“Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks.”
~ Joe Paterno
She pointed further into the cave. Buffy frowned not liking the look of the dark cave as she whispered softly, “I cannot see in there.”
Spike started to light his lighter to help and Buffy shook her head, “It won’t last long enough and with the plants being alive I don’t think picking off a branch to burn is such a fine idea.”
Spike shrugged and ran out and quickly came back with 4 branches, which were thrown at him within seconds of him exiting. He handed one to Willow, Buffy, Connor and Dawn. Buffy looked at him and he shrugged a little explaining, “I can see in the dark as can Illyria.”
Buffy nodded and Spike used a few leafs to wrap around the top of the branches to make a torch. He then lit them and Buffy smiled at him gratefully.
Illyria started her muttering within seconds of watching the motions, “Pathetic humans unable to see into the dark. Let’s go before your lights go out.”
She began to walk forward walking as though she were in daylight instead of walking into a pitch-dark cave. Just then she heard noises. She turned towards Spike questioning wondering if they had indeed found the hunters already since plants should not talk. Illyria did not look worried and continued to walk closer to the voices.
Spike finally demanded quietly but loud enough to make his point known, “Blue Meanie STOP! Where are you bloody taking us?”
Illyria looking annoyed as she responded, “To the hunters. They are up ahead in the cave. Isn’t that where you wanted to go?”
Willow paused glancing at Illyria and then to Spike “I need a minute to regroup. How many is there? Does anyone know? What are they? Can anyone tell that?”
Connor moved forward a bit and Illyria listened, “They are speaking an old language. I cannot translate it though.”
Dawn tried and responded, “It’s nothing I know.”
Spike shrugged not understanding it either which struck him as strange. He had studied languages for 120 years. He thought he had a good handle on a lot of different languages but kept quiet about this fact since Illyria had seemed to recognize it.
Spike felt Buffy grasp his hand tighter and Willow was quiet for a moment before offering her suggestions, “I have two ideas on how to handle it since it sounds like at least three are in there. I can temporarily bind their powers, which should bind them to this world but Dawn would have to act fast. I would then have to completely bind this dimension so no one could ever open this plane again. I have one other option though. I don’t know what is in there or who they are but I can cast a force shield around the place they are sitting in right now. That would prevent them from exiting. Then we could travel back to our dimension and cast the spell safely from home while Dawn continues to have the portal open. Since it’s only plant life it’s not likely anything will enter through the portal.”
Buffy shrugged not really having an opinion. Just then they were paralyzed. The only one who could move was Illyria and Dawn. The three hunters appeared before the group, “You have come to stop us. We are not of your world. We are beyond you and beyond your God here. We are without an end or an age. You were stupid fools to track us down. Let us have this God and we will leave you alone.”
Dawn spoke up, “You cannot have Illyria. We have come to stop you. You are endangering our world every time you open portals. Did you realize that?”
The three hunters looked towards Dawn not bothered by her statement, “We do not care. We only want the God.”
Illyria responded loudly but still calm, “Give me a moment with this being.”
She took Dawn aside and no one could hear what was said and since they couldn’t move they could not say anything. Buffy managed to send a message to Spike by just wishing with all her heart she could just talk to him a minute, ‘What is Illyria saying to Dawnie?’
Spike sent one back responding, ‘I do not know. Wow we can talk like this?’
Buffy answered, ‘I guess we have another power we didn’t know about. Dawn will do the right thing. She won’t give up Illyria.’
Spike answered, ‘I know. Oh look they are coming back.’
Their inner speech grew quiet as they watched Illyria nod towards Dawn who pricked her finger and Illyria raised her hand slowing down time for the three hunters in front of her, which unfroze the gang. Dawn yelled towards the group, “Quick enter the portal. We haven’t got much time.”
Everyone jumped quickly not stopping to think of his or her actions. They stumbled into another world as Dawn left Illyria back in the old portal.
She turned to Willow and demanded, “Do your witching thing.”
Willow started chanting into the portal and then nodded as Illyria stepped through the portal just as Dawn managed to close it. All was still and Dawn looked around asking, “Where exactly is this dimension, Illyria?”
Illyria replied, “Liama, land of the giants.”
Spike looked nervous, “Um… Half pint, why are we with giants and what the bloody hell happened back there?”
Illyria answered slowly, “We closed that portal to movement. I told Dawn to come here because I wanted to test to see if they could follow.”
Spike blinked, “You expect us to stay in this dimension for 24 hours?”
He roared loudly upset as Illyria demanded, “Vampire keep your voice down. I do not wish to fight with giants today. Follow me.”
The gang followed her but looked around suspiciously. They could sense giants all around them but luckily the giants did not notice them. They didn’t seem to look at their feet so they were safe since they were tiny. Spike pulled Buffy closer to him as though to protect her from the huge creatures. The whole group knew that if one giant happened to notice them, they would probably be squished within seconds. Just then the earth under them started to rumble and Buffy fell over but Spike caught her as the gang all sat on the ground to keep their balance. Illyria muttered something about large feet of uncoordinated beings such as giants. The rest huddled together until the movement stopped and Dawn asked quietly, “What was that?”
