Buffy: Bad Tidings part 9
“Buffy? Buffy.” The voice sounded distant, vague, like a whisper on the wind. Darkness surrounded her. Buffy spun around on her heels, trying to locate the source of the sounds that had roused her. More voices cried out in the dark. Spinning where she stood, she couldn’t locate the source.
“Who are you? Where are you? I can’t see you.” She cried in the dark.
“You are failing. All is lost.” The voices wailed. Buffy finally realised where the voices were coming from, the wind. It wrapped around her whispering in strange voices.
“I don’t understand. I’m failing? Failing what exactly?”
“Your testing!”
Buffy awoke with a start. She saw Willow crouched over her, smoke billowing around her friends head. “Thank the Goddess, you’re awake.” Willow almost cried. “I thought that… Well, I thought you were gone.”
“Never going to happen Will. Too much still to do.” Buffy’s memory finally returned, “The bomb! What happened?”
“Well, the doors took the brunt of the blast, but there was enough explosive in there to bring part of the stairwell down on top of you and Xander. Clem is in the infirmary resting, he had a panic attack thinking that he’d killed you.”
“How long was I out for?” Buffy was shaking her head, trying to clear her still fuzzy thoughts. “Was anyone else hurt? Xander? Is he OK?”
“Xander’s fine. Cuts and bruises, Giles is patching him up right now. We’re more worried about you. You were unconscious for 15 minutes, you were talking to yourself. You were talking about a test?”
“I was? Yeah, I was having a dream. I was told that I was failing a test; I didn’t know what the voices were talking about. What test?”
Nearby...
“You are succeeding beyond our wildest dreams Angelus.”
“Well, I’m glad you think so. I love this job, causing pain and havoc, it’s almost heavenly.” Angelus had a smile on his face as he spoke.
“An odd choice of words Angelus.” The formless voice replied.
“Well, it seemed apt at the time.” The smile never moved from the vampire’s lips.
Back at the “School”
“Will? I want you to start w**king on a spell. I’ve had enough of fighting on the back foot.” Buffy was walking and practically shouting at her friend as she walked.
“What kinda spell you want Buff? Locater spell to find Angelus? Or something else?
“I want a spell that’ll bring this whole thing to an end. I want the source of this thing brought here, so we can kill it, or send it away of whatever we can do with primordial forces of creation.” Buffy breathed out, in sheer exasperation. “I’ve had enough of this. I want it ended. I want my life back on track, and most of all, I want Angel back in his own body, and Angelus out of my life.”
Willow nodded, “I’ll w**k something out.” She hurried off to her room to research and w**k out how to do what Buffy had asked of her.
Buffy paced what was left of the hall; she felt a hand on her shoulder, and a presence she could never mistake. “Angel…?” She turned around, and stood facing Angelus.
“Hi honey, I’m home.” With a sneer on his face Angelus lashed out at Buffy, sending her flying backwards, she struck what was left of a wall at the bottom of what once was the stairwell. Buffy bounced up from the floor, rage and hate etched on her face.
“Bastard!” Buffy threw herself at Angelus, her hand instinctively finding a shaft of wood en route. Angelus laughed loudly as he swept her hand and the makeshift stake aside. He caught her and spun her around so that he had her in a headlock.
“Now can we talk sweetie? I honestly didn’t come here to kill you, I...” He didn’t even manage to complete the sentence. A loud growl erupted from the shadows somewhere above them, in the desolation that was the second floor hallway. “Now what?”
“Let her go, you son of a bitch!” Angelus looked up as he saw a feral twin of Buffy flying head first in his direction. He tried to avoid her, but the real Buffy, who must have figured out what her twin was doing, anchored herself and left the vampire immobile. The feral Buffy ploughed through the air, and slammed fists first into Angelus. Her innate slayer strength, combined with the undeniable strength and “pull” of gravity, gave her body and punch, the force of a small truck. Angelus crumpled under the attack. “Stay down.” So sudden was Angelus’ release of Buffy that she flew forward, almost landing on her knees, she used her martial arts training to change the fall into a roll, she was back on her feet in almost as fast as she fell. She now looked admiringly at her ‘other self.’
“Nice w**k.” Buffy smiled.
“Yeah, felt good. I’m feeling more like myself now.” The Other Buffy smiled, it looked odd though, a lopsided grin.
“Do I smile like that?” Buffy asked herself.
“What’s going on down here?” Giles shouted as he stormed along the hall. “Angelus?” He stared agog at the site of two Buffy’s and an unconscious Angelus. “Would someone care to explain this? What’s happened?”
“Well, he attacked me, and then my twin here kicked his ass.” Buffy stated succinctly.
“You helped. He would have dodged if you hadn’t held him in place.”
“Yeah, but you did the hard w**k.”
