"Your soul is fractured. Most is this side of death, but the best part
remains on the other side. Anya here tells me that the spell to resurrect
you was interrupted. Your mind and body came back initially without any
problems other than the whole digging yourself out of your coffin thing.
But you left that which enables you to feel love and connections on the
other side.
The lack of this is killing you - literally. Your body and mind are consuming themselves trying to make up the loss. Look at you - nothing more than skin and bone."
"Told you to eat something!"
"Shut up Spike," said Buffy.
"No, done doing that. So Shaman, Rupert what are we gonna do about it?"
"Fix it Spike, don't we always," from the watcher. Silence from the shaman.
But first retreat from the crime scene. Even in Sunnydale it's not exactly smart to hang around too long at the site of multiple explosions, bloodshed and bodies. Wonder how much they pay the cleaners to clear up all the dead demons 'round here? Great now I've got mental pictures of a Sunnydale Tony Soprano buying a new Merc on the back on all our patrolling.
So, back to the Magic Box. Whelp won't let anyone else touch Red, so he gets to carry her.
As the Watcher and Anya walk their fingers keep brushing against each other. They seem to get some comfort from it. I'm happy for them. Hope they can work something out. He's worth 10 times the whelp. Won't let her down. Hope they can get past the demon thing. Won't be easy, but I think they could be happy together. Want them to be. Drunken, comfort, fling aside Anya's a friend and I want the best for her. He could well be it. Poor sod deserves some happiness too after taking all this grief the last few years. She'd be good for him.
My beloved is quite a different matter. She hasn't said a word since the Shaman said his piece. Holding herself like she's freezing. I stop and put my coat around her shoulders. Massive eyes looking shocked, but there is a hint of gratitude coming through.
It helps to know what's wrong. Still hurts. But it does help.
Clem opens the door to the Magic Box and we all go back inside. Both him and Dawn put down the weapons they were holding. Dawn enfolds Buffy in a massive hug, saying how happy she is we are all in one piece - even Willow. With my coat swamping her and Dawn getting so tall it's difficult to see her. But she's still standing at least.
"Watcher, what are we going to do with Red. She's fine and dandy now but."
Shaman pipes up. "I will take her. Her magic is bound through me. I can control her until she can be trusted to do it herself. The Mother may be able to help her.
And Rupert, you told me this is the one that loved to teach and is intelligent enough to do so. My people are rich in many things, but very poor in others. The school has over 120 children, of all ages, and one teacher. It's got a roof, which is more than some, but very few resources and so much need. She could also learn much, most of all some humility. But she can also make some reparation by helping the children. She will be away from all the comforts and temptations she knows. It will be good for her to see a very different world.
It will also be easier too for all here if she goes away for a while, I think. Rupert if you will release her voice, whilst she remains unconscious, I will place a binding on it, so she can never use it for magic, or to try to leave the village, unless I allow it."
"But what about the hotels? She could hitch a lift to the American Consul and be back and more pissed off than ever. She can also drive." Definitely don't wanna have to do this again soon.
"She will be under a magical compulsion that will stop her making any attempt to leave. I have a great deal of influence locally. The authorities and local tourist companies won't be a problem. These can all be placed on her while she is out, but are delicate, and I will need somewhere quieter to do so."
"The training room should be free. "Xander take her into there," ordered the watcher. Don't think anyone wants to look at her right now anyway. Whelp manages to say. "I'll stay with her. I love her." The rest of what would undoubtedly be a rant is mercifully muted. Might not be formally evil anymore but it warms the cockles of my un-beating heart to watch his mouth move and no sound come out.
We put the weapons and powders down, take off the amulets, and had a well- earned sit down. Clem put the kettle on. He makes a good cuppa. That's hard to find this side of the pond. But at least Giles and Anya always keep good tea, and that always helps.
"So Giles we gonna sort Buffy now?"
