Reminding the Fallen
by zenithar
Chapter 26
[reviews]
Author's note: Hey, I live. Doing writing has become difficult for multiple reasons, most of them are annoying as hell. The muse is moving around so ideas are plenty and I'm even working towards another fic. I only ask one thing of all of you and that is to be patient with me. And my usual thanks to Rebelrsr, for their constant help with all my problems.
After having watched everything unfold, Faith asked, concern lacing her words, "You ok, B?"
Still holding Willow close, the vampire responded, "Ya, I'm good. Just needed to get used to the whole scythe thing."
Noticing she wasn't loosening her grip on the redhead, the dark Slayer questioned her again, just to make sure.
"Yes, Faith, I've got everything under control, five-by-five even." Releasing Willow, Buffy looked at her as she asked, "Now, witch-o-mine, where to?"
The redhead looked around to place herself. Behind her was the gang, a short distance to her right was the jeep, and in front of her was Buffy. Stopping her scan of the surroundings, she took in her lover's sleek leather-clad body. Letting her gaze slide up from feet to head, she found her beautiful vampire looking at her expectantly, which confused her for a moment. Then it registered what she should be doing. (Not the time to be ogling your girlfriend, Wills,) the witch admonished herself. Looking past Buffy, she saw the forest the gang had ventured into a few times in the past. Shuddering at the memory of flaying a human alive in these woods, Willow turned her face to the sky. Spotting the moon just rising over the canopy she remembered another detail of the spell.
Returning her gaze to her Slayer, she said, "We're going to have to go through there and make it before sunrise to do the spell," pointing over blonde's shoulder. "There should be a clearing a little bit in, and I think the sacred ground is past that."
"Think, babe?" Buffy asked teasingly.
"Well, the text was up there in the vagueness about that stuff," she mumbled to defend herself.
Laughing at Willow's obvious discomfort, Buffy decided to be kind. "That's alright, we'll find out when we get there. Whatcha say we head into the big bad forest?" she asked the gang.
Everyone picked up the weapons they had brought from the jeep and started following the undead Slayer. When they got a little closer to the edge of the forest, Buffy felt something pass over her. It was a strange sensation; it almost felt like a calling. That was when her demon spoke up, 'Stop. Now.'
"Everyone hold up," Buffy commanded.
"What is it, Buff?" Xander spoke up. He was holding a handaxe easily at his side as he scanned the area around the group.
Instead of responding, the vampire stared blankly at the forest ahead. It was creepy watching as motion bled from the Slayer, loosing all signs of life as she focused on something none of her living friends could see or feel. Buffy had turned her attention inward to try and catch another glimpse of what had passed over a moment ago.
'There. Do you feel it?' the demon asked.
Right on the edge of Buffy's senses was a dark force. It was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The feeling was strange, seeming to be calling to her and so much more. It was... tempting her, taunting her, but almost in a friendly manner. Asking for some sort of response from the blonde. (What is this? It feels like I should know it.)
'It's one of sisters or brothers,' the demon thought quietly.
The news was a shock to Buffy. (Another of Serenity's childer is here?)
'Yeah, and which ever one it is has got some serious magic power,' the demon noted.
The feeling came again, stronger this time. (I think they know we're here. They're calling to me, aren't they, waiting for some response?)
The demon simply nodded her ethereal head.
(Alright, then lets answer back,) and she began to build her aura to send it.
"Buffy, don't," Spike suddenly said.
Not surprised that the older vampire had sensed her preparing her aura, she continued to do as she was. "What, they already know I'm here, so I might as well tell them to fuck off."
"I know, but sending your aura out like you're planning could tire you out. You keep forgetting you're still newly sired, and using your powers like you are might be too much," Spike pointed out.
'You have no idea how much power we have,' the demon thought contemptibly. 'Do it.'
A smirk grew on her face as the young blonde vampire turned away from older. Choosing to follow her demon, Buffy closed her eyes and concentrated on sending her aura out. Feeling it build up within her, she waited till it felt like the aura was screaming inside her then she sent it out with her Slayer persona in the forefront.
If an aura could create a physical sound, Buffy's would have released an ear shattering roar. Her presence rippled away from her like a shock wave, slamming into everyone around her. The gang staggered back from the Slayer as the wave crashed into them. It was a presence in their mind that could only be explained as 'Buffy'. A protective 'Mine!' and a challenge were the only things they could feel easily.
Buffy felt decided pleased with herself. Turning around, her golden eyes twinkling with mischief, she looked at the gang and found them all looking at her strangely. Giles, Spike, and Anya, however, had looks of pure fear on their faces. They knew what had just happened, and they knew humans should not have even been touched by it.
Spike was the first to find his voice. "Bloody hell, pet! You have any idea what you just did?"
"Unbelievable. That was... unprecedented. I've read about auras between vampires but never have I read anywhere of the living being able to feel it," Giles said as he began whipping his glasses.
Buffy was nonplussed by the comments. "What, it just means I'm a little more lively than your average vamp, is all. Right?"
