Title: Good Morning Sunshine
Author: Wicked R
Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy owns the characters. I'm just playing with them and with some events too.
Universe: before "Conversations with Dead People", season 7 BtVS, before "Rain of Fire", season 4 AtS.
Genre: General, Glimpse (the genre suggests a brief or incomplete view; an inkling, so don't expect a proper ending!)
Rating: G
Summary: For a glimpse? Buffy is looking for the Pearl of Judgment in Pylea.
Pairing: S/B, A/C sorta.
Note: English is not my first language, so be kind.
"The council clearly assigned you as being responsible for bringing the relic back. It is meant to help with some upcoming big evil. Now, we are aware of one person who is here in our world from that dimension, who could maybe provide us with some clues. His name is Lorne, well known as The Host. He stays in LA…according to our sources he now lives in a hotel called Hyperion…" grimaced uncomfortably Giles. As he only got odd looks from Buffy and Willow, he continued, "he is a good friend of Angel."
"You think he will have an idea where the Pearl of Judgment is?" asked the Slayer.
"Well, I don't have any other ideas how to search for it…"
Buffy didn't expect that much from a simple phone call. She didn't just got to speak to Lorne, she found out about all the legends regarding the Pearl of Judgement that circled around Pylea. Above that, Angel could provide her with the necessary tools to open a portal to Pylea. And he's been there once already, so he can be her guide. No one said it will be easy to recover the artefact, but at least she had a good start.
They were waiting for her and Spike in the hotel lobby, the green endogenous demon, Cordelia and Angel. Given their previous experience, Angel was pretty sure he could keep the Angel beast under control, especially that Lorne knew where to find the artefact. He wasn't as hard to get convinced to go either as he had been the last time. Although still quite acting like a chicken, he now felt part of this team of champions, who always did for the welfare of the world what was required at the time. No matter what. Such as Angel and Buffy having to meet up. Both in other relationships since, nevertheless they were equally sure it will still stir up some emotion. Feelings, that are best left repressed. Cordelia was in fact more worried about Angel coming in contact with Buffy again; her relationship with Angel was messed up as it was. That was one of the reasons she quickly said yes to going along to Pylea when Lorne figured it would be fairly advantageous to have the princess around.
Connor and Wesley were going to hold the fronts in LA, if necessary. Fred and Gunn were on standby to join Buffy's group to Pylea, if needed. Not that Fred didn't still freak out of even hearing of other dimensions, but Pylea, even with the unpleasant memories, was one she knew, one she learnt how to survive in. And she had her friends. The exact friends for whom she would not hesitate to dimension hop again.
As it was quite awkward to chat around with the old gang, Buffy suggested they get moving and open that portal. So they agreed to fill her in with the details on the way. Angel asked for some time to get "properly dressed" and with that Angel and Cordelia headed upstairs. Buffy didn't understand why they would need to change. Angel was wearing his normal black outfit, which fit him off the rack. Hugo Boss shirt, Gucci duster, his usual Helmut Lang boots. Maybe he didn't want to ruin the designer clothes? As for Cordelia's wardrobe, Buffy secretly wished she would have her taste. As a Slayer, she hardly had time for shopping.
She voiced her confusion, asking if she needed to know about some special outfit people wore in Pylea.
"No, the worse the better," she heard from the top of the stairs as Angel disappeared somewhere upstairs. She didn't even want to contemplate the idea that Angel was making negative comments about her clothes with that.
A good half an hour passed before Cordelia ascended. She wore a tight lilac dress with a crown. The gear was transparent as if she hardly had any clothes at all. Much like Xena without the armour. Lorne went to meet her at the bottom of the steps holding out his hand for her as they came down the last couple of steps, "there you go princess, we better get into character here, if I may suggest Your Majesty."
"And what character would that be?" expressed Buffy's contemplations Spike.
"Cordelia was chosen as the Princess of all Pyleans."
"You are still scarce in English, green man. You mean she was selected as the beauty queen."
"No, I mean she was chosen as the Princess, the ruler. A person who has general authority over others? And I know English Pudding."
"That is why we need her," explained the ascending Angel, "Lorne, the book. Say it." He was dressed in blue jeans with a short-sleeved white cotton shirt.
"Krv Drpglr pwlz chkwrt strplmt dwghzn prqlrzn lffrmtplzt!" Lorne read from a book. White spots of brightness developed and united to form a portal, while Angel was pushing the flabbergasted Buffy and Spike through it.
The millisecond Buffy realised it was daylight the other side, she run back, trying to shove a terrified Spike back through the portal, just as it shut behind Angel. Spike tried to be as small as possible to fit under his duster, until he looked at Angel.
He smiled, leisurely putting his sunglasses on.
The End.
