FIC: Royalty Redux (Chapter 1)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hello all
I thought long and hard about posting this, but we all must move on, for
life goes on and so does art. So enjoy this little story, because you
should never stop living life.
Take care
Cilia

Title: Royalty Redux
Author: Cilia
Archives: List archivers go right ahead.
Notes: The rewrite of the classic B/W story Royalty, the story that set
the stage for the epic Two Worlds story and made many of the characters
that are still around and kicking in Prophecy's Twilight. 
Relative to the show, this takes place after the events of Graduation,
so those are still in continuity while, but I have take some liberties
and this is very much an alternate universe story.
Summary: Buffy finds herself in San Francisco looking for Willow, but
the young witch has gone missing, both of them struggle with their
emerging affection for each other and new enemies. Along for the ride
are Spike, Giles, Anya and Xander, every single one of them with a
mission of their own.

Not so long ago.
Willow looked out of the window of the bus, speeding towards San
Francisco, focusing her sight she flashed backwards to Sunnydale where
Buffy was patrolling the cemetery. She smiled and ran her hand through
her silver streaked hair. Time for a change had been her motto and
reason for the journey she was now on. Her bag contained her robes,
books and some party clothes bought secretly over the last few days. She
had an address for a coven in San Fran that would take her in and teach
her what they could in exchange for her knowledge. All in all this was
turning out to be a nice summer after the events at graduation. She
closed her eye for a short nap, ran her promise of always to be calm and
in control through her mind and waited for the bus to pull in at the
station. 

A brown package rested on the counter of Rupert Giles' kitchen and with
it was a note he was reading for the tenth time since it had arrived.
Ripping the brown paper off the package revealing the long wooden box,
upon opening it he sighed and shut it again. Turning away he marched to
his bookshelves and pulled out a thick tome, opening it at an earmarked
page and pulled a pen out of the sleeve. 

>From the Journal of Rupert Giles

I am all by my lonesome on this day of change, for one of those pesky
little things that turn up in ones life from time to time, has just
turned up. I am unsure of my course of action from this point onward.
But this event will no doubt signal great changes in my life and those
around me.

Rupert Giles.

Royalty Redux
Cilia

Chapter 1: Where on Earth is Willow Rosenberg?

San Francisco is not too far from Sunnydale and you can make the journey
there with minimal effort and cost. But going there from Sunnydale is no
vacation, for even the city of Saint Francisco has a dark side, a night
world where the same things that thrive in the shadows of Los Angeles
and Sunnydale lurk. 
"Oh great, more dust," Buffy Summers, vampire Slayer and newly graduated
High School student, muttered as she brushed a few stray specks of dust
off her shoulder. "Willow I hope you know the trouble I'm putting myself
through to find you," she muttered to herself as she hid her stake
again.
"Yes I guess it can be a bit of a bother," Rupert Giles, her Watcher,
said as he stepped out the shadows and brushed some of the offensive
gray stuff of his shoulder.
"Giles, I asked you not to follow me." Buffy said with a frown and threw
up her hands. "And what on earth are you wearing?" she asked and nodded
at the black overcoat, gray turtleneck and the generously cut pants. 
"To answer you first question, they insisted on coming," Giles said and
on cue Spike, Buffy's sometime ally and bad ass vampire, and Anya, a
vengeance demon turned human, stepped into view. 
"As for the clothes, well about two days after you left in search for
Willow, the ladies of Sunnydale decide that I was in need of a
'make-over'," he finished the last word laced with sarcasm.
"Okay Giles I get, but what's the deal with you two?" Buffy asked and
glared at her two allies. 
"Well you see Slayer, Sunnyhell was boring so I thought I'd check on San
Francisco, since I had so much fun here during the sixties and
seventies," Spike said with a grin. "Hippies do the strangest thing to
your head," he added with a dreamy look.
"Let me just say yuck and you what's your excuse?" Buffy asked the
former vengeance demon with a pointed glare.
"Same as Spike's," Anya said with a shrug. "I have fond memories of this
place and I heard it's a city where anything goes," she added with a
grin and Buffy sighed and rubbed her forehead.	
"So did you leave anybody guarding that little gate into hell we call
home," Buffy asked, as if things could get any worse in her mind.
"Faith, is there of course, Angel is on call and it's summer so it's
less activity," Giles nodded. "She'll do fine," he said. "So have you
had any luck locating her?"
"None what so ever," Buffy said with another sigh. "How about you three?
Any luck?" she asked
"None!" sighed the former demon.
"We've been somewhat unsuccessful," said the first Brit.
"Not even a strand of red hair!" cursed the later Brit.
"Okay so we don't have zip to go on," Buffy exclaimed.
"Just great!"
"What about the occult stores?" Giles pondered. "You did
check them didn't you?" he then asked his Slayer. When no reply came
Spike grinned.
"You didn't do it, did you?" the vampire asked with glee.
"Well no I was." Buffy stammered and blushed.
".just running around like a headless chicken trying to find her and
maybe get something going," Anya said off handedly. "But that's just my
theory," she added.
"Stop it all of you!" Buffy shouted so it rang through the street.
It had been a week since Willow said she was going to San Francisco,
something concerning magic and wiccans and when she didn't call like
she'd promised, Buffy had gotten worried and four days later she'd
headed out and now her watcher had arrived with two of her allies, which
was something she didn't need right now since her feelings were all
jumbled concerning the her red haired witch slash hacker best friend in
the world trademark.
"So where's Xander," Buffy asked Anya after she'd vented her frustration
into the night sky.
"He ran into something earlier tonight," Giles said with
a snicker.
"What?" Buffy asked. "A mummy. bug girl?"
"Neither, it was a wall," Giles replied deadpan and gave
a small smile.
"He's back at the hotel," Anya said. "Getting better,"
she added. Buffy just 
shook her head wondering why she couldn't have a 'normal' thing going
like Xander and Anya, normal heterosexual thing that is.
"Well since we're all here we might as well check out the occult shops.
Why don't you two check out anything in that direction and I'll take our
spiffed up watcher here," Buffy said and started walking with Giles
following, leaving the demon and former demon standing on the empty
street.
"There's more to this than meets the eye," Anya muttered looking after
the Slayer until she vanished into the night.
"Old news Anya, old news," Spike just said with a nod. "Very old news,"
he added.
"You coming?" Anya asked the vampire.
"Like I have a bloody choice," Spike muttered.
"Hey who knows it could be fun," Anya said with a smile and Spike
shivered and the thought of what fun with Anya would entail.

