author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13
pairing: will eventually be Willow/Charlie Weasley and Suzie/Spike
disclaimer: I don't own anyone that you recognize from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter. There will be some original characters.
distribution: Bite Me, Twisting the Hellmouth, WLS, NHA, anyone else just ask.
set early season 4 BtVS, roughly book 4 (Goblet of Fire)
* * * * * *
"Weasley! We have a problem." The voice of Devrah Khamsin rang loudly through the twilight air, startling birds into flight and tiny animals scurrying. She was a large woman, standing a bit over six feet tall, with muscles like a rugby player and voice that would have been well suited to a military drill ground. It served her well for making herself heard in the wilderness, or anywhere else that she strode.
It had a similar effect on the various people employed at the Romanian Dragon Preserve. They scattered, trying to vanish or look very busy, all feeling very glad that they weren't Weasley. All except for the man summoned, a lean red haired man dressed in scuffed dragon hide pants, boots and jacket, the left half of his hair almost three inches shorter than the right, the bottom singed and twisted from some source of flame. His eyes twinkled as he walked over to what passed as an office for the woman who ran the preserve like a tyrant.
Charlie Weasley looked at her, feeling almost small in comparison. "What's wrong, and I most likely had nothing to do with it."
"Cute. One of the Ridgebacks is missing. Old Maleficent's not in her cave, and nobody can find claw or scale of her. More disturbing, there's a strong magic trace at the stream she drinks at." Devrah's dark eyes were grim.
Charlie gaped, feeling the sudden urge to sit down, refraining because there wasn't a chair. "Someone stole Maleficent? Why would someone steal a full grown Romanian Ridgeback dragon? Where would they put her?"
Devrah shook her head, the short locks of her hair, never more than chin length, flopping a bit with the movement. "We don't know who or why, but the magic feels... It felt like there was a transportation spell in there. Not only that, but the residue gives anyone who goes into the area the collywobbles, so I'm guessing whoever did this belongs to the Dark. Maybe even to He Who Should Not Be Named. I want you to go find that dragon and bring her back. Preferably before the breeding season."
"Why me?" He'd meant the question rhetorically, not expecting an answer.
"Because you're resourceful, in good shape with no injuries right now, and with all those younger brothers of yours, you're devious. Resourceful, devious, and you're lucky. I don't know who took her or where she is now, but I have confidence that you can get her back. Bend the rules if you have to, step on official toes, I don't care. Just bring Maleficent back. Here's your travel visa." Devrah's voice carried a tone of command, and the implication that he should get going immediately, if not sooner.
When she got into one of her moods, he'd rather try to argue with a thunderstorm. "Yes ma'am. I'll just pick up a few things and try to get a heading from that residue."
Charlie stopped long enough to grab a few more things, including a chest of possible supplies, shrunk small enough to fit into his jacket pocket, and a few papers, claiming quite truthfully that he was on official business for the Romanian Dragon Preserve. Just to be safe, he also grabbed another jar of burn ointment. Maleficent might have vanished, but there were other dragons around the area. It was good to be prepared, especially considering the range that they could send their fire.
The more he thought about things, the more certain he was that whoever was responsible was up to something very bad. Very few groups or organizations would even have the power to accomplish something of this scale. And anyhow, there wasn't a lot that you could do with a dragon. Granted, the various parts were used as ingredients in all sorts of potions, and most of a dragon could be used, but... the idea of someone attempting to poach Maleficent was absurd. The reason why she'd been named after the foul tempered evil fairy in a fairy tale was the simple fact that for a dragon, she was foul tempered, cunning, and she seemed to take enjoyment out of trying to scorch people.
Carefully, he went to the section of stream where Maleficent drank, the undergrowth scorched away, the ground clawed and turned, the tree trunks scored by claws. There was no doubting that a dragon frequented this place. There was also no mistaking the residual magic traces. They gave him a shivering feeling, like something skittering over the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and tried to read the layered mess of magic. There was some sort of paralysis spell, probably to keep her still while they took her away. There was also something else, a big silencing spell, probably to keep anyone from noticing what they were up to. He recognized the general type, having mastered a simple, small area silence spell during his time at Hogwarts, having found that it made setting up pranks so much easier. Then there was the transport spell.
He sighed, coming to the conclusion that no matter how heroic the idea of charging off alone to defeat the bad guys and rescue the... ahh, well, the dragon happened to be, he just couldn't. He had only a vague 'that way, and very far' from the traces, and that just wasn't good enough.
Sighing, Charlie wondered if there was any possible way to avoid having to deal with Suzie. She was a whiz at all sorts of divination, but she was just... weird. It was as if she'd seen a few things to many, or maybe a few of her wits just hadn't come back from one of her vision trances, but whatever the cause, she was a rather odd woman. He made his way to the small cottage that she stayed in, knocking on her door.
"Come in, you burning hunk of love." Her voice sounded at the same moment his knuckles connected to the wooden door.
He really wasn't looking forward to this. Suzie was loopy, unpredictable... and she seemed to delight in flirting with him. He was doomed.
end part 1.
