more inn-continuity fic
I can't say that this will end up happening any more than the last one of these - it'll all depend on how the game goes, I guess. But the idea won't leave me alone, and so I write. Spoilers for the end of season 5 of Buffy, if there's anyone out there who missed that.
It takes some doing, but eventually, Regulus finds the magic shop again. He's not surprised to see signs of life about the place - in fact, he's considering it a rather good thing, at the moment. The damned inn hadn't given him time to think up an alternate plan before letting him off.
Willow answers the door when he knocks, and after a few moments' blank staring, her eyes go wide. "How did - what are you doing here?" She doesn't sound upset to see him, though, and lets him in. The two other girls there - Anya and... something that starts with a T, Regulus only met her the once before - look up from whatever it is they're working on long enough to greet him.
Something feels a bit off about the scene, but he's not sure what.
"I'd tell you if I knew. I was just trying to go home, and instead I came out halfway across that bloody cemetery, and one of those idiot vampires tried to accost me. Really, what sort of welcoming committee do you people have around here?"
"...That's about standard, actually. What happened to the vamp?"
Regulus holds up his wand. "Fire kills everything, and your magic's close enough to mine that my wand still works."
"Cool. Well, that's worth knowing, I guess. In the event of future visits and all."
"Quite... wait, that's what's off. You're short one blonde. Where's Buffy?"
"...Um. That's sort of a... long story."
"It's not that long," Anya pipes up. "She's dead."
"...Right, someone start from the beginning?"
Willow looks away from Regulus, toward the cash register. "I think I've told you some of it. Buffy suddenly having a little sister, and the crazy former hell god, and all that?"
"Yes. I suppose the two were connected?"
"Yeah. Glory was trying to get back home, and apparently she needed Dawn for that, and she opened a portal thing, and instead of letting it go, Buffy... kinda jumped in it."
"Did you even have enough left to bury?"
"It kinda surprised me too, when I had a second to think about it."
"My sympathies. How long ago was this?"
"Couple of weeks. Well, the buildup was a lot longer, but..."
"That would explain why I've not seen you around much, then. Is there any chance we could talk privately for a bit?"
It's not that he doesn't trust the other girls. He just thinks he'll have an easier time asking questions if there's only one person to answer them.
***
"All right, what is it you're actually planning?"
"...Promise you won't get upset?"
"I'll reach sarcasm well before then."
"All right. It's... there's a spell. It'll be complicated at best, probably difficult, but I think I can bring Buffy back." Regulus can't help noting that Willow's barely met his eyes since she let him into the shop.
"And what does everyone else think about this?"
"Tara and Anya are helping me get things together. I haven't really told much of anyone else yet."
"You might consider it. Particularly her sister - she wasn't only your friend. Not to belittle your grief, but... I really think you're not thinking this through quite well enough."
"Well, okay, yeah, I do need to talk to people. But what else is there to do?"
"I can think of several things. Firstly, do you get anything like Inferi here?" Willow treats him to a blank look, so he adds, "Shambling corpses, not exactly known for retaining their former intelligence--"
"Oh, you mean like zombies."
"...That reaction might be a sign that you oughtn't even try this."
"But see, she didn't exactly die of natural causes, with the portal in the way and all. That should take care of most of the zombifying risk."
"Only most of it? What if you lose control of the spell, or can't control it in the first place? The last thing you need to deal with is a living dead Slayer, particularly if the added strength stuck round."
"...I hadn't really thought of that."
"So I'd gathered. On to the second possible objection - I don't know much about religion, but I've gleaned enough from Peter to know that if you've got such obvious evidence of Hell, there's likely Heaven about as well. How do you know Buffy's not there?"
"Well, it was a portal to a hell dimension thing."
"Consider this for a moment. Do you think any self-respecting hell would want a girl who'd prevented their triumph at least five times hanging about for all eternity?"
Willow doesn't answer.
"All I ask is that you do some research before you go through with this. Your world's far too harsh to go pulling someone out of Heaven without any preparation. If you did that, she might not ever recover, let alone be able to forgive you for it. And checking could be as simple as going to the inn and asking if anyone's seen her lately."
"I kinda need to remember these things more often, don't I?"
"I'd say so. And besides, isn't another Slayer supposed to be doing the job now?"
"Already is one. Faith, actually."
"There you go. Perhaps you should spend some time helping her adjust - it might help you work through things."
"But... if we do the research, and it looks like Buffy is in one hell or another..."
"I won't try to stop you, in that case. You might want to brace yourself for being wrong anyway, though. I don't see celestial communication as being all that clear. And one other thing, if it comes to that."
"Yeah?"
