DISTRIBUTION: Ask first please.
SPOILERS: Season 4 (Buffy), Season 1 (Angel), Season 5 (Xena)
RATING: R
CONTENT: CROSSOVER with Xena. Willow/Angel, Buffy/Spike, violence, blood, gore. Be warned.
SUMMARY: To stop an evil Shamaness from the past, Angel enlists the help of Buffy and Willow.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel, & Willow are the property of Joss Whedon. Alti, Evil Shamaness, belongs to MCA and Renaissance Pictures.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Prologue~
One minute, Doyle was leaning against the desk joking around with Cordelia and the next he was writhing on the floor. Angel heard the crash as Doyle fell, and he hurried into the main office in time to hear Doyle let out a final scream as the pain passed. Cordelia helped the Irishman into a reclining position, and Doyle looked up weakly at Angel.
"A vision?" Angel asked, already knowing the answer but feeling as though he had to break the overwhelming silence. Doyle nodded faintly.
"Worst yet," he whispered, accepting the coffee cup Cordelia offered him. He took a long drink and looked up at Angel. The vampire looked down at him expectantly. "Darkness, evil, and pain," he stated.
"That's it?" Cordelia asked. "I thought you were supposed to be more specific."
"Anything else?" Angel asked him, ignoring the brunette.
"Names. Two of them." He met Angel's eyes. "You'll recognize them."
"Well, who?" Cordelia pushed.
"Willow." Doyle never took his eyes off Angel as the next name came out. "And Buffy."
*****************
Deep within the Siberian woods, in a shallow grave dug millenia ago, a skeleton knitted itself back together and grew flesh over long dormant bones. Hair sprouted from the skull as the body reformed, and the now dark-haired, olive-skinned woman lying in the tomb opened her eyes and laughed.
~Part: 1~
"We have a psych test tomorrow?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide as she ducked under the leg of an attacking vampire. She pivot her body, bringing her arm up and slammed the stake into its heart. The vampire exploded into a cloud of dust as Buffy looked over at Willow with fear in her eyes. "When did this happen?"
"Yesterday, remember? She told us to review chapters 12, 13, and 15 for the test," Willow replied as she and Buffy headed towards the the cemetery gates.
"Where was I?" Buffy asked.
"Sitting next to me," Willow commented, "Staring at Riley." Buffy rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the grin on her face.
"I'm gonna fail, aren't I?" the Slayer asked, sighing heavily.
"No, no, you're not," Willow denied; Buffy shot her friend a disbelieving look. "Well, okay, probably, but we could go ask Riley for some last minute help," Willow grinned, earnign a laugh from Buffy.
"We could," the Slayer grinned slyly. "Ugh, but first I have to report to Giles. Let him know I'm still among the breathing." Willow nodded in agreement as the two headed for Giles' apartment.
"Slayer!" a voice called out from the darkness.
"I'm being punished," Buffy growled, whirling around to face the blond vampire sauntering up the street. "Didn't I tell you to go stake yourself?"
"Well, you did," Spike replied, grinning lewdly. "But I took that as a metaphor for sex," he stated, raising his eyebrow suggestively.
"Pig," Buffy muttered under her breath. Spike grinned and tossed an arm around Buffy's shoulders.
"Now, where is my favorite Slayer headed tonight?"
"First of all, I'm not _your_ Slayer," Buffy replied, pushing Spike's arm off of her. "Secondly, it's none of your business."
"We're going to see Giles," Willow stated, tired of the two's bickering.
"Willow!" Buffy admonished, turning to face her friend. "Don't encourage the annoying vampire!"
"Sorry," the redhead shrugged, hiding a smile as Buffy and Spike began arguing again. The three of them arrived at Giles' apartment, and Buffy and Willow walked in without bothering to knock. Spike stood on the outside of the threshold, awaiting an invitation. Buffy grinned at him.
"Nope," the Slayer denied the unspoken question in his eyes. He growled softly.
"Come in, Spike," Giles offered, walking out of the kitchen. The vampire shot a smug grin at Buffy and headed over to Giles' record collection. Buffy sighed heavily as the vampire began to peruse the records.
"Everyone's against me," she stated, looking up at the ceiling. She looked down to catch Giles watching her expectantly. "Two vamps in Restfield, that's it. And are you absolutely certain I can't stake him?" she asked, gesturing at Spike. Before Giles could reply, the phone rang shrilly.
