"Come, my mate, let me show you what we offer you." Illyria stood by the bed, her hand outstretched to Angelus, who still lay on the bed looking at her.
He got up to look down at her noticing that they wore the black body armor once more. The minute their hands touched, the doors blew open. A light breeze ruffled their hair away from their faces. A dark brow rose along with a trademark smirk at the haphazard smirk of the AI team.
Anya wore a satisfied smile as did Lindsey who stood with his arms around her. Fred and Gunn were the same as always, lost in their own world. Faith stood in a pair of black leather pants and a bra. Wesley wore only a pair of dress paints and a satisfied smile. Harmony hid behind Connor, not sure how she would be treated in this strange world.
Illyria stopped in front of them. "Come, I will show you this new world that we will rule. My shell cares for you and this world, so we will ensure the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart will not destroy it. I owe them for past injustices against my mate and me."
"Err, Buffy, uh, I mean Illyria.." Wesley stumbled over, approaching the god-king housed in Buffy's body.
"Speak up, human." Illyria ordered, impatient to show Angelus their new home.
Faith stepped forward ready to defend her man. She felt a shiver race through her when cold silver eyes turned to her. "Calm down, B, my man just wants to know if you are going to hurt anyone. Does this mean that I'm the good Slayer?"
Illyria looked at the dark-haired Slayer. "My shell feels love for you, so I will not take offense at your tone. You are the only Slayer and have always been so. My shell ascended to a higher calling on her first death. She attained her full potential on her second. To answer your question, no I will not kill the humans who are innocent and in need of protection. There are plenty of enemies to fight in this world to appease my thirst for violence and blood."
She walked by them on that note, leaving them with no other choice but to follow. Along a huge corridor on either side stood armed guards who bowed their heads as Illyria and Angelus passed. Syria and Kyria walked directly behind them with the AI team following on their heels.
The mated pair stepped out to see LA laid out before them. Illyria's army stood along the walls in the courtyard and high up on the in the turrets. They were a sea of black clad power that awaited their mistress' command to lash out.
"We have returned to this place from which we were once banished. Much has changed while we were forced to sleep. The humans have grown in number and are no longer as simple minded as they once were. There will be many who come within our walls. None will be forced to enter and all may leave at will. Many demons have forms that we will find pleasing and you may make use of them as you please. There are many who serve the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart and you may kill them with extreme prejudice. My mate's word is my word, I bear his mark and he bears mine."
It started as a low chant but quickly broke into a loud roar. "Angelus, Angelus, Angelus."
He stepped forward waiting for them to quiet down. "We are about to take back everything they stole from us. We will hold it tight but not to tightly, we will make them crave to join us. They will bang at the gates begging for entrance but only those who meet our standards will pass through. Are you with me? Do you stand beside me as your commander, against out enemies to crush them until they no longer walk this Earth?"
"Yes!" Cheering vibrated off the walls.
A loud clag resounded from outside the enormous front gates. Something slammed against them repeatedly but they didn't budge one iota. The cheers died down as the army moved as a single entity toward a perceived enemy. Swords were drawn, ready for attack; faces became grim showing no expression as bodies were ready to spring into action any moment.
Illyria stepped forward to place her hand on Angelus' arm. "Be at ease, open the gates and let them pass through. The present will learn of the past to accept the future." He looked at her with a question in his eyes. Her silver eyes stared back at him showing no emotion. Illyria simply asked. "Do you trust us, Angelus?"
He though about the way she phrased the question but couldn't deny himself or her in any form. "Yes, I do. Whatever happens we are in this together." His finger brushed the mark on the left side of her slender neck.
"I feel a strange warmth when you touch me like that. It does not feel the same as when we are having congress. What is this feeling?" Her head tipped to the side to look at him in confusion.
"It is called love. You are sharing Buffy's feelings. I know it is strange. When I realized what it was, I tried to destroy the world to make it stop. Buffy is a force of nature that is unstoppable once she accepts you, she loves you with all her being. She will die for you or fight for you. Take the gifts she is giving you, Illyria, and give her some of your own."
