Chapter Thirteen - "If I Was Only Human ... "
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Buffy's eyes opened when she heard the echo of a door slamming. She peeked around the corner of the base of Sauron's throne, her eyes wide and fixated on the only archway in or out of the room. She heard voice as he conversed with the two guards then he entered the throne room.
He appeared much calmer than before - collected. Of course, after nearly two weeks, he certainly must've cooled off. And after spending all of that time alone in the ultra creepy throne room of Sauron, Buffy was relieved to see anyone human even if it was this jerk. At least he didn't have the look of murder in his eyes now.
After taking a few steps into the room, he stopped and called out. "You needn't hide, Buffy. I know you are here. Come out so that we can finish our discussion."
Buffy sighed; her fingers dug into the bony base. She truly feared this man now, and his pleasant, personable demeanor only terrified her more.
"Do not trust what he says," the ghostly voice warned.
The Slayer looked up then narrowed her eyes at the muted darkness above. Was that Sauron? Had he been playing inside of her head since she'd been imprisoned in the Tower, filling her head with words of hope? At this point, she wouldn't put it past him. Angelus could take a few lessons from the Dark Lord.
She climbed to her feet and came around the throne then stopped when she saw Melek. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she remained silent as the man came towards her.
"I see you have not attempted escape," he commented as he circled behind her. "As I told my Lord, in time, you would accept your imprisonment here. The wills of men, as he well knows, are easily broken."
She kept her mouth shut and didn't dare move. He was close to her she could sense his body head but he didn't come close enough to tough her, however.
"Perhaps," his voice whispered in her ear, "you will turn out to be wiser than the rest, Buffy. Perhaps you'll realize you are as much a part of Sauron and his ilk as you are of the cowardly Valar."
She closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw the Eye - the one Willow had spoken of on several occasions - It burned so brightly yet it didn't blind her. Her eyes opened again as she let out a deep breath.
"What do you mean?" she asked, quietly. She waited for a response then pressed him. "You said if I accepted Sauron's gift you'd tell me about the origins of the Slayer. Are you going to or was that just a lie?"
Melek smiled briefly then turned Buffy around so she faced him. He let his gaze travel down her bare shoulders, then her black-sleeved arms and back up to her eyes once more.
"Many years ago, long before Man and Elf ever crossed paths, your kind was created by the Valar. Arien, in particular, had a keen interest in the ... project," he began. His fingers brushed over her arms, but so lightly that Buffy didn't even register his touch. She was more interested in what he had to say.
"And why would this Arien need to create a Slayer?" she inquired. "If these Valar are so powerful, why a Slayer?"
"They had long since abandoned the earthly realm, this land," he explained. "But that isn't important now, it is ancient history. You want to know about the Slayer, not the so-called Powers."
She took a step back, inching away from him and his touch. "So they ditched us - I get it. Why a Slayer?"
"The Elves had not mingled with Men. And Men, as we know, aren't the strongest of beings in our world." A flicker in Melek's eyes made Buffy take another step back. "The Valar had to create a protector - one who could battle the creatures brought forth on this world by Melkor. A warrior to battle his followers and to keep Men ... safe."
"That doesn't sound evil to me," she told him as she backed away while he advanced. She tripped on the long hem of her dress but Melek grabbed her arm and prevented her fall. Her eyes traveled from his hand to his eyes that were affixed to her.
"Some things, Buffy, are not always what they appear to be on the outside," he quietly replied. His grip on her arm tightened. "You of all people should know this fact. One would glance at you and take you for nothing more than a mere maid. Precisely what makes your ... sex the perfect host for the Slayer."
Buffy went rigid as his other hand brushed a loose wisp of hair away from her face. "All I really know is that you talk an awful lot and you don't say anything. You must love the sound of your own voice."
After a moment, a crooked grip came to his face and he let go of Buffy's arm. "Once again, you manage to hide your fear of me with words. Although I understand why you must do so. You aren't much of a Slayer by Middle-earth standards. The bloodline of the First has weakened considerably as time has passed by. The First - Sauron spoke rather highly of her, despite the reason she was brought forth."
