Disclaimer: Buffy and company belong to Joss Whedon and Warner Brothers. I'm just borrowing them.
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Part Two
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"So this is the spot?" asked Oz as Xander led his friends into the grove he had wandered into the previous night.
"Yeah, I think so," replied Xander.
"I don't see a rose bush," observed Cordelia.
"Well, it was dark out before," explained Xander.
"Gee Xander, maybe we should recreate the scene. I'll chase you around the park and you can run like a sissy again," said Cordelia.
"You don't want to do that Cordy cause you might catch me and if you did that we'd be touching wouldn't we?" replied Xander through clenched teeth.
"Guys, quiet!" hissed Buffy as she suddenly cupped her ear.
"Buffy, what is it?" asked Giles.
"Singing," answered Xander as he turned his attention towards the direction of the melody.
"I don't hear anything," said Willow.
"It's so sad," commented Buffy.
"What? That you're losing your mind," asked Cordelia.
"No, the song," replied Xander. "Hey, look! Here comes someone."
A very young woman walked toward Buffy and company. Her smooth skin had a dark tan tone and her long black hair gently swayed in the breeze. Each stride she took in her bare feet held a confident and regal quality to it. The extremities of her white gown rustled gently with each step making it seem like a ghost that clung to her well proportioned body.
"I, eh, oh, eh, heh, eh," babbled Xander as his mouth hung open.
"Xander, stop drooling on my body," said Buffy as she walked towards the young woman. "Who are you?"
"Buffy who are you talking to?" asked Giles.
"That person," said Buffy as she pointed at the woman.
"But check it out," said Oz as he waved his hands around the area. "There's no one else here."
"They can't see me," said the woman.
"Then they have no idea what they're missing," commented Xander.
"Only you and the boy in your body can see me," said the woman.
"And why is that?" asked Buffy.
"Between the two of you is a Slayer. Beings with power can see us and as such a being it is only natural that you can too."
"And you are?" asked Buffy.
"I'm one of the fairies who watch over this place. My name is Undine."
"Buffy, I want to know..." began Giles.
"Giles, chill!" interrupted Buffy. "Only Xander and I can see her."
"Her! So that's why your doing that!" exclaimed Cordelia as she elbowed Xander in the ribs.
"Will you two knock it off?" said Buffy as she turned her attention back to Undine. "Can you help us?"
"No. I didn't cast the spell so I can't remove it," explained Undine.
"Then who did cast it?" asked Xander.
As Xander said this the ground next to Undine ripped opened with a gentle roar. The body of a young man lying on his back appeared from the hole as a stone table rose up under him, lifting him above the ground. He looked like the male version of Undine. The only thing he wore was a simple pair of brown pants which accentuated his well toned upper body. Undine knelt down next to the young man.
"He cast it," said Undine. "His name is Maudin. He just did it for fun. When the rose died he would have lifted it, but now he can't."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Xander. "He, uh, he looks...."
"His amulet was stolen," replied Undine as she rustled Maudin's hair gently.
"He's like this because he lost jewelry?" asked Buffy.
She reached into her gown and showed Xander and Buffy the silver amulet she wore around her neck. It was molded into the shape of a lion's head. "Each fairy is given one of these by the king and queen of the fairies," explained Undine. "It binds us to them and gives us our power. When we're cut off from that power we enter a coma like state. But if someone else uses the amulet the king and queen of fairies will destroy it and then the fairy who possessed the amulet will die.”
"Do you know where it was taken?" asked Buffy.
"Yes, I can have one of the animals show you the way," said Undine.
"Wait, wait, wait. You have powers, right? Why don't you go get it if it's such a big deal?" asked Xander.
"I must protect this place. That's what fairies do. If we don't then evil spirits try turn places like this into haunted woods. Animals are possessed, humans disappear and eventually nothing can live there. I'm already having a hard time holding them off by myself. I need him." She gently caressed his face. "More than he ever knew."
"Buffy put her hands on Undine's shoulders. "Don't worry," comforted Buffy. "We'll find it. Just show us where to go."
* * *
"So what was that music we heard Giles?" asked Buffy as they followed a raccoon towards the building the amulet was taken to.
