To Live Again
Author: Phoenix
Disclaimer: They're not mine. They belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, yada yada.
Summary: This is my alternate season 6. After 'Gift', Buffy did go to a hell dimension, and now she's back. But, she's not quite the same Buffy, and she has a hard time dealing. B/S, X/A, W/T
Feedback: Reviews are Always Welcome (
*Author's Note: Like the summary says, this is my version of BtVS season 6. This will be long.and very B/S, but also with X/A and W/T, and Giles too. Everyone's involved; it's pretty much the WHOLE season re-done by me. It will probably be a lot different.so.that's all I can think to say right now. Enjoy.Oh, and, review, if you would be so kind.
Chapter One-The Coming
Willow slouched back onto the grass, her deed done. Tara rushed over, cradling the other witch in her lap. The other Scoobies, minus the non- present Giles and Dawn, crowded around her, concern on their faces. Willow let a weak smile grace her face as she turned slightly to eye the tombstone.
"I.I think it worked! The urn only needs to remain undisturbed for a few minutes." she said softly, awe apparent in her voice.
"I guess we'll find out." Xander said, a bit unsure. Suddenly the deafening roar of motorcycles came tearing through the cemetery. Soon, the large bikes with their less-than-appealing members were weaving in and out of the Scoobies, striking out every once in a while. Terrified, the small group scattered, each trying to find cover from the demons.
As Willow bolted away, limping a bit from her tiredness, she heard a crash and craned her head around to look at the space by the grave. What she saw made her head spin. The urn had been run over.
"Nooo!" she moaned, but she stumbled and turned back forward, forcing herself to push the crashed, rare item from her mind.
~~~
Someone was coming. Someone unwelcome. She could feel the familiar tingle up her spine, and it was making her sick. She sat up in the poor excuse for a bed she had made of the floor and looked to the door of the crumbling cottage that was her haven. Her breathing became more labored and small beads of sweat began forming on her forehead. She could hear footsteps coming up the narrow path now. A group of them. The wait was excruciating. She almost wished they would just come and get it over with.
A hand came up to her face to brush away a stray lock of gold. As she pulled her hand from her head, the young woman looked at her arm. What was once a smooth, silken limb, which had brought destruction to many evils, was now scarred and dirty. Her hair, too, was transformed. What used to be sleek, smooth, vanilla-scented hair was now a tangled, dull mass. She was a bit disgusted with herself. But those feelings of revulsion were foggy. That's what a hell dimension will do to you, I guess. She thought mildly, surprising herself. She didn't get much time to think anymore, and when she did, they were troubled thoughts centering solely on her survival.
She had been there awhile now; she had lost track of the time. However, the time in the hell dimension had begun to take its toll. At first, she was ok. Yes, it had been hard, but she had fought back, and was strong. But, after a while, the hell began wearing down on her. Her character began fading, her strength dwindling, and her will to continue on grew dull. Now, it seemed her whole reason for living was, ironically, to stay alive. Her soul was dying, and it was killing her inside and out.
Suddenly the pounding of the footsteps became more pronounced, closer. She didn't exactly know who it was, but it didn't matter. She had quickly learned that no soul in this God-forsaken dimension could be appreciated or welcome. Anyways, she had a good idea of who it was, and she dreaded the confrontation. She involuntarily began to shake as she heard a stick on the path crunch. Almost there, but not quite. The group was drawing near, but taking their time. Why won't they just come?! Her mind screamed, and she brought her knees up to her chest, locking her arms around them.
There. She stared quietly as the rusty door knob began to turn, and squeezed her eyes shut as the 'squeak' of the door announced its opening. Only an instant, though, and she opened them.
Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped in a soundless scream, and her heart sank at the sight of the redhead standing confidently in front of her.
"Surprise." Glory said smugly. The former vampire slayer whimpered and huddled in the corner, tears forming in her eyes.
~~~
The sickening pop of the demon leader's neck brought unhealthy satisfaction to Spike as he wrung his neck and finally dropped the lifeless body to the ground. He turned to where the rest of the gang was standing, including Dawn, and shook his head.
"That should get the lot out 'o here." He said, taking out his pack of cigarettes. Suddenly the street outside the occupied alley shook with the rumble of bikes as the rest of the gang caught wind and left. The Scoobies shifted around nervously watching them pass, and Spike took a drag from his cigarette and strode back towards the road, leaving them behind. He walked briskly by the burning trashcans, throwing his fag into one of them, and into a deserted, but very obviously previously used, lot. He was walking fast, not seeing his path, when something under his foot crunched. Looking down, he saw the face of the 'bot, and felt tears threaten. He knew it wasn't real, and it wasn't like he was attached to the thing. It was just that the sight of the emotionless, still face brought back memories of a real face that had looked just the same: lifeless. Gathering himself, and taking an unnecessary breath, he continued on, though somewhat more solemn.
