Title: Slayer's Fire
Author: Chimerablue5
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, this one is probably an in-between episode thing, probably Lover's Walk, and The Wish. So, not so many spoilers this time around
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X, but X/C for a brief spell, seeing as how we're in this point in time
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?
Author's Note: I know, I know, sorry, nothing's really happened yet, has it? Well, I'll be fixing that soon, and then we can have some fun chock full of magic, danger, and a topping of a confusing plot, one where I haven't even muddled through yet. ;-) If it gets too confusing tell me, and I'll try to lessen the twists and turns. All you've got to do is wait, and then let the dizziness ensue! Oh, and an author's note inside of an author's note. If you noticed it, I'm kind of going in order of the actual show, and making my changes along the way. Soon, I'm gonna throw in a whole new plot twist, and then it'll spin off into my own crazy world. I'm rambling, I know. I'll shut up now, and you can get on with the story.
Chapter 5: Strange Dreams
The ringing bell echoed through the not-so silent hallways, until the main rush of people exited their classrooms to head out and eat. A single certain blonde person made her way to the library, the silence of the room ringing in her ears, as the sudden noise level dropped.
"Giles?" The irony of the situation not lost on Buffy. A few years ago, she had entered the same library, running from her destiny with a fierce passion. Who would've thought that she would come to depend so much on the same man as the one who had thrown that Vampyr book at her that first day?
"Ah, Buffy, good. I wanted to speak to you." He waved to the research table, as he took a seat for himself, and waiting for Buffy to take a seat before they proceeded.
"Yea, so what's the sitch? Some new bad in town or something?" Buffy asked, somewhat flippantly.
"Um...no, not really. I wanted to ask what had happened while I was gone. I would ask Willow or Xander, but they don't seem inclined to talk about it."
Buffy cringed. She didn't really want to talk about this. She hadn't been fully in the know, but Willow had talked to her as soon as she could. Amidst the tears and the sobs that had taken over the redheaded witch, Buffy had finally been able to piece together the wet admissions. She felt sad for her best friend, wishing she knew what to do for her, but seeing as how she wasn't going to win any best-relationship awards anytime soon, she thought she should hold her piece.
"Well, you see Giles, there was this little problem." At the raised eyebrow that Giles shot at her direction, she was quick to add rather blandly, "I didn't do it." A slight smile tugged at the stern expression that was on his face, and Buffy felt a bit more relaxed as she continued.
"Anyway, Spike came back, and it seems he kidnapped Willow and Xander. They weren't really hurt that much, though Xander may have a bit of a headache for some time." Buffy added, when she saw the concerned expression that immediately came to his face as the name 'Spike' was mentioned. "He, Spike, was like in this poor-me grief-y mood/drunk thing, and he kidnapped Willow for a spell. By the time we got the ingredients, he'd changed his mind, and just took off for Drusilla." Buffy said, giving the bare jist of the story. She had casually omitted the part of Angel, and just thought to avoid that whole subject for the time being.
"I see." With that, Giles took off his glasses, and wiped them with his ever-present handkerchief. "I can understand how Xander had that rather nasty looking cut near his hairline, but how would that explain the absence of Cordelia and Oz. And why the air seems to almost be made of tension?" Giles queried.
"Well, it seems that Xander and Willow kind of...um...locked lips, and Oz and Cordy sort of caught them. And afterwards, Cordelia seems to have been impaled by an iron pole. I stopped by to see how she was, and she was kind of quiet, which isn't a good sign for Cordelia."
"Oh my. I hope she gets better soon." Giles said, some concern for the infuriating girl that had somehow become one of his 'children'.
"Yea, I asked the doctors, and they said that she's going to be fine. They also said that she was going to be released pretty soon, like tomorrow or the next day."
Giles made a mental note to visit her when he was able. After doing so, he focused back on his Slayer. "I can see how this would put a strain on everyone. How's Willow doing in all of this?" Giles asked, his eyes becoming sympathetic as he thought of dear Willow.