"I do not understand. She is a formidable warrior who I have agreed to share this shell with what other gift does she require." Silver streaked blonde hair fell beside her face when she shook her head seemingly even more confused.
He tenderly swept it back behind her ear. "She always tried to please other people so much that she forgot to please herself. Buffy is far from perfect but they would never see that and punished her for every mistake she made. She wasn't allowed to bring up there mistakes those were all supposed to be forgiven and forgotten. Buffy needs you to help her see that she doesn't need anyone in her life that doesn't want her the way she is whether it's bitchy, happy, or sad. She started to come into her own before you came along but I'm not sure whether all that was her growing up or just hurt feelings. You can help each other understand what is happening and let the best person hand the situation. Frankly, I would love to see you make a few Scooby snacks out the witch and the Watcher. I would love to torture that bitch Kennedy personally. I'm sure her blood would make me sick, but it would be for a good cause." Angelus gave her his signature smirk.
"Yes, I have Buffy Summers' memories of this person and think torture and death are justifiable for her actions. She is quiet in my mind when you speak of torturing Kennedy, do as you wish." Illyria regally waved her hand signaling this discussion was over.
They turned to watch the huge gates open. Four people walked through, three woman and one man. It was Giles, Willow, Dawn, and Kennedy. Willow's magic combined with that of the coven and Giles made the air crackle with power. They walked forward with confidence like they were a force to be reckoned with. They had no idea what or who they were about to face.
White streaks framed Willow's face from the power she tapped into; they also marked Giles' temples. This later occurrence somewhat soothed and startled both parties. A connection between them continued to grow since their time in Devon. It refused to be ignored no matter how hard they tried.
Dawn looked around her at the opulence of the fortress, the armored guards then up at the strangely dressed Buffy and Angel. A memory tickled at the back of her mind. She wasn't sure where it came from or she knew it had something to do with her being the Key. At one time in her life, this would have scared her but here, now it didn't. Dawn thought once thought the Key died with Buffy but she knew that she was wrong. A shimmer of green seemed to outline the teen but no one saw it but Illyria.
Kennedy stomped beside her lover angry at being left out of the decisions being made. Willow and Giles seemed to finish each others' sentences, then Dawn immediately understood what they were talking about. The spoilt potential knew that as soon as she got Willow alone that she would put a stop to it. Kennedy wasn't about to lose her place at the top of the heap. She planned to be the next Slayer. Seeing how reckless and wild Faith was, she didn't expect she'd have long to wait, and she was sure that she could convince Willow to have the power of the Slayer choose her. Besides none of the other potentials were even half as good as she was, and she that she would be twice the Slayer that Buffy Summers ever was.
Faith walked forward to stand beside Illyria with Wesley beside her. Connor stood bedside Angelus with Harmony one-step behind, next stepped up Fred and Gunn, then Lorne all lining up on Angelus' left. Anya and Lindsey rounded out the picture of those on Illyria's right. Kyria and Syria stood on the steps directly below their god-king and her mate.
Willow and Giles started up the steps after recovering from the shock of seeing the changes in Buffy, not to mention the AI team, along with Faith and Anya standing beside her and Angel. The closer they got the more they realized that something wasn't right with Angel.
"Oh, bloody hell," Giles murmured.
"We can only hope, Ripper." Angelus smiled. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company? I see you and the little witch have been dabbling again. Thought you gave that up after you killed you best friend. What as his name?" A long elegant finger tapped his temple as if he was searching for the answer. "Oh yes, Philippe, wasn't it Eghon you were conjuring? The same one that almost killed Buffy? Don't remember if you ever apologized properly for that little escapade or not." He flashed his fangs at the Watcher who did so much good and so much damage to his mate.
"Angelus, what have you done to Buffy?" Giles growled, taking another step closer. He found a long deadly sword pointed at his chest.
"You will not come closer to our god-king's mare, mage." Cool ice-blue eyes stared at him.
It took everything he had not to shiver. "Buffy, what is going on here?" This time when steely silver eyes looked down at him, he couldn't contain the shiver.
"Syria let the mage and former teacher step forward also the young one." Illyria's strange cadence of speaking was the first real clue that told them that they weren't speaking to Buffy.
