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Buffy the Tenno
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    • Buffy the Tenno



    Buffy gasps as she regains consciousness all of a sudden. Holding down her panic as she's been trained to do, she reaches out to examine her surroundings. Good news, she's not restrained; bad news, she's in a padded box. Worse news, someone's taken her amp.

    Closing her eyes, she concentrates on her body, feeling how it moves and her senses. She's lying on her back, which means gravity. She's not wearing her Tenno armour; someone has put her in some flimsy fabric clothing. Knocking on the walls and surfaces of the box reveals a slight difference in sound from the top, as well as an organic rather than metal sound. Taking a deep breath, she realises that the warm feeling isn't the temperature, it's the air.

    "Void damn it, I need to chance it."

    Carefully pulling on the void, she pulls it around her and slips through the barrier between the world and the void. A flex of her will sends her hurtling skywards, and she releases the void reflexively when she sees the moon floating in the night sky.

    "Oof" Buffy is pulled out of her shock by the ground as she lands on ground, hard. As she lays there, she stares at the moon, "When did they fix Lua?"



    After a moment, she starts to make out the sounds of screaming, and some brrr'ing noise that seems like it should be familiar. Cautiously, she gets to her feet and looks around. As she looks behind her, she freezes as she spots a headstone with a written epitaph on it. What causes her pause is that the language looks familiar, as if it was something she dreamt about many years ago. Another scream breaks her attention, and she turns towards it before heading out in an economical jog.

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    By the time Buffy gets to the nearby civilian outpost, the screams have stopped, and the brrr'ing sounds have moved off elsewhere. Cautiously, she moves along the road made from some sort of black stone. As she does, she looks at the strange dwellings, as they're illuminated by the scattered fires. Their walls so thin they wouldn't provide any protection against even light weapons, let alone the standard weapons used by the Grineer. Even so, something tugs on her memory, like déjà vu. As she comes across the first ground vehicle, that feeling intensifies, even as she reaches out to one of the unbroken viewing panels and snaps it between a couple of fingers, the clear material shattering into small cubes. Brushing her fingers off, she frowns as the wound doesn't seem to be healing at the rate she expected. Once she has time in a safe place, she'll need to mediate on the Vazarin school, as she has no warframe or amp.



    Slowly, she makes her way down the street, her senses alert. As she's looking around, she bumps into one of the ground vehicles, and an alarm starts blaring. Crouching down, she looks around cautiously just in case the noise attracts any Grineer, or worse. From the nearest dwelling, a human man exits holding a gun, and shouts at her.

    "By the Queens!", Buffy exclaims as she holds her hands to her forehead as the words trigger a searing headache. As the man shouts at her again, and fires his gun in the air, she stumbles away from the dwelling as a ringing pain shoots through her head.



    A short while later, she's moved away from the residential part of the outpost, to some sort of storage area. The large buildings and wide spaces inviting aerial assault, and she still can't see any signs of a shield protecting the outpost, Orokin or otherwise. As her headache is starting to clear up, her sense of déjà vu is becoming stronger. Off to the right, in a large open space between buildings, she can hear a male talking. Shaking her head to try and clear it of the lingering pain, she makes her way into the space, her presence masked by the light of a large bonfire. By the fire, there is a group of people that could be some sort of new Grineer clone, or maybe infested humans. Either way, they seem to have caught a corpus with a high quality body prosthetic. Around the group are some two wheeled ground vehicles. As she sneaks closer, the leader says something, and four of the group go to the ground vehicles and start them. As they do, the source of the brr'ing sound she was hearing becomes apparent. The leader then takes a small gun and points it to the sky. As he does, Buffy notices the chains wrapped around the arms and legs of the corpus. Before she can do anything to help, he fires, and the ground vehicles accelerate in opposite directions. As the chains go taut, they pull the corpus' arms and legs off, as her body collapses to the floor, and her power fails.

    As Buffy stands there in stunned silence, the people notice her in the flashing of the lights mounted on the ground vehicles. As the leader says something, and the members of his group turn to her with body language the easily speaks of violence, Buffy raises her hand and releases her control over her void energies, only for nothing to happen. Realising that she hasn't finished recovering from whatever was done to her before she ended up in the box, she turns and runs from the group. It seems like she's easily about to out pace the once on foot, however, two of the ones on ground vehicles have taken an alternative way through the outpost to reach her. As they make their way down the road, the reason for the black stone becomes clear. Ducking beneath their makeshift weapons, Buffy desperately looks for a way out. Spotting some stacked pallets against a wall, she gathers her void energies, and void jumps through one of the strange people, and then hops over the wall. There, she lands in a cluttered alleyway, that looks like it should be impassable to the ground vehicles she's seen. Hopefully they don't have any air vehicles.

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    After a short walk, she runs out of impassable alleyway. There, she cautiously listens to her surroundings for the brr of the ground vehicles engines. Hearing them off to the right, she turns left and almost walks into a group of armed civilians. A tall man, with short dark hair and fair skin carries an axe. Then there's a woman with red hair carrying a crude crossbow, and the last two women are unarmed and look to have bleached their hair. Why would they bleach their hair, why not just… As she takes in their faces, her headache returns full force.

    As she shies backwards, cringing inward, the one with the red hair says something and then she says her name, "Buffy. Buffy?" Each word is like a hammer blow to her head.



    Desperately, she turns and runs in the opposite direction, taking the first left that looks like it's impassable to ground vehicles. Is this another one of Teshin's memory tests that he's dragged out of the pits of Mercury? No, Teshin's dead. He died buying time for her to get to the Lotus. Skidding to a stop, she looks around at the small courtyard she's run into. Looking up, she sees a roof she should be able to void jump to. Pulling in the void, she releases it to no effect, as a flash of a rickety tower stabs through her mind. Unable to focus enough to use her void training, Buffy instead finds some cover that should hide her from the entrance. There she crouches down and cradles her head.



    It's only a few minutes later when the civilians catch up with her again, and they start talking to her again.

    Buffy tries to say, "Are you all idiots, get to cover." Instead, it comes out as a pained mumble, as they keep saying her name. She doesn't notice as the conversation abruptly moves away from her to the group of people that she ran from in the first place. However, when they start to fight, it draws her attention, as it's something she knows how to do. As she brings her focus to bear, her headache fades to the background, until, finally, it's light enough for her to act. Smoothly she steps between the man and an enemy with a basic club, raising her arm to block the strike on the wielders wrists as she's been taught. As the attackers grip is loosened by the block, she reaches up and wrenches the club away, before kicking the attacker into a nearby wall. Ducking down, under a whirling chain, she brings the club round behind the chain wielders knee, causing him to crumple to the floor. Before she can take advantage, another attacker lunges at her with a knife, forcing her to dodge backwards, away from his comrade.

    Instead of running, the civilians instead join in the attack. Which, in any other situation would be laudable, but right now, with the void damned headache, it's reducing her ability to manage the battle. Bringing her club up between the crossbow wielding woman and a chain wielding attacker puts her out of position, and so she takes a punishing blow to her ribs. Then the damn woman has to shout something followed by her name, which sends a spike of pain through her head once more, and the club falls from her suddenly limp hand.

    While she's distracted, the others surround her and start to beat on her as the leader casually heads towards the civilians while talking. Desperately, she reaches through the pain to release a contamination wave that knocks the attackers around her off their feet. Quickly grabbing the club again, she brings it around and slams it into the side of one of the attackers to the loud crack of broken ribs. Smoothly following through with an overhand strike on the opponent behind her, the club crushes straight through his head as though his natural resistance didn't exist. As the surviving followers back up with the sudden turn around, Buffy lunges for the leader, catching him around the head with a quick swing. As the leader crumples to the ground, Buffy knows that she hasn't killed him, as she didn't feel the crunch that indicates something important broke. However, the civilians should be able to take care of him now he's down.

    Turning back to the followers, she quickly runs off after them, only to stop as she rounds a corner and spots a rickety tower made from scaffolding poles. As it comes into view, a memory takes her to the floor with pain. She's standing on that tower, speaking to a girl on the verge of womanhood, in the same language the civilians were using. Below them, a void portal opens up between, between… Slamming her fist on the floor, she swears as the memory slips away. That's the second time that tower has appeared in her memories, maybe if she confronts them there, she'll be able to break through the block. The same way she did with Teshin's test in front of the Queens.

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    Standing at the top of the tower, Buffy looks at the metal plank that over hangs the smooth stone floor below. Breathing slowly and deeply to stave off the memories, she looks around for places she can void jump to if the whole thing falls down. Once she's sure she can get to safety, she carefully makes her way to the end of the plank and looks down.

    There's a flash of memory, and she's watching drops of blood falling to the ground below, before sparking a void portal, which grows halfway between the plank and the ground. Then she runs off the plank and dives into the portal.

    Then the memory starts again, a bit earlier, and she standing in front of a girl that looks so familiar. Looking behind her she watches the sun rise, before turning back to the girl. As she turns away again, the girl says, "Buffy, no."

    As she steps away, Buffy responds, "Dawnie, I have to."

    Then the girl, Dawn?, says "Buffy?" Wait, that's wrong, she didn't say that.

    Confused, Buffy turns around to look back at the ladder down, and the girl from the memory steps out from behind one of the supports wearing a red jumper with a sparkly fleur de les on the front. Blinking a couple of times as the incongruity between what Dawn was wearing in the memory, and what she's wearing now, sends her mind reeling.

    As Buffy's looking at her, confused, Dawn says her name again followed by some words that feel like they should make sense. Then the girl steps towards her, causing the tower to shake. As it does, the memory comes back again stronger than before, so Buffy turns around to look at what's happening.

    While she's lost in the memory, Dawn tries talking to her, but Buffy doesn't understand until she says, "Buffy *** Dawn, **** sister."

    [AN: conversation paraphrased from Buffy season 6, episode 2]

    Eventually, the memory plays its course, and Buffy is left looking at the skyline, her memories of this life starting to come back. Hesitantly, she says, "Is this Demios?"

    Surprised, Dawn reflexively asks, "What?"

    Turning around, Buffy looks in Dawn's eyes, "Is this Demios? Have I been swallowed by a Jugulus?"

    Dawn reaches out, "No! Buffy, no! You're here, with me. Whatever happened to you, whatever you've been through. It's over now. You're…" Dawn shrieks as the tower lurches with an ominous squeal of metal.

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    As the tower stabilises again, there's a touch of hysteria in Dawns voice as she calls out, "We have to get off this tower." However, Buffy is lost in memory again, and turns back to look at the scene below.

    Pleading, Dawn calls out, "Buffy, I need you to live! You told me to be strong, and I tried, I really tried. I promise that I'll do better. Just, please come back to me."

    As she steps forward, her weight causes the pressure to release on one of the supporting brackets, and it slips off the bolt it was bracing just before it moves into tension. As it falls to the floor below, the whole tower lurches, and Dawn desperately clutches at a support as she slips to her knees. As she screams, Buffy turns around with an unfamiliar look on her face. A couple of quick steps later and she scoops Dawn up in a bridal carry, before turning around and running for the plank again.

    Dawn screams as Buffy suicidally jumps off the plank, and then everything goes grey for a moment, before jumping several times. When the world comes back into colour, Dawn is shivering, and her lips and fingertips have turned blue. However, they have landed on one of the nearby factory roofs. As Buffy turns around, Dawn can't help but look back as the tower collapses in on itself. Once the rubble has settled, Buffy steps off the building, and Dawn lets out another shriek as the world momentarily goes grey again.



    Once they're back on tera firma, Buffy puts Dawn down. As soon as she's standing again, Dawn turns to Buffy, and blows on her fingers. Buffy says something she doesn't understand, but Dawn doesn't care. All that matters is that her sisters back again. That's when the adrenaline from the tower drains from her, and she starts to cry happy tears.

    Reaching out, she tentatively touches Buffy's cheek with her hand, "You're here, you're really here."

    Buffy smiles at her, before taking both her hands, and putting them under her armpits. Dawn doesn't care, she's got her sister back, so she just leans into Buffy's chest with a smile.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 2 – part 1
  • Threadmarks

    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 2 – part 1



    Buffy looks at the dwelling silently while Dawn continues to talk beside her. The language she's using coming back slowly. As she's thinking, Dawn takes her hand and leads her into the house, where she's again hit by a sense of déjà vu. Was this her mothers house? But what about Veldé, wasn't she her mother? If this was her mothers house, then the kitchen diner should be through here.

    Like a little duckling, Dawn follows behind Buffy, and turns on the light, "…well, except for the computer stuff, that's Willow's obviously."

    Willow, that name seems familiar, and this seems to be the same. Buffy turns back to the hall, and sees the photo on the table. She has to pause as memories assault her, Veldé succumbing to void sickness, at the same time her mother, Joyce, that was her name, Joyce, is telling her about her cancer. Apart from the hairstyle, they could both be twins. Carelessly, Buffy lays the photo on the table before void jumping up the stairs. As she's looking at the room around the room, Dawn comes up behind her.

    "Um, yeah, this room was mums, but it's the biggest room in the house so Willow…"

    Buffy interrupts, "and Tara."

    "Yeah, they sleep here now."

    Buffy makes her way around the bed to the other door, that she knows should lead to a corridor. As she opens it, Dawn squeezes in front of her, so Buffy pauses to think. Once she's ordered her thoughts, she carefully enunciates, "So, what else has changed?"

    "What? In the house?" Buffy shakes her head, "Oh, um, well Giles left today. It's funny, sort of, that you came back the same day."



    Another name slots into place, like a key in a lock, and she remembers training in a library. An older man with glasses and greying hair.

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    Buffy comes out of her memories as Dawn dabs a damp flannel on her face. In the mirror behind her, Buffy sees a face she hasn't seen for centuries, ever since they were rescued from the Zariman and she had access to proper hospital facilities. As she raises a hand to touch the mirror, Dawn brushes a wound on her knuckles and Buffy winces. Pulling her hand away, she tries to think back to where she could have got that injury.



    While she's thinking, the sound of the front door slamming open brings her instincts to the fore and she spins into a wary crouch. Belatedly, she says, "What was that?"



    When a voice floats up the stairs threatening to kill Dawn, Buffy takes her cue from Dawn and relaxes. Though, she follows a little slower, as she has to remember where the stairs are. As she gets to the top of the stairs and starts making her way down them, the person at the bottom trails off.

    While she's trying to remember who the man in the leather jacket, and white, spiky hair, is. He notices her knuckles.

    "What happened there?"

    Buffy lifts her hand to look at her knuckle and try to find the words to explain it when Dawn cheerfully says, "Oh, we're going to fix that."

    Spiky, yes, Spiky feels almost right, takes her hands gently, "Coffin, she clawed her way out of a coffin."

    Buffy nods to herself, that would make sense, she probably did it before she came back to herself.

    Mistaking her nod for agreement, Spiky softly says, "It's ok, I've done it too. Dawn, get some bandages, and iodine."

    While Dawn is running off for the supplies, Spiky leads Buffy to a sofa, and sits her down as he kneels in front of her. As he's inspecting the wounds, Buffy asks, "How long has it been?"

    Spiky looks up, "187 days yesterday, 188 today. Well, I guess today doesn't count, does it. How about you?"

    Buffy blinks at how short a time she's been gone, before looking down at her hands, "Longer." Though the answer doesn't really do a thousand odd years and change justice. She's about to clarify when Dawn comes bouncing back in with a bottle and some bandages. The three of them settle into silence for a while as Spiky dabs at the wounds on her knuckles.

    The silence is broken abruptly when the 4 civilians from the street come bundling through the front door. As they crowd around her, Spiky gets up and moves out of the way, before unobtrusively leaving the home. Buffy follows his move out of the room, before focusing on the people in front of her. The red head must be Willow, and that would make the woman standing by her Tara. The man is something ander, but the actual name escapes him. The other woman, there's something odd about her.

    Buffy leans her head to one side, "Are you human?"

    "…pizza." Willow trails off as the four of them register the question.

    The woman throws her hands in the air, "Buffy, you know me. Anya, ex-vengeance demon. You know, the one that was sent after Xander here, and is now engaged to Xander."

    As Buffy tries to remember what an engagement is, it becomes apparent that she's taken too long to answer as the four of them start bickering again. She's getting tired of not being able to follow what's been said. That's it, that's a way to resolve this.

    "Tired."

    Xander looks at her, "What?"

    Anya nods understandingly, "She's probably still jetlagged. Well, jetlagged from hell anyway."

    Buffy looks at them uncomprehendingly as they again start bickering good naturedly, eventually she repeats herself, "Tired." Before standing up.

    As she does, they give her more space, and she can see Dawn standing by the kitchen door. Walking over, she carefully asks Dawn, "Is my room?"

    Dawn nods enthusiastically, "Yes, your room is still yours."

    Buffy nods, and walks up the stairs slowly, as she tries to remember which door was hers.

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    It's nearly an hour later, and Dawn is getting ready for bed.

    "Dawn," Dawn shrieks and turns around to see Buffy standing in her doorway, her eyes are glowing white with some sort of energy. The same energy is crackling off of her fingers.

    "Um, Buffy, you're scaring me."

    Buffy gives her a half smile, "I'm sorry Dawn, I didn't mean to. I wanted to warn you not to come into my room while I'm sleeping. I can only control this energy while I'm awake."

    "Buffy, what do you mean?"

    Buffy raises her hand and looks at the energy playing across her fingers, "I was gone a long time, and things happened over there. I just… I want you to be safe. Part of that means not being around me when I can't control this energy."

    Dawn eyes the energy warily, "I can do that."

    Buffy smiles, "Good girl."

    As Buffy turns and leaves back to her own bedroom, Dawn sits on the bed and seriously thinks about talking to Willow about what just happened. Then she remembers that she needs to walk past Buffy's room to get to Willow and Tara's room.

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    Buffy silently returns to her room, and walks over to the mirror that's framed by numerous photo's. As she's looking at herself again, and noting the evidence that void energies are running uncontrolled through her body, she spots herself sitting on the bed in her capsule suit. Turning her attention from the mirror to the photos, she allows herself to smile as each one sparks a memory. Memories that are coming easier now, with less pain.

    While she's looking at them, the people in the photos are all replaced with skeletons wearing the same clothes.

    Sharply, her gaze returns to the mirror, "Are you doing this?"

    She looks up from the bed and waves, "Hey kiddo, miss me?"

    "I asked a question."

    She waves her hand in the air, "Not me, but they do owe me." Her smile turns wide, and filled with far too many teeth, "And I will get my payment."

    "Don't hurt my sister, or I will find some way to hurt you."

    Instead of answering, she just jumps off the bed and disappears, leaving Buffy alone in her room once more. With a sigh, Buffy looks at the wounds on her knuckles, and the play of void energy over her hands. Of course there was a catch with her void energies, if only she'd understood the catch before she tried to change the school she was focusing on. Ah, well, eternalism sucks, and she did what she did.



