Title: Millennium
Author: Kylia
Email: kylia_bug@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don’t know.
Rating: PG13 (for now, although that may change)
Spoilers: Nothing really. The 'past' Sunnydale scenes take place in Dec. 1999. And Spike was helping the Scooby gang.
Category: Willow/Spike
Summary: This is a future Fic.
Distribution: Fire & Ice , Wicth Fanfic , anyone else, ask, and you shall receive

Sunnydale December 1999


Willow walked down the streets of Sunnydale in eerie silence. She could still feel death. It surrounded her. It was her. The silence of the night was deafening. The night air was cool against her skin. The trees were stilled due to the lack of breeze. She looked up into the clear night sky and as the stars twinkled down at her she realized this was her life. The night was her existence, for eternity. And she didn’t mind. It felt comfortable. The dark was no longer something to be afraid of but as comfortable as an old friend.

She stopped in front of the doors to Spike’s house. She was hesitant to go in. She didn’t want to see the reminders of all she had lost on this night. The people she couldn’t save. A part of her was angry. They weren’t supposed to be there. If they had listened, maybe they would still be alive. Another part of her, the part that clung to her humanity realized she couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t in their nature to sit by and do nothing.

She took a deep unneeded breath as she sat down on the steps and waited for her companions.

Spike and Angel walked in silence from the master’s lair. They were a couple of blocks behind Willow, but close enough to still see her. It was quiet. The local vampires were staying in tonight. They were probably afraid of being caught in the backlash of the portal’s opening.

Spike was staring after Willow, trying to gauge her mood from her body language. She seemed to be taking the evenings events well. She hadn’t cried, and that’s what worried him. She had lost almost everyone who was close to her. She had lost her life. He wanted her to grieve. He wanted them both to grieve. He found himself saddened by their loss. He wouldn’t go so far as to say that he was saddened by the deaths of the slayer and her merry band, but they had died well. The slayer was a formidable opponent. Much more so than any other that he had come across.

“Angelus.” Spike’s voice broke through the silence of the night. Angel stiffened at Spike’s use of his name. He stopped and looked at his childe. He could see the concern in his blue eyes.

“Will she be alright?”

Angel followed his childe’s gaze to the redhead ahead of them.

“She has lost a lot tonight. But she’s strong. She’ll be fine.” He smiled slightly, realizing the truth to his words. Spike’s next words caught him off-guard.

“So will you, Peaches, so will you.” Spike continued to walk, followed by Angel. He could feel Angel relax slightly, behind him.

Spike had to admit he missed his sire. The last few years had been difficult between the two. So much had changed. So much of their relationship was lost. He remembered when he had first come to Sunnydale three years ago. His sire had disgusted him. He had not only had a soul, but he had gotten involved with the slayer. Of all things, that was the worst. When he had lost his soul, again, the following year, Spike had been ecstatic. Until he realized that Angelus had been tainted by his time with the Slayer. Gone was the sire he remembered, replaced by a bitter copy. That’s not to say that the Angelus he had known wasn’t ruthless, but that he wasn’t driven by a blinding hatred for what he had become for nearly a century.

Things only went downhill from there. Angelus’ return divided him from Druscilla, his dark goddess, causing him to make a deal with the Slayer, which ended with his Sire being sent to hell. He had regretted that. Things had never been the same with Druscilla after that. They had left Sunnydale, only for him to return the following year, in a vain attempt to get his Druscilla back. That was the night things had changed. He didn’t know it at the time, but his fate had been sealed when he kidnapped the fiery redheaded witch. He had wanted her to perform a love spell. He chuckled at the insanity of it. He left Sunnydale, without the spell, only to find himself back there the following year. This time, he was looking for the fabled Ring of Amarra, a sort of Holy Grail for Vampires. When he left Sunnydale that time, he went to Los Angeles, where he took great pleasure in the torture of his sire. That hadn’t worked out as planned. He returned to Sunnydale shortly afterwards with the intent of making the Slayer’s life very difficult, only to be attacked, kidnapped, and ‘neutered’ by a secret commando organization. After he escaped he had been forced into helping the Slayer and her merry band of misfits. One of who was the redheaded witch. The one he had fallen in love with. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, he only knew that it had.

