Author: eena_angel2001
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Rating: R
Category: BTVS/LOTR crossover
Pairing: Willow/Legolas
Spoilers: Wrecked for BTVS-S6, LOTR movies.
Summary: crossover between Buffy and Lord of the Rings movie
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to any of the characters. Joss Whedon owns BTVS, Tolkien owns LOTR
A/N: Many thanks to my two betas CinnamonGrrl and MsLessa for helping me with this story.
A/N2: This story is now under major revision.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
(Excerpt from the book of the Lost Angel)
The Shadows will menace until the arrival of the Lady Firelight
A warrior sorceress too brilliant to defy,
Brought to set all things right,
Even in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie,
A timeless beauty too strong to fight.
One Lady to aid them, One Lady to guide them,
One Lady to save them and from the darkness free them
To bear to Middle Earth a lasting peace and light.
Chapter One
Standing uncertainly in the doorway, Dawn watched Willow in silence. In sleep, her body on the bed trembled and shifted uncomfortably as if whatever she dreamed troubled her immensely. Dawn watched as the former witch battled with some unknown dilemma in her subconscious. Biting her lip, she took a hesitant step forward, intent on waking her friend from whatever nightmare plagued her. Suddenly, Willow's tossing and turning stopped and the look of confusion left her slumbering face. Within seconds, she was peacefully sleeping once more, as if the nightmare from before never even happened.
Dawn stood frozen for a second, one foot inside the room, breath caught in her throat. Very slowly, she inched her way back to the doorway, not wanting to disturb Willow now that she was finally resting. Dawn knew from experience that sleep was a rare thing for Willow nowadays, but she had thought for certain that the nightmares had stopped a week or two ago.
The young girl stepped out into the hallway, gently shutting the door behind her. She waited for a second, ear pressed against the wood, before she was able to ascertain that Willow was indeed resting. Pushing away from the door, Dawn stood against the hallway wall, watching the closed door thoughtfully.
Was she still angry with Willow? Yeah, a little. It was hard not to be, especially when she thought back to the night Willow's addiction had blown up in their faces. Having your arm broken wasn't a pleasant thing. Having it broken because of someone you love and trust was worse. Never once had anyone ever thought that Willow might be capable of doing what she had that night, and perhaps it was a little bit of everyone's fault for not noticing how bad things had gotten for her. There were signs, so many signs, but no one had paid proper attention to them. Tara's leaving should have opened all their eyes, but somehow they still held to the belief that Willow would persevere.
Dawn scowled, turning down the hallway and stomping her way to the stairwell. She was tired of thinking it over, tired of trying to lay blame. It had happened, and there was nothing to be done about it now. She wasn't anywhere near being okay with what had happened but it was time to move on. It was day . . . forty-four? Something like that . . ., forty odd days without magic and Willow was making progress. The shaking had stopped, and she didn't fidget with that water bottle as much anymore. She was far from being completely healed, but still, she was better.
She was still uneasy about magic stuff, however, and though no one said it, they didn't really want her to be around any sort of temptation. Willow hadn't been to the Magic Shop more than twice in the past forty days; her books, talismans, ingredients, potions: all of it was gone. Every little bit ofWillow's witchly past had been boxed up and shipped out.
But the fact remained that she was still Willow. She was still a friend, and Dawn did not want to lose someone else she cared for. Too many of her loved ones had already died or gone away. She didn't want to add Willow to that large list of people gone from her life. If that meant swallowing what remained of her anger and putting on the cheeriest front she could manage, she would do it. Hell, Buffy was doing it, pretending to be happy and cheerful when she was actually stressing out over everything. And if Buffy could fake it with all the pressure on her, Dawn was pretty damn sure she could fake cheer as well.
She would start with breakfast.
*****
Willow gasped and shot up in her bed. Her bed sheets were twisted around her body and she was sweating and breathing erratically. She closed her eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths to get herself under control and licked her dry lips, releasing the bunches of blanket she had had clenched between her fingers. Very slowly, and almost unwillingly, Willow opened her eyes and took a hesitant look around the room. She was very much alone, and her room was undisturbed. There was not a single frightening thing to be seen.