"She's feeling really bad Giles. I think this whole thing with Xander was just a bit of a passing fancy, and a few small pieces of a past crush that kind of made this happen. That and throw in the whole almost dying aspect, I can kind of understand." Buffy said, trailing off, as she suddenly remembered the errant night that she spent with Angel, and how that single night had cost so much to her friends who she considered family.
From the look that had come over Buffy's eyes, Giles had a fairly good idea of what, or who, she was thinking about. The awkward silence stretched, both lost among their thoughts as they digested all of the information. Soon, the ringing of the bell broke the quiet. Buffy glanced at the clock, and was surprised by how quickly time had flown.
"Well, I guess I better get too. I skip enough classes as it is, I shouldn't be late to any if I can help it." With that, Buffy said a quick good-bye, wanting to go over a few things in the quiet solitude of her mind as she zoned out in class as usual.
*************************************
Buffy tossed and turned as she let out a small, undistinguishable sound escaped her. Caught in the throes of her dream, she could do nothing except ride out the wave.
Buffy was entering the library, much as she had the first day of school in Sunnydale High. Instead of calling uncertainly out for someone, she strode in, looking for a particular someone, sure of herself that he was in here. Looking into the bookcase, she saw Oz, in his werewolf form, pacing the length of the cage. A quick look at the window showed the sun streaming into the library. Bypassing him, she walked up to the research table, finding various cards littered on the table. At first glance, they looked like the cards that you'd see in a card index for books.
Picking one up, Buffy saw small minute pictures moving in the boundaries of the cards. Looking up, she turned calmly to Giles who had suddenly appeared behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a glimpse of another Giles, somewhat scruffy, and the Master. Her eyes widened, turning her head in to see if he was there, but found no one. Furrowing her brow, she turned back to her Giles. He had his normal, caring smile on. With a small smile of her own, Buffy handed Giles her card, showing it to him. As they're hands brushed something inexplicable ran through her. Wondering what it was, she looked up to Giles, whose eyes were suddenly cat-like, and gold. Not the unholy yellow of vampire, but something else. He still had the caring smile, but for some odd reason, he seemed to have grown fangs, or canines. Buffy found it slightly odd, so thought to ask why for the first time since the weird dream began.
"So, Giles, what's up with the teeth?" Buffy asked nonchalantly. Giles in return merely smiled more, and put his finger to his lips in a mime for quiet. He held out his hand, waiting for Buffy to place hers in his.
Looking down on the hand, it seemed to have grown claws, like those on a cat or a lizard. Cocking her head slightly, wondering what was going on with Giles, she held the clawed hand, and let him guide her, like he always had.
Taking twists and turns, down the familiar, yet unfamiliar hallways of Sunnydale High, they found themselves entering the courtyard. Buffy tried to look around Giles, to see what was there, but he had turned around and blocked her sight.
"Giles...let me see." Buffy complained, putting out a pouting lip.
Smiling again, with the odd golden eyes, and sharpened teeth, he glanced backwards, still blocking Buffy's line of sight. "Soon."
Sunlight shone through the window, abruptly pulling Buffy from the dream. She pouted up at the ceiling, irrationally telling it that she wanted to see it, while she was still half-asleep, still unable to see the line between the dream world and reality.
***********************************************
The next day...
Walking into the library, the sun streaming through the windows, Buffy felt a strange shiver of déjà vu. Passing the book cage, Buffy half expected to see Oz pacing inside it. While her mind kept telling her that it was a dream, the line between dreams and reality seemed to be blurring, and Buffy wondered what was going on.
Unlike the dream though, Buffy put her bag and binder onto the research table, startling Giles out of his reverie, with his nose in a book.
"Hey Giles, what's on the agenda today?" Buffy said casually, perching herself onto the desk.
"Ah, y-yes, Buffy. Nothing today. Just wanted to tell you that there had been reported sightings and odd animal deaths over in the park."
"Oh. So I'm guessing Slayer-fest in the park? Vampires, or something else?" Buffy asked, her aloof questions belied by the look in her eyes.
"Else, I'm afraid to say. It's nothing serious really, just a demon that can easily killed by the usual methods. Beheading, stabbing, etc." Giles said calmly, ticking off the points in his head.