Charlie opened the door slowly, slinking into the cottage. Everything was draped in soft, pastel gauze, delicate china and crystal nick knacks lining the mantle and filling shelves. A fragile looking porcelain tea set with a lacy pattern in pale rose sat on the low table, and wisps of fragrant steam rose from its spout. Suzie sat in one chair, almost reminiscent of a queen on her throne. Her gown was a pale green accented with pink ribbons and lace, looking like something that belonged on the cover of one of those dreadful historical romances that girls liked to read so much. Her hair was a dark brown, most of it caught up in elaborate curls, with thin wisps falling around her face.
Suzie was one of those people who craved drama and excitement in her life. She couldn't stand the idea of a calm, normal life, and if there wasn't enough drama, she would stir some up. She also kept trying to shape her life into something that belonged on one of those bad romances. If she wasn't such a spot-on divinator, he had no idea where Suzie would be right now. Maybe acting.
"What brings you here, handsome?" Her voice even fit the part, a somewhat high, breathy voice. A gesture with one slender, elegantly manicured hand indicated that he should seat himself on the couch across from her.
Trying not to sigh, Charlie settled himself gingerly on the pale green draped couch, sinking into soft, slightly mushy feeling cushions. "There's a problem, Suzie. Somebody stole one of the dragons, and they used a long distance teleportation spell. All I can tell is that they went sort of west, but... that isn't very helpful. I need... I need you to help me find them so I can get Maleficent back."
Suzie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Why Maleficent? Why not one with a sweeter... well, not so vile temper?"
"I wish I knew, but I don't think it can be anything good." Charlie tried to figure out the fastest way out of this cottage.
She sighed, tapping one finger against her chin. "Drink your tea, and then after I read the leaves for you, we can go to the place where the spell residue is."
Rolling his eyes slightly, Charlie drank the tea, some sort of sweet blend that tasted of apples, cinnamon and ginger. She took the cup from his hands, looking intently at the dregs on the bottom.
"Lets see now, a long journey... hmm, danger, threats to your life... oh, romance! You're going to meet a lovely young lady who'll make quite the impression on you." She looked up at him, batting her long eyelashes suggestively.
Charlie winced. "Just what I always wanted to hear... Let's go check out the residue."
Somehow, the trek back to the stream felt four times longer than the trip from the stream to Suzie's cottage. When they arrived, Suzie frowned, staring at the area, her eyes looking rather unfocussed as she swayed back and forth, humming slightly as she read the remains of the spells. One hand was outstretched, hovering over the ground as if seeking out the currents of power, seeking to read their secrets.
"Far away, over land and sea... where have they taken you? Far away, to a place of darkness and shadow and death... to burn and destroy... Silly people, you can't bind a dragon's will for very long..." Her eyes had this unfocused look that gave Charlie goosebumps, and her voice had taken on a lilting, almost song-like tone.
She shook her head, another wisp of dark hair falling out of the elaborate style. "First, they tried a spell to bind the dragon to obey them. That won't last very long, dragons are very strong willed creatures. Then, they took her away, far away... umm, sorry. They took her across the ocean, somewhere over in America. If I had a map, I could show you... the emanations of the other end of the spell are unmistakably dark. It's not going to be fun, but I did say that I needed an adventure."
Charlie sighed yet again, hating the fact that he did that so often when Suzie was around. "I have an atlas. If you can give us a continent to start with, we can start there and narrow it down."
"North America." Her voice didn't contain a single ounce of hesitation.
He held open the pages, watching as Suzie let her eyes unfocus, and her hand came to rest on a coastal section of the California. "I need a map of here. This one's to big to get a good location."
Flipping to a page that was mostly just the state of California, he watched as she went through it again, this time able to pinpoint a town. Whoever had stolen Maleficent had taken or sent her to somewhere called Sunnydale, in California.
He just had to wonder what was important enough about one small town almost halfway around the world that anyone would go to that much trouble.
"It's a good thing that I had my swimsuit packed. I'm going with you." Suzie's voice interrupted Charlie's thougts.
"What?" He felt something not quite the same as fear, more like a sinking dismay flow through him. She wanted to go with him? He'd be forced to endure her company for... he was doomed.
"Now to make our arrangements and go to Sunnydale. We have a dragon to find." Charlie's voice wasn't exactly cheerful. Then again, he didn't see anything to be particularly cheerful about.
end part 2.
Willow had gone on a patrol with Buffy, listening as her friend talked about how cute the Teacher's Assistant for their Psychology class was. Yes, Riley Finn was a big, muscular hunk of man, but he really wasn't Willow's type at all. She preferred well, more grace than raw brute force. But Riley did seem like a good guy for Buffy, at least as far as they could tell.
s
It didn't hurt so much to hear someone being interested in guys anymore. She'd been healing from the horrible emotional wounds that Oz's betrayal and abandonment had caused. Partly by her lowly growing friendship with Tara, a shy girl that she'd met at the laughable Campus Wiccan group, and Tara had a crush on Graham Miller, who seemed to be a good friend of Buffy's crush, Riley Finn. Oddly enough, she was also helped in her recovery by Spike. His blood curdling stories about his 'glory days' before the 'evil chip' seemed to give no slack for her pain, but... they'd come to a sort of informal agreement. If he listened to her talk about Oz, either the 'good times' or the pain he'd caused by running away, then she'd listen to him talk about Dru. And she wouldn't call Dru a 'skanky ho' or a 'loony psycho killer' like Buffy and Xander did, even if she did think there was a bit of truth in both descriptions.
