FIC: Legend (3/?)

["sam shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxx" <shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxx>]

Legend (3/?)

By Sam

E-mail: Shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated
with Buffy the Vampire Slayer; they are used without permission. No
copyright infringement is intended.
Summery: Buffy and Willow have finally revealed their feelings for
one another and are at the start of something special. However when
something nice happens to the slayer there always seems to be some
big evil just around the corner. This time is no different except
that the nature of the entire war she fights has changed, Vlad Tepes
Dracul has returned and is in Sunnydale.
Archive: Just ask
Pairing: B/W
Note: Dracul kicks into full midevil vampire gear. feedback is
appreciated

Chpt3: Darkness falls

Willow paced their dorm room nervously, it had been an hour ago that
Angel had dropped by to pick Buffy up for their patrol of the area.
She had done three different protection spells on her new found love
before she left, just to be on the safe side and had also made Angel
promise that they would not be out that long. She had always
worried when the slayer went out on patrol before, even more so when
she had begun to realize she was in love with her best friend. Now
the worry that filled her mind was worse than ever, they had
professed their love for one another and were on the verge of
something extraordinary, the fact that she was now out there and so
was Dracul made tore at Willows heart. She had said several prayers
to the Goddess asking for protection for her love and now all there
was to do was wait. She knew her mind would not know a moments rest
until Buffy walked through the door.

Quentin, Wesley, and Megan were sitting around the table researching
as they had done all day, trying with no success to try and unlock
the mystery that seemed to surround Vlad Tepes Dracul. Cordelia had
driven Xander and Anya home and would be back anytime now and Angel
was out on patrol with Buffy. That had put Giles nerves on the edge
of madness. He was finding it hard to concentrate knowing that not
all of them were inside out of the dark, but there was little they
could do about that. Nothing they had read today seemed to point to
any particular reason While Vlad Tepes Dracul had re-emerged and
Megan's spells couldn't reveal his intentions. The only answer
was to
allow Buffy to go on patrol to see if her and Angel could learn
anything.

Buffy walked with Angel at her side as the two of them carefully
maneuvered their way to through the cemetery. "Buffy, does it
bother you that we have been out here for an hour and all we have
seen is more of those commandos from last night out patrolling the
area"

"So it's a slow night, this happens from time to time"

"Yeah, but it shouldn't happen with Vlad Tepes in town. I
have a really bad feeling that something big is going down"

"Well I hope your wrong but my slayer sense tells me your not,
maybe we should pick up our pace a little"

They had finished up the patrol of the cemetery and were now making
their rounds at the campus. As they were walking Angel suddenly
froze, He stood there with a look of utter terror on his eyes, His
inner voice cried out to him, <It has begun.>

"Buffy, do you see what I see"

The slayer looked in the direction Angel had pointed and as soon as
she saw it she wanted to throw up. She quickly turned away and was
desperately trying to regain her composer, "My God, why would
anyone, even a vampire, do something like that," she was filled
with
terror and disbelief at what she had seen.<What was going on>

Angel walked over to the Slayer and put his arm on her
shoulders, "They wouldn't, but Vlad Tepes Dracul would. I
have to let Giles and the others know about this, I`m take you
back to
your dorm this patrol is over"

Willow answered the door to find Angel and a very shaken up Buffy.
The slayer was trembling at the knees and she looked as if all the
color had been drained from her face. "Buffy are you O.K."
Willow said as she helped the blonde into the room.

"She had a pretty big shock when we stumbled across some handy
work of Vlad Tepes, but she will be find. She is just a little
nauseous and I can`t say I blame her."

"What did you guys find"

"Willow, you don't want to know, trust me", With that
Angel departed for Giles.

"Buffy, Are you going to be alright" Willow inquired as she
helped Buffy set down.

"I'm not sure, I have never seen anything like it before"

"Buffy we live in a Hellsmouth, what could have been so bad"

Buffy sat there for a moment and then looked at Willow, there was no
way she was going to tell the beautiful redhead what they had
seen. "Will, hold me," She pleaded.

