GHOST TOWN: Part Three
by Phoenixflame
Summary: When Buffy leaves Sunnydale after killing Angel, the last thing she wants to do is study magic. But a ghost town, a demon, and a new best friend are making life extremely complicated for the Slayer, and it seems that none of them will leave well enough alone. But to combat this evil, Buffy will have to face her innermost shadows, and deal with her own dark side. First Story in the Slayer Adept story arc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. The songs in this fic are not mine unless they are marked by *.

Rating: PG-13



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Part Three

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About half a mile away from the border of town, a dust storm came up out of nowhere. The two pressed on, but it became harder and harder to walk against it. Eventually they were right back where they had started.

"This is impossible!" said Maddy. "First this ghost town, now this storm!"

Buffy stared at the storm. A strange feeling coursed over her, and she shuddered. "Magic." she whispered.

"What?" said Maddy. "Magic?"

"Have you got any other explanations?" asked Buffy.

Maddy shook her head. "No." she said. "Got any bright ideas? I don't know how to do magic." She threw a hopeful look at Buffy. "Do you?"

"No." admitted Buffy. "Let's see whats in the library."


* * *
Twenty minutes later, the two girls were poring over several books. Buffy was looking at a book called "Ghost Towns", and was glancing at "Ghosts: Legends and Mysteries", from time to time.

Maddy was reading "Magic: A Comprehensive Guide", and had already leafed through "The Witch of the Woods".

Buffy frowned as she read something.

"Ghosts can be fought by enchanted weapons, magic, and can be excorcised."

"Oh that's just great." said Maddy. "I found something that might be useful." She focused on the book. "Magic is will focused into action. Know what you are doing, and concentrate. Visualize what you are doing. You can utilize the same method in identifying things. See the object. Visualize it. Put yourself inside of it. Know it, and know its power."

Buffy shrugged. "So, concentration."

Maddy nodded. "Focus." she said.

About half an hour later, the sun was sinking low in the sky, and they had finished reading the books. Buffy sat back and stretched. "Argggh. Looks like that's it for books."

Maddy pushed back her chair and glanced outside. "It's turning dark." she said.

Buffy sighed. "I know it's probably a long shot, but we should probably try and find someplace to stay tonight."

"Alright, lets go."

The two left the library. About ten minutes later, it was dark out, and they had still not found a motel.

As they were walking through the cemetary, Buffy heard twigs cracking. She slipped a stake from her sleeve into one hand.

All of a sudden, a vampire lunged out of the bushes! Buffy twirled, and pinned him up against a mausoleum wall. Maddy bit back a scream, and watched in a amazement as Buffy put a stake to his heart, and smiled coldly at it.

"Figures. Where there's smoke, there's bound to be fire. Then she noticed how thin and wasted the vampire was.

"Not that I care, but what happened to you?" she asked it.

The vampire gulped nervously. "No food here. People are zombies, no blood. People come, but demon gets them, eats their souls. Couldn't eat me."

Buffy frowned. "Where is the demon?" she asked the vampire.

"Everywhere! Nowhere!" said the vampire. A crazed look appeared in his eyes.

Buffy staked the vampire. "Everywhere and nowhere." she muttered. "This is just great."

Maddy swallowed. Fear crept up onto her face. "Anne, what was that?"

Buffy sighed. "That," she replied "Was a vampire."

Maddy stared at her with an expression of shock on her face. "You knew, didn't you? That we wouldn't get out of town?"

Buffy sighed. "I suspected it. I'm sorry, Maddy."

"Who are you, really?" Maddy asked.

Buffy closed her eyes. "My real name is Buffy Summers. I'm the Slayer."

"The Slayer?" said Maddy with an audible gulp.

Buffy smiled slightly, ironically. "I only kill demons and the forces of darkness, Maddy." she said. Maddy relaxed slightly. Then frowned. "Did you come here because of this?" She waved her hand vaguely at the town around them.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I was just looking for a place to sleep tonight." she said. Maddy smiled hesitantly, and the two started walking again.

"So, do you think that was the only vampire?" Maddy asked her.

"Probably. That one probably was too stupid to stay away from a ghost town."

Maddy thought that over. "What sort of abilities do you have?" she asked Buffy.

"Ummm." said Buffy, thinking. "Well, I'm stronger and faster than most people. I have this kind of a spider sense when I'm near anything demonic, and I've occassionally seen the future in my dreams."

"Wow." said Maddy. "Prophecies in dreams? Like what?"

Buffy closed her eyes and fought back tears, remembering the dream of Angel dying. "I really don't want to talk about it." She said to Maddy, who nodded. "I understand." she said.

As they emerged from the cemetary, Buffy stopped, and turned to Maddy. "I guess we're going to find a motel anywhere in this town. I don't think that there's anymore vampires around, but I'm not sleeping outside. Let's not take chances. I suggest we sleep in the library. There's no zombies in there. We can grab blankets from the houses. I doubt that anybody will care."

Maddy nodded agreement, and they headed across the street to a house. After Buffy forced the lock, they entered, and grabbed blankets and pillows. Buffy rifled the kitchen and found canned food and crackers. They stuffed what they could in laundry bags.

Nothing attacked them on their way back to the library. Buffy found several couches and hassocks, and Maddy set about making them into beds. Buffy used her slaying supplies to put crosses in a ring around the beds, and sprinkled the ground with holy water, and shut all the doors and windows. Then, just to be on the safe side, the two checked the library out for any vampires. The onyl thing they found was a zombie cat, which Maddy lost no time in throwing out of the library.

Satisfied, the two collapsed onto the makeshift beds, and fell asleep.


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