A/N: Sorry my first chapter was sooo short... I just had to get it done and out of the way. Now that I did that, I can work on Chapter 2. This one will be longer, I promise!! R&R!!
Chapter 2 : The World Behind The Veil
Buffy stared at the man who called himself Sirius Black. She giggled and put her hands to her side.
"Seriously?" The black haired man gave a soft chuckle and nodded, then took a step towards the young blonde girl before him. She looked pretty beat up. A large gash was across her forhead, deep crimson blood trickled along her brow, and she was bruised beyong belief.
"Yes. Sirius. What, may I ask, is your name?" Buffy hesitated, and gave a lingering sigh. "Buffy Summers. You don't seem like the evil type to me." She said observing Sirius carefully. He raised an eyebrow.
"And why not? Maybe I am evil." Buffy shook her head defiantly. "Nope. If you were evil I would have sensed it. So... Sirius. Where are we?"
Buffy gave a quick look around the grand expanse of purples and grey. It seemed so ... empty. Lifeless. Sirius followed her gaze around the dreadful world he had been forced to live in for the past three years. To him, it seemed like months, not years, but he would not tell this new girl that yet.
She was the only person to have entered the Land behind The Veil since Sirius had arrived, and he wasn't about to scare her off by telling her that he was an escaped convict charged with murder. It suddenly dawned on him, that this girl, Buffy, had not recognized him or flinched at his name.
Buffy turned her gaze back onto Sirius, who looked deep in thought. He looked like he was almost brooding. Angel would be very impressed.
"So..." She started shrugging. Sirius put one hand behind his back and clasped the other with it. "So, Miss Summers, you have entered The Realm Behind the Veil. That's what I call it at least. I don't think it has a proper name. Your the first person I've seen in months. Actually, the only person."
A small frown tugged at Buffy's lips and she tilted her head the side, causing cascades of blonde locks to tumble over her shoulders.
"The Veil? What viel? I came here through a big whole of swirly light... not a viel."
Sirius' expression of confusion soon matched Buffy's. They both looked at eachother for a moment before Sirius broke the uncomfortable silence that swept over them.
"You mean, you didn't come from the dais? In The Ministry?"
Buffy quirked an eyebrow at this new man and shook her head dumbly. "Come from the what in the where?"
Sirius swallowed and put a hand beneath his chin, beginning to pace along the murky grey swamp-like earth beneath them. "The Ministry? Of Magic?"
"Are British people always so cryptic and confusing? I mean, my old Watcher was British and he was really confusing. He always used big words like 'frivelous' and 'pompous' but ... hey, wait! There's a ministry of magic?" She asked, as if hearing his words for the first time.
Sirius nodded, forcing back his smile at her babbling. Watcher. Watcher... it rang somewhere. He knew of it. "Your Watcher?" He questioned reluctantly. Buffy's eyes grew wide.
"Oops. Uh.. I meant... Catcher. Not Watcher. No not catcher. Batcher? Wait no..." Sirius looked apprehensive.
"You are she, are you not?"
"She who? She me? Usually I'm a she. I mean I am a she..." Buffy babbled trying to cover up her stupid mistake but it didn't seem to be working. Buffy noticed that also and took a deep breath. Sirius finally came to understand and took a step closer, causing the blonde girl to step back.
"Your her. Your the Slayer." He looked fascinated, his eyes swept over her in awe, his mouth open but Sirius said nothing.
"Technically, a Slayer." Buffy looked at the swampy ground once again, biting her bottom lip. How did this man know of Slayers and Watchers?
"But- how?" He choked out in a soft whisper, still in a daze. "The only way that a new Slayer is chosen is if one dies..."
"... another is chosen." Buffy continued for him, looking up into his crystal blue eyes. Sirius' eyes grew even wider and for a moment, Buffy thought they might pop out of socket. Stuttering, Sirius finally understood.
Buffy gave an innocent sheepish look that resembled one of a young child. "It was only for a minute..."
Sirius gulped and took another step forward, but this time, Buffy did not retreat. She stood still, waiting for him to say something. Sirius opened his mouth but quickly closed it, and then opened it again.
"Do I need to throw you back into the water Mr.Guppie?" She asked sweetly in a girlish tone that went well with her innocent face. Sirius quickly realized he resembled that of a fish out of water.
"Yes indeed. I'm sorry. It's just... I knew they were real, studied them and all that rubbish, but I never thought- I never imagined I'd meet one. So... powerful."
Buffy sighed irritabley and shook her head. "You people are all the-- wait. Did you say 'studied'? As in with books and pens and notes and pictures and stuff?"