As he treaded through the cemetery gate he paused. Left would be to Buffy's grave, right would be to his crypt. It only took him a second, and he veered left decidedly.
~~~
Her vision blurred and she righted herself unevenly.
"Thought ya got away, didn't you?" came the harsh voice. Buffy just stared at the dirty ground of the shabby lodge.
"Oh come on, Buff!" Glory bent to her level and took the blonde's chin in her grasp roughly, pulling her head up to face her as she spat maliciously, "You thought you were pretty clever, hmm? Well you should have known I'd find you. I will always find you." The redhead chuckled cruelly, then frowned suddenly. She jerked the head she held in her hand violently.
"Look at me!"
Buffy feebly turned from her distant reverie back to her tormentor, her swollen, bruised eyes struggling to focus. Glory smiled wickedly and stood up, starting to pace.
"Slayer, Slayer, Slayer.You should have known.If ya jumped into my big ball of energy, you'd come to my dimension. I think you've forgotten where you are.Pulling all these 'hey lets run away!' stunts has gotten you a little too comfy here. You're in a hell dimension, babe!" With that she turned and motioned to a demon guard, who promptly brought her a large sledge-hammer-looking thing. She laughed as Buffy's eyes widened, despite their swollen-shut appearance. The Goddess lightly tossed the hammer back and forth, looking down at it fondly.
"Looks kind of familiar, huh? Kinda like that one you used on me. Except, this one is for you." Smirking wildly, Glory raised the hammer.
It had been only weeks, yet it felt like forever. The time passed so slowly in this dimension, you could have traveled across the country and back in one day. At first Buffy had been strong. She could be very stubborn, and her heart was set on staying that way. But, as time passed, she was, inevitably, defeated. The creatures of that realm had tormented her until her spirit was torn to shreds. Her thoughts now centered on passing the time quickly and without pain. She was sure she was doomed to this hell for the rest of time, and maybe longer.
She was blind to the world around her, only vaguely aware of the torrential beating and shots of pain coursing through her. She wasn't aware of her cries each time the hammer came down upon her, or the laughing eyes of Glory as she looked up into them. This was routine, just something to be endured. She hardly gave notice to it anymore. Until it suddenly stopped.
Immediately she was aware that the pounding had ceased, and looked up, alarmed. It was much shorter than usual, and she was innately afraid that there was something worse to torture her with. She saw the awed, anxious expression on Glory's face, and followed the redhead's eyes down to her own body. With a small gasp she realized that her body was being surrounded by a golden, blinding light..an aura of some sort. Buffy's eyes grew wide, and she looked down at her hands, thoroughly stunne . Glory sputtered without words, finally turning to her pack of demons, looking at one in particular with obvious question.
"What-? How--?"
"Your highness," the demon said appealingly as he stepped forward hesitantly, "I have no idea what's going.on."
The demon's voice trailed as his jaw dropped yet again, his beady eyes fixed on the former slayer. Glory spun around, her eyes enlarging at the new sight. Buffy was disappearing. Slowly but surely, the blonde's slender form was disintegrating, becoming more and more ghostly. Furious, Glory picked up the forgotten hammer and charged Buffy. But her strike was forcefully ricocheted, sending her stumbling backwards. Buffy was fading, and a small smile graced the woman's lips as she watched in wonder as her arms slowly disappeared.
The goddess let out a distressed cry, raising Buffy's eyes to her. A rage burned in them that made the Slayer shrink back. Suddenly a sort of calm overtook Glory and she spoke calmly, though her body shook with wrath.
"You may have escaped me, but no one gets out of here alive!" she said lowly. Buffy's brow furrowed at this, but before she could ponder further, she was gone.
~~~
Spike sat in front of the grave, staring silently into the headstone. Tears threatened to surface, but he kept them at bay, setting his jaw stubbornly. With a sigh he stood and turned his back to the grave. After two steps, he heard shifting within the ground that only vampiric scent could pick up. He thought momentarily about just keep going, he didn't much feel like a pick- me-up fledgling, yet he turned around and tried to exact just which ground a corpse would arise from. The sound was louder now, more pronounced, and his eyes were drawn to the grave it seemed to come from, widening. It couldn't be.He must be mistaken. But there was no error. The distinct sound was coming from Buffy's grave.
