"Cloaked figures?" Buffy asked, her face scrunched up and in contemplation.
Harmony inclined her head. "Yeah, isn't weird?" Her face turned dreamlike, "I kinda feel like a celebrity." Buffy stared down at her coffee. Guys in cloaks. Chasing after one insignificant vampire? It hardly made any sense. It could be a rogue cult looking for a sacrifice. However, it was one thing if they were chasing after a much more threatening demon, or even a high ranked vampire, but Harmony? If they went so far for an empty headed girl like her, then something must be going on.
The slayer looked up at the ditsy vampire. "Hey Harm?" The girl snapped out of her fantasy, "Yeah?" Harmony, as idiotic as always, has still been around for the last fifty years, unlike Buffy. Surely she would know of any major changes since then.
"Why do you think this has anything to do with me?"
Harmony looked down, a frightened expression crossing her features. She seemed to be indecisive about whether she wanted to answer or not. She absentmindedly sip at her coffee, trying to buy time. Buffy waited silently, antsy to hear what she had to say. Though, the slayers' patience was slowly chipping away. Harmony continued to sip at her beverage, the slurping noise growing louder and more annoying. Buffy slammed her fist onto the coffee table, causing the vampire to spit out her drink onto the new carpet.
"Harm!" The pink clad woman flinched, and threw her arms over her face. "I'm sorry! I'm too pretty to die!"
Buffy sighed, a familiar feeling of home passed through her. How odd. Since when did someone like Harmony make her feel at home? Buffy dismissed those last few seconds of insanity altogether. She probably was just missing the old Sunnydale days and Harmony's little visit made her feel nostalgic. No more, no less. Buffy turned her head to the newly brandish stain in her carpet. Whatever. She'll clean it after the moron left.
"Forget it, just tell me what I want." Buffy said bitterly. Harmony tried to sink into the chair even more. After a sharp look from the slayer, she exhaled heavily and peered out the window that viewed the awe of city life.
"Willow came to me." Buffy inhaled sharply, but sat back for her to proceed. The vampire paused, before beginning her tale.
"During the last two hundred years I was doing hardly anything of interest. I guess after Spike rejected me for you, I just had to burn off some steam. But about four weeks ago she came to me. Of all people, you think she would have gone to someone she could trust...but whatever. Anyway have you seen her? She was all dark and evil with the witch stuff."
Buffy rolled her eyes and motioned for the girl to not get distracted.
"Right. Anyway she told me that she was going to die soon, and that I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about it until she was already gone. When I asked her what any of this petty crap had to do with me she told me to shut up. God, rude much?" She paused, "She told me to run to you cause I was gonna be targeted, or something. I didn't listen, and ended up getting chased by those badly dressed assholes! That's all I know, and that's why I'm here."
Buffy gaped at the shortness of the story. She covered her face with her hands and inwardly screamed. If that was it, then why was she acting all soul-searchy and aloof? Was it just to act pretentious? Buffy inhaled deeply, trying to retain her composure. Harmony always made her grumpy and pissed off.
The real question was, why would Willow want to protect Harmony? The witch should have left more details for Buffy to work with, otherwise what's the point of telling the vampiress anything? It didn't make any logical sense, it's equivalent to having the wrong pieces to a puzzle. Willow has something to do with these new enemies, so I should probably visit her grave tomorrow morning to brush up on some evidence.
Buffy had nearly forgotten Harmony was there, when the grating voice broke her train of thought. "Can I stay at your place tonight?" The slayer looked up hotly, not taking kindly to the idea at all.
"What?" Buffy growled.
"Well, I can't go out there with those crazy monsters after me!" Harm shrilly expressed. The slayer grumbled, not wanting to have this conversation. The vampire continued anyway, "I already called for some guys to bring my luggage, and you need me!" She stuck her tongue out at Buffy childishly. Dammit. She's not going away is she?
Nope.
"Okay, here are the rules," Buffy spoke in a commanding tone. "Stay out of my way, and out of my business." Harmony almost gulped, as she listened to the deadly woman clad in undergarments bark the house rules. To Buffy's utter dismay, Harmony had planned to stay in the apartment until this whole thing was blown over. To finish shortly, it resulted in much yelling and arguments until the apartment manager personally came to the door to tell them to shut up.
Eventually, the slayer begrudgingly allowed the opposite female to stay. Who knew how long this arrangement was going to be, and Buffy could only fear the amount of headaches she would be getting from the vampire.
After Harmony settled in her new room, the other decided to explore some recent media. After all, Buffy had just regained her freedom nearly three weeks ago. A great deal can happen in just fifty years. Apparently, after much browsing through the internet, Hatsune Miku became a representative of Japan, World War III ended with Germany telling everyone to calm down, and the president of the United States was now a literal void of darkness. Standards must be low if they don't even try to fool the public anymore.
