Buffy: Sleeping Beauty Style: Chapter Three
by miracleangelsummers
Chapter Three:
Prince Angel did indeed reach the cottage, whistling the song that he and his love had shared that day in the forest. As he dismounted Samson, his heart felt light with the new love that bloomed there. He stepped to the door and knocked softly, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for that voice which filled his heart with sunshine. A woman's voice called him in. As he opened the door and stepped across the threshold, he squinted against the darkness of the room within. Suddenly the door slammed shut behind him and a hundred hands reached out from the darkness and began to assault him. Angel had barely had time to react.
He fought as best he could, but he was greatly outnumbered by the hands that captured him. Slowly and with great difficulty, his assailants managed to tie him up and gag him. Angel struggled against his bonds as Cordelia lit a small candle and held it up to his face. She was quite surprised and pleased to find that she had caught the prince himself! “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I set my trap for a peasant, and I catch a prince! Away with him. But gently, my pets, gently, I have plans for our royal guest. “
Not soon after, the three fairies reached the cottage but were too late. All they found was Angel’s hat amongst the broken furniture. Doyle picked up the hat and held it for a moment. The three looked at each other and said at once, “Cordelia!”
Whistler said, “She's got Prince Angel.”
Doyle nodded, clutching the material in his hand, “At the forbidden mountain.“
Lorne was terrified at going to such a place, his hands nearly shaking as he said trying to change Doyle’s mind, “But we can't, we can't go there!”
In truth, they never bothered ventured into that place of darkness and Doyle said, his voice shaking in determination, “We can, and we must.”
Their love for their princess gave them courage and off they flew to Cordelia’s castle.
It was an awful place. The castle was barely standing, so decayed was it and the place was completely devoid of life. Not a single creature, aside from Cordelia’s goons, lived within miles of the place. It was a place where no plants ever grew, and where no sun ever shone. A mist lay over the place. The fairies used this to their advantage as they advanced upon the gate, making themselves tiny they flew inside.
They eventually found Cordelia seated on her throne. A look of satisfaction played on her face and she watched her army celebrate her victory. When this began to bore her, she decided it was time to torment Angel.
Cordelia turned to her raven, “What a pity prince Angel can't be here to enjoy the celebration. Come, we must go to the dungeon and cheer him up.”
Down she went to her dungeons with three tiny pinpoints of light, the three fairies, following cautiously behind her.
Angel was chained to the wall in a filthy, damp room. Cordelia approached him and smiled at the hopelessness that shown on his face. "Why so melancholy, Prince Angel?" she purred. "A wondrous future lies before you. You, the hero of a charming fairy tale come true."
With those words she conjured up an image before Angel’s eyes of King Giles’ castle. “Behold, King Giles' castle, and in yonder topmost tower, dreaming of her true love, the princess Buffy. But see the gracious whim of fate. Why, 'tis the self-same peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed most wondrous fair. “
She then revealed to him that the slumbering princess in the tower, the Princess Buffy, was none other than his true love. The revelation shocked Angel. An image of the beautiful woodland maid danced in his mind. His one true love ... and now she was his Princess, too. But Cordelia didn't stop there.
“Gold of sunshine in her hair, lips that shame the red, red rose. In ageless sleep she finds repose. The years roll by, but a hundred years to a steadfast heart are 'bout a day. And now, the gates of the dungeon part, and the prince is free to go his way. Off he rides on his noble steed...”
She began to taunt Angel with images of him as an old man, finally set free from her dungeons to wake his love with love's first kiss.
“... A valiant figure, straight and tall, to wake his love with love's first kiss, and prove that true love conquers all.”
Angel jumped to his feet and began to pull at his bonds, struggling to break free from the iron. Cordelia laughed at his anguished expression and hopeless attempts to break free.
"Let us leave our noble prince with these happy thoughts." Cordelia added softly as she and her raven exited the dungeon, locking the door behind them.
The three fairies had remained hidden all this time. Now they silently floated into the room, making themselves full sized. Angel looked at them in surprise, but Doyle hushed him before he could speak. “Shh, no time to explain.”
The fairies went quickly to work, freeing the prince from his bonds and burning off the lock on the door. Angel started to head for the door, but Doyle barred his way. "Wait Prince Angel!" he whispered and he raised his wand in the air. "Arm thyself with this enchanted shield of virtue and this mighty sword of truth..." he chanted as a sword and shield magically appeared in the hands of the astonished prince. "For these weapons of righteousness will triumph over evil."
