| Title - Sunnyhell. Series - Doppelganger series, part 3. Author - Don't make eye contact E-mail - [email protected] Disclaimer - These characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. I have simply used the characters for fun. Rating - 17 I think. I am really bad at judging that kind of thing. Spoilers - up to Doppelgangland. Mostly just the Wish. Summary - Attempting to save Willow�s soul Buffy travels to the Wishverse. Sunnyhell Chaos ruled. Vampires were everywhere, feeding off frightened humans. Some of the freed prisoners were attacking, working together to stake some vampires. In the centre of it all was the vampire slayer, preparing to face the Master. Buffy appeared in the factory as the fight got into full swing. She could see Vampires and humans everywhere. Her arm was suddenly grabbed and she turned and saw a scarred and confused Oz. He looked at Willow in her arms and opened his mouth to ask a question but then Buffy saw herself. A tough and ruthless looking Buffy but it was definitely her. She thrust Willows unconscious form into Oz�s arms and said �Keep her safe.� She felt certain that whatever reality she was in, she could count on Oz. Buffy was pushing her way through the crowd when she saw the Master. He was smaller than she remembered but in her mind he was everything she feared. He was the vampire who�d beaten her, killed her. She saw her other self attack him and the almost casual ease with which he swatted the stake out of her hand. The master swung her round and with one easy movement snapped her neck. At the last second Buffy�s other self saw Buffy rushing forward and Buffy saw the pain in her eyes for a second before the light died. Buffy felt something enter herself, the power she felt was incredible. The Master hadn�t seen her. He was too busy enjoying the sensation of killing a slayer and she pulled a stake from her belt and threw it into him with all her strength. The Stake almost splintered into pieces as it slammed into the rock hard skin of the supreme vampire but with the force Buffy had thrown it with it slammed home. The Master looked at her with astonishment in his eyes. �You�re dead� he said with an almost laughable confusion. �You�ve got to work on a new line.� Buffy relished the look of defeat in his face. When she had killed him before she hadn�t seen his face as he died. The rest of the vampires in the room froze as the Master gradually dissolved into dust. Leaving only his bones. Buffy glanced round the room at the other vampires, shocked at the death of their lord. She gave a vicious grin and raised the crossbow. They scattered, pushing for the exits. Buffy found she recognised a lot of them as vampires she had fought and killed. She picked off a couple with her crossbow but they were running away too quickly for her to get more. They were terrified of her. Soon all that were left were humans. Buffy knelt by her body. She thought she had got over her own death at the hands of the master but seeing her body there like that, the head lolling at a weird angle was too much to bear. She reached over and closed her eyes. For a moment the fear and rage threatened to engulf her but she remembered why she was here. Willow. Focus on Willow. She looked over to Oz and saw that he had placed her on the ground and was checking her pulse. He didn�t have much of an expression but Buffy knew Oz well enough to see the slight furrowing of brow that meant confusion. He looked up as she walked over. �Now I know that 5 minutes ago this girl was a vampire and now she�s not.� She couldn�t help but smile at him. �It�s a long story.� �Who are you?� �I�m Buffy. I�m the vampire slayer.� �And who�s that?� He indicated the corpse near the bones of the master. Buffy didn�t have to look �that�s me too, like I said it�s a long story.� �I think that�s a story I�d like to hear.� �I agree but right now we have to find a man called Giles. I think we�re going to need his help.� �I�ll take you to him. What are we going to do with those?� Buffy walked over to the Masters bones; she stamped on his skull and looked over at the rest of the crowd. �Think you guys can take care of the rest?� The prisoners who had been treated like cattle converged upon the skeleton. She knelt down by her dead self and touched the scar across the corpses lips; she looked around at the other corpses. �Oz, what will happen to all the bodies?� �We�ll come back in the morning for them.� Buffy nodded, she noticed some keys in the other Buffy�s pocket and took them. She stood back up, took Willow from Oz and they set off to Giles's house. Outside the factory Buffy easily found the car that her other self had drove, it was battered and old. Buffy looked inside it and found only a small bag. She took the bag and followed Oz. * * * * * After Giles smashed the Amulet, the demon screamed and disappeared but nothing else seemed to change. He sat down heavily in his chair, his hopes had been so high and nothing had changed. He knew that somewhere there was probably another universe which had been brought back into existence by his actions but echoing Buffy's earlier words to him he still had to live in this one. He poured a scotch and drank it down, stared at the empty glass and then poured another. He was still staring at this when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and found himself facing the Slayer. It took a moment for his mind to catch up with him before he noticed that she looked different. There was no scar, the hair was different, clothes were different. Most of all the look in her eyes was different. Buffy had looked resigned to a life that had taken her through hell and back, but this girl looked brighter, more innocent and strangest of all, happy to see him. Giles looked down at the girl she was carrying and recognised her. One drink really wasn�t enough. Oz moved forward �round here we have a custom that you never get invited in. If you can�t walk into a house on your own then you�re not welcome anyway.� Buffy entered the house and gently laid the girl that Giles was sure was a vampire on the couch. Oz followed her in quietly nodding at Giles's nervous checking that Larry had survived the night. �Before you launch into what is sure to be a very interesting explanation for exactly what is going on could I offer you some tea?� Buffy smiled broadly �still the same old Giles, whatever reality we�re in, tea would be nice.