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Buffy Summers

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  I'd been walking from one room of the empty gas station to the next, planning to have a little chat with Gregor when the flash came.  I finished the step I'd taken on what felt like dirt and fell into a battle stance, peering into the darkness that had fallen after the flash faded.  As soon as my eyes adjusted I groaned.  "What the hell is it now?"  I whined.  Looking around, all I could see was dark forest. "Willow?  Dawnie?"  I called, but no one answered.

  Looking up through the tops of the trees I caught a faint glimmer that let me know that it was daylight still, but you'd never know it down on the ground.  I sighed and relaxed a bit when nothing attacked me and started to consider my options.  I needed to get back to the others.  Dawn was in danger, Giles was wounded... With those Knights closing in I didn't have time for a nature hike. 

  "Okay, Slayer, think."  I ordered myself and turned around again.  "I need to see where I am."  With that plan I began looking for a suitable tree to climb.  I'd spotted one and started toward it when I heard the first sound.  A slithering in the trees around me.  I tensed and raised my eyes to the dark above me.  "Oh ew."  I launched myself into a forward somersault, just barely dodging the first of the giant spiders to pounce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow Rosenberg

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  "I swear I didn't do it!"  I yelled automatically, ducking and covering my head as the energy burst I'd sensed coming culminated in a bright flash.  The first thing I noticed after that was the lack of drain on my energy stores that indicated that my shielding spell was gone.  I looked up, terrified that burning arrows would start coming through the walls again. 

  That was probably the last thing I needed to worry about just then.  All I could see just then was an older man with fair skin and dark eyes staring at me.  "Um...hi?"  I ventured.  The man instantly shot out of the large wooden chair he'd been sitting in and in a quick flurry of motion there was a sword in his hand, the point at my throat.  "Woah!  Hey!  I come in peace!"  I stammered, hands up as I backed away.  I bumped into a table and stopped. 

  He glared at me, his eyes cold and quickly calculating as he took in my appearance, which probably wasn't all that good.  My clothes were ragged and I knew that Giles' blood was covering my hands and front from when I'd tried to stop the bleeding.  "Fell beast!  How came you here?!"  He demanded in a voice that just plain scared me. 

  "I-I don't know!  Who are you?!  W-where is this?"  Something occurred to me and I looked around the room frantically.  "Oh God, Tara?!  Where's Tara?!"  The room was empty of any other people, merely filled with the immense desk I was backed against, a few plushly cushioned chairs and a pedestal with a white cloth covering the object that rested on top of it. 

  "Tell me your name!"  The man demanded.  "Tell me how you came here!" 

  "I-I'm Willow!  Willow Rosenberg."  I told him, mentally trying to remember a suitable spell to deflect him if he attacked.  "I don't know how I got here...I was doing a spell!  A shield spell and the stupid cleric-guys were trying to get through to kill us and I was trying to make the shield stronger to keep them out and I have to get back!  They need protection!"  I babbled at him, horrified at the thought of leaving the others alone in danger.  "I don't even know where I am, how'm I going to get back?!"

  Apparently I didn't look like much of a threat to the guy, half-hysterical as I was.  His sword came down and he sheathed it slowly, studying me all the while with a speculating look in his eye that sent shivers down my spine.  "Calm yourself, woman."  He rumbled absently, still deep in thought.  I tried to stop hyperventilating.  After a moment he turned his focus from his thoughts to the present.  "I am Denethor, Son of Ecthelion, Steward of Gondor.  You have violated my private sanctum with your spell.  I can not allow you to go beyond these walls. If you are a spy for the Dark Lord then I will turn your knowledge to the aid of Gondor."  He stated with finality.  I just kind of blinked at his mission statement. 

  "What's Gondor?"  It sounded familiar in a back-of-my-mind-in-the-vault-of-useless-tidbits-I've-forgotten-to-forget kind of way.  He stared at me in disbelief.  I registered a more disturbing portion of his speech.  "Dark Lord?  There's a Dark Lord?"  I squeaked.

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Dawn Summers

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  "Okay, who was flashing?  Why was there flashing?"  I called a little tremulously.  No one answered.  I waited impatiently for my eyes to adjust to the heavy gloom around me.  When I could finally make out the wooden walls around me, I squeaked in surprise at the man that I hadn't seen before. 