"Hello?" he asked, holding the receiver to his ear. He listened in silence for several seconds, his eyes widening with each passing moment. He glanced up at Buffy and Willow talking quietly on the couch. "You are certain?" he asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. He nodded faintly. "Are you coming here?" Buffy looked up at him, questioning him silently; Giles ignored her. "I don't think that would be...." Giles trailed off as the caller explained the situation more. "Yes, perhaps that would be best." He glanced over at the girls who were both staring at him in concern. "Goodbye," he stated absently.
"Watcher?" Spike asked, glancing up from the records. Giles tore his eyes from the girls and glanced at Spike. "What did Angelus have to say?"
"How did you....?" Giles trailed off when Spike tapped his ear signifying his vampire senses.
"That was Angel?" Buffy asked softly, and Giles nodded slightly.
"His friend Doyle had a vision," Giles began, "Involving the two of you. The specifics aren't clear, but you are in danger," he stated to the two girls.
"We are?" Willow squeaked.
"Angel wants the two of you to go to L.A. so he can better protect you," Giles finished.
"L.A.?" Buffy asked. "Me and Willow?" She grinned suddenly. "With no adult supervision?"
"Buffy! Please!" Giles exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Hey, I've beaten these portents of doom before, and I won't let anything happen to Willow," she replied seriously. Giles sighed heavily.
"Spike is coming with you," he stated finally.
"I am?"
"He is?"
"You need the added protection," Giles clarified.
"Well, Slayer," Spike grinned rising to his feet, "Looks like we're gonna be spending time."
Buffy turned pleading eyes to Willow and Giles.
"Kill me?" she squeaked.
~Part: 2~
Spike's DeSoto slammed through one of the 'Welcome to Los Angeles' signs earning him a glare from Buffy.
"What?" he asked with a smirk.
"We do know where Angel lives, don't we?" Willow asked from the backseat.
"I know where Peaches lives," Spike replied.
"Angel," Buffy corrected absently. "His name is Angel, not Peaches, not Poofy, not the Grand and Mystical Poof, just Angel."
"Spoil my fun," Spike mock pouted, earning a grin from Willow and a light punch in the arm from Buffy. They drove through the city in relative silence each lost in their own thoughts. Buffy concentrated on how she felt about seeing Angel again. Willow dwelled upon the impending danger, and Spike dwelled upon 'The Time Warp' which was the only song currently stuck in his head.
"And here we are," Spike proclaimed, pulling the DeSoto up to the curb. "Poofy's place of residence," he grinned as Buffy stared getting out of the car.
"Spike," she growled in warning. He held up his hands in defense.
"I'm on my best behavior, pet," he stated, nodding in affirmation.
"Right," she sighed, turning to Willow, "Why do I think things aren't going to get better with him?"
"Because we know him too well?" Willow offered.
"Tell Peaches to open the garage," he smirked. Before Buffy could reply, Spike pealed away from the curb and drove around the block.
"I hate him," Buffy stated.
"Uh-huh. Right," Willow replied with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked, turning to her friend.
"Nothin'," Willow responded; Buffy just glared at her before breaking into giggles. The two of them then headed up to the door and pushed it open.
"We're closed," Cordelia stated as she heard the bell jingle, not even bothering to look up from her computer.
"Even for some old friends?" Buffy asked; Cordelia finally looked up and smiled.
"Hey! We weren't expecting you until tomorrow," she exclaimed, rising and hurrying over to the pair. She gave each of them a hug, much to their surprise.
"It's good to see you too, Cordy," Buffy replied with a grin.
"Cordy, you were planning on introducing me...." a deeply accented voice commented from one of the office doorways. Buffy and Willow turned to face the dark haired man standing there.
"Doyle, this is Buffy and Willow. Buffy and Willow, this is Doyle." The three of them greeted each other and an awkward silence descended on the four of them.
"Buffy," Angel suddenly commented from a darkened office. Buffy turned to to him and smiled softly.
"Angel," she greeted.
"Willow," he nodded in greeting; the redhead gave a small wave as silence once again reigned as Buffy and Angel studied each other. The five of them jumped slightly as a horn sounded from outside the building. Buffy's eyes widened.
"Oh, God, Spike!" she exclaimed.
"Spike?" Angel asked, looking from Willow to Buffy and back again.
"He sorta gave us a ride down here," Willow explained.
"Why did Spike give you a ride?" Cordelia asked.
"He's sort of on our side now," Buffy replied.
