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"Chosen Ones"Written By: Dùlin
Archive: This arc is archived on this site with permission. Do not reproduce it anywhere without permission. Disclaimer : I don't own them. Life is not fair. Rating : R to NC-17 for violence Warnings : Crossover GW/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
which means, AU and OOC-ness for the GW characters (since they're
not humans, niark niark !) Pairings : 1x2, 3x4, 6x5, explicit references to past 13x5 Author's note : You need to know quite a bit about
the Buffy universe to understand this fic. If you don’t know
what Buffy is or stopped watching after season two, just take a browse
on the official UPN site to see what the heck this is all about. The greatest thanks to the ever faithful Karina, to Amejisuto and the best beta-reader of the world, Laurence-sama ! Please do not take or reproduce without permission.
"Chosen Ones"
Part 13 - “When the day becomes dark and lightning strikes …” “Are sure of what you saw, Relena ?” “Yes, Dorothy-sama, I am sure. They summoned the Legions of the Dream, you know, all the pretty ladies who kicked your ass last time, and I so wish I could have an outfit just like that …” “Silence !” Relena did shut up, but Dorothy was almost tempted to send her back. The poltergeist’s ability to spy was the only thing that kept her from doing it. Dorothy knew that if Une, Treize or herself had tried to follow their enemies, they would have been detected. Dorothy cursed under her breath. Quatre was partly right. By shifting, she had lost some of her most precious abilities. She had been able to conceal herself and her accomplices for centuries, but now she couldn’t do it any longer. Treize and Une got in at that moment, and Dorothy dismissed the poltergeist. Relena disappeared in a puff of dark smoke. The two ex - Warrior Spirits sat side by side on the couch in front of Dorothy’s armchair. “Any news ?”, Treize asked. “Yes. Our little friends have found out where the Hellmouth is, although I fail to understand how they could locate it so easily. Quatre has summoned the Legions of the Dream to guard the place.” “I suppose it means we have to stay low until the day comes”, Une stated. “You’re right, Une. The Legions of the Dream could detect us easily if we tried to come too near the Hellmouth before the appointed time. The thing is, we don’t need to come near it before the appointed time.” “They have more forces that us in the battle, though”, Treize said. “Maybe it is time for us to call on some of our allies.” “The Spirits of Darkness will come with the Master”, Dorothy said thoughtfully. “Of course, the greatest danger is that Duo could turn them against us. Unfortunately for us, you were not able to make him come to our side, Une.” “Well, it looks like he still outranks me”, Une said dejectedly. “But little Heero is going to suffer.” A cruel smile appeared on Une’s face. Treize’s lips reflected it. “What about our other allies ?” “We don’t need many, actually. They don’t know we have Lucrezia. I was unable to get a hold on Sally, though. Healers are deceptively strong when it comes to mental control. We should count her as one of our enemies. But there are still some other forces I could contact.” “Which ones ?” “Lucrezia !”, Dorothy called again. The purple-haired woman came in, and bowed. “Dorothy-sama ?” “Please get in contact with the Maguanac Legions. Tell Rashid we need them as soon as possible.” Lucrezia got out. Une raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it dangerous ? They used to fight with Quatre.” “Yeah, I am quite proud of what I did with them. The final blow for the little boy. We’ll see if his sisters are any match to his ex-friends.” **** “Sally will help us”, Trowa said, coming into Buffy’s living-room, “but she cannot come right now. She’ll be with us as soon as she can.” “Good” , Zechs said. “Who is Sally ?”, Willow asked. “She’s a Healer like me”, Trowa said. “But she has … let’s say different methods.” “Like what ?”, Buffy asked, not too sure she wanted to know the answer. “She’s part Chinese. You’d be surprised to see what that people invented in terms of tortures and poisons.” “Why did I even ask ?”, Buffy muttered to herself. “I suppose the next two days are going to be very uneventful”, Zechs said. “Our enemies will probably have seen that we have protected the Hellmouth. They will not be foolish enough to try anything before their ‘Master’ comes.” Zechs was saying that word ‘Master’ with undisguised disgust. Apparently, the mere idea of being mastered by one of their kin was absolutely repugnant to the Spirits. “We should stay low too”, Zechs said. “There won’t be any attacks against humans except the usual ones.” “Buffy still gets to patrol”, Buffy sighed. “I’m warning you, when this is over, I’ll be doing a great job to forget any of this ever happened. That is, if we’re still alive when this is over.” “You’ll still be alive if you do what you have to do”, Quatre said quietly. “What’s that