“Can we please forego the mutual, or should that be self, congratulation. What are we going to do with him?”
“We chain him up until we w**k out how to get Angel out of Kennedy’s body safely, and back into his own body. Then we can take care of this Pain thing that started it all.”
“Yes, and then we can bring about world peace, feed the starving, and create clean renewable energy sources for the whole world.” Giles sounded deadly serious, only his lopsided, oh so English, grin let his real feelings be known.
“Yeah, that sounds like a great plan Giles, you get to w**k on the other stuff, and we’ll deal with the big bad.” Buffy smiled, her flippancy not completely covering the concern she felt for the vampire she had only recently come to realise, was her soul mate.
Both Buffy’s took an arm of the unconscious vampire and dragged him to the library. “It’s strange.” Buffy thought to herself as she moved, “most people have books in their libraries, we have cages and chains. Even stranger, no one seems to think it’s weird but me.” She smiled again, this time genuinely as she put the manacles on Angelus, and locked the cage. Willow looked on from her seat, at a desk covered with at least a dozen tomes, old and black some bound in leather, some in other materials. Parchments and scrolls were also piled on the table; she smiled wanly at Buffy, and returned to her task.
“Cordelia, can you tell us any more about this thing, this Pain creature that we’re facing?” Giles sat across from the young woman who had miraculously returned form the dead, again, with the warning about the great evil that now threatened all of existence.
“Giles, I only know what the big guys tell me. They told me that Pain was coming, and that you needed to prepare for it. I was to give you that warning, and well, I don’t even know why I’m still here. They told me to pass the warning, and I was kind of expecting to head back upstairs.” The look of consternation on her face was earnest; Giles knew that she had no further knowledge of the creature the faced, either its abilities or plans. He turned to the other figure sitting at the table.
“Don’t look at me? I only know that my world went to hell in a handbag, and it happened practically overnight.” Anya had been sitting quietly, an unusual state for her, Giles had to admit, and he felt there may be more that she didn’t want to tell. “Tara was our brains trust person; she seemed to understand what was going on. But, she couldn’t keep the doorway open and come through it herself.” Anya’s eyes welled up with tears as she remembered saying her farewells to the woman, who was effectively sacrificing her own life to save her and Buffy, and this entire reality, from the creature that had so resoundingly destroyed theirs. She might have been useful to you. I’m only a flunky; I’ve always been a flunky. But if you tell Xander that, I’ll deny it.” She fell silent, her face ashen.
“I understand that you’re upset thinking about this, but is their anything else that could help us in any way?” Giles pushed gently, knowing full well that Anya was on the brink of nervous hysteria.
“Well, Tara did say something, just before she sent us through the portal. But I can’t tell you about it while she’s here.” She stared pointedly at Cordelia.
“Fine!” Cordelia strutted off; I need to check on Angel anyway.
“Now, what did Tara tell you Anya? ...” Giles asked.
The Library.
“I’ve got it. I know how to bring the big bad right to us.” Willow was practically jumping for joy.
“And this would be a good thing why?” Xander chipped in. This thing destroys Universes, he’s Galactus on steroids.”
“Well, we need to bring this to a head. I want it stopped, one way or the other.” Buffy snapped, and then playfully added, “You can tell it the crayon story, that always works.” Buffy laughed, Willow joined her as she spotted Xander’s growing embarrassment.
“On a more serious matter, I’ve found a way to switch souls. I can put Angel back where he belongs, but that’ll just free the vamp that is in Kennedy’s body right now. But I’ve got a plan to deal with that too.”
“You don’t wanna know who’s responsible for all of this.” Angel sneered from his cell. Pacing like a wild animal.
“You’re claiming to know who’s behind this?” Buffy glanced in the direction of the cage, not wanting to encourage the usual rantings of Angelus.
“Of course! You don’t think I sign on with anyone without knowing what I’m joining in with, do you? Angelus deepened his sneer, “but before you ask, no, I’m not going to tell you.”
“Fine, then we’ll find out for ourselves. Willow, start the mojo.” Buffy stalked out of the Library.
Later.
“You sure you’re ready for this Will?” Buffy genuinely concerned for her friend, put a hand on Willow’s shoulder.
“Yep, I’ll just put Angel back in his body, and call up the potentially most powerful bad guy we’ve ever faced, all in the space of a few minutes. It’s a Piece of cake.” Willow added, “very big and scary cake, but cake never the less.” Willow began the incantations required to remove Angel’s soul from Kennedy’s body, and place it in his own.”
The Library filled with smoke and strange eerie blue lights. “Cool.” Xander said, “I’d pay to see this show.” A glass orb appeared in Willows hand. “Oooh, an orb of Thesalah, I’ve seen that before, wow, how did you just make that appear in your hand Will?” Xander noticed several people staring at him and making shush gestures. “Sorry, forget I spoke.” Willow, to her credit, continued unabated by Xander’s innocent interruption of the proceedings. The orb in her hand glowed brightly, and then vanished.
