FIC :: Fable Environment (4/4)

["C S Armitage" <soren_nyrond@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay. Can I start off by thanking the various people who've posted nice things recently.
The series will run to the 6 episodes I had planned (plus Prolog(ue) and Epilog(ue)), so for once I will actually finish something I've started. There will be some more smut (but I can't promise much by way of plot). If anyone's interested, once it is all over, I'll do a proper facer page, with chapter titles and so forth -- if I can think of an overall title for the thing, of course (I suppose I could just call it "Blame It On Angelina", but that seems a bit narky, which I'm not toeards her, after all the nice feedback she's been giving)

And that, all being well, will be that and I can get back to my Lurking Pitfull-time. Except that there's a pro BtVS pb out in UK called "Doomsday Deck" or some such, and a friend of mine has a filk called "Alchemy", and I keep getting tempted to butt-end the two ideas together. But it wouldn't have as much smut, and might involve het scenes for Xander.

Ho hum -- such is the life of a Nyrond

And so, on with the fic ::

=============================

 
TITLE: A Fable Environment (4/4) 
AUTHOR: Soren Nyrond
DISCLAIMER: Characters in this part belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. 
SUMMARY: It's got Buffy and Willow in it; and there is the last remnants ofa plot somewhere (if you look ghard enough)
SPOILERS: None since it bears no resembance to aired
AUTHOR'S NOTES: All nice feedback welcome. Chocolate cookies also accepted. Have fun. Happy New Year ? Millemnium, and let's hope it's a good one for us all, B,W,X,G,A and C included

 
A Fable Environment . - - Part 4

 

Thankfully the extra clothing kept the two of them warm enough - even so, it was quite a chilly shock when they finally emerged, in the evening gloom.

"Right," Buffy said, keeping her voice low: "We're both clear about the plan ?"

"Plan is good, " Willow responded: "Plan gives direction, and targets and achievable objectives and - "

"And Moccachinos when we get back, and Belgian chocolate truffles." Willow's eyes lit up and she bounced on her feet and kissed Buffy's lips at the thought.

"In bed," she said.

"Sheets ?"

"We can wash them afterwards - we usually do anyway."

"Mmm." Buffy agreed: a quick warm bath now would have been nice, but .

 

"We're agreed ?"

"Yes," Willow said. "There doesn't seem to be any other way." 

"I don't think there is," Buffy replied; "All the roads seem to lead back here, and that chap said they were going to make a search tomorrow, which wereally don't want to be here for.

"We need to find this Professor tonight, and see what he can tell us."

"What about the guards they spoke about ?" Willow asked. "Will we have to . kill . anybody ?"

"Not if I can avoid it," Buffy said. "Look, it must be the lane with the gate. We go out of the church, and along the wall. Once we're over there, there's three gardens, and then we're at the lane end."

"Okay-dokay," Willow said, to confirm to Buffy that she had both heard and understood. She pulled her bag to her and took two twisted bands of herbs.

"Here - this might serve to confuse someone who isn't actually sure that you're there."

"Great, Will - portable camouflage. Ready ?"

She poised herself by the church door.

"Let me," Willow said. The spell unlocked the door silently; a second one (hardly a full spell, just a minor glamour) silenced the hinges lest they creaked.

Then they were out and running, as quietly as they could, through the churchyard. At the wall, Buffy knelt, to boost Willow over, and followed her ina supple vault.  

On the other side they crouched and waited. But there was no alarm raised and, after thirty seconds or so, Buffy motioned that they could continue.

The second boundary was a hedge, in a small ditch. Buffy was about to force her way over, when Willow spotted something. There was a plank in the garden - a short plank, but long enough to bridge the ditch, and a thinner point in the hedge. They moved the plank and Buffy led the way over . to freeze at the other side.

Then she waved Willow back and they moved the plank along a little further.

"You'll have to jump over," she said: "Someone's thoughtfully put spikes sticks all along the bottom of the hedge."

