Spoilers: Really covers all of the Buffy series and the basics of the Angel series. Specific episodes include: Buffy Two-Part Season Finale, Season 1 ep. ”Becoming” Parts 1 & 2, Buffy Series Finale, Season 7 ep. “Chosen”, and Angel, Season 1 ep. “To Shanshu in L.A.”
Dedicated: To Candice (lilacdream7) for your support, friendship, and undying devotion to your one true obsession….James! ^_^
A/N: This story was started before the last few episodes of Angel, Season 5 aired so the whole battle against Wolfram & Hart battle is ignored and wouldn’t occur for awhile longer – basically it takes place a little over one year after Illyria has lost her time-jumping powers in “Timebomb”.
All biological and historical information discussed in this fanfic is accurate. It came from notes taken in several different biologically related courses at the University of Connecticut as well as A&E, The History Channel, and Discovery Channel. If you are interested in specific references I can provide them for you.
“I’m still not completely sure I know what happened,” Kennedy began. She now sat in an over-stuffed armchair opposite Buffy who was sitting on the armrest of the leather couch next to Spike. Xander paced nervously back and forth behind the couch, while Giles stood in the corner fixing Kennedy a cup of tea and himself a stiff brandy. “She had been so happy the last few days. Yesterday was the 4th anniversary of Tara’s death and it was the first time Will didn’t wake up crying.”
Giles gently handed Kennedy the cup of tea. “Thank you,” she mumbled and took a small sip before continuing. “She had gotten up early to see the sun rise. She loves being alone in the mountains in the morning, when she can help bring nature to life. You guys should see her now; she truly is a goddess of Earth.” Kennedy paused and smiled sadly off into space. “I was making breakfast. I could see Willow walking among the wild flowers at the back of our house. She was singing to herself. We were going to go for a picnic that afternoon and she had wanted fresh flowers to present as an offering for Tara. I was watching her and not what I was doing, and I managed to set a dishrag on fire. I was trying to put it out when I heard her scream. By the time I got outside she was no where in sight, and the area where she had been,” Kennedy looked up into Buffy’s eyes, “Buffy, it had been leveled! Every last living thing had been destroyed, burned to ash. And, and there was some blood, fresh blood, on the ground! I called for her but there was no answer. Then I was struck from behind and knocked out. When I came to it was nearly noon. I looked for her but I couldn’t find her, so I called Giles. We’ve been searching ever since.”
“Oh god, Willow,” Buffy whispered.
“You don’t reckon Red’s gone black again, do you?” Spike leaned forward on the couch, glancing up at Buffy with concern.
“Jesus, Spike! You really have no compassion do you?” Xander growled from behind him.
“What?” the blond-haired vampire shouted back getting to his feet and turning to face Xander. “You know you’ve all been thinking it, wondering it. It doesn’t make me any less compassionate just because I have the balls to ask it.”
“No,” Kennedy interrupted. “That damage, if it was caused by Willow, was definitely in defense, not an open attack.”
“I’m just saying, anniversary of her dead lover’s death; I wouldn’t blame Red for flipping out a bit,” Spike continued.
“No,” Kennedy shook her head. “Not this time.”
“Alright, so any ideas on who took her?” Buffy chimed in.
“None,” Kennedy sighed. “That’s why Giles and I came here.”
“By the way, Buff, if you hadn’t heard about Will, what brought you out here?” Xander frowned. “I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see you, but if you never got our messages…”
“I’ve been having visions,” Buffy admitted. “Pretty violent ones too.”
“What are they of?” Wesley called from across the room where he and Gunn had been absorbed in a stack of papers and old books.
“Just your typical ‘end-of-the-world’ variety vision,” Buffy sighed. “There’s fire and blood; some woman is screaming. Oh and there’s singing.”
“Singing?” Xander raised an eyebrow. “None of us were doing the singing were we?”
“No, it was children, or rather children’s voices. I never actually saw them. Very Stephen King. They were singing Ring Around the Rosey.”
“The child’s game?” Angel piped up from his seat behind his desk. He had been silent up until then, sitting back listening, his fingertips pressed together in thought.
“Yep, that’s the one,” Buffy nodded.
“Anything else? Anything about Willow?” Kennedy stared hopefully at Buffy.