Giles looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I suppose having been killed before and your continued interaction with everyday life could have made you more forceful. Yet I believe there's more to it. I'd have to search through my books to-"
"You have any idea what you just did?" Anya cut the old librarian off. Buffy looked at the ex-demon with wide eyes at the sudden outburst, and made the smallest of notions of shaking her head. "You just did a claiming," she filled the young vampire in. The continued look of confusion caused Anya to continue, "It's basically when a vampire takes a place as their own. It can be anything: a castle, some sewers, a small crypt, even an entire city. The claiming marks the territory as the head vampire's, and lets all the others know who's boss. The last claim I felt was when I was still a vengeance demon. The Master had just taken Sunnydale as his, but trying to compare that claim to yours, Buffy, is impossible." Taking a breather, Anya looked at the Slayer Vampire for any signs she understood the importance of what was being said. Buffy was starting to get things, but she was still moving too slowly for the ex-demon. "The Master was centuries old when he took Sunnydale, yet what you just did completely overshadows his claim."
'Kinda ironic that we just took the lair of the first thing to kill us,' Buffy's demon thought.
(Yeah. It is,) Buffy agreed. Whispering softly to herself, "I just hope it doesn't mean I'm losing who I am."
"Hey, slight problem," Willow interrupted. "Someone is using black magic, and a lot of it."
Turning to peer into the forest, the Slayer Vampire said, "That would be one of my sisters."
"How do you know?" the redhead asked.
"I didn't til a second ago. Still learning how to read auras," she mentioned.
"Is there a chance we could meet our new family in a non-killy kind of way?" Dawn asked somewhat hopefully.
"Not really, Dawnie. I think Mr. Pointy will want to be doing most of the talking."
"I thought so. Just was hoping we'd find more good vampires," Dawn said understandingly.
'Good? She thinks I'm good?'
(She's never really met you, remember? Lucky her,) she mumbled mentally.
"The magic's heading this way," Willow said calmly. "Everyone get ready."
The gang readied themselves — blades were drawn, magic was summoned, and fangs were barred — as the black magic rolled towards them. "It's here," the redheaded witch quietly said.
Silent and dark as a shadow, a thick fog slithered along the forest floor blanketing everything from sight. Seething forward, the black mist swirled and moved in a non-existent wind, making it look like it had a life of its own. Reaching the edge of the forest, the fog grasped at the gang with black tendrils. Like some malignant squid caught behind a cage, the swirling mass clutched between the trees, yet it couldn't go any farther than an arm's length. As though enraged, the thick substance pulled back and wrapped around the large ferns and tried to squeeze the life from them with its ghostly tentacles, achieving nothing other than a few moved leaves.
Buffy walked forward, just out of reach of fog. Looking over her shoulder to Willow she asked, "What is it, Wills?"
The redhead was focusing on the obviously mystical mist when she responded, "I'm not sure, but the fog isn't dangerous. I think it's a summoning boundary."
"And more with the 'I think', Wills," the vampire teased her lover. "Do you know anything for sure in that pretty head of yours?" That got a hurt look from Willow and the Slayer knew she went a touch far on her teasing. "Heh, sorry."
(Good going,) she blamed her demon.
'What? I did nothing. How is this my fault?'
(Because I know you're the one influencing me.)
Cutting off her internal debate, she turned to the group, "Well we're going to have to go in anyway. Stay close."
The Slayer Vampire took the lead and stepped into the dark mist. The fog parted slightly before their feet as they entered the forest. Everyone was alert and ready for anything. Shadows went unnoticed as they slipped around the gang, sliding between the trees. Soft crunching noises echoed through the silent woods, causing everyone to look around frantically.
Out of the corner of his eye, Spike caught sight of one of the moving shadows. "Buffy, something's to our right." Turning to better face it, the older vampire held the longsword he was wielding before him in a ready stance.
"I see it. It's not my sister, so it must be whatever she mojoed up here," she surmised.
"Hey, not to worry anyone, but something's behind us as well," Xander said as his head darted between looking at Buffy and behind himself.
"There's a lot of something on our left, too," Faith chimed in. "Think we should pick up the pace, B."
Glancing around, the undead Slayer spotted the shadows as well. There were a great many more 'shadows' to the left than anywhere else, and strangely enough nothing was in front. "Not a bad idea, F. Watch our back; Spike, watch hers." Turning to Xander, the blonde ordered, "Keep the witches and Anya between you and Giles."
The Scoobies kept moving at a brisk walk even as they changed their formation. Once everyone was in place, they picked up the pace a bit. Moving forward only caused more of the shadows to gather on their left. Slowly, the unseen forms were drifting closer causing the gang to swing slightly to the right. The clacking and snapping sounds were getting louder the further they pressed into the forest, and the fog didn't look like it would be ending any time soon.
Only a short time later, the gang was in a full out run. The cracking was almost a continuous roar and the shadows were getting ever closer. "B, this isn't working. We're going to have to face whatever the hell these things are," Faith said as they ran.
Coming to an abrupt stop, the young vampire nodded her head. "You're right, Faith. And these things have been blocking our way." She let her features shift into her demonic version and grinned at the brunette, "So let's go and introduce ourselves."