Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Note: I've got like three cases to brief, so much work to do, but here's an update for ya. Might not be as many this weekend, but I'll do the best I can. Also, I'm combining seasons 6 and 7 because I'm not a big fan of the Evil Trio and there's so much more stuff to work with regarding the First Evil. So, for the sake of my sanity, the events in season seven are just going to happen one year earlier.

Previously:

Taking a deep breath, Kara moved forward. She stepped into the portal, the powerful energy seeming to tear her body apart for a moment. Closing her eyes from the pain, she felt a warm current take hold of her body, pushing her forward. Then everything was gone. When Kara opened her eyes again, she was standing in a large room, ornately furnished with a roaring fire in a fireplace against the far wall.

"We've been waiting for you."

Chapter Twenty-Five:

"That was good," Buffy said, helping her sister to her feet. "But next time, maybe try less with the squealing, more with the staking."

"I don't know, B. I think it works for her. You've got the puns and Dawn has the frightened teenage girl shriek that makes all vampires temporarily deaf, dumb, and blind," Faith joked, lighting up a cigarette as she sat on a crumbling gravestone.

It was nearing midnight and the sky was darker than usual, with thick clouds covering the moon. Faith looked up into the sky and shivered slightly.

"We should get back home. Someone starts school tomorrow," Buffy said, smiling as Dawn groaned.

"Whose bright idea was it to build the high school directly over top the ruins of the old high school, which was oh so successful?" Dawn whined, shoving her stake in her pocket. For only her second night out on patrol, she had done amazing well, staking her third vampire that evening.

"You got me," Buffy answered, wrapping her jacket tighter around her body. A cold wind had picked up, effectively sweeping in fall.

"Heading home then?" Faith asked, hopping off the headstone and stomping out her cigarette as Buffy walked over to her, linking her arm with the dark slayer's.

"Might as well. Wasn't too much going on tonight anyway," Buffy said as the three women began walking toward the cemetery gates. Ahead of them, Buffy could see the outline of a dark figure, hands in its pockets, seemingly waiting. "Slow up, Dawn," Buffy said, reaching a hand out and placing it on Dawn's shoulder. "You see that?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, looking back at Buffy and Faith. "Vampire?"

"No," Faith said almost immediately. Though her vampire sense weren't as developed as Buffy's, she could tell right away that the figure was something else entirely. "It's something else."

"Come on," Buffy said, her walk turning predatory as she pulled her stake out of her jacket and advanced. Faith followed closely behind her, stake in hand as well, with Dawn practically tripping on her heels.

"Let's make this easy," Buffy yelled as they approached the figure, who stood only a few yards away, but was still encompassed in darkness. "Come out into the light."

The figure stepped forward, the light of the streetlamp by the cemetery gates illuminating his face. Faith froze, every muscle in her body tense. Her eyes narrowed and she prepared to lunge forward, but Buffy placed a hand on her arm, halting her. "Miss me?" Riley asked, grinning widely.

"You know"- Buffy started, but was instantly cut off by a low growl to her left. Turning, she saw Dawn leap forward, charging at Riley. Bringing her fist back, she swung as hard as she could. But where her fist should have connected with his face, all she felt was air and she stumbled forward, passing through Riley altogether.

"Holy shit," Faith muttered, watching Dawn tumble to the grass as the momentum of her missed punch propelled her forward.

"You're a ghost?" Buffy asked, shocked and a bit angry with her sister.

"Not exactly," Riley said, stepping closer. Dawn cautiously stood, watching him from behind.

Suddenly the figure began to blur, its molecules rearranging into a new face – Jesse. Buffy blanched, staring into the eyes of Willow and Xander's dead best friend, one of the first people she had failed to save. "From beneath you it devours," he said, and then he was gone.

............................................

"From beneath you it devours," a voice boomed out, shaking the room as Kara stood, waiting for the Powers to reveal themselves.
"I know that phrase," Kara said, half whispering. "I've heard it before."

"Of course, it's the mantra of the First Evil," a gentler voice said, from behind her. Spinning around, Kara saw a woman step out of the shadows. She was dressed in a flowing white robe, her dark hair bound up, loose strands cascading around her face. Kara couldn't quite place her age. Though her appearance was that of youthful, vibrant, and beautiful woman, there was a depth of wisdom behind her eyes that exceeded the bounds of time.

"You're one of the Powers?" Kara asked, watching as the woman approached.

"Yes. I have no name as you would know, but call me Veronica," Veronica said, smiling warmly. "Please sit."

Kara did as she was instructed, Veronica sitting across from her. "You called me here," Kara stated expectantly.

"Yes, we did. When we sent you back here, we had hoped that by saving Buffy, you would prevent the First Evil from rising. However, there was a complication," Veronica said. "You were not meant to go back."

"What do you mean? You sent me there," Kara said in confusion.

"Yes, we did. We had hoped that you and your ally would slip through the cracks, but we were wrong. In sending you back, we altered the line of slayers, like Buffy did when she was resurrected."

"So the First Evil will still come?"

"Yes, it will, only much sooner. It's in Sunnydale already, spreading seeds of doubt and mistrust. I fear this alters things, the tide of events. I can no longer say what will happen there, or how it is you will defeat it," Veronica said, her voice low and sad, almost defeated. "You must contact the Watcher's Council at once."

"What if they won't listen?" Kara asked.

"Then contact the Coven. They have ties within the Council. There are two factions, constantly at war. Quentin Travers is in control now, but only so long as his opposition does not feel compelled to remove him. The Coven can be very persuasive," Veronica hinted, leaning back in the chair.

"What about Sunnydale? How are we supposed to stop the First without destroying the entire town?"

"That, my dear, is why we called you. We cannot go there ourselves. You must be our emissary," Veronica stood, moving around in front of Kara, and kneeling. Taking Kara's hand in hers, she placed her other hand against Kara's temple. "Close your eyes," she instructed. Kara acquiesced, her eyes fluttering shut. A long moment passed and Kara wondered what was happening. Then a blinding pain stuck her and everything turned white.