My apologies for being gone. Illness, mental stuff, people around me having meltdowns, etc.
I've started a new series. Hope you like the premise.
# # # #
Twist in Time
BTVS - begins after the end of the series.
Pairings: that will be a surprise along the way.
Rating for this segment: PG13
# # # # #
Xander looked up from grabbing a soda from a mini fridge and smiled as Willow stepped through the door. He crossed the room quickly and hugged his best friend tightly.
He was still smiling when he pulled back. “Hey, Will, you're looking good.”
“So are you,” Willow responded as she took the soda from him and followed him to the fridge so he could get another. “Nice tan!”
“Yeah, well, Africa, Egypt, Israel and everywhere else that far south are usually kinda sunny,” he replied. “How are things going here? Buffy coming? I mean she called this meeting, right?”
“Yeah, I thought she'd be here by now,” Willow said. “How goes training Watchers and Slayers in the lower hemisphere?”
“Not bad. I'm enjoying the warmer weather and...” Xander shrugged.
“Not being in the middle of the weirdness?” Willow suggested. “Dealing with Giles who is even more stiff and withdrawn than any Head Watcher ever was and Buffy who will barely talk to anyone except about business.”
“And?” Xander asked as they sat down on a sofa in a small break-room at Watcher Council HQ.
Willow sighed. “Kennedy and I have kinda drifted apart. She's moving to Cleveland to help Faith and Woods over there.”
“I'm sorry, Will,” Xander said gently and readjusted his eye-patch.
“I'm not crushed,” Willow said with a slight shrug. “Kinda tells you how deep the relationship went, I guess. I'm not sure I should be in a relationship yet.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Xander said. “Other women aren't Anya.”
Willow nodded. She glanced around the room, it wasn't the usual break-room where the heads of the Watcher Council met. She frowned and got up and squatted down to the edge of a rug and pulled the corner back.
“What's up, Will?”
She pulled the carpet back even further. “These lines.... there's a magic circle painted on the floor. Help me move this chair.”
“Okay,” Xander said and jumped up to help move a bulky leather chair. “Do the magic types use this room for workings? Seems kinda not.....new age type.”
“No, and magic circles aren't usually painted on floors unless the room is really dedicated to working,” Willow said. “See here? The markings in the ring are written in chalk that can be erased, that means the working can be changed. What the hell?”
“So someone painted a permanent circle here for secret workings? What were they doing with this one?”
“We'll have to roll up the rug,” Willow said. “Since no one is here, it's probably nothing. Any working would be finished when things were shut down. These runes and sigils are weird.”
“They don't look like regular runes,” Xander agreed. “Bind-runes?”
“Yeah, most likely,” Willow said with a frown. “Those are impossible to decipher. Some look like they form words though.”
“Hey guys.”
Willow and Xander looked up and smiled as they both stood up and met Buffy halfway across the room and the three hugged tightly.
“Looking good there, Xan,” Buffy commented. “What's up with moving furniture in here? Have I even been in here before?”
“Got me,” Xander said. “I haven't.”
“Someone painted a permanent magic circle under the rug,” Willow explained. “It's weird because this is a weird room to do that and why paint it? Most workings we use chalk, yarn, salt, anything not permanent.”
“Anything to be weirded out about?” Buffy asked. “Is this weird enough to call Xan up from sunny Africa?”
“You tell us, you called the meeting,” Willow said.
“I didn't,” Buffy protested. “Xander called me.”
“I didn't call you,” Xander retorted with a frown.
“Who called you, Will?” Buffy asked.
“Giles called me,” Willow said. “Guys, this is....”
“Last time the Head Watcher and head types were together in weird circumstances....” Xander began.
“Let's get out of here and clear the building,” Buffy said, her voice firm.
The door opened and Giles stepped in. “Hullo, one and all.”
“Wait! One of those words in runes was Ripper, written backwards, right to left,” Willow exclaimed. “Giles, don't....”
Giles stepped onto the rug with a frown. “What?”
“Get out of the room!” Buffy yelled and turned to tackle Giles back out the door when everything went red and then black.
# # # #
UNKNOWN ERA
Xander rolled over coughing, his hands gripping the grass under him. He got to his hands and knees and tried to shake his head.