"Cool. Something that's easy." Buffy drawled. Giles just rolled his eyes at her good-naturedly, and then smiled afterwards, to make sure that he knew that they were just teasing.
"Oh, and if you want, you can do this during the day, so you can just kill the demon and have fun at the park afterwards." Giles suggested, noticing the strain as of late getting to her and the 'children'.
"That'd be great. It's ok if I bring Willow and Xander right?" Buffy asked, picking up her bag as she noticed the time.
"Of course. As long as they're both careful and leaves the slaying to you, and Faith if she were to come."
"Cool. I'll tell Faith if I see her. Well, I gotta book, 1st periods in like 5 minutes. See ya Giles!" Buffy called over her shoulder as she made her way to the door.
"Don't forget. Training after school." Giles called out to her. His only response was a wave in his direction telling him she'd heard as she disappeared behind the swinging doors. He shook his head at her as he returned to his books, ever searching for any new prophecies. He had come across a few that had vaguely referenced to the Slayer in the end days, and he had been trying to follow up on it since the night before.
Walking to her first class of the day, Buffy's dream of last night had slipped her mind before she got a reminder in 3rd.
*********************************************
Buffy, in a position that she was often seen in when present in class, lazily listened to the teacher's words, her head propped up in her right hand. Luckily, this teacher barely even noticed Buffy, seeing as how she barely even knew her, due to the amount of classes that she had skipped. The topic today was as boring as ever, her thoughts running along the lines of when am I ever going to use math in my life? Bitterly, an addendum ran through her mind. 'Well, it's not like I'm actually going to live that long anyway.' Her mood shifted into one of brooding, and she stared blankly into the chalkboard as the teacher continued to ramble on.
Her eyes, drifting shut, her mind drifting to the dream realm...
Her eyes opening in the classroom, Buffy looked around at the now empty seats around her. Standing up, she walked out of the classroom, letting her feet guide her, knowing that she was in another dream. If these things were prophecy, she was going to have to tell Giles about this.
As if conjured by her thoughts, the library doors swung into view as she rounded a corner. Pushing the swinging doors as she had a hundreds of times, she walked in, looking for the man in her thoughts.
Again, she saw Oz pacing in his cage. Looking at the window, she saw a soft spring rain dropping onto the library windows, small specks of sun filtering through the droplets. This time, instead of Giles suddenly appearing, he was waiting for her, watching the doors as though he knew that she were coming. Well duh, it was a dream, so maybe she should have been expecting that.
Looking around the library, she saw odds and ends that weren't normally there. A basket of flowers sat upon the research table, with an unmarked balloon attached to it by a string. She saw a black book lying next to it, instantly recognizing the accursed book that had prophesized her death. She looked up at Giles, his eyes still a smoldering gold, but missing the canines that he had been sporting the day before.
Raising a speculative eyebrow in his direction, he merely smiled at her. Cupping her cheek in his large hand, he looked into her eyes. Speaking quietly under his breath, Buffy had to strain to hear this secret that seemed to be forcing itself out of him.
"Soon, love. It's all coming together soon. You'll be able to see then. It's not quite time. See the weather? We certainly can't go out in that." Taking a quick glance at the window, the soft rain had become barely a drizzle, as spring rains were wont to do. She turned back to Giles who was speaking again.
"Soon, you will rise, above all of the rest, all who came before you. Soon it will be revealed. And I'll be right there with you. Soon." Looking into his eyes, Buffy's confusion clearly shown on her face, Giles merely smiled at her and placed a small, loving kiss on her forehead and turned her around. Placing his hand on her eyes, he whispered in her ear...
"Buffy, wake up." Buffy's eyes opened at the voice that was in her ear. Looking up at Willow, she looked around her confused, the dream still fresh on her mind.
"Willow?" Buffy asked, looking dazedly at her favorite witch-y friend.
"You fell asleep. You better hurry up, we need to go to our next class, and then we have lunch." Willow said, with a small smile, urging Buffy to pick up her bag and move.
"Oh, yea, right. Class. Then lunch. That's good." Buffy said, with a pre-occupied tone. She moved and got up, with a worried Willow, who shot a few glances towards her friend.