Buffy's thoughts drifted to the days of her imprisonment. Everything was such a clear haze, if that makes any sense. The day she was captured by Willow would always remain crystal clear in her memory forever. She should have seen coming too. Even then, Buffy was aware that the witch was on the brink of insanity. I suppose I was just far too tired to care, still mourning my family I suppose. It was all too much. And Spike... And Ruby...
It must have been raining. Why else would her vision get so blurry. Reaching up to her face, Buffy could feel salty wetness cascading down her cheeks. Astonished by her own weakness, wiped away the bitterness and tried not to think of the past. It would be best to not think of Spike or Ruby. It hurt too much.
It's best to do what she always does. Stay alive and fight the stains of the world. It was becoming more difficult with each year that passes by to differentiate what was good and evil. I wonder what I shall do, when I admit that to save the world, you would to destroy it. I guess that all things would end with me. Buffy emitted a deep breath of sorrow. Standing up, she glanced out the window, and retired to her bedroom.
The corridors would not stop. They twisted and turned in all directions, trying to trip up Elizabeth. Still, she continued on, refusing to stop at the hands of the sorceress. Her stoic expression and red unfeeling eyes pierced through the darkness. Until she found two grand doors, marking her next prey. Slowly and calmly, she opened said doors to a quaint home.
The house was of normal middle class for the twentieth century. On Elizabeth's right was a dining room, in the middle were stairs to the second floor, and to the left a reasonable sized living room. She walked into the room where a large window overlooked the night drenched neighborhood. Within that very room were the familiar faces of Joyce and Dawn. Despite this, Elizabeth gave no hint that she even recognized these two humans.
"Oh Buffy, I was wondering when you'd be back." Joyce expressed cheerfully, a cup of tea in her hand. Dawn beamed up at Elizabeth, "Were you and Riley out again?" she raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Oh Dawn stop it." Joyce giggled, trying to sound stern. Elizabeth leered at the two women, retracting her partner from her belt. She stepped toward Dawn, as they smiled and laughed. "I bet you'll be steamed to hear that Spike was over today." Dawn jabbed, and the girl stood to reach eye level with her sister. Elizabeth looked coldly at the younger sibling.
"Hey Buffy, I had fun today at the park."
Nothing more was uttered by the fourteen year old, as Elizabeth's knife slid across her throat so deep, it nearly decapitated her. Dawn fell into a bloody heap, jerking and spurting grotesquely. Looking up, she saw the mother merely smile at her only child. "My, look at how you've grown." Elizabeth stepped over the body, and made her way to Joyce.
Standing in front of her mother, she gazed down with bloody red eyes. Joyce grinned sullenly, "You even have your father's eyes." Raising the blade in the air, Elizabeth swung down and perforated her heart. She rotated the knife and wretched it up to Joyce's neck. Her mother's blood coated the furniture, and the tea a long forgotten mess on the rug. Joyce sputtered and hacked, her eyes losing its former light.
After what seemed like eons, her body went limp, and her face as cold as it had been on that day. Elizabeth withdrew her blade, which was now the color of a beautiful rose. Turning, she walked out of the room, heading for the back door. As quietly as she entered, the woman exited the silent house.
Buffy awoke abruptly, clothes stuck to her skin. She leaned over, shivering at the memory. Feeling gross and sweaty, she shakily got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
She carefully and quietly closed the door behind her. Buffy reluctantly looked in the mirror. Staring back at her, was a dark shadow with two eyes holes that emitted a deep red. In the background were jagged teeth, and hanging limbs. It's just as Buffy feared. Still shuddering from her nightmare, she washed her face and left the washroom. The slayer headed to the kitchen, not willing to return to her lonely bed.
When she turned on the light, she almost jumped out of her skin to see Harmony. With all the shit that has happened tonight, Buffy nearly forgot about the vampiress. Harm examined Buffy's shaken form, not understanding this side of her. She expected a snippy remark or even a glare from the slayer, but instead she got a tired, "You can't sleep either?"
Still wary of Buffy not being a bitch to her, Harmony simply nodded. No words were needed and the slayer began to brew some fresh coffee. As they sat at the table silently, Harmony was the first to initiate conversation. "I only brought a few packs of blood." She didn't really know how to proceed and she waited for Buffy to respond. Buffy raised an eyebrow of surprise. She stood up and poured the beverage into two mugs.
"That's quite a step for you Harm," She announced, handing one mug to the vampire. "One would've thought that you would try to continue feeding off of people." Before Harmony could respond, Buffy smiled slyly, "I like it, it's unpredictable." Harm could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. It's been awhile since she's received a genuine compliment, it was a strange sensation. Not that she minded.