FIC: Terra Australis (1-1/?)

["Tony McDonald" <CDRERamius@xxxxxxx>]

Part 1/? of Terra Australis

AUTHOR: Tony McDonald
EMAIL: CDRERamius@xxxxxxx
FEEDBACK: Better or Santa will drop coal in your stocking.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, never have, never will. I wrote this out 
of love for the show, not profit. No evil intended Joss.
RATED: M 15+
SUMMARY: A stranger arrives in Sunnydale, marking the beginning of 
change in the relationships between the Slayer and her friends.

The path of love for our Slayer and favourite Wicca is long, twisted 
and never easy. But persevere, love will always win through. This is 
set in my own little universe which is a bit different to the shows.

<> indicates thoughs of character
======================================================================

Spring in Sunnydale. Normally a time to be happy. The long dark 
winter nights are past, warm sunny days, new life emerging after the 
winter slumber. And a time for romance. At that thought Buffy 
frowned. The course of love for the Slayer and her friends was a 
treacherous one. She sighed as she recounted how each had gotten to 
this state.

After the disaster of Parker, Buffy had all but given up on 
relationships. Then came Riley who ignited the old lusty feelings 
again. All seemed to be going well, even after she found out about 
Riley and the Initiative. However it became apparent that things 
between them couldn't work in the long run. The events of last year 
leading up to the death of Oz completely turned Buffy against Riley. 
She both disliked and distrusted him. Then there was the small matter 
of lusty feelings for a certain friend...

Xander, "can't win for losing guy", definately had had a rough trip 
down lovers lane. Miss French (the Praying Mantis), Ampata (the life 
sucking Inca Mummy), godd old Cordelia (what was he thinking?), Faith 
(psycho Slayer), and lastly Anya. Having become mortal, Anya 
discovered sex and Xander. At first it was purely physical, but 
Xander began to fall for her. It was at this point that Anya decided 
to explore sex with other men, and took off in search for the perfect 
orgasm (or something like that). Xander was now spending alot of his 
time listening to country music ("the music of soul destroying pain" 
he once described it).

Then there was Willow. Buffy's bestfriend was no better off than the 
rest of the Scooby Gang. First Oz slept with another werewolf, 
Veruca, which was bad enough without the fact that Willow discovered 
the two of them naked in Oz's cage. After killing Veruca (and very 
nearly Willow) Oz left. Heart broken, Willow found another person to 
love.
Admittedly the fact that it was a big breasted blond wicca by the 
name of Tara, threw Buffy (not to mention Xander). Unfortunately it 
was not ment to be and again Willow was left heartbroken. Then Oz 
returned to ask for Willow's forgiveness. The bright spark which 
should have lit Willow's life was snuffed out. The First Evil arose 
and once again the gang were fighting for the world. Oz was killed 
and very nearly was Xander who, despite his hatred for Oz, tried to 
sacrifice himself for Oz. For ten long days Xander hovered between 
this world and the next. The strain of it all nearly killed Willow.

Buffy shook her head in an effort to remove the thoughts from her 
mind. <A good hard run, followed by a quick shower and some slayage 
should do the trick>. Exercise and killing big honking evil was a 
Slayers comfort food.


Down at the track Buffy started to stretch and took the opportunity 
to look around. The first thing she noticed was the battle going on 
in the centre.
It was not quite a battle in the strictest sense of the word. A group 
of twenty or so guys were playing some form of game. It took Buffy a 
while to deduce that it was some kind of football game which had no 
apparent rules other than destroy the player with the football. 
Players were punching and kicking the ball around, tackling, and 
smashing into each other.

Then out of the melee one of the players managed to pick up the ball 
and kicked it. It was a big kick, huge infact. A small knot of 
players at the far end of the field jostled for position to catch it, 
all the while keeping their eyes on the ball. One set of eyes Buffy 
noticed belonged to Riley. His bulky frame ensured that he would be 
in position to catch the ball.
Then at the very last moment a player scrambled up Riley's back and, 
kneeling on Riley's shoulders, caught the ball in his out streched 
hands some 12 or 13 feet in the air. Both Riley and the jumper 
crashed to earth with a bone crunching thud.

