and then we'll do ourselves a little rescuing." "I'm on it!" Will said heading to kitchen with her supplies. "Dawn you want to give me a hand?" "Sure" Dawn said trailing after her. Once they were out of the room Xander tossed Spike an axe....hard. "Watch it mate, little less aim and you'll take a bloke's head off" Xander glared at him. "I'm not your mate, not even a friend. I tolerate you for her sake and you should have come earlier. I don't want to hear you slap & tickle stories" He said as Spike opened his mouth "You should have come earlier." "A might saucy tonight boy." Xanders grip on the sword he was holding tightened. "Feeling a bit left out are we?" "You have no idea" he growled Spike laughed. "You want to test your wrinklies then step on up and we'll have ourselves a go but not now, we've got bigger problems then your need to feel all manly." Xander snorted softly in anger but said nothing, he knew Spike was right. "Whatever, just give me a hand here will ya?" There sparring was interrupted by a shrill scream that came from the kitchen followed by a large crash. "Willow?" Xander and Spike hurried in to find dawn shrinking back against the wall and Willow flat on her back. The table on which she was doing her spell sputtered and thick purple smoke wafted through the room. "Will...Dawn..what's going on are you guys ok?" Xander coughed. Willow sat up slowly and shook her head to clear in. "I'm...ok...Dawn?" "I'm ok" Dawn said shakily as Spike helped her to sit down. "What happened." Willow got to her feet. "I'm not sure. Everything was working fine, the spell was cast and then..... I was on the floor" "did you see anything?" "No..maybe...I don't know" "I saw something." Dawn said slowly "A light" "A light?" "Yea, a really bright white light. It picked Willow right off her feet...then the room filled with that weird purple smoke." Spike gestured to the ashy remains of the map. "Well, I don't think that can help us much." He said holding up the remaining piece. "Wait a second...." He peered at it closely. "Uh....Willow? Why would something that burns so hot leave this space completely untouched?" He handed it to her "This is the park...Hey that's where we left Buffy!" "Well" Spike growled "Looks like we've found ourselves a bread crumb."
"So why do you talk like that?" "Like what?" "You know, with all the "one" and "she"...how come you never "I" when you talk about yourself? Most people don't talk like like that, in third person I mean, unless they are insane or crazy conceited." "One is not a person, so she must" "Well, you're a person now, so ...Hey!" Buffy's eyes went wide "If you always talk in third person, they why did I always hear "Do you wish it of me" in my dreams?" The girl played with a blade of grass sheepishly. "One had to speak with words you would understand. Would you remember well if "wish it of one?" had echoed from your dreams?" Buffy Laughed "Maybe not. But you can then cant you? Talk normally?" "yes..one suposes..." "Then do it. all the "one" and "she" gets me confused. Just talk normally, now that I know you can." "one...er...I..will if that is what you desire." Buffy smiled. "It is"
"Are you sure we should have left Willow at Buffy's? She's the one who's all down with the magic, we might need her." Xander hurried along side Spike, panting slightly from having to keep up with his long strides. "Someone had to stay with Dawn" "Still" "Punch it up girly pants. If I'd had my way YOU would have stayed with Dawn...last thing I need is a glorified bricklayer on my heels. Lets not start right? We've got else to worry about." Xander glared out into the night. "You're an ass Spike" "You're point being?" "I think I just made it" Spike grabbed Xanders arm. "Look" he said angrily "I've had about as much of you as I can take now....SSSHH!" He said sharply. "I hear something." They flattened themselves against a tree and listened. "...now that I know you can...." "It's Buffy!" Xander said and shot around the tree with a start. "Buffy! Where have you been we've been looking all over for...." Xander stopped, open mouthed "What the hell?"
End of Part 2