So why was her heart hammering in her chest?
Her mind raced with images that made no sense to her. She had been caught in one bizarre dream for almost the entire night: people and places that she had never seen before in her life, all strung together in a mess. She remembered seeing tall, beautiful people from different places calling out to one another. It felt like magic, like power, but not a kind with which she was familiar with. Willow had seen it strung between these strange people, she could almost feel their desperate hope behind it. The magic spread out and along the borders of something quite dark, something very evil. Then all of it vanished in a flash of fire and Willow could have sworn she could feel its heat.
But it was a dream. Nothing more than a dream.
Willow pressed a hand to her forehead, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. The withdrawal from magic had left her with many sleepless nights plagued by never-ending nightmares, but this was different. It was like a pulling deep within her; that magic connection between those people had tugged on her. Willow wanted to rush out to those people, to help them if she could. They needed her, she could just feel it.
But again, it was just a dream. That's what she kept telling herself and that's what she would keep telling herself. It was just a dream brought on by the pains of withdrawal.
Sighing, Willow commenced trying to extract herself from the sheets entangling her. She stumbled out of bed, still feeling far too groggy to be awake, though a quick look at the her alarm clock revealed that she had slept quite late. Shuffling into the bathroom, she scowled when the strange feelings from the dream persisted. She still felt that little tug, that connection between those people.
Of course, Willow didn't have a clue what it really meant. She wasn't one for psychoanalysis, and she wasn't even sure that she wanted to know what that particular dream meant. It was easier just to chalk it up to another aspect of her personal weirdness. Not even in her sleep was she normal; no, she had to dream of strange people and magic. Strange beautiful people, at least in her opinion.
The pointy ears might turn others off, however . . .
*****
"Is it secret? Is it safe?!" implored the gray bearded man, shaking his charge.
Wordlessly the small creature ploughed through his belongings and withdrew the "it" in question. An envelope bearing a simple and alluring ring.
*****
Willow plodded into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She stopped just after she made it through the doorway, alarmed at the utter chaos within. There were bowls, pots, eggshells, flour, and drips of what looked like pancake mix scattered all over the counters. And at the centre of it was Dawn Summers, her hair swept up in a messy ponytail and an oversized apron wrapped around her body to protect her clothes . . .from whatever she was doing.
Willow looked around her in astonishment, eyes going from Dawn to the pile of semi-burnt pancakes on the counter. Willow felt her fingers twitch just a bit as she surveyed the chaos, cautiously clearing her throat for attention.
"Um, Dawnie," she ventured timidly. The young girl looked over from her position at the stove. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making breakfast, silly," replied Dawn, bright smile plastered over her face. "You looked kind of tired so I decided to let you sleep in and take care of the food by myself. You like blueberry pancakes right?"
And just what could she say to that? Willow managed a weak smile, nodding a little too enthusiastically. Dawn didn't seem to notice because she turned her attention back to the stove pretty quickly. Willow wasn't sure what to do, and inched closer to the plate of pancakes that Dawn had prepared. They certainly looked like blueberry pancakes, and not another one of the teenagers peanut-butter-and-random-fruit concoctions. And other than looking a bit burnt, they seemed quite edible.
Stifling a sigh of relief, Willow set about clearing away some of the mess Dawn had created. Both girls engaged in brief conversation, going over the errands they had for the day, which included a run to the grocery store. Willow managed to clear off the counters, though some mess was left behind, before she heard some light mutterings from Dawn. Frowning, she peeked over the girl's shoulder to see that Dawn had decided once again that spatulas were not for her.
"Dawn-"
"Spatulas are for wimps," was the quick response. Willow had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but her mirth quickly faded into exasperation when Dawn yelped, sticking a burnt finger in her mouth. The teenager favoured her with a sheepish grin before turning back to her cooking with more determination that before.
Just like a Summers woman to be so stubborn.
Right when Willow was getting ready to take over the whole process, the back door was wrenched open. Both girls turned as one, not all that surprised to see a blanketed individual run inside and slam the door shut again, smoke wafting up from his charred figure. Cursing profusely, Spike threw off his blanket and began shutting all the blinds in the room.