  He was pale.  I noticed that right off.  Like, vampire pale.  And he was greasy in a most disgusting way, his lank black hair falling over his shoulders.  He was clad completely in what looked like black velvet robes that went out of style like a zillion years ago.  As I stared at him, I realized that he was staring back with the most disturbing grin on his face.  He reminded me again of a vampire, about to pounce on his prey.  "Buffy?"  I whispered, starting to back away.  Where was Buffy?  Where was everyone?  Where was I? 

  "Welcome to Edoras." The vamp-man hissed, his voice smooth and slippery, bringing a mental image of a snake to mind.  I shuddered and considered screaming.  I didn't have to.  A second later a door that had seemed invisible amongst the grain in the wood behind him banged open, flooding the room with bright light.  I squinted at the doorway, able to distinguish a feminine silhouette.  I smiled, relieved.  It had to be Buffy.

  "I heard that you'd closeted yourself with a 'guest', Gríma.  I had hoped to show this 'guest' the courtesy of the Great Hall."  The voice was not Buffy's but it comforted me all the same.  Whoever this woman was, she obviously cared nothing for the man in black.  She stepped into the room and skirted him at a careful distance before coming to me.  I immediately liked her. 

  She was beautiful.  Tall and slim, dressed in a beautiful white gown with silver trim.  Her skin was porcelain white and her long hair shined gold like the sun.  Gorgeous.  But thats not what made me like her.  It was something else.  It was the way she carried herself.  I recognized it from all those years dealing with Buffy.  This woman was a warrior and I wondered if she could possibly be a slayer. 

  The woman took my hands in her strong grip and smiled reassuringly at me.  "Come,"  She said with a tug.  She spirited me out of the room passed the glowering snake vamp guy and into the brightly lit hall.  "I know not how you came to be in Wormtongue's claws, but I shall keep you free of him now."  She promised grimly as she led me down the corridor.  I blinked owlishly at her.  Something was sounding quite familiar.  Wormtongue?  Like in Lord of the Rings?  "What are you called, strangely dressed one?"  She asked with a curious smile. 

  "Uh, I'm Dawn Summers."  I managed.  Was I unconscious?  Were we attacked when I wasn't paying attention and now I'm unconscious on the floor of that nasty gas station?  I hoped not.  That floor had been disgusting.

  She smiled cheerfully but I saw a flash of pain in her eyes before they turned to our route.  I sighed.  This chick was definitely a Buffy clone, complete with angst.  "I am Éowyn." She said simply.  I blinked at her.  Yup....I was bleeding on the floor in that damned gas station and having really weird Lord of the Rings dreams. 

  I followed along obediently and wondered if I'd get to see any pretty elf men.

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Anya Jenkins

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  Okay, I knew what it felt like to change dimensions and even universes and I recognized the bright flash for what it was, but I did not expect this.  I looked around, frustrated.  "Why are all of you so short?"  I asked a midget that raced by.  Dozens of the short people with furry feet were staring at me fearfully.  I took a moment to enjoy the fear in a nostalgic kind of way, then started to get frustrated.  "Hello?  Will someone talk to me now?"  I looked hopefully at a face that peered out of a little round window in the hillside.  The shutters on the window slammed shut and I sighed.

  "Fetch the Shirrif!"  A few voices started to demand.  I stood, hands on hips, while the little things scrambled.  I didn't know what a shirrif was so I hoped that it was a helpful warlock that'd send me back to the others.  Although why I wanted to get back to the mortal peril was beyond me.

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Tara Maclay

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  I woke in utter darkness.  Not a light anywhere and I spent a moment trying to remember the last thing that happened to me.  I remembered Glory, and the feeling of hard plaster on my arm confirmed my memory of pain.  I continued the thought, trying to calm down enough that my frightened panting stopped roaring in the silence.  I remembered confusion...the feeling of being trapped in a dark room. 

  I was still in a dark room now, but something was different.  I could think, and process the sensations I was receiving.  For instance, I was sitting on cold, damp rock.  It was chilly and damp everywhere and there was an echoing quality to any sound I made.  So I was in a cave.  I started to panic but a part of me refused to lose control.  I recognized the same calm power as my center from all my years of casting.  But my center felt different somehow, more sturdy, and I could sense that I had a lot more power in reserve than I'd ever felt before.  And there was something else.  A whisper of knowledge that floated through my mind that told me that caves were not always the terrifying dark places that they were seen as.  In my mind's eye I saw a glimmer of a memory: another cave, this one beautiful and well-lit with carvings of scenes of peace and silver fountains that gleamed in the bright light. 