� Giles returned shortly with the tea and Buffy started to explain. * * * * * Some questioning and interruptions revealed to her that it was Giles himself who had smashed Anyanka�s amulet, and having already researched the subject he didn�t need it explained in great depth. Mostly they were interested in their alternate selves. Giles was quite pleased to discover that he was doing very well as Buffy�s watcher. She had decided early on to tip toe round the whole expelled from the order of watchers aspect of his recent past. They were interrupted by the dawn. Willow began to stir and Giles quickly moved over and picked her up. �If what you say about this girl is true and she has no soul then we will have to imprison her until we can decide what to do.� He started to carry her up the stairs. Buffy followed close behind. �Where are you going to put her?� �I don�t know what the situation is in your reality but here, Oz there is a werewolf and for three nights around the full moon he changes and has to be locked up.� �It�s the same in my reality, but there we use the book cage in the library.� Giles nodded in understanding. �We used that too until some vampires decided that they wanted to see what happened when they turned a werewolf. We managed to avoid that but now we need somewhere that vampires can�t get to too easily.� Giles led them into his spare bedroom; set up in the middle of the room was a cage. It looked quite cobbled up, heavy iron girders welded together, but it looked undeniably tough. Giles laid Willow down in the centre of the cage and locked it as he left. He looked back at Buffy. �Now that it�s day I want to go to the factory so we can collect and incinerate our dead.� �You cremate everybody?� Giles gave a small, bitter smile. �Just think of it as another quaint local custom, if someone has been turned then they hardly ever come back after being immolated.� �Hardly ever?� �Well never actually. Look it�s not a job I relish and it is one I would rather get over with quickly so if it is alright with you I would like to continue our discussion upon our return. If you stay here and keep an eye on...� He paused as he glanced back at Willow; Buffy caught a rare glimpse of hatred in his eyes �her, then I would be most grateful.� �Was she really that evil?� �I think we should discuss that later.� Giles left and Buffy sat in the armchair that was the only piece of furniture in the room. She realised that Giles must keep vigils over Oz as Willow had done. Willow was still unconscious so Buffy looked through the bag that her other self had had. It was mostly weapons but there were a few items of interest. A small photo collection contained mostly pictures of Joyce and Hank Summers but there were a couple of a dour faced old man with a huge black beard and a scar running down the entirety of one side of his face. Buffy could only assume that this was the other Buffy�s watcher. There was also a ring that Buffy recognised as her mother�s wedding ring. The meagre collection was finished off with a leather bound book, which she discovered was a diary. Buffy felt guilty opening the book but it was easy to rationalise it so she was quickly flipping through it. * * * * * Dec1, �98 I�ve decided to start writing a diary again. I know its dangerous after what happened last time but I need somewhere to put my thoughts down and work stuff out. My life seems to go by so quickly. I need to be able to sort it out. Wynstay�s sent me off to Boston. His contacts have got a lead on the rogue Kulik demon that attacked me last summer. He�s discovered the demon�s name is Horson and like most Kuliks he is powerful and arrogant. Apparently he is trying to reassemble some ancient sword that belonged to an angel and was divided because it was too dangerous. He has the blade and handle already but needs the crosspiece and the pommel. The pommel is in Boston in the possession of a vampire called Albert. So I kill the vamp and get the piece. Evil demons plan foiled. End of story. Albert hangs around in a club called the Escape. Boston isn�t particularly vamp heavy, too close to the Huntsman�s headquarters, so this one shouldn�t be too hard to spot. * * * * * When Giles and Oz returned with Larry, Willow had calmed down a bit. When she had woken up she had shouted and screamed but now she seemed to be more the old Willow. Buffy couldn�t help but feel that she was simply trying a different tack to get out of the cage. Buffy left Willow in the cage and joined them downstairs. They were soon discussing the differences between their worlds again. At first it was quite a happy conversation but soon as they continued to compare their separate universes the topic turned to Willow. Buffy had known that she was evil in this dimension but she hadn�t quite realised how bad it had been. Xander and Willow had been the Master�s right hand, his most vicious disciples. In Buffy�s world Willow and Xander had helped a great deal fighting vampires and had shown immense bravery, skill and determination. Here the same attributes combined with vampiric strength and speed meant that they were deadly foes. Everyone there had lost someone to the pair. Jenny Calendar had been killed when Willow had discovered that she was trying to restore the Master's soul. Oz�s parents had been gathered by Xander for the harvest. Larry�s boyfriend had been turned by Willow and then sent after him. Larry had been forced to stake him. Buffy tried to make them see that the girl upstairs was not the same person who had done those things, but the emotions were too deep seated to be easily forgotten and anyway as Oz pointed out �the Willow from our reality did those things after losing her soul and the Willow here may not be a vampire but if she doesn�t have a soul isn�t she going to be the same?� �That�s why I need your help. If we can do the soul restoration spell then she�ll be a normal girl again. Good, not evil.� Giles took off his glasses and wiped them absent-mindedly. �I think that all of us have spent enough time with Angel to see your point but I am afraid that the soul restoration spell wouldn�t work in this instance.� The world seemed to crack and shatter around Buffy at Giles words. �What? Why not?� �It�s intended for a vampire. The thessalan orb is for rituals of the undead. The whole spell is a curse designed to torment the demon in the vampire. It simply wouldn�t work on a human.� �Well we can change it, make it so it is aimed at humans.� Giles looked at her pityingly. �I�m afraid not. I�m sorry Buffy.� �Aren�t you even going to try?� �I have done a great deal of research on these spells. I needed to know as much about them as possible before I would trust Angel and I know that it would only work on vampires.