Author: Phoenix
Disclaimer: They're not mine. They belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, yada yada.
Summary: This is my alternate season 6. After 'Gift', Buffy did go to a hell dimension, and now she's back. But, she's not quite the same Buffy, and she has a hard time dealing. B/S, X/A, W/T
Feedback: Reviews are Always Welcome (
*Author's Note: Like the summary says, this is my version of BtVS season 6. This will be long.and very B/S, but also with X/A and W/T, and Giles too. Everyone's involved; it's pretty much the WHOLE season re-done by me. It will probably be a lot different.so.that's all I can think to say right now. Enjoy.Oh, and, review, if you would be so kind.
Chapter One-The Coming
Willow slouched back onto the grass, her deed done. Tara rushed over, cradling the other witch in her lap. The other Scoobies, minus the non- present Giles and Dawn, crowded around her, concern on their faces. Willow let a weak smile grace her face as she turned slightly to eye the tombstone.
"I.I think it worked! The urn only needs to remain undisturbed for a few minutes." she said softly, awe apparent in her voice.
"I guess we'll find out." Xander said, a bit unsure. Suddenly the deafening roar of motorcycles came tearing through the cemetery. Soon, the large bikes with their less-than-appealing members were weaving in and out of the Scoobies, striking out every once in a while. Terrified, the small group scattered, each trying to find cover from the demons.
As Willow bolted away, limping a bit from her tiredness, she heard a crash and craned her head around to look at the space by the grave. What she saw made her head spin. The urn had been run over.
"Nooo!" she moaned, but she stumbled and turned back forward, forcing herself to push the crashed, rare item from her mind.
~~~
Someone was coming. Someone unwelcome. She could feel the familiar tingle up her spine, and it was making her sick. She sat up in the poor excuse for a bed she had made of the floor and looked to the door of the crumbling cottage that was her haven. Her breathing became more labored and small beads of sweat began forming on her forehead. She could hear footsteps coming up the narrow path now. A group of them. The wait was excruciating. She almost wished they would just come and get it over with.
A hand came up to her face to brush away a stray lock of gold. As she pulled her hand from her head, the young woman looked at her arm. What was once a smooth, silken limb, which had brought destruction to many evils, was now scarred and dirty. Her hair, too, was transformed. What used to be sleek, smooth, vanilla-scented hair was now a tangled, dull mass. She was a bit disgusted with herself. But those feelings of revulsion were foggy. That's what a hell dimension will do to you, I guess. She thought mildly, surprising herself. She didn't get much time to think anymore, and when she did, they were troubled thoughts centering solely on her survival.
She had been there awhile now; she had lost track of the time. However, the time in the hell dimension had begun to take its toll. At first, she was ok. Yes, it had been hard, but she had fought back, and was strong. But, after a while, the hell began wearing down on her. Her character began fading, her strength dwindling, and her will to continue on grew dull. Now, it seemed her whole reason for living was, ironically, to stay alive. Her soul was dying, and it was killing her inside and out.
Suddenly the pounding of the footsteps became more pronounced, closer. She didn't exactly know who it was, but it didn't matter. She had quickly learned that no soul in this God-forsaken dimension could be appreciated or welcome. Anyways, she had a good idea of who it was, and she dreaded the confrontation. She involuntarily began to shake as she heard a stick on the path crunch. Almost there, but not quite. The group was drawing near, but taking their time. Why won't they just come?! Her mind screamed, and she brought her knees up to her chest, locking her arms around them.
There. She stared quietly as the rusty door knob began to turn, and squeezed her eyes shut as the 'squeak' of the door announced its opening. Only an instant, though, and she opened them.
Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped in a soundless scream, and her heart sank at the sight of the redhead standing confidently in front of her.
"Surprise." Glory said smugly. The former vampire slayer whimpered and huddled in the corner, tears forming in her eyes.
~~~
The sickening pop of the demon leader's neck brought unhealthy satisfaction to Spike as he wrung his neck and finally dropped the lifeless body to the ground. He turned to where the rest of the gang was standing, including Dawn, and shook his head.
"That should get the lot out 'o here." He said, taking out his pack of cigarettes. Suddenly the street outside the occupied alley shook with the rumble of bikes as the rest of the gang caught wind and left. The Scoobies shifted around nervously watching them pass, and Spike took a drag from his cigarette and strode back towards the road, leaving them behind. He walked briskly by the burning trashcans, throwing his fag into one of them, and into a deserted, but very obviously previously used, lot. He was walking fast, not seeing his path, when something under his foot crunched. Looking down, he saw the face of the 'bot, and felt tears threaten. He knew it wasn't real, and it wasn't like he was attached to the thing. It was just that the sight of the emotionless, still face brought back memories of a real face that had looked just the same: lifeless. Gathering himself, and taking an unnecessary breath, he continued on, though somewhat more solemn.
