Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are copyright Joss Whedon. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters, such as Naoikientan (Nah-Kean-Tune), are the property of Celgress.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Four AU - Corruption: Episode Two

By

Celgress

"You'll never be good enough."

"You'll always be second best."

"You're unworthy of the title."

"You're trash. You'll always be trash."

"You're a liar, a thief, a murderer!"

"You don't deserve the power you were given! You never did!

"You should die for your crimes! You don't deserve life! You deserve only this living death!"

"Stop it, stop it please stop it!" screamed Faith Lehane, crouched down on the misty ground her hands over her ears. "Leave me alone! Do you hear me!? Leave me alone!"

The voices, the voices, the voices they had been tormenting her ever since she found herself in this terrible place. Surrounded on all sides by a thick, pea soup fog Faith had wondered directionless lost through this featureless landscape who knows how long. Her only companion the voices. Intermediately they would come teasing, ridiculing, demeaning, condemning her. Always they would remain just tantalizingly out of reach. The moment she'd reach the spot where her ears told her a voice had originated it would abruptly stop. This cessation of words was usually followed by pearls of faraway echoing laughter.

"Make it stop, please I can't take it anymore. I'll do anything. I swear, just make it stop" Faith pleaded, now standing yet still covering her ears.

"Poor lost creature" said an unfamiliar voice, a voice that sounded like smooth, liquid darkness which was suddenly given speech. "Unsure of who, or what, you are. If you seek salvation from this unending torment, take my hand."

Out of the fog the well-manicured hand of a man appeared. Not wishing to remain in this strange netherworld a second longer than she must Faith grasped the outstretched hand with all of her strength. With a mighty effort Faith's mysterious new benefactor pulled her free.

Sunnydale Hospital mid-July afternoon

Faith's eyes flew open. At long, long, long last she was alive again. Jumping out of the bed her first impulse was to find Buffy Anne Summers and tear B a new one. Her thoughts of immediate vengeance were cut off by a now familiar voice.

"Now, now that will not do at all"

Whirling around Faith was confronted by a tall man wearing an ornate black robe. The man's face was obscured in deep shadows beneath a heavy hood. The only thing visible were two fiery red eyes. The renegade Slayer took a long look first at the obvious vampire in front of her and then at the bright sunlight that was streaming in through the open windows, much of it falling on his exposed clawed hands. Faith did a double take. There was no smoking, no burning, no sizzling even. What in the blue hell is going on.

"Y-you can't be here now" Faith offered weakly.

"Yet I am" The Robed Figure gloated.

"This isn't, shouldn't be, possible" Faith stammered.

"For me, all things are possible" countered the Robed Figure.

Faith took a swing at the mysterious day walking vampire who had revived her. She was instantly rewarded with a terrible pain that wracked her entire being. Falling to the cold tile floor she convulsed in agony.

"We are forever linked now, Faith Lehane, you and I" the Robed Figure proclaimed. "Unless I decide the link should be severed. For your own shake. Pray I never make such a decision."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Faith groaned, using the bed to life herself up off the floor. A few stray tears ran down her face. Never before had any pain made her cry since she was a child, such was the intensity of the anguish she felt during her failed attempt against the vampire.

Now the crux of it" The Robed Figure said, rubbing his clawed hands. "I used a fraction of my own deeper aura, my magical essence, in bringing you back. As a result we are linked, your life force my magical essence. If anything should happen which disrupts this link, you will lapse back into the condition I first found you in. If you attempt to cause harm or betray me in any way you shall suffer the worst agony imaginable. Following the recent incident, I'm confident you've learned that particular lesson. The more sudden the break the the more dire the consequences my dear, If I am terminated you will most certainly die. I also possess the ability to voluntarily terminate our link at any time I see fit, as I mentioned before, once again the consequence of such an action being your likely demise. You will henceforth be my dark acolyte. You will obey my orders without question, without hesitation. If you play a part in my successful campaign against the one true Slayer, Buffy Summers, you will be handsomely reward. If you in anyway contribute to my failure you will wish I had left you rotting in that coma. I am known by the name Naoikientan. You may call me master. Do we understand each other, my dear?"

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Faith knelt before her new dark master. "I will do whatever you want, my master. I ask only one thing in return. I wish to be the one who kills Buffy Summer's friends Xander, Willow and most of all that pompous ass her Watcher Giles."

"Very well, your thirst for vengeance shall be quenched" Naoikientan said, placing one clawed hand on Faith's forehand. "Darkness shadows your heart. Your soul is already tainted with hatred. When this is over I foresee, at my hands, a powerful vampiress you will become. You may rise my dark acolyte, we must go now." Naoikientan removed his hand from Faith's brow. Instead he used it to help her up. All the while Faith grinned like a cheshire cat at her new master. Soon the two had vanished in a flash of sickly, pale green light.

To Be Continued