Title: The Guardian
Feedback: Of course I want to know what you think otherwise I'd hide it in a folder on my computer! Kristi@allengames.com
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss. If they were mine I'd be nicer to them! At least most of the time.
Spoilers: Only if you have lived in a cave and not seen any of Angel or Buffy.
Distribution: If you want it just ask!
Author's notes: The centered offset quotes are quotes pulled from the shows. I didn't write them, I didn't think of them. Also I wanted to thank everyone who sent me feedback! This is my first fanfic and it's very inspiring! If you'd like to see more of this story let me know!
It's a long chapter but I just didn't see any other place to end it properly! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and given suggestions!!
Chapter 13
Buffy and Angel trekked through what seemed like miles of jungle. The foliage fought against them, loathe to allow them entrance. Angel hacked at vines, small trees and other plants with a massive battle axe. Buffy carried a long sword.
"So much for Giles' crackpot connections actually taking us anywhere." Buffy said.
The archeologists had bailed on them. When they arrived at the museum ready to go, they found it locked it up tight. There was a jeep sitting in the back parking lot, keys under the floor mat and a note apologizing, but they could not take the risk. There had also been a hand drawn map in the glove box.
"I can't help but think someone, or something got to them and scared them. They were guarded last night, but amicable to taking us at least part of the way." Angel said.
The jungle was alive with sounds and scents. The thick humid air seemed to dampen sounds and made it hard to judge which direction they were coming from. Angel stopped. Buffy ran into him.
"What's the what?" Buffy said.
Angel shook his head and held his finger to his lips. He was listening for something. "Be ready."
She didn't have time to ask for what before a tawny furred creature resembling a lion burst through the underbrush. Buffy ducked and the creature jumped over her. She spun, and barely got her sword up in time to block the creature's paw swipe at her.
"What the hell are these, Angel?"
"Manticores," Angel yelled. He was battling two of the lion like creatures. "Watch their tails, they have poisonous spines."
"I'm kind of busy watching his claws right now." She yelled back.
The manticore fell back, favoring the paw Buffy had cut. She thought it was turning tail to run. She hit the ground just before a cloud of spines shot her way. She rolled as the manticore jumped at her again. This time, he had anticipated her maneuver and he was right on target. Buffy closed her eyes and braced the hilt of her sword in her abdomen. The breath was knocked out of her as the manticore impaled itself on her sword. It's eerily human face hovering just inches, above her own. Buffy wrinkled her nose and shoved the heavy lion like creature off.
Angel was battling two of the creatures and he seemed a bit worse for the wear. There was a jagged bite on his shoulder and the smell of blood excited the manticores even more. Apparently they didn't mind eating vampire flesh, nor did they appear to mind the many gashes and cuts Angel had made with his axe.
Angel swung his axe in a wide arc. The manticores took a step back, but they weren't about to leave a fresh meal. He saw Buffy out of the corner of his eye. She was sneaking up on the one on his left, giving the waving tail wide berth. He swung his ax at the creatures' heads again. The one of his right wasn't as quick and its head sliced off cleanly. Buffy sliced deeply into the front haunches of the manticore. It gave an anguished cry and turned. It managed to swipe Buffy across the thigh before tumbling to the ground. It wasn't dead though. Buffy ducked again as it shot spines at her from it's tail. She raised her sword over her head and cut deeply into the manticore's neck. It twitched, flinging spikes from it's tail one more time and then went still.
"Well, that was fun." Buffy said "Although, major ewww factor. How's your shoulder?" She looked at the gnawed upon shoulder, slightly concerned.
Angel shrugged and shook his head. "It will be fine. It was more of a glancing bite then a deep one. I don't understand. Manticores are supposed to be in the jungles of India, not South America."
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe this ancient evil guy had them shipped here to guard his temple thingy."
"Which makes me wonder what else we're going to encounter." Angel said.
"I miss vampires. Plunge, stake, pile of dust." Buffy said with a pout.
Angel chuckled. "Come on. I want to make sure we're in those caves by sunrise."
*
*
*
It was getting close to sunrise. Angel didn't say anything, but he was getting worried. He hacked through the growth faster and urged Buffy along with greater intensity. They broke through the brush, and nearly fell 20 feet into a pool of water. There was no way around it.
"Great, sunrise is about a half an hour away. I guess we'll go back into the jungle and just try and find some heavy foliage to wait the day out." Angel grumbled.
"No, Angel this is it. This is the place in my dream." Buffy said.
"Buffy, there isn't any place to hide from the sun down there." Angel said looking down into the water.
"Angel, trust me. It's my dream. There's a ledge next to the waterfall." Buffy said.
"Big enough to hide under?" Angel asked.
Buffy shook her head. "Haven't you ever seen Romancing the Stone or Last of the Mohicans or any other movie with a waterfall? There are always caves behind the waterfall." Buffy took a running start and jumped off the cliff.
"Buffy!" Angel yelled, plunging in behind her.
The water was delightfully cool and very deep. They swam toward the waterfall and pulled themselves up on the ledge the old woman in her dream had shown her.
"Careful, Buffy, its slick." Angel warned, always protective.
