Getting Off The Griefmobile
By Annakovsky
See part 1 for all relevant info and disclaimer.
***********
CHAPTER SIX
***********
"Blue scales all over its body, horns, humanoid, about 7 feet tall..." Buffy recounted as all seven of them gathered in the library.
"Came staggering out of the woods like it didn't know where it was or something," said Faith. "And not the toughest sucker I've ever fought, either. Hell, I've rassled an alligator tougher than that guy."
"Right, the alligator," Buffy said unenthusiastically. "So Giles, any leads on our blue and scaly wuss-demon?" Giles was flipping through one of the books, before setting it down and getting out the next in the series.
"I believe..." he said, and stopped on one page towards the middle. "Did it look like this?" They all leaned in to peer at it.
"Yup," said Xander. Willow nodded.
"Pretty much exactly," she said. They all looked at them. "Oh, we had great seats right in the front row! Surround sound and everything!"
"It's a demon native to the Southeastern United States, primarily found in Kentucky and Tennessee," said Giles. "One of the family of grass demons, who live underground in caves and lay their eggs in grassy areas."
"So, um, it's a blue grass demon?" asked Xander.
"I'm afraid so," said Giles. "It's strange that it would be wandering out this close to civilization, especially during the day. These demons are for the most part peaceful, and stay away from populated areas. The only time sightings have been made in urban areas was in the early 1970s, when the Hellmouth in Nashville was particularly active."
"So... you're saying that the only time these guys wander around by Dairy Queens is when Hellmouths are going crazy," Faith said. Giles nodded.
"They seem to become agitated when great evil is abroad, I'm sorry to say."
Buffy groaned. "Don't tell me the blue grass demon is a sign of impending apocalypse, 'cause it's totally the wrong time of year for that."
"Is it the First?" Willow asked tentatively. Five heads swung to look at her, eyes wide, almost angry in their surprise. Giles was still looking at the book, head down.
"Willow! We just... how can you even... that's ridiculous! We won, remember?" Buffy was almost unable to form a coherent thought through the panic suddenly rushing her. Not again, please God, not again, we beat it, we had to have beat it, please God, not again, I can't do it again, I can't, I can't.... "Giles, tell her!"
"I don't... know anything for sure," he said. He finally looked up and rubbed a hand over his face. "But it appears that the First became active last year in the first place because of a cosmic imbalance caused by your resurrection. Yes, we defeated its army. But... we also created an enormous number of new Slayers."
"Talk about your imbalance," said Willow softly. "I wondered."
"Yes," said Giles simply.
"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod," Andrew started saying over and over again, starting to hyperventilate.
"We don't know anything for sure," said Giles. "So let's not panic." Dawn hit Andrew on the arm.
"Ow," he said, but he took a deep breath and stopped chanting.
"Giles," said Buffy. "We're the Slayers. We slay things. An army of uber-vamps we can do, but cosmic evils that you can't slay, and that just get more powerful when you take drastic action to stop them? We can't. We just can't." She stopped talking before she turned into a chanting mess like Andrew.
"Yeah," said Dawn. "Besides, every time we make a move to beat the First, it'll just come back stronger again 'cause we've upset the cosmic balance. That means there is no way for good to win unless we all die and so do all the new Slayers. And I for one am just not that excited about that option."
"I know," Giles said. "So if it is the First... well, this time we'll appeal to higher powers."
"What, like a First Good or something?" said Faith.
"Yes."
"You want us to appeal to God?" asked Willow. "Can we do that?"
"The First Good isn't God. If there is a God, it's above the First Good and First Evil. They're the balancers, not the ones in charge. As far as I understand it, anyway," said Giles. "If we want balance to be restored and the First to be stopped, we need to go directly to the Powers That Be."
"Do they have a suggestion box anywhere nearby? Because I could write them a killer note. Let's see... 'Dear Powers That Suck, Could you do something about your boy the First? It's annoying us again. Thanks. Love, the Scooby Gang, Fighters of Evil since 1997.'" Xander was in fine form.
"If it is the First. Which is the first thing we need to find out," said Buffy. She sighed internally. General Buffy, reporting for duty.
"Hey, don't worry, B," said Faith. "I don't think there's anything this team can't handle." Nobody looked like they really believed her, but Buffy appreciated the effort and gave her a wan smile.
The one thing Buffy knew was that she wasn't losing anybody else. As far as Evil was concerned, the kitchen was closed and there would be no more Scooby snacks. Ever.