"Will?"
His vision began clearing and he saw Buffy crawling over to Giles and turning the Watcher on his side as blood flowed freely from his nose.
"Turn Will on her side," Buffy instructed.
Xander's eye blinked and he looked to his left and saw his friend coughing and attempting to sit up. He crawled to his friend. "Easy, don't rush it," he urged as he turned her onto her side. "Easy."
"Where are we?" Buffy called. "Giles is still out."
"Well, I don't think we're in Kansas," Xander muttered as he looked around at the small clearing they were in right next to the tree line. Trees that surrounded said clearing. "I don't remember a tornado either."
"Me either," Buffy said with a sigh. "Whatever that was, it was rough, almost as bad as.....other gates."
"Magical gate?" Xander asked and smiled when Willow opened her eyes. He gently helped her to sit up and pulled his outer shirt off to hold up to her nose.
"Oh yeah," Willow mumbled. "Major working of some kind. I'm totally zapped. Whatever it was....ripped magical energy from me instead of the usual gentle raising and releasing of energy. Wait, where are we?"
“We don't know yet,” Xander said. “How's Giles? Any change?”
“A little, the blood is slowing,” Buffy said as the Watcher's body jerked every few seconds. “Will, you okay? Did that magic drain thing hit Giles too?”
“Help me over there, Xan,” Willow said softly. She moaned when he helped her to her feet. “Oh goddess, everything hurts!”
The witch knelt by the Englishman and held her hands over him and frowned. “I'm almost tapped out, it'll take awhile to recharge,” she muttered. “I, uh, Giles is worse. He was the center of the spell, I think.”
“I remember you saying the name Ripper,” Xander commented.
“Yeah, and....”
Buffy held up a hand and everyone went quiet. “I hear....horses?”
“Be careful,” Willow urged. “We may not even be in our own universe.”
“Right,” Buffy said and got up slowly. “Okay, you're right, everything hurts.”
A moment later and she disappeared into the trees.
Buffy trotted through the trees towards the noise and slowed as the noise got louder. She saw movement of color moving closer and she ducked behind some bushes, staying low in the shadows.
She looked behind her and motioned Xander to move quietly and low. He joined her and they looked between the leaves of the bush.
Slayer and Watcher glanced at each other in disbelief and then looked back in a synchronized move, taking in the sight of a group of ten men on horseback. Men in chainmail and leather, most wearing helmets and all were armed with swords, maces, flails, axes, hammers and spears. Two of the men leading the two lines of rider wore talbards with a the image of a dragon embroidered in the center.
The two Scooby members let the men pass before daring to move away from the bush back they way they had come.
“What the hell?” Xander grumbled as they trotted back.
“I don't think they were heading to a Renaissance fair,” Buffy commented.
“No, their weapons and clothes were too....real,” Xander agreed.
“And most people don't own horses that will carry someone in armor let alone wear partial armor themselves,” Buffy added. “Hey, Will, we....we're not in Kansas.”
“Is that supposed to make sense?” Willow asked. “The bleeding is slowing but he's still twitching and won't wake up.”
“Great,” Buffy said softly. “He broke his glasses too.”
“What did you two see?” Willow asked.
“Knights on horseback and they weren't Monty Python actors,” Xander said.
“Oh boy.”
“Yeah, now what do we do?” Xander asked. “There's bound to be something in either direction on that dirt road but we don't even know if we speak the language. Our clothes are weird and Giles can't travel.”
“We're going to need shelter and water,” Buffy said. “Then we'll worry about getting clothes where we can fit in and figure out where we are and how to get back. We can get back, right, Will?”
“I think so, it may take awhile though,” Willow said. “I need to find a power spot, figure out where we are, recharge my energy and hope I can raise enough power wherever we are to form a gate to get four of us home.”
“I'll get started gathering some limbs to make a lean to and some for firewood,” Xander suggested. “We'll have to keep the fire low, I don't think people roamed around at night a lot in the dark ages because its so dark but...”
“Someone else is coming,” Buffy said as she cocked her head slightly.
“More horses?” Willow asked.
“Wheels but no motor,” Buffy said. “Come on, Xan.”
Once again the two hid behind a bush as the noise on the road got closer.