� Buffy was angry but she tried to keep herself calm. She knew that Giles would try if there was even a chance. �There has to be something we can do.� Her voice quavered as she failed to repress the emotions within her. �I can�t think of any precedents. I am afraid it may be impossible.� �But that�s what we do, we face impossible odds and we beat them. If we work together then we can beat this; we can get her back.� �Buffy you may have to accept that . . .� �That what?� Buffy was shouting now, making no effort to hide her anguish. �That the woman I love is gone forever? I will never accept that and if you won�t help me then I�ll find someone who will.� She turned to go but Giles grabbed her arm. �Buffy, I didn�t say that we wouldn�t help. We will do everything that we can. I just wanted to prepare you.� Buffy wiped her eyes, pulled herself together and forced a smile. �Where do we start?� �We start with getting some sleep and then when we are more rested then we will begin our research. I�ll make up a bed on the couch and you can take my bed.� �That�s ok, I�ll take the chair upstairs.� Buffy walked slowly upstairs. Oz murmured to Larry �I never expected the slayer to be so emotional.� �What did you think she would be like?� �I don�t know, just more professional.� * * * * * Dec 2 �98 The Escape is your typical teen hangout. I remember when I used to hang out in places like that but now if I�m not working I�m training. It�s hard but it�s a hard world. I have to be ready. It was a noisy place, lots of distractions, very bad for combat. Fatboy slim song about demons was pounding out of speakers at the front. I had been given a general description of Albert, pretty normal looking. Only distinguishing features are a scar across his knuckles and an inability to realise that medallions just aren�t sexy and I have a sneaking suspicion never were. I was checking near the bar when a guy came up to me, he gave me some old line like �not seen you here before� or something like that. I told him to get lost and turned away. If the scar doesn�t put people off then the attitude normally works but this guy just wouldn�t give it up and when I just ignored him he actually grabbed my arm. I punched him in the gut and I couldn�t help but smile when he went down, retching. I started to walk away but this girl stepped in front of me. She was gorgeous looking, dark hair just past her shoulders, full lips. She seemed to exude this easy sensuality. �You know I have to ask, do you do that to anyone who tries to talk to you?� �Only the ones that wont take a hint.� The girl stepped back and blatantly looked me up and down. Men I could handle but I wasn�t used to women checking me out. �You must get a lot of that.� �No, not really. Not since...� It seemed easier just to gesture at my scar rather than explain. She just reached out and touched my lips where they had been cut across. Her eyes looked intent, she seemed fascinated by it. When her fingers touched me I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment it seemed the most sensual thing in the world. The world came back in to focus and I stepped away from her. I just said �I�ve got to go� and walked off. At that point I saw a guy with a big silver medallion, he had his arm round some jailbait and I got a glimpse of one hand and saw the scar across it. I pulled out the picture of the pommel and I realised that he was actually wearing it as his medallion. This guy was too stupid to live. He was taking the girl out to the back alley so I followed close behind and when they got outside he showed his vamp face to the girl. He obviously liked to see fear. I kicked him in the face to get him away from her and told her to run as I laid into the vamp. He wasn�t the pushover he looked like and defended himself well. A lucky punch got through my defences and I staggered back. I heard a �hey� and the girl from inside who'd hit on me grabbed him from behind, to pull him away from me. He backhanded her and she staggered back into a wall and collapsed unconscious. The distraction was all I needed though. I swept his feet from under him and put a stake to his chest before he could jump up again. I grabbed the pommel off the chain he had it on and the fight went out of him. �You were selling this to Horson, where and when?� �If I tell you, you�ve got to swear to let me live.� �I swear on my honour as a slayer.� �Ok. We were going to meet outside the back of a bar called the Fatted Calf, midnight tomorrow.� I dusted him and put away the pommel. I was about to leave when I saw the girl lying there. There was a rat sniffing around her foot, I kicked it away. My watcher has told me again and again that we are fighting a war and I shouldn�t get involved with people. I guess I�m not a very good slayer because I couldn�t help but pick her up and carry her back to the motel I had rented for the night. She�s still asleep as I�m writing this, I�ll just have to get rid of her quickly when she wakes up. * * * * * �Ah ha!� Everyone turned around at Giles's exclamation. �I�ve got it; we were right to search into resurrection rather than just soul restoration. Looks like I�m really getting into the swing of being a watcher again.� He paused and looked into the expectant faces around him and realised he still hadn�t told them what he�d found. �I was looking into the older legends and I came across a manuscript that detailed the story of Orpheus. This was a copy of a version quite likely penned by Orpheus himself, the language would be about right and I checked the authenticity by..� �Giles, we trust you, get to the point.� Larry couldn�t help but smile at Buffy�s words. That was normally his line. �Well, quite. Now I�m sure that you all know the legend of Orpheus.� Buffy hesitantly put up her hand. �Did they make a Disney film of it?� �No, I don�t believe they have, why?� �Well in that case I don�t know the story.� Giles sighed, kids today, If there�s not a film about it they don�t want to know. �Orpheus was the son of Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, and Calliope, a muse. You do know what a muse is?� Buffy nodded hesitantly then shook her head. �It doesn�t really matter. Orpheus was meant to marry a girl called Eurydice but on the day of their marriage she was bitten by a snake and killed. According to this story, he was able to save her body, he was the son of a god after all, but her soul had already gone. His father had no influence in the underworld so Orpheus travelled there himself. He used a sprig of mistletoe to pay the boatman Charon to take him across the rivers Styx and then used his music to calm the guard dog Cerberus. He reached the centre of the underworld and begged the God of the dead to release her soul. He sang a song to him that showed the God Hades the depth and strength of his love for Euridice and the God agreed to release her soul.