Dawn rushed forward, unafraid, maneuvering around Giles' outstretched arms. The closer she got to her 'sister', the brighter she glowed. She launched herself into Illyria's arms knowing that she was home. "Where were you, I awoke and couldn't find you?" Dawn's blue eyes were rimmed with a luminescent green. The same green as growth.
"I was captured in the Deeper Well, working to be set free. You were supposed to be safely hidden until I could retrieve you, but we were betrayed. Once I fell, the remaining Ancients were taken captive as well. They are held lifeless in the Deeper Well by a Knight who believes he knows the truth of the matter. He does not know that he serves those who have no honor."
Giles sputtered at what he overheard as did Wesley. They knew the legends of how the Powers of Good and Evil worked together to battle the Ancients Ones. It was impossible to kill them, but they were able to contain them. Here stood an Ancient One who took control of a Slayer's body telling them it was all based on lies.
"The Ancient Ones were destroying the Earth. The Powers had no other choice but to work with their counterparts to put them away to restore the balance." Giles argued with the woman who wore his Slayer's face.
Illyria looked at Giles like he were a bug under a microscope. "These Powers you speak of, what have they done for you and your Slayers?"
"They created the Slayer line to be a Warrior of the Light." He gave her a smug look.
"Then why would she need men such as you to tell her what to do? If they are so powerful to create this creature, this warrior why is she dependent on others?"
"But," he sputtered. "A Watcher isn't a weakness he trains her, helps her learn to be a better Slayer."
"Then why do Slayers die so young? Why do vampires awake knowing how to eat, fight, or flee? Why are demons so powerful yet this warrior so weak? I see no balance in your reasoning. Why is there only one warrior, yet so many demons and vampires?"
"The magics to create the Slayer were too powerful to have more than one and would tip the balance and allow a foothold for evil to enter our world. The First Evil proved that with the battle we just fought."
Illyria laughed, "Come forth, so that he may see what he believes he defeated."
FE-Jenny appeared beside Giles. "Hello Rupert, long time, oops hasn't been that long has it."
One silver eye faded to green. "Don't take that form again or I will see just how deep that well truly is."
The First bowed its head understanding that it served more than one master. "I am called the First because I am my master's First Commander. You have been lied to for a long time Watcher and your precious council knew about it. They paid the ultimate price for their betrayal; and for the record, we killed them, but they killed their own potentials."
"That is preposterous. Why did the bringers attack us in Sunnydale? The Watcher's Council's duty is to protect the Slayer line; they would not wipe it out."
Illyria took control once more. She raised her hand stopping more arguments. "Come with me, the witch and her concubine may follow." She turned putting her hand on Angelus' arm. They walked back inside the fortress with the others following close behind.
"What does she mean calling me a concubine?" Kennedy huffed under her breath. "Who does she think that she is?"
Faith hauled the dark-haired girl up by the throat. "She is something that you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of being, Ken. She is a hero. Buffy is the only thing keeping Illyria from deciding that all us little humans would make nice little pets. If I were you, I'd shut up before she remembers how much she doesn't like you. Ask Cordy how much fun it is being Illyria's new servant." She dropped the spiteful young woman then went to catch up with Wesley.
Willow looked at her lover seeing her for the first time. All the negative things she said about Buffy flooded Willow's mind. Her large eyes took on a hard glint. "Kennedy, if you can't put your jealousy of Buffy aside then I would prefer that you stay here. What's happening here is more important that any of us, and if you can't see that then you aren't the person I believed you to be. Maybe it would be best if you stayed out here." She turned to follow Giles leaving her lover on the ground staring at her retreating back in shock.
Kennedy slowly got to her feet. She found herself unsure of her place for the first time in her life. When she arrived in Sunnydale, it was easy to take on a leader role with the other Potentials, since she had so much more experience. She understood immediately that she needed to part of the inner circle. Kennedy watched the Scoobies closely then chose Willow as her target. The red harried witch was a tasty treat which made it that much easier. Once she hooked up with Willow, Kennedy knew that she was sitting pretty. She had her hand in on all the decisions and was slowly ensuring that more of the power came her way. Today her house of cards came tumbling down, and she wasn't sure how it happened.