Willow and Dawn exchanged amused looks. Spike's morning visits were always interesting, to say the least. Willow swore the vampire had some sort of death-by-fire wish. It was the only explanation for his daily suicidal visitations. Well, the only reason besides his equally suicidal obsession with the Slayer.
"Hallo pets, what's going on?"
Willow smirked at the British vamp settling down at the kitchen table. Spike was still patting some parts of his jacket, the scent of smoke and scorched leather still in the air. His blanket had been thrown over one of the other chairs and Spike had turned himself around so that he could converse with the girls by the stove.
"You know, Spike," Willow started, amused, "most vampires wait to visit their friends for a time in the day that won't end in their spontaneous combustion."
Dawn nodded her head in agreement. "It was what Angel did," she added.
Spike scowled at the mention of his grandsire, distaste written all over his face. "Like the bloody poof knows anything about being a normal vampire," Spike snarled bitterly. "He's the most abnormal vampire in existence."
"Present company excluded?" Willow needled.
Spike smiled his wolfish smile. "I was never normal, Red."
"Well, Spike," Dawn said, turning back to her cooking station, "You're just in time for blueberry pancakes. Do vampires eat blueberry pancakes?"
"Dawn, let me-"
"No way," Dawn interjected, firmly placing herself between Willow and the stove. "I am perfectly capable of making breakfast on my own. Besides, you're supposed to be relaxing. You had a hell of a night."
"Party all night, did we, love?" Spike waggled his eyebrows at Willow. In return, she rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Dawn.
"That's the second time you've said that," she mused. "What's going on, Dawn?"
"Nothing," the teenager insisted. "It's just, you were having trouble sleeping. I could hear you pretty much the whole night, and when I came to wake you up, you looked like you were having a really bad nightmare or something. But before I could wake you up properly, you just kind of went still and went right into a dead sleep. I figured you were exhausted, so I decided to make breakfast."
"You call that breakfast?" Spike asked, butting into the conversation and aiming a suspicious look in the direction of Dawn's somewhat burnt pancakes.
"Hey! They're fine to eat. Right, Willow?"
She nodded silently, her mind still on the things Dawn had said previously. "You shouldn't worry, Dawnie, it was just a regular nightmare," Willow assured her, frowning slightly at her comment. "Actually, it wasn't a regular nightmare. I'm not quite sure it even qualifies as a nightmare at all. It was just random images floating through my mind. They made me uneasy."
"Very uneasy, from what I could tell," Dawn insisted.
Spike had a bored expression on his face, patting his pockets down for his lighter as he directed a question her way. "What was it about?"
Willow frowned again, thinking back to the dream she had last night. Flashes of pointy ears and magic came to mind, but still not helping her form any idea about what the dream had meant. "I'm not sure. There were these people, and darkness. It was like they wanted me to stop the darkness or something." She laughed uneasily at that remark. "Me, save them? Yeah right. Buffy's the saver. I'm more like the saver's assistant."
"Well, since it's the Slayer's dreams that we usually have to worry about coming true, I'd just chalk it up to something you ate last night, Red," Spike shrugged, watching impassively as both girls seated themselves at the table and began to eat their breakfast. "Besides, you're still pretty much in the withdrawal stage, so funky dreams are bound to-"
"Spike!" Dawn hissed, shooting the vampire a warning look.
Spike merely rolled his eyes, eyes flickering to the despondent redhead poking at her pancakes. "Look, I know what I'm talking about," Spike insisted. "I went to those Narcotics Anonymous meetings once, and this kind of stuff was all they talked about. Except with less magic and demons."
"What were you doing at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting?" Willow blurted out.
"Well, I had it in my mind to give up the smoking a few years back, just to see if I could," the vampire shrugged. "Me and Dru heard about these groups that were supposed to help you quit. And since they held meetings during the night, it was just really convenient. Until we actually went to one of them and had to sit through an hour of endless whining. We ended up being so bored that we slaughtered the whole lot of them for wasting our time."
"That's great, Spike," Dawn deadpanned, making a slight face. "My day's just not complete without you reminiscing about massacring people."
