FIC: Royalty Redux (Chapter 2)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

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.


Chapter 2: Of Dreams and Dreamers


It was fast approaching dawn when Rupert Giles returned to the hotel
suite they had acquired through Spike and Anya's friends. Running his
hands across his face he let out a lengthy sigh.
"Morning Rupert, aren't we home awfully late," Spike commented without
looking up from his book.
"Has Buffy returned?" Giles asked as he hung up his coat.
"Came in looking like she'd seen a ghost actually and went straight to
bed," Spike answered. "Or maybe she's more hung up over Red than any of
us think," he added.
"What of Anya and Xander?" Giles asked looking around the room.
"He regained consciousness and from the sound of it he's very much
alive," Spike answered with a smirk.
"You sure you're alright Spike?" Giles asked before he stepped into his
room.
"Never been better why?" Spike asked back. 
"No reason," Giles replied. "Good night Spike," he said.
This is just too much fun, Spike thought to himself. Well it'll be dawn
soon, time for all little vampires to go to sleep. Bloody hell! I'm
starting to sound like them. Note to self stop talking to self, first
signs of madness, and we have had enough of that over the last century
or so.
"Wonder what the Slayer is up to," he muttered and turned his eyes to
the closed door of Buffy's room.

Buffy tossed her head from one side to the other during her fitful sleep
with the book the lady at the store had giving her lying discarded next
to her.
"Buffy," the sweetest voice she'd ever heard called out to her and her
eyes fluttered open and she found herself lying in high grass with an
endless blue sky above her. 
"Is this a dream?" she asked.
"What do you think?" the voice asked, this time whispering into her ear.

Buffy turned around and saw Willow lying next to her, the sun reflecting
of the silver streaks in her hair and her simple silvery dress. Her
friend giggled slightly at her baffled look.
"Willow?" Buffy whispered, not believing her eyes. 
"Is it so hard to believe?" Willow asked with a smile. "Walk with me,"
she said, stood and smoothed out her dress.
"Where are we going?" Buffy asked. she stood and she could see rolling
hills going up and down into the horizon and the high grass went in
waves over them. 
"To the end of the rainbow," Willow said with a sweep of her hands.
"Are you serious?" Buffy asked as they started walking.
"No but it beats 'to infinity and beyond'," Willow replied and then
stopped
"We're here," she exclaimed.
"Where?" Buffy asked looking around.
"The beginning," Willow stated and swept her hand across the landscape
that sprawled out below them. "This is the road you must walk," She said
and looked down.
"What road?" Buffy asked as she looked down and finding that they now
stood on brick road that disappeared into the distance.
"This road symbolizes your life," Willow explained.
"Will you walk it with me?" Buffy asked as she took the first step.
"It's your dream?" Willow answered with a smile.
"Then walk it with me," Buffy said and offered Willow her hand.
"If that's your wish," Willow nodded and took Buffy's hand.
"Who are those people?" Buffy asked when they'd walked for awhile and
looked at the people they passed along the road.
"Those are the people you've met or will meet. Some still with us,
others passed on and some even not born yet,"
"Is that Spike?" she asked and pointed to the man playing with a young
child, a girl.
"That's the Spike that will be?" 
"He looks so nice, yet sad," Buffy whispered.
"That he is,"
"Is that Giles and. Faith!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Yes," Willow said with a smile.
"Ewww, or kinky, either one works," Buffy said.
"My thoughts exactly,"
"Who's that?" Buffy asked and pointed to a figure in the distance.
"You'll find out soon enough,"
Then Buffy froze. She saw two figures come into view. It was her and
Willow, kissing and she looked at her guide.
"Don't look at me I'm just a creation of your subconscious,"
"But that was you and me." 
"Yes it was, wasn't it," Willow said.
Buffy stopped when she felt rice land on her shoulder and hand and she
saw a wedding in the distance under the moonlight. 
There was silence until the next image came into view, a white house,
perhaps the mansion. She saw herself a little older than she was now,
sitting on the lawn playing with a small child and Willow sitting in the
porch swing smiling. 
"The distant future," Willow explained.
"But I."
"Look old? That happens you know,"
The next image was of a young woman with reddish blond hair and
mismatched blue and green eyes.
"Is that?" Buffy asked as she watched the girl. The familiar features
and the smile she'd always connected to Willow gracing her lips.
"Yes it is and one day you will meet her, it will be sooner than you
might think,"
"Why are you showing me this?" Buffy asked as they stepped into a
cemetery.
"Because in the morning this will all be forgotten," Willow answered.
"So I won't remember any of this?" Buffy asked.
"I'm sorry, that's the way it has to be,"
"Will I really live that long?" Buffy asked and looked down at the
headstones. Hers and Willows side by side and she thought she saw a
fleeting shadow but it was gone.
"If you choose the right path, then yes this is the future that will
be," Willow answered.
"I can't believe this will be all just fading memory when I wake up,"
Buffy muttered.
"You will remember one thing though," Willow said as she turned around
to face her.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"This." Willow said as she pulled her close and kissed her. The kiss was
passionate, seemingly fueled by pure desire and love. Her blood felt
like it was on fire, tingling sparks ran through her very being and the
landscape melted away and she found herself looking out over the faces
of her friends and family. Then she woke up.
Buffy arose in her bed, gently touched her lips, smiled and then lay
back down again.