And now, here they were, the dawn of a new millenium approaching, and with it, the realization that they would have to be here, in another one thousand years, to finish what they had started tonight.

Angel sat down next to Willow and smiled, still marveling at the sparkle that still remained in her eyes, despite all that she had lost.

“How are you?” He asked quietly.

Willow turned to look at him, her green eyes staring into his dark ones. “Okay, I guess. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I know they’re gone, but I can’t really feel it, not really. It’s almost as if it happened to someone else.” She turned her gaze to Spike, who was standing a little farther away, letting her speak to Angel in private. “Spike?” She asked.

“Yes, Luv?” He asked as he approached her. He crouched down so that he was at eye level with her.

“Can we… Can we go? I don’t think…” She trailed off, unsure of what she was trying to say. Spike smiled at her and nodded his head. “Sure, Luv. We can leave. You just wait here. I’ll be back.” He stood up and walked past her into his house, knowing that they probably wouldn’t return for a very long time.

Present - Sunnydale 2999


Angel looked out at the darkened sky and sighed unnecessarily. It was close. He could feel it. The power was emanating from the cavern. He hadn’t been back to Sunnydale in a thousand years. It held to many memories. He wondered briefly about the outcome in the fight that lay ahead of them. This time things were different. This time they wouldn’t have to fight the vampires to gain entrance to the portal. This time, it would open without Willow’s assistance. Her very presence in the Hellmouth was enough to cause the portal to open. But this time, she would wage a battle against the evil. Her power was stronger; stronger than it had been that night all those years ago. Stronger than anyone would have believed. Her power grew with each passing day. The centuries had afforded her much control. She had learned to master things no mortal would ever understand. Things that were hard for even him to comprehend.

The sounds of a scuffle outside brought Angel out of his thoughts. He made his way to the front of the house, and nearly stopped cold at the site. There was a young girl. She couldn’t have been more than seventeen. She was surrounded by a group of vampires. She was prepared to fight them, and win. Of that he was sure. She was a slayer, he knew. He wasn’t sure why, but that fact surprised him. She was nothing like Buffy. She was tall, and muscular. With Long black hair, swept into a twist around her face. Her eyes were black, like coal. She stood in a circle of vampires, ready to fight. Angel chuckled at the site as he walked closer.

“Well, what do we have here? A Slayer?” He asked as he made his way into the circle. She eyed him warily.

“Who are you? Their master?” Her tone was cold.

He laughed, a deep rumbling sound. “No, not quite. What is it you want, slayer?” His voice was mocking, reminding him of how much he was more like his unsouled self, than the vampire that had met Willow all those years ago.

“To kill you, of course. That is my job.” She smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re slightly outnumbered, ducks.” Spike said from behind Angel. The slayer craned her neck to see Spike, who was obscured from her view.

She smiled again. A purely evil thing. “I take it, you’re the master of this sorry lot?” She asked, motioning to the vampires that still surrounded her.

“No. That would be me.” Willow’s voice was calm, almost a whisper. As she grabbed the slayer from behind, and twisted her neck almost to the point of breaking. She leaned forward until her lips were inches from the slayer’s ear. “Slayer,” She hissed, “You don’t belong here.” She paused, “I am going to let you go, but know this, You won’t be so lucky the next time.” She let her grip go, and motioned for the vampires to back off.

The slayer stared unbelievingly at the woman standing before her. She noticed her fiery red mane of hair, her emerald green eyes, and her pale complexion. But what really unnerved her was the feel of the woman. She radiated power. She didn’t feel like any vampire she had ever met before.

“You’re not like them.” She stared into Willow’s eyes, while she motioned to Angel and Spike, who were the only vampires left.

Willow’s green eyes sparkled, “No. I’m not.” She paused for effect and then continued, “You don’t belong here, Slayer. I suggest you leave, and not come back.” She watched the Slayer with curious eyes.