"It was probably the spirits of nature morning over their fallen comrade. Fairies and nature have a very intimate relationship," explained Giles as he kicked a stone down the street.
"What's the matter, Giles? If I didn't know better I'd say you were pouting," said Buffy.
"I suppose I am. It's just, I've read so many volumes on the musical properties of the forest and how they rival the greatest symphonies ever composed. The idea that the two of you were actually allowed to hear that when you don't even appreciate great music is rather...well rather...."
"Irritating?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of comically unjust."
"Let's not overreact or anything."
"You know, when I was young I bumped my head and I swear that I heard the forest near our home singing to me as I went unconscious. Nothing I've ever heard has ever come close to producing the same thing."
"From what I heard that hasn't changed. What I don't get is why doesn't nature sing all the time? I've never heard it before."
"It's always singing Buffy. We just don't know how to listen to it or anything else nature has to say for that matter."
"I can't believe we're following vermin down the street," said Cordelia. "What if it has rabies?"
"I don't know, I think he's kind of cute," said Willow.
"Sure, in that I look like an ex-convict kind of way," said Oz.
"Hey Oz, could I ask you something?" asked Willow as she pulled Oz out of earshot of the rest of the group.
"Sure baby, what's on your mind?" asked Oz.
"Well, it's just this whole situation with Xander and Buffy. If it ever happened to say, Xander and I, and we couldn't fix it would you still...would you still..."
"Care about you?"
"Well, yeah."
"That's kind of a huge hypothetical situation, but I like to think I would. What we got here kind of goes past our looks. You're the foxiest lady I've ever met, but that's just icing on one majorly delicious cake. Besides, you care about me and I'm a monster sometimes. It works both ways Willow."
Cordelia overheard part of this exchange and wrapped her hand in Xander's. "Aren't you worried someone will see you holding a woman's hand?" asked Xander.
"Ah, let em see," replied Cordelia as she gave Xander a quick kiss on the cheek. "You know this is kind of easier on my neck with you this short." Xander chuckled.
The raccoon suddenly stopped in front of an old cottage. There was a porch on the outside of the building that was caving in on one end due to some rotten wooden beams. The paint was peeling and chipping everywhere. The lawn looked as if it hadn’t been mowed for years and a broken tree laid across the walkway to the front door.
"This must be the place," said Buffy.
"Certainly is a fixer upper, isn't it?" commented Xander.
Willow looked in one of the windows and noticed that the shades were drawn. "Looks like whoever is in there doesn't want anyone spying on them."
“And who can blame them with the paparazzi being what it is today,” said Xander.
Buffy walked over to the door and found that it was locked. She tugged on the doorknob. Her face turned red and after a moment her grip slipped and she landed on the floor of the porch with a loud thud.
"Allow me," said Xander as he ripped the door out of the way.
Buffy and her friends walked into the cottage. They split up and searched the rooms, but after a moment most of them were back in the room they had entered. "There's nobody here," said Giles voicing the general consensus.
"Hey guys," called Oz from the kitchen.
They ran into the kitchen and found Oz in front of a door that went into a basement. Buffy led the way as they walked down a winding stairwell lit by torches in the granite walls. When they got to the bottom they found a large room with a bed in the center. On top of the bed was a woman's body. The disturbing thing about her was that her mid section had a gapping wound in it, but as huge as the wound was not a drop of blood spilled from the body. Sitting at a table in the corner meticulously working on something was a man in a black tank top and matching pair of pants. He rose from his chair as he heard them approach.
"You shouldn’t have come here," warned Glynn.
"We heard you were in the black market selling amulets and we were hoping to cut a deal with you," said Oz.
"Sorry, it isn't for sale," replied Glynn.
“Who are you? Why do you want the power of that amulet?” asked Giles.
“My name is Glynn. I don’t want the power.”
"W...why isn't she bleeding?" asked Cordelia as she pointed to the woman on the bed.
"I put her into suspended animation,” replied Glynn. “She would have died otherwise.”
“How did this happen?” asked Willow.
“Long story. Basically a mob attacked our home and during the fighting a person swung at her with a pitchfork.”
