Moving from one bathing room to the next, she was scrubbed, slapped, steamed, sweated and immersed in hot water followed by cold. The young girl re-appeared to massage her purified body with scented oils until the muscles felt limp. She dressed in a simple white gei and stepped into the last room.
Mistress Sonyee gave Buffy a small smile, bowing low at the waist. "Your outer shell is reborn into Shadow. I will leave you to meditate and bring harmony to your inner-self." The older woman glided away on silent feet.
Buffy's eyes took in the room for the first time, without Mistress Sonyee to distract her. The walls curved to form a perfect circle. Soft candlelight and incense gave it an intimate feel. A lone pillow indicated the room's purpose. She approached it and gracefully descended into the lotus position. Giles had only started teaching her meditation techniques a few months ago. Due to the chain of events that followed, she only had a rough idea of how to proceed.
"Okay, relax. Just close your eyes and breath."
Extending her arms out to each side, she shook them to release the tension from her shoulders. She placed her hands on her knees with the pointer finger touching the thumb. Closing her lids, she took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out her mouth. The cleansing breaths continued until they slowed to a soft, even tempo.
Colors burst behind her eyes as she fell into a meditative state. Ghosts from the past tried to invade her mind. The power they once had was lost when her soul shattered. She stood by, as if a stranger, in her own memories, watching them flicker by like scenes on a movie reel. She understood why she was in the Land of Shadow. The final responsibility for the way her life came about was her own. A person should never give away entire parts of their inner being. Love and caring didn't require a person to no longer have a sense of self. She gave her soul away to feel worthy of love. Her entire world revolved around pleasing others, so much so her inner-self shrunk until only her Slayer-self remained.
Buffy knew the others willingly took what she gave. She jumped until they came to expect and rely on it. Life went along happily until the puppet masters pulling her strings directed her to go in different directions. It was inevitable the puppet would end up broken. She couldn't rely on the Blue Fairy to make her a real girl one day. Buffy accepted it was time to put away childish ways, which included her previous life. To succeed as a Shadow Warrior, Buffy Summers must die. She decided to let her rest in peace on a lonely highway between LA and Sunnydale. Her breath escaped with a loud 'whoosh'. She opened her eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the soft light.
"You are ready, young warrior. Come, I will show you where you to your room. The days ahead will prove difficult."
Mistress Sonyee appeared as if from thin air, motioning from the doorway for Buffy to follow her. Buffy rose in a boneless move to try to match her steps with Mistress Sonyee's graceful ones. The woman seemed to float across the cool marble floors. Long, narrow hallways led away from the bathing areas. Another hall intersected directly through the center of each, linking it to the next. Buffy wondered if she had somehow wandered into an M. C. Escher picture. She had always loved the one with the stairs going in every direction. Her mom told her it was because she never knew where she was going until she arrived. Shaking the last cobweb of memory from her mind, she hoped each new student received a map. SSonyee was a gracious guide, but the idea of needing someone to lead her around for months on end didn't sit well.
They eventually stopped at a pale, white door. Sonyee opened it and directed Buffy to go through. It was a small room with nothing adorning the walls or floors. The only difference between this one and the last was a single pallet lay on the floor rather than a pillow. A small incense burner sat in the corner ready for lighting, with candles softly burning beside it. They provided the room's only light.
"I'll leave you to rest. Lessons start at first light. Fair dreams, young warrior."
Buffy wondered how she'd know when it was first light. The room had no windows; in fact, the entire hallway remained in shadowed darkness. Shrugging her shoulders, she removed her gei to slide under the covers. A deep, dreamless sleep swept her into its embrace.
She woke up refreshed. Redressing in her gei, she stepped into the hallway. People bowed to her as they silently milled down the halls. It startled her that she hadn't heard their footsteps. Unsure what else to do, she followed along, hoping to find Sonyee or Master Chi. Everyone seemed headed toward the large open area at the fortress' entry. Buffy saw hundreds, perhaps thousands, dressed in varying shades of grays. Each group sat according to color. Seeing a group wearing geis similar to hers, she quickly joined them. The others bowed their heads in greeting.