Buffy nodded, taking small steps, one hand against the wet, rocky wall. The sound was deafening near the waterfall. The ledge continued through the waterfall. The force of the water nearly knocked Buffy down. She slipped and Angel caught her by the arm.
There was a shallow alcove behind the waterfall and a small cave near the back. They would have to crawl through and it was going to be a tight fit for Angel. He stripped off his wet leather duster and long sleeved tee and stuffed them in the backpack.
"Take your pack off and push it ahead of you. I'll go first. I want to make sure there's nothing living in there or worse, that it drops off unexpectedly." Angel said.
Buffy nodded and begin taking her pack off.
Angel pulled his shoulders in and crawled on his belly into the tiny cave. He was grateful for his excellent night vision. He didn't think he could have held a flashlight and crawled through the tight space at once.
After about 50 yards the blood from scraping his shoulders against the rock walls made things slicker, and easier to crawl. After 200 yards the shoot opened up into a gorgeous cavern with amethyst stalactites spiking the ceiling.
"Come on, Buffy, you need to see this, it's beautiful." Angel said as he bent down, grabbing Buffy's pack and her hand.
"Oh, wow." Buffy looked around. The stalactites reminded her of crystal chandeliers. The cavern was huge. There was a small waterfall that poured into a clear pool at one end. The floor was hard and level.
They agreed it was a good place to rest. They were both exhausted from hacking through stubborn foliage all night, not to mention the fight with the manticores. They rummaged around in their packs. Angel had a dry ice thermos filled with blood. Buffy had beef jerky, crackers and peanut butter. They ate and stretched out on the hard floor. Buffy snuggled up against Angel, pillowing her head against his chest. He used his pack as pillow. Buffy had brought a blanket. She sighed. Her last thought was there's no way I'll actually fall asleep on this hard floor.
Angel smiled down at Buffy, sleeping deeply. Her soft breathing had become a lullaby for him to sleep too. He couldn't remember how he had once tolerated sleeping without the soft whoosh of her breathing or the deep thump of her heart.
*
*
*
Buffy woke with a groan. Her entire body ached, whether from sleeping on the ground or fighting the jungle, she wasn't sure. It was impossible to tell what time it was in the cavern. Angel was sitting just outside the bluish glow of their lantern. He rose and walked over to her when he noticed she was awake. He held a stack of peanut butter crackers out for her.
"I made you breakfast." He grinned. "Not much of one, I know. I promise you waffles with strawberries and whipped cream when we get home."
"Mmm, I'll eat these and pretend." Buffy said.
She wolfed down the crackers, not realizing how hungry she had been and drank a bottle of water. She looked longingly at the small pool. "Do we have time?" She indicated the pool.
Angel nodded.
"Good. I want to lather rinse and repeat until manticore blood, jungle sweat and cave dust is all gone."
"Would this lather rinse and repeat involve you without clothes?" Angel asked mischievously.
"Why, yes, yes I believe it would." Buffy said coyly. *
*
There were 3 tunnels branching off the main cavern. Thankfully, they were all big enough for Angel to walk though.
"So, which one do we take?" Buffy said, regarding the three tunnels.
Angel stepped to the opening of each and sniffed. "Its odd tunnels one and three smell like a cave, damp earthy, cave like. I can't smell anything from tunnel two."
"I vote for the less stinky tunnel, personally." Buffy said.
Angel shook his head. "It's not normal. It's not that tunnel two is less stinky. There's a complete absence of smell. Stay here, I'm going to walk a few feet in and check it out."
Angel disappeared into the tunnel for a few minutes. He returned shaking his head. "There's no smell, there's no sound, yet the floor is covered in water. There should be the sound of water dripping."
"Deep water?" Buffy asked.
Angel shook his head, "An inch, maybe two at the most."
"That's it, Angel. That's our tunnel. The first dream I had. The floor of the Bronze was covered in water. The second dream I had the old lady and I were walking on water. Also, the waterfall in my dream had no sound."
"I don't like it." Angel persisted.
"Well I'm prophecy dream girl and I say we take tunnel 2. Besides, 2 dreams, tunnel 2." Buffy said, forging ahead before Angel could protest.
She wasn't sure how far they'd gone. There were moments she was sure they had walked miles and yet it seemed the opening to the tunnel was just a few yards away. The tunnel was odd. There was no smell, no sound; even their feet didn't make noise. It had widened out into a cave about a hundred yards across.
"Angel, shouldn't be there be an echo?" Buffy said, listening closely for one.
"You would think, but there's nothing normal about this tunnel."
Buffy raised her voice slightly, testing her theory. "Hello,"
There was no echoing response back. "That was loud enough. There should have been an echo." She said resolutely.
There was a roar, the first sound they had heard the cave make. Buffy paled. Angel took a deep, unnecessary breathe and raised his ax in a defensive stance.
"I guess I got my answer, wasn't really the one I was looking for though." Buffy said quietly as she stood behind Angel, her sword raised.
They advanced forward, slowly. Angel took note of everything around them. The ceiling was peppered with crystal stalactites. The floor littered with groupings of sharp stalagmites. They weren't ideal fighting grounds, but if the roar they heard was any indication, something was getting closer.
"Spread out. I only hear one roar, two of us. We should be ok." Angel said.
