-
Lyra curled up in the chair in front of the computer. She had waited patiently while her sister finished before she went on and logged onto Facebook. She didn’t have to worry her parents too much with how long she was going to be staying up. It was a Saturday evening and she had just gotten back from helping Faith, Xander and Spike slay a bunch or green demons that had big beefy arms, hairy shoulders, a huge spike like growth out of the top of their head and pig like noses. They looked like orcs. She forgot what Xander called them and she decided to go with orcs.
With Slaying done she just wanted to relax. She decided to update her Facebook profile while watching Fright Night Saturdays. She didn’t pay much attention to the movie but only turned to the screen when she new Charley was going to be on . During the commercial breaks she would look over at Lina’s bed and saw that her sister still had her eyes wide open.
“Today was kind of boring,” Lyra typed. “I did all of my chores, studied for my chemistry test that will be on Tuesday and worked more on my paper on Edgar Allen Poe.” That paper didn’t have to be due in two weeks, but she figured if she worked on it at least a page a day she would get it done in time. She already had two typed and it had to be somewhere between three and five. She would have plenty of time to proof and edit it.
“Any new friends?” Lina asked.
“Yup,” Lyra said. She wasn’t sure she was going to add them until she knew them. Ever since it got out that she was dating Charley Brewster half the school wanted to friend her. She only friended those that she actually spoke too and shared common interests, mostly it was her classmates and the classmates of the other Avengers.
“Talking about what you did tonight?”
“Pretty much,” Lyra lied. She was not going to mention her slaying. She mentioned she went out for pizza with her friends as it had been a while since they sat down for a few slices at the Hut. Her friends did go to Pizza Hut and she probably would have joined them if it weren’t for the orcs.
“Welcome back to Fright Night Saturday’s,” Chaz Broker greeted the viewers. “There are many things out there that lurk in the shadows, not just vampires and werewolves. Some come from deep within the pits of hell. Some come from beneath the sea.” He pointed to the sky. “Some even come from outerspace and other dimensions. It is always best to be armed against such evil.” He held up a cross. “Crosses work against demons as well and other evil spirits but make sure you have complete faith in it, or it might not work. Lets see if Timmy and his friends will know what to do.”
“You are so lucky,” Lina sighed.
“I am. I’m lucky to have a sister that doesn’t make fun of my boyfriend or try to annoy me when he is over.”
“I’d do that if he was lame, besides Tony does that.”
“Used to,” Lyra corrected. Tony had laid off when he got involved with Jessica. “We’ll I’m done with the computer.” She logged off and crawled into bed.
She watched the rest of the movie while she fought off the effects of the sandman. When it was over she turned off the TV and rolled over in bed.
-
Another evening of slaying had come to an end and Faith was ready to relax, not that she didn’t enjoy the kill of the evening, especially since it was something else besides vampires for a change. The Klai-Haussen demons were pretty strong and very stupid. After Faith was able to out smart them and before she made the final kill she could see why people would choose astronaut over cavemen.
After they returned home she climbed into the shower and once she was clean and dressed in a pair of colorful pajama bottoms and tank top she wrapped her hair in a towel and came down stairs to nurse a beer and watch some TV.
They all watched Unicorn Boy’s show. Faith bit back hard several times to keep from shouting at the heroes how they were being stupid and doing it wrong. Xander shouted a few times at the heroes as did Spike. The vampire also bitched at the villains and compared to how he was in the old days that he would never let his guard down like that.
Once the show was over Drusilla and Xander climbed upstairs to go to bed. Spike and Ed went to go feed off of the cows again and Faith stretched out on the couch and switched channels looking for something else to watch. Dru’s pet climbed into her lap and she scratched him gently around the ears. She was so into the show and half asleep she barley heard Unicorn Boy come in. He went straight for the kitchen for his blood. She did not realize how tired she was until she had drifted off to sleep.
-
Faith walked around a house that she had never been in before. The lights kept dimming and she could hear an odd static sound. She had to find the source. It might be a demon, or a dark wizard or witch about to cast a spell, or a restless spirit or even a robot.