The slayer stared at the three vampires, trying to decide whether or not she should leave. Looking into Willow’s green eyes, she noticed a flash of gold, and realized that she may not be able to win a fight with this demon. She nodded once and left the three vampires.

Willow watched the slayer leave and took a deep unneeded breath.

“That girl will be trouble. I want her followed.”

Present Day - December 2999


Julien walked slowly into the Mistress’ chamber. He was nervous. He had news to bring her, and he feared she wouldn’t be pleased. When he entered, he noticed the room was empty, or so it appeared. Julien knew she was there. He couldn't feel her, but that wasn’t unusual. The Mistress had the ability to mask her presence, even among vampires. She was a fascinating creature. Julien was young, at least in comparison to the Mistress and her brood, but he had lived for a few centuries, and had never come across anything that even came close to comparing to her.

He’d heard the rumors for over a hundred years, when he first came to Sunnydale. The local master had been preparing for the day when he could reopen the portal, and set the evil free. Many of the fledglings thought he was crazy. They believed it was a fairy tale, a myth. But the Master was strong; they didn’t dare challenge him. In the past century others had tried, and failed. Julien was not so naďve as to believe that what the Master sought was a myth. He had seen things in his time that even the undead found unbelievable. His sire had been a philosopher, of sorts. He had been a watcher when he was human, and his quest for knowledge had carried over. He instilled that desire into Julien, and he embraced it fully.

When he had first heard the story about the portal, and the last time it had been opened, he knew that it was no myth. The witch who had closed it was still alive. He didn’t know how he knew, but he knew it was true. The Master had feared her. That in and of itself, was something. When they had learned that a group of Vampires had come to Sunnydale, so close to the anniversary of the opening, he knew it was no coincidence. When the Master gave the order to capture them, he knew it couldn’t be done. He knew they would die. He had accepted it. He even welcomed it. He knew that if the Master was successful and the portal was opened, it would mean death for them all.

His need for death had changed the moment he was taken to the mistress. The moment his was standing in the same room as her. He knew she was the one. She was powerful, strong, and deadly. She was also their salvation.

There was something different about her, he knew. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was. She was a vampire, of that there was no doubt, but she was also something else. He supposed it was because she had been such a powerful witch when she was alive, but there was more to it than that.

“Julien.” The Mistress brought Julien out of his inner thoughts, and reminded him of why he had come.

“Mistress. I have some news for you.”

Willow turned to look at her young servant, and smiled. She could tell he was nervous. That meant his news wasn’t good.

“Come. Tell me. What have you learned.” Her voice was calming.

“The Slayer. She has found out about the cavern. She plans on stopping the opening.”

Willow turned around and smiled. “And her watcher? Is he here as well?” She asked, a plan already forming in her mind.

Julien hesitated. “Uh, no. She doesn’t have one. She, uh, She…”

Willow turned back to Julien, her eyes, glinting dangerously. “She killed him? Yes, I thought as much.” She smiled again. “Excellent. Keep an eye on her. I want to know everything that she does. Every movement, every thought. Understood?”

Julien nodded and started to leave, when Willow stopped him. “Julien?”

He turned to look at his Mistress. “Yes, Mistress?”

Willow walked towards the younger vampire. “I’ve been checking up on you. I know what you know. I know what you can do. Don’t be afraid to use your knowledge. Your power is strong.” She smiled at him, signaling that he could leave.

After Julien left, Willow chuckled to herself. When she had killed the Master and taken over his minions, she knew that most of them would die. If not by the battle that lay ahead, than by her own hand. The Master had been stupid, ignorant. His servants weren’t any better. She had expected to find them lacking, and she was not disappointed. What she had not expected was to find Julien. He was different. He wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t very often that she was surprised by a young one, and on this particular occasion it was a rather pleasant surprise.

Moira paced uneasily in her house. She was nervous. She was being watched. She knew it was vampires. She could feel them. She had killed several of them, but every time she did, more would come.