� �So he got her back?� Buffy interrupted. Giles glanced up at her briefly before continuing. �There was a catch. The God said that Orpheus had to walk back the route he had taken, back out of the underworld and the spirit of Eurydice would follow him out. If he turned back and looked for her or spoke to her then she would never be released and be trapped in the underworld. Orpheus agreed but as he was walking back, doubts overcame him and tortured him. He felt like he was being made a fool of and tricked, he became convinced that she wasn�t there following him so he looked back and lost her forever.� �What an idiot, he did all that just to mess up right at the end.� �Well, yes, in Greek tragedies the heroes have a tragic flaw, one that destroys everything that they have accomplished. It appears to be the same in their myths. Mostly the flaw seems to be pride.� �Do you think that this is something I could do? Go and find Willow's soul and bring it back?� �Ordinarily I would dismiss it out of hand but you have a device to travel dimensions. It could possibly be used to journey to the underworld. It would be problematic at best but I can�t see any alternative at the moment.� Giles looked thoughtful for a moment and then looked back at the manuscript. �If we can work out how to find the soul then that should bring you to the right place. I suspect you will still need to pay the boatman with mistletoe, hardly rare at this time of year, and get past Cerberus.� �I can get past a guard dog.� �Cerberus is a massive three-headed dog.� �I can get past it.� �Well, after that the only problem would be convincing Hades to let her go.� �Would I have to sing?� �Oh no, I think that the song in the story was really just a way of Orpheus expressing his love. That is the major problem.� �But I do love Willow.� �I am sure that you think you do, but you�re young. You would be risking your life and soul on this. If you aren�t completely pure in your love for her then I fear you wouldn�t return.� �I am pure in my love.� Buffy stated it factually, looking at Giles and daring him to deny it. �Buffy, just take some time to think about it. We will work on a spell to locate her soul and fetch the other ingredients necessary. Just try and think clearly.� Buffy walked up to the room where Willow was. Willow was awake and angry at being left alone. �Buffy, why can�t you accept that I�m finally happy as I am? I don�t need a soul.� �You�ll die without one. Sooner or later some demon will possess you and you�ll be as good as dead.� �Better dead than like I was before, repressed, scared. It took this to get me to admit that I wanted you. Don�t you want me to want you?� �Of course I do.� �Then let me go. We can go away from everyone. We won�t have to worry about what they think.� �It would be wonderful. Until the next time someone annoyed you and you gutted them.� The conversation carried on much the same. Buffy tried to stay calm and rational. She wanted so much to let Willow out and hold her in her arms. She wanted so much to touch her. But this wasn�t her Willow. Buffy left the room and found a quiet corner to think. What was it she loved about Willow? Was it her body? Her sensuality? Buffy couldn�t help admit that these all added to her feelings but in her heart it was Willow�s tenderness, her kindness, her unconditional love that made Buffy love her so much. All of these things found their root in Willow's soul. It was Willow�s soul that she loved. It was Willow's soul she connected with and it was the connection they had that mattered more than anything else. * * * * * Dec 3rd �98 The girl woke up eventually. There didn�t appear to be any lasting damage. She wanted to know where she was. The panicked awakening seemed a far cry from the confident woman I had met last night. Now I could see she was a far more vulnerable girl than she tried to show people. I told her I had wanted to make sure she was Ok and now she was she should go. She just looked at me. �Wow, I�ve never met someone who wanted me out of her bed so quickly.� �Look I�m trying to be nice about this.� �I just thought that... forget it.� She got up and walked to the door, I don�t know what made me ask �what�s your name?� �Faith.� She said not turning round. �My name�s Buffy. Look, I�ll see you around ok?� She turned around and looked at me again like she just couldn�t figure me out. At the time I couldn�t figure myself out. Why hadn�t I just let her leave? What the hell was I thinking? Then she walked over to me and kissed me. She kissed with her whole body, her hands were gripping my hips and moving up to my waist, her breasts were pressed against mine. I�ve never been kissed like that before. I just let it happen, I couldn�t help myself. She pushed me back against the wall and pulled her head back but I grabbed her head and pulled her back to me. I started to kiss her back. She pulled herself back again and took off her clothes. She looked so fantastic naked, I just forgot about everything and just stared at her. She was grinning and started to pull off my clothes. I helped and soon we were both naked. We started to kiss again and it was so incredible with our naked bodies rubbing against each other, I was running my hands all over her, touching the curve of her back, her hips, her ass, everything about her was so perfect. We moved over to the bed and lay down; she pushed me onto my back and started to kiss down my body. I almost passed out from the sensual pleasure of her kissing my neck but then she started kissing my breasts and sucking on my nipples and I started moaning out loud. Then she was kissing down my belly and the anticipation was almost agony but then she started to kiss between my legs. I�ve never been given an orgasm by anyone else, Since I became the slayer I�ve never let anyone get close to me. When Faith made love to me it was incredible like all the repressed desire bursting out of me. Afterwards I just lay there shaking with the power of it. She was just looking at me in amazement. I just grabbed her head and kissed her, I realised I was crying but I couldn�t help it. I hugged Faith and she seemed uncertain but then relaxed into it and we lay like that for a while just holding onto each other. After a while I laid her back and made love to her. I can�t describe how amazing this