She still figured that Buffy had mainly asked her to patrol with for two reasons, first, to listen to how 'drool-worthy' Riley was, and secondly because she gave the sort of descriptions of mysterious demons that Giles liked. Buffy's 'tall, gruesome, and did I mention he smelled like old gym shoes?' tended not to be very helpful to Giles. She was nodding as Buffy went on about Riley's arms when she felt a wave of something hit, and it hurt, like something had grabbed her insides and yanked.
Willow dropped to the ground in the middle of the cemetery, her face gone pale, trying not to throw up as every muscle in her body quivered. There was a roaring in her ears, and Willow wasn't certain if it was some sort of 'sound' from the magical disruption or if it was the sound of her blood rushing in her veins. "oh god... goddess... anyone... what was that?"
"Wills? You... are you... no, you aren't okay. What happened?" Buffy was there, kneeling beside her, her voice filled with concern.
"No on the okay... somebody cast some really big magic. I felt it... it's big, it's strong, and it's evil." Her voice was low and shaky.
"So this wasn't something just to make you fall over?" Buffy sounded partway between relieved and worried.
Willow managed a weak smile. "Exactly. Think of the magic like... like a pool. I'm standing in the water, and someone just did something really big, and it caused a wave. That wave hit me and knocked me down. Probably hit anyone else sensitive to magic in the area... have you been getting any... you know, weird feelings?" Willow tried to explain what had happened. She was also trying to figure out who or what had caused the disturbance. She knew that it hadn't been just raw power, it had been deliberate, carefully directed magic, but on a scale far beyond anything that she'd ever done. What had it been for?
"Yeah... there's this really wiggy feeling, like there's a big scary thing around somewhere, you know? But it's not a vamp, and it doesn't quite feel like a demon. Just... kind of made me get worried when you fell down."
Buffy had just helped Willow to her feet when they heard a deep roaring noise. It wasn't like a lion or a bear, and it didn't sound like any of the demons they'd fought. At a guess, it was from something really big, and definitely predatory. There was a moment of hesitation, and the two of them started of towards the sound, running towards the danger.
There was a group of minion vampires running, the sort of running that says 'let me get away from something' instead of a 'get the girls' type run. Buffy grabbed one, a guy that didn't look more than fifteen, and lifted him off of his feet.
"What's over there?" She demanded the information from the minion.
He looked at her, and was trembling. "Big... big scary... dragon. Gotta be a dragon... black dragon, but I thought they breathed acid... no acid though... fire!"
Buffy blinked, trying to make sense of the vampire's words. "umm, Wills? Help with the translation?"
"I think that's Tommy Evans. He used to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's a role-play game... one of the powerful monsters in it are acid breathing black dragons. But... apparently the big scary thing is a fire breathing black dragon." Willow looked worried. They would have heard something if there had been a dragon in the area before, so... the magic had been something to do with the arrival of the dragon. She didn't like the implications of that.
"A dragon? A fire breathing dragon?" Buffy dropped the minion as she stared at Willow.
Tommy might be a weak vampire, but he wasn't a stupid one. The Slayer had dropped him, and she wasn't paying any more attention to him. That meant that he could run away, and hopefully not get staked or scorched. He ran.
Buffy and Willow continued moving towards the direction that the vampires had been running from. There had been a warehouse nearby, the sort that just screamed 'vampire lair'. Now, the roof had been collapsed, the walls looked to have been broken outwards, and the building was in flames. The roaring noise came from the large creature beside the wreckage.
Oh yeah, it was a dragon. Firelight gleamed on black scales and large wings. Sharp teeth glittered as it bellowed again, and dark horns curved backwards over pale eyes. It stood almost thirty feet at the shoulder, the head closer to fifty feet above the ground. Flickers of fire emerged between the sharp teeth, and the concrete had been torn up by powerful claws on the feet. A long, powerful tail lashed out, flattening a nearby car.
"Oh my god..." Buffy could only stare at the creature in horror. "How am I ever going to slay that?"
Willow swallowed hard, now certain that the magic had somehow brought this creature here. "umm... maybe we can ask Giles?"
"Right... ask Giles how to get rid of a fire breathing dragon. Sounds like retreat... let's go." Buffy had no argument to the suggestion.
end part 3.
The apartment of Rupert Giles was supposed to be a quiet place. The shelves of books and scrolls and gentle, classical decor suggested a quiet, reserved individual, although the racks of carefully polished weapons might cause second thoughts about the safety of the quiet man with the glasses. Especially if they could see what was happening in the living room. A dark haired young man was sitting on the couch, glaring at a slightly older looking man with bleached blond hair. There were two parts that would raise a few eyebrows. First, the blond man was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and secondly, the television was currently playing the end of Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
The door was flung open by Buffy, who lunged through the door as if pursued by a horrible fate, her face flushed from exertion, her eyes wide.
"Giles! Big trouble."