A gout of flame shot from the same direction the roar had come from.
"Uhm, Angel, ever hear of speaking to soon? Possible running might be an option right now." Buffy said.
Angel shook his head. "No, this is our tunnel. We're not going to get anything but pretty rock formations and cave dust from the other two. Be ready, here it comes."
Buffy liked it when the locales were wrong about legends. She liked it when mothers made up nightmare monsters to keep their kids out of caves or to scare them into doing their chores. She hated it when those legends turned out to be all too real, like the two-headed fire breathing, scaled dragon in front of them.
For a moment they seemed to study each other. The dragon was an incredible creature to behold. It was at least twenty feet tall. Its scales were shining obsidian black. Its heads were horned, sleek and full of needle sharp teeth. Fire licked the nostrils. It took a breath.
"Buffy, down!" Angel screamed.
She rolled just in time to avoid the column of flame that shot out of head number one. She could feel the heat licking at her boots. She rolled to her feet, sword in hand. "You know, this just ridiculous, I buy a new pair boots, some demon with something to prove trashes them. I'm really getting sick of it."
"Buffy, now might not be-" Angel stopped mid sentence. The dragon had paused, looking at Buffy with amazement that this slip of a creature hadn't fainted upon sight of it.
That hesitation was what Buffy had been hoping for. She charged forward, quicker then the dragon could track, and jumped as high as possible, using her sword as a camming device. She drove the sword into the dragon's chest. It roared in protest and shot flame. Using the sword for leverage, Buffy climbed higher, pulling the sword out and plunging it back in where she needed a handhold, until she'd reached its back and the base of its necks.
Angel had a good idea of what she was up to and she was going to need his help. The dragon was distracted with Buffy using it for a rock climbing expedition. Angel backed up, giving himself as much room as possible, using his vampiric abilities he was able to jump and grab hold of the spiky mane that went the length of both the dragon's necks.
Buffy looked down from her climbing spot just slightly above and one neck over from Angel. "Nice of you to join me, I think its good when couples do things together."
He chuckled. He'd always taken Buffy's fighting banter for granted in Sunnydale. He hadn't realized how much he missed it. The dragon thrashed wildly, taking quite an exception to being used as a rock wall. It shot flame all over the cave, trying to find a way to get to them. Buffy was nearly tossed from her perch, but Angel caught her wrist. She dangled dangerously a moment before she managed to get a good grip on the dragon's neck again.
Once they'd both made it to the top of the dragon's neck, Buffy looked over and nodded at Angel. Buffy drove her sword straight through the base of the dragon's skull and through its throat. She tumbled almost twenty feet to the hard ground when the dragon's first head and neck collapsed without a sound.
Angel bit the ax deeply into the base of the dragon's other skull. He didn't have the advantage of 5 feet of steel to kill the creature instantly as Buffy had. The dragon thrashed with its dying throes. Angel flew through the air, closely followed by a spout of flame, and landed, impaled through the stomach by a stalagmite.
"Angel!" Buffy got up and stumbled toward him. The dragon let out a final roaring scream and fell to the ground. The entire cave shook. "Oh, God, Angel." The blood stained his white long sleeved tee. Buffy remembered all the dreams she'd had of Angel's blood leaking through his shirts after she'd sent him to hell.
"Buffy, help me get off this, but slowly." Angel's voice was tight and controlled with pain.
Buffy bit her lower lip and nodded, blinking back tears. She had to help Angel and she couldn't if she was crying mess. She got underneath his shoulders and slowly levered his body up off the stalagmites. As gently as she could, she drug him to a smoother part of the cave floor and laid him down. Buffy rummaged through their packs and came up with her blanket. She placed one end underneath Angel and pressed the other end to his abdomen. The blood quickly soaked through the blanket. Her hands and fingers were soon covered in it. Buffy pushed herself away from Angel and retched at the sight of so much of his blood on her hands.
"Buffy, I'll heal." He needed her to keep her wits about her, in case something came looking for the dragon.
Buffy nodded and rejoined Angel at his side. The blood was already drying, crusting the blanket to his skin and forming a bandage of sorts. She got Angel's dry ice thermos from his pack and shook it. There wasn't much blood in it, if he drank it now there would be no blood for the trip back. Buffy shook her head. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it. He needed blood to heal. She'd feed him, herself on the way back if she had to.
"Come on, Angel, take slow little sips. It'll speed up your healing." She helped him sit up, propping his body against her own.
He finished the thermos and leaned back against her. "Just need to rest." He said. His voice was weak.
The cave shimmered and the tunnel the dragon had come through disappeared. In its place was a temple carved from the solid rock of the cave. The guardian woman stood on the temple steps. She beckoned Buffy.
"Angel, do you see her?"
Angel nodded. "Old woman, yeah."
"Can you stand?" Buffy asked, already helping him to his feet. They hobbled up the temple steps and inside. Buffy eased Angel down to an intricately tiled floor. There was a fountain inside and an altar to gods long forgotten. The guardian woman sat down on the floor beside Angel. Buffy held supported his head and shoulders.
"You said you don't exist on this plane of existence." Buffy said to the woman.