All eyes turned toward the front when a gong sounded. There, standing straight and proud, was a man dressed in a black gei. Piercing blue eyes bore into each person's face, memorizing them for later praise or admonishment. "Ki traveled the path, and joined the ranks as the newest Shadow Warrior." Soft clapping followed the announcement. The man's hand rose, silencing the room. A sharp downward movement seemed to create a man from thin air. The clapping returned, somewhat louder this time.
Sharp hazel eyes took in the new arrival's every detail. He stared out at the audience with his self-worth wrapped firmly around him. A knowing light entered his eyes when they swept by an elfin face. He subtly went back across the room to get a closer look, before returning his attention to the front. Long, dark hair, ranging from ebony to steel grey lay straight down his back, showing anyone he met his calling. Faint tattoos graced cheeks and forehead, which warned any who dared the penalty should they succeed in killing him. The consequences were terrifying enough to scare man or beast. Power surrounded the Shadow Warrior. Even an untrained student could see it ebbing and flowing around him. He represented the finish line, the goal each strived to attain. Ki turned to his teacher, bowing low at the waist, then he faced the crowd and bowed his head.
"I wish you much luck in your journey as you learn the ways of the path. Good luck, my brothers and sisters." He stepped away from his Sensei and disappeared.
A gong sounded, echoing through the hallways. She instinctively rose to her feet. The entire audience stood, and each side silently turned to exit the area. She stayed with her group, following along in the hope someone would eventually explain the morning routine, or at the very least exchange names. A sudden gap between the students brought a newcomer to her attention. A woman wearing a black gei led the small group. Buffy wondered when she had joined them, noticing how she walking in the same floating manner as Sonyee. The woman must have felt her staring because she turned around to gaze at her with pale grey eyes. Their odd color gave the impression the owner was blind. Buffy knew better. Those eyes didn't miss the smallest of details. A small, shaven head bowed shakily, acknowledging the new teacher.
The Sensei showed no emotion as she motioned for them to continue walking. A soft, melodic voice said, "I am Master Gensai. You will address me as Sensei. You may not talk to any other Master directly. You may only talk to them through me until you have finished your kyu. You know a warrior's ways, now you must let all your knowledge fall away. This is Shadow, only Shadow's ways can help you when your time comes to walk the path. Each must crawl before standing and fall many times before the steps become steady. Even then, a guiding hand must reach out every so often to keep the steps on the safe path until they are ready to walk alone."
Buffy hadn't considered having to throw away all her former training . It scared her to think she wouldn't have her Slayer skills to rely on; it hadn't occurred to her. There wasn't much time to worry about it, though, as their pace quickened to keep up with their teacher. After a quick breakfast of rice and fruit, Master Gensai led the group through the maze, only this time it led them outside the fortress. The formidable woman simply pointed to a small path leading up the nearby mountain. Buffy started to open her mouth to ask a question, but the student next to her grabbed her hand, pulling her along with the group.
Gensai watched this, hiding her smile as she saw the smaller warrior fight against this rough handling. Yes, she agreed with the others, this one would indeed be interesting to watch. She had a fire in her, which didn't die with her body. Master Chi said she had an advanced insight no other acolyte had ever shown. These next years should prove interesting indeed.
Buffy jerked her arm away from the girl, no woman, she remembered from the assembly. "Who do you think you are? Rude much? I was going to ask Master, err, I mean Sensei a question before you so rudely interrupted, uh, I don't know your name," she huffed, crossing her arms, glaring at the equally bald woman.
The woman in question stood a foot taller than Buffy and outweighed her by a good sixty pounds, not that she was by any means fat, rather, she had the finely honed body of an athlete, with toned muscles showing clearly, when she moved. "My name is Kita (north). Please, calm yourself and I'll explain. We must hurry to catch the others, though."
Seeing no other choice, Buffy nodded her head and took off at a fast-paced jog. Kita had no trouble keeping up with her. "The Sensei wouldn't have answered your questions, and the longer you stood there, the farther behind you would've been. The other can't leave the top until everyone arrives. We have already learned this lesson the hard way; forgive me for trying to help you and us not have to learn it again." Kita bowed her head and increased her pace. She put space between them, leaving the smaller woman-child to contemplate her words. She wasn't sure what it was about this one that pulled at her to help. Seeing her standing there with those large eyes about to make the same mistake so many of them had made, she just couldn't let her do it. Kita shook her head, feeling the crisp, cool air slide across her bare head as she loped up the mountain. She let her mind slide free from thought as she tried to become one with the mountain, the true exercise.