She was out numbered, and out-smarted, by the enemy. That thought didn’t sit well with the Slayer. She had only been called two years ago, but since that time had slain more than she could effectively count. And not just Vampires. She had no conscious to speak of. The innocents didn’t get in the way of her calling. Her watcher had been appalled at her lack of remorse. That was his problem. Well, not anymore it wasn’t. She killed him six months ago, and she never regretted it. The only thing she regretted was that she hadn’t done it when she was first called.

She was alone now. The council had abandoned her. In killing her watcher she had ended a long line of watchers. Generations, that spanned the millenium. Her watcher had once told her about his ancestor. He was a Watcher who lived on the Hellmouth. This Hellmouth, and survived, well almost. He had eventually died. That had been a thousand years ago. Her watcher spoke of the man with a great deal of respect. It didn't matter. Nothing did. He was just another watcher, another mortal who didn’t deserve to live. She laughed out loud. When she was through, they would all be dead. Every last one of them. The mortals, the vampires, the demons. It didn’t matter, they would all die.

It had been a long time since she had been afraid, and she refused to admit that she was now. Fear was for the weak, and she wasn’t weak. She would wait, and soon, they would slip up, they would make a mistake, and immortality would be hers. Then, nothing would stand in her way. Nothing would stop her from plunging the world into eternal darkness.

“Mistress?” David entered the chamber.

“Yes, David?” Willow smiled. He was her favorite childe.

“I have spoken to Lydia. She has the information you requested.”

Willow turned around, her back towards the vampire. “Good. Where are the others?” She asked as she gazed out at the starless sky.

“Out. Hunting. They’ve been gone for several hours, and should return soon.”

Willow nodded. “When they return, tell them we have what we need.” She turned, and stepped past her childe. “I’m hungry. I’ll be back soon.”

David watched his sire slip out of the house into the darkness.

Willow walked through the park, seeking out her prey with a stealth that was unheard of, even for her kind. She could feel her prey. He was getting closer. He thought he could out run her. He thought he could hide. He should know better.

She approached a tree. She knew the creature was hiding on the other side, awaiting his death. Willow looked up, and lunged silently for the branch, which was beckoning to her, like an arm to help her up. She flipped and found herself crouching above the stiff bark. The tree was old; she could feel its life surging through its tendrils. Willow smiled, as she peered over the side to see her prey. He was crouched on one side of the tree, listening. When he didn’t hear her, he slowly made his way around the tree. Believing he was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was short-lived. Willow chose that moment to pounce. Like a graceful cheetah, she flew out of the tree, landing mere centimeters away from her prey.

Spike and Angel returned to the lair, expecting to find Willow waiting for them. She had only gone out hunting once since they had returned. Angel believed it was because Sunnydale reminded her of who she used to be. Reminded her that she was different now. She was the predator, and not the prey.

“Willow, Luv. Are you here?” Spike called out as he walked passed his sire into Willow’s chamber. The room was empty.

“David!” Spike barked, as he left the room in search of his grand childe.

David poked his head in from outside at the sound of Spike’s voice.

“Master, the mistress has gone hunting. She will return shortly.”

Spike nodded, “And Lydia? Have we heard from her?” He asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes. She has found the text. She will be here before morning.” David started to return to the night air, but then he hesitated.

“David? What is it?” Angel asked, noticing the indecision play out among the younger vampire’s features.

David turned to face his great grand sire. “It’s Lydia. She sounded… disturbed.”

“How so?” Angel asked, growing concerned. David was not one to worry needlessly.

“She says that the Mistress was right.”

“As she always is.” Spike chuckled.

David smiled. “This Slayer. She’s a liability. She will try and stop the ritual. Lydia believes that she wants the power for herself.”

Angel sunk into a nearby chair as he thought about what they had just learned. “Could she be wrong? What exactly did she see?” Angel’s voice was laced with dread.

“She’s not wrong.” Spike looked at his Sire with such intensity, Angel realized that he knew something.

“Willow knew that there would be someone here. Someone with the desire to undo what we did.” He paused, “But it won’t matter.” Spike said the last as he left the room, leaving Angel and David to think about what he had said.