  The vision calmed me and I took a deep steadying breath.  This enabled me to think more clearly and I took the opportunity to drop to the ground, legs crossed.  I closed my eyes against the darkness and started to bring up the words to a spell to bring light.  I would get out of there and I would find my Willow and the others.  I focused on my mental image of Willow to try and calm myself further, but grew confused when her face shifted to one of a man, fine-featured and beautiful with oddly pointed ears.  I blinked and sat in the dark, puzzled, because somehow I recognized that face as Willow's.  I took another calming breath and tried to focus again.  I would figure out the weirdness in my head after I shed a little light on my present situation.

  Very softly, I began to chant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike

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  "What who in the huh?!"  I demanded, then ducked and frantically pulled my duster over my head.  It took a moment to register the lack of burning or the sound of laughter, light and musical as bells that accompanied the sunlight I just tried to hide from.

  "Are you finished?"  The laugher's light tones inquired from a couple feet away.  I peeked out from under my duster and confirmed that the sun liked me.  I stood up and dusted myself off and smoothed my hair back. It was a little late for dignity but it didn't hurt to try.

  "Well isn't this a bloody marvel."  I commented, wiggling my non-flamey fingers in front of my face. 

  "You may find that Arien smiles upon those who may be heroes."  The voice spoke again.  I turned my attention to her, suddenly registering a sense of power so strong I thought my teeth'd vibrate.  She was beauty and power personified.  Strikingly bright eyes, beautiful and mysterious with points of light like a starfield studied me in return as I looked my fill.  She had the most luminous, fair skin, long golden hair, graceful limbs and a regal bearing that gave me no doubt as too who was in charge.  Dainty pointed ears peeked from her elaborately braided hair hinting at her less than human nature.  That and she was glowing.  Like a bloody light-bulb.  I had to squint at her as she moved to a throne and sat, her silver edged white gown swirling into perfect folds around her feet.   

  The throne, I saw, was one of two in the boll of a tree trunk.  The trees bark was a shining silver and a flash of gold drew my attention upward to the glittering of gilded leaves shining in the sunlight.  I realized that I was standing on a platform in the middle of endless gold-leaved trees so immense that they could support a city, and as I found myself turning in place, I realized that it did. 

  In my inspection of my surroundings I also found that I was being watched by three more silver and gold beings dressed in clothing that was simple yet elegant.  They were male, I could see, but they were beautiful as any woman, long silvery hair braided back from flawless faces and pointed ears.  They were armed as well, with some gorgeous knives and bows that made my fingers itch just thinking about holding them.  I shook off the urge to try and knick a blade when I saw their hostile glares. 

  I shrugged and nonchalantly turned my attention to the Lady.  Looping my thumbs in my belt-loops I affected as bored a look a possible and ignored my stinging hands, still wrapped in bandages.  "You bring me here, witch?"  Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the males, the prettiest of them start forward, clearly insulted for his lady.  I smirked when she halted his progress with a look.

  "I did not.  I merely receive you and offer you welcome."  She said smoothly.  I raised an eyebrow at her to express my disbelief. 

  "And why would a bright glowing thing like you welcome a dark evil thing like me?"  She smiled mysteriously at me then.  Something in her eyes made me think she was smirking at me.

  You are not quite what you claim to be, William the Bloody.  I blinked in surprise and stepped back.

  "Ah....bloody telepaths..."  I hissed.  Suddenly her glow brightened forcing me to avert my eyes.  It didn't help me escape the voice in my head.  Nor did it disguise the feeling of something rifling through my mind.  "Get the bloody fuck out of my head!"  I yelled, resisting the urge to clutch at my temples as if it would save me.  I knew I was wearing my demonic features as well but she continued on. 

  I winced as suddenly as if I was watching a movie-reel, images of Buffy danced through my head.  Such a strange obsession for a demon.  I ignored it when my hands started to shake and growled at her.

  "Not an obsession.  I bloody well love her."  My voice was too soddin' weak when I spoke.  The bitch just kept staring.  I could feel her eyes burning into the top of my head, reading what was inside.  I tried to ignore the urge to cower. I didn't show fear to a soddin' Hell God, I wasn't going to show it to this glowing thing. 

Why do you love her?  I didn't want to hear her questions but they burned inside my mind, forcing me to acknowledge them and answer.