A few moments behind her was Willow, looking equally disturbed, but almost grey under the flush of exertion. She carefully shut the door behind them with shaking hands.
"Hey! I smell fear. What's got Red and the slayer all afraid, anyhow?" Spike's voice carried from the other room, possible an effort to have someone save him from the horror of being forced to watch Disney.
Willow made her careful way into the living room, part of her wondering exactly why Xander was voluntarily in Spike's company, and then she saw what they were watching. It was right as the animated huge dragon tried to scorch the Prince with a gout of fire, and Willow went almost white. "Turn it off!"
Xander turned off the television, giving Willow a very odd look. "Umm... Wills? What's so bad about the movie? I thought Sleeping Beauty was one of you favorites?"
Willow was shaking all over again. "Because... we just... there's a big scary bad thing in Sunnydale."
"Spike's harmless now, remember that chip?" Xander wasn't sure where Willow was going with this, and it showed in his voice.
She shook her head. "No. This is much much bigger than Spike. And scarier."
"Should I be insulted?" Emerged from Spike's lips at the same moment as Xander's "What's got you more freaked than the factory thing?"
She gestured with one trembling hand at the now black screen. "That. A huge, black, fire breathing dragon. With wings, and really sharp big teeth. Remarkably like the one in Sleeping Beauty."
Spike looked at her, and a very worried expression gradually spread over his face. "You're serious. You really think... did you see it? You're absolutely positive?"
"Yeah. We saw it... big, scary, sharp teeth... But um... it gets a bit worse. Spike, you're a vampire, and vampires are supposed to have more or better or something senses. Anything weird tonight?" Willow was trying to gather her thoughts. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. It made it hard to think calmly about anything.
"Magic. Someone did a really big spell earlier... group effort. I think it was some kind of aparration... teleporting I guess you'd say." He looked a bit worried.
Giles apparently was listening as well, and voiced an opinion. "There was something else... whoever was casting it, and I do agree that it was a group effort, they used very dark flavored magic. Meaning that they are dark wizards."
"Like Ethan?" Buffy's voice was still worried.
Giles shook his head. "No, much worse than Ethan. Ethan uses his magic for an assortment of quasi and illegal ends, and is certainly not above creating havoc and confusion, but he doesn't directly hurt people with it. Whoever did this spell uses magic to kill and maim and quite likely torture."
Xander sat down, looking very upset. "Magic to torture people? Aren't there enough ways to hurt people?"
Spike looked worried. "So, a group of someone's used a spell to bring a dragon to Sunnydale, and it's burning down buildings?"
Walking over towards Spike, Buffy frowned. "How did you know it was a transportation spell?"
Spike glanced down for a moment, and his words emerged in a low mumble that would have sounded at home from Willow. "I used to be a wizard."
Xander was the one who voiced the obvious question. "How do you stop being a wizard?"
Spike shrugged, as if trying not to think about the question. "I got turned. I wasn't a very strong wizard, so it didn't carry over. But I remember... and that was a transportation."
Willow was trying to figure out how to try asking where he was learning when she felt something again. This wasn't nearly as harsh, more like a ripple than a tidal wave, but it felt sort of similar. "Did anyone else feel... But it wasn't..."
"Another transportation... different person casting." Giles voice was a bit unsettled. "Are we being invaded by evil wizards? And I regret to inform you that dragon's have no special vulnerabilities or weaknesses, they are difficult to bend the wills of, and they are very large and dangerous."
Xander sat heavily on the couch. "We're doomed. Unless... are we certain that the second disturbance in the force was also the work of bad guys? There are good wizards, right? Are there wizard cops to make them behave?"
Giles gave a small smile. "It wasn't the same, there wasn't any... well, I suppose a dark taint would be the best way to describe it. There are what you would call wizard cops... every fully trained Watcher is taught a little bit about the world and communities of true wizards. I only know a little, but... there is a possibility that the second transportation was someone here to attempt to contain the dragon, or the dark wizards that brought it."
"I need someone to go back out and try to figure out what caused the second disturbance. Willow? Do you feel up to it?" Giles was obviously trying to form a plan.
She leaned against the wall, trying to figure out the honest answer. "I think so... but I want someone with me. Maybe Spike can go, to catch me in case another one of those waves makes me fall down again. And if he knows anything about these real wizards, that's got to be helpful."
Spike followed her out the door, still grumbling about the 'bloody watcher not remembering the bloody cuffs'.
Willow looked over at him, and gave a small, hesitant smile. "Turn around, I can get those."
With a raised eyebrow, Spike turned, offering his cuffed wrists to her, along with a murmured question. "Exactly where did you learn about handcuffs, red?"
She could feel herself blushing. "Oz... well, sometimes when he was all wolfy, he'd knock the keys down, and they'd go under a shelf or something. I'd need to do something to let him out..." She focused, and put her mind through the particular twisting of the unlocking, and there was a small double click as the handcuffs came unfastened, falling to the ground with a clatter, and Spike gave a small yelp of surprise as his pants attempted to follow, along with his boots being suddenly unlaced.
"Bloody hell, luv, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask."
