Chapter 17 –- Truths and Mourning
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The sun would be rising in the next few hours and in the condition he was in the dark vampire didn’t have much time to make it back to the room before he was nothing more than ash in the wind. Slowly but surely he picked himself up off of the ground and staggered out of the side street and onto one of the main avenues. Normally he wouldn’t do such a thing and basically stick to the side streets, the shadows as it were but the small hotel where he was staying was located on 4th avenue and it was mostly apartment buildings and houses until you reached the main shopping district over 20 blocks ahead.
For the time of night and the area itself Angel very much doubted he’d be running into anyone in particular. And even if he did he was more than a match for any human that crossed his path, wounded or not. He just had to get back to the room and rest for the day before he could head back out into the night and find Spike and Buffy before the trail became completely cold.
Slipping into the lobby and up the stairs he easily made it to the room undetected. Finally inside and safely tucked away from the sun he sighed with relief and slumped against the door. Whistler just watched from the shadows concern marring his otherwise usually stoic or sarcastic features. He wages a silent war with himself; in the end he decides to screw the orders he’s received from The Powers and that it was time Angel knew the truth… about everything.
“Ang, I think its time we had a talk”
“Whis now is really not a good time” Angel bit out
The demon sighed heavily as he watched Angel hobble over to the bed nursing his wounds and from the looks of them they looked real nasty, even in the low light of the lamp that barely lit a corner of the room.
“I think now is the perfect time”
The serious tone in the demon’s usually mocking and sarcastic voice instantly gained Angel’s attention. Dark mahogany colored eyes traveled his friends’ face wearily. Whatever it was that Whistler had to tell him it couldn’t be good and he really wasn’t sure how much more distressing news he could handle at this point in time.
“Okay what’s up Whis?”
Whistler slowly got up from his seat knowing that he was going to have to move around for this conversation. It seemed whenever he got nervous he had to keep himself busy. And he knew for sure that this particular conversation was about to get very stressful.
“Alright, remember how I told you that you could go either way. That you could make something of yourself but it all was on you, the choices you made”
“Yea, of course… that day was the day my life changed… forever”
Whistler winced as he felt the emotions roll of the vampire as he remember said day. That was one thing he never told anyone was that he was partially an empathy demon. It did nothing for his tough guy, cryptic exterior so he kept that little ti bit to himself.
“Well that wasn’t the only day your life changed… you see The Powers came for you because you were strong of heart and they knew you would be a great warrior. But the main reason you were saved was because you were suppose to be her guardian”
“Her Guardian…” He repeated lamely
“Yes her guardian, you see the day you left her… that was the day destiny was rewritten. But nothing was permanent, not yet anyway. In the beginning there were… opportunities as it were for you to come back and claim her as yours. Then young Riley Finn came along but it was clear he wasn’t the one…” He trailed off unsure on how to continue
“Whistler what are you saying to me?” The vampires’ voice was low and hoarse. He was terrified as to what the demon was insinuating. Fear and revulsion of the worst kind gripped his dead heart as the next few words tumbled forth from his friends’ lips
“Then they saw what was in front of them the entire time; William the Bloody. He’d been with the Slayer from almost the time she set foot in Sunnydale. Though enemies at first, they weren’t that any longer. They weren’t friends but they were no longer enemies and that was a start. It was then decided to test the vampires’ loyalty. They looked back on his time with Drusilla and his loyalty was second to none when he truly loved. So tests were set in place and the door in which you were to pass through closed forever now opened to him. And unlike you he walked through with his head held high.” He explained slowly trying to gauge Angel’s reaction
“So you’re saying my leaving Buffy I basically handed her to Spike on a sliver platter. My sacrifice…” he started to rant until Whistler abruptly cut him off.
“SACRIFICE!?! Whoa Angel buddy, there was NO sacrifice. You left, you couldn’t handle not being able to make love to her, and you couldn’t deal so you bailed. You left her Angel, no one forced you to, and you just did! In fact I seem to remember a slightly heart wrenching scene where the little blonde of your desires practically begged you not to leave. To rethink things, to just TALK to her, but you didn’t YOU decided what was best and YOU left her.” Whistler raged, he cared for his friend he truly did but there was no for Angel to blame except himself.