She looks up from Dawn's hug. Dawn moves her to the table and sits her down. "Molecular sunburn, molecule shift, nothing wrong. Tara said. I've not come back wrong. I haven't. Please, Giles tell me I haven't."
"If Samuel says it's the case, you did. I'm sorry Buffy but I have never known Samuel to be wrong, not on matters like this, and certainly not since he became the Guardian." He hugged her quickly and continued. "Tara was a lovely young woman and a talented witch, but her knowledge compared to Samuel's is like a 1st grader compared to a professor at Harvard. He's right, but we'll fix it. It's what we're always here to do - now that sounds familiar. Nobody has summoned any dancing demons have they?"
Rousing chorus of no.
So research.
Lots of research, helped enormously by epic amounts of tea and the return of the shaman. Buffy was visibly returning closer to the normal she'd been since she came back. She didn't let go of Dawn and kept looking at her. Think a few worldviews were getting changed. Hope so for her own sake as well as mine.
Between the shaman. Giles and Anya it didn't take that long.
"The spell called to Osiris. Looking at the Egyptian model of the soul we seem to be missing the Ba."
"The bit I'm missing is a human headed bird? Weird much Giles."
"Metaphor luv. Represents feeling"
"Thank you oh William - Raider of the Lost Crypt! Where's the fedora?"
"Umm. Giles bag actually."
"Ok now I know I'm back in the asylum - no, that place made some sense."
"The artefact we need was part of the treasure found with Tutankamun."
"So off to an old bazaar in Cairo then?"
"More of an wonderfully well filled with artefacts museum. Fortunately, one of the curators and I were on the same course at Oxford together. Introduced him to his wife as well. I'm sure he'll lend it to me. Be good to see Cairo again."
"Why don't we just wish it here or summon it or something. Summoning would be of the good," from Buffy.
Even I know you don't do that to such potent magical artefacts. Not that it's not a tempting thought. I mean I haven't even been back to Clem's yet to pick up some clean clothes. Could do with some clean socks right now.
"Not possible Buffy."
"So you are leaving me again! For my own good! Irony much Giles?
"Oh no. You and Spike will both be coming too."
Now we both look gob-smacked.
The lack of this is killing you - literally. Your body and mind are consuming themselves trying to make up the loss. Look at you - nothing more than skin and bone."
"Told you to eat something!"
"Shut up Spike," said Buffy.
"No, done doing that. So Shaman, Rupert what are we gonna do about it?"
"Fix it Spike, don't we always," from the watcher. Silence from the shaman.
But first retreat from the crime scene. Even in Sunnydale it's not exactly smart to hang around too long at the site of multiple explosions, bloodshed and bodies. Wonder how much they pay the cleaners to clear up all the dead demons 'round here? Great now I've got mental pictures of a Sunnydale Tony Soprano buying a new Merc on the back on all our patrolling.
So, back to the Magic Box. Whelp won't let anyone else touch Red, so he gets to carry her.
As the Watcher and Anya walk their fingers keep brushing against each other. They seem to get some comfort from it. I'm happy for them. Hope they can work something out. He's worth 10 times the whelp. Won't let her down. Hope they can get past the demon thing. Won't be easy, but I think they could be happy together. Want them to be. Drunken, comfort, fling aside Anya's a friend and I want the best for her. He could well be it. Poor sod deserves some happiness too after taking all this grief the last few years. She'd be good for him.
My beloved is quite a different matter. She hasn't said a word since the Shaman said his piece. Holding herself like she's freezing. I stop and put my coat around her shoulders. Massive eyes looking shocked, but there is a hint of gratitude coming through.
It helps to know what's wrong. Still hurts. But it does help.
Clem opens the door to the Magic Box and we all go back inside. Both him and Dawn put down the weapons they were holding. Dawn enfolds Buffy in a massive hug, saying how happy she is we are all in one piece - even Willow. With my coat swamping her and Dawn getting so tall it's difficult to see her. But she's still standing at least.
