Interesting Times

Chapter Six

Kiyemon was traveling through to the Great Hall when a swift, sudden pain assailed her. She stumbled, feet giving way beneath her as psychic shockwaves rippled across the space/time continuum.

Kayura. She recognized the source of the emanations almost immediately, struck by the raw echoes of pain following them. Something had happened to Kayura. Kiyemon swiftly rose to her feet. She had to hurry. She had to…do absolutely nothing.

Her sudden sprint was halted by the thought. Do nothing. To never interfere with the mortal world. Those were her standing orders. Orders she had broken several times already. There would be consequences for it. She could not to interfere no matter what the cause. But Kayura…

She clenched her fist. No, not even for Kayura could she interfere. Whatever had happened, the Troopers and the Masho would have to get themselves out of it. She had sent them the Slayer as an ally and though no one had commented on it yet she felt certain that the other two knew. Their silence made her uneasy as she waited for (what was the human expression for it?) … the other shoe to drop.

I’m sorry, Kayura. Sorrier than you’ll ever know but you’re on your own.

***

Willow gripped the door handle of the car with one hand and with her other hand held Chibi Shin tightly as Nasuti screeched around the corner. Up ahead was a large mansion, matching Buffy’s somewhat fractured description of where she was staying.

Beside her the Slayer was tense, eyes warily searching the grounds through the car window. No one said a word as they drew closer to the house, not even the two children. The tension levels in the car had risen to an almost unbearable point. More than anything else, Willow just wanted to get there and find out what was going on. If something was going to happen then she wanted it over with.

Casting a glance behind them, Willow found the jeep occupied by Nasuti’s other three friends plus the other three Chibi Troopers was right on their tail. No doubt the other Masho, as Nasuti had called them, had gotten the same yucky jolt Anubis had. And judging from Anubis’ reaction, it was a wonder they were able to drive at all. Of course, Willow reflected with a wince as the car jerked to a sudden halt, it couldn’t be any worse than the wild ride they’d just endured. The last time she’d ridden in a car going that fast had been back during the whole band candy fiasco. Thank God Nasuti was a better driver than Buffy had been.

Buffy and Nasuti, followed by Anubis, were out of the car quicker than Willow could unbuckle her safety belt. She paused long enough to unbuckle the children and help them out before making very fast strides toward the house. Both Giles and the Chibi Troopers were on her heels and behind her she could hear the sounds of the other car pulling up.

The house was deceptively calm as she hurried inside. She got a brief impression of an elegantly simple decorated den before rushing up the stairs behind Nasuti. By the time she reached the top step, her heart was pounding in her ears in trepidation. She didn’t know what they were about to find, she just knew that it was not going to be pretty.

"Kayura?" Nasuti was calling, "Kayura, where are you?"

Nasuti’s voice shook, but compared to the harsh, panicked strain in Anubis’ voice, she sounded positively composed. "Kayura-sama!"

Behind her, Willow heard excited childish voices and the thumping of little feet. The thought that maybe the Chibi Troopers should be held back briefly crossed her mind, but it was banished again as Buffy and Anubis suddenly ducked into one of the rooms. A little more cautiously, Willow edged towards then into the room. She heard Nasuti gasp in horror.

Then Willow saw it.

If skin could turn gelatinous and still look like human skin then this was what it would look like. Pale ivory skin stretched thin in several directions and to her horror, Willow noticed an arm sticking out of the mass of throbbing skin. The arm was darker than that of the substance engulfing most of it. It hung limply, not even the slightest twitch from its long elegant fingers. Her eyes followed the curve of the arm upward and then she openly gagged, pressing her fist into her mouth in an attempt to avoid being ill.

It was a face, a human face. Most of the head was covered in pale, vein-dotted skin that oozed and rolled, always threatening to swallow it whole, but never quite succeeding. It was a young face, probably not that much older than her or Buffy, the gentle curve of the features making it almost certainly female. The cast of her features was so calm, so composed that she looked like she was sleeping, not being devoured by some monster. Sleeping… Willow’s eyes widened. Oh, my God, she thought faintly. "Buffy-"

"I know," the Slayer bit off. She circled the gooey mass, eyes searching for an opening.

Beside her, Willow heard Giles mutter a strangled curse before announcing, "It’s a Chaos demon. Has to be."