Illyria responded unbothered, “A giant was running past us. Follow me.”
Spike was getting annoyed by Illyria’s short answers but continued to follow thinking she was taking them somewhere safe. Willow got curious and finally asked the question that was burning in her mind, “So you have spent the last year of your life in other dimensions like this one?”
Illyria nodded, “I needed to stop the hunters and other dimensions are much prettier than Earth. The ones of chaos and war are the best but I grow tired of them. I grow tired of everything. I was told I shouldn’t be here and that this wasn’t my time. They were right but I am stuck now. At least visiting other worlds reminds me of my old home. I actually think I miss it. It’s strange to feel emotions such as missing and anger. I miss Wesley too.”
Willow wasn’t sure what to say so she followed Illyria. Just then Illyria stopped, “We are here.”
Spike and the gang looked around but all he saw was large trees. Illyria pounded the tree and the bottom opened up. Illyria walked inside the door and Dawn asked tentatively, “What’s in there?”
Illyria’s monotone voice rang out through the group, “A settlement built by two humans that were once stuck in this dimension for a few months. I found it last time I was here. The humans were already dead though.”
Buffy followed feeling quite nervous as Dawn asked, “What killed them?”
Illyria replied, “They were old.”
Dawn repeated her question, “Are we stuck here?”
Illyria shook her head, “Young mysterious being, you are never stuck in a dimension. You are the Key. The one that the old ones were searching for until we died out. You are part of the old ones but were protected.”
Dawn stated again, “I am happy being human.”
Illyria looked annoyed but said nothing more as she walked down the stairs further into the Earth. They walked down stairs for what seemed like hours. No one was carrying a watch but Spike was sure even if they did, it would not work in this dimension. Finally they got to the bottom of the stairs and found some berries, nuts, and fruits. Spike blinked as his stomach growled, “How are these still fresh if the humans are dead?”
Illyria responded, “This is not your world, vampire. Food does not decay here.”
Buffy frowned, “Are there any animals here for blood?”
Illyria shook her head, “The vampire will need to wait until we get home.”
Buffy shook her head but said nothing knowing she could easily eat and then have him feed from her which would be enough to keep him going until they got home tomorrow. Connor picked up a fruit and bravely bit into it. It looked like an orange but did not taste like an orange. It was sweet not tangy but very good. He ate the whole fruit and handed one to Dawn who also ate one.
Illyria responded but this time with a quieter tone almost longing, “It’s such a shame humans have to eat. What does food taste like?”
Buffy handed Illyria a red star fruit, “Try it. It won’t hurt you. You are in a human body after all.”
Illyria shrugged and took a bite swishing the fruit around in her mouth, “Sweet but a bit dull. Does this make you full inside?”
Buffy explained, “It gives us energy and fills our stomach which hurts when we are hungry.”
Illyria shrugged again as she finished the fruit, “You humans can sleep. I’ll stay guard. I do not need to sleep.”
Spike laid down on the floor feeling tired. It had been a long adventure and it didn’t look like it would end any time soon. Buffy curled up next to him and he wrapped his duster around her to keep her warm and they were sleeping within minutes. Connor laid down on the floor and Dawn snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes falling asleep too. Willow frowned and decided to talk to Illyria a little since she missed Oz. She asked Illyria, “What was your world like?”
She replied, “Chaos. Nightmares walked among the people and killed them without a second thought. There were Gods that were worshipped. If someone said my name, the people would bow and fear me. The world was based on fear. Killing occurred for something to do. Blood shed was seen as fun and humans were worthless. There were angels, demons and Gods who ruled the world. Even the angels killed humans for fun. Vampires were almost nothing. There were witches like you and they lived a little longer than normal humans but still couldn’t live long enough. It was a beautiful place but it would probably bore me now. Your world is so full of emotions like love, hope and joy. I’ve never felt those before. Fear, pain and sorrow I knew from before but my world never fought back. They accepted pain and sorrow as the way life was but your world, it fights against such feelings. It’s different.”
Willow nodded, “Do you really never sleep?”
Illyria responded quietly, “Sleeping is useless. I haven’t yet and I don’t suspect I will but I will protect you because I have nowhere else to go and no one else and Wesley taught me it was important to have someone.”
Willow nodded replying quietly as well as to not to wake the others, “It is. Our world isn’t a fair place and having someone even a friend, helps get you through it. When this is over we will find a place for you to stay with us. We will help care for you and explain how the world works. You might even like it. You can kill vampires if you want. It’s fun and challenging.”
Illyria seemed to ponder on this for a moment, “They are weak but determined.”
Willow closed her eyes whispering into the dark, “We all are.”