Yeah, she was definitely blushing. "I wasn't... I didn't know it would... grr... Let's just try to find this disturbance."
end part 4.
rating: pg 13
pairing: will eventually be Willow/Charlie Weasley and Suzie/Spike
disclaimer: I don't own anyone that you recognize from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter. There will be some original characters.
distribution: Bite Me, Twisting the Hellmouth, WLS, NHA, anyone else just ask.
set early season 4 BtVS, roughly book 4 (Goblet of Fire)
* * * * * *
"Weasley! We have a problem." The voice of Devrah Khamsin rang loudly through the twilight air, startling birds into flight and tiny animals scurrying. She was a large woman, standing a bit over six feet tall, with muscles like a rugby player and voice that would have been well suited to a military drill ground. It served her well for making herself heard in the wilderness, or anywhere else that she strode.
It had a similar effect on the various people employed at the Romanian Dragon Preserve. They scattered, trying to vanish or look very busy, all feeling very glad that they weren't Weasley. All except for the man summoned, a lean red haired man dressed in scuffed dragon hide pants, boots and jacket, the left half of his hair almost three inches shorter than the right, the bottom singed and twisted from some source of flame. His eyes twinkled as he walked over to what passed as an office for the woman who ran the preserve like a tyrant.
Charlie Weasley looked at her, feeling almost small in comparison. "What's wrong, and I most likely had nothing to do with it."
"Cute. One of the Ridgebacks is missing. Old Maleficent's not in her cave, and nobody can find claw or scale of her. More disturbing, there's a strong magic trace at the stream she drinks at." Devrah's dark eyes were grim.
Charlie gaped, feeling the sudden urge to sit down, refraining because there wasn't a chair. "Someone stole Maleficent? Why would someone steal a full grown Romanian Ridgeback dragon? Where would they put her?"
Devrah shook her head, the short locks of her hair, never more than chin length, flopping a bit with the movement. "We don't know who or why, but the magic feels... It felt like there was a transportation spell in there. Not only that, but the residue gives anyone who goes into the area the collywobbles, so I'm guessing whoever did this belongs to the Dark. Maybe even to He Who Should Not Be Named. I want you to go find that dragon and bring her back. Preferably before the breeding season."
"Why me?" He'd meant the question rhetorically, not expecting an answer.
"Because you're resourceful, in good shape with no injuries right now, and with all those younger brothers of yours, you're devious. Resourceful, devious, and you're lucky. I don't know who took her or where she is now, but I have confidence that you can get her back. Bend the rules if you have to, step on official toes, I don't care. Just bring Maleficent back. Here's your travel visa." Devrah's voice carried a tone of command, and the implication that he should get going immediately, if not sooner.
When she got into one of her moods, he'd rather try to argue with a thunderstorm. "Yes ma'am. I'll just pick up a few things and try to get a heading from that residue."
Charlie stopped long enough to grab a few more things, including a chest of possible supplies, shrunk small enough to fit into his jacket pocket, and a few papers, claiming quite truthfully that he was on official business for the Romanian Dragon Preserve. Just to be safe, he also grabbed another jar of burn ointment. Maleficent might have vanished, but there were other dragons around the area. It was good to be prepared, especially considering the range that they could send their fire.
The more he thought about things, the more certain he was that whoever was responsible was up to something very bad. Very few groups or organizations would even have the power to accomplish something of this scale. And anyhow, there wasn't a lot that you could do with a dragon. Granted, the various parts were used as ingredients in all sorts of potions, and most of a dragon could be used, but... the idea of someone attempting to poach Maleficent was absurd. The reason why she'd been named after the foul tempered evil fairy in a fairy tale was the simple fact that for a dragon, she was foul tempered, cunning, and she seemed to take enjoyment out of trying to scorch people.
Carefully, he went to the section of stream where Maleficent drank, the undergrowth scorched away, the ground clawed and turned, the tree trunks scored by claws. There was no doubting that a dragon frequented this place. There was also no mistaking the residual magic traces. They gave him a shivering feeling, like something skittering over the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and tried to read the layered mess of magic. There was some sort of paralysis spell, probably to keep her still while they took her away. There was also something else, a big silencing spell, probably to keep anyone from noticing what they were up to. He recognized the general type, having mastered a simple, small area silence spell during his time at Hogwarts, having found that it made setting up pranks so much easier. Then there was the transport spell.
He sighed, coming to the conclusion that no matter how heroic the idea of charging off alone to defeat the bad guys and rescue the... ahh, well, the dragon happened to be, he just couldn't. He had only a vague 'that way, and very far' from the traces, and that just wasn't good enough.
Sighing, Charlie wondered if there was any possible way to avoid having to deal with Suzie. She was a whiz at all sorts of divination, but she was just... weird. It was as if she'd seen a few things to many, or maybe a few of her wits just hadn't come back from one of her vision trances, but whatever the cause, she was a rather odd woman. He made his way to the small cottage that she stayed in, knocking on her door.
"Come in, you burning hunk of love." Her voice sounded at the same moment his knuckles connected to the wooden door.
He really wasn't looking forward to this. Suzie was loopy, unpredictable... and she seemed to delight in flirting with him. He was doomed.
end part 1.