The woman chuckled softly. "It's you who doesn't exist on this plane. It's the only one I still exist on." The woman peeled the blanket away from Angel's wound. She eased his shirt up, exposing bare flesh with a nasty impalement wound. She clucked to herself. "This might tingle a bit, my dear." The woman said as she pressed her hands to the wound. Angel gasped in pain. The wound glowed red and then begin to close up. Soon all that remained was a red spot. "Stay down, you're going to be weak for awhile yet." The woman instructed. She then sat back on her heels.
"I've been expecting you two."
"Then why didn't you tell your guard dog to let us pass." Buffy said, her anger rising.
The woman just smiled and shook her head. "I had to know if you were worthy, if you were the fated warriors that have been written about since the beginning of time."
"Fated warriors?" Buffy asked.
The woman nodded, as if Buffy should know exactly what she was talking about.
"Ok, rewind. Last time I saw you, you told me you were a guardian and you'd forged the scythe."
The woman nodded, still reluctant to give up her secrets.
"Caleb breaks your neck and you decide to play games with Angel and I for fun?" Buffy said.
The woman smiled again and shook her head. "These aren't games, child, Buffy wasn't it?" Buffy nodded and the woman continued. "This is where we hid. The village was ours long before it was anyone else's. When it was swallowed, by the same evil you fought, we returned, to wait. Deep within this temple are all the treasures Khan and your Mr. Giles have told you about, but we didn't put them here. The men after us did. That's why we had to hide it and make use of the dragon and the manticores. We couldn't risk being found. It has been foretold since before the forging of the scythe that two fated warriors would come, a vampire with a soul and a slayer. The Guardians did not think it could ever happen. After all, even if a vampire ever did possess a soul, it was sure the watchers would make certain a slayer never fell in love with him."
The Guardian woman looked from Angel to Buffy. She saw the love between the two. "Do you know what a miracle your love is?" She looked at Buffy, "You are destined to fight creatures like him. Everything in your makeup screams to kill him, your blood, your instincts, and your mind. Yet your soul and your heart love him." The woman nodded her understanding and turned her gaze to Angel. "Since the first slayer, vampires have had reason to fear. She is your only natural enemy left upon this earth. The demon in you rebels every time you touch her. It screams for you to work its will, feed, kill, before she kills you. Yet your beautiful soul knows that before it was born in Liam, a part of it was split off and that part is in her."
"Because of those things, the watchers dismissed the prophecies. The Guardians were not so foolish, but we were lax. We believed the book of the Guardian, scribed in this temple, would be safe. There had been precautions taken. A spell had been cast over the book. Anyone who tried to translate it, understand it, would over time lose their mind. A pair of spectacles had been crafted of magic that would allow one to read the book and understand what was written. The Guardians thought this would be enough. In the 12th century an explorer found our temple. He ransacked it, taking the book and many of the treasures within. He killed some of our order. It was after this that the dragon and the manticores were put into place."
"The book was hidden again, buried under a church." Buffy said.
The Guardian woman nodded. "A scholar got his hands on the book. He attempted to read it and thus we found that the spell on the book still held. A nun, thinking it was the work of the devil, buried the book on holy ground. There it stayed, until you discovered it a few months ago."
"Can we get these spectacles or can you remove the spell so that we can use the information in this book?" Angel asked. His strength seemed to be coming back. His voice was stronger and he was sitting up on his own.
The woman shook her head. "Sadly, no. The spectacles were crushed coincidently by the same man who stole the book."
"Then this was for nothing? The jungle, the manticores, the dragon, Angel getting impaled. It was all for nothing?" Buffy asked, rage coloring her voice again.
"No, it was not for nothing. Ask your questions." The woman said.
Angel took a deep breath. "A friend, he thinks the book contains information about the shanshu prophecy. I'd like to know what it says."
The woman smiled. "The shanshu prophecy is but a small part of the prophecy regarding the fated warriors, the prophecy that has existed since the beginning of time." The woman smiled warmly at Buffy. "I told you this in your dream."
"The key?" Buffy asked.
The woman nodded.
"But I don't understand. Is there a key Angel needs to get?"
"He already has it. It has been his since before his soul was born."
Buffy wrinkled her brow, reviewing her dream and the woman's words. "Me?"
The woman nodded. "You are the key. If Angel goes into the final battle without you, he will die a vampire's death. If you fight beside him, the final battle will be won, although not without losses, and the vampire with a soul will live to die."
Angel struggled with the woman's words. He and Buffy had been prophesied from the beginning of time in a prophecy these guardian women had kept as secret as Buffy's scythe. He had put his shanshu, his humanity, in danger so many times because of a foolish notion that Buffy would be happier without him, the man she was fated to love.
The woman smiled again. "It is a lot to take in, I know. Sleep. When you awaken it will be dark outside and you can begin your journey back." The woman stood and walked away, into an unseen room in the back of the temple.
Buffy tucked herself under Angel's arm. They both felt an inexplicable weariness come over them. Somehow it felt safe here, the way it feels in Angel's arms, Buffy thought. There was no need to post a watch. There would be no demons, no manticores and no dragons to disturb their sleep. Despite the thoughts racing in their minds, Buffy and Angel both drifted off to sleep with soft smiles upon their faces.
*
*
*
*Not quite the end!
