Return to Defiance - August 22
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 22
Title: Return to Defiance
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Defiance
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Defiance people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Buffy reaches the eastern edge of the Storm Divide.
Warning: 1st person narrative.
Notes: I love this series!
Seasons: Post-Series/Season 1
Word Count: 1107
I lived through the end of Sunnydale. I recreated the Council into something that helped girls. Then there was an announcement of aliens. They appeared. The Ark. I was only 32. Votans started settling around the global. There were millions of them, an area given to them in Brazil was not big enough. Ignorance turned to fear. Fear led to hate.
I went to war - again - as a general. For seven years, I fought in the Pale Wars. I watched the sky explode and the land morph. I put down arms at the Battle of Defiance. I walked into the desert and expected to die there.
In my 65 years I suffered kill blows but not since my early 20s have I fallen. I should be a little old lady, covered with battle wounds and entertaining children with my stories. Instead, I am forever 25. My blond hair has no white in it, my posture is upright, and the only wrinkles are the ones between my brows.
I have made my way across the world. But now I’ve made my way back to Defiance.
It isn’t the battleground I remember. In the old world this would be a shanty town. But it’s better than some in the Storm Divide.
I walked into the dusty town. I spotted a young Irathient. She approached with a clear plan.
“You must surrender your guns to the lawkeeper,” she demanded in a rough voice.
“I carry no guns.”
“You’re carrying a lot of weapons.”
“Knives, swords, and axes,” I placed a hand upon the hilt of the broadsword on my back. “Have a thing against guns.”
“Violations will get you imprisoned.”
“Understood.” I looked around. “Who do I see about a meal and a room?”
“Start at the NeedWant,” she pointed down the road. “Can’t miss it.”
“Ahiha.” I thanked her in her own language.
The dust kicked up, two children nearly ran into me. I found the NeedWant easily enough. When I entered it was clearly a bar and gambling hall. A woman showing a fair amount of cleavage spotted me and gave a small nod, but continued conversing with the man in front of her. I picked my way across the room, avoiding the Castithans and humans milling around. I made it to the bar without incident.
I took the first opening at the bar. The woman approached me.
“Hello, I’m Kenya,” she said, her eyes offering sensual things. “What can we do for you?”
“Looking for a place to stay. A meal too, if the price is right.”
“How long are you looking to stay?” She leaned against the counter, her breast straining to fall from her top.
“Don’t know yet. At least a week.” I pulled scrip from by bag and handed her an amount I thought would be enough.
Kenya smiled at me and happily took it. “I’ll make the arrangements for your room. You can get food most anywhere in town.”
“Cool. I’ll see what there is.” I stepped away from the bar whirling around, my hair flying out. Almost immediately I slammed into the chest of a man with a star on his chest.
“Watch it,” he said, setting her away.
I looked up into a scruffy face with blue eyes.
“Summers?” he asked. He searched my face trying to spot any differences.
“Nolan?” I felt a smile spread across my face. “Joshua Nolan, you son of a gun!” I remembered the star on his chest and laughed. “You, a lawkeeper?”
He laughed and pulled me into a bear hug. “You haven’t changed one bit.”
“I tried to tell you…”
“I know.” He studied my face again.
“Friend of yours?” a blond woman asked from his side. I tilted my head in her direction. She vaguely looked like Darla, but I knew that was impossible.
“We fought together. She was with us when we put down arms here in Defiance.” He smiled widely at me. “She had some of the best stories.” He looked between me and the other woman before making introductions. “Buffy this is Mayor Amanda Rosewater. Mayor this is Colonel Buffy Summers of the 9th division.”
Amanda offered her hand. I took it giving her a strong pump before letting go.
“You seem really young to have been a colonel.”
I felt a smile start on my face. “I look young, I’m really not.”
“No, she’s really not,” Nolan chuckled.
“Brat,” I admonished.
“Did you find your friends?” he asked.
I felt my heart seize in my chest. “No. Cleveland didn’t survive terraforming.”
“Weren’t there some elsewhere?”
“There were. But for the most part they’re all gone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Amanda said, sympathy written across her face.
“What about the… others?” Nolan asked.
“The demons?” I clarified. “Terraforming killed all of them. Not sure if it was part of the process or the air or microbes that came of it. But vampires, werewolves, half-breeds, harmless and mindless, all gone.”
“Are there any left?” he asked.
“Just the ancient demons sealed in the Deeper Well. They have no protector, but they’ve been buried where no one should find them. Even if someone did, no one knows the way to bring them back.” I gave him a tight smile. “Witches are still around. Their magic is weak, a side effect of the terraforming. Only independent magical objects seem to still be in place. I’ve only found a handful of them.”
“Demons? Witches? Magic?” Amanda asked.
“Well after aliens, it was pretty easy to believe,” Nolan explained.
I elbowed him. “Also doesn’t hurt that I can benchpress a Bioman.”
“There was that,” he admitted. “What about your sister?”
My eyes burned at the thought of Dawn. We had thought she was human after the closing of the portal I jumped into. But the terraforming had destroyed her too, proof she had still been a being of magic. I shook my head unable to voice the truth.
“I’m sorry,” Nolan squeezed my shoulder.
I forced away the pain and the past. “I need food, know a place?”
“Castithan or human?”
“Human, please. Been living like a spirit rider for nine months. I need something more.”
“I know a place,” he promised. “Come on.”
“Wait,” Kenya ran to catch us. “Here is your key.” She handed me a heavy metal key on a short chain. “Room 306.”
“Thank you, Kenya.” I pocketed the key. But I was more interested in the by-play between Kenya and Nolan.
“Of course,” she finally said and gave me a small smile before turning away.
I pulled Nolan out the door. “So how did you end up a lawkeeper?”