“No, sorry, no Willow. But there was this guy,” Buffy turned to face Angel. “A young man dressed all in black with a round flat hat. I’ve met him before. Some immortal demon but on the side of good. He came to warn me the night you tried to open Acathla, Angel. He knew you.”
“Did he say anything?” Giles pressed.
“He said ‘the end is coming. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust’.”
“That’s it? Was there anything else that happened?” Wesley leaned in.
For a second, Buffy glanced sidelong at Spike. There was no need to tell the others about what happened to him in her vision, at least not yet. “No, that was it.
Angel frowned, tapping his fingers together. “I’m not sure who he is. Could be several different demons. We should talk to Lorne. He might have heard something.”
Buffy nodded.
“I’ll look into the Ring Around the Rosy reference,” Wesley mused, tapping his lower lip with his finger. “Seems significant enough.”
“I’ll help you,” Xander volunteered, following Wesley out of the office.
“As I was telling Kennedy before, the Senior Partners might have some information on Willow or Buffy’s vision,” Gunn offered.
“Good idea, Gunn, but be careful how much you tell them,” Angel instructed before turning to Giles. “Faith should be arriving at LAX in an hour; can you swing by and pick her up?”
“On my way now,” Giles replied, grabbing his coat.
“I’ll try the Coven again,” Kennedy rose slowly from her chair. “Maybe they’ve found something on Will.”
“Good idea.” Buffy offered the younger girl a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.” She reached out and squeezed Kennedy’s hand gently, as she passed her following Angel towards the door.
“Spike?” Buffy paused looking back at him. He had remained where he was, staring out the large glass windows that covered the far wall of the office. She could see the muscles in his jaws moving back and forth ever so slightly.
“He’s coming with us?” Angel sighed down at Buffy. She shot him a look. It was like dealing with children sometimes.
For a second Spike seemed not to hear her, his eyes still staring off. But suddenly he turned, “Right then.” He moved passed her without a glance, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. Pausing to light it in front of Angel, he glanced up at the older vamp as he let out a curl of white smoke. “Lead the way fearless leader.”
“You’re not smoking in my car,” Angel shot back, stalking towards the elevators. “I’m driving, we play by my rules.”
“That’s all well and good mate, but Red will be dead and buried by the time we get to the bar if we let you take the wheel.”
“What are you saying?” Angel growled, pounding on the elevator buttons.
“Just that you make my grandmother look like a NASCAR champion.”
“Will you two stop it?” Buffy interrupted with a roll of her eyes. “Can you at least pretend to play nice?”
“I thought we were, luv,” Spike shrugged nonchalantly as the elevator doors opened into the law firm’s underground parking garage.
Lorne’s bar was strangely empty for the hour of night. Normally the place would be packed with demons of all shapes and sizes enjoying a drink and some live entertainment, but tonight only silence greeted Angel as he pushed open the glass doors.
“Lively place,” Buffy raised an eyebrow at Angel. How were they possibly going to find any answers in a place like this?
“Angel-cakes!” Lorne’s singsong voice danced across the bar as the green-faced demon entered from the back room, a monster grin on his bright red lips. “What can I get for you?”
“A Jack for me, mate?” Spike put up a finger as he moved around Angel’s broad frame and took a seat at the bar.
“Sorry Spike, didn’t see you there.” Lorne smiled grabbing a glass from under the bar. “How’s it going? Haven’t seen you in ages. I thought you went off with…” Lorne’s eyes fell on Buffy’s petite figure as she too moved out from behind Angel’s shadow.
“The Slayer,” Lorne’s smile faded slightly and he glance around the bar at the few patrons.
“Angel, what are you trying to do to me bringing her here?” he hissed. “No offense,” he added giving Buffy more of a wince than a smile.
“None taken,” she replied, her eyes still continuing to take in the bar around her. “Angel, is this a karaoke bar?”
“We need some information, Lorne,” Angel leaned against the bar, ignoring Buffy’s question. “Have you heard anything lately?”
“You need to be a little more specific than that, Angel,” Lorne’s eyes continued to shift between Buffy and Angel.
“Is this what you guys do for entertainment now?” Buffy continued on oblivious to Angel and Lorne’s conversation.