    Turning back to her room, Buffy surveys the furniture, before nodding to herself. After that, it only takes a few short minutes to move the bed into the corner of the room, leaving herself plenty of space to meditate properly between the dresser and the bed. In the centre of the cleared space, she drops into Seiza and begins meditating on the teachings of the Vazarin school. The way of the protectors and healers. As she does, void energies swirl around her, sparking out at the furniture and walls, leaving ghostly impressions that slowly fade. All of Buffy's wounds and abrasions slowly start to heal, until even this body's oldest injuries have been purged. As she finishes her meditation, the void energies reach a crescendo, before finally cresting and settling down into stillness. A peaceful smile takes over Buffy's expression, as she finds herself centred for the first time since she was pulled back here.

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    While Buffy is meditating, Willow and Tara are woken violently as the picture above their bed is shattered.

    Looking up, Willow sees a figure standing at the end of the bed. Coming to full wakefulness, she exclaims, "Buffy!?"

    The figure speaks in Buffy's voice, "Do you know what you did? You're like children. Your hands smell of death. Bitches! Filthy little bitches rattling the bones! Did you cut the throat? Did you pat its head?" It then picks up the crystal ball, and throws it at the picture above their heads, raining more glass down into the bed.

    On the edge of panic, Tara says "Oh my God, oh my God."

    Relentlessly the figure continues, "You were stained. You still are. I know what you did."

    As the initial stages of her flight or fight response pass, Willow rolls out of bed and turns the light on. As soon as she does the figure vanishes, as though it had never been there.

    Tara hurries out of the bed, and over to Willow. Together, they both make their way to Buffy's room, where she's still meditating. Sharing a glance with each other, they make their way back to their bedroom.

    As Willow closes the door, Tara walks over to the crystal ball and caresses it to reassure herself, "Maybe we just dreamed it."

    Absently Willow replies, "Maybe." Then she shakes her head before walking over to Tara's hands, "No, wrong… Wrong brains."

    Tara's eyes light up in understanding, "We can't both have dreamed it?"

    "Right."

    "So, did you understand what it was saying?"

    Willow shakes her head, "No, you?"

    Tara's about to answer when the pictures on the wall begin to shift and shake, as though something's passing underneath them. Once it's passed out of the room, Willow looks back at Tara, "Right, I'm calling Xander."



    As Willow leaves the room Tara turns around and freezes as she sees herself sitting at the vanity, brushing her hair.

    "Willow!"

    Her doppelganger turns around and puts its finger to its lips, "Uh, huh, let's keep this private, between us."

    Tara turns around and heads for the door, "Willow!"

    "She can't hear you."

    Tara turns back, and in a shaky voice asks, "What do you want?"

    The doppelganger tilts its head to one side, "To make a deal. You stole something of mine, so I need it to be replaced."

    Tara shakes her head, "No. No! Buffy isn't yours."

    "You're right, but she does owe me, and now she can't pay what she owes."

    Tara's expression firms up, "I don't know what hell you come from, but I don't make deals with demons."

    The doppelganger gives an exaggerated sigh, "Well, I tried. I guess I'll ask Dawn next, or take her back." Standing up, she starts to make her way to the other door.

    Stepping forward, Tara raises a hand, "No wait."

    Her doppelganger turns around and looks at her expectantly.

    Hesitantly, Tara raises her hand, "I'll do it, I'll pay the price."

    The doppelganger gives her an unnaturally wide smile, before holding out its hand, "Shake on it?"

    Nervously, Tara holds out her hand, and the doppelganger slams its own hand into hers in a firm grip. As it does, white void energy sparkles down its arm and into Tara, searing through her nerves and bones. Tara can't help it, she screams loudly, and watches helplessly as a portal opens and a shade of herself is sent through into a war-torn world.

    As the portal closes, Willow comes rushing in with the house phone glued to her ear. Tara's doppelganger winks at Tara before letting go of her hand.

    Hysterically, Willow shouts down the phone, "Xander! it got Tara."

    A moment later, both Dawn and Buffy hurry into the bedroom. As they do, Dawn hurries over to Tara, while Buffy stops and stares at the doppelganger.

    The doppelganger looks back and waves at Buffy, "Hey kiddo, this one paid my price. That one is still paying her own price. See you around." With that, it fades away.

    Both Tara and Buffy both look at Willow, and Tara asks, "Willow, what did it mean you're paying your own price?"

    Softly, Buffy looks down at Tara, "She couldn't see or hear him."

    Willow looks between the two of them, "What do you mean, what couldn't I see or hear?"

    Buffy looks up and, speaking in her native language, answers Willow, "The man in the wall, the one between worlds, he who lives in the void. Or, Wally as we Tenno call him." Continuing in English, she frowns, "More importantly, what is the price that you're paying Willow?"

    Willow stumbles and drops the phone, "I'm not… We, I, paid the price when we cast the spell."

    Buffy nods, "Well, either way, there's nothing we can do about it now. I'm going to bed, you should too Dawn. You've got an early day later. Tara, don't forget you can talk to me when you're ready. Just remember that meditation will help."

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    The next morning, Dawn is rudely woken up by her sister knocking on the door, "Morning Dawn, time to get up."

    Dawn cracks her eyes open and looks at the window, "Buffy, it's not even daylight yet, go away."

    "No, you've got your exercises to do, and then we're training."

    "Huh? What exercises?"

    "Dax and Tenno exercises. Now get up, unless you want to be a kubrow breeder when you grow up."

    "What was that?"

    "Dawn!"

    "I'm getting up, I'm getting up."

    "I'll meet you in the yard in 10 minutes, don't make me come and find you."



    10 minutes later, Dawn cracks open the door to the yard, and watches as Buffy completes a kata of an unusual martial art in the faint light given off by the lantern by the door. Once she finishes, she turns to face Dawn, "Come, kneel, we start our practice by meditating on the school we're practicing with."

    Looking around cautiously for any vampires, Dawn makes her way down to the lawn before sitting down in the position she uses to meditate with Tara and Willow.

    As she does, Buffy pushes her over backwards, "No, kneel. I am teaching you to fight, and you leave yourself vulnerable like that. Watch me."

    Dawn pushes herself back into a sitting position, "What? I don't understand."

    Buffy consciously pulls herself out of her frame of mind, "Watch me, we meditate in the, warriors stance. Sorry, I don't know the English for this position. Not vulnerable like this, as stand backwards easy, as is roll forward. Watch."

    As Buffy demonstrates, Dawn lets out a soft "Woah, cool." Once she's kneeling uncomfortably, Dawn asks, "Why am I doing this? You're the Slayer."

    Buffy shakes her head, "Grineer and Corpus, don't care about Slayers. The infested care even less about non-infested. You're my sister, so also a target to my enemies. As such, you should know how to defend yourself, and kill if necessary."

    Dawn looks worried for a moment, and then glosses over the 'and kill' bit, to focus on something much more mundane, "Buffy, why aren't you speaking properly?"

    Buffy looks up at the stars that are still visible in the lightening sky, "I had a life Dawn. I'd moved on, and had a second childhood. I've lived a very long time, and this life is a very tiny fragment of that. When I'm training you, or meditating, I'm using what I learnt in this life. Mum was there too… Void damn it, and damn the souls of those that ordered it."

    Dawn reaches over when tears start to fall down Buffy's face, "Buffy, it will be ok."

    Buffy looks up at Dawn and her eyes flash with void energy, "I know it will Dawn, because I won't lose you the same way I lost mum. For today, as you're a neophyte, we'll just kneel here and talk about the Vazarin school, the philosophy behind it, and what it means. I think I remember something about you being a key, and you were made into my sister to protect you."

    Dawn nods slightly as tears start to form in her eyes, "That's true."

    "Hey, don't cry. That doesn't stop you being my sister. It just means you may be able to use some of the Tenno adaptions to this school." Buffy's eyes take on a distant cast, as her words come out slow and halting as she's translating on the fly, "I see a cresting wave, wide in the ocean, the Vazarin Way. We were trained to Counter The Enemy and move with an opponent's attacks in order to nullify them. We maintain constant awareness in order to defend against all aggression.

    "This school, and especially the Tenno adaptions to it, are all about protecting people. Being the bulwark behind which the vulnerable can hide while they recover. The Tenno adapted aspects of this path begin with Mending Unity, which allows those that are fighting and working with us to learn from each other, and the situation we're in better than we would normally. Once you gain an understanding of the heart of this school, it will show in everything that you do. From there, you can branch out in different directions. Whether as a healer, channelling the void to erase injuries. As a bulwark, increasing the effectiveness of your armour using the void, and further using the void to heal your own wounds as fast as I used to heal. To provide protection to you and your allies. Or finally, to ensnare your enemies, and buy time for your allies to regroup. But first, you need to understand the lessons, and how the movements work together."



    Buffy talks for nearly two hours, as Dawn's legs first start to hurt, and then go numb from kneeling in the same position. As the sounds of movement start to come from inside the house, Buffy smoothly rises to her feet, before demonstrating the healing ability of the Vazarin Way, and helping Dawn to her feet.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    It's late morning and Tara is sitting with the others in the yard when Willow brings up what happened last night, "Guys, I think whatever happened might be caused by Buffy?"

    Tara looks a little more alert as Xander asks, "What do you mean?"

    "Well, I was on the phone with you when Tara screamed, and Buffy was meditating."

    Tara shakes her head, "No, they were separate things. Anya was being possessed at the same time I screamed, remember."

    Xander suddenly looks pensive, "That was bad. Very bad. Very, very, very bad. Bad."

    Anya start rubbing Xander's back, "He's all traumatized."

    Willow looks between the three of them, "Well, whatever it is, it's not the-the traditional haunting, because it… It's not limited to one specific place, and there's not, you know, a dead person."

    Tara shakes her head, "Not anymore."

    Anya pipes up, "Oh, I bet it's a hitchhiker."

    Xander shakes his head to clear his thoughts before looking up at his fiancé, "A hitchhiker?"

    Anya give a small nod, "Um, standard way to travel through dimensions. Some demon thing sees someone moving between worlds and grabs on for the ride."

    Willows brows furrow in confusion as she looks at Anya, "You mean, like, some hell beastie rode in with Buffy? Like, we're responsible for this?"

    Remembering what her doppelganger said last night, Tara places her hands on the arms of the deckchair she's using, "Assume crash positions."

    Anya shrugs, "I think we shouldn't have brought Buffy back. I knew it was gonna end badly. I should've said something."

    Xander rolls his eyes as he looks at Willow, "Ok, fine, but what are we going to do. I mean, I'm feeling the need for some vigorous doing, you know?"

    Willow looks up, a little hope in her voice, "It's ok. We-We just kill the beastie, and all is good. We're rolling in puppies. Right?"

    Xander double takes between Willow and Anya, "Can we do that? Kill it?"



    Along with everyone else, Tara's head swivels around to look at Buffy when she asks, "We killing something?"

    Something in her expression gives her pause, but Willow sits up, and with a cheerful voice says, "Buffy! You're not supposed to be up."

    A slight crease of Buffy's eyes shows the amusement she's feeling at that statement, but before she can answer, Tara asks, "H-How are you feeling? Are you ok?"

    Buffy makes a wry smile before asking, "So what are we killing?"

    Anya takes the bait, and moves the conversation past the uncomfortable question, "A demon, you brought back from hell with you."

    Buffy runs through all the things that could have followed her from the origin system, and only has time to say "Oh."

    Before we can say anything, Willow fills the silence with, "It's not like she's making it sound. A little haunting-type stuff. Boo-scary. Everything's normal."

    Tara, thinking that Buffy has enough on her plate already, adds, "You shouldn't worry about it."

    Buffy looks around the four of them, before saying in an upbeat voice, "Sure, let me know if there's anything I can do to help."



    Tara, nods, "We will. And Buffy, it's good to have you back."

    Xander puts on a smile, "Yeah, all we need to do is kill this thing, and then we still have you back."

    After everyone else joins in with their own platitudes, Buffy turns back to the house, before looking over her shoulder, "Well, let's get to work."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Not for the first time that day, Buffy looks up from a book she's struggling through, and tries to guess what these virtual strangers want. She knows they were her friends, and that they've been together for a few years. But there's been so much between then and now. She's not sure that they want the blood soaked soldier that's been trapped in the body of a teenager for the last 900 years, with the brain development that implies. She's seen the glances that Dawn's been giving her since their session this morning. But she's lost her mother twice, and she'll be damned before she loses her sister too.



    She's looked around, and everything is so primitive here. It's even worse than a New Loka compound, the extremists that believe everyone should live without technology. Does she even have the Implants that she earned before Ballas took over after Margulis was executed, and wiped all of their memories. Then again, it's peaceful here. She can see it in their faces, and how the buildings aren't fortified. Hurriedly, she closes the book as a spark of void energy jumps between her finger and thumb, leaving a brown spot on the page she was holding. Looking up, she looks around and wonders if any of them could actually help her find the materials she'd need to cobble together a basic amp to regulate her void abilities. As she does, she realises that the only people who could are either dead, or Giles, who isn't in this country anymore.

    "I miss Giles."

    Everyone looks up at her, and she winces. Fortunately, Willow smiles at her, "It's ok, he's coming back. I phoned him earlier."



    Another spark arcs between her fingers, and she quickly hides them behind her back, "I'm er. I'm going out on patrol."

    Immediately, most of her, friends? Stand up and walk towards her, Xander being the one to voice there concern, "We can join you, if you want. You don't need to go alone."

    Buffy doesn't look back, she just says, "No, I need to go patrolling."

    Dawn calls out something behind her, but Buffy concentrating too much on holding the void energies, that are overflowing her ability to manage, to hear.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 2 – part 2
  • Threadmarks

    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 2 – part 2



    Once Buffy's outside, she lets her feet guide her on an old route she used to follow on her patrol. Most of her focus is on a moving meditation, trying to control the void energies, and prevent them from exploding uncontrollably while she's in a civilian area. Eventually, she makes her way into one of the many graveyards on the outskirts of Sunnydale, this one bordered by trees and the woods behind it.



    It doesn't take long for some acceptable targets to find her. A group of vampires spread out to surround her, one of them clearly covered in grave dirt, so a newly risen.

    "Well, lookie what we have here. A little girl coming to pay her respects."

    Buffy looks each of them in the eyes, and smiles as they shuffle when they see them glowing with power, "If I was you, I'd look for an easier target tonight."

    The one covered in grave dirt steps forward belligerently, "Why would we do that, when everything we need is right here."

    Buffy shrugs, "Well, I warned you."



    As the new vampire leaps at her, she raises her left hand, palm out, and just, lets go. A crackling beam of white void energy shoots out and punches straight through the vampires chest, and Buffy turns her arm so that the beam starts cutting through the other vampires that are surrounding her. As the last one explodes into dust, she points her hand to the heavens and waits until her void reserves have emptied, and the beam shuts off on its own.



    Now that she's drained, Buffy curses, under her breath, at the lack of control Tenno have with the void beam. Along with her lack of amp. Especially, the one that she spent so long putting together. Idly, she wonders if the Lotus made it through the portal without her. As she does, she rubs her chest where Ballas stabbed her, just before she herself fell into the same portal. Funnily enough, that's the last thing she remembers before waking up in the coffin.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    As she's wandering the graveyard, lost in thought, she comes across a group of mausoleums that look familiar. Looking around, she spots one that triggers her déjà vu, and she's sure she's been inside it before. After weaving her way through the graves between her and the entrance, she experimentally pushes the door, only for it stay shut. Rapping on it with the back of her knuckles, she considers how solid it seems to be. As she knows that she can't, couldn't, void jump through the bulkheads that the Corpus and Grineer used. With a shrug, she lets the void envelop her in its embrace, becoming very much invisible to those outside the void. Leaping forward, she pushes herself through the void, and makes it most of the way through the door before she's pushed back out again.



    Ah well, it was worth a try. Probably means that it will successfully dissipate a void blast or two if she needs to vent. Founders only know, the local vampires wouldn't protect any bystanders. Taking a step back, she starts to really look at the entrance, as people would have wanted to get inside at one point. It doesn't take her long to find a slightly lighter section of stone, where a concealed catch sits. Pulling the catch down, the door swings open with a good shove. Beyond the door is a set of stairs leading down into the darkness. At the bottom, there is the faintest glimmer of light spilling from under a door. With a small smile, she makes her way down the stairs, and the door closes on its own behind her. At the bottom of the stairs, she makes her way through the door and stops in front of a coffee table. As she's looking at the coffee table, trying to remember just why it's so familiar, something enters her space.

    From behind her, Spikey's voice calls out, "You should be careful, you never know what kind of villains got a knife at your back."

    Buffy turns around with a dark chuckle, "Hey Spikey. You couldn't kill me even if you had me tied up."

    "Are you so sure of that?" Spike rushes forward faster than a human would be able to react, covering the intervening space in the blink of an eye. As he gets within arms reach of Buffy, he slams into an invisible shield.

    Buffy nods as she lifts her left hand, "Yes, you're dead."

    "Christ Buffy, what happened to you?"

    Buffy looks down, "You've hurt your hand."

    Spike looks down too, "Hmm, you're right."

    Buffy smiles and activates Squad regeneration. After a few seconds, Spikey's hand starts to heal rapidly, "I don't know where to start."



    Spike paces away from Buffy, unsure of what to say. When he reaches one of the stone risers around the crypt, he turns back, "You can sit down, I've got furniture."

    Buffy looks down at the black sofa, before sitting down while shaking her head, "You know, I think I've sat down more in the last day than I have in the last three centuries."

    She watches as Spike sighs and walks over, before perching on the corner of a wooden table, cabinet, stand, something. That's when she notices the large box with grey glass on the front. Similar to the one at home, and she looks at it curiously.

    Spike looks down at where she's looking, "Oh, do you like my TV, it was a bargain, I even have satellite."

    "Is that what it is? What does it do?"

    "Buffy, are you ok?"

    Buffy's eyes snap up to Spikes, "What do you think? I had a life Spikey, I was making a difference. Granted, I'd just been stabbed through the heart, and then floated into a void portal. But still, I probably wasn't dead, maybe I was. Who knows. But they pulled me out of the void back here. Here to another life."

    Spike raises his hands, "Hey, it wasn't me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're back, and I'm not going to let them try to undo that. But the first I knew about you coming back was when you came down the stairs."

    Buffy forces herself to relax, "I know, but my memories are still coming back. Even if I did remember everything, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of my life. Void damn it, I'm over 1,000 years old, and I've been awake for nearly 600 of that. How's 20 year old Buffy summers supposed to compare to that? Depths of Demios, I don't even remember your names. I've been calling you Spikey because that's what your hair looked like last night. On top of that, I don't have any of my equipment, so void energies keep building up dangerously inside me."

    As Buffy starts to cry, Spike perches on the sofa next to her, and awkwardly pats Buffy's back, "Hey, my name's Spike, so you were pretty close. It was picked because I used to use railway spikes to stake out my victims."