This time a wagon being pulled by two steady work horses came into view and the only person on the wagon was an old man in brown monk-like robes with a long white beard and long hair peaked out from the hood.
The wagon slowed and the old man pulled his hood back and looked around.
Xander felt Buffy's muscles tensing next to him and his hand reached slowly for a fallen branch.
The old man jumped down from the wagon with surprising energy and agility.
He spoke loudly in a language neither Scooby member understood. The old man frowned and spoke again in another unknown language. Then a third.
“All right, the energy is strange but not unknown, do you understand me now?” the old man called. “I can help if you will permit. I know where you come from and maybe close to when you come from. I can help get you back.”
Xander looked at Buffy and he wasn't surprised when he saw she was frowning.
“Get back to Will and Giles,” she said softly.
“But....”
“They're both zapped,” Buffy cut him off. “Protect them if I don't come back.”
Xander nodded and grabbed the branch and took off back through the forest as Buffy stood up.
# # # #
CLEVELAND, MODERN TIMES
“What do you mean there was an explosion of magic but nothing's damaged?” Faith demanded into the telephone.
Robin Woods' eyebrows rose.
“Oh, the only thing damaged is you can't find Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris or Rupert Giles?” Faith nearly shouted. “We'll be there as soon as we can. You've got my cellphone number.”
She hung up the phone and then threw a pencil across the room, embedding it into a cork bulletin board. “You heard.”
“I'll pack for both of us,” Robin offered. “You get Jamie up here and give her a breakdown, she can handle things while we're gone.”
“Thanks, don't forget my MP3, I'm going to need music to get me through the flight,” Faith suggested. “All four of them.... they can't be gone.”
“We'll find them,” Robin said. “You want to call Angel? His team has dealt with people disappearing through magical doors or something.”
“Yeah, after we get to the airport,” Faith said. “Wait, he has a plane. He can pick us up.”
# # # #
SOMEWHERE IN TIME
Buffy stepped out from behind the bushes, her body humming with Slayer energy. “I understand you now.”
“Let me guess..... 20th century?” the old man ventured.
Buffy noted he was keeping his hands in sight.
“21st, yeah,” Buffy answered.
“Americas?”
“I am, we were in England,” Buffy responded. “Let me guess, we're not in 21st century England.”
“No, you're in Albion, which will become England,” the old man answered.
“You know modern English, American accents and yet you're in....ancient England?”
“I'm talented with magic and I'm familiar with gates, like the one that brought you here,” he answered.
“Were you the one that brought us here?” Buffy asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“No,” the old man said without hesitation. “Although I would welcome help from a guardian such as yourself. My era here is filled with turmoil, intrigue, conspiracies and the various paths that could happen would be a disaster for my land and the future.”
“Guardian?”
“You are a guardian,” he answered. “One chosen by a higher power as a protector or as a hunter or both. Please, allow me to introduce myself and let us go to your friends, someone nearby is very hurt by magic, I can possibly help with that.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Merlin.”
# # # # #
LOS ANGELES, MODERN TIMES
Angel buckled his seatbelt as the private jet began moving towards a runway. Wesley sighed and turned his cellphone off.
“What the hell could have happened? Did anyone with magic scan for their, uh, souls?” he asked Angel. “That should tell us if they were....are gone.”
“Faith didn't say,” Angel said. “We'll have her call when we land in Cleveland.”
“Bollocks,” Wesley muttered.
# # # #
ERA OF CAMELOT
“Merlin? Like knights of the Round Table Merlin?” Buffy asked.
“Yes,” the old man answered. “I give you my word that I intend neither you nor yours any harm. I wish to help.”
“And the price? You said you'd like help,” Buffy asked.
“Let us go to your friends and get you all into some shelter. The sun will set soon and the night can be cold this time of year.”
“This way,” Buffy said after a moment. “What about your horses?”
“They said they'd stay on the side of the road in the grass,” Merlin answered.
“They said?”
“Of course, I'm very polite to those helping transport me.”
# # # #
“Will! Xander!” Buffy called as they approached the meadow.
Xander stepped out from behind a tree with the tree branch in hand.
“He, uh, he's offered to help and maybe explain a little,” Buffy said. “And offer us shelter.”