Willow took Buffy in her arms and started gently rocking her back and
forth as they sat on Willows bed, "I've got you Buffy, you're
with me now, you're safe"

Angel burst into Giles house surprising the ex-watcher and the
others. "Cordelia could you go up stairs for a moment I need to
talk with Giles and the council in private"

Cordelia made her way upstairs as Giles looked at Angel, "What
happened, is Buffy safe"

"She's safely back at the dorm," He paused for a second
waiting for Cordelia to be completely up the stairs and out of
earshot of what he had to say, "Giles it's begun"

"What's begun"

"We came accrosed five of those commandos, they had been killed
by Vlad Tepes." Angel stopped for a second trying to compose
himself and muster the strength to say what had to be said, "He
impaled them and placed the stakes they were on in a circle. From
the looks of things they most likely were alive when he did it"

"Oh my" were the only words that Giles could form in response
to Angels news. He had read the horror stories on Vlad Tepes
Dracul. Both the ones that most scholars are aware of and the ones
Quentin had brought with him from England. However to hear that
those horrendous acts were starting up again and in the very town
that he lived in was almost more than his mind could handle at once.
He was not alone, the faces of the three council members showed that
similar thoughts were also going through their heads.

Angel lowered his head, "I'm afraid there is more. There was
a sixth stake in the circle that was empty", He stammered out the
last
couple off words before setting down.

The others walked over to him and gathered around him, Giles looked
at him and spoke "What about the sixth stake"

"It had a message"

Giles face filled with concern, remembering the last message that He
had left at professor Walsh's office. His voice trembled as he
spoke, "A message, what sort of message"

"It Said.." Angel found that he was having trouble getting
the words out. He had to tell them so they could help her, but the
though of what Vlad Tepes was threatening formed a lump in his throat
that seemed to hold his words prisoner behind it.

"Angel, You've got to tell us! What did the note on the sixth
stake say"

His mind drifted for a moment to Buffy, they were no longer part of
one another's life the way they had used to be but he still cared
for her and didn't want to see anything happen to her. He took a
deep breath, and a tear followed by another rolled down his cheek,
he then forced out the only word that had been written on the
note, "Slayer"

They all sat there for a moment trying to absorb what they had just
learned. Slowly they began to head back to the table, if they had to
they would research all night, something had to be found. Somewhere
their had to be something on this ancient vampire that they were
missing, He had to be stopped before he could act on his threat, they
had to find a way stop him, they had to help save the slayer.

A military HUMVEE slowly rolled its way through the nearly deserted
streets of Sunnydale. "Something's wrong sir, No one is
answering back at the base camp" Said a young commando as he
drove
the colonel in charge of running the initiative base through
Sunnydale to see how the patrols were doing.

"Can you reach any of the Patrols"

"Yes sir, all except for alpha team"

"Call team Delta and have them search for Alpha. Recall all the
others back to the base"

"Yes sir" said the commando as he turned around the HUMVEE
and headed back towards the secret underground base.

The two commandos who had been guarding the entrance now lay dead on
the cold marble floor, as Spike and Riley stepped over their still
warm bodies, following their master into the heart of the
initiative. Vlad was following the diagram he had found in Walsh's
office and was headed straight for the research center of the
complex. A young commando jumped out in front of Vlad with weapon
drawn yelling for them to halt. Before the commando could even
finish his sentence Vlad grabbed him by the throat with one hand
lifting him off of the ground. In just a few seconds the air had
been squeezed out of the young commando and he was gone. The small
group of vampires ran into a few more stray scientist and commandos
before they reached the research center and each time Vlad quickly
killed them not even bothering to feed, his mind focused on one
thing..

As the doors to the research center flung open the five scientist
that were working in their spun around only to come face to face with
Vlad. "I can use your services to help my children" Spoke
the master vampyre as he grabbed two of the scientist by their lab
coats. He then looked at Riley, You may kill the others. Riley
vamped out and took down the first scientist rather easily and made
his move on the second. Vlad took one of the scientist and held him
with one arm up in the air above his head as he fed off of and
turned the other. When he was done, he lowered the other scientist
and repeated the process. Riley had just finished on his second
victim when the remaining scientist got the drop on him and now had
one of the initiatives weapons pointed at him. However before he
could fire the weapon was ripped from his hand, "I have no use
for
you" said the master vampyre as he grabbed the remaining
scientist
with both hands, lifting him in the air above his head and holding
him there. "You know William, I am feeling like my old self"
said
the master vampyre as he brought the helpless scientist down accrosed
his knee breaking his back.