As he treaded through the cemetery gate he paused. Left would be to Buffy's grave, right would be to his crypt. It only took him a second, and he veered left decidedly.
~~~
Her vision blurred and she righted herself unevenly.
"Thought ya got away, didn't you?" came the harsh voice. Buffy just stared at the dirty ground of the shabby lodge.
"Oh come on, Buff!" Glory bent to her level and took the blonde's chin in her grasp roughly, pulling her head up to face her as she spat maliciously, "You thought you were pretty clever, hmm? Well you should have known I'd find you. I will always find you." The redhead chuckled cruelly, then frowned suddenly. She jerked the head she held in her hand violently.
"Look at me!"
Buffy feebly turned from her distant reverie back to her tormentor, her swollen, bruised eyes struggling to focus. Glory smiled wickedly and stood up, starting to pace.
"Slayer, Slayer, Slayer.You should have known.If ya jumped into my big ball of energy, you'd come to my dimension. I think you've forgotten where you are.Pulling all these 'hey lets run away!' stunts has gotten you a little too comfy here. You're in a hell dimension, babe!" With that she turned and motioned to a demon guard, who promptly brought her a large sledge-hammer-looking thing. She laughed as Buffy's eyes widened, despite their swollen-shut appearance. The Goddess lightly tossed the hammer back and forth, looking down at it fondly.
"Looks kind of familiar, huh? Kinda like that one you used on me. Except, this one is for you." Smirking wildly, Glory raised the hammer.
It had been only weeks, yet it felt like forever. The time passed so slowly in this dimension, you could have traveled across the country and back in one day. At first Buffy had been strong. She could be very stubborn, and her heart was set on staying that way. But, as time passed, she was, inevitably, defeated. The creatures of that realm had tormented her until her spirit was torn to shreds. Her thoughts now centered on passing the time quickly and without pain. She was sure she was doomed to this hell for the rest of time, and maybe longer.
She was blind to the world around her, only vaguely aware of the torrential beating and shots of pain coursing through her. She wasn't aware of her cries each time the hammer came down upon her, or the laughing eyes of Glory as she looked up into them. This was routine, just something to be endured. She hardly gave notice to it anymore. Until it suddenly stopped.
Immediately she was aware that the pounding had ceased, and looked up, alarmed. It was much shorter than usual, and she was innately afraid that there was something worse to torture her with. She saw the awed, anxious expression on Glory's face, and followed the redhead's eyes down to her own body. With a small gasp she realized that her body was being surrounded by a golden, blinding light..an aura of some sort. Buffy's eyes grew wide, and she looked down at her hands, thoroughly stunne . Glory sputtered without words, finally turning to her pack of demons, looking at one in particular with obvious question.
"What-? How--?"
"Your highness," the demon said appealingly as he stepped forward hesitantly, "I have no idea what's going.on."
The demon's voice trailed as his jaw dropped yet again, his beady eyes fixed on the former slayer. Glory spun around, her eyes enlarging at the new sight. Buffy was disappearing. Slowly but surely, the blonde's slender form was disintegrating, becoming more and more ghostly. Furious, Glory picked up the forgotten hammer and charged Buffy. But her strike was forcefully ricocheted, sending her stumbling backwards. Buffy was fading, and a small smile graced the woman's lips as she watched in wonder as her arms slowly disappeared.
The goddess let out a distressed cry, raising Buffy's eyes to her. A rage burned in them that made the Slayer shrink back. Suddenly a sort of calm overtook Glory and she spoke calmly, though her body shook with wrath.
"You may have escaped me, but no one gets out of here alive!" she said lowly. Buffy's brow furrowed at this, but before she could ponder further, she was gone.
~~~
Spike sat in front of the grave, staring silently into the headstone. Tears threatened to surface, but he kept them at bay, setting his jaw stubbornly. With a sigh he stood and turned his back to the grave. After two steps, he heard shifting within the ground that only vampiric scent could pick up. He thought momentarily about just keep going, he didn't much feel like a pick- me-up fledgling, yet he turned around and tried to exact just which ground a corpse would arise from. The sound was louder now, more pronounced, and his eyes were drawn to the grave it seemed to come from, widening. It couldn't be.He must be mistaken. But there was no error. The distinct sound was coming from Buffy's grave.