Angel tested the weapons before signally to the three fairies to follow him up the stairs and out of the dank dungeon. But no sooner had they climbed the stairs when Cordelia’s raven found them and cried out a loud warning. Soon the hall was filled with Cordelia’s goons hacking and thrusting out at the prince. Angel skilfully dodged their blows and managed to jump to temporary safety out a nearby window. His horse Samson was pawing eagerly in the courtyard below.
"Angel! Look out!" cried the fairies as the goons began to hurl stones at him and fire rounds of arrows. Angel ducked under his shield, but the fairies were at his side. They used their magic to change the stones into harmless bubbles, and the deadly missiles turned into flowers that broke apart against Angel shield. The fairies freed the horse from his bond and Angel jumped in the saddle and galloped toward to castle gate. The goons were making one last attempt at thwarting his escaped. Over the gateway, they began to pour boiling oil just as Angel was about to gallop by. The fairies, seeing this, zapped the curtain of oil with their magic, causing it to change into an arched rainbow in which Angel harmlessly galloped through.
Cordelia’s raven continued to squawk loudly as it flapped about wildly. Whistler, having had enough of the racket, advanced upon the raven and began shooting magic at it. The raven managed to dodge the first several rounds, but at last the magic struck the bird, turning it to stone. Cordelia, on hearing the commotion, ran to a window. To her dismay she saw that her raven had been turned to stone and that Angel was successfully riding to freedom.
As the Castle Bridge began to rise, Angel prepared Samson for a mighty leap. Samson carried Angel safely across the abyss to the other side where they rushed toward King Giles’ castle. Angel whispered encouraging words to Samson as they plunged ahead. All around them they heard thunder clapping as Cordelia tried to strike the prince down. When this did not show signs of slowing him down, Cordelia conjured up another spell.
“A forest of thorn shall be his tomb.
Born through the skies on a fog of doom.
Now go with the curse and serve me well,
Round Giles’ castle cast by spell!”
Her evil shot across the sky and encircled Giles’ castle. Lightening bolts split the ground causing large barbs of thorns to spring from the earth. By the time Angel reached Giles’ castle gate, the entire structure was hidden behind a think wall of thorns. Undaunted, Angel hacked and slashed at the deadly forest, cutting a path just wide enough for Samson to step through. The three fairies were still with him and watched with growing fear. Cordelia was putting up an awesome fight. When Angel reached the other side of the hedge, he noticed he was but a few feet away from the castle entrance.
“No! It cannot be.” Cordelia saw this too, and flew in a rage. Off she spun in an awful pinwheel of sparks and landed squarely in front of the prince, barring his way into the castle. Her face was twisted with hate as she raised her arms and shouted. "Now shall you deal with me, oh prince. And all the powers of Hell!"
Cordelia suddenly erupted into a pillar of flame that shot into the night sky. Her form grew and elongated within the column of fire as she took the form of a massive black dragon. Her serpentine face shot out of the smoke after her transformation was complete. Angel stared at her in horror. Even Samson seemed unable to move. Cordelia flicked a forked tongue and flexed her translucent wings. She appeared to be grinning at the stunned prince. Angel came to at once and charged the dragon with his sword held high. He was determined to save his princess.
Cordelia found this amusing. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, emitting a stream of flame. Angel’s shield flew up, but the force of the flame's impact sent the prince sailing off his horse and through the air. When he landed, Cordelia was hot on his trail.
Angel ran behind the thorn hedge and waiting for Cordelia’s head to come into view. He then struck out at her with the sword, forcing her to howl in anger and pain. She promptly breathed more flame, successfully cutting off any escape routes. As the flames licked the dry thorns, the fairies directed Angel up a steep ledge.
He managed to free himself from the inferno only to find the dragon snapping at his heals. He swung the sword vigorously to keep the beast at bay. But alas, he found himself corned at an edge of a precipice. The dragon shot another breath of flame at him, causing his shield to be knocked out of his hand and down into the abyss below. Cordelia’s laugh was unmistakable as she prepared herself for one final breath that would ensure her victory.
Angel braced himself for death just as Doyle flew to his side. He sprinkled the sword with magic dust and chanted, "Now Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure. That evil die and good endure!" Angel suddenly knew what he must do. He changed his stance and gripped the sword's hilt as if it were a javelin. He hurled it at the dragon's head. Cordelia reared up to avoid being struck, but the sword found its mark and impaled itself deep within her black cold heart; Cordelia roared as her life drained from her. She toppled forward, barely missing the prince, and fell to her death below. Angel peered over the edge and, as the smoke cleared, saw the remains of Cordelia.
She would trouble them no more.