Feedback: Of course I want to know what you think otherwise I'd hide it in a folder on my computer! Kristi@allengames.com
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss. If they were mine I'd be nicer to them! At least most of the time.
Spoilers: Only if you have lived in a cave and not seen any of Angel or Buffy.
Distribution: If you want it just ask!
Author's notes: The centered offset quotes are quotes pulled from the shows. I didn't write them, I didn't think of them. Also I wanted to thank everyone who sent me feedback! This is my first fanfic and it's very inspiring! If you'd like to see more of this story let me know!
It's a long chapter but I just didn't see any other place to end it properly! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and given suggestions!!
Chapter 13
Buffy and Angel trekked through what seemed like miles of jungle. The foliage fought against them, loathe to allow them entrance. Angel hacked at vines, small trees and other plants with a massive battle axe. Buffy carried a long sword.
"So much for Giles' crackpot connections actually taking us anywhere." Buffy said.
The archeologists had bailed on them. When they arrived at the museum ready to go, they found it locked it up tight. There was a jeep sitting in the back parking lot, keys under the floor mat and a note apologizing, but they could not take the risk. There had also been a hand drawn map in the glove box.
"I can't help but think someone, or something got to them and scared them. They were guarded last night, but amicable to taking us at least part of the way." Angel said.
The jungle was alive with sounds and scents. The thick humid air seemed to dampen sounds and made it hard to judge which direction they were coming from. Angel stopped. Buffy ran into him.
"What's the what?" Buffy said.
Angel shook his head and held his finger to his lips. He was listening for something. "Be ready."
She didn't have time to ask for what before a tawny furred creature resembling a lion burst through the underbrush. Buffy ducked and the creature jumped over her. She spun, and barely got her sword up in time to block the creature's paw swipe at her.
"What the hell are these, Angel?"
"Manticores," Angel yelled. He was battling two of the lion like creatures. "Watch their tails, they have poisonous spines."
"I'm kind of busy watching his claws right now." She yelled back.
The manticore fell back, favoring the paw Buffy had cut. She thought it was turning tail to run. She hit the ground just before a cloud of spines shot her way. She rolled as the manticore jumped at her again. This time, he had anticipated her maneuver and he was right on target. Buffy closed her eyes and braced the hilt of her sword in her abdomen. The breath was knocked out of her as the manticore impaled itself on her sword. It's eerily human face hovering just inches, above her own. Buffy wrinkled her nose and shoved the heavy lion like creature off.
Angel was battling two of the creatures and he seemed a bit worse for the wear. There was a jagged bite on his shoulder and the smell of blood excited the manticores even more. Apparently they didn't mind eating vampire flesh, nor did they appear to mind the many gashes and cuts Angel had made with his axe.
Angel swung his axe in a wide arc. The manticores took a step back, but they weren't about to leave a fresh meal. He saw Buffy out of the corner of his eye. She was sneaking up on the one on his left, giving the waving tail wide berth. He swung his ax at the creatures' heads again. The one of his right wasn't as quick and its head sliced off cleanly. Buffy sliced deeply into the front haunches of the manticore. It gave an anguished cry and turned. It managed to swipe Buffy across the thigh before tumbling to the ground. It wasn't dead though. Buffy ducked again as it shot spines at her from it's tail. She raised her sword over her head and cut deeply into the manticore's neck. It twitched, flinging spikes from it's tail one more time and then went still.
"Well, that was fun." Buffy said "Although, major ewww factor. How's your shoulder?" She looked at the gnawed upon shoulder, slightly concerned.
Angel shrugged and shook his head. "It will be fine. It was more of a glancing bite then a deep one. I don't understand. Manticores are supposed to be in the jungles of India, not South America."
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe this ancient evil guy had them shipped here to guard his temple thingy."
"Which makes me wonder what else we're going to encounter." Angel said.
"I miss vampires. Plunge, stake, pile of dust." Buffy said with a pout.
Angel chuckled. "Come on. I want to make sure we're in those caves by sunrise."
*
*
*
It was getting close to sunrise. Angel didn't say anything, but he was getting worried. He hacked through the growth faster and urged Buffy along with greater intensity. They broke through the brush, and nearly fell 20 feet into a pool of water. There was no way around it.
"Great, sunrise is about a half an hour away. I guess we'll go back into the jungle and just try and find some heavy foliage to wait the day out." Angel grumbled.
"No, Angel this is it. This is the place in my dream." Buffy said.
"Buffy, there isn't any place to hide from the sun down there." Angel said looking down into the water.
"Angel, trust me. It's my dream. There's a ledge next to the waterfall." Buffy said.
"Big enough to hide under?" Angel asked.
Buffy shook her head. "Haven't you ever seen Romancing the Stone or Last of the Mohicans or any other movie with a waterfall? There are always caves behind the waterfall." Buffy took a running start and jumped off the cliff.
"Buffy!" Angel yelled, plunging in behind her.
The water was delightfully cool and very deep. They swam toward the waterfall and pulled themselves up on the ledge the old woman in her dream had shown her.
"Careful, Buffy, its slick." Angel warned, always protective.