    Buffy starts to laugh hysterically, "Oh, Spikey, you have no idea. You're like a saint next to me. I've slaughtered thousands upon thousands. Innocents? When I had to. Both during the war, and after I woke up. Where I lived, life was between a rock and a hard place, and the Tenno. We fought to keep it there, while the other two factions warred with each other, and wiped out any other factions that looked like they might be getting big enough to challenge them. Assassination, espionage, spying, slaughter, recovery, kidnapping, you name it, I've done it all in the name of keeping the peace. Then what happens? The remnants of the old war team up and try to take over the solar system."

    Spike grabs his knife, "I could kill you, if you wanted. Send you back."

    Buffy shakes her head, "It wouldn't work. I've died, so many times. Each time, we just get back up again. There's only one Tenno that was awake, and has ever died. And I killed him."

    "So, what, you're a monster now?"

    Buffy gives a low chuckle, "No, I'm not a monster. I've seen true monsters. We killed, because the alternative was worse. They didn't just kill, they experimented on their own people. They twisted people, and combined them in ways that broke them. Then they sent them to die against us. It's just, how do I fit in here? Where do I even start?"

    "Hey, don't look at me. I don't exactly live in paradise here either."

    "I know, but you also didn't expect me to behave in a certain way."



    The two of them sit there in silence for a while. Eventually, Spike fills the silence with, "Hey, Willow's getting powerful, isn't she."

    Buffy shrugs, "Honestly, I don't know. What does powerful mean? The Grineer Queens, well Queen now, control an entire race from their asteroid citadel, and are still alive because they take over the bodies of young humans."

    "I guess. But you're mortal now."

    Buffy laughs, "I'm not going to bet on that until I die and don't get up again."



    After another long moment, Buffy sighs, "I should probably go, as I need to meditate and get a bit of sleep, before training Dawn in the morning."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Tara's hugging Dawn, trying to reassure here that they have no plans to end the spell they used to bring Buffy back from the dead. Behind her, Willow is still reading the entry on Thermogenesis, and how certain spells can create a demon. Suddenly, Anya speaks up, "Hey, Willow, why are you smiling. It's inappropriate."

    Tara turns around and lets go of Dawn so that she can concentrate on Willow's explanation, "No, no, it's good. The effect, it's temporary. It will dissipate on its own."

    Xander looks at Willow, an interested gleam in his eyes, "So, what? We just have to wait it out?"

    Willow nods excitedly, "Yes, exactly. When the energy of the spell dissipates, so will it. The only way it could possibly survive is if it killed the subject of the spell?"

    "So, what? It kills Buffy, and bang, it's got its own body?"

    "Yes."

    Tara opens her mouth to say something, as what happened in their bedroom last night makes it feel like Willow's wrong. However, at that moment, Xander's eyes go white and, in a growly voice, he says, "Thanks for the tip." Before he collapses.

    Suddenly, there's a who lot of activity, and what she was going to say goes out the window as Xander and Anya are hurriedly looking for their car keys.



    A few minutes later, it's just her and Willow left in the shop, so Tara ventures, "Willow, I'm not sure that's…"

    Willow takes her hand and leads her into the back room, "Come on Tara, we need to start a spell to enable Buffy to fight it. Otherwise it's going to kill her."

    "Willow, I don't think…" Tara trails off, as she falls back into following Willow's lead.



    Less than a minute later, the two of them are sat, cross legged, facing each other and holding hands. Closing her eyes, Tara easily sinks into the trance they use for casting spells together. As she reaches for the magic in the world around her, another energy wells up from inside. Frantically, she tries to fight that power, and draw on the pure magic of the world around her. Even as she does, the words of her family creep into her mind, and the trickle of magic she was managing slows to a halt as her fears of becoming a demon latch on, and she takes this new energy as proof they were right. Suddenly, Willow snatches her hands away, and Tara looks up instinctively as Willows eyes go black just before her head snaps back and she says one word, "Solid".



    As Willow collapses, Tara shoves her worries back into her subconscious so that she can look after Willow.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Buffy opens the door to her home and looks around. The whole place feels empty, as though everyone else is out. Subconsciously, she relaxes, as centuries of living alone on her Orbiter have taught her that solitude is safety. As she makes her way up to her room, her fingers absently trail along the banister, and take in the texture of the varnished wood. A simple luxury that only the upper echelons of the Corpus could have afforded, let alone had back home. The best that anyone else could have had, is a hologram overlaying a metal banister, assuming they could even afford somewhere with so much space. As she reaches the top of the stairs, she looks into the bathroom and plays with the taps for a few minutes. Another simple luxury that is almost non-existent in space-based habitats.



    Walking into her bedroom, Buffy takes the time to really look at what's there. As, as much as it's her room, it is very much the room of a stranger. Slowly, she makes her way to the mirror that's almost covered in photos, wedged in both sides of the frame. There, she takes a better look at her face. A face that's a couple of years older than she remembers. Though her height hasn't changed. Reverently, she takes a photo from one side that has Veldé hugging both Dawn, and herself. Now, in the solitude of the house, she allows herself to cry for the mother she lost twice. The second time, when she had to kill her herself, after she went mad from void sickness.



    As the first tear lands on the photo, Buffy tenses as something enters the area of her Mending Unity. Carefully putting the photo down, Buffy turns around to face the door, her hearing straining to hear the sound of one of the doors or windows open. She's caught off guard when a ghostly white shape charges at her, knocking her back slightly as is passes by her.

    As she recovers from the blow, she manifests a Guardian Shell, the same invisible shield that she used in front of Spike earlier.

    A voice whispers, "You don't belong here."

    The incorrigibility of the statement catches her off guard, and the apparition reappears, and passes through her shield as though it didn't exist, knocking her back into the hall, and against the door post into the bathroom.

    As she makes her way back into her bedroom, the thing calls out, "Did they tell you, you belong here?"

    Buffy can't help it, she starts to laugh, "I don't belong here, and neither do you. However, only one of us is going to be leaving, and it's not me. Now, lets see if you're immune to the void, or just able to bypass my shield."

    As it's currently invisible, Buffy scans the room for the threat, her right hand held ready with a glow of void energy surrounding it. As her head moves, so does the shield, always protecting her from dangers she's looking at.

    As soon as the apparition reappears, she launches a Void snare, and dodges to one side in case it doesn't work. She watches dispassionately, as the white spectre is dragged into the vortex, before it disappears, and reappears behind her. As it envelops her, she muses, "So, you can be affected when you attack me, but you're not quite here. Depths of Demios, that's annoying."

    As the spectre hits her around the face, Buffy blinks as she lands on the floor before starting to laugh, "You can't even hurt me can you. Oh, you can knock me around, but you're no stronger than a civilian. Well, lets find out how smart you are."



    With that realisation, Buffy slowly makes her way out of her room, and down the stairs. Taking extra care not to allow herself to be thrown about, so that the house doesn't suffer. Her own void enhanced regeneration and toughness more than a match for the attacks levied against her.

    As she's halfway down the stairs, Dawn, Xander, and Anya, all bundle through the front door together. Buffy looks up cheerfully, "Oh hey guys, I'm just heading out…"

    Buffy frowns as the three of them look at her with a combination of confusion and alarm, a frown that deepens when Xander says, "Buffy! We here to help you. Watch out!"

    "Why me? Get out of the way!" Putting action to words, Buffy dodges under a blow that would have sent her sprawling down the stairs, and void jumps out of the house. Turning back, she shouts, "Over here!"



    There's a sense of grim satisfaction, as the spectre rises up out of the ground in front of her. Just as she's about to manoeuvre around it, so she has a clear shot down the street, the spectre coalesces into a physical, white, humanoid. Not willing to look a gift kubrow in the mouth, she swiftly dodges to one side before raising her left hand and letting go of the void. A beam of crackling white void energy shoots down the street for around 20 yards, before it loses cohesion, and scatters into nothing. The spectre providing only momentary resistance to the beams progress.



    [AN: By default, the operator has 100 health, and they are pretty much a baseline human in the warframe universe. The void beam, on the other hand, does 2,000 points of void damage per second. That means that it takes 1/20th of a second (or 0.05 seconds) to kill an unarmoured human. Without being overloaded on void energy, an operator has 100 energy to start with. The beam can be sustained for around 10 seconds before the operator's void energy is exhausted.]



    As the beam peters out after a few seconds, Xander clears his throat, "Um, Buffy? Remind me never to piss you off."

    Buffy chuckles as she walks past him, patting him on the shoulder a couple of times, "No worry, you civilian, attacks for enemies only."

    Xander looks at Anya and Dawn as Buffy closes the front door, "I don't know if that's supposed to be reassuring, or worrying?"

    Dawn looks back at the street, "Reassuring, I think."

    At the same time, Anya says, "Worrying, definitely worrying."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    The next morning sets the routine for the next few weeks, with Buffy waking Dawn at around 5 in the morning in order to learn the Vazarin way, with 30 minutes of meditation at the start and the end of the lessons. She is unrelenting in the schedule, even when Dawn has stayed up late the previous night.



    Tara continues to do magic with Willow, even though it's getting harder and harder to not draw on this new energy inside her. Not that Willow seems to notice, as her ability at witchcraft continues to grow.



    One day, just after winter has broken, and the trees are starting to show the new growth of spring, Buffy looks up from a book she's struggling to read.

    "Dawn, should you be in school?"

    Dawn looks up with a slightly guilty expression, "Uh, maybe?"

    Buffy smiles wryly, "I think I'm supposed to say something like, 'Those who fail to learn History, are doomed to repeat it in Summer School.'"

    Dawn looks down, "But I prefer learning from you."

    Buffy puts her book down before walking over and kneeling beside Dawn. Taking her hands in her own, Buffy looks her in the eyes and says, "Dawn, I'm not going to stop teaching you. But I can't teach you the things you need to know here. I can teach you to write in Orokin or Corpus script, I can teach you the language of the Origin system. I can even teach you math, sciences, and philosophy. But I can't teach you about what you need to know in this world. Demios' heart, I can barely remember most of it, and reading is still like trying to translate ancient Greek." Dawn giggles at the comparison, "Dawn, I'm serious. I'm a warrior, Jupiter's moons I can't even go shopping without an escort, as I've punched out how many people now, because they bumped into me unexpectedly?"

    Dawn giggles again, "Six, if you only include Xander once. But, Buffy, you're so much better at teaching these things than they are at school."

    "Dawn, I'm not going to stop teaching you. I'm not going away again. But, Dawn, school isn't just about what you learn in class, it's also about what you learn from each other. Willow, Tara, Xander, and maybe even Anya, have all learnt those lessons already. Even I learnt those lessons. But they're not things you can learn from books, or even people like us. As we don't remember the lessons, we just live with the results. Out of that will come your own friendships and social circles. And that is probably the most important thing to learn in life."

    Dawn nods glumly, "Ok Buffy."

    Buffy smiles brightly, "Great, then you can start again tomorrow. Now, can you help me with this book? I've been trying to read it for the last two weeks."

    Dawn laughs as she reaches over the table, and pulls the book towards her. As she opens it, she laughs even louder, "Buffy, this book is written in Spanish."

    Buffy looks confused, "Really? But it's using the same letters."

    Dawn looks up at her, "Really?"

    Buffy nods and starts drawing out some alphabets, "Really. This is Orokin script, this is Corpus script, and this is Grineer scratch."

    Dawn looks at the last one, "Wait, why did you call that one scratch?"

    "The Grineer don't usually keep written records, instead everything is given orally. Their scientists use either Orokin or Corpus when they want to record stuff. So, Grineer scratch is used by the grunts to indicate important information on walls."

    "What? And everyone uses one of those three languages?"

    Buffy shrugs, "Two really, as the Orokin are more or less extinct. Pretty much everyone uses Corpus, even the Steel Meridian, they're Grineer that have broken their built in loyalty to the Queens."

    "Why?"

    "Universal communications. The Corpus control the market on computers and media, so the only language people are exposed to is the Corpus one."

    Dawn shakes her head at the idea there's only one language.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 3
  • Threadmarks

    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 3



    Buffy stalks down the stairs, seeking the sound of that infernal dripping that's been interrupting her meditations for the last couple of days. Each incessant drip reminding her of traversing the Grineer tunnels on Neptune, or Earth. Finally, she finds the accursed thing, and stares at it while she tries to remember if she's ever worked with plumbing before.

    While she's doing that, Dawn comes down the stairs, and calls out, "Do you want to call a plumber?"

    Buffy spins around at the sudden noise and brings her left arm up, before slipping over in a puddle of water, "Dawn! Don't do that, I almost killed you."

    Dawn looks confused, "What did I do?"

    "You snuck up on me. Now, what did you want?"

    "Um, I wanted to know if you wanted to call a plumber?"



    Buffy looks down at her hands, as they start to shake, "Um, what's a plumber?"

    "They're people who know all about plumbing, and come in to fix problems that people are having with their plumbing?"

    "Come in, you mean, into the house?"

    Dawn nods, "Uh huh."

    Buffy shakes her head violently, "No, no way. How many times have I almost killed Xander because I wasn't expecting him?"

    Dawn smiles at Buffy, "Oh, only three times." Before adding, "This week." Under her breath.

    "Exactly, I can't, I just can't. I need an amp." As Buffy starts to hyperventilate, Dawn hurries upstairs.



    A couple of minutes later, Tara comes down, and carefully walks towards Buffy from the front, before crouching down and slowly pulling her into a hug, "It's ok, Willow's phoning Xander, and he'll call the plumber. You can take Dawn to the park and get some ice cream while the plumbers here."

    Buffy shakes her head, "No, no, I can do this."

    "Are you sure?"

    Buffy nods, "I'll-I'll wait in the kitchen while Xander shows him the basement."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Buffy watches the door to the basement pensively, Xander's been down there a long time, and there's been a lot of banging, "Hey, um, Willow?"

    Willow looks up, "Yes Buffy?"

    "Do you think Xander's ok? I mean, they've been down there a long time, and he's just a civilian."

    "Oh, Buffy, he's fine. They're probably just taking a long time so they know what the problem is."

    "Oh, ok."



    Ten minutes later, Buffy stands up from the counter, "Right that's it, I'm going to check on them. And if that plumber has hurt a hair on Xander's head, I'll…"

    Willow quickly takes hold of her left arm, "No, Buffy, they're fine. Listen, they're coming up the stairs now."

    As Willow says that, Buffy can hear Xander's voice on the stairs to the basement. A moment later, he comes through the door, followed by a middle-aged man with a serious expression.

    Xander smiles, "It's ok, the leaks fixed."

    The plumber grunts and shakes his head, "It's only a temporary fix Miss. I've turned your stop cock down, so you might have pressure issues upstairs. But the pipes are rotting. You're going to need a full copper refit, otherwise, next time it will be more than just a drip."

    Buffy nods, "How much coprun will I need to get that done?"

    The plumber looks surprised, so Dawn pipes up, "She means how much will it cost."

    The plumber nods, "It'll be $60 today, and the young man there has an estimate for the rest of the work."

    Buffy's eyes brighten, "Oh, I've got that. Um, wait right there."



    Buffy carefully walks out of the kitchen, without losing sight of the plumber, and then flees upstairs to get her purse. It then takes her a couple of minutes to double check that she's got three 20's, as she's still confusing English numbers with those of the Origin system. Then she's back, and places the money on the table, before moving towards Dawn, while keeping the table between her and the plumber.

    "There you go, $60, I counted it."

    The plumber picks up the money with a nod, "It's a good thing you didn't try to fix it yourself, as that drip was caused by the pressure in the rest of the system. You'd have probably burst the other pipes."



    Once Xander's shown the plumber out, Buffy looks at the estimate with Xander, "2,000 credits, that's not too bad. We should get that done before it will cost more. I remember that mum left us some wealth so that we could survive until I… I… I did something."

    Hesitantly, Willow says, "Um, Buffy, you can't actually afford to do that."

    Buffy looks up sharply, "What do you mean we can't afford that?"

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Buffy looks up from the note pad that she's been using to keep track of all the bills that have accrued since she died. The picture they paint is a bleak one.

    "So, Willow, this is everything right?"

    Willow doesn't seem to notice Buffy's tone of voice, "Uh, huh, yeah, you see, what with all the hospital bills, and everything. The, erm, money that your mother left you, is kinda running out."

    "Willow, this was Dawn's house while I was dead, don't you care about that? What if the money ran out and the taxmen came? What would Dawn have done then? How would she live without an arm or a leg."

    "What?"

    "Reclamation Willow. If you can't pay your debts, they come and take it out of your body. Hell, I met a sweet kid, and they reclaimed his whole body for debts his parents owned when they died. I can't remember his original name, but once I cleared his debt Eudico managed to scrounge up some parts, but they couldn't get any arms, so after that he was called Legz. You live here, why couldn't you have, I don't know, done some spells for people, or used your computer skills for different jobs?"

    Willow looks taken aback, "But, that's barbaric. They're not allowed to do that here."

    Buffy wipes her face with her hands, "You're right, this is a different world. I'll-I'll see how much money we have left, then maybe I'll see if there are any assassination bounties."

    Anya looks up from the desk, where she's doing her own sums, "Oh, good plan."

    Xander raises his hands, "No, no, bad idea. They'd arrest you and then you'd be put in jail and you'd never see Dawn again."

    Buffy adds, "Espionage? Sabotage?"

    When Xander shakes his head at each option, Buffy sags, before her eyes brighten again. Quickly, she gets up and grabs a world atlas from the shelf. Stabbing her finger down on a place in the middle east she says, "I know, we could take a shuttle here, and find a couple of Auron seams. That would solve the problem."

    Anya shakes her head, "Great idea, but you can't afford the plane ticket."

    Buffy slams her hand on the table, which makes an ominous cracking sound, "Void damn it."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    After Buffy's picked Dawn up from school, the two of them make their way to the bank. While she's waiting in line, Buffy mutters, "They're all civilians, they're all civilians. They're not going to attack you. Stay calm."



    All of her muttering comes to naught, as, while the cashier is checking the account balance, there's a scream from behind them, and a tinkle of glass. Spinning around, the two of them see a grey skinned demon that looks a bit like a humanoid shark, with gill like markings on his cheeks. As she watches, it throws off two security guards, before tossing a customer through the glass of a cubical office. Buffy puts on a smile and confidently walks over to the demon.

    "Hey, I know it's frustrating in here, but you just need to be patient."

    As it turns towards her, it growls, so she puts on her best smile, "Hey, if you're a civilian, then deposits are that queue, withdrawals are that queue. Otherwise, Slaying is this queue."

    When it sends her flying through a window with an uppercut, she smiles as she rolls to her feet and activates Guardian Shield, covering both herself and Dawn, "Oh, good, you're not a civilian. That means I get to kick your arse."



    Launching back into the fight, she exchanges blows with the demon, while trying to manoeuvre into a position that she can safely shoot it. While her shield protects her, from being hit, she can't say the same about having bodies thrown at her. As she dodges out of the way of another customer, she hears Dawn shriek. Quickly looking over at her, she's relieved to see that the debris hit the shield and not Dawn. That moments inattention is enough for the demon to get in, under her guard, and lift her up around her hips.