"Oh," Angel responded, his eyes narrowed. "Why is Spike on our side?"
"Blackmail," Buffy replied softly; Angel still stared at her in confusion. "Look, can we discuss the politics of Spike another time? I'm tired, and Spike still has our suitcases. Can you let him in?"
"Fine," Angel sighed. "Doyle?" he asked, indicating that the man should open the garage for Spike. The group stood in silence as they waited for the men to return.
"Hello, Peaches!" Spike exclaimed, stepping into the room and dropping the two suitcases he carried by the office doors.
"Why me?" Angel asked softly.
Doyle and Cordelia left shortly after that, leaving the four of them alone still standing in silence.
"Um, how are things?" Angel asked finally, looking from Buffy to Willow and back again, pointedly ignoring Spike.
"Good," Buffy stated, and Willow nodded in agreement. Buffy looked around the room, trying to look anywhere but at Angel.
"Slayer?" Spike asked, tired of the tension hanging in the room. "Didn't the Watcher want you to patrol while you're here?" Buffy looked over at the blond, surprised that he was helping her out of an awkward situation.
"Yeah, he did," she replied with narrowed eyes.
"I'll come--" Angel began.
"Good, let's go, pet," Spike commented, shooting a triumphant look at Angel. "I still know my way around this town." The two of them hurried out the front door, leaving Willow and Angel alone.
"That was in no way awkward," Willow commented, smiling slightly. Angel laughed faintly.
"C'mon, I'll give you the tour."
"Can we skip it?" Willow asked, stifling a yawn. "I'm really tired."
"Sure," Angel stated, leading her to the elevator. "You can have the bed until Buffy and Spike get back, and then," he shrugged, unsure of where he was going to place everyone. They exited into Angel's apartment, and Willow was awed into silence.
"How can you afford this place?"
"Two hundred years," he shrugged, leading her to the bedroom. "Never really had to buy anything." Willow sat down on the edge of the bed. "If you need anything, I'll be in the living room." Angel turned around and left the room. Willow leaned back angaisnt the pillows and was instantly asleep.....
....then she found herself standing in a brightly lit forest clearing. She searched the clearing for any sign of life, but she couldn't find one, not even the sound of birds was in this place.
"Goddess," she breathed at the complete and total silence.
"You have power, little girl," a raspy voice commented from her left. Willow whirled around to face the tall, leather-clad woman standing on a fallen log. "I want that power."
"No," Willow denied, shaking her head, trying to disengage the slithering evil that had crept into her head. "No." The woman stepped off the log and stalked across the grass. "No." The woman reached out and touched Willow's cheek.
"I want it," she whispered, grabbing Willow's chin roughly and pulling her head up. "Give it to me."
"No. No. No. No. No." The woman's hands wrapped around Willow's neck and began squeezing. "NO!" she shouted suddenly and set up in bed, her breath coming out in pants. She felt comforting arms around her waist, and she leaned back into the embrace. The arms tightened.
"Give it to me!" the woman rasped.
"No!" Willow shouted again, setting up in the bed. Once again she felt arms around waist, holding her gently. Fearing that she was still dreaming, she struggled out of the embrace. "No, not again," she sobbed, pressing her back against the wall.
"Willow?" Angel asked, waking over to her and touching her shoulder. She shrugged him off, refusing to open her eyes. "Willow, it's me," he whispered. She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"Angel?" she asked; he nodded silently. "Angel," she sobbed, letting him pull her into an embrace.
~Part: 3~
"You're dealing well with this, pet," Spike commented as he and Buffy patrolled the back alleys of L.A.
"This?" Buffy asked distractedly, her slayer sense going haywire. She suddenly stopped in the center of the alley as a wave of total evil washed through her mind. "Can you feel that?" she asked in a hushed whisper. Her knees buckled suddenly as the evil grew stronger; Spike's hand lashed out catching her before she fell to the ground.
"Slayer?" he asked, letting his closely guarded concern for the Slayer show in his voice.
"What is it?" she whispered, clutching her stomach. She screamed in pain suddenly, and Spike clutched her to his chest.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked, smoothing a hand over her hair.
"It hurts," she whimpered as another spasm of pain flared through her body.
"C'mon, pet," he urged, lifting her up into his arms and carrying her towards the mouth of the alley. "Let's get out of here."
"You're friends with the little witch," a raspy voice commented from the back of the alley. Spike whirled around to see the leather-clad woman step out of the shadows.