Buffy rubbed her arm where Melek had held her and she glared up at the throne of the Dark Lord. "Never took him for the complimentary kind of world destructor. Typically, you don't find that kind of quality in them these days."
"Oh, yes, and you would know that because you are well acquainted with my master," he sarcastically shot back as he settled his disdainful gaze upon her. "The evils of your time, Buffy, are nothing compare to Lord Sauron. You fight bastardizations of the demons and creatures that inhabit our lands. Softened versions, I should say." He locked his hands behind his back and walked around her. "It's a wonder the Slayer even exists in the future. She seems so utterly ... pointless."
Buffy gathered up the dress in her hands then whirled around and headed for the doorway leading out of the throne room. Orcs or not, she refused to stand there and listen to anymore of the bullshit Melek had to spew.
"Leaving already?" he called out, his eyebrows arched in feigned questioning. "Why, you haven't even heard the most amusing part about your history, Slayer."
"Frankly, I don't care!" she snarled in return. She didn't break stride. Enough was enough. She should've walked out on this jerk long before, but stupidly she believed he had something to tell her.
"You'd rather not hear about the demon inside of you?"
She stopped cold in her tracks. [What did he say?] "The demon?" She didn't turn around but she knew he stared at her. She could feel his eyes on her. "What are you talking about?" she cautiously asked. Still, she did not turn.
"When the Valar created the First, they were quite clever, indeed," Melek went on. He smiled even though Buffy wouldn't be able to see it. "To hunt a creature, it is best to know a creature. And who knows better ... than the creature itself?"
[He's lying,] was the first thought she had. Yet, the more she analyzed it, the more she wondered if it might not be true; so much was explained - her speed, agility, strength, amazing healing abilities. She could match the demons she fought because she was -
"No!" she declared as she shook her head. She turned to face him. "That's a lie! I don't believe that anything created to fight evil would BE evil."
"I never said that, Buffy," he replied as he wagged a finger at her. "You twist my words! I merely stated that, along with the part of the divine, the Slayer contains a piece of the evil she battles. However, should a Slayer embrace her more ... animalistic side ... " He chuckled softly. "And they've been known to - she would become one with the Darkness."
[Faith, you killed a man,] Buffy heard her own voice echo in her head. Then, along with the visual of Faith, the other Slayer responded. [You don't get it, B. I don't care.]
Her blood ran cold in her veins. It was almost as though time slowed. Nothing moved at a regular pace.
[It's not true,] she thought.
[It is,] came the hypnotic reply of Sauron.
[I don't accept that. I won't.]
[It matters not if you do or do not accept it, Slayer. We are of the same blood.]
Before she knew it, her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed to the ground but didn't topple over fully. With a blank stare, she sat on the floor. It all made sense now. Faith, she had turned dark. She embraced the Evil side of her Slayer self and now she was in a coma, likely forever, because of it.
A single tear streamed down her face then splashed gently onto the black floor. Probably the only purity the halls of Barad-Dûr had ever known. She didn't cry for herself, the tears were for Faith.
Her eyes closed. All she could see was the surprise on Faith's face as the knife sliced into her gut. The hurt, the pain, the anger all dissolved and became that one emotion - surprise. Faith had never expected it from Buffy and Buffy never expected it from herself. But it had happened. More tears joined the first on the floor. It was uncontrollable now.
All of those months of wondering what had gone wrong, all of the shoulda/woulda/couldas, everything that led to the two Slayer to that rooftop on a warm spring night, it was ironic; the two pieces of the Slayer at war, not in spirit but in body.
"There, there," came Melek's soft voice, so soothing to her. A strong hand rested itself on her shoulder. He offered her a sympathetic expression as her eyes opened. "In time, it will hurt less. The truth always brings pain, Buffy, no matter what it is about."
She wiped her hand under her nose and sniffled. The resemblance to Angel struck her once again and she had yet another revelation. "I'm no more than he was," she whispered. Her eyes searched his for something, some spark that would remind her of the person she'd loved. She found none. "I'm no more than a demon with a soul."