*****************************************
Author: Chimerablue5
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, this one is probably an in-between episode thing, probably Lover's Walk, and The Wish. So, not so many spoilers this time around
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X, but X/C for a brief spell, seeing as how we're in this point in time
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?
Author's Note: I know, I know, sorry, nothing's really happened yet, has it? Well, I'll be fixing that soon, and then we can have some fun chock full of magic, danger, and a topping of a confusing plot, one where I haven't even muddled through yet. ;-) If it gets too confusing tell me, and I'll try to lessen the twists and turns. All you've got to do is wait, and then let the dizziness ensue! Oh, and an author's note inside of an author's note. If you noticed it, I'm kind of going in order of the actual show, and making my changes along the way. Soon, I'm gonna throw in a whole new plot twist, and then it'll spin off into my own crazy world. I'm rambling, I know. I'll shut up now, and you can get on with the story.
Chapter 5: Strange Dreams
The ringing bell echoed through the not-so silent hallways, until the main rush of people exited their classrooms to head out and eat. A single certain blonde person made her way to the library, the silence of the room ringing in her ears, as the sudden noise level dropped.
"Giles?" The irony of the situation not lost on Buffy. A few years ago, she had entered the same library, running from her destiny with a fierce passion. Who would've thought that she would come to depend so much on the same man as the one who had thrown that Vampyr book at her that first day?
"Ah, Buffy, good. I wanted to speak to you." He waved to the research table, as he took a seat for himself, and waiting for Buffy to take a seat before they proceeded.
"Yea, so what's the sitch? Some new bad in town or something?" Buffy asked, somewhat flippantly.
"Um...no, not really. I wanted to ask what had happened while I was gone. I would ask Willow or Xander, but they don't seem inclined to talk about it."
Buffy cringed. She didn't really want to talk about this. She hadn't been fully in the know, but Willow had talked to her as soon as she could. Amidst the tears and the sobs that had taken over the redheaded witch, Buffy had finally been able to piece together the wet admissions. She felt sad for her best friend, wishing she knew what to do for her, but seeing as how she wasn't going to win any best-relationship awards anytime soon, she thought she should hold her piece.
"Well, you see Giles, there was this little problem." At the raised eyebrow that Giles shot at her direction, she was quick to add rather blandly, "I didn't do it." A slight smile tugged at the stern expression that was on his face, and Buffy felt a bit more relaxed as she continued.
"Anyway, Spike came back, and it seems he kidnapped Willow and Xander. They weren't really hurt that much, though Xander may have a bit of a headache for some time." Buffy added, when she saw the concerned expression that immediately came to his face as the name 'Spike' was mentioned. "He, Spike, was like in this poor-me grief-y mood/drunk thing, and he kidnapped Willow for a spell. By the time we got the ingredients, he'd changed his mind, and just took off for Drusilla." Buffy said, giving the bare jist of the story. She had casually omitted the part of Angel, and just thought to avoid that whole subject for the time being.
"I see." With that, Giles took off his glasses, and wiped them with his ever-present handkerchief. "I can understand how Xander had that rather nasty looking cut near his hairline, but how would that explain the absence of Cordelia and Oz. And why the air seems to almost be made of tension?" Giles queried.
"Well, it seems that Xander and Willow kind of...um...locked lips, and Oz and Cordy sort of caught them. And afterwards, Cordelia seems to have been impaled by an iron pole. I stopped by to see how she was, and she was kind of quiet, which isn't a good sign for Cordelia."
"Oh my. I hope she gets better soon." Giles said, some concern for the infuriating girl that had somehow become one of his 'children'.
"Yea, I asked the doctors, and they said that she's going to be fine. They also said that she was going to be released pretty soon, like tomorrow or the next day."
Giles made a mental note to visit her when he was able. After doing so, he focused back on his Slayer. "I can see how this would put a strain on everyone. How's Willow doing in all of this?" Giles asked, his eyes becoming sympathetic as he thought of dear Willow.