"Who the hell are you?" Spike growled; the woman laughed suddenly.
"I can't get to the little witch just yet," she smiled, ignoring Spike's question. "So I'll just improvise." Pure evil shown in her face as she raised a cupped fist; a ball of light materialized in her hand as Buffy screamed and convulsed in Spike's arms. "She's strong," the woman smirked as the ball of light grew larger; Buffy screamed again and collapsed into Spike's arms unconscious. "But not strong enough." With that the woman disappeared into a flash of smoke.
"Slayer?" Spike asked, looking down at the blonde in his arms. "Shit!" he exclaimed, realizing the Slayer was unconscious and barely breathing. He left the alley, running through the back streets of L.a., trying to get back to Angel.
***********
"Can you tell me about it?" Angel asked, smoothing back the traces of Willow's hair from her eyes. "If you don't want to...."
"Evil. Pure evil. No one's scared me like that since Angelus," she whispered; Angel pushed aside the pain that whelled up in him at the mention of those times and concetrated on comforting Willow. "She wanted my power." Willow looked up at Angel. "I'm not that powerful. Why would she want me?" Fresh tears sprung up in her eyes.
"You are powerful, Willow," Angel replied. "You've recursed me, and you float a mean pencil," he smiled, earning a small grin from the redhead. He grew serious. "If we knew who she was--"
"Alti," Willow stated suddenly.
"What?" Angel asked, looking down at her.
"Her name is Alti," she explained, narrowing her eyes, unsure of how she knew that.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I-I don't know," she whispered. Before Angel could ask anymore questions, the metal door banged open and Spike hurried inside carrying an unconscious Buffy.
"Spike?" Angel asked, hurrying over to them.
"Oh God, Buffy," Willow breathed, jumping off the bed and running over to Spike.
"What happened?" Angel growled, prepared to kill Spike if he hurt her.
"A bitch in leather did somethin' to her," Spike explained, his words slurred with barely concealed tears.
"Alti," Willow muttered, fear for Buffy and for herself coursing through her.
"Who?" Spike asked, carrying Buffy over to the bed.
"The woman who did this," Angel clarified. "Spike, we should take her to the hospital."
"NO!" he shouted, whirling around. "We have to find the cure and save her."
"Why do you care?" Angel snapped, glaring at the blond vampire; Spike didn't answer, just returned Angel's glare.
"You love her," Willow stated, a small knowing smile playing on her lips. Spike looked away from the two of them and glanced at Buffy's pale form laying on Angel's bed. He turned back to Willow and walked over to her.
"Save her, Red," he whispered, eyes clouded with tears. "Please?"
~Part: 4~
"I can't find anything," Angel stated, rubbing eyes and refusing to even look down at the book in front of him.
"Alti's not mentioned in any of these books," Willow agreed.
"Maybe she doesn't really exist?" Angel offered softly.
"Yeah," Willow scoffed. "A figment of my imagination just tried to kill Buffy." She turned around to look at Spike laying on the bed with Buffy propped against his chest.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," he appeased.
"It's alright. Maybe if we had something concrete to go on," she sighed.
"I think I have what you guys a looking for," Doyle suddenly exclaimed, slamming the metal door open, earning the man a growl from both Angel and Spike. He tossed the book he was carrying to Willow.
"_The Xena Scrolls_?" She looked up at Doyle. "You do realize Xena is just a television show."
"That's what they want you to believe," Doyle replied, raising his eyebrows. Willow rolled her eyes and opened the book to one of the marked pages.
"'We are facing Alti again. She's after the baby. If Xena can't kill her, and make her stay dead this time, the child will die and Alti will be reborn,'" Willow read. "How many time shave they faced Alti?" she whispered.
"Two other times, that I could figure out," Doyle replied. "Apparently they had trouble killing her."
"If they couldn't do it, what makes us think we can?" Willow muttered; Angel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We don't even know if this is the right Alti," she declared rising to her feet. "I mean, all we have to go on is a dream." Angel raised an eyebrow at her.
"Alti's not that common a name," Angel stated. Willow sighed heavily and dropped into the chair bonelessly.
"I know. I was hoping....."
"What does the book say?" Spike asked stepping over to the group.
"It gives a recipe of sorts for going over to the spirit world," Doyle replied. "Unfortunately, its not pretty."
"The spirit world?" Willow asked an idea forming in her mind.
"Yeah," Doyle answered.
"What's on your mind, Red?" Spike asked.
