Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, locations, or related material of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They belong to Joss Whedon and co.

Rating: NC-17 for violence, language, sexual content, and adult themes.

Spoilers: Anything from season 1-6

Summary: Willow grieves her loss and tries to come to terms with her actions after ‘Grave’. Giles decides to stay for a while and organise Tara’s funeral whilst Xander and Anya have a much-needed talk. Whilst all this is happening, Buffy and Dawn discover a new threat. A very personal threat.

Shadows of Life

Written by

Caroline Tremble

Prologue

Thick dark puffs of cloud rolled across the horizon, warning the citizens of Sunnydale of the beckoning storm. A chill night air swept through the deserted streets. The inhabitants of the Californian town knew better than to walk around in the gloomy darkness. Terrifying nightmares walked the streets, hunting the foolish and unwary, waiting for their next meal. Only a small group of people stood between them and their innocent victims. The ‘Chosen One’ and her friends. The Slayer shifted her weight in the slight breeze and wrapped her long leather jacket tighter around her petite frame. Beside her stood her younger sister, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a small denim jacket. She shivered as the air seeped into her clothing and saturated her every pore. The Slayer smirked slightly. She had known that Dawn had come unprepared for her first patrol, yet she had kept silent. “Why didn’t you tell me it was going to be this cold?” Dawn whined. She thrust her hands into her jacket pocket and scowled into the night. Buffy had decided it was time to give Dawn the chance to experience the nightly stalking of vampires. The young Summers had proven herself a few days ago when she and her sister were trapped in an underground chamber, fighting off undead creatures. She shivered at the memory. It had only been days since that incident, when her best friend had let herself be consumed by dark magic, rage, and grief. The petite redhead had almost brought about the demise of the world but Xander had managed to get to her in time. Buffy wondered how Willow was doing now. She had left the redhead back in her own room at the Summers’ house since she had refused to go back into the bedroom the witch had shared with her murdered lover. The Slayer’s heart ached as she dwindled on the thoughts. She shook the memories from her mind and concentrated on scanning the area around her. “Not as fun as you thought it would be, is it?” Buffy remarked as she moved ahead, nearing the cemetery. She saw her sister shrug beside her, the scowl still planted firmly on her face. Just as she was about to open her mouth and make a snide comment, Dawn froze in mid-step, staring at a figure in front of the pair. Buffy followed her gaze and tensed as she eyed the tall, white robed man. She narrowed her eyes, ready for any move the potential threat might make. “Are you a little lost? The saunas are that way.” Buffy said, waving her hand to her left. “A cemetery is not the place for a bathrobe.” Dawn let out a snort but the stranger in front of them seemed to ignore the comment. As Buffy looked closer at the man, she could see his foreign features. He was deeply tanned and looked quite weak. The Slayer knew looks could be deceiving though. “I have no time for your humour.” The man spoke slowly, a thick foreign accent distorting the words. “I have come to warn you. Things have gotten out of hand.” His features remained expressionless as he spoke. “Oh really? I don’t think we really need help but thanks all the same.” Buffy spat sceptically. The robe-clad stranger turned his back on the pair and stepped away from them. The Slayer could see an image of an animal on the rear of the robe. “Wait.” Dawn called out. Buffy gave her a warning look but Dawn seemed determined to communicate with the man. “What warning? Who are you?” The stranger stopped and turned his head to the side but he did not face them. “The younger one has more sense.” His voice still held no emotion. “I am Thot, the one who knows all, the creator of spells, lord of the reed pen, the scribe who counts the years, supreme judge. I am here to warn you of the great evil that infects these lands from the east.” Buffy almost burst out laughing. “Fancy title there, mister. Can you say that backwards three times in a row?” Thot turned around at her remark yet no emotion showed neither on his face nor in his eyes. “I am deadly serious, Slayer. I have come to fulfil the prophecy of the gods.” He eyed Buffy. “Unfortunately, you are part of that prophecy.” Something about his words struck Buffy hard. She could not think of anything to say. She just stood staring at Thot blankly. “Wh-What prophecy?” Dawn asked shakily. She grasped her sister’s arm for comfort. One corner of the man’s mouth tilted upwards. Somehow, the gesture seemed unnatural on his face. “You will see, little one. I will return when it is time.” As soon as the words were finished he was gone. Buffy blinked, unbelievingly. One second the stranger stood there, the next second he was gone. The Slayer sighed. “Great, a Slayer’s job is never done.”

*

Rupert Giles leaned against the table in his sparsely decorated hotel room. He was exhausted. Physically, mentally and emotionally. He wondered how much the human body and soul could take before it merely gave up. The Englishman had been busy arranging Tara’s funeral for the past few days. There was a constant aching in his chest from the loss he felt and he wished he didn’t have to be the one to make the phone calls. The funeral was scheduled for tomorrow morning and, by the looming clouds, he could tell the weather would fit the mood perfectly. He sighed and slumped onto the lumpy mattress of his bed. He had contacted everyone to let them know the details. He had even considered phoning Tara’s family but decided against it at the last minute. Aggressive family members were a problem they did not need during such a delicate time. The ex-watcher sighed as his thoughts wandered to a certain redheaded witch. This had affected her terribly and Giles wasn’t sure if she would ever recover from it. Besides the guilt of killing a human being, even if that person had been her lover’s murderer, Willow would have to deal with life without the woman she loved. The loss of the blonde witch had taken something from the redhead. “Her heart.” Giles said aloud. He closed his eyes momentarily, an image of the dark magic saturated girl filled his mind. They had fought one another and Willow had won. In the end, it was Willow’s own spark of humanity that stopped her from destroying everything, with the help of pure magic and Xander Harris. Giles shuddered as he wondered what would have happened if one of those factors had not worked. He would not be having these thoughts, or thoughts of any kind, he surmised. The Englishman decided to get some sleep before the hard day ahead of him. He slipped his jacket and shoes off before slipping under the sheets. He had no energy to change into more suitable night wear and before long he was in a deep sleep.