There were a lot of artistic and fancy decorations in the place. Several of those seemed to be antiques from the paintings down to the mirror. Faith walked in front of the mirror and nearly jumped back. The woman staring her in the face was not her.
“Am I in your body again, B?” Faith asked as she stared at Buffy’s face. She looked down at herself and saw that she was not wearing the same outfit as Buffy in the mirror. One glance of her arm and she could see her tattoo. She was still wearing dark red nail polish on her fingers, or what hadn’t chipped away yet. Buffy’s was more of a beige color. Blah. Nude colors were so boring; of course she would wear that. Faith grabbed her hair and could see from the corners of her eyes that it was still the same brown color, texture and length. What was going on?
“You are not quite her,” a male voice behind her said. “You wish to be her.”
“Where the hell did you get that kind of idea?” Faith asked. She turned around and saw a tall man with dark curly hair and warm brown eyes dressed in a dorky suit. Somebody was taking the metrosexual movement a little to seriously.
“Mirrors show the truth.” The man said.
“Well this one is broken.” Faith turned around. She could see Buffy still looking back at her and no one else. The man did not have a reflection. “Except it shows the truth about you.”
“It shows everything.”
“I wanted to be like her once, not any more. I am me. I have a purpose.” Her reflection was wiggling like the reflection on body of water. “I have friends.” The image in the mirror swirled around and became even more distorted. “A family, a life. I am Faith Lehane.” The distorted image became clearer, steadier. She was no longer looking at Buffy, but herself.
“I see you have it all figured out.” He put his arms around her.
“Except for one detail.” She threw his arms off and spun around to face him. “Who are you?”
“Ask your new friends,” the man said. “They should know.” He reached for Faith again only to have his hand’s smacked away. “Don’t make this more difficult my dear.”
“You’ve never danced with a Slayer before,” Faith said. She kicked him back and ran off to find something that can be turned into a stake.
“You’re my first,” the vampire said. “And you will not be my last.” He shoved her against the wall and opened his mouth, revealing his long and curved fangs.
There was a crash and a door flew across the room with one of its hinges and a bit of doorframe attached. A woman in a red dress with matching heels walked into view. She had curly blond hair that fell past the shoulders and did seem kind of pretty.
“Hey,” the woman shouted and looked quite annoyed. “Who said you can feed in front of me?”
“Who are you?” The vampire asked.
“Who am I?” The woman looked shocked that neither one of them recognized her. “There was a time when people knew who I was. They feared me, the respected me and they praised me.” She turned up her nose. “Except that got annoying fast, like I haven’t heard their little sniveling and groveling praises a million times.” She sighed. “They either don’t know me at first or have idiotic sugar sap spewing from their holes. I would just love to have a nice balance.” She held up her hands. “You know like the little brass scales and they are just lined up right.”
“You are annoying,” the vampire said to her.
“Excuse me?” The woman blinked. “I’m annoying? I’m the one that is annoyed. I came here for a nice brain and instead I come across a vampire and a Slayer. I’m in no mood to fight for my meal with her.” She nodded at Faith and turned toward the vampire. “And I aint sticking my fingers in a vampire, even I have standards—and what the hell is that around your neck?”
“I think that’s called an ascot,” Faith said.
“Ascot?” The woman repeated and laughed. “Seriously? That is kind of a funny word isn’t?” The woman giggled.
“It’s a scarf,” the vampire said and continued to glare at the woman.
She turned back to the vampire. “You know it is kind of a pity you have a face like that.” She grabbed him by the chest and threw him over his shoulder as if he were a rag doll.
“What do you want?” Faith asked.
“What do I want?” The woman repeated the question and placed two of her fingers under her mouth. “I want a lot of things. I want my own float at holiday parades. I want my own holiday to be exact. I want a pony, a plastic rocket ship but mostly I want my damn key so I can go home, as for right now I can settle on a nice tasty brain.”
“I know you,” Faith said as soon as it dawned on her. “You’re Glory.”
“Thank you,” Glory said as she threw up her hands. “Finally someone gets it.”