"If I can go into the spirit world, I might be able to get whatever she took from Buffy back," she explained. "With Buffy at normal health--"
"We can kick her ass," Spike finished, and Willow nodded in agreement.
"What do we need to do?" Willow asked.
"You have to be unified with someone who has recently passed on," Doyle explained. "The book recommeds a wild animal."
"I have to kill an animal?" Willow asked.
"It doesn't have to be you, you just have to," Doyles was silent for several seconds as he tried to decide how to say what was next, "Drink the animal's blood."
"I have to what?"
"Drink the animal's blood. It's the only way," he shrugged.
"I can't let you do this, Willow," Angel stated. "It's dasngerous, and you obviously find the idea disgusting."
"Actually, Angel, she has to do it," Doyle replied.
"What do you mean?"
"She's the only one who's strong enough in the mental areas to even have a chance."
"I don't like this," Angel growled. Willow walked over to Buffy and took her friend's hand.
"Is there any other way?" she asked, staring at Buffy's pale face and watching the Slayer's chest rise slowly with each shallow breath.
"No, there isn't," Doyle replied. Willow nodded.
"What else do we need?" she asked.
"Willow--" Angel began, but she whirled around with anger and fear dancing in her eyes.
"I have to do this," she hissed, tears stinging her eyes. "It's the only way." She turned back to Doyle. "What else do we need?" she asked again.
"A ceremonial dagger of a shamaness to, uh, gut, the animal," Doyle explained, "You have to use the skin to make a ceremonial outfit. You drink the blood and ride the magic into the next world."
"A shamaness' ceremonial dagger?" Willow whispered. "Where are we going to find one of those?"
"Huh," Spike commented. "Look what's showing at the museum of art, Red," he grinned, pushing a newspaper across the table. She glanced down at the ad he was refering to.
"By the gods," she whispered, a small smile playing on her lips.
"'Russian Shamanism: Religion and Art,'" Doyle read, glancing up at Angel.
"Convienent that," the vampire shrugged, a grin on his lips. "So, Spike, wanna go break and enter?" he asked the blond vampire who rose to his feet and grinned at the dark haired vampire.
"Let's go."
*****************
The vampires had left a half hour before, and Willow had stayed behind, grilling Doyle about what she needed to do, but now she was tired. She was terrified to go to sleep, though, terrified that Alti would be waiting for her. Everytime her eyes started to drift shut, she'd snap instantly awake, but eventually, her body got the best of her and she fell into a troubled sleep.
She was back in that clearing but this time no leather-clad women waited for her. Instead was a small teenager dressed in buckskins and a antlered headdress.
"We don't have much time," the girl stated.
"Who are you?" Willow asked.
"Yakut, Shamaness of the Steppe Amazons," the girl replied, touching her chest. "I'm here to help you."
"Why?"
"I have faced Alti before," she replied. "You are heading in the right direction, but there is so much you need to do."
"Will our plan work?" Willow asked.
"That is not for me to say, but I can tell you that you are headed in the right direction," Yakut smiled, "But you need one more thing."
"What?"
"The sap of the Tree of Amber," she replied. "It binds souls. Use it to bind Alti's soul to the spirit world. Kill her there, and she will die in the real world." The Amazon began to fade.
"Wait!" Willow called out. "How do I find the sap?" The Amazon pointed behind her to a cave carved in the cliff-face.
"Beware, Willow," Yakut warned. "For if you die in the spirit realm, so too does your body die." With that Amazon disappeared. Willow stared at the cave before walking towards it. Entering the darkness of the cave she was immediately confronted with a tall woman.
"Only Amazons may enter," the woman warned. "You are no Amazon."
"The Amazons no longer exist," Willow explained.
"True," the woman smiled. "Diana has marked you, little one." She moved to the side. "Enter and take what you need." Willow passed the woman and entered a low ceilinged cavern that contained a tree made of solid gold. She looked around and saw several bottles propped against the wall. Reaching out, she took the one closest to her and walked up to the tree. She saw a river of sap bubbling out of the crook of the tree; Willow pressed the mouth of the bottle against the opening and let the liquid fill the bottle.
"Be careful how you use the sap, little one," the woman whispered. "It binds forever."
Willow corked the bottle and clutched it to her chest. She felt her head fall forward....
...and she shot up on the couch, glanicng around, thankful she was back in Angel's apartment. She felt cool glass beneath her hands and, looking down, she saw the bottle from her dream still clutched in her hands.
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