As the Initiative teams raced back to their base they had no clue as
to what was happening there or what they would find. Spike headed
down to the holding area with Riley as Vlad gathered all the
information he needed to cure his children from the scientist
research materials. He had just finished up when spike and Riley
returned with about twenty some vampires.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Vlad Tepes Dracul,"
Spoke the master vampyre. Upon hearing those words the newly
released vampires dropped to their knees and bowed before their
master. Vlad looked at his minions then spoke, "I know what they
have done to you but tonight I have gained what is needed to restore
you to your true nature. I know that you can not harm humans in your
present state but you still can do damage. Rip this place apart"

After Vlad had finished speaking the vampires began to tear the
inside of the imitative apart.

About forty initiative solders stood outside the complex waiting for
the Colonel to return. They were all there except teams Alpha and
Delta and a few that had been left behind to secure the complex while
they were gone. They wanted to go inside and see why they had lost
communications but they had been ordered to stay outside until the
colonel arrived. While they were waiting they failed to notice a
group of vampires slip out the back door with two scientist in hand.
A few minuets later his HUMVEE rolled up and they proceeded into the
complex.

They walked the hallways in shock. The place had been torn apart,
some of the data had been taken but most of it had been destroyed in
what looked like pure vandalism. The few solders and all the
scientist who had been in the complex were now dead. The strangest
thing however was found in the holding area. All the Demons they had
captured were still in their cells but not a single vampire
remained. The biggest shock had come when Delta team called in to
report the fate of their missing comrades. The colonel looked at his
troops, what had happened. He reluctantly made his way to the office
to call Washington only to learn that the communications grid in the
complex had been destroyed with everything else, they had been cut
off from there superiors. His only option was to call using his cell
phone and pass the code word that said the operation was a bust, and
await orders.

Willow had finally pried what had happened out on patrol out of
Buffy, "Look it's not going to happen. I won't let it
happen. We will find away to beat him," Buffy softly spoke
Trying to
comfort Willow. <Why did she let Willow talk her into telling what
she had seen>

"Buffy," Sobbed Willow, "I just found you and I don't
want to lose you"

"And you won't. We'll beat this thing, somehow we will
beat Dracul" the slayers voice was filled with confidence. She
knew
she had to win she just didn't know how to do it. She had finally
discovered true love and for the first time she felt almost normal as
she held Willow in her arms. <Master Vampyre or not, no one was going
to take her away from Willow>

Sunrise brought no peace to Sunnydale, the town was in shock at the
murder scene that had been found in the early morning at the campus.
The slayerettes were at Giles trying to figure out what to do, the
whole situation seemed to get worse every night since Dracul had
rolled into town. To make matters even worse while Megan had not
been able to determine Vlad's plan she had however been able to
use her magic to learn that he was building his forces and had freed
several vampires that had been captured. While she didn't know
what that met Buffy filled them in on the information they had gotten
from Spike during the brief time he was in their custody.

They were waiting for the others to arrive at the house and Cordelia
was ensuring that all the windows were properly covered so Angel
could safely participate in the research.

"Giles could I talk to you a moment in private" Inquired
Quentin.

"Sure, How about out back"

"That would be fine" Quentin replied as the two headed for
the back door.

"Did you fine something" asked Giles upon reaching the back
porch.

"Not yet, but we will. We have to. The reason I asked you out
here is two fold"

"I see" Giles said even though he had no idea what was going
on.

"Giles, on behalf of the council I would like to apology to you
for the way you were treated. I just wish that it would have been
under better circumstances that we realized that.. "

"That what"

"That you were right. It is unfortunate that it took the very
return of the very one the council was created to fight against to
make us realize that we had been wrong in our treatment of the
slayers. Had we been handling things more like you perhaps fewer
slayers would have died in recent years and maybe we would be better
prepared to face Vlad Tepes Dracul. So I ask you this Mr. Giles, do
you accept the councils apology"

Giles could see that he had met every word he had spoken. He even
agreed with him, it was unfortunate that it took the master vampyre
returning to make them see their mistakes. Giles extended his hand
toward Quentin, "I accept"

"Giles"

"Yes"

"We would like to have you back as a watcher. You will of course
be assigned to Ms. Summers. We will also give you back pay. Please
come back, we need a good watcher like yourself if we are going to
bring down Dracul."