  "She...she's light.  She's sunshine and goodness...."  I mumbled.  Good sunshine and goodness...unlike you, you cruel prying hag!  I felt her skim the angry thought and slide through it as if it were a puff of smoke.

  Such things can only bring pain to one such as you.  She pushed, her mental voice taking on a piercing, grim quality.  Images of burning sunlight and crosses and stakes flashed through my mind.  I grasped for an argument.

  "She has darkness!"  I defended and tried a defiant smirk that I could feel fizzle.  "Baby loves to hurt."  I whispered.

  You wish to revel in it...to make her like you!  Her voice became a thundering, condemning roar tearing at my skull and I found myself falling, clutching at my head, not caring that I was now whimpering on my knees.   "I love her-"

  You hate her.  The cold voice destroyed my last protest.  For a moment I sat, feeling her presence in my mind, waiting, watching me thinking.  I took a breath, realizing with the unnecessary motion that I'd not been pretending to breathe as is my habit since I felt her in my head.  The simple, utterly human action comforted me somehow.  Its familiarity brought me back to myself.  I managed to look up again, to stare disdainfully into those endless eyes.

  "Yeah, I hate her.  Always have and always will but we all know that there's a fine line between love an' hate, ducks."  In my peripheral vision I saw the elves look at each other, one of them mouthing the words "ducks"  with confusion.  It helped give me the spine to rise to my feet again and turn all my attention on the being in front of me.  She was studying me calmly, a smile faint on her lips.

"Does it really help?"  She asked a loud.  I could still feel her presence in my head watching, but not as oppressively as before.  "Does it cure the loneliness, being with them?"  I shoved my hands in my pockets and shuffled my feet, staring at the floor, not really wanting to answer.  "You hate and love all of them...yet they despise you."  I turned a glare on her. 

  "They don't all hate me.  Nibblet loves me.  And  just a minute ago the Harris twit an' I had ourselves a moment..."  I defended, smiling despite myself until I remembered the danger they'd all been in.  They were still back there in deep shit and I was here twiddlin' me thumbs with a pointy-eared shrink.  Said shrink rose gracefully to her feet and took a few steps forward, smile on her lips. 

  "They are all here with you, William."  I perked up, glancing around urgently. 

  "Where?!" 

  "Scattered throughout this world.  Some remain imperiled, some are safe for the moment, but none shall face the coming battle unscathed."  It took a moment to register what she was saying.  Suddenly I was overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity.  Severe deja vu. 

  "Wait, hold on a bleedin' moment, now!  Battle?  Where the hell are we anyway?  And who are you?!"  I wondered why I'd just now considered asking such obvious questions.  I must've left my bloody mind back in Sunnyhell.

  "I am Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood."  I raised an eyebrow and nodded disbelievingly.

  "Sure you are.  And I'm Priscilla, Queen of the Desert."  I said, flinging sarcasm every which way.  She just smiled cryptically and I got the distinct impression that I was stupid and that yes, this was the fictional Elf Lady from Tolkien.  Shit.

  "You are faced with a decision, Priscilla."  She said, her eyes laughing silently.  I sighed and waited for her to elaborate.  Let your companions fail and die facing pure evil, or join the battle and protect those you hate.  She said in my head.

  I scowled at her as she started flashing images of Giles, Willow, Anya, Dawnie, Tara, and Xander, all glaring angrily in moments that they'd fought with, ridiculed, and hated me.  I snorted and then smiled.  "Well its not like I didn't deserve any o' that.  Tell me where the gits have lost themselves.  I'd better help'em out."  I full out grinned.  "And then when they get 'scathed' I can maybe catch a few spare drops of Scooby blood..."

  She smiled at me and gestured at her guards.  "Then you shall have assistance."  The prettiest one nodded and came forward. She continued speaking to me.  "Rest and heal."  She ordered, glancing at my bandaged hands.  "Tomorrow Haldir will escort you on your search.  He has traveled this world and will guide you well."  I turned and looked the elf up and down.  He merely stood tall and still, eyes on his Lady. 

  "Haldir, eh?"  I snorted.  "And this is really Middle Earth?"  Galadriel nodded.  I sighed.  "Right, so where do I look then?"  I asked.  She was a local, after all.  "Mordor?  Hobbit-land?"

  "Rivendell." Haldir suggested in a crisp featureless voice.  Galadriel nodded to me.  I shrugged. 

  "Rivendell it is, then!"  I rubbed my hands together in preparation for whatever lie ahead then winced.  "Ow!"