*~*~*~*

The Club had no name, but it was built over lay lines, so it drew all
beings mystical and magical towards it and Willow Rosenberg, a wiccan,
moved through the darkness of the club. The various children of the
night danced around her and she felt the pulse of the night, the smell
of magic and most importantly she felt alive. Yes her little break from
Sunnydale was turning out rather well all things considered.
"So you're the new witch in town?" a tall and dark figure said as it
stepped out of the shadows and his voice that sounded like the night
wind.	
"That depends on who wants to know," Willow replied with a shy smile,
but at the same time running a protection spell through her mind.
"Daniel Night," the man said with a smile obvious in his voice and
Willow gasped in her mind but didn't show any sign of it as she went on.
"Willow," she said and offered her hand.
"And do you know who I am?" he asked as he gently took her hand and
kissed it.
"Of course, you're the Prince of the city," she stated bluntly acting
unimpressed.
"That I am and I'm curious about your reasons for
blowing into it?" he asked.
"And since when does the Prince concern himself with a lowly wiccan?"
Willow asked with a raised eyebrow.
"When said wiccan arrives from the Hellmouth," the Prince replied.
"Okay, good enough reason, but I'm afraid you'll be a bit disappointed,"
Willow said as she looked around.
"Try me?" Daniel asked.
"Then let's sit down," she said and picked up a globe with red liquid
from the passing waitress.
Now that she saw the Prince in a flickering candlelight, she noticed
his features, probably Italian by birth, a distinctive nose, brown eyes
tinted with green, black hair and a tall forehead. He was very handsome
by any standards while radiating power and wisdom.
"In as few words as possible," Willow said. "I needed to get away," she
said taking a long sip from her goblet.
"Explain," he nodded as he watched her swallow the contents of the
goblet.
"You see this," she said and motioned to her red hair, with its silver
streaks and her jade green, formfitting corset and paint on pants.
"I may be many things, but I'm still a man," Daniel said. "So how could
I not. notice?" he added with a small smile.
"This isn't me, not most of the time anyway," Willow explained.	
"Let me guess the innocent school girl?" he asked. "Maybe even the
librarian's assistant?
"More or less yes," Willow said and took another sip from her goblet.
"So you came here to cut loose?" he asked, but it sounded more like a
statement.
"Well not actually cut loose. Maybe have a little fun," Willow said with
an innocent little smile that usually worked so well, but it failed.
"You know the rules?" he asked with a firm glare at Willow.
"Yes and I will honor them," Willow nodded.
"That's all I needed to hear," Daniel said and stood.
"You're leaving," Willow asked looking up with a smile.
"The fun you want is not the kind of fun I can give you," he replied.
"Plus I sense there is someone special you wish to share your new self
with," he added and disappeared into the shadows. 
Who do I want to share this with? she thought to herself and looked into
the goblet. As she focused her magic on the liquid an image formed in
it. Then flickered away leaving Willow stunned.