“Okay, we really gotta get Giles inside somewhere,” Xander agreed. “It's like he's got the chills or something.”
“Whatever brought all of you here, it attacked whoever has magic,” Merlin said.
“That's what Will said,” Xander replied. “Who are you?”
“The Romans knew me as Merlinus Ambrosius,” the old man answered. “My name in my native tongue is Myrddin Emrys.”
“Merlinus?” Xander asked.
“Thank you for trusting us with your true name,” Willow said as she stood up next to where Giles was laying. “Names have power.”
“Merlinus.... Merlin,” Xander repeated. “King Arthur, Lancelot, Mordred and more?”
“Yes,” Merlin answered.
“Wow,” Xander muttered. “We're in....ancient England?”
“Yes,” Merlin said. “Let's get everyone inside. I have a small keep just up the road. I sensed the magic and followed the....waves of explosion to here.”
“Come on, Xan,” Buffy said. “Get Giles up on my shoulder and you help keep Will steady.”
# # # #
SOMEWHERE OVER THE US – MODERN TIMES
“Faith, we're in the air, any news?” Angel asked.
“Nothing so far,” Faith's voice answered over a phone speaker in the plane. “The magic types say they aren't dead, they just aren't....here.”
“What does that mean?” Wesley asked.
“A different world, universe or time, is what they're telling me,” Faith answered.
“Well, you've been in other universes before,” Wesley said to Angel.
“And I'd rather not do it again,” Angel muttered. “We'll be there in a couple of hours, Faith. Hang in there.”
“We're ready to go, see you soon.”
“I'm surprised Spike didn't insist on coming, neither of you have told Buffy he's alive,” Wesley grumbled.
“It's his place to tell her, not me.”
“That's a mistake,” Wesley predicted.
# # # #
CAMELOT ERA
Buffy accepted a bowl of stew and a hunk of bread salthered with butter and honey as she watched Willow tending to Giles.
The older Watcher had been placed on a simple wooden bed, laid on a cover filled with straw. Willow was cleaning Giles' face, removing the blood that had flowed so freely.
Merlin handed Xander a serving of stew and bread and sat down next to Willow. “He was the focus of the working, wasn't he? It was a trap spell?”
“A trap spell?”
“The spell was set off by him somehow?” Merlin asked.
“Yeah, he stepped into a containment circle before we could stop him,” Willow answered. “We discovered the circle and I didn't figure it before he stepped in.”
“Someone wanted him and the three of you were caught as well?” Merlin asked as he unbuttoned Giles' shirt.
“No, someone set us all up,” Willow responded. “What's that? Inside his shirt?”
“Hmmm,” Merlin pulled out a folded pieced of paper and handed it to Willow.
Buffy and Xander walked over, with Xander continuing to eat.
Willow moved closer to the fire. “Hullo, Ripper,” she began. “said with the weird English 'u' instead of an 'e'. Okay, continuing. Don't jump to the conclusion that this is revenge for that little vacation I had because of your super-Barbie's boyfriend. I wonder if the satellites passing overhead will spot the new crater out at Broom Lake. Anyway, I got out and looked you up and got caught up on recent events. Amazing you and the core four of your group made it out of that lovely berg of Sunnyhell. I observed and learned about you and the others and, well, it made my desire for revenge go out the window. Believe it or not, I don't care. Seeing you turn into Quentin Travers kicked me right in the gut, Rip. If you had become your father at least you would be dangerous, charming and downright sexy. But Travers? Cold fish Travers? That shook me. The other three aren't much better and you're all fragmented. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I've wanted you away from them for years. Well, you aren't with them now, are you? Not really connected to them. So I've decided to either totally wreck all of you once and for all or challenge all of you or some of you to come back to f*cking life. I know if I had just sent you back to your current location that you'd probably settle right in, find a lyre and become a traveling bard or something. Since you have to work at getting close to the others again to get them back might just bring you back to life. It'll be a challenge to get back and I hope the four of you all make it and that you're back to what passes for normal in your world. I'll be waiting here when you get back. I won't run and I won't fight back. Be seeing you.”
“What the hell?” Xander muttered around a bite of bread.
“Ethan Rayne,” Buffy said. “Great.”
No comments:
Post a Comment