"I'll go back to the hotel that we agreed on and once they talk to Buffy, then Willow will come and look for me. She will forget all about this. If I go in there then I will just make this worse." Kennedy muttered to herself as she walked back out of the fortress, not noticing the menacing figure who watched her.
Illyria and Angelus stood in the main chamber where she returned her army to life. Nodding to Kyria and Syria caused the two warriors to stand between two enormous statues carved into the wall. Armed guards surrounded the outer perimeter of the platform. They were a black wall, ready to die once more for their god-king.
Angelus looked at her in question but no emotion showed on her face. He glanced at the others but stopped when his eyes landed on Dawn. What was the connection between these two? It's something more than just her being Buffy's sister.
A slender arm rose causing the two women simultaneously to touch the stones on either side of the statues. The wall folded back on itself to show a swirling silver portal, the exact color of Illyria's eyes. Everyone including, Angelus took a breath, some stepped back. Dawn moved closer like a moth drawn to a flame.
"No, Aurora, you do not have access to your true self. You will remember in time I promise." Angelus was the only one who caught the strange note in her voice.
"Are you okay? Is something wrong with Buffy?" His hand came up to touch her cheek.
Her body change to that of B/I. "We are okay, Angelus. This is going to be hard for everyone, even you. They must understand to make a choice. We will not be betrayed again." Both women were talking equally. Giles and Willow stepped forward. "Could someone please tell us what is going on? Buffy what happened to you, how did Angelus get free and how come you haven't dusted him?"
"DO NOT speak about him like that ever again." B/I snapped. She stepped closer to the man who became her father seven years ago. "You no longer have the right to question what we do. You no longer who or what we are, mage. Watch and you will have the knowledge never written in those books you trust so much. It is too bad that you never trusted your Slayer the same way." The last was said by Illyria who faded into the foreground once more.
"Who are you?" Willow asked her senses went haywire at the power coming off the woman who wore her best friends face.
"I am older than your recorded time. I walked this plane when your kind was the muck beneath my feet. You may call me, Illyria, though I have many names on many planes. Buffy Summers says it is important that you understand the truth of this place as she does. I warn you that once you do each of you must decide where you stand. I won't allow you to betray her again and I won't have traitors near me. Aurora come stand beside me."
Giles and Willow tried to hold the teed back but found they couldn't. She slipped through their hands like ether. They noticed for the first time the green glow that outlined Dawn's body.
Anya saw it too and took a deep intake of breath. "Oh, I know this one. I wonder why I didn't figure this out before." Her head cocked to the side as she looked at Dawn then at Illyria. Three pairs of eyes bore into her, one silver, one blue with a shimmer of green and brown eyes that flicked with amber lights. "Uh, I think I will just stand over here out of the way."
Illyria turned her back as she raised her hands. The audience's eyes widened in awe as the portal shifted to her will. Her voice filled the chamber not with volume but with power.
"This plane was once young and bare."
The center of the portal started to open like the eye of a sleeping giant. In its center, a green valley as far as the eye could see stretched out in all directions. No animals could be seen or heard. There was only clear blue sky and green grass. Suddenly, the ground started to groan, small cracks quickly grew into a large gapping hole. A hand shot up out of the rich dark soil below to find purchase then pulled the rest of a body behind it.
The body of a "man" stood proud on the green grass. It wasn't a man like anything they ones watching had ever seen before. He stood at least ten foot tall with skin that looked like it had been dipped in gold. Long strands of black hair fell to mid-back and swayed with a mind of its own. He looked up into the sky. The sun burst from behind as if he called it to do his bidding.
"The planets of the cosmos were our wombs. They gave birth to what you call the Ancient Ones. Some of us were bound to our birthplaces while others could move with ease from plane to plane even move inside time. We were the Guardians; the ones chosen to ensure that no one took from time that which could not be replaced. We stopped wars or started them to ensure that those who ruled did so according to our laws."
"Who is that man?" Giles couldn't stop his curiosity.