Spike just grinned again. "You're more than welcome, bit."
*****
"Get off the road!"
At that cry, the four small creatures clamoured off the path, concealing themselves in the trunk of a fallen tree. They murmured quietly amongst themselves, but stilled when they heard the approaching horse.
One dared to look up. Through the cracks in the wood, he saw the black horse and the looming figure of the rider. A chill went through him. The rider was after him, and he was stuck right under its nose.
*****
Dawn felt kind of weird.
The feeling had started not too long after breakfast, which made her wonder if her edible pancakes were the reason for it. But Willow seemed to be fine, so Dawn dismissed that idea. It wasn't a big thing, but something that was there, nonetheless. Like the beginnings of nausea, rolling around in the pit of her tummy. It wasn't like she had to puke or anything, but she did feel a little discomfort. Maybe she was coming down with something.
It was just a minor discomfort that sort of irritated her as she and Willow went about finishing the few errands they had for the day. Trekking back into the house after a few hours of grocery shopping, movie selecting, and ice cream at the mall, Dawn could still feel that odd sensation. She tried several times to shake it off, but found herself quite unsuccessful. A bag of groceries cradled in each arm, Dawn frowned as she stalked past the living room where Spike laughed uproariously at whatever was happening on Passions.
"You need help," she tossed grumpily at the vampire. Spike merely snorted at her comment, his focus on the television as Willow followed Dawn to the kitchen and commenced putting things away. Dawn helped silently, wandering back into the living room, rented movies in hand.
"Hands off the television, vampire," the teenager barked at Spike, waving the videos at him. "We have movies that need watching."
Spike spared her a quick glance before turning back to the wonderful world of Passions. "Anything with violence?" he asked distractedly.
"Actually, they're all Hugh Grant romantic comedies," Dawn returned smoothly.
Spike gave a low curse, sending the young girl a disgusted look. "Tell me you're joking," he ordered. "I do not want to spend my afternoon watching Hugh-bloody-Grant fumble around onscreen, making a complete arse of himself."
"That goes double for me," Xander added from the porch, Anya at his side. The man stopped, tsking slightly at the slightly open door, giving Dawn a clearly disapproving look. Leaving doors open in Sunnydale was usually just inviting trouble.
"What brings you guys over?" Willow asked cheerfully as they entered the house and she joined the rest of the them in the living room.
"Well, Dawn told me about the vast amount of movies you planned on renting, so we figured we would come over and watch them. Especially since you already paid for them and we will have to expend no money for the entertainment," Anya stated matter-of-factly.
Xander grimaced at his soon-to-be wife, shooting his friends a slightly pained but apologetic look. "Anh, next time, just say we felt like visiting some friends."
Anya frowned, giving her fianc� a confused look. "But that would be lying. I really wanted to have orgasms, but you're always so tired after work. I figured a movie marathon would give you time to recover your strength so we could then-"
"Don't say it!" Willow hastily interrupted. "Don't say it, Anya. I don't need to hear that."
Anya shrugged and plopped down beside Spike. An embarrassed Xander settled down next to her, his face red from her comments. "So," the carpenter started, clearing his throat in an attempt to swallow his embarrassment. "How's goes everything at the casa de Slayer?"
"Can't complain," Willow answered. "And as for your real question, I am fine. Magic free for 45 days and counting."
"I just worry, Wills," Xander muttered, a sheepish blush creeping up his neck.
"I know," she sighed, her voice suddenly tired. Before she could continue, the sound of someone unlocking the front door diverted everyone's attention. Dawn brightened considerably as the door opened to reveal a uniformed, slightly tired-looking Buffy on the other side.
"Hey," the Slayer called out in a fatigued voice. "We having a party or something? It's not a research party, is it? Any demons or whatever are going to have to wait until after I've washed the six layers of grease off my skin."
Dawn giggled, making to stand to greet her sister. But as soon as she made it to her feet, a wave of dizziness hit her. That annoying, uncomfortable feeling that had been plaguing her all day suddenly hit her full force. Dawn's knees buckled and she crumpled to the couch, her vision swimming.