“Yeah why don’t you get in touch with your inner pretty boy?” Faith rammed her fists into Glory’s stomach before she kicked her with all her strength. To her surprise she was actually able to kick the god into another room.
Faith ran into the room. There was no sign of Glory, nor any sign of that vampire either. “I know this movie.” She looked around in one direction. She had to be cautious or the two will attack her again.
“I know this movie too,” a gravelly voice said as a white hand ending in sharp claws grab’s her by the shoulder. “Except in this case the sassy brunette heroine dies.”
-
Lyra grumbled as headed towards the kitchen for breakfast and wondered if there were pancakes and if there weren’t any would she be awake enough to make them. There was no one in the kitchen, no one in the house at all but her. Looks like she was going to make her own pancakes then.
“Good morning, Lyra,” a male voice greeted her. “Care to join me at the table?” The strange man from Lyra’s previous dream was there at the head of the table where her father usually sat.
“What are you doing here?” Lyra asked. “Who let you in?”
“You did of course with your invite.” He smiled warmly at her. “Come sit down.”
“I don’t remember talking with you,” Lyra said as she sat down at her usual place at the table. “Not outside of dreams.”
“Are you really dreaming?” The man asked. “How do you know if this is real and the other world is a dream or not.”
“Are you living in the real world, or are you stuck in a dream?” A new voice asked.
“That’s from the Cowboy Bebop Mo-“ Lyra turned to see who spoke to her and froze.
The man sitting at the other end of the table was clearly not human or at least parts of him were not. Half his head and face was that of a human male and the other half was some green demon creature. He was like a Frankenstein type monster of a creature that also had cybernetic parts attached to him.
“There are times when the situation would call for a quote from a movie,” the creature said.
“Who are you?” Lyra asked.
“I am Adam and before that I have no idea.”
“At least you answer when you are addressed unlike this guy.” She turned back where the other man was sitting. “Where did he go?”
“That is a good question,” Adam said as he stood up. “But that will have to be answered at another time.” He headed over towards Lyra.
Lyra sprung from her seat and picked up her chair. She used it to strike Adam several times with little effect until it broke. Great, her parents were going to blame her for that one. She kicked him twice in the chest that sent him back before she ran for the back door.
She entered what looked like some underground facility with several empty cages. Now she knew she was in a dream. “At least my house won’t be trashed.”
“You’re a Slayer.” Adam entered the room. “I always wanted to dissect one.” A skewer shot forward from his arm.
“Too bad,” Lyra said as she threw punches at kicks at the monster while she blocked his attacks. She spun around and ducked and jumped up again and grabbed him by the bone skewer and snapped it in half. “Sorry Logan, but no Slayer kabob today.”
“Who is this Logan?”
“A character,” Lyra answered. “I could show you the great big world of comics. We can read them, watch the movies and discuss them, or philosophy. You seem intelligent and the type to want to discuss such things.”
“I do,” Adam said. “But I also like violence.” He smiled until there was the sound of electric crackles and his eyes widened. He fell forward.
Behind him was a pale woman dressed in black with long black hair and black eyes. She had black veins on her face. “So do I.” Her eyes went completely black. “Play now.”
-
Faith took one look at the hand that had grabbed her and reached for the wrist of her new assailant. She tried to pull him over her shoulder and throw him down hard on the ground but he was too strong.
“Now I like a good chick that can kick my ass,” the creature said. “But face it. I’m stronger.”
“Not as strong as you may think.” She was still holding onto his arm and twisted it while she stomped down on his foot. She was strong enough to wrench away. She didn’t even bother to get a good look at him before she thrashed with every fighting move she knew.
“Fierce,” the creature said. He was pale white all over. His bald head, ears and nose reminded Faith of a bat. His upper lip was pinkish red. “I like that in my food.”
“Your dead,” Faith told him. “You and Glory both, Buffy defeated you.”
“The question is can you?” The Master asked.
“I’ll show you what I got,” Faith said. She launched herself at the Master delivering several kicks to his chest. The force was strong enough to knock him on his back. She ran over him and to another room. She was going to need a big stake to kill him.