Buffy nodded, taking small steps, one hand against the wet, rocky wall. The sound was deafening near the waterfall. The ledge continued through the waterfall. The force of the water nearly knocked Buffy down. She slipped and Angel caught her by the arm.
There was a shallow alcove behind the waterfall and a small cave near the back. They would have to crawl through and it was going to be a tight fit for Angel. He stripped off his wet leather duster and long sleeved tee and stuffed them in the backpack.
"Take your pack off and push it ahead of you. I'll go first. I want to make sure there's nothing living in there or worse, that it drops off unexpectedly." Angel said.
Buffy nodded and begin taking her pack off.
Angel pulled his shoulders in and crawled on his belly into the tiny cave. He was grateful for his excellent night vision. He didn't think he could have held a flashlight and crawled through the tight space at once.
After about 50 yards the blood from scraping his shoulders against the rock walls made things slicker, and easier to crawl. After 200 yards the shoot opened up into a gorgeous cavern with amethyst stalactites spiking the ceiling.
"Come on, Buffy, you need to see this, it's beautiful." Angel said as he bent down, grabbing Buffy's pack and her hand.
"Oh, wow." Buffy looked around. The stalactites reminded her of crystal chandeliers. The cavern was huge. There was a small waterfall that poured into a clear pool at one end. The floor was hard and level.
They agreed it was a good place to rest. They were both exhausted from hacking through stubborn foliage all night, not to mention the fight with the manticores. They rummaged around in their packs. Angel had a dry ice thermos filled with blood. Buffy had beef jerky, crackers and peanut butter. They ate and stretched out on the hard floor. Buffy snuggled up against Angel, pillowing her head against his chest. He used his pack as pillow. Buffy had brought a blanket. She sighed. Her last thought was there's no way I'll actually fall asleep on this hard floor.
Angel smiled down at Buffy, sleeping deeply. Her soft breathing had become a lullaby for him to sleep too. He couldn't remember how he had once tolerated sleeping without the soft whoosh of her breathing or the deep thump of her heart.
*
*
*
Buffy woke with a groan. Her entire body ached, whether from sleeping on the ground or fighting the jungle, she wasn't sure. It was impossible to tell what time it was in the cavern. Angel was sitting just outside the bluish glow of their lantern. He rose and walked over to her when he noticed she was awake. He held a stack of peanut butter crackers out for her.
"I made you breakfast." He grinned. "Not much of one, I know. I promise you waffles with strawberries and whipped cream when we get home."
"Mmm, I'll eat these and pretend." Buffy said.
She wolfed down the crackers, not realizing how hungry she had been and drank a bottle of water. She looked longingly at the small pool. "Do we have time?" She indicated the pool.
Angel nodded.
"Good. I want to lather rinse and repeat until manticore blood, jungle sweat and cave dust is all gone."
"Would this lather rinse and repeat involve you without clothes?" Angel asked mischievously.
"Why, yes, yes I believe it would." Buffy said coyly. *
*
There were 3 tunnels branching off the main cavern. Thankfully, they were all big enough for Angel to walk though.
"So, which one do we take?" Buffy said, regarding the three tunnels.
Angel stepped to the opening of each and sniffed. "Its odd tunnels one and three smell like a cave, damp earthy, cave like. I can't smell anything from tunnel two."
"I vote for the less stinky tunnel, personally." Buffy said.
Angel shook his head. "It's not normal. It's not that tunnel two is less stinky. There's a complete absence of smell. Stay here, I'm going to walk a few feet in and check it out."
Angel disappeared into the tunnel for a few minutes. He returned shaking his head. "There's no smell, there's no sound, yet the floor is covered in water. There should be the sound of water dripping."
"Deep water?" Buffy asked.
Angel shook his head, "An inch, maybe two at the most."
"That's it, Angel. That's our tunnel. The first dream I had. The floor of the Bronze was covered in water. The second dream I had the old lady and I were walking on water. Also, the waterfall in my dream had no sound."
"I don't like it." Angel persisted.
"Well I'm prophecy dream girl and I say we take tunnel 2. Besides, 2 dreams, tunnel 2." Buffy said, forging ahead before Angel could protest.
She wasn't sure how far they'd gone. There were moments she was sure they had walked miles and yet it seemed the opening to the tunnel was just a few yards away. The tunnel was odd. There was no smell, no sound; even their feet didn't make noise. It had widened out into a cave about a hundred yards across.
"Angel, shouldn't be there be an echo?" Buffy said, listening closely for one.
"You would think, but there's nothing normal about this tunnel."
Buffy raised her voice slightly, testing her theory. "Hello,"
There was no echoing response back. "That was loud enough. There should have been an echo." She said resolutely.
There was a roar, the first sound they had heard the cave make. Buffy paled. Angel took a deep, unnecessary breathe and raised his ax in a defensive stance.
"I guess I got my answer, wasn't really the one I was looking for though." Buffy said quietly as she stood behind Angel, her sword raised.
They advanced forward, slowly. Angel took note of everything around them. The ceiling was peppered with crystal stalactites. The floor littered with groupings of sharp stalagmites. They weren't ideal fighting grounds, but if the roar they heard was any indication, something was getting closer.
"Spread out. I only hear one roar, two of us. We should be ok." Angel said.
