What a difference a day makes. It was an inauspicious saying. Everyone had heard it, said it, ignored it. Few had lived it. Even over a month later, they were more likely to pinch themselves when no one was looking than to believe the event that continued to unfold before their eyes.
The Scoobies still had trouble coming to terms with what had happened. One moment their lives hung by a thread and the next, they're released by three sorrowful vampires, then ordered to get the hell out. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Faith, Xander and Giles stumbled from the mansion only to run into an excited Willow trailed by - Amy. It was almost more than their battered minds could handle when Willow went into babble mode, explaining her part in the night's event and Amy's de-ratification. The novice witch's joy quickly deflated when Giles called her a rank amateur.
Possibly, the most tragic event 'that' night was what happened to Joyce Summers. Faith finally made it home, only to find the home she shared with Buffy's mother empty. She called for the woman who had become like a mother to her. Panic filled her heart, sending adrenaline racing through her body. She immediately called Giles, hating to bother the Watcher after his recent ordeal, but seeing no other choice. Attempting to calm her fears, he told her he would call the hospitals to see if she's had been admitted to any of them. He called back to let her know he'd found Joyce, and that she was in the hospital under heavy sedation. The doctors thought she had a stroke or mental break and were still unsure had caused it.
Willow's spell hadn't gone according to plan. She heard endless speeches from Giles on the matter, regarding her reckless disregard for magic and other people's property. The budding witch blew hot and cold, depending on who happened to be around to witness her scolding. Her disappointment knew no bounds when Oz deemed to visit the Library, and had Giles started another long diatribe, to inform them about the results of the spell.
The spell worked its magic, returning a soul from the ether. Rather than a fully re-souled Angel, the single soul split itself among the undead creatures it happened upon, and created three partially souled vampires, who in no way acted like Angel.
Angel/Angelus, no one was sure how to address him, suffered from a split personality. He went from asking for forgiveness one moment to raging against them the next for causing Buffy to runaway. His temper and wicked sense of style remained intact regardless of which persona decided to take up residence. The rules had changed. Angelus' alpha male personality remained intact regardless of which personality decided to show up for the day. The dark vampire had each personality's strongest characteristics inside him fighting for dominance. They bubbled up to the surface at any given moment, leaving anyone dealing with him unsure what would come out of his mouth. No longer, the long-suffering souled vampire previously known simply as Angel, he took offense at Xander's snide remarks and quickly let the teen know about it.
Interestingly enough, Drusilla appeared more lucid, which was a welcome change after the first few day of endless screaming about the wicked witch lighting her 'spark'. She reverted to somewhere between her admittance to the nunnery and her most decadent adventures as a member of the Scourge. It was like watching the vampiric version of Pretty Baby. She unnerved the Scoobies with her insightful talk into their innermost secrets. And they quickly left Giles to deal with her most of the time, which pleased the willowy vampire as she took to calling him 'Poppa', much to his displeasure.
And poor Spike, they couldn't decide whether it was comical or sad. William, the Bloody, arrived in all his bloody-awful poetic glory to write horrific poems about his love for gore and mayhem. He traded his standard red or black shirts and black leather duster for something frilly and billow-y from a some B-rated pirate movie, though the girls admitted it looked rather good on him. Whenever they arrived to deliver blood supplies, he would meet them at the door with either his latest prose or seeking a word to rhyme with entrails, viscera, or effulgent. He kept returning to effulgent knowing there had to be a word out there somewhere to match it. They much preferred the word questions, than the results.
Thus was the result of the resouling spell: Willow had bound three of history's most dangerous vampires with the weakest of chains: one soul shared between the three of them. A complete soul had tormented Angelus, forcing him into hiding for a hundred years and had created Angel from a vampire who had prided and regaled himself on the art of torture. What would a splintered soul create from these volatile creatures? They didn't have a hundred years for them to figure out how to live with their new circumstances.