"Oh. Oh!" Willow said.

Her face firmed into resolve and she pulled out her wand and spoke a few Words. Abruptly the hedge writhed and then parted before her.

"Never annoy a witch," Buffy murmered, remembering something she'd read on the Web, "for they are quick to anger, and can change human nature."

The second garden also proved harder to cross: the owner had given most of it over to vegetables, and had a complicated system of pegs and string to keep birds off his winter seedlings.

On the far side was another wall. Again Buffy helped Willow over .and thenboth froxe in their steps as they saw an ominous shadow on the far side. One of the guards had been set right at the mouth of the lane, but hidden behind the wall.

Buffy was about to sprint at him, full-tilt, when Willow found a large clodof earth.

"On four," she whispered. "One . two . three ."

On three her telekinesis hurled the clod, directly at the back of the man'shead. On "four" Buffy raced over, cat-footed, and caught the unconscious body even as he slumped.

"Well done," Buffy said warmly. "You are getting good at that."

Willow dimpled demurely (which would have been more effective a modest ployif there had been enough light for Buffy to see it), and they quietly tookthe man's place, to see what he could see.

Worryingly the first thing that was obvious was that there was a second watcher, about fifty yards further on, hiding under a wooden bench, his breathmisting on the air.

"Quick - we'll prop him . up."

Buffy managed to get through the sentence, even while she was coping with the fact that the unconscious body they were going to pick up and prop against the wall, lest he be missed, also had no face, like the Mail van driver.

Willow swallowed and helped pick him up, and then the two of them headed toward the back of the garden, to try going over the wall there.

They were just doing so, when the alarm went up: confused shouts and cries ringing out on the cold, still air.

"Quick !" Buffy led the run along the lane: only to find three men emerging from the undergrowth near the gate.

"Stop them !" one of the men told the other two. Buffy accelerated, to getto them before they could reach Willow, and was pleased to see one go downwith a simple shoulder-block. Then she was fighting the other two, tryinghard not to do permanent damage, while avoiding being too badly hurt or restrained.

Willow dived past and started to climb the gate, but was almost immediatelyblocked by what felt like a glass wall.

Buffy slammed one man under the chin, and kicked another where she hoped itwould hurt most, and followed her witch, only to meet the same problem. And all three of the men were regaining their feet, and more were soon to arrive, from the sound of bootsteps, gaining in volume.

"What's stopping us ?" Buffy asked Willow.

"I don't know but - "
Buffy saw what Willow meant: none of the 'men' were human, all had the blank ovoid heads of . whatever they were. Buffy poised herself to try to takethem on, while Willow searched her mind for possible .

"Gates and bars are things of man

"Over me they have no dominion

"While I do the work of peace

"While I undo chaos' tangled web.

"Open to me - close to my foes.

"Commanded, be it done."



"Come on, Buffy," 

Willow climbed the gate; Buffy, given her cue, vaulted it in one. The awesome dog-growl came again, but Willow wasn't waiting.

The driveway beyond the gate was firm, with good footing and both made the best use of it. Behind, their pursuers gibbered and cried out, as the obstacle they had been assured would hold their prey now barred their progress instead.

 

At the end of the drive was a large country house. In one ground floor window there was a light, and it was straight toward it that Buffy led her way.

There was little point in subterfuge now: the alarm was up. Whoever was here was either a friend, or a foe. In either case, she knew what to do, howto respond .

A door was flung open, and Willow tugged Buffy's arm and they headed for it, and went inside.

"Are you the Professor ? Buffy asked, as she drew her breath. "Only I think we need your . help."

 

Willow wasn't saying anything, and for once Buffy understood why. It was amatter of reassessing her presumptions. This wasn't an ageing man, with wrinkles and wise old eyes - sort of, Giles forty years on - this was a woman, in maybe her thirties, with a good figure, luscious long blonde hair, and a smart suit on.