Title: Return to Defiance
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Defiance
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Defiance people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Buffy reaches the eastern edge of the Storm Divide.
Warning: 1st person narrative.
Notes: I love this series!
Seasons: Post-Series/Season 1
Word Count: 1107
I lived through the end of Sunnydale. I recreated the Council into something that helped girls. Then there was an announcement of aliens. They appeared. The Ark. I was only 32. Votans started settling around the global. There were millions of them, an area given to them in Brazil was not big enough. Ignorance turned to fear. Fear led to hate.
I went to war - again - as a general. For seven years, I fought in the Pale Wars. I watched the sky explode and the land morph. I put down arms at the Battle of Defiance. I walked into the desert and expected to die there.
In my 65 years I suffered kill blows but not since my early 20s have I fallen. I should be a little old lady, covered with battle wounds and entertaining children with my stories. Instead, I am forever 25. My blond hair has no white in it, my posture is upright, and the only wrinkles are the ones between my brows.
I have made my way across the world. But now I’ve made my way back to Defiance.
It isn’t the battleground I remember. In the old world this would be a shanty town. But it’s better than some in the Storm Divide.
I walked into the dusty town. I spotted a young Irathient. She approached with a clear plan.
“You must surrender your guns to the lawkeeper,” she demanded in a rough voice.
“I carry no guns.”
“You’re carrying a lot of weapons.”
“Knives, swords, and axes,” I placed a hand upon the hilt of the broadsword on my back. “Have a thing against guns.”
“Violations will get you imprisoned.”
“Understood.” I looked around. “Who do I see about a meal and a room?”
“Start at the NeedWant,” she pointed down the road. “Can’t miss it.”
“Ahiha.” I thanked her in her own language.
The dust kicked up, two children nearly ran into me. I found the NeedWant easily enough. When I entered it was clearly a bar and gambling hall. A woman showing a fair amount of cleavage spotted me and gave a small nod, but continued conversing with the man in front of her. I picked my way across the room, avoiding the Castithans and humans milling around. I made it to the bar without incident.
I took the first opening at the bar. The woman approached me.
“Hello, I’m Kenya,” she said, her eyes offering sensual things. “What can we do for you?”
“Looking for a place to stay. A meal too, if the price is right.”
“How long are you looking to stay?” She leaned against the counter, her breast straining to fall from her top.
“Don’t know yet. At least a week.” I pulled scrip from by bag and handed her an amount I thought would be enough.
Kenya smiled at me and happily took it. “I’ll make the arrangements for your room. You can get food most anywhere in town.”
“Cool. I’ll see what there is.” I stepped away from the bar whirling around, my hair flying out. Almost immediately I slammed into the chest of a man with a star on his chest.
“Watch it,” he said, setting her away.
I looked up into a scruffy face with blue eyes.
“Summers?” he asked. He searched my face trying to spot any differences.
“Nolan?” I felt a smile spread across my face. “Joshua Nolan, you son of a gun!” I remembered the star on his chest and laughed. “You, a lawkeeper?”
He laughed and pulled me into a bear hug. “You haven’t changed one bit.”
“I tried to tell you…”
“I know.” He studied my face again.
“Friend of yours?” a blond woman asked from his side. I tilted my head in her direction. She vaguely looked like Darla, but I knew that was impossible.
“We fought together. She was with us when we put down arms here in Defiance.” He smiled widely at me. “She had some of the best stories.” He looked between me and the other woman before making introductions. “Buffy this is Mayor Amanda Rosewater. Mayor this is Colonel Buffy Summers of the 9th division.”
Amanda offered her hand. I took it giving her a strong pump before letting go.
“You seem really young to have been a colonel.”
I felt a smile start on my face. “I look young, I’m really not.”
“No, she’s really not,” Nolan chuckled.
“Brat,” I admonished.
“Did you find your friends?” he asked.
I felt my heart seize in my chest. “No. Cleveland didn’t survive terraforming.”
“Weren’t there some elsewhere?”
“There were. But for the most part they’re all gone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Amanda said, sympathy written across her face.
“What about the… others?” Nolan asked.
“The demons?” I clarified. “Terraforming killed all of them. Not sure if it was part of the process or the air or microbes that came of it. But vampires, werewolves, half-breeds, harmless and mindless, all gone.”
“Are there any left?” he asked.
“Just the ancient demons sealed in the Deeper Well. They have no protector, but they’ve been buried where no one should find them. Even if someone did, no one knows the way to bring them back.” I gave him a tight smile. “Witches are still around. Their magic is weak, a side effect of the terraforming. Only independent magical objects seem to still be in place. I’ve only found a handful of them.”
“Demons? Witches? Magic?” Amanda asked.
“Well after aliens, it was pretty easy to believe,” Nolan explained.
I elbowed him. “Also doesn’t hurt that I can benchpress a Bioman.”
“There was that,” he admitted. “What about your sister?”
My eyes burned at the thought of Dawn. We had thought she was human after the closing of the portal I jumped into. But the terraforming had destroyed her too, proof she had still been a being of magic. I shook my head unable to voice the truth.
“I’m sorry,” Nolan squeezed my shoulder.
I forced away the pain and the past. “I need food, know a place?”
“Castithan or human?”
“Human, please. Been living like a spirit rider for nine months. I need something more.”
“I know a place,” he promised. “Come on.”
“Wait,” Kenya ran to catch us. “Here is your key.” She handed me a heavy metal key on a short chain. “Room 306.”
“Thank you, Kenya.” I pocketed the key. But I was more interested in the by-play between Kenya and Nolan.
“Of course,” she finally said and gave me a small smile before turning away.
I pulled Nolan out the door. “So how did you end up a lawkeeper?”