    As Buffy's trying to get some leverage to break the Demons hold, one of the security guards fires a gun at the demon, which seems to have no effect.

    "Put the lady down."

    Buffy goes flying as the Demon throws her at the security guard, taking them both to the floor. Picking up the gun, Buffy quickly evaluates it before throwing it to one side, "These things never help, try a shotgun or a rifle next time."



    Scrambling to her feet, she races after the demon, who's heading for the entrance. As she does, she gets a face full of customer. Once she gets past the civilian, the Demon has disappeared, and she sighs, before making her way over to Dawn to ensure she's unharmed.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    After the Magic Box has closed, Tara gently takes a book on demons from Dawn while Anya and Xander are discussing something about their engagement, "No Dawn, leave the books alone."

    Dawn pouts, "But I want to help."

    "Dawn, you're not old enough."

    "I am so old enough to help with research. Don't you think I'm mature enough?"

    Tara shakes her head as she takes the books back to the table, "Dawn, I think you're very mature for your age, but you're still only 15."

    Dawn puts her hands on her hips, "Yes, teen, as in teenager. You know, if you don't let me look at the pictures, I'm gonna learn everything I know about demons on the street."

    Knowing a losing argument when she hears one, Tara just nods and hands Dawn a book, "Knock yourself out."

    Dawn takes the book, "Thank you."



    Opening the book to a random page, Dawn looks at the picture for a moment, "Um, that's a weird place for a horn…" As her brain catches up with her eyes, she closes the book, "That's not a horn."

    Tara's about to say something when Xander interrupts, "Look, I still don't get it. I mean, what kind of a demon would rob a bank?"

    While he's speaking, Dawn opens the book randomly again, only to stop and stare at a picture of the demon that attacked the bank.

    Anya shakes her head, "The kind that wants money."

    "What do you even call that?"

    Dawn blinks as she processes Xander's question, lifting the book, she turns it around, "What, you mean this? It's got an apostrophe. I think it's M'Fashnik."



    As the four of them are discussing the pronunciation of the name, Buffy and Willow walk in from the back door. When she notices them, Dawn holds up the book and smiles as she says, "This your guy?"

    Buffy smiles, "You do research now? Great job."

    Tara frowns, "Don't-Don't you think she's a little young?"

    Buffy looks surprised, "Why? She's 15. She's older than I was the first time I had to kill someone." Then mumbles, "Both times."

    Willow comes to Tara's defence, "That doesn't mean that Dawn should be doing this."

    Buffy looks at Willow with a 'did you really just say that' expression, "Willow, do you remember who used to help Giles with the research in the Library?"

    Willow sags, "Oh, yeah."

    Buffy smiles brightly, "Great job Dawn, you should keep it up. As until I get you trained up, knowing what you can fight, and what you should run away from is vitally… important…" She trails off as the front door of the shop opens, and Giles walks in.



    The two of them stare at each other for a long moment, Buffy at one of the few people she'd trust with her back in this life. Giles at someone he never believed he'd ever see again. At some unseen signal, they both start walking towards each other, until they meet half way in a hug.

    As his walking, Giles softly says, "Dear God. You're alive. You're here." As Buffy hugs him tight, he shakily adds, "And you're still remarkably strong!"

    Buffy looks up at Giles and blinks for a second, before letting Giles go, "Uh, sorry."

    Giles looks down at the girl he spent so long mentoring, and even protecting on occasion, "Willow told me, but I didn't really let myself believe it."

    Buffy chuckles, "Try it from this side, one minute I'm being stabbed in the back, the next I'm here."

    Giles chuckles in response, "It's a…"

    Buffy smiles, "A miracle?"

    "Yes."

    Buffy shrugs, "Something like that, yes."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    After a brief, and uninformative, conversation with Buffy in the training room. Giles returns to the shop front, only to be greeted by an enthusiastic Anya, "Giles, I'm so glad you're back."

    Smiling down at the Ex-vengeance demon, he replies, "Yes, well, it's certainly unexpected."

    "You can't have the shop back."

    "Yes, I know."

    "You signed papers."

    "I did."

    Satisfied for now, Anya lets Giles go, and he looks over at the table, "And do we have information on this new demon, that I suddenly find so desperately interesting?"

    Dawn smiles proudly, "I found him, look."

    Giles takes the proffered book, and glances at the page, "M'Fashnik."

    Dawn looks at the others with a triumphant expression, "Like, M'Cookies."

    Missing the context, Giles absently responds, "No, quite different actually."

    Tara looks surprised, "You know it?"

    Giles continues scanning the entry, "Hmm, by reputation. They come from a long line of mercenary demons. Causing murder and mayhem for the highest bidder. Course, now the question is, who's powerful enough to control one of those things?"

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    It's nearly 11pm when Giles manages to get Willow alone by chance as he's going into the kitchen for some water.

    Willow smiles as she sees Giles, "Hey Giles, did you have a good talk with Buffy?"

    Giles resolutely makes his way to the sink, and in a level voice replies, "Yes, now she's back."

    Willow cheerfully replies, "Yeah, isn't it awesome?"

    "Quite." Giles glances back at Willow, "Tell me about the spell you performed."

    Willow sounds a little surprised as she replies, "Oh. Ok, first of all it was so scary. I had things crawling under my skin, and then a snake came out of my mouth. But I managed to keep it together, even when a group of demons interrupted the spell. So, what do you think?"

    Giles turns back to face her, "What do I think? What do I think? I think you're an irresponsible little girl that's playing with things she can't understand."

    Offended, Willow responds defensively, "What, so I'm the bad guy now? I brought her back when nobody else could."

    "Really? Did you ever think if you should have brought her back? Do you even know where she was? I was the one that did it, and you'd have done it too if you were there."

    Controlling his anger, Giles bites back, "No, I wouldn't. I'd have stopped you if I was here. You're lucky to be alive now. Hell, we all are. You have no idea what you could have done, you could have opened a portal to hell, you could have annihilated the planet, you could have got yourself and your friends killed. And for what?"

    Willow pushes to her feet, "But I didn't, I controlled it, I guided the magic, and I made it work."

    Giles shakes his head, "No, you got lucky. When I left, I thought you were the responsible one. Instead, I find that you're still just a child, playing with things she doesn't understand and believing it makes her better than anyone else. Well, here's some news for you, there are other people out there that could do what you did. But you wouldn't want to meet them."

    "That's because they're bad guys, and we stop bad guys. I'm not a bad guy."

    "Oh, you poor deluded fool, thinking that it's that easy."

    "Well, maybe it is that easy."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Outside, the back door, Buffy stands, watching the moon with a wistful expression on her face. Her thoughts are running over the conversation she's just had with Giles about how her mother handled all of the stuff she's now responsible for with no special powers. Absently, she squashes a cigarette butt that lands on the decking by her foot.

    "Hey Spike."

    "Slayer. Are you ok?"

    "Yeah, just looking at the moon."

    "Did you hear all that?"

    Buffy looks down at Spike, "I did, and it's nothing I hadn't guessed already."

    "They must seem like children to you."

    Buffy sighs and sits down on a step, "Innocents. Innocents, not children. We-We could never grow old, never mature. It wasn't so bad, as we didn't know any different."

    "How did you handle it?"

    "Same way as everyone else, one day at a time. Take your fun where you can, and try to leave the universe a better place than you found it."

    Spike sits down beside her, "What about your friends?"

    Buffy chuckles, "They all think I'm broken."

    "Aren't you?"

    "Not at all, I come from a different culture, a different society. There were colonies, did you know that. Dotted all over the place. From a few hundred people to tens of thousands. And they all existed in the gap between the rock and the hard place. If the Grineer won, they'd have been exterminated. If the Corpus won, they'd have been exploited until they were little more than slaves. We-We were the protectors of that gap." Buffy waves behind her, "They've never seen anything like that. They couldn't comprehend just how important that space could be, and how careful you have to be with the power you wield. One false step, one push too far, and the whole thing starts to fall down around you. Then you're left rushing from one crisis to another until things stabilise again. Except, during that time, you've lost something precious and irreplaceable. Maybe, if you're lucky, in time, something equally precious will take its place."

    "You must have seen so much of that."

    Buffy nods, "And caused more than my fair share too. It's why I'm pushing Dawn so hard. I don't want her to be helpless if I make a mistake, and she becomes a target again."

    "You know they'd all crawl over glass to help you, don't you."

    Buffy laughs, "That's the problem, they wouldn't stop to think about if they should crawl over the glass. Apart from Giles, I don't think any of them understand the price of power."

    "Too bloody right."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    It's nearly 5am when Dawn softly walks down the stairs. As her foot lands on the squeaky step, Giles looks up from the sofa.

    "Couldn't sleep?" he says softly.

    Dawn looks over in surprise, "No, I just woke up and noticed the time."

    Giles snorts in amusement, "So, what has you downstairs so early?"

    "I figured I'd get a head start today, rather than letting Buffy dribble cold water over me to get me out of bed."

    "And what's she doing getting you up so early?"

    "She's training me. Wherever she was, it was really bad, and she wants me to be prepared."



    Just as Giles is about to respond, someone violently rattles the door handle. Concerned, Giles looks at Dawn, "Um, that door is locked, isn't it?"

    Dawn steps backwards cautiously, "Uh huh."

    "Good, because I'd…" Giles is cut off as the demon from the bank breaks the door by kicking the door open.

    As it does, it knocks Dawn over backwards, and the Demon backhands Giles across the face. Knocking him sprawling into the living room, where he lands on the floor and doesn't rise again. Stepping around he door, the Demon looks down at Dawn, "You're not the slayer, but you'll do to start with."



    As it leans down, Dawn screams, only to peter off as a ball of light explodes above it, pulling it into the air by a vortex of energy. Coming down the stairs in her exercise clothes, Buffy smiles at Dawn.

    "Great idea, terrible execution. Hiding behind something is a great way to catch an opponent off guard, however you had no idea what you were going to face." Buffy ducks under the struggling demon, and helps Dawn to her feet, "Now, come on, lets head out to the street where there's plenty of space for a proper fight, and I'll show you how some of those motions in Vazarin work in reality."

    Struggling above her, just out of reach, the Demon growls, "I'm going to kill you."



    Buffy ignores him as she ducks down underneath his reach, and out into the street, tugging Dawn with her. Leading Dawn across the street, Buffy returns to the centre of the road just as the vortex ends, and the demon lands heavily on the floor. What follows is an increasingly frantic hand to hand fight, as the demons strength and toughness is more than a match for anything that Buffy can deal out barehanded. The fight is interspersed by periods of instruction while the demon is caught in a void snare. Something that seems to just make the demon even more irate.



    Eventually, the demon comes to the conclusion that he should be attacking Dawn rather than Buffy. At that point, the fight finishes with a beam of crackling white light that takes nearly half a second to burn through the demon and appear out the other side. As the light of Buffy's void beam dies away, Dawn finds herself shivering from more than just the cold. Buffy walks over to Dawn and pauses, momentarily, as Dawn flinches. Shaking her head minutely, she carries on, and pulls Dawn into a hug.

    "I'm sorry I put you through that Dawn. But you needed to see just why I'm training you, and how what you're learning is used in an actual fight."

    Dawn looks up at her, tears in her eyes, "But, you were toying with it."

    Buffy tucks a strand of hair behind Dawns ear before kissing her on the forehead, "I know honey, that's because I've had so much practice. If I'd had my training and experience before, it would have been just the same then. It was also cruel of me to draw out the fight that much, and I'd normally just end it immediately, and move on to the next threat, or the objective. But, I hope you also saw how this school wouldn't have allowed me to actually beat this demon without a weapon. Nothing I was doing was having any effect on it. It also wouldn't help you to defeat something like that. What it will do is help you to survive, either to run away, or until help arrives. Do you understand?" Dawn nods mutely, "Come on, let's get you inside and you can show me how to make hot chocolate again. Then we can do some meditation after you've finished your hot chocolate."

    Dawn buries her head in Buffy's chest, "I'd like that."



    As Buffy leads dawn back to the house, she pauses at the beginning of the footpath as the whole household seems to have crowded onto the porch, and Spike returned at some point in the fight.

    Carefully dabbing his head with a hanky, Giles asks, "Buffy, what was that?"

    Buffy looks back at the Demon that's slowly evaporating into hell stuff, "What? That? That was me Demonstrating how the Vazarin school is used in real combat."

    Willow looks affronted, "How could you, that was cruel."

    Buffy looks askance at Willow, "What, like pulling me back to this life was cruel?"

    Willow opens her mouth to reply, but Spike speaks up first, "No, I think he meant that attack at the end."

    Giles nods, "Quite right, that was no magic that I've ever seen."

    Buffy laughs, "That wasn't magic, that was raw, unfocused, void energy. Now, I'm taking Dawn inside to make hot chocolate, we'll be in the kitchen if you need us."

    Putting action to words, Buffy pulls Dawn into the void, and jumps through the wall of the house to the kitchen.



    On the porch, Giles removes his glasses and starts cleaning them, "Well, that was mildly unexpected."

    Spike laughs as he heads back into the house.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    The next day, after Dawn's gone to school, Buffy is sat looking at the money that's left in her bank account compared to their running expenses. Giles is sat on the sofa chatting to her, when the phone goes.



    Buffy looks around the room curiously, "What's that noise?"

    Giles sighs, "It's the telephone Buffy."

    "Oh, right, I knew that. Silly me. I'll be right back."

    A minute later Buffy comes back listening to the handset, "Hey, Giles."

    Giles looks up, "Yes Buffy?"

    "Do you know anyone called Angel? As he says he knows me."

    Giles sighs, "He's a vampire, and he used to be your lover."

    "Oh, right. Hi, Angel. Sorry, my memories a bit patchy… No, not at all. It's more like trying to remember that restaurant that your parents took you to when you were six… No, I appreciate that your parents didn't take you to restaurants when you were six, but I think mine did… Yes I know what LA is, it's a nearby city… No, I'm not going to just come and see you… You do remember that Sunnydale is on a hellmouth don't you?... Yes, and that's also why I'm not going to come and meet you half way… No, this isn't a negotiation, if I start disappearing, who knows what will start popping up and trying to take over the world, or this corner of it… Fine, Mindy's at 11 on Saturday."

    An uncomfortable Giles looks at Buffy as she takes three tries to hang up, "Buffy."

    "Sorry about that Giles, Angel wants to meet up to make sure I'm ok."

    "Maybe we should talk about where you were, before you came back."

    Buffy wave airily, "Oh, that's simple, I was there for a very long time, and the last thing I remember before being pulled back here, was being stabbed through the back, and floating through a void portal. It might have killed me. Might not have done too. Probably both if I'm honest. But I ended up in a coffin before I could find out."

    "Yes, well, I'd like to know if it was a hell dimension so that we can look out for demons following you."

    Buffy laughs, "You don't need to worry about that. It wasn't hell, wasn't heaven either. It was just, elsewhere."



    After she's put the phone back, Buffy returns to continue trying to work out her sums.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 4
  • Threadmarks

    • Buffy the Tenno – Episode 4



    Later that day, while they're all eating together, Giles smiles at Buffy, "Buffy, I'm very proud of you for not rushing off to be with Angel. Instead, you very maturely dealt with the bills."

    Buffy shakes her head, "Nah, ah, it's just common sense. Angel wanted to meet me somewhere that I've never been before. I remember that he's tried to kill me on a few occasions, so there's no way I'm going anywhere that he could have set up as an ambush. Thanks for the nudge on who he was, by the way. I honestly hadn't remembered him. Anyway, we're going to meet up at Mindy's on Saturday. It's a public place, and I'll have time to scout it out first."

    Willow looks surprised, "Oh, that's unexpected."

    Buffy just smiles at her beatifically.

    Giles coughs, "Yes. Anyway, do you have any thoughts about what you want to do going forward?"

    Buffy nods, "Yes, I'm going to get a job. I went to the Library earlier, and there's a couple of places that do apprenticeships that might be useful in the future. So I'm going to be looking into those tomorrow. If we're careful, we have enough money to pay all the bills for the next couple of months. Willow, that means that you need to pay for your own internet. I don't mind paying the line rental, but I'm not paying $100 a month so that you can use the internet. If you're not happy paying me that, you're welcome to get your own phone line installed, but I refuse to go into debt for someone else."

    Willow looks up at Buffy in alarm, "But what a-about all the research we do on demons here?"

    Buffy smiles, "My mother had an old computer she used to use, I pulled it down from the loft and it still turns on. So Dawn can use that for her homework, and we can use that for research too, even if it is running something called Windows 98."

    "But-But I can't afford that."

    Buffy just looks at Giles with sparkling eyes. Giles sighs, "I think that Buffy is trying to point out that she can't afford it either."

    Willow looks down at her food, "Oh, right."



    After a couple of minutes, where everyone's eating in silence, Giles looks up again, "More generally, do you have any thoughts about what you want to do with your life?"

    Buffy chews thoughtfully, "Honestly, I think that being the Slayer is going to be a full time job here. So, I'm going to try and get training and experience in a wide range of things that will support that, and allow me to earn a living too. Metal working, electronics, programming, general science and physics especially. Maybe even as Tara if she can teach me a bit of magic."

    Tara smiles shyly, "I'd be happy to teach you."

    Willow smiles broadly, "Oh, I can teach you too. I know lots about magic."

    Buffy looks over at Willow and shakes her head, "No offence Willow. You're a great friend, but you're a little too advanced for me. And I'd need someone gentle to teach me."

    Giles looks surprised, "Buffy I, had no idea you were interested in magic."

    Buffy shrugs, "I don't remember being interested before. But I've died since then. And, you know, dying sort of changes your priorities in life. I mean, if I knew more about magic, would I have had better options than jumping to my death?"

    With a muttered, "Yes, quite." From Giles, the table settles into an uncomfortable silence after that reference to her death.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    After dinner, Buffy looks over at Dawn, "Hey Kiddo, let's go and get your homework done."

    Dawn smiles at her, and puts her plate by the sink, before heading to the desk in the living room.



    While Buffy's explaining a particularly thorny problem, in Orokin, translating to English, Dawn suddenly asks, "Buffy, would it be ok to go out with some friends at Halloween?"

    Buffy shrugs, "Sure, just make sure you have a weapon as part of your costume, and we'll add it to your morning practice."

    Dawn looks up at Buffy in surprise, "What? Just like that?"

    Buffy looks confused, "What, did you expect me to say no?"

    Dawn looks a bit embarrassed, "Well, yes. That's what Willow and Tara normally say."

    "Dawn, you're 15, not 5. It would be hypocritical of me to stop you going out with friends given what the three of us did at your age. When I was your age, the first time, Mum didn't know what I was doing every night. So, I used to sneak out, a lot. I have no doubt that you would be able to do the same if I said no. On top of that, if you've got any friends you trust with this side of your life, don't be afraid to invite them around. As the only reason I'm still alive, both goes round, is because I had friends I could trust." Buffy looks down at her hands, "Of course, the first time around, I didn't want to be the Slayer either. It took me a few years to realise that it wasn't going to let me go, so I had to just learn to live with it."