There was something on the floor in the third room, something red and shiny and with an even shinier blade. The Slayer Scythe was on the floor. Faith knew the stake at the bottom might be not enough to kill the Master, but she could use the blade to chop off his head.
“Nuh uh uh,” a familiar voice said as soon as Faith reached for it. It stopped her cold. “You can’t play with that just yet.” Richard Wilkins walked into view. “Technically it is yours since it belongs to all Slayers, but you are going to have to wait your turn.”
-
Lyra stared at the strange woman who was still holding Adam’s battery. “Are you a good demon?”
“Demon?” The woman seemed somewhat amused as she crushed the battery. “I’m far more powerful than any demon. You happened to be one of Buffy’s little students?”
“No I’m one of Xander’s,” Lyra said. As soon as she had mentioned his name the color of the woman’s eyes flickered from black to blue-green for a brief second.
“Keep that up,” a voice said from behind.
“Bored now,” the woman said and shot bolts of energy out.
Lyra was struck head on and flew backwards into the wall, and crashed into another odd place. She was surrounded by stonewalls and there was a statue of a buff looking demon.
“You are doing it wrong,” the same male voice said. “She’s a friend and drunk on power. She has an odd name, shares it with a tree and a George Lucas movie.”
“Tree and a Lucas film,” Lyra repeated as she stood up.
“Still want to play?” The woman asked as she floated into the room. She shot another blast at Lyra.
Lyra jumped at the last second as she tried to think. The titles of the movies flashed through his head. “Of course. The poor man’s Lord of the Rings.” She turned to the woman. “You are Willow.”
“And?” Willow asked.
“And you are a witch,” Lyra said as she recalled everything that Xander had told her. “You’re a good witch. You did a lot of good spells. You restored Angel’s soul and brought Buffy back to life.”
“Getting pretty bored with all this talk.” Willow fired off more energy blasts.
Lyra kept jumping and dancing. “You don’t want to do this. I don’t know what kind of spell you are on, but if you hurt me, then you will hurt Xander.”
Willow froze. Her eyes turned normal again and her vein’s lightened, but only for a few seconds before she resumed her attack.
“Keep talking about him,” the mystery man said.
Lyra continued to run around. “Xander met you in kindergarten when you broke a crayon and you cried.” She had tried to remember what Xander had told her about the time Willow nearly destroyed the world. She forgotten the reason why Willow cried or what color the crayon was. “Xander was you best friend and had a crush on him, which I can understand he is pretty easy on the eyes.”
“Stop it,” Willow snarled and fired another blast at her.
Lyra was struck and rolled across the ground. “You guys used to date until he stole your Barbie, but you were still friends. You helped him with his homework and gave him a little bit of the lunches you packed. You used to have a crush on this Giles guy.”
“Stop it,” Willow repeated but now she was crying. They veins were gone from her face. “Stop it.”
“Your first boyfriend was Oz and he flirted with you using animal crackers and he got you a little witch pez dispenser. You were the one who made it possible for us all to be activated. I want to be your friend and I want my friends to meet you. Ronnie is really smart and great with computers and Rissa is good with magic. She has the potential to become a good witch.”
Willow was on her knees and still crying. Color returned to her face and her hair turned from black to red while her eyes turned blue again.
“Good job,” the voice said and a tall man dressed in clothes similar to what Spike and Ed wore stepped into view. He was very handsome even with his hair that seemed to stick straight up. “Now I won’t worry about getting that pesky little spark back.” He grabbed Willow from behind.
“Who are you?” Lyra asked.
“You ask that question too much.” His face vamped out and he grabbed Willow’s neck and snapped it.
-
“Impossible,” Faith said as she kept looking at Richard.
“Don’t you dare say that,” he said and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer. “No little Slayer of mine is going to be easily defeated. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.” He squeezed a dollop of the gel and rubbed his hands together. “Now let me see your hands. They have been touching nasty and filthy things.”
Faith held out her hands. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve been around and heard you were kicking up a fuss again.” He squeezed a little of the sanitizer into her hands. “Decided to see my favorite girl and what do I see? You are playing for the other team again.”
“I am my own team,” Faith said as she rubbed her hands together.
