Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Buffy characters, although I do own the clone and Luna, along with the new vampires. If you feel utterly compelled to sue me, I'd just like you to know it won't do any good because I have a mere 70 dollars to my name. And anyway, again, I do not own any of the Buffy characters...
Author's Notes: This was my very first fanfic, so beware: it may be a very bad portrayal of the characters. Thanx, feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Buffy was getting restless. She sat swinging on the rusty swingset in the local park. She hummed a Christmas tune; usually that got the vamps ready and willing to come and try to bite her, but tonight, it wasn't seeming to work. Nothing was seeming to work...
"Oh, look at me, I'm a little defenseless girl, all alone in the middle of the night, a long, long, long way away from home," Buffy said in a very loud voice. She let out an exasperated sigh, and started to walk toward the cemetery. She'd already been there once that night, and the vamps and demons had been and extreme no-show. It was beginning to worry her. Why would all the vampires and other nasties just decide to leave? The least they could have done would have been to try to capture Buffy. Don't they have any respect? With another sigh, Buffy decided to just go straight to Giles. If anyone would, he would know what was going on...
* * *
Underground, there was a meeting. A session planning nothing less that the end of the world. "Master," came a chant from all the vampires and demons that were gathered in the dimly lit cavern.
A particularly unattractive vampire explained, "Master, it's the slayer. She has killed many of our kind. We have tried to stop her a number of times before, but she has deflected our attempts every time."
"Fear not my minions," came a raspy, deep, growling voice, "I have already devised a plan." A massive demon stepped out from the tunnel at the front of the cavern.
It was a girl that looked like she had been in her middle teen years in her mortal life. You could only tell it was female because of the limp brown hair that hung to her shoulder blades, and the slight curves that still rounded her body. She was part vampire no doubt, but she had an even more evil quality.
She wore a great shield upon her chest that yielded weapons of many sorts. A crossbow, metal crossbow bolts, razor sharp daggers and swords hung off her body like ornaments off of a Christmas tree. She also had more known weapons, such as axes, knives, even an array of pistols. There were items of dark magic spotting her body like foxholes on a battlefield. A glowing orb was held loosely in her right hand. She had nothing in her left hand, but it still glowed a ghostly blue. Even her fingernails were weapons. They were sharp, and made of what looked like steel.
"Master," a vampire addressed, "we have been waiting for your service. We are in great need of you. The Slayer. She is too powerful-" The vampire was cut off.
"Do not call me master!" she commanded, "The old master is dead. I am your new leader. Call me Luna. It wasn't my mortal name, but it is what's written in the books, Luna of the Lunar Cycle."
"Yes master," came a voice at the back of the room.
"Who called me that?" she demanded, "Who? What stupid idiot addressed me in such a way?"
"He did," one vampire was pointing at another.
"Very well," with flick point of her finger, both the accuser and accusee vampires were turned into masses of flame. They both exploded into ashes in less that a minute. "I will not tolerate such morons as part of my group of followers. You must understand that. Well?" Luna prompted.
"We understand," came the group answer.
"Good. Now, about the slayer...."
* * *
"Giles!" Buffy called as she entered the library's swinging double doors. It was about midnight, and Buffy wasn't sure if Giles would still be at the library. "Giles!" she called once again.
A light snore came in response. Buffy walked toward the sound. Giles' office. She gently shook him.
"Wh-w-w- Oh hello Buffy," Giles greeted as he slipped his glasses back on.
"No vampires," Buffy blurted.
"What?" Giles asked, confused, "Buffy, you know there are vampires-oh," he stopped when he got what Buffy meant, "No vampire activity?"
"None. Nada. Zilch. As in nothing," Buffy replied.
"That's strange. I don't know of any prophecies at the moment," Giles shook his head.
"That's why I was kind of hoping you could look stuff up, and I could go home," Buffy looked pleading.
Giles' face remained stony.
"Please, Giles. Pretty please with sprinkles and a marichino cherry on top?" Buffy pleaded.
"I guess it would be of good help that the slayer have a good nights rest, to preserve her strength," Giles gave in. "Okay, Giles, you look in your books for... whatever it is that you look for and I'll leave."