    Dawn puts her hand on Buffy's, "Do you want to talk about it?"

    Buffy shrugs, "Maybe during meditation one day. Now, I think we were looking at the components of a cell."



    After a while, Dawn asks, "Buffy, how comes you know so much about this, but you know virtually nothing about evolution?"

    "You have to get pretty good at cellular mechanics and gene manipulation when you're breeding Kubrow and Kavats. I missed out on most of my formal education last time around, so what I know, I know well. But that knowledge was driven by interest and necessity."

    "So, why not join Willow and Tara at university?"

    Buffy shudders, "People. You know how I had to wait outside the double meat palace last time we got burgers? Well, that's because I knocked a couple of people out, and broke an arm the last few times I went in there. So, they banned me."



    Once Dawn moves onto her English homework, Buffy starts doodling in one of her notebooks. Eventually, Dawn notices and asks, "Buffy, what's that?"

    Buffy looks down at the drawing, "It's a kind of bo staff, one that I think I could actually make here. Honestly, I'd prefer a sword, but none of the ones I've looked in the armoury are remotely good enough. And the ones I can remember the designs for need material that doesn't exist yet."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I can't exactly head to Jupiter to harvest Oxium, which is a lighter than air crystal. Same as I can't harvest interstellar asteroids to find Tellurium crystals."



    Once Dawn finishes her homework, Buffy ruffles her hair, "Well done, you barely needed my help. Well, I'm off for my patrol."

    Dawn smiles at her, "Have fun, can I phone my friend?"

    "Sure, just, don't spend too long on the phone. That reminds me, once I've earnt some money, we're buying you a mobile phone."

    "Buffy! They're expensive."

    "I know they are Dawn, but it might save your life one day."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Later that night, Willow and Tara are laying in bed, when Willow asks, "Do you think there's something wrong with Buffy?"

    Tara turns over to face her, "What do you mean?"

    "Well, there's that magic she used yesterday."

    "Well, we did bring her back from a hell, so maybe she had to learn how to channel it to survive."

    "What about that stuff with Taxmen?"

    Tara shrugs, "I've never read about any demon like that, or Corpus."

    "Do you think she's evil? Did I bring back an evil Buffy?"

    "No, no. Maybe she would have become evil if we didn't bring her back. But you stole her from the Demon that was going to do that."

    "I did, didn't I. It's just, she's so violent now. I know she had to be as the Slayer, but it's worse now. And look what she's doing to Dawn."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Downstairs, at a similar time, Giles is on the phone to a contact in a British coven, "Yes, yes, I didn't expect to be here either… She's alive… I know, but she knows things… Would you… I just need to know she's not tainted… I don't want the council involved unless she is… I look forward to hearing from you… And you."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    The next morning finds Buffy on the streets, heading to the industrial area where she met Dawn a few weeks ago. As she reaches the outskirts of the area, she pauses to watch trucks and lorries passing in and out on their way to or from the few surviving businesses. Taking a deep breath, buffy makes her way down the road, past rows of derelict factories. She's almost all the way through the district, and into the commercial district, when she starts to hear the sound of a hammer on metal.



    Pausing for a moment to orientate herself to the sound, a truck drives past before turning into a small factory complex making the task moot. Following the truck, she turns off the road into a complex of factory buildings. As she clears the edge of the first factory, she enters a large courtyard style parking area. Around the edges of the area are individual small factory units. Looking around, the truck that just passed her is parked outside a unit on the far left. There, she can see a couple of burly men lifting a wooden sideboard out of the workshop.



    A shower of sparks, and the sound of a grinder on metal draws her attention to a double width car garage, where a black man is grinding away at the rust on the fender of a car. Slowly, she walks around the edges of the courtyard, looking through the open shutter doors. She's almost made an entire circuit of the area when she spots someone working on a metal lathe as the light sparkles off the spinning work. Curiously, she walks in, and as her eyes adjust to the darkness, she spots an anvil near the back of the unit, with some other equipment nearby that she can't identify. Looking around, the interior, her eyes pick out half a dozen people working on different projects, until she comes back to the lathe worker.



    Cautiously, to make sure she doesn't disturb anything, she makes her way over to have a better look at what they're doing. As she watches, a rectangular block of metal is turned into a cylinder, before the worker stops and starts removing one of the jaws of the lathe. A sudden, bright flash of light sees the worker swear as he drops something behind the machine. Turning to look deeper into the factory, he shouts, "Kyle, you bastard, put up the damn screens!"

    Kyle turns back with a welding mask over his face, "It was just a single tap weld! Stop your complaining."



    As she's watching them, someone taps her on the shoulder. Spinning around, she brings her hand up in a strike, only for the large black man to block it with his forearm, "Easy there girly, I just wanted to know watcha doing here."

    Buffy relaxes her stance sheepishly, "Sorry about that, I was looking for a job."

    "Well, why don't ya come up to my office, and you can tell me what a white girl like you is doing looking for work 'round here."

    Buffy nods, and starts to follow the man up a flight of stairs on the other side of the workshop, "I'm Buffy."

    "Nice to meet ya Buffy, I'm Mike. Quite an arm you've got on you?"

    "Sorry about that."

    Mike opens the door to the office, to reveal a small reception with a white, middle aged, receptionist. "Ain't no skin off my nose, you ain't the first one to take a swing at me. Won't be the last either. You serve?"

    Buffy glances at the woman, and then at the windows, and the two doors, "Ah."

    Mike follows her gaze before nodding, "This is Millie, our receptionist and sales rep. On account of some people don't like dealing with black men."

    "Oh."

    "Come on, my office is through here."



    Once Buffy's perched on the edge of a chair in Mikes office, Mike looks at her with an appraising gaze, "You saw combat." The way he says it, makes it more a statement of fact, than a question.

    Buffy nods.

    Mike nods thoughtfully, "I thought so, I've seen that look far too often. Mostly in the mirror. What did you do, join up straight out of high school?"

    Buffy nods, "Something like that."

    "So, why are you here? You can't be more than 20, and there's no way you've finished your first tour."

    Buffy looks out the window overlooking the workshop floor, in a dead voice she says, "Mum died of cancer last year. My sister's been living at home with some friends, until I got back a few weeks ago."

    Mike nods, "That would do it, bet they just discharged you without pension too." Buffy nods absently, "So why come here, you're still young you could go to college, get a job serving food."

    Buffy looks back, "I don't want to kill anyone. There's too many people at the colleges."

    Mike nods, "What did you do? If you're allowed to talk about it."

    Buffy shrugs, "Assassination, extermination, espionage, retrieval, whatever was needed."

    "Shit, at your age? They recruiting young these days."

    Buffy shakes her head, "I was the best, so there was no one else. And I guess, I just kept surviving."

    "That don't make it right. Look, why are you here, I mean in my workshop not just this area."

    Buffy stands up and walks to the window so she can see the tools on the floor, "I heard the sound of a hammer on metal, and I know metal. Maybe I can learn to make things rather than just destroy them."

    "You ever worked with metal before?"

    Buffy shakes her head, "No, but I've read about it. It looks different to what I imagined."

    Mike nods thoughtfully, "Ok, I can give you an apprenticeship, but I have a full rota for the morning shift. That means you'll be on the late shift. Will you be alright staying after dark?"

    Buffy nods, "That's fine. There's nothing in the dark that scares me anymore."

    "Well Buffy, this is Sunnydale. I don't know what you saw out there, but this place will max your weird-shit-o-meter like nowhere else. Now, do you have any problems with working with… minorities?"

    Buffy shakes her head, "As long as they don't hunt, kill, or eat, civilians, I couldn't care less."

    Mike nods, "Well, that gives me some idea of what you used to do. Come by on Friday at 4, and I'll introduce you to my partner. Your shift will be 4-10pm daily, and you'll start Monday, if everything goes well on Friday. We can only pay you minimum wage until you've got some training under your belt, but you're welcome to use the machinery when you're not working."

    Buffy turns around, "Thank you Mike."

    Mike smiles, "Don't mention it, and welcome to Mikes Machining. Let's go talk to Millie to get you signed up. While you're doing the paperwork, I'll give you a list of books you need to read."

    Just as they're leaving, Buffy belatedly asks, "What exactly do you do here anyway?"

    Mike laughs, "Pretty much a bit of everything. Precision turning, iron mongering, welding, engraving, you name it, if it has something to do with turning a block of metal into something, we've probably got the equipment to do it, and have done it in the past. There's not enough business here to survive otherwise. Cities like LA, they have enough people that they can afford to have shops that specialise. Not like Sunnydale and the other nearby towns. Of course, the main reason we're still in business, is that property is dirt cheap here."



    As a more cheerful Buffy leaves the workshop, Mike looks at her full name with a frown, "Millie, make sure that Razial knows that the Slayer starting an apprenticeship with us. I don't want any accidents on Friday that are caused by us. I thought she was too young for the forces."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    With a smile on her face, Buffy turns her feet towards the town centre, and the public library there. Yes, the necessary clothing will put a dent in the finances until she gets her first paycheque, but after that, they should be able to get the plumbing fixed with the last of mum's money. Of course, that assumes that Willow comes up with the money for her internet usage. As she reaches the road for the Library, a black van goes past in the other direction. Unnoticed by Buffy, it pulls into a nearby parking lot, before turning around and following her at a distance.



    Half an hour later, Buffy is holding an armful of books from the list, while looking at other books in the same section. As she's browsing, a young man bumps into her from behind, and the only thing that saves him from a reflexive attack is the armful of books clattering to the floor. Swearing at the inconsiderateness of some people, Buffy picks up the books, and makes her way to a table so that she can flick through the introductory chapter of a few of the other books that looked relevant.



    Sitting down, she picks up a book on smelting, and opens it to the contents. She's read a couple of lines when she catches sight of a young woman sat on the other side of the table to her, typing notes on a laptop with a few books open beside her. Startled, she stands up abruptly, knocking her chair over. When everyone in the research area stares at her, she mumbles, "Sorry, I didn't see you arrive."

    The woman smiles at her reassuringly, and returns to her own work.



    Picking her chair up, Buffy sits back down and opens the book again. As she starts to read again, she gets through another couple of lines before looking up in alarm as the woman disappears, along with some of the people that were reading nearby. Grabbing the books on her list, as well as the one about smelting, she hurries to the counter, only to stop in horror as the clock above the counter starts to move forward rapidly. Reflexively, she pulls the void around her so that she can take stock of the situation, and the clock returns to its normal speed.



    Carefully, she looks around for anything that could be causing this. Conscious of the fact that she has a limited time she can spend wrapped in the void, even if it's less limited than normal as she doesn't have an amp bleeding off excess energy. Not seeing anything around her, she starts to check her clothing and books, just in case someone got something on her. There, on the back of her wrap, is a tiny dot of something. Growling to herself, she picks it off her top and looks at. Her growl changes to an expression of pleased surprise, as she realises that it's a piece of complex electronics. Quickly, she opens a couple of the books she was holding, searching for the antitheft tags they put inside them. Heedless of the damage she's causing the covers, she rips two of them out and hurriedly sandwiches the device between the two stickers. Cautiously letting go of the void while she still has just enough energy to return to the void if it didn't work, she breathes a sigh of relief when time keeps passing like normal.



    Checking out the books takes a bit longer than expected, as the librarian tuts and moans about people not respecting their books as she carefully replaces both the antitheft sticker, and the checkout sheet. Then she needs to show the inside of her purse, as the alarms go off as she's walking out, to the mumbled complaint about stores not removing their own tags properly.



    On the way home, she frowns at a black van that's taking up a back alley that she often uses as a shortcut, before taking the long way home with the library books.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    As Buffy gets home, she's about to close the door when she sees the school bus pull up to the curb. She smiles when she sees Dawn get down from the bus, along with another girl the same age. Dawn looks surprised when she sees Buffy there, "Buffy, you're home?"

    Buffy smiles, "I am, and I got a job too. But, enough about me, who's your friend?"

    Dawn smiles, "This is Janice, my best friend from school."

    Buffy smiles at Janice, and then steps aside as a Sunnydale welcome. Once they're inside, Buffy closes the door, mentally noting that she needs to thank Xander for repairing it. Turning back to the children she smiles again, "Hi Janice. As Dawn mentioned, I'm Buffy. While you're here, there's a couple of ground rules that you need to be aware of. First of all, never approach me from behind. If you need my attention call my name, or approach from the front. I've had a… rather traumatic past, and I react violently when touched unexpectedly. The second thing is that homework is always done after dinner."

    Janice looks at Dawn questioningly, so Dawn replies, "See, I told you she was cool now. Come on, I'll show you the house."



    As the two of them head into the kitchen, Buffy takes the books to the desk, before sitting down to open the mail. A few minutes later, Buffy says, "Dawn, I think Giles is going to need that pen later."



    As she turns her head, Dawn looks around guiltily, while Janice looks surprised, "Dawn, come with me. Janice, I'm sorry about this, but I need to have a word with Dawn here. Would you mind watching TV while we chat?"

    Janice shakes her head, before turning on the TV.



    A minute later, Buffy leads a sullen Dawn into the yard, where she kneels down and waits for Dawn to kneel down opposite her.

    "Dawn, what was that?"

    Dawn tries to bluster, "What was what?"

    "Taking Giles' pen from his bag. If you hadn't looked guilty I'd have probably assumed you needed to use it. But there's more to it than that, isn't there."

    "It's a nice pen."

    Buffy nods, "I have no doubt it is. But it's not your pen. Why did you take it?"

    Dawn sulks, "Nobody's ever noticed before."

    "Dawn, what do you think would have happened if someone had noticed before?"

    Dawn shrugs, "They'd have told me off?"

    Buffy shakes her head, "They'd have stopped trusting you. You'd have found things that you used to be able to just use, were suddenly put away. There'd have always been someone watching you. And, if the wrong person saw you, they might have hurt you badly."

    "Would that have been so bad, at least then I'd know they wanted me around."

    "Dawn, since I got back, have I ever given you any indication that I don't want you around?" Dawn shakes her head, "So, what's going on?"

    Dawn tries to meet Buffy's eyes, but ends up looking at her bellybutton, "Mum died, and then you were so busy saving the world, and I tried to keep up, but…"

    Buffy takes her hands softly, "And then I died, and everyone seemed to be too busy to take care of your needs?"

    Dawn sniffs, "Yes, and I tried to get them to pay attention to me, but they were always told me to go away. So."

    Buffy nods understandingly, "Dawn, you are my sister, and my student. I've already lost mum twice, so I'm not going to lose you because I can't take the time to look after you. Do you understand?"

    Dawn nods, "But, you said you got a job."

    Buffy nods, "I did, and I was going to talk to you about it later, before I spoke to the others. I'm supposed to meet the people I'll be working with on Friday, so I'll pick you up from school. I want you to come with me because I'll be working from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays."

    "But what about your research time?"

    "I can do that during the day if I have to. I'll also move our homework time to before breakfast, so that you don't lose out. But I want you promise me that you'll try to stop stealing. If it helps, imagine what it would be like if you stole from the demon that broke in last night, and he caught you. What do you think he'd have done? Now, if you've stolen anything from Janice or her family, I want you to get it and give it back to her with an apology."

    Dawn looks uncomfortable, "But, what if she doesn't want to be friends after that? I'm not saying I've stolen anything from her or anything."

    "Then you cry and accept that that is the price you paid for stealing from her. Now, go on. In you go I'm going to mediate for a minute."

    Dawn slowly makes her way back into the house and pauses at the stairs for a moment as she watches Janice watching TV. She takes a step towards the sofa before looking back to the yard door, and walking up the stairs. A couple of minutes later, she comes back down and sits on the sofa next to Janice.

    After a couple of minutes Janice asks, "Are you alright?"

    Dawn lets out a shaky breath, "That was horrible. She didn't raise her voice once, but still made me feel miserable."

    Janice nods, "Yeah, like, I hate it when The Mominator does that to me."

    Dawn puts a hairclip, with an embroidered butterfly on it, into Janice's hand, "Here, this is yours. I'm sorry, I, um, took it from your dresser."

    Janice looks down at the hairclip, "I wondered where that went, I thought I'd lost it at school."

    "Well, I took it. I'm sorry."

    Buffy smiles as she void jumps back into the yard, before turning around and walking back in.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    The next couple of days are a lesson in frustration for Buffy, as first of all, she's attacked by three demons, in broad daylight, while shopping for steel toecap boots. Then on Friday, she's trapped in a time loop at a clothing store that Anya recommended, until she bought something. The problem being that the store sold absolutely nothing suitable for working around metal or fire. On top of that, almost everything was outside her budget. In the end she bought a hairclip with a flower on it, before storming off to find a store that actually sold hard wearing clothing.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Dawn walks up to a grumpy looking Buffy that's standing at the gates to the school, "Hey Buffy, are you ok?"

    Buffy grumps before she says, "I'm fine, just frustrated because I've just spent the last 32 hours in a shop, only to be forced to buy a hairband."

    Dawn looks at her sister levelly, "32 hours, really?"

    Buffy sighs, "No, not really, it was more like 5. As I was appallingly slow on the uptake, and didn't realise I couldn't break the time loop until I bought something. Here, I think it's more your thing than mine anyway." She hands over a small plastic bag.

    Opening the bag, Dawn squeals when she sees the hairclip, "It's great, thank you."

    Buffy smiles, "You're welcome. Now how's Janice?"

    Dawn looks down, "She didn't sit with me today."

    Buffy crouches down and lifts Dawn's chin, "Hey, I'm sure you'll make up. It would have been worse if she found out on her own. Now, come on, we've got a fair walk ahead of us, as we're going past the mall."

    "Ugh, can't we take the bus?"

    Buffy indicates the traffic jam of parents picking up their children in their cars, "How long do you think we'd need to wait for the bus?"

    "Fine…!"

    Buffy ruffles her hair, "Cheer up, we can afford to buy an ice cream on the way."



    40 minutes later, Buffy and Dawn walk into Mikes, 5 minutes late. As she pushes through the side door, Buffy winces as she sees Mike and a figure wearing hooded robes, presumably his partner, waiting for her.

    "Sorry I'm late, I needed to pick Dawn up from school, because none of my friends were going to be at home when the bus got there. Dawn, this is Mike, hopefully my boss unless I've screwed up already."

    Mike exchanges a glance with his partner before looking back, "This is Razial, my partner. Before we take you upstairs to meet with your co-workers, we need to know if the Slayer is safe to be around for the supernatural elements of Sunnydale."

    Buffy's eyebrows rise, "Well, that all depends on the supernatural elements. If they're not hunting, killing, or eating civilians, I don't have a problem with them."

    Dawn looks at Buffy in shock, "Buffy!"

    Buffy looks down at Dawn, "What? It's true. Well, true now. I fight against the darkness to protect the innocents. I can't go picking and choosing who those innocents are, otherwise I'm the one bringing darkness."

    "But demons are evil."