"Wow! Did you see that Buff?" Willow exclaimed, startling the Slayer.
"Willow! Scare me to death! What are you doing here? I thought you 
had an essay to write."

"It's finishedso I decided to come here in search of you. Say isn't 
that Riley over there? If you want I could turn him into a rat or 
something." Willow offered.
Buffy looked back at Riley who was very slowly and unsteadily getting 
to his feet. The jumper was racing down the field in persuit of the 
ball, showing none of the effects of the fall.

"I don't think that will be needed just at the moment. I think he is 
in enough pain as it is." Buffy turned to her friend. "You know what 
I need? A holiday. A week or two away from the Hellmouth, and slaying 
and vampires. Just leave all the troubles behind and lay on a beach."

"Well you know what they say, a change is as good as a holiday." 
Willow quipped. Buffy glared at the red head. "Then again maybe not." 
Willow said meekly.

Buffy turned to see Riley chatting to the guy who had jumped him. 
Riley turned for the change rooms and Buffy heard him say to the 
jumper "OK, just before dawn at the cemetery." Riley then made his 
way (rather gingerly) back to the change rooms.
Buffy's eyes narrowed at the conversation. Riley, at the cemetery, at 
dawn. It could not be any good what ever was planned.

"Willow, how about you and I go to the cemetery, say around dawn. 
Just for a change?"


In the pre-dawn light Buffy and Willow patrolled the cemetery. "What 
ever Riley is up to it can't be any good." Buffy muttered for the 
tenth time in as many minutes.
"What ever it is Buffy, it isn't vampires. Sunrise is only a few 
minutes away." Willow told her friend. It was at this point that 
Buffy saw them. In the war cemetery was 6 or 7 figures gathered 
around a headstone. Each figure held a candle and appeared to be 
chanting or reciting something.The Slayer and her friend crouched 
behind the low hedge which surrounded the war cemetery and Buffy 
strained to hear what they were saying.
"...grow not old...not weary...condemn...going down of the sun...we 
will..."

"What are they saying Buff?" Willow whispered. Buffy said nothing but 
placed her fingers on Willow's lips to silence her while Buffy used 
her Slayer hearing to listen to what was being said. It was no use 
because what ever it was had end. Buffy recognized Riley and the 
Jumper from yesterdays game.

"See you later Riley." said the Jumper in an accent that Buffy could 
not quite pick. Buffy watched the figures depart. Still watching them 
Buffy said to Willow "OK I think there gone. We should see Giles and 
tell him what..."
Buffy looked at her friend. Buffy's fingers were still on Willow's 
lips and Willow was looking at her in a way that Buffy had not seen 
before. Thoughts flashed through the Slayers' mind <lusty feelings 
for about Willow. Bad Buffy! Bad Buffy!>
Willow gently kissed the Slayers' fingers. The world seemed to 
contract until there was no one execpt for the two of them. Buffy 
closed her eyes as sparks shot down from her fingers and down her 
spine. She moaned and began to squirm.

Just then a dog started barking. The pair leaptd to their feet, ready 
for an attack. But there was no attack, and the two began to relax 
and start breathing again. Willow looked frightened and began to 
stutter "I...I... I'm s... so sorry... B... Buffy..." The Slayer 
looked at her friend and grabbed her hands.
"Don't be sorry, I really liked it and..." Buffy looked down at her 
feet and then back at Willow with a coy look on her face "and it's 
too early to disturb Giles with this just yet. So let's go back to 
the dorm and maybe..." the coy look had gone from Buffy's face, 
replaced by sheer lust "you could help me wash my back? What do you 
say Will?"

Willow said nothing, unable to say anything. Her fantasy was coming 
true. All she could do was nod dumbly as Buffy lead her out of the 
cemetery and back to the dorm. Willow's last thought as they left the 
cemetery was to wonder how Buffy would react when she found out that 
Willow had been borrowing Buffy's underwear.