To add to their worries, Joyce Summers remained unresponsive. She lay staring at the ceiling, catatonic and withdrawn from a world she no longer understood. Her mind screamed at her endlessly: the letter had lied, Buffy, her beautiful child was still alive. She couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible for her golden haired girl to be gone and her to still be here. No. It was a lie. It had to be a lie. It was this place, this Hell on Earth. Her fault, all her fault. She brought her here. Insisted they move, should have kept her in LA where it was safe. Gone, all gone, everything was gone. The thoughts looped over and over endlessly inside her head.
Faith visited every day, begging her to come back, it tore her apart seeing her this way. She searched the house for clues to find anything that would lead her to what had happened. Her search finally paid off, when she spied an envelope underneath the sofa. She took it to Willow and asked her to use her hacking skills to find out what she could.
Life on the Hellmouth was never easy. The Scoobies found their hands full between babysitting three partially souled master vampires and worrying over Joyce. They had hoped that with the belief that "Angelus, the Scourge of Europe," still being in-residence on the Hellmouth, no other masters vampires would try to invade the area. They had hoped word hadn't gotten out about his changed condition, which would give the Scoobies some much-needed breathing room. They had hoped.
While the Scoobies focused their resources elsewhere, another Big Bad was preparing for his grand entrance into their already full lives. He was coming seeking vengeance, and sent his front man, Mr. Trick, to get the proverbial ball rolling.
Mr. Trick was a modern vampire. He knew how to live in the present day. He believed in the computer age and used the internet to keep his workers notified on when and where to strike and gathered information about his Boss's intended victims. He was slick, smart and had an uncanny intelligence not seen in many vampires. He used his employer's power to garner the fear and respect needed when dealing with the demonic.
For the first time since becoming a Slayer, Faith found she was unable to concentrate on her slaying. Her focus distracted with finding a way to help Joyce get better and to bring her home. She had never understood why 'B' had allowed her friends to patrol with her, until tonight when she found herself surrounded by no less than fifteen vampires and one butt-ugly demon, and thought that she could've used the extra help.
She quickly jumped into the fight, determined to go down fighting. Her foot lashed out, sending the first one to attack hurling into the group standing at her right. They toppled to the ground in a tangled mass of limbs. She flipped over the next one brave enough to come at her, stopping between the two who had waited on the outer perimeter. Stakes appeared in her hands, which she plunged into their hearts.
Faith scrambled backward to miss the sword aimed at her head. Spinning on her heel, she pulled the crossbow off her shoulder, getting off two quick shots before a body slammed her to the ground.
"Angelus will make me his second-in-command if I bring him your head," a teenaged vampire wearing his Letterman jacket said as he sat on her back. "Course, there's no reason to waste all that good blood."
He leaned forward to sink his teeth into Faith's neck when she head butted him breaking his nose. His remaining friends howled with laughter at his expense.
"You bitch, you'll pay for that," he snarled at her.
It lost its menace when it came out all nasal-y and whine-y rather than the heated threat he intended. Faith arched her shoulders as she prepared to throw him off her back. She stilled when she heard the deep lilting voice that brought bad memories with its menacing owner.
"Look what we've found on our evening stroll, children," Angelus said as he stepped from the shadows.
Spike and Drusilla joined him, one on either side. They created a beautiful tableau of unearthly grace tempered with steely danger waiting to spring free. The moon shone down on them, playing over the intriguing planes and valleys of their faces.
Drusilla floated forward, holding her dress out she swayed to music only she could hear. Her reed thin body called to the gathered vampires like moths to a flame. They followed her with their eyes ready to do her bidding.
"My Dru is fair glowing like a star tonight," Spike whispered to Angelus. "She has them under her spell and she didn't even have to flash her fangs."
The vampire sitting on Faith scrambled to get off the downed Slayer. He stood up, straightening his clothes as he approached Angelus with a proud smile all fang and swagger.
"Angelus, I'm glad you're here. The boys and me were about to bring you the Slayer's head to mount on your wall. Knew you wanted this one off the hunting list and I'm just the vamp to do it for y…" he bragged, before dissolving into dust.