He opened his arms and allowed the girl to fall into them then she began to sob on his shoulder. "Someone should've told you sooner," he said as he stroked her hair. "Sauron offers no lies, Buffy, only truth. When did your Watcher or his Council ever give you that? Hmm?"
She could only recall the ills she'd suffered while Slayer. The lies of the Council, the lies Giles had told her when she was "tested", the lies of Quentin Travers. Then, later, the Council sent Wesley Wyndham-Pryce and he was no better. Nothing was true. Her existence was a lie. If it was done deliberately or if it was just ignorance on the part of the Council, it didn't matter now. She knew everything.
Melek gathered up Buffy in his arms, careful with her unlike his previous encounters. Cradling her like a child, he carried her out of Sauron's throne room, through the maze of corridors of Barad-Dûr until he reached a door that stood alone at the end of one of them.
"You will be safe here," he said as he pushed the door open. The hinges creaked loudly and Buffy lifted her head from Melek's shoulder.
She stared through blank eyes at the new accommodations. No longer would she be imprisoned in a cold, empty cell, she would have all the comforts of a real home. A bed, no chains or shackles on the walls, no sounds of agonized screams were here; and the windows - the windows sported no bars. Freedom from those things belonged to her now.
Melek placed her on the soft bed then brushed the loose wisps of hair away from her reddened, tear-stained face. More than ever now did he resemble Angel to Buffy. His eyes gazed down upon her now with a new emotion - one that she would identify as pity.
"Sleep now, Buffy," he softly whispered, the palm of his hand gently rested itself upon her forehead. "You will find your place now that you know the truth. Guidance will come in time."
She looked away from him, her gaze affixed on one of the open windows in her new room and the gray view of Mordor that lay outside of it. Her eyes closed and a moment later the touch of Melek's hand left her. The soft sound of a door closing then followed.
[They aren't coming,] she thought in reference to Willow, Giles and Xander. Even if they did, it was pointless. They would be killed, and Willow - She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut even more tightly. [Don't think of it. Don't. You can't do anything about it.]
No point in dwelling on the fate of the others. Events had been set into motion from the moment Sauron's goons abducted her. And those events had only one certain outcome.
Death.
-
End Chapter Thirteen
-
Buffy's eyes opened when she heard the echo of a door slamming. She peeked around the corner of the base of Sauron's throne, her eyes wide and fixated on the only archway in or out of the room. She heard voice as he conversed with the two guards then he entered the throne room.
He appeared much calmer than before - collected. Of course, after nearly two weeks, he certainly must've cooled off. And after spending all of that time alone in the ultra creepy throne room of Sauron, Buffy was relieved to see anyone human even if it was this jerk. At least he didn't have the look of murder in his eyes now.
After taking a few steps into the room, he stopped and called out. "You needn't hide, Buffy. I know you are here. Come out so that we can finish our discussion."
Buffy sighed; her fingers dug into the bony base. She truly feared this man now, and his pleasant, personable demeanor only terrified her more.
"Do not trust what he says," the ghostly voice warned.
The Slayer looked up then narrowed her eyes at the muted darkness above. Was that Sauron? Had he been playing inside of her head since she'd been imprisoned in the Tower, filling her head with words of hope? At this point, she wouldn't put it past him. Angelus could take a few lessons from the Dark Lord.
She climbed to her feet and came around the throne then stopped when she saw Melek. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she remained silent as the man came towards her.
"I see you have not attempted escape," he commented as he circled behind her. "As I told my Lord, in time, you would accept your imprisonment here. The wills of men, as he well knows, are easily broken."
She kept her mouth shut and didn't dare move. He was close to her she could sense his body head but he didn't come close enough to tough her, however.
"Perhaps," his voice whispered in her ear, "you will turn out to be wiser than the rest, Buffy. Perhaps you'll realize you are as much a part of Sauron and his ilk as you are of the cowardly Valar."
She closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw the Eye - the one Willow had spoken of on several occasions - It burned so brightly yet it didn't blind her. Her eyes opened again as she let out a deep breath.
"What do you mean?" she asked, quietly. She waited for a response then pressed him. "You said if I accepted Sauron's gift you'd tell me about the origins of the Slayer. Are you going to or was that just a lie?"