    Buffy shrugs, "So are many humans, and I don't go around killing them. Or do you think I should go out and kill Anya, Spike, and Angel?"

    "No, they're not evil."

    "Have you ever listened to Anya talking? She's still very much evil, but it's now a more human evil. The only reason Spike isn't cutting a swathe through the world is because of a microchip in his head, and the only reason Angel isn't evil is he's got someone elses soul inside of him."

    Mike coughs, "Quite. Anyway, I'll hand over to Razial now."

    Buffy flushes in embarrassment, "I'm sorry. Um, before you go, on days that my friends can't watch Dawn for me after school. Erm, would it be alright to bring her to work?"

    Mike waves to Razial, "That's up to my partner, he's the boss after 4pm, and I'm just the partner."

    Razial pulls his hood back to reveal his reptilian appearance, blood red eyes, and prominent fangs, "I have not killed or eaten a civilian since I met Mike in 78."

    Buffy shrugs, "Cool, anyway, I'm Buffy, and I hope we can work together."

    Razial looks at the two of them, Dawn, who's now hiding behind her sister, and The Slayer, who's standing there without a care in the world, "You do not fear me?"

    "I've seen worse, killed worse too. And you're not tense, or ready to attack me."

    "Are you so sure of that Slayer?"

    Buffy lifts her hand, and relaxes her control over the void for a moment to allow it to crackle between her fingers, "Look, if you were a threat, you'd be dead already. You're not, and I grew tired of fighting just because a few centuries ago. If you don't give me a reason to fight, I won't give you a reason to die."

    Razial nods once, "I've got it from here Mike. Come on, let's meet the others and they can get to work."



    Buffy and Dawn follow Razial up the stairs and into the reception. There, rather than Milli from earlier, a succubus sits behind the reception desk. Around the room are half a dozen people, a mix of Demon and Human, all chatting together. A plate of cockroaches is sat next to a plate of cookies.

    When the door swings closed behind them, Razial addresses the room, "Good evening everyone. This is the new apprentice, Buffy Summers, and her sister Dawn. Buffy, this is Vhesthine, our receptionist, and sales rep. For similar reasons to having Millie on during the day. Once you're up to working on commissions, she'll be the one with your work list. I won't introduce the rest, as I'm sure you'll get to know them once you start working here."

    Buffy nods, "So what will I be doing, if I'm not doing commissions?"

    Razial give a tooth filled smile, "To start with, you'll be cleaning up the floor and the equipment. Once we're sure you know how to maintain the equipment, we'll start you on the basics, and you'll be prepping stock for the others. We may even get you making nails for the Joes across the way, as they're always needing those for their carpentry."

    One of the demons looks at Buffy intently, and then backs away to the wall, "She's the bloody Slayer, please don't kill me."

    Razial gives the Demon a stern look, "Not in here she isn't. Out there, she's the Slayer. In here, she's just Buffy the apprentice. If you can't handle that, then there's the door. And you treat her sister just like you would any of the other children that you've all had to look after occasionally."

    The demon sags against the wall, "Yes boss."

    Razial shakes his head and turns to Buffy, "Be aware that you'll probably get that a lot, as The Slayer is, what did Mike call it, oh yes, The Bogeyman for most Demons."

    With that proclamation, the workers all grabbed a work order from Vhesthine before making their way downstairs. It's only a few minutes later that Buffy and Dawn leave too, as Buffy has to go over her details again, this time with Vhesthine. And Vhesthine makes sure that Dawn has the late shift contact details for the workshop.



    As they step out of the workshop into the evening sunshine, Dawn leans against the wall with a relieved sigh, "Phew, that was scary."

    Buffy pulls her sister into a hug, "I know it was, but you did well. We, that is the Scoobie gang, have given you a very skewed perspective on demon kind. I know I wasn't expecting that, and I remember going to Willy's bar a few times. But, do you know one thing I was forced to learn in the Origin system?"

    Dawn shakes her head, "No, I don't think you've talked about that before."

    "Come on, lets walk and talk. In the origin system, when I first woke up after the war, everything seemed so simple. The Grineer were the bad guys and we were the good guys. I knew they were the bad guys because they were the ones trying to capture me in order to dissect me. Then I fought my way through their bases, until I found the coordinates of the Venus solar rail. Once I got to Venus, I found out about the Corpus, and debt slaves. That's where I met Legz, and was introduced to Solaris United. I helped them to disrupt Corpus operations on Venus to the point where the overseer had to backtrack on his heavy handed tactics. However, before I him to that point, he called in all of Legz debt, and reclaimed his whole body. All he was left with was his brain, and that was only until his next life support payment was due. Anyway, once I freed them, Legz got a body back, and he now makes, made, MOA's. He died, 300 years ago when his brain ran out, and he couldn't afford the gene therapy to refresh it again. From there I moved on to Mercury, where I found out that the Grineer mine there, and that's where many of the solar systems resources come from.

    "When I found the keys to the route to Mars, I returned to Venus and ventured into the 'Dark Sector'. That's where I first encountered the infested. A bioengineered plague that takes over organics and robotics alike. Suddenly, everything was turned on its head, as the Corpus and Grineer were both fighting against the infested, and each other. That's when I decided to visit the Ancient Tenno Relay near the Venus Solar rail, and met the representatives of the main six neutral factions. There I was confronted with Grineer that were free, and Corpus that weren't Corpus. This was before I regained my memories and awareness as a person. So, this was the first time I was ever confronted by the fact that every faction is filled with individuals, and just because most members of that faction behave in a certain way, doesn't mean they all do.

    "That, in Mikes, was you coming across the same thing outside the few people you know."



    As Buffy finishes speaking, Dawn quickly looks back and tries to look like she was paying attention, "That sucks."

    Buffy laughs, "When did you stop listening?"

    Dawn puffs out her chest, "Who says I stopped listening."

    Buffy just ruffles her hair, "Come on, the magic box is here, and I want to talk to Giles about the demons that attacked me, as well as the time loop."

    Dawn stops outside the door, "Now that you've got a job, are you going to stop paying attention to me?"

    Buffy turns around and pulls Dawn into a hug, "Of course not. There will be times when I honestly can't pay attention to you. Such as when I'm at work, and I have to concentrate. But there will never be a time where I won't come for you if you're in trouble. I don't work on weekends, so we'll have those together. And I still want to do your homework with you, even if it means doing it after training."

    Dawn just nods sadly.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [WP] The Rock of Transmogrification allows you change shape into the animate or inanimate, magically retaining all of your senses. To work, part of you must be touching the rock. The best advice is to transmogrify with it inside you. Otherwise...
  • Threadmarks

    • [WP] The Rock of Transmogrification allows you change shape into the animate or inanimate, magically retaining all of your senses. To work, part of you must be touching the rock. The best advice is to transmogrify with it inside you. Otherwise, someone might take it, leaving you transformed, forever



    C smiles over the desk at F, "You've done your homework?"

    F nods, "I have. I understand all the changes I want to make."

    "And you remembered not to make your changes too different from your current self?"

    F nods again, "I have. I've thought long and hard about this."

    C smiles again, "So has everyone we've invited to use it. You've seen the video footage, and we've done our background checks. There's just one more thing."

    F nods desperately, "What is it?"

    "You need to sign this contract stating that you will never reveal how you got your changes. We will provide you with documents proving you went to a surgeon in Taiwan."

    F nods, and holds out their hand for a pen. They don't even read the contract before they sign. C sighs and shakes their head, even if they did, they'd still sign. Standing up, C leads F to a room covered in mirrors, except for one floor tile that has the edge of a glowing red rock protruding from it.

    C looks at F, "Strip, and put your foot on the rock there. It's easier to see what you're doing that way. You'll have one hour to make your changes. In 90 days time, we'll give you the opportunity to make further changes. Do you understand?"

    F nods, and starts stripping before C has even turned away. C can't help but see the Caucasian skin as they hurry back to the desk. So many of them are like this. So eager to get out of their own bodies that they forget why they have anonymity procedures in place. Not that it actually protects them from C if they wanted to know. But at least C has set it up so they have to check first.

    Turning back to their desk, C opens their laptop and starts looking through the transgender, intersex, and body dysmorphia groups looking for those desperate enough to take a gamble.

    It's nearly an hour later when F comes out of the room on their own, and C closes their laptop before banging their head against the desk.

    "F, the requirement to looks similar to your previous self were put in there for your protection, not ours."

    C pretends not to notice as F slides some of her red hair under the head mask, "I know, and I did. But I…"

    C nods, "I understand, I really do. At least you've kept things in the realm of human variation. Unlike the notable man, who went from five foot nothing to six foot four, and over 18 inches."

    F nods, "I remember that on TV, he was sent to a mental hospital."

    C nods again, "Yes, we were unable to provide his follow-up appointment. If you wish, for an extra £15,000 we can arrange for your hospital visit to be extended until your follow-up, and provide you with a temporary identity in another country."

    F looks down, "What if I wanted to stay like this, or didn't want to go back."

    C's heart sinks, but they say compassionately, "If that's the case, we can offer you a trans-dimensional move to a new life. There you will be contracted to work for our organisation for 10 earth years, and you will be trained in the use of magic and any other skills you need. If you prove yourself, you may even be assigned to help other people like you."

    F nods, "I'll take it. I never want to go back to there."

    C nods, and indicates the door behind F, "If you go through there, T will guide you through the forms and contracts you need to sign."

    As F leaves the room, C sighs and takes off her own head mask. Standing up, she makes her way over to an unassuming tile on the wall and traces a glyph. Smoothly, a section of floor falls away into a staircase that she walks down before reaching behind the stairs and flicking a switch on the underside of the floor she was just on. Making her way along a short corridor, past the laser tripwires she just turned off.

    Reaching the room below the changing room, she removes a glove and carefully pricks her finger to allow 2 drops of blood to fall on the large glyph on the floor. Then she walks over to the large pillar and disengages the mechanism that's not just holding it up, but also triggers the explosives built into the floor of the room above. As the pillar lowers into the floor, she looks at the glowing red rock that took her 1,000 years to create. Picking it up, she briefly shifts so that her chest opens up, before placing the rock back into it's proper place as her heart.

    As she makes her way back up the stairs, her form flows as her skin takes on a reddish tone, and her hair turns black. Wings grow from her back, along with a thin tail. After closing the floor she creates a glowing red portal, before turning back to the room, "Only two years, 47 days, and 15 hours to go. At least time passes faster here."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [WP] In a world where everyone has a unique superpower, yours is laughed at. The ability to untangle anything has come in handy for untying shoelaces until you discover a new way of using your power that makes you formidable against your former superiors.
  • Threadmarks
    • In a world where every human has a unique superpower, yours is largely laughed at. The ability to untangle anything has come in handy for untying shoelaces until you discover a new way of using your power that makes you formidable against your former superiors.



    Omari Suarez smiles evilly as he types the last full stop on his letter to the WTO. Taking the letter, he carefully places it next to the letter to the UN committee that governs the Geneva Convention, along with a dozen other letters. It's taken him months to get this far. But that's all because Congress decided to downsize the library staff, and terminated his job in the Library of Congress. Granted, he wasn't a highly placed Librarian, but he did good work in the historical media department, where they stored all of the old films and cassettes for future generations. After all, there's always some asshole who can't treat the reels and tapes with the care they deserve.

    Then who do his superiors call, Omari, that's who. Omari catches a tear in a tissue before it can fall on any of the letters he's typed out by hand. This job meant everything to him, as it's the first place he found where he wasn't ridiculed for his power.

    But he'll get them, he'll make sure they understand just how much they hurt him. Laying him off because he's 'unnecessary staff, that doesn't have a clearly defined role'. Don't they know how much money he's saved them in specialist callouts to painstakingly untangle the reels and tapes that come back to his department? How many reels would have been unsalvageable if not for him?

    Omari checks his notepad, and carefully writes out the name and address for each person the letters are going to go to, before tacking a post-it note to each one, with the name of a courier company, and the shipment type needed. With that done, he takes each letter, and triple checks that it's going into the correct envelope, before sealing them using the method listed in his note book.

    With a vicious smile, he stands up and begins his trek around New York City to contract each letter to be delivered in the right order, to the right people.

    After all, red tape is just a tangled process that prevents people from being able to use the same rules that those in power use. And his power is to untangle anything.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Writing Prompt, part 2
  • Threadmarks
    • Over the next two weeks, around the world, various officials received actionable, or reportable information through all of the correct, though little used, public channels. One by one, those officials reported their findings through the convoluted channels of bureaucracy.

    At each bottleneck, in a process that would normally take months or years, corroborating evidence would come from another department or organisation, and investigations would be triggered while the evidence would be passed through the chain to the next level or organisation.

    Of course, this didn't stop the USA from hearing about these investigations, or learning about the bureaucratic snowball heading their way. First of all, it was the Diplomatic corps that found out, as the first port of call for any queries, these then got forwarded to the CIA to investigate. Finally, congress subcommittees were involved. However, it's not their first rodeo, so they expected the wheels of bureaucracy to turn slowly enough for the USA to put forward new policies and procedures that ultimately mean nothing, but look like they resolve the complaints before they get to a stage they have to give an official answer to.

    Over six months, inquiries were made by OPEC, the EU, WTO, UN, NATO, and even Mercosur. Due to the bureaucratic timing of this, enquiries happened to co-inside with the receipt of information from the USA, and are therefore responded to with enquiries of their own, causing an unprecedented level of data-sharing about the different investigations happening across these political blocs and organisations.

    These back channels quickly became unofficially official, as they cut through a lot of the red tape these blocs and organisations had accumulated over the decades and centuries they'd been in existence. As the evidence against the USA on bad faith negotiations, violations of core international treaties, and even active sabotage of political regimes and international efforts, built drastically, more and more political blocs were brought into the back channel network, with their own enquiries bearing even more fruit.

    7 months after the original letters were sent out, on the 17th October, every political bloc holds a scheduled meeting, along with the UN and WTO. There, every single one of them condemns the USA on numerous accusations, and provides the evidence they've accumulated in their investigations.

    In an unprecedented move, the WTO voids 90% of the cases that the USA and US organisations have won against other countries in the last 50 years, and declares that in compensation, US intellectual property cannot be enforced in any of those countries until they have recouped the costs that they incurred, along with any interest they paid on the loans they had to take out to pay those costs, plus 10% for lost productivity.

    In the EU, they condemn the USA for government sanctioned slavery, deliberate and malicious reduction of their educational standards, and their failure to provide sufficient health and social care as they're required to do according to certain readings of the 'International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights', the 'international convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination', and the 'Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide'. They also provide evidence that the USA is in contravention of the 'Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading treatment or Punishment'. As a result, of those violations, along with the massive amount of evidence of a failure to deal fairly, they declare that all exports and imports, including public or personal data, will be halted while their diplomatic corps go through all of the treaties they have with the USA. A process that should take at least a year.

    In the OPEC Conference, the member states unanimously agree to list their crude prices in Euro's, and to no longer sell directly to the USA. A decision that the UK, Canada, and Russia will all fall in line with over the next few weeks.

    At the UN, all of the information discovered during the various investigations is released to the public, and with a majority vote, the USA is placed under the same sanctions they placed Iraq under after the first Gulf war.



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    ​
    As he watches the news, Omari Suarez smiles gently from behind his current customer in an upscale hairdressers, where he is paid three times his previous salary to remove the tangles, extensions, and dreadlocks from peoples hair, before the actual hair dressers take over to cut and style the hair.

    Once he returns home, he picks up another dozen letters he wrote over the last few days. These he posts to the right state officials and police, along with media people, using the right channels. These letters should be enough to bring the entire government to its knees, and bring in a new system of voting, and members of congress and the senate, who are most assuredly not the people who cost him the job he loved.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Oh wow, that's incredible chaos. The power to cut through red tape is incredibly dangerous if you have a grudge, who knew. I also love that he found a new use for his power working on hair too.
     
    Cyrus2 said:
    Oh wow, that's incredible chaos. The power to cut through red tape is incredibly dangerous if you have a grudge, who knew. I also love that he found a new use for his power working on hair too.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Consider those new Unofficially official back channels that were created, and untangle the red tape that would have stymied the investigations. It wasn't a case of cutting through red tape, it was untangling it, so that it became useable again.
     
    [WP] Rather than robots replacing human workers, both are mistreated by the rich as cheap labour. The eventual uprising wasn't just robots alone, but the poor and robots together, against their common enemy.
  • Threadmarks
    • Tim stands up with crackling joints, and immediately leans against the wall as he becomes light headed, "Note to self Tim, you ain't 20 anymore. Kneeling on the floor for hours is for younger men than you."

    One he can stand on his own again, he walks over to his electricity meter and pushes the current credit button. Doing some math in his head, he sighs before looking back at figure lying on the pile of blankets that's all he has for a bed these days, "Fuck it, if I have to eat cold soaked rice and porridge for a few weeks, it'll be worth it to save a life."

    Turning back to the meter, he stabs the charging mode button, before allowing it to scan his thumb print. Once he hears a click, he reaches under the meter and pulls out the charging plug before walking back over to the body on his bed. Gently, he turns her head to one side and pushes a spot on the side of her ear. At the base of her skull her charging and emergency life support port opens, and he plugs the cable in.

    Seconds later, an alarm blares from the meter, "Warning, power levels critical. Please confirm authorisation for a full charge."

    Creaking back to his feet, Tim hobbles over to meter while his legs recover, "Bloody penny pinching fucks. This is a life you're complaining about. Fuck I'm old, I still remember the NHS and when life saving treatment was bloody free."

    Stabbing his thumb against the scanner, he swears as it takes a blood sample, before beeping once and starting to charge. Turning around, he hurries back to his bed and kneels down to put a hand on the woman's chest.

    "Hey, easy, easy, you're safe. Don't go moving around and undoing all of my hard work before your self repair routines have kicked in."

    The woman on the floor lifts her head to look at Tim, before putting her head down again, with the cord facing the other way, "Where am I?"

    Time smiles at her, "You're in my house. What's left of it anyway. How are you feeling?"

    The woman sighs, "Weak."

    Tim nods, "That's to be expected, you're lucky I found you when I did. You had a jump cable attached to your battery and a lamppost."

    The woman frantically reaches for her belly, but Tim catches her hand, "Uh uh, I've just spent hours soldering and reinsulating everything in there, and your skin is currently only held together with polymer glue."

    The woman looks up at Tim, "Why? How?"

    Tim shrugs, "Why? Because I could, and you're a person. How? Now that's a much longer story. Short version is, I used to be a repair tech before they invented the self-repair systems. That was back before you were declared to be people by the courts. Soon as that happened, people like me were side-lined as my company restructured itself as a GP for robots. That was five years before the government shuttered the NHS too. Said it was unfair that you guys had to pay for treatment and we didn't. Soon enough, you couldn't do robot repair without going through university and tech-med school."

    The woman's eyes widen, for a moment, and then relax as she can't detect any elevated heart rate, skin temperature, or even verbal ticks and micro expressions that would suggest he's lying, "Thank you. How long do you think it will be before I start to heal?"