supposed to mean ?” “That’s supposed to mean that you have to stop being so negative. You’ll still be alive after that if you fight for your world, and if you believe in your fight. If you don’t, it’s not even worth fighting. I told you there was always some hope, Buffy. Maybe it’s time you start to believe it.” “Yeah, well, Mr Know-it all, I’ve seen a bit too much now to hop around and be happy because the end of the world comes soon. And I’m not being negative, I am being realistic !” “Buffy, maybe you should listen to him”, Giles said. “I always told you your visions of things was a bit too … let’s say fatalistic.” “I am looking at all the possibilities !” “Maybe, but this is my job”, Quatre said. “That’s exactly what I mean. You have to stop trying to figure out what could happen. I already know what could happen. All you have to focus on is your fight.” “Are you goin’ to teach me how to do my job now ?”, Buffy asked angrily. “What do you fight for, Buffy ?”, Quatre countered. Buffy was left speechless, the harsh answer she had ready blocked in her head. Quatre kept on. “This is the only thing you have to wonder about, Buffy. The only question you need to answer. What do you fight for ? When you know this, you won’t have to worry anymore, because you’re sure to win. But do you know it now ?” “You were a bit harsh on her, Quatre”, Trowa said once they were alone in their room again. Quatre sighed. “Don’t you guys ever notice how sick and tired I am to play baby-sitter for you all the time ? I’d like you to realize that I don’t have all the answers and that you have to find some of them by yourself !” Quatre’s eyes flashed briefly golden, both from anger and exhaustion. “Come here”, Trowa said, patting the bed at his side. Quatre sat down. Trowa began to massage the slender shoulders. “We are all on our nerves, I know”, Trowa said quietly. “You are all bundles of nerves”, Quatre corrected. “Even you.” “Okay, even me”, Trowa admitted. “I’ve never been able to hide anything from you, but it was worth a try, uh ?” “Not really. Heero is completely enraged by Une, Wufei by Treize, Zechs by Morgoth. Duo is afraid that they might try to use him against us. You are afraid that some of us are going to die. The only ones to have any sense in this are the humans. Tara and Willow are scared, because any human would be scared by what is going to happen, but they don’t let it show. They will fight, and they know why. Buffy will fight too, but she needs to understand that it’s not because she has to.” “What do you mean ?” “I mean that’s she’s been carrying out her duties quite well, but she does it because she feels like she’s been picked up by fate.” “Well, that’s true.” “Yes, but she did quit the Watchers’ Council. She’s not bound to them anymore. She could refuse to fight. She has a choice. I know she will choose to fight, but if she doesn’t choose for the good reasons, she will die, Trowa.” “Stupid almighty Spirit !” Buffy gave such a violent blow to the punching bag that it ripped open, and all the sand in it fell on the floor. “Calm down, Buffy”, Giles said in his most soothing voice. “Why on Earth should I calm down ?” “Because you know he is right. As much as you hate to admit it, you know he is right.” Buffy stood in the middle of the training room, breathing in short gasps. “Don’t tell me you’re siding with them.” “Quatre has a point, Buffy. I know I said this to you before, but you’ve always considered Slaying as a unwelcome activity, something that disrupted your life.” “Well, it did”, Buffy said bitterly. “You were not the one who tried to explain it to my mom.” Giles sighed. “Buffy, your duty is a sacred duty. In your hands is the fate of the world. I know it is a heavy burden for someone your age. But although you claim that you would rather be a normal girl, I’m not sure you believe it yourself.” Buffy sat down on the floor. Giles was right. Slaying had brought havoc into her life, but what would she be now if she had not been Called ? She would probably be going to some college in LA, wearing pink T-shirts and ridiculous shoes. She smiled at the idea. “Ok, let’s say you are right. Why should I believe Quatre is right ?” “Because, just as he said, he is able to see all the options and what they could lead to. He is the one who can ask the questions, Buffy. But only you can answer them.” Buffy thought for a while. “So you both think I don’t have a purpose when I fight ?” “That’s not what I said. I said you didn’t see what your real purpose was. Do you remember what Zechs told on our first meeting ?” “That my mission was not to get rid of all evil ?” “Exactly. Evil will always come back, in one way or another. It does look like a lost battle, doesn’t it ? But we still fight. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t. But we fight. Why ? What is the point when you know it is never going to end ?” Buffy felt the power of those words as if they were going into her flesh. She had never thought about that. Why the hell was she fighting ? Why did she put up with all the crap slaying had brought into her life ? Not because she didn’t have a choice. There was another Slayer after all, and she had seriously considered letting her take over, before abandoning the idea. Why ? “We fight because there is always something to hope for. We fight because the world is worth fighting for it.” Giles smiled. “And do you know why the world is worth fighting for, Buffy ?” Buffy looked up at her Watcher, her eyes filling with tears. She didn’t really know where those came from, but they were so comforting at that time. Like tears of relief at having understood, finally, why she was here and now. “Because we love our world ?” Giles nodded. “Yes, Buffy. Because we love our world. Because, whatever we do to it, it is ours, our responsibility. And we should never let anyone take it from us.” Buffy sniffed. She usually hated crying in front of Giles, but she didn’t mind this time. And apparently, Giles didn’t mind either. He didn’t do anything to make her stop, he just kept on talking. “I seem to remember that you were the one who told Kendra that your emotions were your strength, Buffy. I trust that at the time, you were talking about your anger because your friends were threatened. Now you have a bigger motive.” “Yeah, the fate of the world. So you think I should put my theories into practice now ?” “It would seem wise, don’t you think ?” “Sure. I just … It’s a lot.” “It’s a lot of emotions. But it’s also a lot of power. You can wield this sword, Buffy. I trust you. And they trust you too, or they wouldn’t have asked for your help.” Buffy sniffed again, and weak smile appeared through her tears. “I’m making a fuss because a higher being made me lose my temper. I think it’s the first time it happens to me.” “And probably the last”, Giles said with a shrug. “Yeah, well, I damn well hope so. I don’t like existential crisis when I am in a middle of stopping the end of the world. It doesn’t do any good to my complexion”, she added, brushing away moist trails of tears. **** Zechs had been right, the next two days were almost the most boring they had experienced since the Spirits had arrived. They spent most of their days in Buffy’s living-room, looking up books and spells, preparing weapons. The Spirits were discussing some tactics in their own language, occasionally arguing and glaring at each other. Buffy suspected telepathic arguments also, but at least, they didn’t scream. The tension was building, but since Quatre had threatened to put them all under a relaxing charm, it was fixed at an acceptable level. Duo seemed to have found his confidence back. He was smiling and making jokes as if they were going to have a big party. Buffy soon learnt to tell him to shut up absentmindedly while doing something else. The Darkness Spirit didn’t seem to mind, and the truth was, he knew exactly when to shut up. His insane chatter filled the silence, and eased up the tension a bit. From what Buffy could catch when the Spirits were speaking English, they were discussing which other spirits they would call to their aid, beside Sally. Trowa was speaking of a woman named Lucrezia, whom he had been unable to locate. Wufei mentioned several times someone called Nataku. Buffy didn’t understand what that really was, or even if it was a male or female spirit. Apparently, the Spirits all agreed that this person should not be called too soon. Probably able to cause maximum damage to both friends and foes, Buffy thought. Buffy gave a start when she realized that Quatre was in front of her and smiling. “Yes ?”, she said stupidly. “Are you feeling better ?” Buffy began to wonder how on earth the blond knew that she had been upset and had cried. She stopped, repeating to herself what she knew about empathy and telepathy. But then, why couldn’t they really look like higher beings, and not fifteen-year-olds ? “I’m fine”, Buffy finally answered. “I just …” “I’m sorry if I upset you, but we were running out of time. We needed to be sure that you were going to fight with us, Buffy. We can’t do anything without you.” “I … You didn’t really upset me.” Quatre smiled ironically. “Didn’t I ?? Not even just a bit ??” “Okay, I was completely mad at you, that’s what you wanted to hear ?” “Kinda. But you know why you were mad at me, right ?” “Yeah. Let me tell you this, I usually hate when people are right about me and I am not.” “But you don’t hate me.” Buffy sighed. “No, I don’t hate you. I think, maybe I needed this. You should apply to be a Watcher. Giles has been trying to hammer this in my head for years, and here you come and suddenly everything is clear.” “The mind has no secret for me. It was easy to understand what you were going through. I was just a bit afraid that you wouldn’t understand in time. I think I was a bit carried away with my own purpose, but I know what it will take for us to win. It is my role to make sure we use every weapon and power we need.” Buffy got back to sharpen her knife. She shot a look at Quatre, who was looking at Trowa and