day has been. I just wanted to spend forever touching every inch of her body. Now she�s asleep again, I wanted to write this down while it was perfectly fresh in my mind. Whatever else happens I want to remember today forever. * * * * * Buffy mentally prepared herself for the road ahead. When Willow had found out what she was going to do she was mad. She screamed and shouted that she loved Buffy and not to go. It killed Buffy to leave her like that but she had to. Giles had revealed that the other spells and ingredients were very simple. A sacred circle, some of Willow's saliva and some blood in a sealed glass container that would point the way towards Willow's soul. Buffy could use the necklace to follow the light. Giles gave her the mistletoe for the boatman and Oz, who had a surprisingly thorough knowledge of chemistry, helped her to increase the potency of the tranquilliser until it was so strong that it would be fatal to any normal human but hopefully enough for a three headed dog. Giles knew that a trip like that would depend upon Buffy�s expectations for how she would experience it, so he made very sure not to let her consider that she would face anything other than what Orpheus had, otherwise who knew what she would have come up against. Finally there was nothing else to prepare. Buffy stood alone in the circle, holding the glass jar like a lantern. Her stomach was turning from fear; doubt was gnawing at her. What would she face? Could she overcome the odds yet again? She was walking into hell. But it was worth it. She took a deep breath and once again stepped into the unknown. The air shimmered around her and Buffy stepped into a wide tunnel, it was dark and stank of death. It sloped gradually down and the beam from the jar shone down it so Buffy followed it. The air was getting colder and colder the further down she went. Buffy guessed she had been walking a mile or so before the tunnel came to an abrupt stop at the top of a steep cliff, the cavern that opened out was massive and she couldn�t see it stopping in any direction. Flowing through it was a river, pitch black and flowing strongly. Buffy guessed that this was the Styx. There were steps cut roughly into the cliff face so Buffy had no hesitation in clambering down. When she got there, there was a beach of pale sand and waiting at the edge of the river was a wooden, gondola style boat. Standing at one end holding a long pole was a figure wrapped in a shabby black robe that completely concealed whoever was inside. Buffy hesitantly approached the figure. �Are you Sharon?� �I am Charon. The boatman.� The voice was quiet and subdued but Buffy could hear him pronouncing the �C�. �Will you ferry me across the river? I have some mistletoe.� She fumbled in her bag and brought it out. It was a bit crumpled and the boatman cocked his head on one side and then reached out and took it. �The price of a journey for the living is a sprig of mistletoe.� He seemed to be a bit dubious but tucked it into his robes. Buffy stepped into the boat and Charon pushed off. The journey was over almost immediately. She just looked around and the boat was grounding on the opposite bank. She got out of the boat and thanked him but the Boatman was already pushing off. Buffy could hear the low growling of dogs close ahead. She sneaked up to the entrance of the cave at the edge of the beach. She could see three sets of glowing red eyes. The beam from the jar pointed into the cave, illuminating a massive dog. It was about 10 foot tall and built of muscle and teeth. The three heads were all focused on the cave entrance and Buffy was sure that Cerberus knew that she was there. She took out the tranquilliser gun from her pack and aimed at where she thought the body was. The guard dog sprang forward. Buffy got one shot off and then was buried under the dog, she could barely breathe and thought she was dead until she realised the dog wasn�t moving. It took all of her slayer strength to push Cerberus off her. At first she thought she had killed it but she knelt and touched one of the throats of the dog and felt a pulse. Relieved, she started off again. The path was stranger now, the cave opened out and Buffy�s path led onto a thin walkway along the side. Below were scenes of torment. A man trying desperately to reach up to the grapes above him or down to the water he was standing in, but both pulled out of his way as he did. Another man seemed to be pushing a boulder up a hill, as Buffy watched it got to almost the top and then he slipped and it tumbled back to the bottom. There were numerous other scenes. Too many for her to take in. She pushed on, and after several miles of scenes of physical and psychological torture the cavern opened up even further and there was just a crowd of the dead. Buffy saw the light from the jar beaming into the distance and so she pushed through. The stench of the dead was awful but at least they seemed content to ignore her. As she got closer to the middle of the chamber she saw that there was a raised up area with two thrones upon it. As she got closer still she saw that there were figures sitting on the throne. Buffy didn�t need anyone to tell her that these two figures would be Hades and his Queen. Fear almost paralysed her as the enormity of what she was doing hit her but she thought of Willow and made her way towards the Gods. * * * * * Dec 4th �98 As Faith was sleeping I saw a scar on her shoulder. When she woke I asked how she had got it. She made up some lame explanation but when I asked what the real reason was she clammed up. She turned away but I could see that she needed it so I told her who had given me my scar. She turned back and looked in my eyes as I told how my mother had gone insane, I said insane because I didn�t want to have to explain about vampires, and tried to kill me and had cut my face before I was forced to Kill her. I had been through a lot since then but the memory always brings tears to my eye. When I had finished she started her own story. Her father had died years ago and her mother had remarried, her stepfather was the one who had given her the scar. Most nights he would beat her. The scar had been when he had thrown her into a mirror. I won�t go into the things he did. He never raped her but he hurt her in every other way possible. Some nights he would take all the bullets but one out of his gun, spin the chamber, point it at her and pull the trigger. She had been lucky so far if you can call it lucky but eventually he would kill her. Slayers aren�t supposed to kill humans, since I don�t consider this piece of shit to be human then I guess that works out ok. I didn�t try to say anything, what would be the point. I just hugged her and stroked her hair. It was then that I saw that the time was 11.30. I had no time to waste. I got up and threw on my clothes. I made some garbled excuse about having agreed to meet someone at midnight and rushed out. It only occurred to me afterwards that she didn�t even know I would be back but I had no time. As it turns out the bloody demon is late anyway. I have been staking out this ally for an hour now and he hasn�t shown. I�ll have to explain things to Faith later. * * * * * �THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.