Slowly the evidence of their battle melted into the cooling earth. The thorns disappeared and the stars shown brightly in the darkening sky. Giles’ castle gates stood open before him.
Angel followed the fairies through the sleeping castle and up to the tower room where Buffy lay in her deep sleep. When Angel reached the curtained bed, his breath caught in his throat. She was indeed his true love! Overcome with emotion, he kneeled down and gently kissed her. Buffy stirred and opened her eyes. When she caught sight of Angel, a smile warmed her face. The three fairies shed tears of joy. They quickly ushered the royal pair down to the throne room where their parents, now just waking along with the rest of the court, would be waiting.
King Holtz, who was about to tell Giles about his son's intention of marrying a peasant girl, awoke with a start. He looked around himself in confusion and tapped Giles lightly on the shoulder. Giles came to full attention and signalled for Holtz to proceed. “Oh, ah, forgive me, Holtz, the wine ... Now, you were saying?”
"Well, Giles..." Holtz began, "this is the fourteenth century.... Well, to come right to it, my son says he's going to marry a...." Suddenly his words were drowned out by the blare of trumpets from the gallery above. All heads turned toward the grand staircase where Princess Buffy appeared on the arm of her true love, Prince Angel.
"Its Buffy! She's here!" cried Giles and he jumped from his throne. The queen's eyes brimmed with tears as her beautiful daughter came forward. When they reached their parents, Angel bowed and Buffy curtsied gracefully. Then the princess ran to the queen and received a mother's loving embrace. King Giles smiled warmly and gently stroked his daughter's sunlit hair.
Holtz, naturally, was confused. “What does this mean, boy? I don’t….”
But before he could get an answer from his son, the royal musicians started up a tune and Buffy kissed his cheek before Angel took the princess's hand and led her into a dance. The fairies had been watching this from a balcony above the throne room. "Oh, I just love happy endings!" sniffed Lorne
"I do, too,” said a tearful Whistler as he gazed at the princess as she twirled in her dance. "Blue!" he blurted when he noticed the princess's dress. "Pink!" Doyle corrected as a zing of magic shot from his wand and immediately turned Buffy’s dress pink.
Whistler noticed this and quickly changed the dress back to blue.
I know you,
I walked with you
Once upon a dream
And so it happened that, as the prince and princess danced, the princess's dress kept changing from blue to pink. But to Buffy and all those present, it was just part of the magic that had come into her life. Buffy smiled up at her prince, as he pulled her closer, staring into her deep brown eyes as their bodies moved to tune that the choir were singing.
I know you,
The gleam in your eyes
Is so familiar a gleam
Angel bent his head down, and his lips met her red ones, the crowd and the castle disappearing as he held the love of his life in his arms bending her back slightly as he kissed her.
And I know it's true
that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you I know what you'll do
And so, Princess Buffy and Prince Angel were married and as they say, they lived happily ever after.
You'll love me at once
the way you did
once upon a dream
-------------
The morning sun poured into the small dorm, lighting up the room and gradually rousing its occupants. Lying just by the window was a small woman, her fair arms outstretched over her head as her golden blonde hair spilled onto the pillow. Sighing slightly in contentment, she rolled onto her back and yawned, carefully opening her dark brown eyes. Staring at her surroundings, she was slightly perplexed before realization dawned on her features. Taking in a deep breath, she replayed the final scene in her mind, relishing in the familiar feel that she’d missed for the past few months; having him there, holding her, kissing her, together for happily ever after.
A slow smile spread across her face.
In Los Angeles, one vampire with a soul slowly opened his eyes as he felt the sun against the heavy closed curtains. His sleep filled mind drifted back to his dream, which was new to him since he didn’t dream in the first place, unless you counted that time that he dreamed about getting married to Buffy. He missed her arms holding him, he missed her kisses and he missed her eyes when they told him how much love that she had for him.
A slow smile spread across his face.
The people who knew the couple would never have guessed what had caused the smile, but they were surprised to find Angel & Buffy looking up on the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Angel, when not working on one of his cases, was sitting at his desk in his small office and he came across a book that he knew he didn’t have in his collection. He flipped over to the page that was marked and started at the writing. On one single page had one single paragraph that read, “A heart and soul will always find it’s mate no matter what it faces and no matter how long it takes.”
He asked Cordelia to fax this through to Giles, for Buffy, ignoring her questionable look and went back to his office. All day long he couldn’t help but keep that smile off his face.
Giles and Buffy received that fax at Giles’ home and Giles couldn’t help but asked what it meant. Buffy thought back to her dream and she smiled. She knew then, that not matter what, her soul mate would return to her and she would be ready for him, no matter how long it took.
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