"She's feeling really bad Giles. I think this whole thing with Xander was just a bit of a passing fancy, and a few small pieces of a past crush that kind of made this happen. That and throw in the whole almost dying aspect, I can kind of understand." Buffy said, trailing off, as she suddenly remembered the errant night that she spent with Angel, and how that single night had cost so much to her friends who she considered family.
From the look that had come over Buffy's eyes, Giles had a fairly good idea of what, or who, she was thinking about. The awkward silence stretched, both lost among their thoughts as they digested all of the information. Soon, the ringing of the bell broke the quiet. Buffy glanced at the clock, and was surprised by how quickly time had flown.
"Well, I guess I better get too. I skip enough classes as it is, I shouldn't be late to any if I can help it." With that, Buffy said a quick good-bye, wanting to go over a few things in the quiet solitude of her mind as she zoned out in class as usual.
*************************************
Buffy tossed and turned as she let out a small, undistinguishable sound escaped her. Caught in the throes of her dream, she could do nothing except ride out the wave.
Buffy was entering the library, much as she had the first day of school in Sunnydale High. Instead of calling uncertainly out for someone, she strode in, looking for a particular someone, sure of herself that he was in here. Looking into the bookcase, she saw Oz, in his werewolf form, pacing the length of the cage. A quick look at the window showed the sun streaming into the library. Bypassing him, she walked up to the research table, finding various cards littered on the table. At first glance, they looked like the cards that you'd see in a card index for books.
Picking one up, Buffy saw small minute pictures moving in the boundaries of the cards. Looking up, she turned calmly to Giles who had suddenly appeared behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a glimpse of another Giles, somewhat scruffy, and the Master. Her eyes widened, turning her head in to see if he was there, but found no one. Furrowing her brow, she turned back to her Giles. He had his normal, caring smile on. With a small smile of her own, Buffy handed Giles her card, showing it to him. As they're hands brushed something inexplicable ran through her. Wondering what it was, she looked up to Giles, whose eyes were suddenly cat-like, and gold. Not the unholy yellow of vampire, but something else. He still had the caring smile, but for some odd reason, he seemed to have grown fangs, or canines. Buffy found it slightly odd, so thought to ask why for the first time since the weird dream began.
"So, Giles, what's up with the teeth?" Buffy asked nonchalantly. Giles in return merely smiled more, and put his finger to his lips in a mime for quiet. He held out his hand, waiting for Buffy to place hers in his.
Looking down on the hand, it seemed to have grown claws, like those on a cat or a lizard. Cocking her head slightly, wondering what was going on with Giles, she held the clawed hand, and let him guide her, like he always had.
Taking twists and turns, down the familiar, yet unfamiliar hallways of Sunnydale High, they found themselves entering the courtyard. Buffy tried to look around Giles, to see what was there, but he had turned around and blocked her sight.
"Giles...let me see." Buffy complained, putting out a pouting lip.
Smiling again, with the odd golden eyes, and sharpened teeth, he glanced backwards, still blocking Buffy's line of sight. "Soon."
Sunlight shone through the window, abruptly pulling Buffy from the dream. She pouted up at the ceiling, irrationally telling it that she wanted to see it, while she was still half-asleep, still unable to see the line between the dream world and reality.
***********************************************
The next day...
Walking into the library, the sun streaming through the windows, Buffy felt a strange shiver of déjà vu. Passing the book cage, Buffy half expected to see Oz pacing inside it. While her mind kept telling her that it was a dream, the line between dreams and reality seemed to be blurring, and Buffy wondered what was going on.
Unlike the dream though, Buffy put her bag and binder onto the research table, startling Giles out of his reverie, with his nose in a book.
"Hey Giles, what's on the agenda today?" Buffy said casually, perching herself onto the desk.
"Ah, y-yes, Buffy. Nothing today. Just wanted to tell you that there had been reported sightings and odd animal deaths over in the park."
"Oh. So I'm guessing Slayer-fest in the park? Vampires, or something else?" Buffy asked, her aloof questions belied by the look in her eyes.
"Else, I'm afraid to say. It's nothing serious really, just a demon that can easily killed by the usual methods. Beheading, stabbing, etc." Giles said calmly, ticking off the points in his head.