� Hades Voice boomed and echoed around the room. Buffy had known that he wouldn�t sound like James Woods but she hadn�t expected the raw power of his presence. The living were not meant to go before Gods. �I KNOW OF YOUR KIND, SLAYER. WHY HAVE YOU COME BEFORE ME? DISRUPTED MY REALM AND ATTACKED MY GUARDIAN?� Buffy had faced down demons and vampires so she managed to retain a little calm. �I came to seek out the soul of my beloved, Willow Rosenberg; her soul was taken from her even though she is still alive.� �I KNOW OF WHAT YOU SPEAK, BUT I WILL NOT RELEASE A SOUL IN MY CHARGE. SHE WILL DRINK OF THE RIVER LETHE AND FORGET HER MORTAL LIFE. BE GONE FROM THIS PLACE ERE I DECIDE TO KEEP YOUR SOUL HERE TOO.� �But I have travelled far to get here, like Orpheus. My love for her is pure. Please you have to . . .� �I HAVE TO DO NOTHING� the God interrupted. �We should hear her out, my husband.� For the first time Buffy turned her attention the woman sitting on the other throne. Buffy didn�t know of the story of Persephone but she could tell that this woman had more of a human touch rather than the distance of a God. �Open up your heart to me child, if your love is pure as you say� Buffy felt a probing into her consciousness and made herself drop her guards, it was hard to do but Persephone helped her gently. Buffy fell into her memories. In an instant she was reliving her first meeting with Willow. Remembering the instant affection for the shy girl, immediately wanting to know her better. She felt herself reliving every day, every moment spent with her. Felt the gradual strengthening of emotion, the deepening of their friendship, caring for her more even than her own lover Angel. She relived the terrible moment when she thought that Willow had been turned into a Vampire and the flood of relief when she turned out to be alive. The acceptance of her love that had come with that feeling. Persephone withdrew from her mind. Buffy realised she was on her knees. Tears of emotion in her eyes. To experience all of that in an instant was almost too much to bear. She was overcome by her love for Willow. She looked up at Persephone and the Queen of the underworld looked into her eyes and then looked at her husband. �VERY WELL. I WILL RELEASE THE SOUL OF WILLOW ROSENBERG TO YOU. HOWEVER THERE ARE RULES THAT EVEN I MAY NOT BREAK. YOU WILL WALK BACK THE WAY YOU CAME. YOU WILL FIND THE ROAD THAT WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO SUNNYDALE. HER SOUL MAY FOLLOW YOU OUT BUT YOU MUST NEITHER SPEAK TO HER NOR LOOK FOR HER. IF YOU LOOK BEHIND YOU THEN SHE WILL RETURN HERE AND REMAIN IN THE SUNLESS LANDS.� Buffy nodded. �Thank you.� �LEAVE NOW.� Buffy staggered off, and with her head still ringing set off on the road home. * * * * * Dec 5th �99 The demon was two hours late. He showed up swaggering as he always did. He looked around for Albert and I sneaked up behind him and rammed my stake into his back. The stake was jarred out of my hand and I realised he was wearing some kind of armour. He turned and smiled at me and shrugging off his trench coat I saw that he was wearing a breastplate. He was also carrying the two pieces of the sword he had. He had connected them and he swung it at me. He was fast as lightening and has always been stronger than me so I jumped back and tried to use the crossbow. A bolt got him in the ear but he was too quick. I changed my tactics and let him thrust the sword at me. I dodged out of the way of the blade and used his own momentum to flip him over grabbing the sword from his grasp. He was up in an instant but I had plenty of time to ram the sword into him. It was a good sword, cut through the armour like butter. As it stuck into him and he started to smoke. But as he exploded into flame I could feel the sword feeding off my energy to make the fire. I tried to let go but it wouldn�t let me. The demon exploded and the sword let itself drop from my grasp and I fell to the floor. It was a long time before I could even get up. I finally managed to stagger back to the motel. Faith wasn�t there when I got back. I realised that she must have gone home. She had told me where she lived generally so I drove over to the area. It was a pretty rundown area. I found the house quickly and sneaked round the back to look in the windows. I heard shouting. I could see Faith in the room then I saw a big muscled man. He looked like a slob and he was shouting at Faith asking her where she�d been. She said something quietly at him that I couldn�t hear and then he punched her in the face. I kicked down the back door and ran into the room. Faith was on the ground and he was kicking her in the stomach. I pulled him back and punched him in the face. He staggered a bit but my strength was still low and he came at me. I was high on adrenalin and laid into him but he just took my punches and hit me back. His fists felt like solid rock and I was soon on the floor, not sure how I got there. I felt his foot impact in my face and he was shouting something I couldn't hear. Then he stopped and stepped away. I looked out. One of my eyes was blinded by the blood flowing into it but I could see Faith standing at the other end of the room holding a gun. She opened up the chamber and let all but one bullet fall out and then snapped it shut and spun the chamber. Faith didn�t say a word just pointed the gun at him. He froze and locked eyes with her. He seemed ready to leap forward. I wanted to scream at her to shoot him but I couldn�t speak. A single bead of sweat ran down his forehead and Faith smiled savagely. �Now who�s afraid?