Charlie opened the door slowly, slinking into the cottage. Everything was draped in soft, pastel gauze, delicate china and crystal nick knacks lining the mantle and filling shelves. A fragile looking porcelain tea set with a lacy pattern in pale rose sat on the low table, and wisps of fragrant steam rose from its spout. Suzie sat in one chair, almost reminiscent of a queen on her throne. Her gown was a pale green accented with pink ribbons and lace, looking like something that belonged on the cover of one of those dreadful historical romances that girls liked to read so much. Her hair was a dark brown, most of it caught up in elaborate curls, with thin wisps falling around her face.
Suzie was one of those people who craved drama and excitement in her life. She couldn't stand the idea of a calm, normal life, and if there wasn't enough drama, she would stir some up. She also kept trying to shape her life into something that belonged on one of those bad romances. If she wasn't such a spot-on divinator, he had no idea where Suzie would be right now. Maybe acting.
"What brings you here, handsome?" Her voice even fit the part, a somewhat high, breathy voice. A gesture with one slender, elegantly manicured hand indicated that he should seat himself on the couch across from her.
Trying not to sigh, Charlie settled himself gingerly on the pale green draped couch, sinking into soft, slightly mushy feeling cushions. "There's a problem, Suzie. Somebody stole one of the dragons, and they used a long distance teleportation spell. All I can tell is that they went sort of west, but... that isn't very helpful. I need... I need you to help me find them so I can get Maleficent back."
Suzie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Why Maleficent? Why not one with a sweeter... well, not so vile temper?"
"I wish I knew, but I don't think it can be anything good." Charlie tried to figure out the fastest way out of this cottage.
She sighed, tapping one finger against her chin. "Drink your tea, and then after I read the leaves for you, we can go to the place where the spell residue is."
Rolling his eyes slightly, Charlie drank the tea, some sort of sweet blend that tasted of apples, cinnamon and ginger. She took the cup from his hands, looking intently at the dregs on the bottom.
"Lets see now, a long journey... hmm, danger, threats to your life... oh, romance! You're going to meet a lovely young lady who'll make quite the impression on you." She looked up at him, batting her long eyelashes suggestively.
Charlie winced. "Just what I always wanted to hear... Let's go check out the residue."
Somehow, the trek back to the stream felt four times longer than the trip from the stream to Suzie's cottage. When they arrived, Suzie frowned, staring at the area, her eyes looking rather unfocussed as she swayed back and forth, humming slightly as she read the remains of the spells. One hand was outstretched, hovering over the ground as if seeking out the currents of power, seeking to read their secrets.
"Far away, over land and sea... where have they taken you? Far away, to a place of darkness and shadow and death... to burn and destroy... Silly people, you can't bind a dragon's will for very long..." Her eyes had this unfocused look that gave Charlie goosebumps, and her voice had taken on a lilting, almost song-like tone.
She shook her head, another wisp of dark hair falling out of the elaborate style. "First, they tried a spell to bind the dragon to obey them. That won't last very long, dragons are very strong willed creatures. Then, they took her away, far away... umm, sorry. They took her across the ocean, somewhere over in America. If I had a map, I could show you... the emanations of the other end of the spell are unmistakably dark. It's not going to be fun, but I did say that I needed an adventure."
Charlie sighed yet again, hating the fact that he did that so often when Suzie was around. "I have an atlas. If you can give us a continent to start with, we can start there and narrow it down."
"North America." Her voice didn't contain a single ounce of hesitation.
He held open the pages, watching as Suzie let her eyes unfocus, and her hand came to rest on a coastal section of the California. "I need a map of here. This one's to big to get a good location."
Flipping to a page that was mostly just the state of California, he watched as she went through it again, this time able to pinpoint a town. Whoever had stolen Maleficent had taken or sent her to somewhere called Sunnydale, in California.
He just had to wonder what was important enough about one small town almost halfway around the world that anyone would go to that much trouble.
"It's a good thing that I had my swimsuit packed. I'm going with you." Suzie's voice interrupted Charlie's thougts.
"What?" He felt something not quite the same as fear, more like a sinking dismay flow through him. She wanted to go with him? He'd be forced to endure her company for... he was doomed.
"Now to make our arrangements and go to Sunnydale. We have a dragon to find." Charlie's voice wasn't exactly cheerful. Then again, he didn't see anything to be particularly cheerful about.
end part 2.
Willow had gone on a patrol with Buffy, listening as her friend talked about how cute the Teacher's Assistant for their Psychology class was. Yes, Riley Finn was a big, muscular hunk of man, but he really wasn't Willow's type at all. She preferred well, more grace than raw brute force. But Riley did seem like a good guy for Buffy, at least as far as they could tell.
s
It didn't hurt so much to hear someone being interested in guys anymore. She'd been healing from the horrible emotional wounds that Oz's betrayal and abandonment had caused. Partly by her lowly growing friendship with Tara, a shy girl that she'd met at the laughable Campus Wiccan group, and Tara had a crush on Graham Miller, who seemed to be a good friend of Buffy's crush, Riley Finn. Oddly enough, she was also helped in her recovery by Spike. His blood curdling stories about his 'glory days' before the 'evil chip' seemed to give no slack for her pain, but... they'd come to a sort of informal agreement. If he listened to her talk about Oz, either the 'good times' or the pain he'd caused by running away, then she'd listen to him talk about Dru. And she wouldn't call Dru a 'skanky ho' or a 'loony psycho killer' like Buffy and Xander did, even if she did think there was a bit of truth in both descriptions.