“What the great brooding clod is trying to say is anything going on that’s got the locals a tad more skittish than usual?” Spike broke in, glancing sidelong at Lorne and Angel before taking a deep swig from his glass.
“Take a look for yourself,” Lorne waved his hand at the nearly empty room before them. “Last few nights it’s been like this. Yah, something is going down, boys, or maybe coming, never can be sure these days. Though what, I can’t say.”
“You aren’t going to sing?” Buffy turned and looked directly at Angel, a smile pulling at the edge of her lips. She just couldn’t resist. “A duet with Spike perhaps?”
“The world is doomed,” a smooth male voice snickered from a table absorbed in shadows at the far end of the bar. The brief flash of a match illuminated a shaven jaw and two dark eyes. “Let me guess, your claim to slayer fame is your impeccable fashion sense and perky hair.” A chair squeaked as it was pushed back from the table and a figure emerged from the shadows.
“You!” Buffy cried, her jaw dropping as the man from her visions strode calmly towards them.
“Whistler,” Angel frowned, staring down at the much smaller demon.
“Been awhile, Angel,” the young man nodded, his cigarette still hanging from his lips.
“This is the bloke?” Spike arched an eyebrow at Buffy. She nodded.
“Spike, right?” Whistler touched the tip of his hat. “Ensouled now too I see.” A smirk crossed his lips as he took a long look at Spike and Angel. “She must have some power between those legs of hers.”
“And you’re as irritating as I remember you,” Buffy grabbed Whistler by the shirt and slammed him into the bar, his cigarette falling to the floor.
“Woah there,” Whistler put his hands up in protest. “No harm meant. I distinctly remember you offering to rip out my rib cage and wear it as a hat last time we met. Imagery like that doesn’t leave a man.”
“Then I suggest you watch yourself because the offer still stands.” Buffy gave him one last hard shove into the bar before releasing him. “Now care to tell me why you’ve been in my visions?”
“I didn’t plant those visions if that’s what you’re thinking,” Whistler replied straightening out his shirt and jacket. Reaching into his pocket he began to search for another cigarette. Spike offered him his box.
“Thanks, mate.” Whistler grinned.
“I ain’t your mate, but if it will get you to answer the lady’s questions faster then help yourself.”
“It was simple really. The visions were already there; I just decided to tag along.” He struck a new match and took in a long drag. “I just figured you’ve earned a heads up for this one.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Buffy shot back, her arms crossed, her eyes burrowing into Whistler with every ounce of hatred she could muster.
“Well seeing as all you’ve accomplished as the one and only slayer for so long, I figured you deserved a little advanced warning of what’s coming. That and I thought you’d want to be here for Angel’s big day.” He grinned up at Angel. “All those years of repentance and brooding about to come to an end, figured you above all people would want to see how it goes down.”
“Enough with the cryptic double-talk!” Buffy growled. “God, I hate you immortal types. You assume just because you have all the time in the world the rest of us do too. Spit it out or it’s BBQ ribs all around.”
“The Shanshu prophecy,” Angel whispered.
“That’s what you’re referring to, ain’t it?” Spike was on his feet now.
“You guys catch on pretty quick.”
“Don’t tell me you’re surprised, Angel?” Whistler blanched. “Working at Wolfram & Hart all this time, you of all people should know what’s really going on.. You’ve seen the evil growing, how many of the signs have already come and gone. The world is on a runaway train to hell and there is only one more stop to make.”
“The apocalypse,” Angel whispered.
“Bingo, babe.” He took another long drag on his cigarette. “Can a man get a beer?” he glanced at Lorne.
“Hey now, if you know anything about an impending apocalypse you have to tell us,” Lorne began to ramble nervously. “You have to give a fella break. I mean some of us need to know if there will be a living to be made here.” He handed a beer to Whistler who took a long drink.
“There’s not much I can tell you. Even us immortals don’t know most of the details. One thing I can tell you is this is going to be unlike anything you’ve faced before. No taunting this time, no time to prepare and train. No, this one is going to start fast and soon, and when it does the only way to stop it is to stop the blood from flowing.”
“Stop the blood from flowing,” Buffy repeated the words to herself. “What is it with apocalypses and blood flowing!”
Spike opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by a look from her.