"I'm Professor Plum, yes - Sappho Plum. Who are you, and how can I help ? Oh, wait - you're looking for Rupert Giles, aren't you ?"

"How did you know that ?" Willow asked.

"Quite simple, really - I know that Jared Constable and Berith, who calls himself the Verger, have had men out for days looking for you, and that theywere sending men out tonight or tomorrow to root you out. That would explain the disturbances I've sensed tonight. Anyway, come in, both of you. The further inside you come, to less chance they have of guessing you're here."

"The barrier I created won't hold them long," Willow said, worriedly.  

"Oh, don't underestimate yourself, my dear - you turned their magic againstthem, and so, for as long as they believe in it, it will continue to blockthem. And Berith doesn't have room for unbelievers."

"They're not human, are they ?" Buffy asked.

Sappho Plum paused, finger to her lips, thinking out her reply.

"They were, and would be, in your world. Or would be close enough - your young witch could spot them, if she had reason to look for them. But they're just Scriptator's creations, while they're in his world, so they only have the powers - and the intellect - they need to play their parts. Berith is a different kettle of slime: he snuck in and avoids leaving. He's tryingto build himself a base here, but Scriptator knows, and doesn't let him get far. That's why none of the roads lead out, only in."

 

"You know about Giles ?" Buffy asked, once they were settled in the lounge.

"Only that he was brought here, and then taken on. Dick Carter arranged that - Berith wasn't involved: probably why he got so peeved. And then the other one came and told Berith to stop the pair of you."

"How long ago was this ?"

"How long ? Three or four days, I suppose." Then Sappho Plum leaned forward and looked at Buffy.

"You're thinking about how long you are behind him, aren't you ? It doesn't work like that. I can send you so that you arrive straight after him . well, within an hour or two, anyway."

"You can send us to him ?" Willow said, with enthusiasm.

"He said you'd be eager."

"You've spoken to him ?"

"In a manner of speaking," Sappho Plum said. "As I said, time doesn't workas you would expect. They took him to Scriptator, but once he was there, he was able to contact me, and various others in Scriptator's worlds, to look out for . I've forgotten what he called you, collectively . "


"The Scoobies ?"

"That's it - weird name, but anyway . 

"Where are my manners ?" Professor Plum suddenly said: "You'll need food and a rest before I send you on. Here , give me your coats."

They slipped out of the rain-slickers, and Sappho smiled.

"I see you've already had some help. I recognise the sweaters - they're Symphony's, aren't they ? Lovely girl, and sings such a sweet song. If you were staying longer, I'd invite her over and the four of us could get together. She quite often comes over and stays the night - in summer, we even sleep on the back lawn sometimes, it's gets so hot indoors.

"Now, does game soup, scones and cream and tea and cakes sound right ?"

 

Later, after Sappho Plum had left them, together, naked, in bed, Willow cuddled up to Buffy.

"We're nearly there," she said, softly.

"Can we trust her ?"

"Oh, yes," Willow replied, certainly. "I scried her aura over tea and she is utterly neutral."

"Then, shall we stay a day or two and thank Symphony Scarlett for the help she gave ?"

"Better not," Willow said. "For all that the professor said, I'd be scaredof those men - or things - or whatever - being able to get to us."

"All right," Buffy said. She moved her hand, very slightly. "But we don'thave to get up right at the crack of dawn, do we ?"

"I don't know what crack you're thinking of getting up at," Willow said, "But I plan a long lie-in, with my love. That is, if that suits you ?"

"Fine with me, Will. Sleepy ?"

"Depends."

"On what ?"

"On what that hand thinks it's . oh, oh, I get the . picture. And if you just lean . "

"A happy slayer," Buffy said, " is a . "

 

Words weren't important, by that stage.

 

 

 

End of Part 4

End of "A Fable Environment"

 

The last story will follow, once I've written some of it.