� And then she pulled the trigger. It clicked, empty and he laughed. Then she pulled the trigger again, he started towards her. Then there was a bang and I saw him go down. Blood spurted out of a hole in the back of his neck. I got to my feet and staggered over to her. She dropped the gun and let me lead her away. I somehow managed to get her back to the motel. She was shivering and crying and I wiped away her tears and she looked at me and seemed to see for the first time that I was hurt. We held each other long into the night, never speaking until late on when we made love, passionate and desperate. We kissed and never stopped holding on to each other tightly until we fell asleep. * * * * * The path was easy, a slight incline, rock beneath her feet. She could keep up a good pace for hours. The path was not easy. It was dark and silent and although she could make out the path beneath her feet Buffy couldn�t see ahead of her at all, no hint of the light at the end of the tunnel. She dared not look behind her. For an hour she was full of hope and energy, she had won. She had saved Willows soul. Everything would be all right. After a second hour the elation had dwindled, she had started to think about what had happened and if everything would be all right. Willow would be guilt stricken, she would hate herself. Would she pull herself away from the world? Would she reject everything she had done while she was without a soul? Buffy was trying to sidestep her main concern but in the black silence her thoughts were louder. Nothing could distract her. Would Willow reject Buffy or worse would she accept Buffy reluctantly out of gratitude and hate herself for it? Buffy just couldn�t guess how Willow would act, there wasn�t much in her experience to give her an idea. Angel and now it seemed the vampire Willow wanted to atone for their sins and seek forgiveness but that was after years of evil acts. Willow had done bad things but it wasn�t as black and white as the vampires' situations. They were trying to atone for the acts of the demon they had become, Willow had simply acted without any moral inhibitions. Would she react by repressing her desires even more than she had when Buffy had first met her? Buffy decided after a while that she simply wouldn�t let her. After a while longer she started to wonder if she knew what was best for Willow. Her thoughts drifted back to the day they had met. She had met Willow in the Bronze and told her to seize the day then left her on her own. Willow had almost died that night after seizing the day with a vampire. It wasn�t really her fault though was it? In the dark Buffy found herself less than convincing. She had almost gotten Willow killed on the first day they met, and the trend had continued as well. Four hours had passed, Buffy still couldn�t detect any hint that she was closer to the surface, the temperature remained the same, the light, and even the smell. Willow and the others had made their own choices though. They had decided to help battle the forces of darkness. She had helped Buffy and the rest of the time they had been best friends. It was only looking back that Buffy had realised how few other real friends Willow had had. It wasn�t that people didn�t like her, she would say hi to loads of people and they would come to her for help and even people who didn�t like anyone else seemed to like her. But they weren�t friends, they were just people she knew. Xander had been her only real friend but she hadn�t had a girl friend. Xander had treated her like one of the guys. Buffy had come along and offered friendship, Willow had accepted it because she craved it and they had become close friends almost instantly. Both had needed to reach out to someone. They had had ups and downs in their friendship, everyone has arguments but they had always made up quickly, mostly due to Willow's innate ability to forgive and accept Buffy as who she was. Most of the people around Buffy wanted her to be different. Her mum, Giles, even Xander had wanted more from her. Only Willow loved her the way she was. Then Buffy had run away. She had sent the demon she loved to hell after he had brutalised and tortured her friends. She couldn�t deal with it, she didn�t deal with it for a long time. Even after she gone to hell and regained her will to live she hadn�t dealt with it. She had gone home and Willow didn�t forgive her. Not at first anyway. Willow had avoided her and pretended everything was ok but it wasn�t. She had expected everything to be the same when she returned but she discovered that she had changed their relationship. When things had boiled over and everyone was shouting at her it was Willow�s anger that she couldn�t face. Willow had forgiven her again but Buffy had never truly forgiven herself for leaving Willow. When they had talked about it Willow had let slip that she always felt that nobody really wanted to be around her and Buffy running away had made her believe it. Seven hours had passed, Buffy had rested occasionally but she was getting exhausted. Willow hadn�t wanted her soul back, she had been happier without it. She had been free of the worries and insecurities that bound her all the time and she had allowed the passion that was inside her out. She had let her anger out and attacked Faith but alone in the dark Buffy allowed herself to think that Faith had deserved it. It was a nasty, ugly, unforgiving thought that she would normally stay away from. Buffy couldn�t help but think of her own desire to hurt Faith, to outdo her at everything and kick her face in. The things she had done were terrible, she had betrayed them all and tried to kill Buffy herself. Buffy couldn�t help but that Willow had been justified when she tried to kill Faith, she just hadn�t been acting like Willow. The whole possibility of possession wasn�t too important, they could have found a way round that. It would have been easier than this quest. Eight hours. Buffy couldn�t deny that it had been because she wanted her Willow back. The Willow she loved. The Willow who would accept her as she was and forgive her anything. Above all the Willow who loved her. Without a soul Willow had wanted her, had desired her with an intense lust but there hadn�t been tenderness, love. When they had had sex Willow had acted with a primal need and passion but there hadn�t been love there. Was desire all there was to Willows feelings? Maybe friendship and attraction were all that made up love. Buffy couldn�t think how to argue against that view except that it was wrong. There was more to love than that. Nine hours. Buffy had no idea of the time, she knew she had been walking for hours though. She was just putting one foot in front of the other. There was still no sound, even the sound of her boots hitting the rock path seemed muted. Did Willow love her? Did they have a connection that went beyond friendship, beyond attraction? Why did she