Suddenly, Buffy became highly intrigued in what Sirius Black had to say. She took a seat down on the misty ground, Sirius following her example and sitting indian style across from her.
"Studying. Yes. I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a long while back." At Buffy's blank expression he pursed his lips together. Buffy blinked and just stared back at him.
"There's a school for magic? Oh if only Willow knew. She'd go crazy!"
Buffy suddenly became washed up in her memories. She remember when Willow had first started learning witchcraft. Simple spells like levitating pencils, feathers, silly things like that. Willow always had been big with the magicks after that.
Flashback
Buffy paced the room nervously, deep in thought. Giles stood before her holding a small pile of papers, scanning them over carefully. Willow stood beside Buffy with her hands together behind her back looking very sheepish.
Giles came to a realization. "Um, well, this, um..." He seemed lost for words. "...certainly points the way, but...the ritual itself requires a greater knowledge of the black arts thatn I, I, I can claim."
Willow took a step closer and knew she was about to get her head bitten off. "Well, I've been going through her files and, and researching the black arts for fun, or educational fun..." She corrected at Giles' look of disapproval. "...and I may be able to work this."
Giles shook his head becoming very concerned. It burned in his eyes. "W-Willow...channeling...such potent magicks through yourself could open a door that you may not be able to close."
Buffy, coming out of her daze, looked up. All she could think about was getting Angel back and how this could be the way to do it. She knew Giles was having an awful time with the death of Jenny Calendar, but Buffy also knew that if she could save Angel, she would try.
"I don't want you putting yourself in any danger, Will." Buffy said slowly looking at her red headed friend.
Willow looked apprehensive and held up her hands and shook her head. "And I don't want danger. Big 'no' to danger, but I may be the best person to do this."
End Flashback
Sirius was calling her name. "Buffy. Buffy!" She shook her head and came back from her memories. Sirius raised a dark eyebrow. "You alright then?"
"Huh?" Buffy asked, not quite back yet. She then nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, fine, sorry."
"You were mumbling about dangers and rituals. Are you sure your alright?" Sirius had a strong English accent that reminded Buffy imensley of Giles and she smiled at the thought of the man who had treated her as a daughter.
"Fine. I am, really." Sirius, still not completley convinced, nodded reluctantly and slid back on the ground where he was before.
"Anyway. Hogwarts. Yes uh, very grand school, I must say. One of the best. My godson, Harry, would have just graduated last year. But ... he thinks I'm dead. They all think I'm dead." His eyes suddenly focused on the shimmering lavender past Buffy's shoulder, and a deep saddened look crossed his eyes.
Buffy took a few moments to contemplate what this meant. "D- Does this mean that, that my friends? And people back home...that they think.." Her words wouldn't come out. They choked her throat with a threatening sob that Buffy refused to release. "..that I'm dead?"
Sirius, slowly nodded. "Most likely. No sense in denying it. How did you get here?"
Thinking Buffy gave a low, heartless chuckle and stared at the grey below her. She closed her eyes tightly.
Flashback
Buffy swung the large troll hammer at Glory, who had blood trickling down her nose. "Stop it!" She yelled, staggering back from the previous hit.
Raising the troll hammer again, Buffy smirked. "Your a god. Make it stop."
Dawn stared at Buffy and shook her head. Buffy looked at her sister incredulously, holding Dawn by her upper arms. "Go!"
Dawn shook her head and looked beyond Buffy at something much bigger.
"Buffy, it's started." Slowly, Buffy turned. Sure enough, a small portal of flashing lights was erupting, growing larger.
With eyes full of tears, Dawn stared Buffy straight on. Her voice thick with truth. "You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood."
Buffy looked down at her sister's stomach where the small slash was, the dark liquid seeping through the dress gown Glory had made her wear.
Spike looked at Buffy and the rest of the group like they were stupid, then rolled his eyes. "Cause it's always got to be blood."
Dawn stared at Buffy with wide eyes, in understanding, Buffy turned and looked at Dawn, smiling softly. A look of peace on her soft milky face.
"Buffy... no!" She shouted.
"Dawnie, I have to." Dawn shook her head angrily.
"No!"
Buffy shook her sister lightly and calmed her. "Listen to me, please. There's not alot of time, listen..."
And with a swan dive, she swam into the ocean of lightening and horror, the portal that filled the sky. This was it. This was what she was meant to do.
End Flashback
Buffy looked up at Sirius, with his long black hair and felt hot tears burn her eyelids. She struggled to fight them off, refusing to let them fall, but failed, allowing one solitary tear to trail her cheek.