Said woman-child pondered Kita's words. Why wouldn't the Sensei answer questions? If she's their teacher, how can she teach them if she doesn't let them question her to learn? Does everyone just follow her blindly? Could she do that? She wasn't so sure. What was the point in making the whole group wait for everyone to reach the top before coming back down? They weren't going to work as a group, as far as she knew. Was it to make them more patient, or make them resent the slow or new student? Her mind wouldn't seem to quit working. Deciding she wouldn't find her answers here, she pushed hard to pass Kita, enjoying the look on the other woman's face when she did so.
Reaching the top, she saw the others arriving, just before her and the ones that had been there for a while. She ignored them as she walked to cool down. Her eyes took in the wondrous view for the first time. For as far as the eye could see, the full spectrum of grey played over the mystical world of Shadow. The fortress sat at its pinnacle, proud, indomitable, ageless. The mountain upon which she stood was in fact one within a crowning circle, which kept the outer worlds far beyond Shadow's borders. Trees stood tall, reaching for the glorious pale grey sky, their leaves a beautiful grey-green. Rivers and streams wove wandering paths across the venue in ribbons of sparkling silver. Even the flowers blooming in the fields held the ranging grey colors and gentle winds had them dancing with Shadows unspoken anthem. For a world created from a single color, it was alive with it in a blooming kaleidoscope of light and hue. Buffy had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. It spoke to her in a way nothing else ever had. She understood in that moment about balance, its meaning, and, if used correctly, how truly powerful it could be. She knew she had made the right choice. Sinking to her knees, her hands pressed against the mountain's cool soil.
Then, she did something without thought, forcing her hands straight into dirt and bowing her head to the ground. She started to talk with the mountain in quiet, solemn tones. "I don't know if you can understand me, but I truly hope you can. When I look out at the circle created by you and the other mountains, I see you as their leader. You sit quietly at our backdoor, watching over us, protecting us. I used to protect people and I know it's not an easy job and usually no one ever says thank you. So, first I want to say, thank you. Thank you for watching over Shadow for all these years, or millennia, or for - well you get the idea. I'm Buffy, but I guess you already know that. I wish there were some way you could tell me your name." She took a deep breath before continuing. "It's easier to talk to someone if they have a name and everything here has a name that means something, or so I'm told. I'll have to think about it when I come back to visit you. This place is very strange to me. You can't ask question, or so they tell me. How am I going to learn if I don't ask questions? My Watcher used to answer my questions, now I don't have anyone. All the people who once loved me, I ended up ended up disappointing. It's what landed me here on Shadow. I'm glad I chose to come here. I wasn't ready to die completely and I didn't have anything to go back to; it's just hard not having anyone to talk with. So, I just wanted to tell you that I know what it's like to protect a world, and I'm glad you're protecting the one I chose to make mine."
She didn't realize she was crying. Her tears slipped down onto the ancient earth. It opened, accepting the gift freely given, offering one in return. Warmth rushed up from the soil to wrap around her hands in a loving embrace. It startled her at first, until she realized she wasn't in danger. She leaned forward to kiss the ground and whispered a soft, "Thank you. I'll come visit you again." She slowly removed her hands, patting the ground back into place, leaving no sign she had disturbed it. Rising to her feet, she brushed her hands together, before joining the others.
They silently started back down the mountain. More than a few cast furtive glances at their new member. Had she done what so many of them had tried to do over these last few days and weeks, and on her first day? Had she become one with the mountain? How had she done it? Buffy happily walked down the mountain, unaware she had started on a path that would follow her throughout her journey to become a Shadow Warrior.
Drusilla crept forward on silent feet. Opening the door, light shone on her prince's bright hair. She knew her Spike would protect her from Daddy's anger. The stars kept whispering to her. They buzzed in her ears, then the fairy folk joined them. It frightened her enough to seek solace with her consort. She normally enjoyed Daddy's anger, but tonight felt different. Tonight held dark secrets, blood and screams.