"Count me in ", replied the newly instated watcher. For the
first time since this ordeal started things were starting to look up,
but He knew usually that it was a sign that it was about to get
really ugly.

After a heated discussion with Giles, Buffy had agreed to accept the
councils apology and communicate with them after Dracul was done
with. The fact that they had thrown in the after Dracul had helped
allot. She realized they had faith in her, they knew she could win,
they just had to find out how. It seemed that the major problem was
that there was a lack of prophecies about him. He simply came into
being, wrecked havoc, vanished, and now reappeared, the fact that
they knew so little about him made him all the more dangerous. It
however did not go as well when they informed the slayer about
Megan's discovery.

"Why is it every time we learn something it only makes this
situation worse", Shouted an agitated slayer.

"Buffy, We are doing the best we can" Giles said trying to
reassure her.

"I know, but it seems that he is out there one step ahead of the
rest of us, and were trying to play catch up as he leads us along.
If we keep this up eventually he is going to lead us right were he
wants us" Buffy sat down after having spoke, she realized what
she
had said and after what she had seen last night she didn't like
were
that road lead to.

Willow ran over to Buffy, sitting down and taking her into her arms.
Tears rolled down the redheads cheeks, "Giles, we have to do
something, we can't allow Dracul to win." Willow was
pleading with him, her voice filled with the fear of losing
Buffy, "Please do something, I don't want to lose her"

Giles gave Willow a rather curious look, he knew that they were close
friends that had a special bond but the way Willow was acting was
beyond even that. He looked around the room to see that Xander and
Anya were also giving the two girls curious looks, and Angel was
smiling and yet managed to appear sad at the same time. So He
stepped into his surrogate parental role. "Quentin do you mind
if I take this little group into the kitchen for a talk"

"Giles feel free to do whatever you feel is necessary."
Quentin replied before going back to researching with the others.

Giles, Angel, and the Slayerettes stood in the Kitchen, looking at
one another.

"So G-man, What`s up" asked a boisterous Xander

"Really Xander, How many times do I have to ask you not to call
me that"

"Sorry Giles, What's up"

"Don't ask me. I called this little meeting to try and
figure out that very question"

"Giles, your not making any sense," stated Buffy

"I'm concerned over Willows behavior in there, and since I
feel that we are practically a family we should try and support one
another."

"I'm just worried, about Buffy" answered the redheaded
hacker

"I know that Willow, however you were the verge of bursting into
tears. Is everything O.K. between the two of you. I know that
recent events could put strains on friendships, and If that is the
case we need it straightened out before Buffy has to face Dracul"

Both the girls simultaneously blushed, then took one another's
hands. It was Buffy who answered Giles this time, "We're
fine, in fact were better than fine"

"Good I just wanted to be sure, remember if either one of you
need to talk I'm here" Said a perplexed Giles. He was glad
that
things were good in their friendship but what was happening between
the two them.

Willow looked at Buffy, "Maybe we should tell them"

"Tell us what" Asked Xander

Buffy shook her head yes and with that Willow said, "that we love
each other"

"Duh, your best friends. tell me something I don't know"
Whimsically replied Xander

Buffy smiled, "Let me rephrase what Willow said" She paused
for a moment as she wrapped her arm around Willows waste and Willow
responded by doing the same, "We are in love with each other"

Point, Match, Game goes to Buffy and Willow. Xander was stunned but
happy for the two of them. Anya thought it was about time they
hooked up and Cordelia tended to agree with her. Angel had expected
as much and while he still cared for her he realized that they both
have moved on. After Giles got over the initial shock He was truly
happy for them. They wished they could have talked about it more but
there was work to be done. The Sun would be gong down soon and
Dracul remained a mystery.

Then the sun went down and with it came Spike, resorted to his former
self, and the newly appointed lieutenant of Vlad Tepes Dracul. He
had but one goal in mind as he stepped out from the crypt into the
night air with several other recently restored vamps behind him, find
any of those left in Sunnydale who had imprisoned them. The time to
lead the slayer to the master would come soon enough, now was the
time for revenge.