“I know, I know, blood is life blah blah blah, but I mean really. Thousands of years to plan this apocalypse and that apocalypse, you’d think the demonic world could have come up with something more unique than blood all the time. How about stopping an apocalypse by singing the alphabet backwards or stopping the chocolate from flowing. Yah, now chocolate I could definitely stop flowing, but no, you guys have to corner the market on the whole blood flowing thing!”
“Chocolate would definitely be something to see, I’ll give you that,” Whistler grinned, snuffing the remainder of his cigarette out on the bar top. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.”
“Is there anything else?” Angel pressed as Whistler headed towards the door.
Whistler paused. “Just a name. Avatar.”
“Meet yersinia pestis,” Wesley announced dryly, turning his laptop around for the others to see the elongated ovular image.
“Guzentheit,” Xander replied.
“Uh, Wesley, what exactly are we looking at?” Kennedy shot him a confused look.
“Yersinia pestis is the bacteria which causes the bubonic plague,” Wesley replied matter-of-factly.
“And why are we looking at a picture of the plague?” Buffy retorted. After their encounter with Whistler she wasn’t in the mood for games.
“It’s quite simple really. The song from your visions, Ring Around the Rosy, it’s a direct reference to the plague.”
“What!” Gunn thundered. “Wes, you’re kidding right?’
“Not at all. The plague, or Black Death, is perhaps the most infamous and most feared of infectious diseases in human history. Most people are familiar with it from history classes, and the epidemic of it that swept Europe during the mid-14th century, wiping out half of Europe’s population. But the disease has killed closer to 200 million over the years. The plague not only had a high mortality rate but it ravaged the body in a way that no disease ever had. An infected individual died after hours or days of suffering, their body covered with large, black buboes of dead, hemorrhaging skin as the disease moved into every organ of the body. Since then the plague has been traditionally thought of as the disease most associated with the end of all life. ”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Xander sat down heavy on the couch, his face green.
“And this rousing biology lesson has what to do with Ring Around the Rosey?” Kennedy grimaced.
“I’m getting to that. During the epidemic in the 14th century, over-crowding and poor sanitation conditions spread the disease like wild fire. Doctors had no idea what was spreading the disease, but they did piece together that those living in particularly dirty areas were hit first and hardest, so they deduced that bad air was causing the disease. As a result doctors began recommending that healthy individuals carry strong smelling flowers or incense with them in their pockets, which they could continually sniff to protect themselves from breathing in the bad air, hence Ring Around the Rosey. It’s rather ingenious actually; a child’s song capturing the fear and hope of a ravaged people, secretly passing down what was thought to be a life saving technique.”
“I’m still not completely sure I follow you, Wes,” Gunn shook his head. “I mean little kids play that game and they are dancing around and laughing when they do.”
“Precisely. History is remembered in secret, in an innocent game, but the message is not. Just look at the lines,” and Wesley began to recite them, “Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” The posies are a reference to the European doctor’s recommendations for protecting oneself from getting sick but the end, the ‘ashes, ashes, we all fall down’ refers right back to the fear and the reality that even the doctor’s prescriptions could not save those stricken by the disease and that many people just dropped dead in a matter of hours. They were laughing one minute and falling down dead the next.”
“This is just bloody wrong, if you ask me,” Spike shifted his weight, his body leaning against the doorframe.
“For once, Spike, I agree with you,” Xander added.
“So what does this all mean, Wesley?” Buffy finally spoke, her voice soft and distant. She looked the young watcher square in the eye. “What do the books say?”
“Well, to be on the safe side I had Xander run a check on major labs and medical facilities. No vials of yersinia have been reported missing, so I don’t think it’s some run of the mill biological attack or anything. As for the books,” Wesley breathed a heavy sigh and removed his glasses, gently massaging his aching forehead. “You aren’t going to like this.”
“I’m not expecting to,” Buffy replied, “Just tell us.”