She still figured that Buffy had mainly asked her to patrol with for two reasons, first, to listen to how 'drool-worthy' Riley was, and secondly because she gave the sort of descriptions of mysterious demons that Giles liked. Buffy's 'tall, gruesome, and did I mention he smelled like old gym shoes?' tended not to be very helpful to Giles. She was nodding as Buffy went on about Riley's arms when she felt a wave of something hit, and it hurt, like something had grabbed her insides and yanked.
Willow dropped to the ground in the middle of the cemetery, her face gone pale, trying not to throw up as every muscle in her body quivered. There was a roaring in her ears, and Willow wasn't certain if it was some sort of 'sound' from the magical disruption or if it was the sound of her blood rushing in her veins. "oh god... goddess... anyone... what was that?"
"Wills? You... are you... no, you aren't okay. What happened?" Buffy was there, kneeling beside her, her voice filled with concern.
"No on the okay... somebody cast some really big magic. I felt it... it's big, it's strong, and it's evil." Her voice was low and shaky.
"So this wasn't something just to make you fall over?" Buffy sounded partway between relieved and worried.
Willow managed a weak smile. "Exactly. Think of the magic like... like a pool. I'm standing in the water, and someone just did something really big, and it caused a wave. That wave hit me and knocked me down. Probably hit anyone else sensitive to magic in the area... have you been getting any... you know, weird feelings?" Willow tried to explain what had happened. She was also trying to figure out who or what had caused the disturbance. She knew that it hadn't been just raw power, it had been deliberate, carefully directed magic, but on a scale far beyond anything that she'd ever done. What had it been for?
"Yeah... there's this really wiggy feeling, like there's a big scary thing around somewhere, you know? But it's not a vamp, and it doesn't quite feel like a demon. Just... kind of made me get worried when you fell down."
Buffy had just helped Willow to her feet when they heard a deep roaring noise. It wasn't like a lion or a bear, and it didn't sound like any of the demons they'd fought. At a guess, it was from something really big, and definitely predatory. There was a moment of hesitation, and the two of them started of towards the sound, running towards the danger.
There was a group of minion vampires running, the sort of running that says 'let me get away from something' instead of a 'get the girls' type run. Buffy grabbed one, a guy that didn't look more than fifteen, and lifted him off of his feet.
"What's over there?" She demanded the information from the minion.
He looked at her, and was trembling. "Big... big scary... dragon. Gotta be a dragon... black dragon, but I thought they breathed acid... no acid though... fire!"
Buffy blinked, trying to make sense of the vampire's words. "umm, Wills? Help with the translation?"
"I think that's Tommy Evans. He used to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's a role-play game... one of the powerful monsters in it are acid breathing black dragons. But... apparently the big scary thing is a fire breathing black dragon." Willow looked worried. They would have heard something if there had been a dragon in the area before, so... the magic had been something to do with the arrival of the dragon. She didn't like the implications of that.
"A dragon? A fire breathing dragon?" Buffy dropped the minion as she stared at Willow.
Tommy might be a weak vampire, but he wasn't a stupid one. The Slayer had dropped him, and she wasn't paying any more attention to him. That meant that he could run away, and hopefully not get staked or scorched. He ran.
Buffy and Willow continued moving towards the direction that the vampires had been running from. There had been a warehouse nearby, the sort that just screamed 'vampire lair'. Now, the roof had been collapsed, the walls looked to have been broken outwards, and the building was in flames. The roaring noise came from the large creature beside the wreckage.
Oh yeah, it was a dragon. Firelight gleamed on black scales and large wings. Sharp teeth glittered as it bellowed again, and dark horns curved backwards over pale eyes. It stood almost thirty feet at the shoulder, the head closer to fifty feet above the ground. Flickers of fire emerged between the sharp teeth, and the concrete had been torn up by powerful claws on the feet. A long, powerful tail lashed out, flattening a nearby car.
"Oh my god..." Buffy could only stare at the creature in horror. "How am I ever going to slay that?"
Willow swallowed hard, now certain that the magic had somehow brought this creature here. "umm... maybe we can ask Giles?"
"Right... ask Giles how to get rid of a fire breathing dragon. Sounds like retreat... let's go." Buffy had no argument to the suggestion.
end part 3.
The apartment of Rupert Giles was supposed to be a quiet place. The shelves of books and scrolls and gentle, classical decor suggested a quiet, reserved individual, although the racks of carefully polished weapons might cause second thoughts about the safety of the quiet man with the glasses. Especially if they could see what was happening in the living room. A dark haired young man was sitting on the couch, glaring at a slightly older looking man with bleached blond hair. There were two parts that would raise a few eyebrows. First, the blond man was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and secondly, the television was currently playing the end of Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
The door was flung open by Buffy, who lunged through the door as if pursued by a horrible fate, her face flushed from exertion, her eyes wide.
"Giles! Big trouble."