He stared at the creature. She was like nothing he had ever seen. He had known she was after him. But he realized that he only possessed that knowledge, because she allowed him to. He had no doubt that if she had wanted to remain unseen by him, she would have. That frightened him.

She was a creature of legend. Something that many didn’t believe existed. There were rumors about what she had done here centuries ago. For most, they were just that, rumors. But his people believed she would one day return, to finish what she had started. And so they stayed, and waited, for the day when their history would come full circle.

He had been taught that it was his sacred duty to insure that she would fail. The evil must be released. So it was written, so it must be. His people believed their was no price too high, to insure victory. He didn’t agree. He had allied himself with the slayer. That was a mistake. He had thought that if he could manipulate the Slayer into going after the creature, she would be too busy to stop what was to come.

He was wrong. Not only had he underestimated the creature, he had made a serious error in the form of the Slayer. She would try to stop the creature, but only for her own gain. That couldn’t be allowed to happen.

But, he was no fool. He knew where his priorities lay. His sole responsibility was to the evil, and that which was required to allow it its freedom. The Slayer wasn’t his concern. However he feared that if he didn’t make her his concern, things would go badly.

He stared into the eyes, of the creature, deciding on his best course of action. He could never outrun her; he couldn’t kill her, so instead he waited, for her to make the first move.

“You should have left, when you had the chance.” Willow hissed.

The demon tried to back away, slowly. Before he had moved more than an inch, Willow had flipped over him, and had him pressed up against the trunk of the tree.

“You do know who I am, do you not?”

The demon tried to speak, but this action was hindered by the amount of pressure she was putting on his throat. He nodded as she eased up the pressure.

“Your people are fools. But them, I understand. They had a purpose. A reason for being.” She let go and let his body drop to the floor, “But, you, Vaynaya, you ally your self with the Slayer!” She spat viscously at the demon. “You reek of her foul stench!” Willow took a deep breath and continued, “It doesn’t matter. You will die, and she will fail.” She took another step towards him, but was stopped by his words.

“Why do you hate the Slayer so? You aren’t like the others.”

Willow laughed out loud.

“You think so? What do you, a Vaynaya demon know of me?” When he seemed unwilling, or unable to answer, she continued, “Oh, I am sure that you have history books filled with tales of what happened here a thousand years ago. Books that tell you what will happen again in a few days, but they are just books, and dusty ones at that.

“I have lived for a millennia. I have seen things you could never conceive of.” She grinned wildly at the confused demon.

“And you, in all your wisdom, believe that I should not despise the Slayer, because I am different than others of my kind?” She asked. When he nodded weakly, she continued, “Well, I am a vampire, lest you forget.” She chuckled, at the humor in the situation, “But, that is not what makes me hate the Slayer.” She spat the last word like venom.

At the demon’s curious gaze, she laughed again, but only for a moment. “In my time, the word Slayer meant something. It was something to be feared. She stood for something. I knew a slayer once, well actually several of them.” When the demon looked even more confused, she elaborated, “Before the change, I knew three of them. But the best was Buffy. There was never a Slayer like her, nor has there been one since.” Her voce had taken on a sad note, but as soon as it was there, it was gone again. She took a swift step towards the demon, and grabbing him fiercely across the throat, she lifted him high above the ground. Her voice was a deadly hiss.

“But, that’s neither here nor there.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. She wasn’t in the mood to play with her food.

She brought the demon down to rest against her chest, as she tilted his neck, and sank her fangs into the pulse point. She felt his bitter blood being drawn into her body. The taste was unmistakable. It was powerful. It gave her strength. It had been such along time since she had drained a demon of his breed.

As she felt he life slipping away, Willow was infused with a tremendous amount of energy. She chuckled to herself as she let his lifeless body fall to the ground.

She turned around as she felt a presence, watching her. She couldn’t see them, but she could feel their life energy radiating from less than a yard away. She grinned evilly as her human visage slid back into place.

“There is only one way this can end, Slayer, “ She snarled into the darkness, “I’ll be coming for you next.”




Next Chapter