"Mage, you have just witnessed the birth of Ra."
"But, he is just a myth. An Egyptian god that they worshipped thousands of years ago."
Illyria looked at him in curiosity this time. "I do not understand you. Your life is based on fighting myths yet I allow you to see proof and you say it is not real. Perhaps Buffy Summers and the friends that came to rescue the one they thought was Angel are more advanced than the rest of the humans. Buffy Summers says that humans should be protected and that many are worthy of trust but I do not see that when I look at you. Be quiet as you learn." She turned back to the portal considering the conversation complete.
She waived her hand to show them other worlds, other births. The scenes zoomed by quickly as they watched the evolution of demons; pure vampires and the muck, as Illyria called it, begin to form. She turned back to look at them. Her eyes swept over them but stopped on Faith. She melted back into Buffy. "Hey Fai, glad you're still here. Want to tell you that you're gonna see some stuff that won't be 5x5, but its gonna be okay. Remember you are stronger then they were and you fought back. They never broke you, little sis, I love you Faith. I'm sorry I never told you that before but I'm telling you that now." Faith nodded with tears streaming down her face. Wesley wrapped his arms around her hoping to give her comfort.
Buffy turned to Dawn to pull her into to her arms. "You need to know that you are more than a sister, you are made from me and you are going to understand what that means. I love you, Dawnie. You never understood what I felt or tried to do to protect and provide for you, but I hope you soon will."
Dawn hugged Buffy tight. "I'm beginning to understand and I'm sorry that it took me so long."
Green eyes faded back to silver while her slender arm went back up to continue the life lessons but Angelus stopped her. He pulled her into his arms forcing her to face him.
"Lyria, Lyria, Lyria, aren't you going to let Buffy out to talk to me? Don't be such a greedy girl; now let me talk to my MATE!" He roared in her face as his own face morphed.
She shoved him away causing the Master Vampire to fly at least twenty feet in the air only to crash into one of the statues. She stalked forward before he could recover to place a foot on his chest then bent down to look in his face.
"By this mark," she touched the left side of her neck. "I am your mate as well. You made me so of your own free will. Do not speak to me so again. Buffy Summers comes forth as she is needed, or as she wants. She has no words for you at this time, but I do. You will soon see what your place in this world could have been and what it is now. You were chosen by the Powers to try and stop many things from happening, but it didn't work. Do you still honor all that came before this moment, or do you wish to leave us? The choice is yours."
Angelus looked at her shocked before he roared up from the floor to race after her. He pulled her around then hauled her up his body. "You are mine, got that, all of you, both of you? I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I, Angelus." Illyria looked him in the eye with her cool silver eyes. She waited for what he would do next. He did the only thing he could think of he buried hid fangs in the left side of her neck. Illyria wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"What is he doing? Someone, help me stop this before he drains her dry." Giles panicked remembering Buffy's pale body in the hospital.
"Giles, he is apologizing for being a stupid overbearing vampire. He is just doing it in a yummy vampire way." Anya said matter of factly. "You were a Watcher for how long? Yeesh, didn't they teach you anything about vampire lore. That isn't even the proper stance to take for feeding." She rolled her eyes.
Wesley, Giles and even Faith looked at her. "There is a stance for feeding? You mean people know about this stuff and never taught us?" Faith glared at the two Watchers.
The men cleared their throats. "Erm, well dear we didn't know. There are no written records of the personal type of vampiric activities."
"There is, too." Anya stood glaring at them with her hands on her hips. Lindsey wasn't sure what to do to diffuse the situation. His lover looked ready to call in some demon favors. "The Watchers Council had the Codex for the Slayer right? Did you think there wasn't an equivalent book for vampires? It is called the Compendium. Everything anyone ever needed to know about vampires is written there. The trials, siring laws, hierarchy, mating, territory, duels, prophecies, everything - it is written in that book. Oh, why do I even try with you people? Xander never listened to me ,and I was having sex with him." She walked away muttering to herself.
Lindsey looked at the others for a minute. "You never used a thousand year old ex-vengeance demon as a resource? How did you ever beat the bad guys?" He walked away shaking his head.