“Now that’s my girl. I heard you gave my new friend some trouble.”
“New friend?”
“Come in here Jerry.” He slapped himself up the side of his head. “Can’t believe myself at times. I should have introduced the two of you already.”
“Yes?” The mystery vampire asked as he stepped up beside Richard.
“Faith this is Jerry,” Richard introduced. “Jerry this if Faith. I’m certain she is sorry about earlier, but I must say I’m not pleased with how you made your first impression on her. You were a little bit too forward with her.”
“I’ll have to apologize,” Jerry said, never losing that smile. “I look forward to working with the two of you.”
“Now Faith, are you going to apologize? We have to start this team on the right foot you know.”
“I am sorry,” Faith said and grabbed the Scythe. “But I’m over you.” She slashed it down on the Mayor. He shattered like a porcelain doll upon impact. She went after Jerry and he also shattered. She came across Glory and the Master and broke them before she tore through the walls.
-
Faith was still thrashing with the Scythe as she felt hands grab onto her and voices telling her to take it easy. She punched someone before she sat up.
“Easy, Vixen,” Spike told her. “Nightmare is over.”
“I hit someone,” Faith said. She saw both Spike and Charley staring at her with worried expressions, behind them was Drusilla in her nightgown. “I didn’t hit Xander did I?”
“No, you hit Ed,” Charley said and stared at the ground. “Knocked him out pretty hard.”
“Where’s Xander?” Faith asked.
“Asleep,” Drusilla said. “You were screaming and I heard it in my head.”
“It’s over, love,” Spike said. “Want to talk about it?”
“Later,” Faith said as she got off of the couch. She noticed how it was getting lighter outside. “Need help getting Ed to bed?”
“The two of us can manage,” Charley said. “You should go to bed if you can.”
“I’ll warm up some milk and tuck you in,” Dru said.
“Sure,” Faith told her. “I’ll tell you everything at sunset.”
-
Lyra gasped as she stared at Willow’s lifeless body. She wanted to cry, but she also knew she had to fight this threat.
“Aw are you going to cry about it little girl?” The vampire asked.
“No,” Lyra said as she looked around the room. She saw a sword. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Oh please,” the vampire said. “Buffy barely could keep up with me. What makes a junior Slayer like yourself have a chance?”
“Because I can.” She grabbed the sword and ran off the vampire.
“This is just sad,” the vampire said as he pulled out a different sword. “Some little girl is going to try and save the world.”
“Don’t you want it to be too easy?” Lyra asked as she swung her blade against his. “Cause if that is what you want too bad.”
He blocked her attack and swung forward. “Of course not. Too easy will take the fun out.” He tried to thrust again and was blocked. “And I like fun.”
“You have an interesting definition of fun,” Lyra said as she blocked his attack and struck forward.
“I’m an interesting guy.”
The danced like this for several minutes. Neither one getting an upper hand, no one was being defeated.
“Not smart for you to come all alone,” he said as he dodged another attack.
“I’m never alone,” Lyra said. “My friends, my family all those who I love are with me in some fashion.”
“I tire of that human sap.” He thrust again grazing Lyra’s side.
She winced from the pain. “You are tired?” She brought her fist down at the blade before he pulled back and cracked the metal. “Good, because time to sleep.” She thrust it into his chest.
“Lyra?” the vampire spoke with Charley’s voice. It was Charley.
“Oh god,” Lyra said as she looked up into her boyfriend’s eyes. “Charley I’m sorry.” How did this happen. Was she fighting him all this time? What kind of sorcery was this?
“Don’t be,” Charley said. “Sword can’t hurt me.”
“No,” Lyra said. She stared at the handle of the sword and saw that it was now the base of a stake. “Oh no, Charley I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Charley said weakly.
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
“Close your eyes.” She watched as her boyfriend fall to the ground, dead. She crumpled to the ground and cried.
-
“Lyra wake up,” Lina was shouting at her and shaking her.
“Lina?” Lyra asked as she sat up.
“You were crying in your sleep.”
“Oh god.” Lyra wiped away the tears. “I just had the worst dream ever.”