********************
TBC...
By Annakovsky
See part 1 for all relevant info and disclaimer.
***********
CHAPTER SIX
***********
"Blue scales all over its body, horns, humanoid, about 7 feet tall..." Buffy recounted as all seven of them gathered in the library.
"Came staggering out of the woods like it didn't know where it was or something," said Faith. "And not the toughest sucker I've ever fought, either. Hell, I've rassled an alligator tougher than that guy."
"Right, the alligator," Buffy said unenthusiastically. "So Giles, any leads on our blue and scaly wuss-demon?" Giles was flipping through one of the books, before setting it down and getting out the next in the series.
"I believe..." he said, and stopped on one page towards the middle. "Did it look like this?" They all leaned in to peer at it.
"Yup," said Xander. Willow nodded.
"Pretty much exactly," she said. They all looked at them. "Oh, we had great seats right in the front row! Surround sound and everything!"
"It's a demon native to the Southeastern United States, primarily found in Kentucky and Tennessee," said Giles. "One of the family of grass demons, who live underground in caves and lay their eggs in grassy areas."
"So, um, it's a blue grass demon?" asked Xander.
"I'm afraid so," said Giles. "It's strange that it would be wandering out this close to civilization, especially during the day. These demons are for the most part peaceful, and stay away from populated areas. The only time sightings have been made in urban areas was in the early 1970s, when the Hellmouth in Nashville was particularly active."
"So... you're saying that the only time these guys wander around by Dairy Queens is when Hellmouths are going crazy," Faith said. Giles nodded.
"They seem to become agitated when great evil is abroad, I'm sorry to say."
Buffy groaned. "Don't tell me the blue grass demon is a sign of impending apocalypse, 'cause it's totally the wrong time of year for that."
"Is it the First?" Willow asked tentatively. Five heads swung to look at her, eyes wide, almost angry in their surprise. Giles was still looking at the book, head down.
"Willow! We just... how can you even... that's ridiculous! We won, remember?" Buffy was almost unable to form a coherent thought through the panic suddenly rushing her. Not again, please God, not again, we beat it, we had to have beat it, please God, not again, I can't do it again, I can't, I can't.... "Giles, tell her!"
"I don't... know anything for sure," he said. He finally looked up and rubbed a hand over his face. "But it appears that the First became active last year in the first place because of a cosmic imbalance caused by your resurrection. Yes, we defeated its army. But... we also created an enormous number of new Slayers."
"Talk about your imbalance," said Willow softly. "I wondered."
"Yes," said Giles simply.
"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod," Andrew started saying over and over again, starting to hyperventilate.
"We don't know anything for sure," said Giles. "So let's not panic." Dawn hit Andrew on the arm.
"Ow," he said, but he took a deep breath and stopped chanting.
"Giles," said Buffy. "We're the Slayers. We slay things. An army of uber-vamps we can do, but cosmic evils that you can't slay, and that just get more powerful when you take drastic action to stop them? We can't. We just can't." She stopped talking before she turned into a chanting mess like Andrew.
"Yeah," said Dawn. "Besides, every time we make a move to beat the First, it'll just come back stronger again 'cause we've upset the cosmic balance. That means there is no way for good to win unless we all die and so do all the new Slayers. And I for one am just not that excited about that option."
"I know," Giles said. "So if it is the First... well, this time we'll appeal to higher powers."
"What, like a First Good or something?" said Faith.
"Yes."
"You want us to appeal to God?" asked Willow. "Can we do that?"
"The First Good isn't God. If there is a God, it's above the First Good and First Evil. They're the balancers, not the ones in charge. As far as I understand it, anyway," said Giles. "If we want balance to be restored and the First to be stopped, we need to go directly to the Powers That Be."
"Do they have a suggestion box anywhere nearby? Because I could write them a killer note. Let's see... 'Dear Powers That Suck, Could you do something about your boy the First? It's annoying us again. Thanks. Love, the Scooby Gang, Fighters of Evil since 1997.'" Xander was in fine form.
"If it is the First. Which is the first thing we need to find out," said Buffy. She sighed internally. General Buffy, reporting for duty.
"Hey, don't worry, B," said Faith. "I don't think there's anything this team can't handle." Nobody looked like they really believed her, but Buffy appreciated the effort and gave her a wan smile.
The one thing Buffy knew was that she wasn't losing anybody else. As far as Evil was concerned, the kitchen was closed and there would be no more Scooby snacks. Ever.
********************
TBC...