want Willows soul back? Why had Orpheus looked? Buffy suddenly knew. He had walked the same route and been trapped with his own thoughts, stripped bare of his own illusions. He had come to realise that he wanted Eurydice back not for her sake or even the sake of love but for his own pride. It was because of this that he had convinced himself she wasn�t following him. That the gods had played a trick. And in the instant where his wounded pride had made him look he had been admitting that his pride was more important that his love. Buffy stopped walking. She had gone to the underworld because she couldn�t stand the thought of losing love again. She had been afraid that Willow didn�t love her and was still afraid but without a soul she would never truly love and it was Buffy�s own fear that was keeping her from facing the future. She was afraid that Willow would reject her, that she didn�t really love her. She was afraid of the hurt the future could hold. Buffy took a deep breath and stepped forward. Light washed over her. She was standing in the cage in Giles house. Willow was standing before her. Light glowed in her eyes and she gasped in agony. Buffy hugged her as the memories of the past few days hit her and Willow sank to her knees and cried. �I love you Willow.� �How can you after what I�ve done?� �It doesn�t matter, I love you and nothing else matters.� �I love you too Buffy.� * * * * * Dec 6th �99 Of course I had to leave her. I had no choice. She was still sleeping when I got up. It wasn�t hard to grab the things I had and sneak out. I didn�t leave a note, I just laid the silver cross that mum gave me before she died on the pillow and slipped away. I made sure that the bill was paid for a few weeks and drove out of town. I only had to stop to cry once. I had no choice but to go. She had pulled herself out of the darkness but if I had stayed with her then the darkness would have come right back and swallowed her up. I wanted her to have a chance at happiness. She couldn�t have that with me. We would have been happy and then I would have died and I know what it is like to have someone you care about die. Everyone I have ever cared about has died. I couldn�t go through that again. I did this for her. She shouldn�t have to get involved with someone who has as low a life expectancy as me. I fight evil and I will die, sooner or later. Wynstay�s told me to go to Sunnydale, an ex watcher there is saying that he needs my help. I might as well go and save the world again. Faith will be fine, she�ll get over me and be happier than if I had stayed. She�ll be happier. * * * * * Buffy set down the diary she had been reading. The last page was stained with tears. A couple of days later the girl writing it had died. She had her neck snapped. Buffy had looked into her eyes and seen only despair. She had died because she had nothing to live for. Buffy looked up as Willow came into the room. She was decked out in a leather outfit in the style of her vamp self. �Ready?� Said the redhead nervously. They had been doing this for a couple of weeks now, since Willow had gotten her soul back. Willow had been using her reputation to scare out the locations of groups of vampires and putting them off their guard and then Buffy, Giles and the rest had swooped in and killed them all. Buffy hadn�t expected it to work at all but the vampires had ruled the town and had a hard time accepting that they didn�t anymore. The town actually seemed safer than her own Sunnydale now but there were still a few nests. Willow was almost ill from stage fright before any raid but when she was performing to the vamps she shone. * * * * * It was like a new town, already people were beginning to walk the streets at night again. Most of the vampires and demons had been killed and the rest hid from the townspeople who knew that they were existed. The time had come for Buffy and Willow to return home. �But we can stay here and help, we don�t have to go.� Giles was adamant. �Buffy, the last thing I want is for you to go. I must admit I have grown very fond of you and Willow but I have to be responsible here. This reality has a slayer, when the other Buffy died a new slayer will have been called. Your reality now has no slayer. Your reality needs you and I am sure that the me there would never forgive me if I didn�t send you back.� �Giles the new slayer, she�s called Kendra.� �How could you know that?� �In my reality I kind of died for a few minutes and a new slayer was called. I came back but now there are two slayers.� �Buffy I am sorry to tell you but Kendra is dead� �What?� �When the Master rose he sent assassins after all the slayers in waiting. I have seen a list of those killed and Kendra was among them� �Poor Kendra. God, that girl just can�t catch a break. What about Faith, have you seen her name on any list?� �Faith? No I don�t believe so.� �When Kendra died, Faith was the new slayer.� �Isn�t that the girl that Willow attacked?� �Yes. She went bad and betrayed us. It doesn�t have to be like that in this reality. If she has someone to reach out to her and love her then things might turn out differently. Also it might help if I�m not around.� �I promise you I will find this girl and give her the chance she needs.� �You might want to try Boston.� Buffy picked up her other self�s diary and passed it to Giles. She took Willow's hand and turned away and then pausing turned back, hugged Giles and then she and Willow vanished. * * * * * Dec 10th 2000 Tara tells me that before you can forgive yourself of your sins, you have to forgive other people. I hated Buffy for a long time for leaving me. When she came into my life it she was like a light that banished away the monsters. She had her own scars physical and emotional and understood mine. We connected. When she left I was in a cold, dark place for a very long time and then Giles found me and showed me that not all guys are sadistic bastards. I pushed him away but he wouldn�t give up on me and in the end I let him pull me out of the dark. I do finally forgive Buffy. She did love me and I can�t blame her for being afraid. Maybe she would have come back in the end. Guess we�ll never know. Maybe I just need to accept that it was her problems that made her leave me. Maybe it�s worth taking a chance with someone new. Sometimes I fear the future. I�ve been hurt a lot and I think that nothing is worth the chance of getting hurt that bad again but then Tara will look at me shyly and I�m not so sure it�s not worth the risk. Maybe Tara is worth the risk. Faith the Vampire Slayer �00 The End Fanfic Home |