*~*~*~*

Buffy and Giles walked through the last shop on their list. They walked
past the books, jars, parchments and all things magic lined the walls of
the store that seemed somehow to be much bigger on the inside than the
out. 
"Why did Spike and Anya come with you?" she asked her Watcher. "And I
want the truth," she added firmly.
"Amazingly that was it. Anya said she wanted to see San Francisco and
she felt that Willow would need her help. Spike came because he craves
action, it's not in his nature to sit and read the Codex," Giles
answered.
"So they're basically here because they're bored from research?" Buffy
stated in mock disbelief.
"Well. yes," Giles said as the clerk and most likely wicca of the store
came up to them.
"Can I help you two with anything?" she asked a low voice.
"Yes, we're looking for a Wicca that might have come through here?"
Buffy asked.
"Many daughters of the goddess come through my doors," the woman said.
"About this tall, red hair, green eyes," Buffy went on describing her
friend, recalling details she didn't know she knew about Willow's
appearance.
"Powerful?" the woman asked.
"No, a novice with some talent," Giles answered.
"Then she hasn't walked through my doors," the woman answered and
Buffy's shoulders slumped and the woman gave her a sympathetic smile.
"But there was a girl here that matches your description, although she
was more powerful than the scholar indicates," the woman said and then
looked Buffy over. "If your friend is in the city she's most likely
staying with a coven which means you won't find her easily," she said
and picked up a piece of paper. "Still most of the younger wiccas can be
found in some of these places after the sun goes down," she explained,
wrote down some names on a brown piece of paper and handed it to Buffy.
"Thank you," Buffy said and accepted the paper, which she folded and
placed in the back pocket of her pants.
"I do hope you find your friend," the clerk said to Buffy as they were
about to leave and then she spoke directly to Giles. "And you shouldn't
hide your gifts," she said in a scolding tone. Once they were outside
Buffy turned and faced Giles.
"Gifts?" she asked in a puzzled voice.
"Explain later," the watcher answered and walked on.
Buffy pouted. Oh no you don't. She thought and turned back into the
store.
"You're back?" the woman commented.
"Yes, I was kind of curious..," she said and looked down. Why am I
nervous, she thought. "What gifts does my friend have?" she then asked.
"The scholar is powerful, but refuses to acknowledge it," she said and
handed her a small book. "Give him this, perhaps it will help,"
"Thank you, I will," Buffy said and took the book from the woman's small
hands.
"I can see why she likes you Elisabeth," the woman said in a soft voice
and Buffy looked up.
"How did you." but the woman was gone and she was standing outside the
hotel. "Weirdness," she muttered and looked down at the book, it was a
simple black leather bound book, with golden script of the cover reading
Tales of Night.

*~*~*~*

Willow crawled back to her small apartment in the building complex
belonging to her adoptive coven
"Lily!" Willow exclaimed in a startled voice as she turned on the lights
in her apartment.
"Your friends came by the store looking for you," the woman named Lily
said from where she stood.
"You didn't tell them where I was, did you?" Willow asked.
"No, but I fail to understand why you don't want to meet them?" Lily
asked.
"I needed to get away, I told you that," Willow expressed with a sigh.
"Running away never helped anyone. At best it's only a temporary
solution," Lily said patiently.
"I know I just want to see what it's like, you know with out them
protecting me at every step," Willow explained.
"Then why don't you tell them how far you've come?" Lily
asked.
"No, not now, it would scare them," Willow said and
shook her head.
"How can you be so sure?"
"They only know the fluffy Willow and I'd like to keep
it that way for now,"
"You mean you're afraid that Elisabeth will stop liking you if you
change?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, that's not the reason, it's just." Willow didn't finish because
Lily was gone.
"I HATE when she does that!!" Willow shouted and a thunder clapped
outside. Willow closed her eyes and took in a lungful of air and slowly
let it go. Control and calmness were a magic users best friend and now
she'd had very little of both.

To Be Continued.