"Why must they always talk? It's so hard to get good minions these days. I remember when they would simply wait for their betters to command them, then go and do it. Unlife was much simpler back then," he said with a dramatic sigh, stepping through the scattering dust particles.
His long legs ate the short distance to where Faith lie waiting on the ground. The remaining vampires stood frozen unsure whether to run or fall to their knees in supplication and fear. They watched Angelus reach down to pull the Slayer up by her neck. Amber eyes and yellowed fangs flashed in the moonlight as they waited for the Scourge of Europe to kill the Slayer. Faith's body hung limply in the air as Angelus shook her like a rag doll. When he started to pull her in for the bite, he turned to the on-lookers and roared at them. They scattered into the night not wanting to end up like their friend.
Drusilla swept around her sire, circling as she hummed, bringing her inner music out for everyone to hear. "Daddy wants to come out and play. Chase the nasty Slayer away. Angel holds the reins tightly and won't let Daddy have his way. The ones inside us push and pull until we feel split. If I split Daddy, who will I be?"
Spike's arms snaked around her to pull her back against him. "Hush, now sweets. You can let her go, Peaches. The wankers ran for their un-lives when you went all King Vamp and "grrr" on them."
Angelus dropped Faith as if he couldn't stand to touch her any longer. Truth was he couldn't. He could barely stand to look at the dark haired Slayer without thinking she shouldn't be here and Buffy should. He stepped away from the Faith's crumpled body, staring up at the stars as he tried to reign in Angelus' darker side. He ignored the part he had played in Buffy's disappearance or Faith's duplicity.
Faith crawled to her feet and moved to stand facing them. She knew Giles had told her they had souls, but she still didn't trust them. Look how easy Angelus slipped the knot with 'B', which had led to badness of mass proportions. She remembered the night 'B' went missing and finding herself waking up on Joyce's front porch. She couldn't remember what had happened or how she got there except she knew Angelus had something to do with it.
"Didn't expect to see you three out and about tonight," Faith said casually.
She glanced around, trying to find where she had dropped her stake and crossbow. Faith felt their eyes on her like they weren't sure whether to kill her or walk her home. She'd prefer they just left her here if anyone cared to ask her.
They turn as one when they heard movement off to the right. Keen amber eyes found the vampire spying on them. Spike took off after him with Faith right on his heels. Once the vampire knew he'd blown his cover, he ran. He just wasn't fast enough to evade a Master vampire and a Slayer.
Faith stopped short when the blonde vampire tackled his prey to the ground. Spike rose with boneless grace, carrying his quarry along for the ride. His loud snarl had the younger vampire whimpering into submission. Faith moved forward to retrieve the camera he had dropped in his failed retreat.
"Looks like he's doing the stalkerazi on one us," Faith said, showing Spike the camera.
" 'Ey you wanker, who 're you working for and why 're you taking our picture?"
Spike shook him, causing his head to snap loudly in the otherwise quiet cemetery. Dru and Angelus joined them, which only added to the poor vampire's nervousness.
"I-I'm not d-doing anything, j-just o-out and a-about l-l-looking for a b-bite to eat. D-didn't know this w-was y-your h-hunt-ting g-grounds, M-Master-r S-Spik-ke," he stuttered out, gasping even though he had no need for breath.
Drusilla danced forward to clasp the frightened vamp's head in her hands. His eyes grew wide as she forced him to face her. Her large pale eyes captured his, mesmerizing him like cobra hypnotizing its prey.
"Be in me, see through me," Dru said, as she her hand wove back and forth. She lulled him into a hypnotic state. "I'm the one, the one you need to see, talk to me, tell me what you know, what you saw."
"Mr. Trick, I followed the Slayer like you told me, even took pictures for you to show Kakistos when he arrives. She's the one he's looking for all right. Fits the description you gave me. I saw her with Angelus, Spike and Drusilla. Thought Angelus was going to take her out before the boss got to her, then he up and just let her go. The rumors must be true about him going soft and joining with the Slayer and her friends. Did I do good boss?"