"But I thought-" Willow trailed off uncertainly. That thing didn’t match the description Spike had given her so long ago.

"Not that type of Chaos demon," Giles replied, apparently realizing what she wanted to ask.

"There’s more than one type?" Buffy demanded.

"Oh, yes. There are literally thousands of different Chaos demons, each with it’s own particular quirk," Giles was clearly warming to his subject, " I remember reading about one that-"

"Giles, focus!"

"Yes, of course. Sorry," the former Watcher replied apologetically.

"Enough talk," Anubis snarled. "We have to free her. Now."

He started to make a move towards the creature when Giles snapped, "No, you fool. Stay back. You might get pulled in as well and where would that leave us."

Anubis wrenched his arm free, shooting Giles a nasty glare. Still, he didn’t move any closer.

Now what, she wondered. We can’t just stand here and watch this-this thing devour her. There has to be something we can do.

‘The staff…’

Willow blinked. What was that? She wondered. It sounded like someone had said something, only…only the voice was unfamiliar.

Willow rubbed her right ear, glancing around the room. Everyone else was focused on the Chaos demon. Over Buffy’s shoulder she could see a staff lying on the desk in the corner of the room. She edged around Nasuti and one of the other Masho; they barely spared her a glance. Stopping in front of the table, she stared down at the staff lying across it. It was taller than she was, with an elaborate golden headdress and rings around it. And though she had yet to touch it, Willow could sense a powerful aura surrounding it. She hesitated.

Then something brushed her mind. Her body erupted into thousand chill bumps and suddenly it was all she could do to keep warm. Oh, boy, Willow thought, recognizing all too well what was happening. Someone was trying to tell her something, only the E.T. trying to phone home wasn’t …well, among the living anymore.

‘Spellcaster…’

‘Who are you?’ she sent the thought back out warily. In her experience, traffic with ghosts was often tiresome, more often than not, dangerous if the spirit decided to try something other than simple communication. And the last thing she needed now was to try to fend off a ghostly attacker.

Relief colored the response she received. ‘A friend.’

‘Whose friend?’

Something akin to a chuckle touched her thoughts. ‘So suspicious, but perhaps you are right to be. In answer to your question, I am Kayura’s and the Troopers’ friend. And I am yours.’

‘Why are you here?’

‘To help. Kayura must not die. It is too soon. There is too much left undone.’

Willow nodded. It made sense from what little she had been able to glean about Kayura on the car ride over which admittedly wasn’t much more than the fact that Anubis and the other Masho were willing to die for her. But…but what if this were nothing more than a trick, something to draw another unsuspecting person in and destroy them. She wanted to believe the spirit; she could feel the sincerity and concern radiating from it, but she had to be sure.

‘You said you’re a friend. Do you have a name?’

Silence. Moments ticked by before she tried again, ‘Please, I have to be sure. Who are you?’

A feeling akin to a heavy sigh sounded in the corners of her mind. ‘Shuten. I was-am called Shuten.’

Shuten. She rolled the name around in her head. It had a nice ring to it. Or maybe she was just so desperately hoping that he could help, that it just seemed to have a ring of any sort to her. ‘Just a second. I have to get confirmation here.’ Then as an afterthought she added, ‘Sorry.’

‘Please hurry, Spellcaster. Kayura’s life is slipping away every passing second.’

Willow nodded, making a mental note to herself to ask Shuten how he knew she was a witch when they got a free moment. If they got a free moment.

"Um, Nasuti?" she began uncertainly. How exactly was she supposed to handle this and not have them think she was nuts? Then again, considering everything else that had happened, she supposed it might not seem so far out. Maybe. And if worse came to worse, Buffy would back her. So even if they didn’t believe her, they’d believe Buffy, right? Right.

"Yes?" Nasuti said obviously distracted.

"Do you know someone named Shuten?"

Now she had the attention of Nasuti, the Masho, and the Chibi Troopers who were hovering at the door. "Shuten? But how-"

"How do you know Shuten?" Naaza demanded.

Willow felt a slight flush rising in her face. "Cause he’s talking to me right now."

Profound silence greeted this comment. Buffy and Giles were staring at her, questioning expressions plain on their faces. Naaza and Rajura were openly gaping at her and Nasuti was smiling uncertainly as if she hadn’t heard right and Anubis… Willow took an involuntary step back at his expression.