A gout of flame shot from the same direction the roar had come from.
"Uhm, Angel, ever hear of speaking to soon? Possible running might be an option right now." Buffy said.
Angel shook his head. "No, this is our tunnel. We're not going to get anything but pretty rock formations and cave dust from the other two. Be ready, here it comes."
Buffy liked it when the locales were wrong about legends. She liked it when mothers made up nightmare monsters to keep their kids out of caves or to scare them into doing their chores. She hated it when those legends turned out to be all too real, like the two-headed fire breathing, scaled dragon in front of them.
For a moment they seemed to study each other. The dragon was an incredible creature to behold. It was at least twenty feet tall. Its scales were shining obsidian black. Its heads were horned, sleek and full of needle sharp teeth. Fire licked the nostrils. It took a breath.
"Buffy, down!" Angel screamed.
She rolled just in time to avoid the column of flame that shot out of head number one. She could feel the heat licking at her boots. She rolled to her feet, sword in hand. "You know, this just ridiculous, I buy a new pair boots, some demon with something to prove trashes them. I'm really getting sick of it."
"Buffy, now might not be-" Angel stopped mid sentence. The dragon had paused, looking at Buffy with amazement that this slip of a creature hadn't fainted upon sight of it.
That hesitation was what Buffy had been hoping for. She charged forward, quicker then the dragon could track, and jumped as high as possible, using her sword as a camming device. She drove the sword into the dragon's chest. It roared in protest and shot flame. Using the sword for leverage, Buffy climbed higher, pulling the sword out and plunging it back in where she needed a handhold, until she'd reached its back and the base of its necks.
Angel had a good idea of what she was up to and she was going to need his help. The dragon was distracted with Buffy using it for a rock climbing expedition. Angel backed up, giving himself as much room as possible, using his vampiric abilities he was able to jump and grab hold of the spiky mane that went the length of both the dragon's necks.
Buffy looked down from her climbing spot just slightly above and one neck over from Angel. "Nice of you to join me, I think its good when couples do things together."
He chuckled. He'd always taken Buffy's fighting banter for granted in Sunnydale. He hadn't realized how much he missed it. The dragon thrashed wildly, taking quite an exception to being used as a rock wall. It shot flame all over the cave, trying to find a way to get to them. Buffy was nearly tossed from her perch, but Angel caught her wrist. She dangled dangerously a moment before she managed to get a good grip on the dragon's neck again.
Once they'd both made it to the top of the dragon's neck, Buffy looked over and nodded at Angel. Buffy drove her sword straight through the base of the dragon's skull and through its throat. She tumbled almost twenty feet to the hard ground when the dragon's first head and neck collapsed without a sound.
Angel bit the ax deeply into the base of the dragon's other skull. He didn't have the advantage of 5 feet of steel to kill the creature instantly as Buffy had. The dragon thrashed with its dying throes. Angel flew through the air, closely followed by a spout of flame, and landed, impaled through the stomach by a stalagmite.
"Angel!" Buffy got up and stumbled toward him. The dragon let out a final roaring scream and fell to the ground. The entire cave shook. "Oh, God, Angel." The blood stained his white long sleeved tee. Buffy remembered all the dreams she'd had of Angel's blood leaking through his shirts after she'd sent him to hell.
"Buffy, help me get off this, but slowly." Angel's voice was tight and controlled with pain.
Buffy bit her lower lip and nodded, blinking back tears. She had to help Angel and she couldn't if she was crying mess. She got underneath his shoulders and slowly levered his body up off the stalagmites. As gently as she could, she drug him to a smoother part of the cave floor and laid him down. Buffy rummaged through their packs and came up with her blanket. She placed one end underneath Angel and pressed the other end to his abdomen. The blood quickly soaked through the blanket. Her hands and fingers were soon covered in it. Buffy pushed herself away from Angel and retched at the sight of so much of his blood on her hands.
"Buffy, I'll heal." He needed her to keep her wits about her, in case something came looking for the dragon.
Buffy nodded and rejoined Angel at his side. The blood was already drying, crusting the blanket to his skin and forming a bandage of sorts. She got Angel's dry ice thermos from his pack and shook it. There wasn't much blood in it, if he drank it now there would be no blood for the trip back. Buffy shook her head. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it. He needed blood to heal. She'd feed him, herself on the way back if she had to.
"Come on, Angel, take slow little sips. It'll speed up your healing." She helped him sit up, propping his body against her own.
He finished the thermos and leaned back against her. "Just need to rest." He said. His voice was weak.
The cave shimmered and the tunnel the dragon had come through disappeared. In its place was a temple carved from the solid rock of the cave. The guardian woman stood on the temple steps. She beckoned Buffy.
"Angel, do you see her?"
Angel nodded. "Old woman, yeah."
"Can you stand?" Buffy asked, already helping him to his feet. They hobbled up the temple steps and inside. Buffy eased Angel down to an intricately tiled floor. There was a fountain inside and an altar to gods long forgotten. The guardian woman sat down on the floor beside Angel. Buffy held supported his head and shoulders.
"You said you don't exist on this plane of existence." Buffy said to the woman.