Drusilla patted his check. "Yes, you did good."
In a blur of motion, she lashed out, slicing his head off with her nails. He faded into dust without ever realizing he had betrayed his Sire. When Faith heard Kakistos' name, she broke out into a cold sweat and felt her heart jump into her throat. She had tried to run from her past and thought here on the Hellmouth it wouldn't catch up with her. Not even realizing it, she had started shaking her head and backing away from the others. A soft strangled moan escaped her throat, sounding like a wounded animal caught in a trap. Three heads snapped around to stare at her. Their amber eyes blazed in the night as their nostrils flared with the heady scent of her fear.
"She fears the Old One." Dru's willowy voice carried on the still night air. "He wants to snap her bones, snap, snap, snap." She her hands mimicked her words as she continued sharing the knowledge she had learned. "Bad Slayer marked the Beast, won't forgive, never give up till one is dead or dust."
Faith swallowed hard. Drusilla had always freaked her out and having the psychic vampire talking about her past encounters with Kakistos took it to an entirely new level of freaked. She knew not to underestimate her, even with enhanced Slayer senses Faith hadn't seen Dru move. Dru stood mere inches from her, staring at her with those large eyes that seemed to see everything. Faith stepped backward only to have Dru step forward, stalking her. They flowed together in a beautifully dark and eerie ballet.
Spike cocked his head to the side, as he watched his lover advance on the dark haired Slayer. Checking his peripheral vision, he saw Angelus just as intrigued. Spike wondered whether it was Dru, he was watching or had his Grand-Sire switched his Slayer obsession from blonde to brunette. He didn't much care for either alternative, having experienced both.
Buffy appeared underneath the Shadow Tree. She wasn't surprised to see Master Chi waiting for her. Master Gensai and her new partner, fellow Shadow Warrior, Ki waited to the side, allowing them some privacy. Shadow's Grand Master surprised her by taking her hands. No one touched on Shadow except when necessary or by accident.
"Trust your senses; trust everything Shadow has taught you and it will guide you to the answers. Ki will aide you should you need it."
He gently squeezed her hands, dropping them as he stepped back to join the others. Buffy waited patiently. She knew the information they needed and the way to Autonus would reveal itself. It was Shadow's way. Everything came in its own time when needed.
The Shadow Tree rose up and stretched its great limbs toward Shadow's grey-blue sky. It twisted around above them like a giant bear after its long winter nap. Two pewter leaves fell from gnarled ember branches. They danced on the gentle breeze as they gracefully journeyed downward to land at Buffy and Ki's feet. The leaves folded inward into perfect squares. Each square took on the hue and design of the warrior it lay before until it mirrored them.
"Know wherever you go, Shadow follows," Master Chi said.
Buffy concentrated on her square, focusing on the design as she slowly faded from sight. As she moved through the shadowy pattern toward another unknown dimension away, it was unlike anything she experienced on Shadow. Walking through Shadow gave her the sense of moving through water, everything seemed slowed as she moved normally. Moving between dimensions felt like being inside a kaleidoscope with someone continuously turning the barrel.
Planets, stars and galaxies whirled by as she sped through the cosmos. Her mind flooded with information about her mission. Autonus had highly advanced androids, which filled numerous roles throughout the planet - nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, servants, drivers, playmates and pets. Autonians continued to improve their androids giving them higher learning capacity and sensory inputs. An enigmatic leader who had captured the younger generations' hearts decided that keeping androids was an atrocity. The androids deserved their freedom. He had found their Mecca, their home planet, where the first android came from and an entire race of androids lived freely - Earth. This leader, who only a few had seen, wanted to send the androids back home.
The pictures started to slow, taking on form once more. Buffy saw large oddly shaped planets surrounded by tiny moons, twinkling stars and two glowing green suns. She forgot her hard-earned stoic training as she stared in awe at the strangeness floating around her. Her human arrogance had left her long before her journey to Shadow. It had vanished when she watched Merrick die. Buffy knew about different dimensions and had long ago accepted different species. She just hadn't thought about other dimension not following the common laws of physics known to her previous life. Silly rabbit, what was she thinking. Her lips curved, creating a cheerful smile to match her thoughts. She was still smiling as her square fell through an aqua colored sky to land beside Ki's.