“And I’m sure that mob had some silly reason for attacking you, right?” asked Xander.
“They found out we were practicing sorcery. We never hurt anyone, but they didn’t care. I was a sorcerer and she was a sorceress. That’s all that mattered to them. And then they did this,” Glynn motioned towards the woman in the center of the room.”
“You cared about this girl, didn’t you?” asked Buffy.
“Yes,” replied Glynn.
“Did she have a name?” asked Willow.
“Her name is Elani,” said Glynn.
“That’s a pretty name,” said Buffy.
“I won’t fail her again,” vowed Glynn.
“And you think you’re doing her a favor? You’ve trapped her soul in that body by freezing her at the moment of her death! What peace can she possibly gain if she’s not allowed to move into the next life?” scorned Giles.
“And what peace can a woman in a coma have on life support? You think her soul is content being forced to stay alive? But doctors and loved ones wait in hope that some miracle in technology will allow them to give her her life back. I’ve just found that miracle,” explained Glynn.
“Saving one person at the expense of another is wrong, no matter what analogy you use. If you use the power of that amulet to bring her back, the king and queen of fairies will destroy it and that fairy boy will die. Are you willing to put that on her head?” asked Giles.
“This is crazy, let us help you find another way. There has to be other options,” pleaded Buffy.
“I’ve done my homework. There isn’t another way. God screwed up and I’m just going to fix his mistake. One life for another evens out, right?”
“Can’t say you weren’t warned,” said Xander as he started to step forward.
“Stay Back!” commanded Glynn as he waved his arms. Pillars of flames suddenly rose from the stony ground and formed a set of fiery bars between Glynn and his unwelcomed guests.
“Stay away from the fire!” warned Giles.
Glynn took the amulet off the table he’d been working at and walked towards Elani.
“He’s gonna use it. Now what?” asked Xander.
“Ahh...” cried Willow as she fell to her knees.
“Willow, what’s wrong?” asked Oz as he ran to her aid.
She suddenly stood up and walked towards the fire bars. Oz grabbed her arm, but he she cast a glance at him and he flew against the wall. The flames parted for her and she walked to the other side. The flames then resumed their previous pattern.
“Giles! What’s going on?” asked Buffy frantically. “What’s wrong with Willow!”
“I...I don’t know,” replied Giles.
“So we’ve got a little magic user on our hands do we?” asked Glynn as he noticed Willow approach. “You really think you’re stronger than me?”
“I was last time we checked,” answered Willow.
“What?”
“You never put in the extra hours in the study that I did. If you had just read that series on concentration techniques I was always telling you about you would have seen a such an improvement.”
“Elani?”
She nodded her head and smiled warmly. “I had almost forgotten how much I liked looking at you.”
“No, I don’t believe you! This is some sort of trick.”
“Why are you doing this? This isn’t the way you are.”
“I know. I...I just don’t know what to do without you.”
She walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek. He held onto it tightly. “I miss you too,” she said softly.
“I should have been there. I failed you. I’m so sorry.”
“Stop it! Today I set your soul free.” Willow took the amulet from Glynn and tossed it to Giles. She then waved her hand towards the body on the bed. Blood started to flow from the wounds and Willow fell to the floor. Glynn walked over to the bed in the center of the room and held Elani’s hand in his own. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled. She then closed her eyes again and died. The fire suddenly disappeared and Buffy and her friends ran to Willow’s aid.
“Should we catch him?” asked Xander.
“There’s nobody to catch,” replied Giles as he pointed to the center of the room. While they had been attending to Willow, Glynn had vanished.
* * *
Buffy and Xander entered the grove of the park again. It looked much like it did on the first night Xander had wondered into it. Undine was still sitting near Maudin as when the two humans had last seen her. She walked towards Buffy as she realized her presence. Buffy handed the amulet to Undine and she walked over to Maudin and put it around his neck. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled at her. Buffy and Xander watched as they embraced each other. The forest started to sing a ballad of joy to the fairies.