Melek smiled briefly then turned Buffy around so she faced him. He let his gaze travel down her bare shoulders, then her black-sleeved arms and back up to her eyes once more.
"Many years ago, long before Man and Elf ever crossed paths, your kind was created by the Valar. Arien, in particular, had a keen interest in the ... project," he began. His fingers brushed over her arms, but so lightly that Buffy didn't even register his touch. She was more interested in what he had to say.
"And why would this Arien need to create a Slayer?" she inquired. "If these Valar are so powerful, why a Slayer?"
"They had long since abandoned the earthly realm, this land," he explained. "But that isn't important now, it is ancient history. You want to know about the Slayer, not the so-called Powers."
She took a step back, inching away from him and his touch. "So they ditched us - I get it. Why a Slayer?"
"The Elves had not mingled with Men. And Men, as we know, aren't the strongest of beings in our world." A flicker in Melek's eyes made Buffy take another step back. "The Valar had to create a protector - one who could battle the creatures brought forth on this world by Melkor. A warrior to battle his followers and to keep Men ... safe."
"That doesn't sound evil to me," she told him as she backed away while he advanced. She tripped on the long hem of her dress but Melek grabbed her arm and prevented her fall. Her eyes traveled from his hand to his eyes that were affixed to her.
"Some things, Buffy, are not always what they appear to be on the outside," he quietly replied. His grip on her arm tightened. "You of all people should know this fact. One would glance at you and take you for nothing more than a mere maid. Precisely what makes your ... sex the perfect host for the Slayer."
Buffy went rigid as his other hand brushed a loose wisp of hair away from her face. "All I really know is that you talk an awful lot and you don't say anything. You must love the sound of your own voice."
After a moment, a crooked grip came to his face and he let go of Buffy's arm. "Once again, you manage to hide your fear of me with words. Although I understand why you must do so. You aren't much of a Slayer by Middle-earth standards. The bloodline of the First has weakened considerably as time has passed by. The First - Sauron spoke rather highly of her, despite the reason she was brought forth."
Buffy rubbed her arm where Melek had held her and she glared up at the throne of the Dark Lord. "Never took him for the complimentary kind of world destructor. Typically, you don't find that kind of quality in them these days."
"Oh, yes, and you would know that because you are well acquainted with my master," he sarcastically shot back as he settled his disdainful gaze upon her. "The evils of your time, Buffy, are nothing compare to Lord Sauron. You fight bastardizations of the demons and creatures that inhabit our lands. Softened versions, I should say." He locked his hands behind his back and walked around her. "It's a wonder the Slayer even exists in the future. She seems so utterly ... pointless."
Buffy gathered up the dress in her hands then whirled around and headed for the doorway leading out of the throne room. Orcs or not, she refused to stand there and listen to anymore of the bullshit Melek had to spew.
"Leaving already?" he called out, his eyebrows arched in feigned questioning. "Why, you haven't even heard the most amusing part about your history, Slayer."
"Frankly, I don't care!" she snarled in return. She didn't break stride. Enough was enough. She should've walked out on this jerk long before, but stupidly she believed he had something to tell her.
"You'd rather not hear about the demon inside of you?"
She stopped cold in her tracks. [What did he say?] "The demon?" She didn't turn around but she knew he stared at her. She could feel his eyes on her. "What are you talking about?" she cautiously asked. Still, she did not turn.
"When the Valar created the First, they were quite clever, indeed," Melek went on. He smiled even though Buffy wouldn't be able to see it. "To hunt a creature, it is best to know a creature. And who knows better ... than the creature itself?"
[He's lying,] was the first thought she had. Yet, the more she analyzed it, the more she wondered if it might not be true; so much was explained - her speed, agility, strength, amazing healing abilities. She could match the demons she fought because she was -
"No!" she declared as she shook her head. She turned to face him. "That's a lie! I don't believe that anything created to fight evil would BE evil."
"I never said that, Buffy," he replied as he wagged a finger at her. "You twist my words! I merely stated that, along with the part of the divine, the Slayer contains a piece of the evil she battles. However, should a Slayer embrace her more ... animalistic side ... " He chuckled softly. "And they've been known to - she would become one with the Darkness."