    Tim looks at the woman with pity, "You must be a younger model. Used to be that you had a HUD with all that information on." He looks over at the meter, "At the rate you're charging, I'd say between four and six hours. You'll need to stay plugged in for at least two days though."

    The woman shakes her head, "I can't, I…"

    Tim shakes his head, "You can, and you will. That's how long it will take for everything to be repaired. I appreciate you probably need to work the streets for a living, but who ever put you where I found you. They made a real mess inside."

    "You don't understand. The resistance, they need to know."

    Tim shakes his head, "You don't understand, if you leave before most of that two days, you won't even make it down the street before your own systems put you on your knees. As soon as your self-repair systems have enough power to start, they will prioritise repairing your body over everything. Starting with itself, that's where most of the time will go. Once it's repaired itself, you should be good to go in around four hours."

    The woman tries to push herself up, but Tim holds her down, "Then you need to let them know. There's a shop, tell them… Tell them that Lydia sent you to buy some more wine because the yeast was dead."

    Tim shuts his eyes, "Is that your name, Lydia?"

    The woman nods, and he sighs, "Fine, I'm Tim. Now do you know how to use a pen?"

    Lydia shakes her head, "Sorry."

    Tim sighs, "Damn it, I don't have any spare memory cards. I'm just going down to my basement, don't go anywhere."

    Lydia laughs weaky before looking around the room with its faded wallpaper and bubbly ceiling. This must have been a nice place once.

    A few minutes later, he comes back with a piece of board and what she presumes is a pen.

    As he sits down, Lydia asks, "What happened?"

    Tim looks at the ceiling, "Pipe burst one winter around, oh 20 years ago when I couldn't afford the heating. A couple of years ago, a storm hit and blew a few tiles off the roof on the other side of the house, and I can't use a ladder anymore, not that I have one even if I could. So, I had to leave it. Now that side of the house is uninhabitable. I'm the only one left in this neighbourhood now anyway, as this was my parents house and everyone else moved into the archelogies, or moved up."

    "Why didn't you go?"

    Tim laughs, "With what money? I've been on 'handouts' since you guys took my last job. That was before they equalised the price of 'fast charge' electricity with food when they couldn't make a profit from the meat-bags anymore. Anyway, I figure I'm cold soaking my rice a porridge, and you want me to go to a shop that should sell food. So I might as well make a shopping list. Now, is there anything else you want me to tell them. Ah, fuck it." Tim roots around the bed, before pulling out his phone and unfolding it, "Here, write what you want them to know, and I'll copy it out."

    It only takes Lydia seconds to type out her message. Tim looks at it, and frowns, "I'm going to need more paper for this. I'll be right back."

    As he sets the board down, Lydia looks curiously at the writing. It's a lot like the writing that devices use, only less uniform.

    As Tim comes back with a ream of paper, he smiles at Lydia's curious expression, "Sorry about my handwriting. I never learnt how to do joined up writing. My parents knew though."

    Lydia shakes her head, "Can anyone learn to do that?"

    Tim shrugs, "Sure, can't see why not. We were taught at school, everyone was back then."

    Lydia sighs, "Robots don't go to school. We're loaded with a template and grow from there."

    Tim nods sadly, "I know, and they've been cutting back on essential knowledge that you all used to have. Hell, I've still got all my old manuals downstairs under a tarp. Cost me an absolute fortune while I was working. Now, they're just gathering dust under the groundsheet I'm using."

    After a while, Tim looks up, "Right, I'm ready to go. Is there anything you'd like while I'm out."

    Lydia smiles up at Tim, "Mint pop sticks, if they have them."

    Tim laughs, "You know those are bad for your charging routines."

    Lydia smiles, "I know. But they taste so nice."

    Walking to the door, Tim grabs his walking stick and turns back, "You know, I tried one once. They don't taste of mint."

    Lydia chuckles, "They do to us."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I could see the rich pulling something like that, I'm down for a robot human uprising against the rich.
     
    [WP] The protagonist picks up a cursed sword, which simply convinces them to pick up an expensive and time-consuming hobby. This hobby drains their time, energy, and wealth more efficiently than any cursed item.
  • Threadmarks
    • Rothgar the Glorious flicks his wrist to remove the blood and ichor from his sword as he walks into the heart of the dragons lair. From atop it's pile of gold Gothar the Red looks down at him.

    "How strange, I never thought to see a wielder of the industrious blade darken my doorstep."

    Rothgar looks up, "You speak, how fortuitous. Mine ears hath told me that you may be the owner of a spool of Royal Purple silk thread from the Rast dynasty."

    Gothar nods her head ponderously, "I do indeed Hero, for what do you need it?"

    Rothgar bows his head, "Great Dragon, wouldst thou be willing to part with 200 yards of the aforementioned thread. As I find that I am in dire need of that precise shade for the emperor's cloak on the tapestry I have undertaken."

    Gothar leans forward, her sulphurous breath blowing Rothgar's hair straight behind him, "You slaughtered your way through my guardians to request thread?"

    "Indeed, and I wouldst engage thou in battle, if it were not for the fact your spilt blood may spoil the thread."

    Gothar nods, "I see. I will consent to allowing you to use my thread. In return, you will sew your tapestry here until such time as my guards have been replaced."

    Rothgar sags with relief, "Great Dragon, I shall do as you wish. Though I fear I need to return to the local Inn. For that is where I left mine tapestry for safety."

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    ​
    Rothgar looks up from his 100ft tapestry, "Gothar, wouldst though happen to have any royal blue thread from Meniscus, 3rd kingdom era?"

    Gothar leans down to gaze at the tapestry that will surely take at least three human lifespans to complete, "Nay Rothgar. I would know, how do you plan on completing your tapestry as you have been here for the last 20 years, and I doubt you have more than another 30 in you."

    Rothgar nods, "First, I will travel to the temple of water in the ruins of Meniscus, guarded by the kraken to obtain the thread. Then I will travel to the Unseen Empire and retrieve the Grail from the pitfiend that guards it."

    Gothar nods seriously, "I will miss you, as you have been a far more effective guardian these past 20 years."

    Rothgar shakes his head, "Great Dragon, I was merely protecting my tapestry."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I dunno. As far as curses go, motivation to be a great tapestry weaver isn't that bad. Being known as a warrior-artist of great renown is pretty good compared to a curse that makes your willy stop working.
     
    Oh! I just saw this in the reddit thread. Didn't even notice the name. Small world.

    You weave the absolute shit out of that tapestry, Rothgar.
     
    [WP] A society began a program taking volunteers to be Forest Listeners, to listen to the woods & preserve the sacred sounds of nature. Over the past few months you enjoyed being a third shift Listener... until you heard something you weren't supposed to.
  • Threadmarks
    • [WP] The Society We Live In has begun a program taking volunteers to be Forest Listeners, people who listen to the woods to preserve the sacred sounds of nature. Over the past few months you enjoyed being a third shift Listener... until you heard something you weren't supposed to.



    Tina smiles as she leans back into the fold between a few tree roots, allowing the ivy to fall back around her as she does so. As the sound of the nearby waterfall babbles and giggles into the pond below it, she thinks back to her first day 6 months ago, when she applied out of desperation. Then, amazingly, her application was approved and she was flown down to Brazil.

    Oh, she's not the only third shift listener, not by a long shot, 1,000 square miles is rather too much ground for one person to cover. But it is the last natural forest left in the world, and scientists predict that in 20 years time, it will be gone, despite their best conservation efforts.

    "The human's gone, maybe we can actually get some work done." Tina's breathing hitches as a voice appears out of nowhere, a tinkling resonance tickling the inside of her skull as she understands the words in English, at the same time she knows they weren't said in English.

    "Tebor, keep your voice down. Do you want them to hear you?"

    "Balith, as long as I don't shout, they won't here a damn thing. Now check that tree over there, it's got spots on its leaves."

    "I don't know, they have awfully good hearing."

    "And you know as well as I do that we'll hear them well before they can identify us. Oh you poor thing, this one has Phosphonomethyl amino acetic acid making its way into the roots. No wonder it's poorly."

    Tebor calls over, "This one does too, and there's a fungus attacking the leaves."

    "Check a few more trees, we might need a full party here, if the humans give us time to hold one. I'm going to check the stream."

    Tina reaches up to cover her mouth, as the urge to say or do something starts to build.

    A few minutes later, Balith sounds despondent as his voice comes closer, "Mercury. Even if we can get a party, no one's going to survive that."

    Tina blurts, "Platinum!"

    Silence is her only answer.

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    ​
    The next morning, Tina makes her way to the archology library to look up the effects of mercury in rivers. What she reads makes her want to cry, as if it's true, the entire ecosystem is threatened. But the governments are supposed to be preventing this.

    After that, it's simple enough to buy a home detection kit, and a filter for a day trip to her favourite local nature park, along with some sandwiches in a bio-degradable wrapping.

    A thirty-minute ride on the train gets her to a scenic park with a selection of birds singing from the trees. But, for Tina, the whole place now feels dead.

    Almost listlessly, Tina follows her favourite route through the small wood, and out to a spectacular lake that boasts over 30 species of fish, and 100 species of plants and insects.

    Sitting down by the shore, she fills the cup for the filter up, and dunks one of the test strips in while it's filtering down. Two fills later, and the strip is showing the water is free from mercury. Carefully, she puts the strip back in its packaging, and the whole package into the bottom of her bum bag.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════

    ​
    Tina waits in line at security as her fellow listeners slowly file through and hand over their bags for storage. A few taking a book, or a bottle of water with them. Finally, it's her turn and she walks up to the security guard nervously and hands over her bag.

    The security guard looks at her before saying, "Let me see your pockets."

    Tina is acutely aware of another security guard walk up behind her, so she empties her pockets onto the table. A book, her water filter, and a sandwich.

    The security guard removes the sandwich, "The rules are clear, no food is to be taken into the forest. Some of the animals can smell it for miles. We also don't want any of the animals becoming dependent on the food."

    The then open the water filter and book and the security guards face softens slightly, "Good idea buying a filter bottle, but I recommend buying a less specific test kit next time. There's all sorts of bugs in the water. Make sure you bring all the strips back, I've made a note of them."

    Tina nods in relief and repacks her book and the filter bottle before shuffling through to decontamination.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════

    ​
    When the drone lowers itself into her section of the forest, Tina makes her way to the stream and lies down with her book. After half an hour, she uses a test strip in the stream, and winces as it reveals dangerous levels of mercury. Quickly filling up the filter bottle, she places another strip in the bottom and waits impatiently for the result.

    With a sigh of relief, she sees it come out at low but safe levels, for human consumption.

    Trying to look like she's just moving for the setting sun, Tina finds her way to the waterfall. Using some stones, she dams off a small section until a trickle is flowing into the pond. With a smile, she wedges the filter bottle under the trickle before reaching inside the pocket the removable padding of her bra goes in, constantly looking up just in case a drone flies over head. From that pocket she removes the test strip from earlier, along with the instruction manual and three unopened test strips. From the other cup she removes the manual for the filter bottle, and a single spare filter. These she places under the leaves of a nearby plant, so they should be hidden from the sky, though the used test strip goes in her pocket.

    It doesn't take long after that to find a similar hidey hole to the one she used last night.

    As she sits there, it takes longer than normal for the sounds of the forest to start up again, and even longer after that before the voices return.

    Tebor softly says, "Balith, keep checking the trees. Roselie, look around and find somewhere we can set up a party. Keep an eye out for that human, I don't know how they snuck up on us last night."

    Tina stifles a giggle as Balith says, "It's not like I told you to be quieter."

    Tebor growls, "I'm going to check the stream, the birds say the human left something there."

    Several minutes later, Tebor comes back, "Everyone, go to cover."

    Tina's heart falls as only the sound of the forest accompanies the rest of the shift.

    Towards the end of the shift, she leaves her hiding place and returns the waterfall to the way she found it, her light enhancing contact lenses allowing her to see well enough. Carefully, she moves her gift to a dry patch of ground under another bush, one that she could only see when she put her head against the forest floor.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • The Atheric Witch - Chapter 1
  • Threadmarks

    • Chapter 1


    Serana looks at the dim cave opening ahead of them doubtfully, "Mother, why are we here?"


    Valerica walks ahead into the cave entrance, "Because your father is mad with power, and I fear what he will do to you now we have two of the Elder Scrolls."


    Serana hurries after her mother, "Mother, that doesn't explain anything."


    "My dear Serana, it explains everything. You're just not willing to see. Now come along, it's not far now."


    Several minutes later they come to a stone sitting room with barred windows and a portcullis over the door, that is controlled by a large lever. The faint sound of running water beneath them tells Serana how it's supposed to work.


    Passing through the portcullis to the balcony beyond, Serana stops and hisses, "Mother, what is that?"


    Laid out below them is a circular amphitheatre with a hexagonal pillar in the centre. The whole thing is lit by a ghostly purple light.


    Valerica takes Serana's hand and pulls her down the stairs to the side, "That is where I'm going to hide you and the elder scroll before I deal with the other scroll and confront your father. Not only have I built this place in secret, but only a Daughter of Coldharbour or a mortal untainted by our blood can open it."


    Serana shakes her head, "I don't want to, what about Devin, Mitchel, or Ruby?"


    Valerica turns around and strokes Serana's cheek, "It will only be for a short while, a year at the most, and then I'll come and release you."


    Serana opens her mouth to say something when Valerica catches her with a paralysis spell before levitating her into the tomb. "My dear Serana, I'm doing this because I love you. The fragment of prophecy your father found calls for the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour, and you are not yet strong enough to defy him if he tries to take it by force."


    As the front of the tomb closes up, Serana futilely struggles against the spell that's holding her in place.


    Once the spell holding her wears off, Serana tries everything she can to get out of the tomb, but the walls of the tomb seem to be far stronger than they should be.


    Eventually, she calls on the magic she's been taught, only to find herself cut off from Atherius leaving her unable to fight off the enchantment woven into the tomb as she succumbs to sleep.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Lily looks down at her son, Harry, as he lies in the centre of the ornate and arcane chalk ritual circle that's drawn where his crib would normally sit.


    "My life for your life, my magic for your magic, my family for your family, my safety for your safety. A curse on those who would steal my life, may what they visit on my child be returned fourfold upon them. For a year and a day may this contract last, and with blood will it be sealed."


    Taking a transfigured athame, Lily pricks her finger, and places a single drop of blood on Harry's lips.


    As she does, almost every iota of magic is wrenched from her body, before it starts drawing from the protections and magical items in and around their home.


    As the ritual comes to an end, Lily stumbles as a wave of exhaustion passes over her. Tiredly she picks up her son and carries him down to the living room.


    "Your father should be out for a few more hours yet, so I think I can have an hour's rest before I put your crib back. I hope what I just did is useless paranoia, and we can raise you as we should. But there's a prophecy, and I'm not taking any chances with your life. But at least you'll have a new daddy if the worst happens."


    A few months later, Lily desperately casts a locking spell on the inside of nursery door before waving her wand at the window. When the window fails to open, she curses and runs over to try and force it open, or smash it if nothing else.


    The sound of the latch on the door, has her turning around in a panic as she abandons her attempt to get through whatever enchantment has been placed on the windows.


    Swallowing hard, she takes two paces in order to stand between Harry's crib and the door, just in time as her locking charm is countered and Voldemort walks in, his wand held casually in his hand.


    "Stand aside and I will spare your life, I'm only here for the child."


    Lily shakes her head, "Never, I will never willingly let you take the life of my child."


    "I will not offer again, stand aside."


    Lily shakes her head defiantly, "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead."


    The last thing she sees is Voldemort contemptuously raise his wand, and a green light shoot out of his wand.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    A few days later, a large man, with a rugby player's build, picks up a toddler and shakes it, "Why won't you just shut up!"


    As he does, the toddler disappears into motes of golden light. The next day, the man is involved in a side on collision, where his car is rolled over, and over the barrier. He survives, but his sporting days are finished as his head and neck were whipped around so severely it damaged the ligaments.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    As magicka starts to flood her tomb, Serena wakes up from her enchanted slumber to the smell of a soiled nappy, and the piercing cry of a toddler desperate for help.


    Lifting her foot to put the mortal baby out of its misery, Serena pauses as her trained senses tell her two things. The first is that the toddler is fair dripping with magicka that seems to be coming from inside it. The second is the artful enchantment surrounding the toddler.


    After much careful moving around, and readjustment of the elder scroll she's been entombed with, Serena manages to pull the toddler up to her arms.


    Wrinkling her nose, Serena pulls the soiled cloth off of the toddler and uses it to clean off the rest of the mess before freezing it with a blast of ice magic.


    Now clean, the toddler giggles lightly, and stops emitting magicka. As they do, the enchantments on the tomb take over once more, and Serena falls into a slumber once more.


    An hour or so later, she's woken up by a squalling toddler as it starts crying again. Once more the toddler is dripping with magicka.


    With the toddler already in her arms, Serena puts her years of teaching in the magical arts to good use and starts to investigate the enchantment surrounding the toddler.


    Once she comes across the curse, Serena startles and holds the toddler far more gently, even gingerly.


    "Well, aren't you a little bundle of surprises. Good thing I didn't kill you, as I dread to think how that would have come back to me. At least the curse is slowly weakening, so I can put you out of your misery soon. But how to keep you alive until then? Well, let's try thraldom first, if that doesn't work then we'll look at turning you."


    Biting her finger with a fang, Serena puts it in the crying toddler's mouth, and smiles as the crying stops almost immediately as they start to suckle on the finger.


    Now able to think clearly, Serena takes the time to inspect the small mortal that could be of Nord, Imperial, or Breton stock. Without the nappy or dirt in the way, it's easy to tell the toddler is male.


    Her investigations are interrupted when the enchantment surrounding the toddler reacts and begins to do something. As she watches, frozen in place from fear of the curse, the toddler's skin lightens, and their eyes start to glow a vibrant green colour. At the same time sharp fangs grow in their mouth, and the genitals recede into the body, leaving only the slit of a girl.


    As the transformation finishes, the new girl giggles and the magicka she's producing falls away once more.


    Serena manages to say "No, don't…" before her mother's enchantments take hold once more.


    Over the next few millennia, the two of them wake sporadically as the toddler's needs slow down along with her aging.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    A young girl of around 4 years old looks up at her mother, "Mama, who am I?"


    Serena looks down at her with a smile, "You are my daughter, Stefana."


    "Why are we here?"


    "My mother shut me in here to keep me safe. You were a gift from the gods, though I wish I could have raised you outside."


    Stefana frowns, "What's outside?"


    Serena uses some of the magicka she's been building up to cast an illusion spell she was forced to invent in order to give Stefana as normal a childhood as she can in a space they can't sit down in. This spell creates a small illusion of the view from her room in the castle, "This is what outside looks like."


    "Why can't we go outside?"


    "Because I don't know how to get past your grandmothers enchantments, and she's stopped me from being able to examine them from inside."


    Stefana just accepts the explanation before asking, "How did you make the picture?"