"Very well," that was Giles' message to scram. So she did.
* * *
The slayer walked home, lost in her thoughts. Thoughts about Angel. Thoughts about Giles. Thoughts about her mom and her friends. Thoughts about demonic forces. Thoughts about everything. As she was about half way to her house, she heard a rustling of leaves behind her. Buffy stopped, and whirled around in her fighting stance. What she saw standing in front of her was enough even to make even the slayer gasp in disbelief and surprise.
What she saw standing in front of her was her.
Buffy.
The slayer.
The girl had the same straight, shiny blond hair. The same face. The same body. Everything was the same. The real Buffy could only stare in utter confusion.
"Surprised slayer?" Buffy#2 asked.
"But… How?" Buffy muttered in a whisper.
"Magic, of course," Buffy#2 replied as she paced back and forth in front of Buffy. The next thing Buffy felt, besides the tingling of disbelief, was a hard punched aimed at her face. Buffy high-kicked Buffy#2's face.
"Stop!" Buffy#2 demanded.
"Why," Buffy asked, "Are you scared of me?"
"This will be so easy," Buffy#2 advanced a step toward Buffy.
"And what exactly will be so easy?" Buffy took a step away from Buffy#2.
"Impersonating you. Acting like you. Being you," Buffy#2 took another step toward Buffy, "Hanging out with your friends. Avoiding slaying. Sleeping in your room. But the most pleasure will be in killing Angel-"
"I won't let you," Buffy responded.
"How will you stop me?" Buffy#2 replied, "It's my word against yours."
At the look on Buffy's face, Buffy#2 smiled an evil smile. "That's right Buffy. I'm you, and you're me. The only difference is that I can be more convincing."
Buffy sprinted away. Ran all the way home. She ran to escape the horror of the realization. She sped up her porch steps, and let herself in the door with her key.
"Mom, I'm home!" Buffy called once she was safely inside. "Buffy, I'm in the kitchen!" her mother, Joyce, called back. "I'm going up to my room," Buffy told her mom as she started climbing the stairs to her bedroom on the second floor. A mumble came to her in return. A sure sign that Joyce was preoccupied by something besides her daughter.
Buffy threw herself down on her bed once she was inside her room. She fell asleep almost immediately, only to be thrown into a restless abyss of nightmares.
* * *
Buffy walked into the library door. To her surprise, the library was flooded with eerie light. Not the dim light that usually inhabited the Sunnydale library, but a light that said things were not normal. Something was wrong.
"Giles?!" Buffy called. No one answered her. The library seemed to be deserted.
"Okay," Buffy muttered to herself, "Where is everyone?"
"Stop!" came a shrill demand from behind her.
Buffy turned around, and stared into the eyes of herself. The evil Buffy. The demon Buffy.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked Buffy#2.
"You can't escape me," Buffy#2 warned.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy repeated.
"I wanted to talk to you. But before I was here," Buffy#2 replied, "I was with your friends. Your trusting, naïve friends. Oh, and with your watcher too. One more person. Angel. He made a very neat pile of soot."
"You didn't" Buffy yelled challengingly.
"You can't make me disappear," Buffy#2 warned once again, "If you try, I'll just keep coming back. Again and again to torture you, your family, and your friends."
Buffy responded defiantly, "No." But as she said it, she thought in horror, This can't be. No. This can't be. No...
* * *
The slayer awoke with a start. She looked over at her bedside table clock. It read 3:27 a.m. Suddenly, all the memories of the dream came flooding back into Buffy's mind like a roaring river. Came pouring back from some invisible pitcher.
Buffy sat straight up in her bed, noticing for the first time that she was soaked in perspiration. She also noticed that her eyes were soar from crying so hard, and that her heart was beating in a fast thump thump, thump thump. She knew immediately that this was one of her prophecy dreams. A dream that showed what was to come. What evils were in store for the slayer.
She was too wired to go back to sleep, so she decided to go downstairs for a glass of water.
* * *
The next morning, Buffy walked into the library two hours early. She needed to talk to Giles immediately. She couldn't let anything happen.
"Giles?!" she called.
No answer came in reply.
"Giles?!" she called again.
Again, no answer.