It all seemed to hit the ensouled vampire like a ton of bricks. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it to be true it was all too much for him to deal with at that particular moment in time. He could smell the sunrise, he only had about an hour before it would be too late and he’d be stuck in that room for the remainder of that day. He couldn’t stand it, the walls were closing in and there was no way he would last there all day. So with that he stormed out of the room and back out into the ending night. There was a bar a few blocks up; The Wicked Monk… it looked like a place to drink the day away then regroup and get HIS Slayer back. Screw destiny, fate and all the other entities that controlled the cosmos. Buffy was his and he was going to get her back!
Whistler tried to stop his friends’ hasty exit from the room but staggered back at the force of the vision he received. They normally never hurt him before just sent a warm pleasant tingle up his spine but this time there was no way around it, this vision hurt like a bitch but once the pain receded he couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that the new seer had found its warrior now all he had to do was make sure that it was him that now received the vision so needed from The Powers that Be.
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It was a bright beautiful sunny California day. The sun was shinning and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, it was a bright vibrant blue. The grass was green and lush and there was a light breeze that rustled throughout the trees. Today was not the type of day for a funeral but it was.
Today family and friends laid Cordelia Chase to rest. Willow and Xander stood with Giles along with Gunn and Fred off to the side whereas Cordelia’s parents and other family members were nowhere to be found. It seemed that in order to avoid the IRS the Chases’ opted to stay out of the country even with word of their own daughter’s death.
Cordelia’s body was picked up by the coroner and they said she died of sudden neck rupture. No one who really knew the truth disputed the cause of death. So the only friends and family Cordelia had left gathered around her grave and paid their last respects. The priest said his finally words and only after a few more moments most everyone turned and left headed back to Xander’s apartment.
In the end there was only one person left standing over Cordelia’s grave. Xander Harris looked on with tear filled eyes. Though there was bad blood between the two brunettes somewhere inside he knew that he still loved her and all of her Queen C bitchy ways. Sighing heavily he walked sullenly over to the casket and placed a white lily on top. As he turned and walked a way tear slipped from his eye only to be wiped away by the soft breeze. Halting in his steps for only a moment he exited Wakefield Cemetery and never looked back
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There was no time and no space where Talaria roamed images continued to flash before her eyes until with a wave of her hand she looked on with bright eyes. It seemed as though the new seer had found his Slayer. Everything was beginning to take shape.
Suddenly the scenery around her changed and she was walking through a field and the sky was the screen in which she watched all the actions taking place on earth. A breeze picked up and softly whipped through her hair and just as abruptly it was there it was gone again. Looking to her left she smiled when she saw Whistler walking in step beside her.
“How has the dark one taken his defeat?” she asked softly
“He hasn’t” the demon said simply
Perplexed Talaria stopped and turned to Whistler a perplexed looking masking her features. There was no way that the vampire was still trying to hold claim to the Slayer.
“Are you to say he still his trying to lay claim on the Slayer?”
“I’m saying Angel has lost it, I can’t even say for sure if he’s all together up there in the head anymore. His actions suggest otherwise…”
Talaria just sighed heavily.
“He will learn in time, his destiny is no longer woven with that of the Slayer. He has his own path now. When we send his new mate to him, he will understand…”
“I hope so because right now he just doesn’t get it”
“He soon will, besides the Slayer and her vampire has now found their seer everything is falling into place. Nothing can stop what has begun now!”
“Well I better get back before Angel knows I’m gone”
Before Talaria could get out another word Whistler faded away with a jaunty swagger. Laughing softly to herself she turned and cast one lingering glance to the two warriors.
The end of days had already long over begun and the side of the light was just now getting its most prized warriors ready for battle. Though they had a late start and some battles have already been lost. They would not loose the war.
With a crack of thunder and cry of triumph Talaria faded from the field and headed back to earth. Soon the Slayer would be returning to the mouth of hell and she would be there to greet her.
End of Chapter 17
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