[Faith, you killed a man,] Buffy heard her own voice echo in her head. Then, along with the visual of Faith, the other Slayer responded. [You don't get it, B. I don't care.]
Her blood ran cold in her veins. It was almost as though time slowed. Nothing moved at a regular pace.
[It's not true,] she thought.
[It is,] came the hypnotic reply of Sauron.
[I don't accept that. I won't.]
[It matters not if you do or do not accept it, Slayer. We are of the same blood.]
Before she knew it, her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed to the ground but didn't topple over fully. With a blank stare, she sat on the floor. It all made sense now. Faith, she had turned dark. She embraced the Evil side of her Slayer self and now she was in a coma, likely forever, because of it.
A single tear streamed down her face then splashed gently onto the black floor. Probably the only purity the halls of Barad-Dûr had ever known. She didn't cry for herself, the tears were for Faith.
Her eyes closed. All she could see was the surprise on Faith's face as the knife sliced into her gut. The hurt, the pain, the anger all dissolved and became that one emotion - surprise. Faith had never expected it from Buffy and Buffy never expected it from herself. But it had happened. More tears joined the first on the floor. It was uncontrollable now.
All of those months of wondering what had gone wrong, all of the shoulda/woulda/couldas, everything that led to the two Slayer to that rooftop on a warm spring night, it was ironic; the two pieces of the Slayer at war, not in spirit but in body.
"There, there," came Melek's soft voice, so soothing to her. A strong hand rested itself on her shoulder. He offered her a sympathetic expression as her eyes opened. "In time, it will hurt less. The truth always brings pain, Buffy, no matter what it is about."
She wiped her hand under her nose and sniffled. The resemblance to Angel struck her once again and she had yet another revelation. "I'm no more than he was," she whispered. Her eyes searched his for something, some spark that would remind her of the person she'd loved. She found none. "I'm no more than a demon with a soul."
He opened his arms and allowed the girl to fall into them then she began to sob on his shoulder. "Someone should've told you sooner," he said as he stroked her hair. "Sauron offers no lies, Buffy, only truth. When did your Watcher or his Council ever give you that? Hmm?"
She could only recall the ills she'd suffered while Slayer. The lies of the Council, the lies Giles had told her when she was "tested", the lies of Quentin Travers. Then, later, the Council sent Wesley Wyndham-Pryce and he was no better. Nothing was true. Her existence was a lie. If it was done deliberately or if it was just ignorance on the part of the Council, it didn't matter now. She knew everything.
Melek gathered up Buffy in his arms, careful with her unlike his previous encounters. Cradling her like a child, he carried her out of Sauron's throne room, through the maze of corridors of Barad-Dûr until he reached a door that stood alone at the end of one of them.
"You will be safe here," he said as he pushed the door open. The hinges creaked loudly and Buffy lifted her head from Melek's shoulder.
She stared through blank eyes at the new accommodations. No longer would she be imprisoned in a cold, empty cell, she would have all the comforts of a real home. A bed, no chains or shackles on the walls, no sounds of agonized screams were here; and the windows - the windows sported no bars. Freedom from those things belonged to her now.
Melek placed her on the soft bed then brushed the loose wisps of hair away from her reddened, tear-stained face. More than ever now did he resemble Angel to Buffy. His eyes gazed down upon her now with a new emotion - one that she would identify as pity.
"Sleep now, Buffy," he softly whispered, the palm of his hand gently rested itself upon her forehead. "You will find your place now that you know the truth. Guidance will come in time."
She looked away from him, her gaze affixed on one of the open windows in her new room and the gray view of Mordor that lay outside of it. Her eyes closed and a moment later the touch of Melek's hand left her. The soft sound of a door closing then followed.
[They aren't coming,] she thought in reference to Willow, Giles and Xander. Even if they did, it was pointless. They would be killed, and Willow - She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut even more tightly. [Don't think of it. Don't. You can't do anything about it.]
No point in dwelling on the fate of the others. Events had been set into motion from the moment Sauron's goons abducted her. And those events had only one certain outcome.
Death.
-
End Chapter Thirteen