A few moments behind her was Willow, looking equally disturbed, but almost grey under the flush of exertion. She carefully shut the door behind them with shaking hands.
"Hey! I smell fear. What's got Red and the slayer all afraid, anyhow?" Spike's voice carried from the other room, possible an effort to have someone save him from the horror of being forced to watch Disney.
Willow made her careful way into the living room, part of her wondering exactly why Xander was voluntarily in Spike's company, and then she saw what they were watching. It was right as the animated huge dragon tried to scorch the Prince with a gout of fire, and Willow went almost white. "Turn it off!"
Xander turned off the television, giving Willow a very odd look. "Umm... Wills? What's so bad about the movie? I thought Sleeping Beauty was one of you favorites?"
Willow was shaking all over again. "Because... we just... there's a big scary bad thing in Sunnydale."
"Spike's harmless now, remember that chip?" Xander wasn't sure where Willow was going with this, and it showed in his voice.
She shook her head. "No. This is much much bigger than Spike. And scarier."
"Should I be insulted?" Emerged from Spike's lips at the same moment as Xander's "What's got you more freaked than the factory thing?"
She gestured with one trembling hand at the now black screen. "That. A huge, black, fire breathing dragon. With wings, and really sharp big teeth. Remarkably like the one in Sleeping Beauty."
Spike looked at her, and a very worried expression gradually spread over his face. "You're serious. You really think... did you see it? You're absolutely positive?"
"Yeah. We saw it... big, scary, sharp teeth... But um... it gets a bit worse. Spike, you're a vampire, and vampires are supposed to have more or better or something senses. Anything weird tonight?" Willow was trying to gather her thoughts. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. It made it hard to think calmly about anything.
"Magic. Someone did a really big spell earlier... group effort. I think it was some kind of aparration... teleporting I guess you'd say." He looked a bit worried.
Giles apparently was listening as well, and voiced an opinion. "There was something else... whoever was casting it, and I do agree that it was a group effort, they used very dark flavored magic. Meaning that they are dark wizards."
"Like Ethan?" Buffy's voice was still worried.
Giles shook his head. "No, much worse than Ethan. Ethan uses his magic for an assortment of quasi and illegal ends, and is certainly not above creating havoc and confusion, but he doesn't directly hurt people with it. Whoever did this spell uses magic to kill and maim and quite likely torture."
Xander sat down, looking very upset. "Magic to torture people? Aren't there enough ways to hurt people?"
Spike looked worried. "So, a group of someone's used a spell to bring a dragon to Sunnydale, and it's burning down buildings?"
Walking over towards Spike, Buffy frowned. "How did you know it was a transportation spell?"
Spike glanced down for a moment, and his words emerged in a low mumble that would have sounded at home from Willow. "I used to be a wizard."
Xander was the one who voiced the obvious question. "How do you stop being a wizard?"
Spike shrugged, as if trying not to think about the question. "I got turned. I wasn't a very strong wizard, so it didn't carry over. But I remember... and that was a transportation."
Willow was trying to figure out how to try asking where he was learning when she felt something again. This wasn't nearly as harsh, more like a ripple than a tidal wave, but it felt sort of similar. "Did anyone else feel... But it wasn't..."
"Another transportation... different person casting." Giles voice was a bit unsettled. "Are we being invaded by evil wizards? And I regret to inform you that dragon's have no special vulnerabilities or weaknesses, they are difficult to bend the wills of, and they are very large and dangerous."
Xander sat heavily on the couch. "We're doomed. Unless... are we certain that the second disturbance in the force was also the work of bad guys? There are good wizards, right? Are there wizard cops to make them behave?"
Giles gave a small smile. "It wasn't the same, there wasn't any... well, I suppose a dark taint would be the best way to describe it. There are what you would call wizard cops... every fully trained Watcher is taught a little bit about the world and communities of true wizards. I only know a little, but... there is a possibility that the second transportation was someone here to attempt to contain the dragon, or the dark wizards that brought it."
"I need someone to go back out and try to figure out what caused the second disturbance. Willow? Do you feel up to it?" Giles was obviously trying to form a plan.
She leaned against the wall, trying to figure out the honest answer. "I think so... but I want someone with me. Maybe Spike can go, to catch me in case another one of those waves makes me fall down again. And if he knows anything about these real wizards, that's got to be helpful."
Spike followed her out the door, still grumbling about the 'bloody watcher not remembering the bloody cuffs'.
Willow looked over at him, and gave a small, hesitant smile. "Turn around, I can get those."
With a raised eyebrow, Spike turned, offering his cuffed wrists to her, along with a murmured question. "Exactly where did you learn about handcuffs, red?"
She could feel herself blushing. "Oz... well, sometimes when he was all wolfy, he'd knock the keys down, and they'd go under a shelf or something. I'd need to do something to let him out..." She focused, and put her mind through the particular twisting of the unlocking, and there was a small double click as the handcuffs came unfastened, falling to the ground with a clatter, and Spike gave a small yelp of surprise as his pants attempted to follow, along with his boots being suddenly unlaced.
"Bloody hell, luv, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask."
Yeah, she was definitely blushing. "I wasn't... I didn't know it would... grr... Let's just try to find this disturbance."
end part 4.