"What game are you playing?" he demanded.

"I’m not playing any game!" She replied indignantly. "I’m telling the truth."

"That’s impossible," Anubis scoffed, "Shuten is dead."

"Yes," Willow offered helpfully, "Sorry."

His face darkened perceptibly, but Buffy spoke up before he had a chance to. "I take it you’re getting an illicit communication of some kind, Will?"

"Just a minute," she snapped aloud at him, then turned sheepishly to answer Buffy. "Yeah, you could say that although a little less on the illicit side and a little more on the pushy side. He wants me to help him."

Buffy nodded, then swung around to face Nasuti. "Can she trust him?"

"Umm…" Nasuti looked a bit nonplussed still.

"Can she trust him or not?"

"If it is Shuten, then yes…"

There was her answer. Willow reached down and gingerly closed her hands over the staff.

There was a soft humming as the staff came to life, a warm glow emanating down the headrest through the stick and into her. She felt…warm, as if it were possible to bathe in the purest form of light and survive it. It was heady and dizzying…

"Will?" She jolted as a hand touched her shoulder. The sensation of warmth abated, but did not fleed. Willow found herself looking into a pair of concerned blue eyes.

"I’m okay," Willow assured her friend. Then she squared her shoulders, lifting her chin.

‘Okay, Shuten. What am I supposed to do?’

‘Use the staff to separate them,’ he instructed her.

Silence. Willow stifled a groan. What perfect timing. Just when she really needed him, he shut up. Biting her lip, she approached the throbbing mass of skin. She grimaced. If anything, things had gotten worse in the last few minutes. Kayura was almost completely submerged.

The only visible bit of her was her nose and the immediate area surrounding her eyes. She can’t even scream if she wanted to, Willow thought bleakly, her heart clenching.

How am I supposed to do this? She wondered. She looked around the room, hoping for a clue, a sign, or anything. The others stared back at her, their faces full of fear and concern.

‘Please,’ she thought. Willow thought of all the gods and goddesses she’d called on in the past during her work. Would invoking one of them work? Could it even hurt?

"Gentle Persephone," she began, her voice shaking, "Goddess of Life and Death, to you I give all deference and honor. Hear my plea and guide my hand."

The staff gave a muted glow. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Lifting her arms, she raised the staff so that the pointed end lay just to the side of where Kayura’s head was (and would have been). She closed her eyes for a moment and prayed hard. Prayed that what she was about to do would work and that Kayura would live through this. She was afraid, more afraid than she had been a very long time. She wanted someone else to do this, she didn’t want to be the one responsible if Kayura were to… Oh, God, I’m not sure I can do this, she thought, insides churning. ‘Shuten, please… Help me.’

The staff flared to life and Willow felt a comforting presence settle around her. It was even more immediate than the warmth of the staff. She felt a gentle spirit surround her, one that understood her fears and sought to reassure her through his presence. Her breathing slowed and she brought the staff down to bear on the demon before her.

There was a hideous shriek and a loud whushing as the roll of flesh tore and imploded. Clear fluid spilled out over the floor and over Willow’s shoes, but the witch didn’t care. She was too busy kneeling down beside Kayura’s prone form, which had spilled out along with the water. Reaching for her wrist, Willow was reassured by the thready heartbeat she felt. She was alive. Willow hadn’t killed her. The spellcaster set back on her haunches as the others crowded around.

"Thank you, Shuten," she whispered. She felt a soft touch of acknowledgement against her mind.

"You interfering bitch!" snarled the somewhat ragged remains of the Chaos demon. It was attempting to re-form and at the moment, very much resembled lumpy candle wax. "Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?!"

Then it shot out towards her. Without thinking, Willow held the staff in front of her, shutting her eyes.

That sensation of burning warmth returned, only this time it was focusing outward instead of inward. Golden light spilled forth from the headrest of the staff, bathing the room. As it caught the Chaos demon, puffs of smoke started rising from the creature’s flesh. The demon shrieked, flailing from side to side, trying to escape the relentless onslaught of holy fire. The smoke rose then exploded into flames. The demon lurched forward and threw itself out the window. Before it even hit the ground, it exploded yet again, this time into a pile of smoking ash.

***End of Chapter Six