"Watcher, what are we going to do with Red. She's fine and dandy now but."
Shaman pipes up. "I will take her. Her magic is bound through me. I can control her until she can be trusted to do it herself. The Mother may be able to help her.
And Rupert, you told me this is the one that loved to teach and is intelligent enough to do so. My people are rich in many things, but very poor in others. The school has over 120 children, of all ages, and one teacher. It's got a roof, which is more than some, but very few resources and so much need. She could also learn much, most of all some humility. But she can also make some reparation by helping the children. She will be away from all the comforts and temptations she knows. It will be good for her to see a very different world.
It will also be easier too for all here if she goes away for a while, I think. Rupert if you will release her voice, whilst she remains unconscious, I will place a binding on it, so she can never use it for magic, or to try to leave the village, unless I allow it."
"But what about the hotels? She could hitch a lift to the American Consul and be back and more pissed off than ever. She can also drive." Definitely don't wanna have to do this again soon.
"She will be under a magical compulsion that will stop her making any attempt to leave. I have a great deal of influence locally. The authorities and local tourist companies won't be a problem. These can all be placed on her while she is out, but are delicate, and I will need somewhere quieter to do so."
"The training room should be free. "Xander take her into there," ordered the watcher. Don't think anyone wants to look at her right now anyway. Whelp manages to say. "I'll stay with her. I love her." The rest of what would undoubtedly be a rant is mercifully muted. Might not be formally evil anymore but it warms the cockles of my un-beating heart to watch his mouth move and no sound come out.
We put the weapons and powders down, take off the amulets, and had a well- earned sit down. Clem put the kettle on. He makes a good cuppa. That's hard to find this side of the pond. But at least Giles and Anya always keep good tea, and that always helps.
"So Giles we gonna sort Buffy now?"
She looks up from Dawn's hug. Dawn moves her to the table and sits her down. "Molecular sunburn, molecule shift, nothing wrong. Tara said. I've not come back wrong. I haven't. Please, Giles tell me I haven't."
"If Samuel says it's the case, you did. I'm sorry Buffy but I have never known Samuel to be wrong, not on matters like this, and certainly not since he became the Guardian." He hugged her quickly and continued. "Tara was a lovely young woman and a talented witch, but her knowledge compared to Samuel's is like a 1st grader compared to a professor at Harvard. He's right, but we'll fix it. It's what we're always here to do - now that sounds familiar. Nobody has summoned any dancing demons have they?"
Rousing chorus of no.
So research.
Lots of research, helped enormously by epic amounts of tea and the return of the shaman. Buffy was visibly returning closer to the normal she'd been since she came back. She didn't let go of Dawn and kept looking at her. Think a few worldviews were getting changed. Hope so for her own sake as well as mine.
Between the shaman. Giles and Anya it didn't take that long.
"The spell called to Osiris. Looking at the Egyptian model of the soul we seem to be missing the Ba."
"The bit I'm missing is a human headed bird? Weird much Giles."
"Metaphor luv. Represents feeling"
"Thank you oh William - Raider of the Lost Crypt! Where's the fedora?"
"Umm. Giles bag actually."
"Ok now I know I'm back in the asylum - no, that place made some sense."
"The artefact we need was part of the treasure found with Tutankamun."
"So off to an old bazaar in Cairo then?"
"More of an wonderfully well filled with artefacts museum. Fortunately, one of the curators and I were on the same course at Oxford together. Introduced him to his wife as well. I'm sure he'll lend it to me. Be good to see Cairo again."
"Why don't we just wish it here or summon it or something. Summoning would be of the good," from Buffy.
Even I know you don't do that to such potent magical artefacts. Not that it's not a tempting thought. I mean I haven't even been back to Clem's yet to pick up some clean clothes. Could do with some clean socks right now.
"Not possible Buffy."
"So you are leaving me again! For my own good! Irony much Giles?
"Oh no. You and Spike will both be coming too."
Now we both look gob-smacked.