Xander coughed loudly and the fairies remembered that they still had some business to attend to. Undine whispered into Maudin’s ear and he nodded. He walked towards the humans. “Close your eyes,” he said. Xander and Buffy followed his instruction. When they opened them they found themselves back in their own bodies.
“It worked,” said Buffy.
“Yeah,” replied Xander.
Buffy surveyed the grove. “The fairies are gone. The music stopped.”
“So I guess that’s it,” said Xander.
“Yeah, let’s get back to the others.”
They started to walk out of the grove and Buffy said, “Xander, you didn’t...I mean, I wasn’t wearing anything under my nighty last night. You didn’t...”
“I behaved, honest.”
“Good.”
“And you must have gone to the...eh...at least once during this whole thing.”
“Uh...yeah.”
“That means you must have seen...”
“Yep.”
“You wouldn’t talk to Cordelia or Willow about it...cause you know girls have certain expectations sometimes and...you wouldn’t, would you?”
“Well, maybe to Will.”
“Buffy!”
“Kidding.”
“You better be.”
They walked a few steps in silence then Buffy said, “I know we did the right thing and all, but don’t you get the feeling like we saved one couple at the expense of the other?”
“Yeah, it is kind of a hollow win isn’t it?” echoed Xander. “But we did everything we could.”
“Actually there’s one more thing left to do,” said Buffy.
* * *
“Good to see you again!” said Xander as he looked at his reflection in the pond as he passed it. The moonlight shimmered on the slight waves produced from the gentle breeze that brushed past his face. Stone soldiers stood rigidly watching as the company entered the gates to the cemetery.
“That looks like a good place,” said Buffy as she pointed to a place in the grass where there appeared to be no tombstone. Giles set the body of Elani down on the ground.
“Giles, I’ve been meaning to ask you something, but I wanted to wait till after Buffy and Xander got their bodies back,” said Willow.
“What’s on your mind?” asked Giles as he picked up his shovel and sunk it into the ground.
“Why me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did Elani pick me?”
“I imagine it’s because you possess power Willow.”
“Power? But I just dabble. I can’t even get a lot of my spells to work the way I want them to.”
“Perhaps not yet. But the power must be there, otherwise she couldn’t have used it.”
“That’s part of the reason why you worry about me practicing witchcraft isn’t it? You’re worried I’ll be a powerful witch.”
“I suppose I am. Power can do things to a person Willow, and sometimes I wonder what it will do to you when you realize that you have it. At the same time I think if anyone can tame that power it will be you.”
“Could you two talk about this later? They could use a little help over there,” said Cordelia as she folded her arms and leaned against a nearby tree.
“Then why don’t you pick up a shovel and help them?” asked Giles between gritted teeth.
“In this dress? I think not,” said Cordelia.
“That’s pretty obvious,” muttered Buffy.
An hour later the little party had managed to dig the grave and cover it again. “This never gets any easier,” said Oz as he threw another shovel full of dirt onto the fresh grave in the cemetery.
“You’re right, it doesn’t,” said Buffy.
“Yeah, shoveling sucks,” said Xander.
“Alright, that should do it,” said Giles as he patted down the dirt with his shovel. “We’ll have a headstone made for it tomorrow.”
“So do you think we have to worry about him trying something again?” asked Oz. “We don’t really need any of that Night of the Living Dead action.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason for concern,” replied Giles. “She’s gone. It was just his hope in keeping her alive that drove him to do what he did.”
“I didn’t think hope was a bad thing,” said Willow.
“It isn’t,” replied Giles. “It’s what you do to try and realize that hope that can be a bad thing.”
“I still don’t get why he blamed himself,” said Cordelia. “He didn’t kill her. Why didn’t he blame the mob?”
“Because it was a mob,” replied Buffy. “There was no single face to hate.”
“So he decided to hate his own,” said Xander.
“Well, I suppose we should be leaving now,” said Giles as he picked up his shovel and started to walk away from the grave. The others followed him. If they had looked back they would have seen a figure dressed in black kneel down next to the grave. He pulled a single gold rose from behind his back and gently placed it on the mound of dirt. A moment later he was gone. The trees swayed gently in the wind humming a soft song of mourning to the night.
THE END
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