They stood up, unfolding from the small squares like circus clowns climbing from tiny cars. Each warrior stepped away from their square, picked it up and pressed it against their forearms. It melted into the tattoos blending into their skin like it had always been there.
Ki's endless black eyes quickly checked her, the surrounding area, then returned to her smiling face. A slender eyebrow arched upward ever-so-briefly to give away his curiosity before he once again hid it behind his emotionless warrior's mask. He found this new warrior strange. She didn't react in the usual manner of a Shadow Warrior. Yet, even as he carried out his duties in the land of Shadow, he had heard about her accomplishments and quick advancement through the rigorous training. Looking at her bright, smiling face it was hard to believe she was a Shadow Warrior.
Shadow Warriors kept their emotions hidden, buried deep within Shadow. It was part of their rite of passage before becoming a warrior, allowing them to address each task with a level head and see what needed done, then do it. They couldn't take the chance of becoming entangled in other world's battles. It wasn't their place and could tip the balance, allowing free-reign for anyone with enough power to breach the dimensional walls. Shadow Warriors had to tread lightly not to step over the line.
Every world, every dimension had its own champions. Some had heightened powers while others were ordinary people with an extraordinary sense of duty. Inter-dimensional battles between good and evil were hands-off for Shadow Warriors. They could only interfere if either side tried to breach the dimensional barriers for whatever purpose - power, aide, destruction. The reason didn't matter to Shadow. Its warriors kept each dimension within its own special pocket of the cosmos, acting as gatekeepers to stop those who tried to open the gates.
Buffy saw Ki staring at her and wondered what he was thinking. The smile slowly melted from her lips replaced by the expected serene mask of Shadow. She bowed her head to him, recognizing him as the senior warrior.
Deciding to explain her behavior, she said, "I was just realizing how different it is from my world, even from Shadow. It wasn't so much the twin suns or even that they're green. I just didn't expect to see planets orbit around them in a figure eight. Forgive my behavior."
He bowed graciously in her direction silently letting her know to consider the matter closed.
They had landed on cliffs situated high above an incredibly large open plain. As if reading each other's mind, they stepped to the edge to take their first glance at their final destination. Buffy couldn't stop the large intake of breathe at the sight spread before her.
The entire area hummed with activity. Objects flew over and under the roads; roads that twisted and turned to create strange architectural artworks that reached high above the ground. It didn't stop there. Similar objects in an array of colors and shapes filled the skies above them. They swooped up and around each other in an aerial ballet. The bustle spread even to suburbia where streets and sidewalks overflowed with movement. Buffy thought they looked like ants ravaging candy left on the sidewalk.
"Where to first? The city or the neighborhoods?" She asked, expecting Ki to lead their mission as the senior warrior.
"The decision is yours, Shadow Warrior. I am yours to command."
Buffy's serene mask once again cracked with surprise. She hadn't expected to lead on her first mission as a Shadow Warrior. Pulling from her core as she reconnected with Shadow, she felt calm overtake her. She looked further inward as she wrapped the gleaming silver thread around the 'Buffy' spark. This settled her rampant emotions and allayed the underlying fear that her leadership would fail and cause other's deaths.
"The young are the ones following this movement. They listen and believe every word he says. Perhaps, we should listen to what they're saying first. We'll start with the neighborhoods and work our way toward the city, concentrating on any groupings we can find. Let us listen together then we can decide when to separate or change direction."
Ki found her approach acceptable. He eyed the large expanse of homes below him then quietly asked, "Agreed. Which neighborhood shall we visit first?"
Buffy stepped closer to him, pointing off to the right. "See perhaps midways up where the houses look older. The kids should be about the right age."
The twin green suns gleamed down on them as they stood gazing out at the metropolis. They slowly faded from sight as their shadows melted into those cast from the tall cliffs.