*~*~*~*

Giles couldn't sleep. He wandered around his room reciting prophecies
and Latin verbs. His eyes eventually came to rest on the long wooden box
he'd brought with him. He slammed it down on the bed, open it and stared
down at the obsidian blade of the sword that lay within it.
"Why, oh why, oh why?" he asked himself as he picked it up the scroll
that lay next to it. Written in Latin, his mind translated it once
again:

The blade thou holds
The sword 
Of the night protector
If wielded 
Brings about the end or the beginning it shall.

One shall it wield who is both dark
Yet illuminus
Of magic hidden and buried with
Blood of blue
Illusion his power of a night warrior

Warning words shall 
Thou heed
The fire must burn with
Harmony 
Help one thou must before worthy are proven

Seek the Wicca whose love with 
Thou shares
Goddess' daughter whom 
Chosen One loves
Help them then thou road begins

He then rolled up the scroll and lifted the sword out of its box. It was
a simple sword, with runes and symbols engraved in silver along the
hilt. He swung it once, twice. Hearing it sing as it cleaved the air. 
Willow you picked a terrible time to go on a trip of self-discovery, he
thought as he picked up the sword sheath and placed it in it.
"Just another destiny to follow," he muttered and sat down with his
journal and pulled out the pen.

>From the Journal of Rupert Giles

Summer is upon us and I find myself faced with two problems. Buffy's my
slayer and in a way my daughter, her fear of facing the truth about her
feelings towards her closest friend and my own dilemma in face of the
latest turn in my destiny. These dilemmas ironically have the same goal.
Buffy must find Willow and in turn sort out her own feelings and I must
find Willow, first and foremost to help her and Buffy find what they
both seek and also to ask for Willow's help in understanding the changes
in my destiny, although I fail to see how she can help. 

Rupert Giles.

Giles sighed and placed the book back on the desk. Growing restless her
wondered what in hell he was supposed to do now.

*~*~*~*

Willow found herself in the familiar place that was the dream world.
This was a dream she never remembered until she dreamed it again.
"Why have I been summoned here?" she demanded as she looked around the
Chamber of Mirrors.
"You are troubled," said a female voice.
"Of course I am. I thought that was the reason for me coming here,"
"Are you happy?" the voice inquired and Willow thought for a moment.
She'd learned that lying to the voice didn't get her anywhere.
"No," she answered.
"Is it because the girl is not with you?"
"Yes!"
"Why do you not go to her then?" the voice asked.
"I can't," Willow stated.
"Why?" the voice asked.
"You know mighty well why," Willow snapped and a mirror shattered.
"But you are denying yourself happiness my child," the voice said.
"How can you be so sure?" Willow asked.
"Time is nothing to me. I see what was, what is and what will be," came
the answer as an image appeared on one of the walls. The image was not
unknown to Willow she'd seen the same image in her wine earlier that
night. It was an image of herself and Buffy embracing kissing and
looking happy and full of life. Willow shut her eyes, but the image
remained.
"It will happen, it has happened," the voice said.
"She'll never understand what I've become," Willow protested.
"How can you be sure?" the voice asked and faded away.
"I just know," Willow said and reached out to touch the image of Buffy
that had appeared in front of her.
"Hello Willow," the dream said.
"You're not real," Willow protested.
"What is real?" the dream asked.
"This is just a fantasy," Willow said as felt herself move closer.
"It could be real," the dream Buffy said with a small smile.
"I'm afraid," Willow whispered.
"Don't be," The dream said as she caressed Willows' cheek.
"Will I remember this?" Willow asked and leaned closer.
"This yes, but you know the way of things," the dream said.
"I can live with that," Willow said and kissed the dream, who then
slowly began to fade away.
"Remember this," it whispered as the walls of the dream world fell away
and Willow found herself awake with the sun caressing her cheek.

To Be continued.