"I guess Giles isn't here yet," Buffy remarked aloud. So she decided to wait. Fifteen minutes passed before Giles walked through the door of the library, nearly startled to death by the sight of Buffy.
"I had to come in early Giles," Buffy said, "I need to talk to you."
His response came as a complete surprise to her, "Get out of here."
"Giles," Buffy stood up and took a step toward her watcher, "What are you saying. Just because I came early? Do you do secret rituals before I get here or something?" Buffy remarked sarcastically.
"I said get out," Giles ordered.
Buffy realized why when Buffy#2 stepped into the library from behind the library's swinging double doors.
"Giles," Buffy's eyes looked teary.
"Buffy already told me about you. She warned me not to trust anybody that looked like her," Giles held up a cross just in case.
"But Giles," Buffy pleaded, "It's me. That thing next to you, that's not me. There has to be some way I can prove it to you."
Giles looked extremely confused, he backed away from both of them, "Stay here, both of you." He went into the cage in the library that held some of the rarer books, and also held weapons. Giles grabbed a few assorted weapons: a crossbow, a couple stakes, and another cross.
Buffy walked over and sat down at the library's middle table.
"Giles, don't believe her. You know me. She's evil. We have to destroy her," Buffy#2 lied.
"Shut-up," Buffy ordered, "Giles, I can prove that I'm Buffy. I got kicked out of school. I ran away. I sent Angel to Hell and he came back. Willow and Oz are together. Xander and Cordelia were together, but then broke up. However against the rules that is. But, Angel killed Jenny. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Enough." Giles pointed to Buffy#2, signaling her to share about her life.
"I live with my mom. My dad lives back in L.A. Spike and Druscilla left town. Willow's a witch," Buffy#2 wracked her brain for something to say.
"See!" Buffy exclaimed, "She can't think of anything else. I hate Principal Snyder. I was an eighteenth century person for Halloween a few years ago. My mom and you, well, the chocolate bar incident."
"Anybody could know that," Buffy#2 argued, "There was no vampire activity last night, and I went to you. I came back to the library, and then went home."
"Anybody could know that by just spying on me," Buffy argued, "Giles, it's me. Look at me. Okay, that wouldn't do any good, but..."
Giles stood up and walked toward the two Buffys, "Put your hand on this," he instructed both of them to touch a cross. And they both did.
Buffy#2 ignored the pain that shot through her hand like a thousand knives stabbing her at once. She was unlike a normal vampire however; she didn't burn under a cross, although she felt pain.
"So she's not a vampire," Buffy said, "We need a definite test."
"Giles," Buffy#2 said, "It's me, Buffy. You have to believe me. Giles, you can't trust her," Buffy#2 gestured toward Buffy.
"Another test," Giles looked thoughtful for a second, "Maybe we should ask-"
Buffy cut him off, "Ask evil Buffy over there to name my friends. If she doesn't know that, then you know who's who."
"Well?" Giles prompted Buffy#2. "Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia" Buffy#2 replied.
"I told you she's not me!" Buffy exclaimed triumphantly. "She said Cordelia was her friend!"
Giles ignored her. "We may want to call Willow," Giles suggested, "Perhaps she will come up with something." He walked over to the library's phone, "I don't know her number," Giles finally said.
Buffy recited it from memory.
"You passed a quiz now," Giles told Buffy. He punched in the seven numbers, and waited until a very sleepy voice answered on the other line.
"I am dreadfully sorry to be bothering you at such an early hour of the morning, but I need to speak with Willow. It's an urgent matter," Giles spoke rapidly into the receiver.
"I guess," came the groggy voice in response belonging to Mrs. Rosenburg.
"Thank you," Giles thanked.
A minute later, Willow was on the phone, fully alert due to the fact that her mother had said it was urgent, "Hello?" "Willow, it's Giles," Giles said, "It's about Buffy."
"Did anything happen to Buffy?" Willow asked, "Please don't let anything have happened to Buffy."
"No, Buffy's quite alright. Generally speaking," Giles added.
"What's wrong then? Oz?" Willow asked worriedly, "Xander? Cordelia? Angel even?"
"No, no," Giles responded, "There are two people that claim to be Buffy."