The woman chuckled softly. "It's you who doesn't exist on this plane. It's the only one I still exist on." The woman peeled the blanket away from Angel's wound. She eased his shirt up, exposing bare flesh with a nasty impalement wound. She clucked to herself. "This might tingle a bit, my dear." The woman said as she pressed her hands to the wound. Angel gasped in pain. The wound glowed red and then begin to close up. Soon all that remained was a red spot. "Stay down, you're going to be weak for awhile yet." The woman instructed. She then sat back on her heels.
"I've been expecting you two."
"Then why didn't you tell your guard dog to let us pass." Buffy said, her anger rising.
The woman just smiled and shook her head. "I had to know if you were worthy, if you were the fated warriors that have been written about since the beginning of time."
"Fated warriors?" Buffy asked.
The woman nodded, as if Buffy should know exactly what she was talking about.
"Ok, rewind. Last time I saw you, you told me you were a guardian and you'd forged the scythe."
The woman nodded, still reluctant to give up her secrets.
"Caleb breaks your neck and you decide to play games with Angel and I for fun?" Buffy said.
The woman smiled again and shook her head. "These aren't games, child, Buffy wasn't it?" Buffy nodded and the woman continued. "This is where we hid. The village was ours long before it was anyone else's. When it was swallowed, by the same evil you fought, we returned, to wait. Deep within this temple are all the treasures Khan and your Mr. Giles have told you about, but we didn't put them here. The men after us did. That's why we had to hide it and make use of the dragon and the manticores. We couldn't risk being found. It has been foretold since before the forging of the scythe that two fated warriors would come, a vampire with a soul and a slayer. The Guardians did not think it could ever happen. After all, even if a vampire ever did possess a soul, it was sure the watchers would make certain a slayer never fell in love with him."
The Guardian woman looked from Angel to Buffy. She saw the love between the two. "Do you know what a miracle your love is?" She looked at Buffy, "You are destined to fight creatures like him. Everything in your makeup screams to kill him, your blood, your instincts, and your mind. Yet your soul and your heart love him." The woman nodded her understanding and turned her gaze to Angel. "Since the first slayer, vampires have had reason to fear. She is your only natural enemy left upon this earth. The demon in you rebels every time you touch her. It screams for you to work its will, feed, kill, before she kills you. Yet your beautiful soul knows that before it was born in Liam, a part of it was split off and that part is in her."
"Because of those things, the watchers dismissed the prophecies. The Guardians were not so foolish, but we were lax. We believed the book of the Guardian, scribed in this temple, would be safe. There had been precautions taken. A spell had been cast over the book. Anyone who tried to translate it, understand it, would over time lose their mind. A pair of spectacles had been crafted of magic that would allow one to read the book and understand what was written. The Guardians thought this would be enough. In the 12th century an explorer found our temple. He ransacked it, taking the book and many of the treasures within. He killed some of our order. It was after this that the dragon and the manticores were put into place."
"The book was hidden again, buried under a church." Buffy said.
The Guardian woman nodded. "A scholar got his hands on the book. He attempted to read it and thus we found that the spell on the book still held. A nun, thinking it was the work of the devil, buried the book on holy ground. There it stayed, until you discovered it a few months ago."
"Can we get these spectacles or can you remove the spell so that we can use the information in this book?" Angel asked. His strength seemed to be coming back. His voice was stronger and he was sitting up on his own.
The woman shook her head. "Sadly, no. The spectacles were crushed coincidently by the same man who stole the book."
"Then this was for nothing? The jungle, the manticores, the dragon, Angel getting impaled. It was all for nothing?" Buffy asked, rage coloring her voice again.
"No, it was not for nothing. Ask your questions." The woman said.
Angel took a deep breath. "A friend, he thinks the book contains information about the shanshu prophecy. I'd like to know what it says."
The woman smiled. "The shanshu prophecy is but a small part of the prophecy regarding the fated warriors, the prophecy that has existed since the beginning of time." The woman smiled warmly at Buffy. "I told you this in your dream."
"The key?" Buffy asked.
The woman nodded.
"But I don't understand. Is there a key Angel needs to get?"
"He already has it. It has been his since before his soul was born."
Buffy wrinkled her brow, reviewing her dream and the woman's words. "Me?"
The woman nodded. "You are the key. If Angel goes into the final battle without you, he will die a vampire's death. If you fight beside him, the final battle will be won, although not without losses, and the vampire with a soul will live to die."
Angel struggled with the woman's words. He and Buffy had been prophesied from the beginning of time in a prophecy these guardian women had kept as secret as Buffy's scythe. He had put his shanshu, his humanity, in danger so many times because of a foolish notion that Buffy would be happier without him, the man she was fated to love.
The woman smiled again. "It is a lot to take in, I know. Sleep. When you awaken it will be dark outside and you can begin your journey back." The woman stood and walked away, into an unseen room in the back of the temple.
Buffy tucked herself under Angel's arm. They both felt an inexplicable weariness come over them. Somehow it felt safe here, the way it feels in Angel's arms, Buffy thought. There was no need to post a watch. There would be no demons, no manticores and no dragons to disturb their sleep. Despite the thoughts racing in their minds, Buffy and Angel both drifted off to sleep with soft smiles upon their faces.
*
*
*
*Not quite the end!