smiling happily. “That’s what she was saying, right ? The Seer. The whole thing about the source of the real power.” Quatre nodded. “Have you understood what it is ?”, he asked. “It’s Love”, Buffy said. “As incredibly corny and cliché as it sounds. At least that’s what I got.” “I’m glad you found it.” “What about them ?”, Buffy asked, indicating the other spirits. “They already know it, but they don’t know they know. Something will need to trigger it. I am not allowed to intervene in that matter.” “Why not ? Because it would make things incredibly simpler for anyone, but your twisted mind will not allow it?” Quatre laughed. “No. Because they must go through the same process you went through. I possess some foresight. It doesn’t mean I know all the answers. But I know all the questions. As someone said in one of your movies, I can only show them the door. They must choose to open it and go through it. I can’t force them, even though I know that one of them failing will result in all of us dying.” “You are all so joyful when speaking about death.” “We’ve been living around it for milleniums”, Quatre said with a look towards Duo. “True, I always forget that. I think it must be disturbing to have Death in my living-room, so I simply try to erase the fact.” “You’ve seen him before. “ “That time when I was technically dead for a few minutes ? I don’t remember, sorry.” “He does.” They were both looking at Duo when something changed. The Darkness Spirit’s eyes turned suddenly completely dark, his breath became labored and he clutched his head. It took a while for the others to notice, but when they did , they became frantic. Heero came to kneel beside Duo. “Duo, do you hear me ? Duo ! Please, answer me !” Duo looked around. He was definitely a creepy sight, with his dark silvery orbs. He shook his head, trying to regain some grip on himself. His eyes briefly changed back to their original color (or maybe that was the original color and the violet were a hiding, Buffy thought before mentally slapping herself. Like it was the time to wonder about things like that !). Heero grasped Duo’s hand and began murmuring something in his own language, or maybe Japanese. After a while, Duo’s breathing eased, and his eyes suddenly turned back to violet for real. “I think someone has arrived that we were waiting for, buddies”, he said weakly. “He’s here.” Trowa came to Duo and pressed is right hand lightly on his friend’s chest, restoring his powers and strength. They had no time to lose now. “We must go to the Hellmouth the soonest possible”, Zechs said. “We will have an advantage if we’re on the ground before them. Everyone began to gather the potions and weapons. Buffy vaguely heard something about battle outfits, that reminded her that she should probably be wearing something else than pajamas to go fight. She got upstairs in a dash and changed to more practical clothes. She took the time to choose them carefully. Look is always important, no matter what your enemy is. Maybe Miss Eyebrows thought she was impressing people with the look, well, Buffy wanted to show her what it was to mess with the Slayer. “I’ll give you the human fist of death and you’ll see !”, she told to her reflection in the mirror. When she came back downstairs, people were getting ready to depart. She came to the door, and opened it. Someone coughed in the background. Everyone turned to face Angel. “Sorry to interrupt you guys, but there is a slight problem here. I can’t come with you if you’re going now.” Buffy frowned. “Why not ? You’re not going to chicken out ?” “This has nothing to do with chickening out”, Angel said with a sneer. “I’m sure I can’t fight as well if I’m reduced to a pile of dust.” “Uh ?” “It’s daytime, Buffy ! I can’t get out.” “I’ll fix it”, Heero said. The Weather Wielder got out on the front lawn. He extended his arms towards the sky, and his eyes turned to a very bright blue color. Five seconds later, big dark clouds appeared out of nowhere, filling the sky and hiding the sun from view. In fact, it was so dark that it could have been night. Bolts of lightning tore the sky in angry flashes. Heero came back to the door. “Problem fixed”, he said quietly. “Shall we go now ?” “Yes”, Zechs said. “Let’s get there first, and then you can all change.” “Change ?”, Tara asked. Zechs smiled. “I am sure it looks stupid to you, but fights between Spirits are, to a certain point, highly ritualized. We need to wear some special things to fight. It helps us channel our energy and using it well.” “And we look damn good in them”, Duo said with a wink. “That too”, Zechs admitted, “but it’s not their first purpose.” “And for the parts who are not ritualized ?”, Buffy asked. “Oh, it’s about the same thing you know, kick and kill, that kind of stuff”, Duo answered. “The outfits are just a way to say ‘Hey, look at me dumbass, I’m so gonna rip you out’ ! You’ll be surprised to see how effective that is.” “When you two are finished discussing Spirit fashion,
maybe we can go ?”, Wufei said irritably. ~ * ~ |