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"It seems that Buffy has been cloned, or something of the sort," Giles explained, "I'm just not sure which is Buffy, and which isn't."
"Isn't that good?" Willow asked, "Having two slayers I mean?"
"They seem to be telling me that the clone is evil, which I would say would be a quite probable possibility," Giles explained.
"What do you need me for?" Willow asked.
"A question that would prove which is which. Something that only Buffy or other close friends would know," Giles said.
"Let me think for a second," Willow was silent on the other side for a moment before she exclaimed, "I know! Ask them what phobia I have. What I'm afraid of. The two things actually."
"Very well. Hold on," Giles walked over to the two Buffys, and pointed to the phone, "Both of you have to be very quiet. Do not let anybody else hear you," he pointed to Buffy, "You're first."
Buffy walked over, and picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"This is the question," Willow started, "What are my two phobias or fears?"
"Okay," Buffy only thought for a moment before she whispered in a tone, barely audible, "Frogs or spiders, and something about being on stage?"
"Okay," Willow didn't want to show any emotion, "Now the other one."
Buffy motioned for Buffy#2 to come to the phone, "Your turn."
Buffy#2 walked over to the phone, showing no sign of nervousness this time.
"Hello?" she asked into the receiver.
"This is the question," Willow stated, "What are my two phobias or fears?"
"Um," Buffy#2 started. She tried to think of what most mortals were afraid of. She silently prayed to Luna to tell her. Suddenly she blurted out, "Frogs and stage fright." "Okay, get Giles back on the phone," Willow ordered. Giles picked up the receiver, "Who?"
"They both answered right," Willow stated.
"What?" Giles asked nervously, "If even the evil Buffy knows certain things about Buffy, then how are we to tell who is who and which is which."
"Well, how about we lock them both up," Willow suggested. "What good will that do?" Giles asked.
"I know we'd be locking Buffy up too, but at least if the cloned Buffy is locked up, she couldn't do an harm."
"I suppose so," Giles agreed, "At least until we find something more permanent.
"Wait!" Willow almost screamed into the phone. Giles pulled the receiver away from his ear for a moment.
"Hello?" Willow said.
"Excuse me while I regain my hearing," Giles muttered.
"Sorry, but what about an exorcism?" Willow asked.
"Oh," Giles thought about it for a moment, "That may indeed work. Is it possible for you to come down and perform it for us? I haven't dabbled for years."
"Yeah," Willow replied, "I'll be there in twenty minutes." Giles said a quick goodbye, and turned back to the two Buffys. "It seems that you have both answered the question correctly."
The two Buffys looked at each other with hatred.
"It seems that we may have to lock you up, until Willow comes to perform the exorcism."
"Exorcism?" Buffy asked, "Can Willow do that? I mean, she's not exactly the most experienced witch."
"We'll try," Giles stated, "Both of you, the cage."
Both of the girls walked into the cage. Giles locked the door behind them.
Buffy sat on top of the weapons safe.
Buffy#2 lingered, pacing in front of Buffy, directly in front of the safe.
"You're too annoying to be me," Buffy grumbled.
Buffy#2 smiled, and then her eyes started to glow a ghostly blue. On her index finger on her left hand a nail made of razor-sharp metal shot out from under the normal looking nail. She reached over the weapons safe with one quick motion, and dug into the skin on Buffy's cheek, making a deep scratch.
Buffy stumbled back, surprised. When she recovered, she threatened, "I'll get out of here. Then you'll die."
"Sure you will," Buffy#2 smiled her evil smile once again Buffy slumped to the ground, But how?
When Willow came into the library a half hour later, she could not escape the scorn that Giles threw at her.
"I had to get the supplies!" Willow retorted.
With that, Willow kneeled and began to draw the symbol on the ground in chalk. The candles were next to be assembled, then the assorted spices and ingredients were crushed together in the middle of the pentagram.
Willow chanted in Latin, he voice speeding up by the second. By the time she uttered the last word, a blue mist had already started to rise from the ground, and had begun to make its way toward the Buffys.
The mist enshrouded both girls, and within moments, both had vanished.
Willow looked at Giles.
Giles looked at Willow.
And Willow burst into tears.
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