(fic) This isn't about hate

[stormwreath]

There's been lots of controversy over a certain revelation in the S8 comics. Rather than agonise over it, though, I've decided to write fic about it. This is a short story set in Season 6, giving two missing scenes - one from just after 'Doublemeat Palace', the other starting 3/4 of the way into 'Villains' - inspired by the new S8 storyline.

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Comments

[moscow_watcher]

Neat.

I wonder if in 25 years Joss will add digitized Amy in the backgound... :)

[stormwreath]

In a cheerleader outfit, waving pompoms?

Probably not. :)

Thanks!

[ozma914]

That actually ties things up pretty nicely -- it would make for a nice flashback comic, and it's always nice to see Amy again. Well done.

[stormwreath]

Thanks - glad you liked it.

[elisi]

Nicely done! I still think the comics are worryingly close to crakc!fic, but hey - this was very smooth. Would of course require The First to turn up a little early, but still... impressive!

And a tiny typo: Grudgingly, she know that was beyond her power for the moment. I'm presuming that should be 'knew'?

[stormwreath]

Yay! You read it! :) Thanks for the comments.

The First's involvement seems logical to me - after all, it was the events of episode 1 of season six that let It begin working on destroying the Slayer line. So presumably for the whole of season 6 It was working behind the scenes: laying plans, identifying suitable followers to be corrupted, creating new Harbingers, and, for all we know, starting a Turok-han forced breeding programme. It would have been particularly interested in having agents in place in Sunnydale over the Hellmouth, and a powerful witch with a grudge against Willow would make an excellent one

[elisi]

The First's involvement seems logical to me - after all, it was the events of episode 1 of season six that let It begin working on destroying the Slayer line.
Oh absolutely. I always thought that The First helped Amy - partly because it appears to have pretty much vanished during a few episodes, and it makes much more sense for it to quite simply be tackling the problem [Scoobies] from another angle. And Any seems to know an *awful* lot about what's happening at Casa Summers...

I had to re-paste this because LJ ate my first attempt at posting, and re-do all the formatting I'd spent ages on. (grr)
Oh I know that feeling! ::is sympathetic::

[stormwreath]

Characters on the show who say "It's about power": Buffy, The First, and Amy. (Did I miss any?) Clearly there has to be some sort of link there...

That's why I gave "Catherine" in this story the same line, as the first major clue that she's not really Amy's mum...

On a side note, when you read the first paragraph did you know it was about Amy? Because it struck me writing it that it could just as easily be about Buffy at that stage of season 6, with the 'him' referred to being Spike (rather than Rack).

Also, Amy not only knew all about Kennedy being a Potential, she knew about Willow's end-the-world attempt. So it's even TV-canon (as well as comic-canon) that she was spying on them right back in season 6, as well as season 7...

[rayruz]

niiice. I enjoyed this, and it would make it make sense.

[stormwreath]

Thanks!
I do wonder if the comic will give any further background beyond the preview they've already issued, or if we'll be left to make it make sense ourselves... :)

[rayruz]

I think there will be more. I can't believe everyone is in such a huff over a four page preview.

[silent_chris]

Great fic. I like how you make the whole thing make sense. I can really see Amy's corruption happening this way and I think you show the pain - and lonelyness - that drives her quite well.

Also if the First was manipulating Amy it would perhaps explain why she stayed in Sunnydale in order to be trapped in the collapse.

I used to be rather suspicious of the notion that Amy had anything to do with the First, because I saw the hex from KiM as a one shot act of reprisal, it was personal. Now that the comics are telling us that there was a lot more going on than we saw I think the idea that the First was involved makes a lot more sense.

It makes me rather wonder what would have happened to Amy if she hadn't gone down that road.

[stormwreath]

Thanks! I'm pretty pleased with it, although issue #4 of the comics did kind of invalidate one premise - if The First was regularly appearing to Amy in the form of her mother, then she wouldn't have been so shocked and stricken when Buffywillow's magic created the illusion of her.

Personally, I connected Amy and The First as soon as Amy said 'oops' during TKiM in exactly the same tone of voice The First had a couple of episodes earlier. :) But working out how the connection works is trickier...

It makes me rather wonder what would have happened to Amy if she hadn't gone down that road.

She seemed to be pretty comprehensively wrecking her life in mid S6. All Wiollow's addiction problems with none of the friends, family and support network to help her recover from it...

[silent_chris]

I suppose if the First was defeated in sesaon 7 (and granted there is a debate about whether is was) then Amy might not have seen First!Catherine since then so it would be shock once more. Plus Buffy!Catherine would be appearing in quite a different context.

I guess with something like the First it's important to remember the difference between 'working for' and 'being used by'.

She seemed to be pretty comprehensively wrecking her life in mid S6. All Willow's addiction problems with none of the friends, family and support network to help her recover from it...

Exactly. Although I've always seen the addictions (if such they were) as merely small aspects of greater problems. When you consider how much any life can change in three years it makes one wonder if there was any recognizable shred of Amy's old life left for her to come back to.