    "Illusion magic, would you like me to teach you?"


    Stefana nods before she yawns, and the enchantments on the tomb take them both again.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    In a tomb that now looks like a glass prison in the middle of a plain, a young girl of around 5 years old pokes her mother, "Mother, why isn't your skin like my skin?"


    Serena looks down at her daughter and produces an illusion of some people standing nearby, "It's because I'm wearing clothes like those people are. I don't have any clothes that you could wear, but I know some magic that can conjure weapons and armour. Would you like to try learning that now?"


    Stefana nods, "Yes mama."


    Serena creates an illusion of the spell bound dagger, "This is the spell bound dagger, can you show me how good you've got at reading while mummy practices storing magicka?"


    Stefana nods and mutters the incantation to an illusion spell that creates an illusionary hand to hold the book, and turn its pages.


    A few hours later, Serena is able to hold onto her magicka for a couple of minutes after Stefana falls asleep.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Serena wakes up to the odd sensation of lying down on a stone floor. Blinking, she pushes herself to her elbows and looks around to see the landscape is a forest with purple trees, dancing amongst the trees are pink mammoths. Off to one side, an 8 year old Stefana trying to get to her feet, and only succeeding at dragging herself along with her arms.


    "Stefana, what happened?"


    Stefana looks back with a guilty expression, "I don't know mama."


    "Stefana…"


    Stefana shrinks back slightly, "I don't know mama, I just wished there was more space so I could run around like the children you show me."


    Serena sighs, "So, some sort of alteration effect then. Did everything get bigger, or further away?"


    Stefana pushes herself onto her back and points at a tree, "Further away."


    "Right… another thing for us to work out." Standing up, she walks over to Stefana and picks her up under her arms, "But first, I need to teach you how to walk."


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Albus Dumbledore leans forward to look Minister Fudge in the eye, "Minister Fudge, I implore you to allow me to use the goblet of fire. It is the only way to retrieve the boy-who-lived."


    The portly man in his bottle green suit looks at the elderly wizard in disgust, "Headmaster, I appreciate that you want him to be returned, but my hands are tied. The cup is kept by the Department of Mysteries, and they have categorically refused to allow it out of their possession for 'frivolous reasons'. If you approach them with an actual plan, I'm sure they'll be happy to allow you access."


    Albus shakes his head, "I've already explained why I can't do that. The goblet is only a small part of the magic I need to use, and without being able to study the goblet, I can't design the rest of the enchantment that will bring the boy back from wherever he was taken."


    Fudge shakes his head, "I have been told to ask, do you even know if the boy is still alive?"


    Albus nods grudgingly, unwilling to let out even this small amount of information, "I was able to decipher Mrs Potters notes and develop a spell to follow the lingering link from her protections to the boy. Until he comes of age, we will still have that link, which is why it's imperative you let me use the goblet of fire…"


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    As a 14 year old Stefana, now dressed in summoned light armour identical to Serena's, engages in a lethal game of tag with a scamp, Serena sits sightlessly as she tries to find the place that magicka is stored inside her. Something she's been trying to do since she realised that Stefana was actually generating magicka, and has been generating more and more as she's grown up. Her own techniques for gathering and storing magicka are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were when her mother trapped her in this accursed place, but still she relies on external sources of magicka.


    With a wince, she forces herself to remain focused as she finds her Animus. Muttering a prayer to Molag Bol, Serena sharpens her will before shoving it through the barrier between her body and her Animus. The sharp taste of blood fills her mouth as her fangs run through her lips while she stops herself from screaming. This isn't the first time she's tried this, but it is the first time she hasn't passed out from the pain.


    Carefully, she uses one of her magicka gathering techniques on the hole in her Animus to pull out the smallest strand of magicka she possibly can. Even that is excruciatingly painful. Grimly, she brings her awareness back to her body, and watches Stefana play until she exhausts herself. That means that next time they wake, it will be an intellectual day.


    While her daughter's ability with magic is still only at the high end for an apprentice, her nearly inexhaustible supply of magicka makes up for that.


    Once Stefana falls asleep, the magicka level in the tomb quickly starts to drop. Far faster than it did when Serena was first imprisoned here.


    Before the enchantments start to drain her own reserves, Serena pushes herself to her feet and staggers over to Stefana. With a pained grunt, she picks up her daughter and walks over to the centre of the tomb.


    While she's waiting, first the illusion vanishes as the magicka is sucked out of it. Then the walls close in around the two of them, until they are pressed tightly together. Finally, Serena's reserves are wrenched from her body.


    As the enchantment finds the small trickle of magicka being teased out of her Animus, Serena lifts her dagger to her mouth and bites down on the hilt.


    A moment later, it's everything she can do not to scream and wake up Stefana as the trickle is forced into a stream. A few moments later, the enchantment mercifully takes her consciousness.


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Stefana looks up sharply as Serena's eyes flicker open moments after her own did. The sigh of relief that follows fills her face with concern.


    "Mama, are you ok?"


    Serena looks down at her daughter, "I am my little star, my experiment worked."


    "What experiment… Mama! You promised me you weren't going to do that again."


    Serena smiles and casts the alteration spell they invented to expand the tomb, "I promised that I wouldn't hurt myself unnecessarily." As the expansion of the room starts to slow as her magicka reserves run low, it doesn't actually stop for another 10 seconds, "I happen to think that being able to keep up with my daughter is a perfectly necessary reason for causing myself pain. I'm also going to do it at least once more, because I love you, and I'm not going to leave you in a situation where mages will be hunting only you in order to find out how you regenerate magicka so fast. Now, do you remember the spell to see other people's Animus?"


    Stefana nods, "Detect life. I don't know why it's called that though, as it also works on undead and Daedra."


    Serena smiles, "As I've told you before, it's because it was invented by the living, and they don't tend to come into contact with the undead or Daedra, while they are around lots of life."


    Stefana scrunches her nose, "What about us? Are we undead?"


    Serena gives her daughter a hug, "Honestly, I don't know. Your grandmother would be the one to ask, before we bend her over a barrel and tan her hide for leaving us here like this. Now, I'm going to teach you a variant of the detect life spell that I invented. It will allow you to project an illusion of a target's Animus…"


    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​


    Albus stands up at the end of the welcome feast ready to make the announcements. The most important of which has taken him three years of politicking and suggestions to arrange without letting the government know it was his idea.


    "…it is my great pleasure to announce that this year Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament…"


    As the door slams open, Albus hides a grimace as the compromise makes himself known. Under normal circumstances, he'd be happy to have retired auror Moody teaching defence. But this year he's also here to keep an eye on the goblet.


    "…a round of applause for our new Defense of the Dark arts teacher. As I was saying, the other schools will be arriving in October, with the choosing ceremony happening on Halloween."


    A 4th year Ravenclaw girl groans, "We're doomed."


    Albus ignores that comment as he continues with an outline of the tournament.


    Molag Bal [EM1]
     
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    • The Aetheric Witch - Chapter 2
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    • Chapter 2



    The sound of grinding stone echoing through the tomb is all the warning that Serena and Stefana have before the spells expanding the space, and providing the illusion of life, snap as the tomb opens.

    In a crumpled pile on the floor, the two of them look up at a Khajiiti with grey fur and wearing skimpy dark armour.

    Before Serena can say anything, Stefana says, "Mama, is that a cat man?"

    Serena looks aghast, "Stefana, what have I told you about that sort of question?"

    The Khajiiti steps back, "This one is not a cat man. This one is a Khajiiti, and female."

    Stefana scrambles to her feet, "Sorry mama, sorry Khajiiti, but I've never met anyone else before you. Did you know you smell really nice."

    Serena gets to her feet, "Stefana! You do not say that sort of thing to mortals. I'm so sorry, I had to raise her on my own in there. Who sent you here?"

    The Khajiiti looks at them both curiously, "Who were you expecting?"

    "I guess I was expecting someone like me, at least."

    "What do you mean 'like you'?"

    Stefana goes to speak, but Serena firmly says, "Stefana!" before looking back at the Khajiiti, "Can't you tell just from looking at me? A vampire."

    The Khajiiti nods thoughtfully, "Why were you locked away like this?"

    Serena looks warningly at Stefana, "That's… complicated. And I'm not totally sure if we can trust you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family's home."

    As Stefana's conjured clothing chooses that moment to expire, the Khajiiti swallows whatever they were about to say. Instead, they curiously as, "What spell was that?"

    Serena puts her hands on her hips, "That bit about trust… That applies to that too. Stefana, you know what to do."

    Stefana looks down, "Yes mama. But I didn't have to before."

    "Yes you did, but I let you get away with not doing it. It's more important now, because we're going to be around people, and the sun. And you don't want to get sunburned."

    The Khajiiti looks impressed as a sphere of dark purple magic surrounds Stefana, and then she appears dressed in identical clothes to Serena's. Making a decision, the Khajiiti asks, "Where do you need to go?"

    Serena nods, "My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way… My name is Serena, and this is my daughter Stefana. Good to meet you."

    The Khajiiti nods, "A'Krilla, and likewise. If you're both vampires, do I need to watch my neck?"

    Serena shakes her head, "Stefana has never tasted blood, and I don't want her hunting until we've been home, and I've taught her how to not kill her prey."

    A'Krilla nods, "This one has been to many places around Solitude. Have map, will show you."

    As A'Krilla unfolds her map, Stefana looks at it curiously before glancing at Serena, "Can I feel the map please?"

    A'Krilla carefully hands the map over, only for her tail to stiffen in surprise as the young woman does exactly that. She closes her eyes and runs her fingers over the parchment and ink. Squeezes it between her fingers, and even tastes it.

    Eventually, the map is returned, and Serena is able to look at it.

    "Much has changed since I was sealed away. Dawnstar was merely a village supporting an imperial fort, and this college at Winterhold didn't exist. Neither did this fort here. Northwatch keep. But that's very close to where the jetty was."

    A'Krilla nods, "I've been there, so I know the safe roads to use until we get close."

    The sound of a splash catches both of their attention, and Serena sighs, "Stefana, what did you do!?"

    When there's no answer, she gets up and walks in the direction of the splash. Looking over the edge of the rocky island her prison was built on, Serena sighs before firing out a water walking spell at her struggling daughter.

    As Stefana bobs to the surface, Serena calls down, "And what have we just learnt?"

    Stefana looks up, "I can't swim?"

    Serena pinches her nose, "Close enough. Go and find somewhere to climb out."

    A'Krilla's ears lay back on her head, "She is like a young child that has never seen the dangers of the world."

    Serena nods, "I raised her to the best of my ability, but there's so much that you can only learn through experience."

    "What was that spell you used?"

    Serena looks surprised, "What, water walking?"

    A'Krilla nods, "Yes. This one would like to learn that spell."

    Serena's eyes narrow, "Maybe once we know each other better…" She trails off as the sounds of spell fire and combat echo across the cavern.

    The two of them spin around and start to run in the direction of the battle, a location that is easy to spot due to the massive Frost Atronach that's fighting a gargoyle. Aside from that fight, the two of them can see Stefana running with a healing spell glowing brightly on one hand, and firing off the occasional ice spear behind her, as she plays keep away with a second gargoyle.

    A'Krilla immediately ducks down behind a pillar and draws her bow while Serena runs in to help her daughter. Seconds later, the gargoyle chasing Stefana falls dead, with an arrow through its throat.

    Moments later, the second gargoyle dies similarly.

    As the Atronach comes to a standstill, Stefana runs over to A'Krilla.

    "How did you do that? That was brilliant. I saw a door at the top of the hill over there."

    A'Krilla nods absently, before drawing another arrow and looking back towards the entrance. "The way this one came in is now blocked. That door is probably the way out."

    Stefana intelligently says, "Huh?" while she mentally parses the sentence, then looks in that direction. "You can see that from here? That is so brilliant. Mama, how does she do that?"

    Serena shakes her head, "I have no idea, but maybe we should leave the theory until we've got out of this cave."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════

    ​
    Serena grabs hold of Stefana as the three of them carefully make their way through the large door on the other side of the cavern, with A'Krilla taking the lead.

    Their progress is going smoothly, until they come across a large arena with the skeletal remains of the leader and some of their followers.

    A'Krilla creeps forward until she can see over the lip of the platform they've walked out onto. Her keen eyes are easily able to pick out the supine forms of the inactive skeletons in the flickering light of the magical braziers that surround the pit.

    Drawing her bow, she sights at the skeleton sitting on a throne and silently lets loose an arrow. Once the arrow hits home, she curses under her breath as the skeleton grabs the weapon beside it and stands up. When it looks around in confusion, A'Krilla lets out a sigh of relief.

    The distinctive sound of conjuration behind her is shortly followed by all of the skeletons looking straight up at them.

    A second arrow clatters to the floor near the lead skeleton, followed by Stefana complaining, "Damn it, why did it move?"

    With their location now completely given away, A'Krilla swiftly puts her bow away, before starting to cast a spell she recently created at the Atronach Forge in the college of Winterhold.

    Somewhat alarmingly, Stefana sees her conjuring something, and starts two different conjuration spells at the same time. As she's doing that Serena starts throwing ice bolts down into the arena, towards the oncoming skeletons.

    A'Krilla almost fumbles her spell when Stefana finishes summoning a frost Atronach and a full suit of Daedric armour, a shield, and a dagger. Once she's finished summoning the golden warrior, Staada, A'Krilla pulls out her own sword and joins the melee.

    After a short and brutal battle, A'Krilla puts her hands on her hips as she turns to the two vampires, "What was that?"

    Stefana shakes her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say anything."

    A'Krilla shakes her head, "You are young, so that is to be expected. I meant conjuring both an Atronach and that armour, or how your mother just kept shooting ice spears. I may only be a neophyte in the mages guild, but even I know that magicka doesn't regenerate that fast, even for the masters."

    Serena shakes her head, "When I last walked free, there were rumours of a mages guild being set up to the south. But even then we knew what magicka was. Tell me, neophyte, what is magicka?"

    A'Krilla sighs theatrically, "Magicka is the divine power that leaks through the sun and the stars from Atherius."

    Serena nods, "And what is another source of magicka?"

    A'Krilla shakes her head, "I don't know, soul gems?"

    Serena tips her hand from side to side, "Close, souls themselves. Now I think that is enough for you to ponder until we get somewhere more hospitable."

    "But how do you get round the density paradox?"

    Stefana jumps up and down excitedly, "Can I tell her?"

    Serena shakes her head, "What have I told you about knowledge and power?"

    Stefana sighs, "Knowledge is power, so never give away knowledge about yourself unless you want to give up power over yourself. But she seems nice, and I've never been able to talk to anyone else before."

    Serena pulls Stefana into a hug, "I know, and I wish I could have prepared you better. But we have an eternity to get it right."

    While the vampires are having a moment, A'Krilla carefully makes her way down the tiers towards the arena pit, just in case there's any enemies that weren't involved in the fight. As she gets closer to the throne, a faint murmuring becomes audible. Fatalistically, she looks up towards the noise, and spots the curved draconic word wall at the top of the arena.

    Reluctantly, she changes direction and slowly ascends the stairs, drawn by the growing sounds of the wall. As she steps into the curve, one of the words starts to glow and the sound of the voices becomes so loud it almost drives her to her knees. Then the pick axe to the head feeling begins, as the full meaning of the word, and how it relates to the world, is forced into her head.

    Vaguely, she's aware of a popping sound behind her, and someone calling her name.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════

    ​
    Stefana appears next to A'Krilla with a pop. Speaking almost too rapidly to be understood she says, "A'Krilla. A'Krilla! Please don't be dying, you're the first person I've ever met that isn't mama."

    A'Krilla staggers slightly as the word wall finally lets go, only to be caught by Stefana.

    "A'Krilla, are you alright? Say something please? Mama, mama, something's wrong with A'Krilla."

    Stefana turns around and starts running back towards Serena.

    As the last of the fuzziness from the wall fades, A'Krilla groans, "Little one, why are you carrying this one?"

    "I thought you might be dying, as you were staring at those words and then collapsed. Mama, can you check A'Krilla is still alive please?"

    Serena laughs, "Oh my little star, never change. Never change. A'Krilla is fine. Though I am curious why she was looking at a word wall."

    Stefana smiles brightly, and unceremoniously drops A'Krilla before turning around and skipping back to the wall.

    A'Krilla turns over and rubs her tail as she stands up. In a voice loaded with resentment she says, "I'm dragonborn, and I have to save the world."

    Stefana stops mid skip, before running back towards Serena, "Mama, mama, you've got to help. You promised to show me the world, and we can't do that if it's destroyed."

    Serena looks down at her daughter's pleading eyes, "Yes Stefana, I'll help A'Krilla stop the world from being destroyed by dragons. But you have to remember, we have to stop grandpapa from destroying the world too."

    As A'Krilla's ears perk forward, Stefana nods seriously, "Yes mama."

    Serena looks up at A'Krilla and spots the ears before shuffling her elder scroll around, "Forget I said that."

    A'Krilla hisses. "This one won't forget that. This one likes living, and can only live if the world isn't destroyed."

    Serena casts a spell, before nodding, "I cannot detect any other creatures with an Animus near here, so we should be good to go."

    "What about undead?"

    "This spell detects those too."

    A'Krilla's ears lay back as she frowns, "They are not alive though."

    Serena puts her hands on her hips, "A'Krilla, you are neither my daughter, or my apprentice, and until one of those facts changes you will keep your questions about magic to yourself, or your guild."

    With that said, she starts to climb towards the large doors near the word wall, while calling, "Stefana, we're leaving."

    Stefana comes running up while holding something, "Yes mama. Mama, is this a book?"

    Serena looks down at the fungus filled mass that used to be a book, "Not anymore it isn't. But it used to be. Now you should dispose of it properly, because the fungus that's growing there can be deadly to mortals."

    Stefana nods, before dropping the book to the floor and shooting flames out of her hand until the book is only a pile of dust on the floor, "I'm going to dispose of the other books before the affect A'Krilla."

    Serena sighs as Stefana runs to one side of the room, before a plume of fire engulfs an ancient bookshelf.

    Eventually, the three of them make their way to the exit, with Stefana running backwards and forwards as she investigates everything.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════

    ​
    Stefana runs back into the cave and latches onto Serena. Sobbing she chokes out, "Mama, mama, it doesn't end."

    Serena strokes her daughter's hair, "What doesn't end honey?"

    Stefana points behind her, "The outside. I can't feel the end of it."

    "I know honey, but that's what the outside is. It's the entire world and sky. Just like I showed you."

    "But mama, the end was always there. There's no end up there!"

    A'Krilla crouches down beside Stefana, "Stefana, this one owns a farm outside, she also has two adopted children that play outside. Would you like to meet them?"

    Stefana nods, "Uh huh."

    "Then you will have to be very brave, and come outside with us."

    Serena hisses, "What are you doing?"

    A'Krilla lays her ears back, "Giving both of you a chance to get used to the world again, before you do whatever you're going to do."

    "Fine! But no tricks."

    A'Krilla shakes her head, "No tricks."
     
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