"Cool. Something that's easy." Buffy drawled. Giles just rolled his eyes at her good-naturedly, and then smiled afterwards, to make sure that he knew that they were just teasing.
"Oh, and if you want, you can do this during the day, so you can just kill the demon and have fun at the park afterwards." Giles suggested, noticing the strain as of late getting to her and the 'children'.
"That'd be great. It's ok if I bring Willow and Xander right?" Buffy asked, picking up her bag as she noticed the time.
"Of course. As long as they're both careful and leaves the slaying to you, and Faith if she were to come."
"Cool. I'll tell Faith if I see her. Well, I gotta book, 1st periods in like 5 minutes. See ya Giles!" Buffy called over her shoulder as she made her way to the door.
"Don't forget. Training after school." Giles called out to her. His only response was a wave in his direction telling him she'd heard as she disappeared behind the swinging doors. He shook his head at her as he returned to his books, ever searching for any new prophecies. He had come across a few that had vaguely referenced to the Slayer in the end days, and he had been trying to follow up on it since the night before.
Walking to her first class of the day, Buffy's dream of last night had slipped her mind before she got a reminder in 3rd.
*********************************************
Buffy, in a position that she was often seen in when present in class, lazily listened to the teacher's words, her head propped up in her right hand. Luckily, this teacher barely even noticed Buffy, seeing as how she barely even knew her, due to the amount of classes that she had skipped. The topic today was as boring as ever, her thoughts running along the lines of when am I ever going to use math in my life? Bitterly, an addendum ran through her mind. 'Well, it's not like I'm actually going to live that long anyway.' Her mood shifted into one of brooding, and she stared blankly into the chalkboard as the teacher continued to ramble on.
Her eyes, drifting shut, her mind drifting to the dream realm...
Her eyes opening in the classroom, Buffy looked around at the now empty seats around her. Standing up, she walked out of the classroom, letting her feet guide her, knowing that she was in another dream. If these things were prophecy, she was going to have to tell Giles about this.
As if conjured by her thoughts, the library doors swung into view as she rounded a corner. Pushing the swinging doors as she had a hundreds of times, she walked in, looking for the man in her thoughts.
Again, she saw Oz pacing in his cage. Looking at the window, she saw a soft spring rain dropping onto the library windows, small specks of sun filtering through the droplets. This time, instead of Giles suddenly appearing, he was waiting for her, watching the doors as though he knew that she were coming. Well duh, it was a dream, so maybe she should have been expecting that.
Looking around the library, she saw odds and ends that weren't normally there. A basket of flowers sat upon the research table, with an unmarked balloon attached to it by a string. She saw a black book lying next to it, instantly recognizing the accursed book that had prophesized her death. She looked up at Giles, his eyes still a smoldering gold, but missing the canines that he had been sporting the day before.
Raising a speculative eyebrow in his direction, he merely smiled at her. Cupping her cheek in his large hand, he looked into her eyes. Speaking quietly under his breath, Buffy had to strain to hear this secret that seemed to be forcing itself out of him.
"Soon, love. It's all coming together soon. You'll be able to see then. It's not quite time. See the weather? We certainly can't go out in that." Taking a quick glance at the window, the soft rain had become barely a drizzle, as spring rains were wont to do. She turned back to Giles who was speaking again.
"Soon, you will rise, above all of the rest, all who came before you. Soon it will be revealed. And I'll be right there with you. Soon." Looking into his eyes, Buffy's confusion clearly shown on her face, Giles merely smiled at her and placed a small, loving kiss on her forehead and turned her around. Placing his hand on her eyes, he whispered in her ear...
"Buffy, wake up." Buffy's eyes opened at the voice that was in her ear. Looking up at Willow, she looked around her confused, the dream still fresh on her mind.
"Willow?" Buffy asked, looking dazedly at her favorite witch-y friend.
"You fell asleep. You better hurry up, we need to go to our next class, and then we have lunch." Willow said, with a small smile, urging Buffy to pick up her bag and move.
"Oh, yea, right. Class. Then lunch. That's good." Buffy said, with a pre-occupied tone. She moved and got up, with a worried Willow, who shot a few glances towards her friend.
*****************************************