“Revelations, the last book of the Christian Bible, talks about the end of the world and the coming of Christ. It describes how Christ will open 7 seals, the first 4 of which will unleash the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, whom will bring misery and suffering to Earth. As you know, most biblical stories are just that stories. I mean after all, there is no mention of the ancient demons or the ancient wars with them in Genesis or any other parts of the Old Testament. But the Revelations story does have a bit of truth to it. I found a more detailed and complete account in an ancient Sumerian text. According to the book, every so many millennia the balance between good and evil shifts completely to one side or the other. When this happens a rebirth is needed to restore the balance. Either through untainted sacrifice or complete destruction the rebirth must occur. Apparently we are in the middle of a rebirth right now. The Sumerian text speaks of a buried temple beneath fallen angels where this millennia’s rebirth will begin. Within the temple, a conduit of great mystical power must be drained of both its powers and its blood, unleashing the Four Horsemen who will cleanse the Earth of humanity and set the demon races against one another until the rebirth is complete: “And the blood will flow and the horseman will be drawn into it, and when both are as one the power of the conduit will unleash their onslaught upon the Earth.” Anyway, it goes on like that for a bit, but the important thing is that we have a clue as to who will bring it about…”
“The Avatar,” Buffy interrupted.
“Exactly,” Wesley looked at her with surprise.
“We found Whistler,” Buffy replied.
“Ah, and what is a Whistler?” Xander frowned.
“The bloke from Buffy’s visions,” Spike’s replied, his voice cool and even. “Saucy little bugger.”
“And this Whistler told you about an Avatar?” Wesley turned back to Buffy.
She nodded.
“Did he say anything else?” Wesley pressed.
“He mentioned the Shanshu prophecy,” Angel chimed in, an odd look on his face. “Said the prophecy’s fulfillment is at hand.”
“I see,” Wesley pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“So you get to be a real boy?” Xander smirked at Angel.
“Some ensouled vampire gets to be,” Spike shot back, his arms crossed across his chest, his eyes staring into Angel’s. Buffy swallowed hard resisting an urge to go to Spike. Not now, now they had to focus and plan.
“Ok,” Xander glanced from Spike to Angel and decided to change the subject, “If all this is true then all we have to do is stop this Avatar, destroy the conduit, and we’re home free.”
“In theory, yes,” Wesley mused. “But it’s a bit more difficult than that. We don’t know whether this Avatar is human or demon, or even where this temple is located.”
“You said it is buried beneath fallen angels, right?” Angel interrupted
Wesley nodded.
“We know there were ancient Sumerian temples in this area before, not to mention a number of temples to the ancient race of demons. Would it be fair to say this is a city of many fallen angels?” Angel glanced sidelong at Wesley.
“I guess here is as good a place as any to start looking, but Angel, what makes you so sure it’s here?”
“Because we’ve all been brought here.” Angel’s eyes met Buffy’s and held them for a few moments.
“Ok, but what about the conduit?” Gunn began to pace the room nervously. “I got nothing out of the Senior Partners. No one even showed up.”
“The text said it possesses great mystical power,” Xander frowned as he joined Gunn in his pacing.
“And in order for the Horsemen to be released it has to be drained of its power and blood..” Kennedy’s voice trailed off as her eyes met Buffy’s. A wave of horror washed over them both as they came to the same conclusion.
“Willow,” Buffy whispered.
“So this Avatar bloke has Red, but we don’t know where he’s at?” Spike began thinking out loud. “Seems to me we concentrate on finding this temple, and sooner or later he’s bound to show up, and we just knock him up a bit.”
Wesley and Xander just stared at Spike.
“What?” the blond vampire shrugged.
“Wes, you and Gunn see if you can find out any more on what exactly the ritual to unlock the Horsemen entails.” Angel barked, the urgency of the situation fully sinking in.
“Angel, you know the city’s layout better than anyone here, why don’t you start looking for a location where this temple might be,” Buffy followed his lead, sensing Angel’s train of thought. “Xander, your familiarity with construction plans and schematics might be of some use here, why don’t you join Angel.”
“I O boss lady,” Xander shot Buffy a mock salute. She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling.
“And take Spike with you,” she added as Xander and Angel moved towards the door. The three men looked at her with shock. “Just do it!” She replied, her voice giving them little room to argue. “Kennedy and I are going to work on a game plan and wait for Giles to get back with Faith. We’re going to need everyone together on this one.” She turned back to Kennedy as the others began to leave. “I promise you we’ll get her back safely.”
Spike watched her for a moment longer, watching her talk quietly with Kennedy. He’d had no time to talk with her alone since they’d arrived and he was getting the distinct impression she was avoiding him, afraid to look him in the eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if her visions and the Shanshu prophecy had anything to do with it.