"Exhume the poor girl first. Whether she's trapped in hell or not, digging herself out is no sort of fit welcome. Now, we should probably see about getting me back home."
It takes some doing, but eventually, Regulus finds the magic shop again. He's not surprised to see signs of life about the place - in fact, he's considering it a rather good thing, at the moment. The damned inn hadn't given him time to think up an alternate plan before letting him off.
Willow answers the door when he knocks, and after a few moments' blank staring, her eyes go wide. "How did - what are you doing here?" She doesn't sound upset to see him, though, and lets him in. The two other girls there - Anya and... something that starts with a T, Regulus only met her the once before - look up from whatever it is they're working on long enough to greet him.
Something feels a bit off about the scene, but he's not sure what.
"I'd tell you if I knew. I was just trying to go home, and instead I came out halfway across that bloody cemetery, and one of those idiot vampires tried to accost me. Really, what sort of welcoming committee do you people have around here?"
"...That's about standard, actually. What happened to the vamp?"
Regulus holds up his wand. "Fire kills everything, and your magic's close enough to mine that my wand still works."
"Cool. Well, that's worth knowing, I guess. In the event of future visits and all."
"Quite... wait, that's what's off. You're short one blonde. Where's Buffy?"
"...Um. That's sort of a... long story."
"It's not that long," Anya pipes up. "She's dead."
"...Right, someone start from the beginning?"
Willow looks away from Regulus, toward the cash register. "I think I've told you some of it. Buffy suddenly having a little sister, and the crazy former hell god, and all that?"
"Yes. I suppose the two were connected?"
"Yeah. Glory was trying to get back home, and apparently she needed Dawn for that, and she opened a portal thing, and instead of letting it go, Buffy... kinda jumped in it."
"Did you even have enough left to bury?"
"It kinda surprised me too, when I had a second to think about it."
"My sympathies. How long ago was this?"
"Couple of weeks. Well, the buildup was a lot longer, but..."
"That would explain why I've not seen you around much, then. Is there any chance we could talk privately for a bit?"
It's not that he doesn't trust the other girls. He just thinks he'll have an easier time asking questions if there's only one person to answer them.
***
"All right, what is it you're actually planning?"
"...Promise you won't get upset?"
"I'll reach sarcasm well before then."
"All right. It's... there's a spell. It'll be complicated at best, probably difficult, but I think I can bring Buffy back." Regulus can't help noting that Willow's barely met his eyes since she let him into the shop.
"And what does everyone else think about this?"
"Tara and Anya are helping me get things together. I haven't really told much of anyone else yet."
"You might consider it. Particularly her sister - she wasn't only your friend. Not to belittle your grief, but... I really think you're not thinking this through quite well enough."
"Well, okay, yeah, I do need to talk to people. But what else is there to do?"
"I can think of several things. Firstly, do you get anything like Inferi here?" Willow treats him to a blank look, so he adds, "Shambling corpses, not exactly known for retaining their former intelligence--"
"Oh, you mean like zombies."
"...That reaction might be a sign that you oughtn't even try this."
"But see, she didn't exactly die of natural causes, with the portal in the way and all. That should take care of most of the zombifying risk."
"Only most of it? What if you lose control of the spell, or can't control it in the first place? The last thing you need to deal with is a living dead Slayer, particularly if the added strength stuck round."
"...I hadn't really thought of that."
"So I'd gathered. On to the second possible objection - I don't know much about religion, but I've gleaned enough from Peter to know that if you've got such obvious evidence of Hell, there's likely Heaven about as well. How do you know Buffy's not there?"
"Well, it was a portal to a hell dimension thing."
"Consider this for a moment. Do you think any self-respecting hell would want a girl who'd prevented their triumph at least five times hanging about for all eternity?"
Willow doesn't answer.
"All I ask is that you do some research before you go through with this. Your world's far too harsh to go pulling someone out of Heaven without any preparation. If you did that, she might not ever recover, let alone be able to forgive you for it. And checking could be as simple as going to the inn and asking if anyone's seen her lately."
"I kinda need to remember these things more often, don't I?"
"I'd say so. And besides, isn't another Slayer supposed to be doing the job now?"
"Already is one. Faith, actually."
"There you go. Perhaps you should spend some time helping her adjust - it might help you work through things."
"But... if we do the research, and it looks like Buffy is in one hell or another..."
"I won't try to stop you, in that case. You might want to brace yourself for being wrong anyway, though. I don't see celestial communication as being all that clear. And one other thing, if it comes to that."
"Yeah?"
"Exhume the poor girl first. Whether she's trapped in hell or not, digging herself out is no sort of fit welcome. Now, we should probably see about getting me back home."