Willow wilted slightly, in the cage in the corner of the Library Angel’s eyes glowed brightly as he reasserted control over his body, keeping Angelus tightly under control. “I’m back.” Angel gasped. The memories of the actions taken by Angelus filled his memory. Angelus wanted him to know what was coming. “Willow, don’t do it.” He gasped, as he saw the wiccan begin the chanting to call forth the power responsible for the pain that had been spreading across the world.
Willow’s eyes had turned opaque as she chanted. The chant became rhythmic and except for changes in pitch, almost repetitive and hypnotic.
A vortex appeared in front of Willow and two forms appeared. Angel recognised them instantly.
“How dare you summon us? We are not yours to call upon on a whim.”
“Who the hell are you?” Buffy asked the Golden figures who stood before her.
“They’re the conduits. The direct line of contact between our world and the Powers that Be.” Angel said as he walked free of the cage, released by Cordelia, who now also looked on in shock. The Powers are testing you Buffy. They’re testing the entire world.”
Buffy looked from Angel to the conduits, and asked simply, “Why?”
“To see if you are ready. We have judged that you are.”
“Ready for what?” Willow asked. “Why are you doing this?”
“The End of Days is coming. We needed to be sure that our champions were ready for the fight.”
“What do you mean? The end of days? The Apocalypse? Again?” Xander asked.
“The one true ending of your existence is nigh. The forces of light and dark are rallying as we speak. The end is coming, it is inevitable. Such is the command of the Powers that be.”
“What about Kenendy? Or Rona? They’re dead, are you going to bring them back?” Willow wilted slightly, but she shouted at the conduits.
“Oh, the little creature makes demands of us. How sweet.” The female conduit spoke. “No, your friends are gone, they shall join the ethereal armies awaiting the end. When light gloriously defeats the darkness for ever. Then your souls shall transcend this existence, and live in light eternal.”
“What if we don’t want to go? What if we decide not to fight for you?” Buffy took a defensive stance in front of Willow, she could see her friend getting angrier, and angrier, her hair darkened and her eye’s following suit.
“Then in that situation, you would be classified as enemies of the light, and you would be cast into oblivion. Now, neither the powers that be, nor, we are sure, you, want that to happen do we?”
“Bring them back.” Willow was, in the blink of an eye, in front of Buffy. Facing down the conduits, her hair darker than coal, and eyes, likes onyx. Lightning crackled around her outstretched fingers. “Bring them back now!”
“The little witch challenges us, how delightful.” The male conduit laughed. “You have not the power to stand against the powers of the light. Do not endanger your immortal soul in trying.” He began laughing again, until that is, bolts of lightning sprang from Willows hands and struck him squarely in the chest. He looked down and saw darkness spread across his chest and up and down his body, he then exploded in, what can only be described as an explosion of darkness and light.
The female was shocked. “You will be made to suffer for this, Witch.” She raised her hand as though to point at Willow, but another hand grabbed hers and raised it up above her head.
“No you don’t you bitch.” Cordelia held the conduits hand aloft. “You think you can come in here, announce the end of the world, and then when my friend gets pissed, you try and kill her? Ain’t gonna happen lady.” The conduit struggled against Cordelia’s grip, but Cordelia found herself filled with such rage that these so called good beings, had plotted to destroy the world, and hadn’t even told her, she held the conduit fast. Willow still fuelled by rage, ran at the conduit and gripped her by the throat.
“Burn!” Willow said simply, but the results were far from simple. The conduit burned, screaming as she burned, Cordelia barely had time to remove her hand before the conduits entire arm was engulfed in flames.
“Will, calm down. We need to think about this.” Buffy grabbed her friends.
“No, we don’t need to think, we need to kill them. We need to stop them, they’re going to destroy the world.” Willow began to shudder as the realisation of what she had just done, hit home.
“We will, I promise you Willow, we will stop them.” Buffy added as her friend almost collapsed in her arms sobbing.
"Buffy! You can't be serious. They've got the powers of Gods?" Giles stared at his slayer.
"I know, but they've done enough killing. I've had enough of it Giles. It's going to end, and it's going to end now."
"Buffy. You don't have to do this because of me." Willow turned to look at her friend, her hair still black as pitch, her eyes like pools of total darkness, but tinged with such sadness, the likes of which Buffy could not bear to see.
"This isn't because of what you've done Willow. These bastards won't be allowed to get away with what they've done."
"But," Angel put in, "how in the hells are we going to kill the powers that be?"
That will be answered in, Buffy: War with the Gods.