She slipped under the covers, cuddling next to the cool, familiar body. Closing her eyes, the stars burst behind them, while the fairies circled her head. They chattered loudly, pulling her hair to get her to open her eyes and not listen to the stars. It was too late. The stars' song called to her, enchanting her with their twinkling whispers, showing her the world, along with peeks behind the veil. She felt ever so naughty, loving the delicious rumble low in her tummy. The stars pulled her along, taking her farther than ever before. The rumble changed to an ache when she saw silver surrounding a tiny spark floating off in the distance. It looked wrong to her. Silver wasn't its color; no, it belonged to the gold. It belonged to her Daddy.
She urged the stars to carry her toward the spark, and they tried, truly, they did. As they drew near, eyes, ancient and powerful blocked their way, pushing them back down to the Earth where they belonged. Dru watched her stars fall from the sky until only blackness remained. No stars left to talk or sing to her. Her eyes popped open. The fairies tore at her hair and she joined them, screaming in anguish. "No, they're all gone. No, more songs, no more. The spark did it. Her fault, all her fault. The spark broke my stars. It broke my stars."
Spike awoke with a start. He wasn't sure which confused him more, Dru in his bed or her babbling. His instincts had him cooing in her ear while he pulled her hands away from her hair. "Hush, now pet, tell ole Spike what has his princess all upset?"
Drusilla crumpled like a broken marionette, falling across his bare chest. "The stars are gone, Spike. They've left the sky all black and lonely. No more songs for Princess. The fairies tried to warn me, but I was naughty and wouldn't listen." Cold tears splashed down alabaster cheeks.
"They'll return to you, my Dark Plum." He pulled her up, holding her close to his side. His eyes closed as he relished the moment like so many others they'd shared over the last hundred years.
As always, Angelus chose that moment to interrupt. The door slammed open to reveal the unsouled vampire. His amber-lit eyes landed on the couple, quirking his lips into their renowned smirk. "Some noisy little mice told me they heard Dru screaming." He strode fluidly across the room to grab his frightened childe from the bed.
Spike growled, holding onto Dru for one never-ending second. He knew it was a losing battle. She lifted her night-sky eyes to fleetingly stare into his, giving him that smile that she reserved only for him. He reluctantly released her to the bastard that was their Sire.
Angelus wrapped strong, cruel fingers around the thin arms of his favored childe. She was still his greatest masterpiece. Giving her a malicious, yet somehow tender smile, his voiced pitched into knowing, silky tones as he said, "Tell Daddy what your stars told you. Tell me where my Slayer is?"
A muffled whimper gurgled up from the slender throat. Her eyes grew wide and unseeing as the memories came back to her. Tears clogged her throat, escaping down her cheeks as she began to talk. "The spark broke my stars. They fell from the sky, Daddy. No more songs for Princess. The spark did it, it's not here or there, not anywhere. Not all gold and sunny anymore, but silvery, like shadows."
The dark vampire turned to the one that remained on the bed. "Do you understand what the hell she's saying?"
Spike's bleached head tilted to the side as he went over the Dru's words. The spark was the Slayer. As far as the stars falling, that didn't make sense to him, yet. Then, it fell into place in his head. Spike became Dru's spokesperson not long after she turned him. He often wondered if that was why she chose him in the first place, his affinity for words and their meaning. "Far as I can tell, the Slayer ain't around anywhere you or any of her little friends can get to her. Somehow, she's beyond human, demon and even magical reach. Dru won't get visions of her and the little witch won't be able to do any spells to locate her. Powerful magics are hiding her and no one will be seeing the chit until she wants seeing."
Angelus roared, throwing the seer still hanging from his hands to the vampire on the bed. "NO! There has to be a way to find her. You must've misunderstood. She's the Slayer. Buffy wouldn't just leave and go somewhere no one could find her." His large body shook with rage, worry and fear. Had he done this, had he pushed her over the edge? No, he wouldn't accept that. There was always a way and he would find it, no matter how many he had to kill to do it.
Spike watched the emotions race across Angelus' face and body. He knew his Sire and knew the days, weeks and months ahead would be Hell, literally. He only hoped the Slayer would come home before too many, including him and Dru, paid for her absence.