Summer Of Fools VI : The Hierophant

Samantha McCullah


Season of Fools VI: The Hierophant
by Samantha McCullah

THE HIEROPHANT -- an opportunity to transform material desire into higher
understanding; ceremonial traditions bring guidance to worldly affairs.

"And this voice speaks to you often?" Buffy asked after Spike finished
telling his story minus the true ending of his dream.

"No, Slayer," Spike growled.

"I can try to do research, but I'm afraid the majority of my books were
in the library when it went up," Giles stated; Spike nodded faintly. Giles
turned to Buffy, but she held up a silencing hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm patrol-girl," Buffy commented, jumping up. She grabbed her
light jacket that was tossed over the back of the couch. Pulling it on, she
headed for the door. She stepped across the threshold and turned back to
tell Giles when she'd report in, but as she turned, she saw Spike fall to
the floor, clutching his forehead.

<Go with her,> the voice began repeating. Spike screamed into the carpet,
and Buffy hurried back into the house. As suddenly as the voice began it
ended when Buffy placed a hand on his back.

"Bloody hell," he whispered as realization dawned. "It's you." He looked
up at her. "Bloody hell, it's you!" He scrambled back away from her.

"What?" Buffy asked, staring at him as his breath came in gasps. He suddenly
shot to his feet and headed to the door.

"Get out of my head," he ordered when he passed her. He exited the house,
but before stepping off the porch, he faced Buffy. "You coming." He gestured
to his head. "This....voice wants me to help you." Buffy shrugged at Giles
and followed the vampire out the door.

"So, Spike, what to talk about?" Buffy asked as they walked towards the
cemetery. The vampire clenched his jaw and looked away from her. "Okay,
small talk doesn't work," she muttered.

"Would you shut up?!" he exclaimed, whirling suddenly and facing her.
"I'm helping you because I don't want to go psycho. I am _not_ your
friend, and I'm certainly _not_ Angel." With the final word he turned
and stalked off down the sidewalk. He could tell she wasn't behind him,
and after a few seconds he turned back to see a grimace on her face as
she fought back tears. "God," Spike sighed, looking up at the sky. "What's
wrong now?"

"He's gone," she whispered. He watched her in silence. "He's gone, alright!"

"Who?" Spike asked, already knowing the answer.

"Angel. I have no one," she sobbed. Spike opened his mouth to reply but no
words came. Suddenly at the back of his mind the voice began <Comfort her.>

"Bloody--," he muttered as he opened his arms and took her in an awkward
embrace. He held the sobbing Slayer as she cried into his chest.

*FIN*


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