"Bit?"
"Dawn! What's the matter, honey?"
She could feel hands on her arms, giving her a slight shake. Buffy wanted her to speak, to say something about what was happening. But Dawn couldn't bring herself to talk. She had become unbearably warm, her throat suddenly dry as a desert and her face felt like it was on fire. She didn't know what was happening, but she could feel it swirling around in her stomach.
Dawn closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness.
"Call 911!"
Willow started at Anya's shriek. She nodded numbly, backing away from the couch where Buffy was desperately trying to revive her sister. She wasn't sure what had happened to Dawn, only knowing that one minute the girl was fine, and the next she was out like a light.
Willow turned to head to the kitchen, but a soft cry from Buffy drew her attention back to Dawn. Her breath caught in her throat to see the teenager still unconscious, but that wasn't their biggest concern right now.
The fact that Dawn was glowing an eerie green colour frightened Willow much more.
"What's happening to her?" Buffy demanded grimly. Willow couldn't seem to make her mouth work, her wide eyes locked on Dawn's form. Her brain clicked in a second and she ran for the books they had stocked in the dining room.
Anya was able to vocalize the very thing that Willow had been dreading. "It's the Key."
Spike let out a loud curse, following Willow to the books. The vampire and the witch fell upon the tomes, Willow frantically searching the titles for the volume Giles had left with them before he went off to England: the book that contained everything they knew about the Key. Finding it at last, she and Spike raced back to the living room to find that Buffy had propped up her sister's head with a pillow and was checking Dawn's pulse and heartbeat.
Anya and Xander jumped forward, taking some of the books from the other two. Willow skittered off to the side, across from where Dawn lay glowing, cracking her book open to a random page and skimming it wildly. She searched for a moment or two before she realized that she had no idea what she was searching for.
And then it happened. A slight pull, causing her to stumble back a step. Willow gasped, dropping her books and covering her abdomen with her hands. She bent over, clutching at her sides when the tug came again, but with more strength than before. "Oh, God, now what?"
Spike swore, grasping Willow by the arm and forcing her upright. His face was set angrily, but confusion filled his blue eyes. She opened her mouth, only able to make a low gasping sound. Spike just scowled and shook her.
"Get it together, Red!" he barked.
"Hey, get your hands off her, Junior!" Xander shouted warningly.
Willow shook her head, stumbling backwards when another tug ripped through her body. This time the pull actually hurt, causing her to whimper in pain. Her legs weakened and almost gave out from underneath her. Only Spike's grip on her arm kept her upright.
"What's the matter, Willow?" Spike growled, giving her another shake. Xander cursed at this point, throwing down his own book and starting to stomp his way over to them. Anya looked horribly confused, eyes going from Dawn to Willow to the book in her hand, helplessness etched all over her features.
"Willow!"
The scream came from Dawn, so suddenly that Buffy fell back in shock. Xander stopped his march toward Willow and Spike, Anya dropped her book, and Spike turned away from the whimpering girl in his arms for just a brief second.
It was with dumbfounded awe that everyone watched as the green glow slowly rolled right off Dawn's body and made its way towards Willow. Dawn screamed again, this time in warning. Willow ducked as the light came her way, feeling the power of it skim over her head.
And the tug came again, this time so strongly that she was wrenched from Spike's grasp and thrown backwards a few steps. She tumbled over, her body turned away from her friends. When she dared a glance upwards, she saw what the others had been watching in terror.
There was a hole there, a black hole that crackled with harsh green electricity. It seemed to swirl, a slight humming noise coming from its depth. Willow watched the thing in silent horror, trying desperately to inch away from it, but the pull came again, and she was yanked closer to it.
Time stopped. Willow faced the hole and knew it was here for her. She turned back to her friends. She saw the fear on their faces, knowing that it was mirrored on her own. Spike had vamped out, his demon visage obscuring his features as he gave a low growl before moving to pull her away from the hole.
Willow felt the final tug burning a harsh trail through her body. She let out a wordless scream as she was wrenched backwards into the hole. The last thing she saw were her friends, rushing over toward her.
And then, all was black.
*****