Series: Immortal Willow
                Title: Awakening
                Author: Slvr Fyre
                Email: LadySlvrFyre@a...
                Disclaimers: I do not own BtVS, Joss Whedon and the WB do. Nor do I own
                Highlander which is owned by Rysher.
                Couple: Willow/Angel eventually
                Note 1: Angel isn't actually in this part, Willow is 17, and this takes place
                during the 3rd season. This is also very very short.

                Part 1

                Willow awakened with a scream as her body arched up, remembered pain riding
                through her body. Her thoughts were chaotic as she mindlessly cried out.
                Hands pushed down on her body, restraining her gently but firmly as a voice
                soothingly said, "Shh. . . Shh. . .It's alright. . ." Willow's eyes slowly
                opened looking for the gentle comfort the voice promised.

                Deep violet eyes looked back. Holding her down was a girl who looked fifteen.
                Red hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the crown of her head. The girl
                was dressed in black pants and a white tank. She was deceptively slender, but
                the strength in those hands held Willow down effortlessly. Those hands could
                harm her very easily. Willow realized. "Who are you? What happened?" Willow
                asked glancing around quickly trying to place her surroundings. One moment
                she was fighting beside Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and Angel-

                "Oh goddess! Are they alright?" Willow questioned frantically, looking back
                at the girl who watched her closely not answering her as she pulled back,
                sitting beside Willow. Then, Willow suddenly remembered the rest of what
                happened to her as she fought beside Buffy and the rest of the Slayerettes.


                Part 2

                Willow staked the vampire in front of her. A mixture of luck and skill
                bringing the stake home. She looked back at Buffy who was facing one of the
                larger demons. Around them stood what was left of the library. It looked like
                a war zone, bookcases toppled, weapons and books scattered all over. Giles
                was cornered in the stacks, trying to fend off three vampires with various
                holy items. Xander and Cordelia lied  unconscious in the office where Angel
                and Willow had dragged them before going back to fight. She had since then
                lost track of where Angel was as she concentrated on surviving.

                A sudden pain erupted in her back as she was kicked in the spine by a large
                burly vampire. Willow landed on her back, further injuring herself. A sword
                entered her stomach. The pain from the wound almost brought Willow to
                unconsciousness. A loud growl could be heard as pale hands roughly broke the
                vampires neck. As the dust settled, Willow could see through tears of pain
                that Angel had saved her. Tears of blood traced down Angel cheeks as he
                looked at the hacker. He fell to his knees as he whispered a choked, "Willow."

                Angel held a hand to her wound as he slid the sword out. A painful, gurgled
                cry came from Willow as she started to cough up blood. He threw the sword
                away from them in disgust. Angel pulled Willow into his lap, pushing back
                strands soaked with blood and darkened by ashes. His dark rich eyes brimmed
                with tears as he brushed a kiss on Willow's lips.

                They didn't notice, Buffy finally killing the demon, didn't notice as Giles
                killed the two vampires. Buffy yelled Willow's name, Giles alerted by his
                Slayer's cry followed her. Both tried to pull Willow towards them but Angel's
                powerful growl startled them. They watched amazed as the vampire pulled
                Willow closed, saying softly "Willow." They then became aware of the trails
                of tears falling across Angel's cheeks.

                Willow reached up with a weak arm and softly brushed Angel's lips with her
                figertips. "Angel." She whispered coughing up more blood.

                "Shhh….Willow don't talk." Angel softly said his voice hoarse as he took
                Willow's hand in his own, holding it close against his heart.

                "No. . . Have to tell. . . to tell you. . . that. . ." Willow paused trying
                to gather the strength to go on. She had never told anyone about her feelings
                for the vampire. The only person that Willow had ever told all of her
                feelings to was her closest on-line friend, SlvrDragon. "I love you." Willow
                joyfully said, eyes shining with love, before her body went sagged against
                Angel. Tears could be heard, great sobbing as Willow took her last breath.
                Angel answered softly, "I love you too Willow." He brushed his gentle
                fingertips, across Willow's face, closing her eyes. Angel swept a kiss gently
                on Willow's forehead, before laying her gently in the floor.

                Angel looked at Buffy and Giles, both crying as they watched. He left the
                library silently.


                Part 3

                Kai was finally going to meet Willow Rosenberg, a.k.a. NightFx online. Kai
                first met Fox, Kai personal nickname for Willow, in the December of 97. Fox
                was asking everyone online how to banish a certain demon from this dimension.
                Everyone in the chat room thought that Fox was crazy except for Kai, who had
                actually banished demons before. Kai introduced herself as SlvrDragon, and
                went on to help Willow out. Soon they were the best of friends online, they
                would tell each other things that they would never tell their other friends.
                Their thoughts, feelings, and the oldest of memories, everything and anything
                could be discussed between the two.

                This would be the first time they would meet. They had been planning this for
                weeks. What Kai didn't know was that another Apocalypse had come up and the
                entire Sunnydale gang had to stop it. Kai didn't know about this and Willow
                had totally forgotten about Kai's visit in the rush of preparations.

                Kai drew her arms around herself as a chill went up her spine. /Damn there's
                vampires in the area./ She twitched her left arm and a wooden knife dropped
                into her hand. /Time to do some hunting!/ Kai grinned as she spent the next
                hour patrolling within a five block radius.

                As Kai passed the high school she noticed a vampire entering. /Strange./ She
                entered silently behind the vampire. Sounds of fighting echoed down the hall,
                and the feel of the Daishin swept across Kai. The fighting started to die
                down, as the vampire went through a set of double doors. Kai glanced in
                through the window set in each door. /I'll be noticed if I just stand there
                looking in. Hmm. . . There's a skylight in the library./ Kai concentrated on
                the skylight overlooking the library. A moment later she reappeared near
                them. She looked into the library and saw that she had a great view. Kai
                silently cast a spell allowing her to hear what was going on down below.

                She watched the fighting. /Oh gods, that's Willow!/ Kai thought as she leaned
                closer towards the skylight upon hearing Willow's name spoken. A flicker of
                lightning crackled around Willow as she moved, killing another vampire. /What
                the?/ With narrowed eyes Kai cast the spell that allowed her to sense a
                pre-immortal. The feeling of a Presence came back at her. /Oh bloody hell!
                She's a pre-immie!/ Kai watched as Willow was killed, watched as the vampire
                that killed her died at the hands of another vampire. /He must be Angel./ Kai
                thought, Willow had never told her the exact names of the people in her life,
                but Kai knew through her sources about the vampire with a soul.

                As Angel left the library, the girl whom Kai recognized as the Slayer, went
                into an office. Her Watcher called an ambulance. /Oh gods. I've never had to
                deal with a pre-immortal who just died. What am I going to do?/ Kai calmed
                down, remembering how her mentor dealt with it. /Ok girl first things first.
                Get all of the things from the hotel and bring it to the airport. Then the
                morgue./ Kai raced to morgue all the while teleporting all of her stuff back
                to the jet that she had used to come here. Kai slipped unnoticed into the
                morgue minutes after they had placed Willow in one of the metal cabinets.

                Kai opened all of the other ones searching for a Jane Doe, she found a recent
                one and set to work. Ten minutes later, Kai had made the body look exactly
                like Willow's. She was lucky that the Jane Doe had the same physical
                characteristics. It made her work a lot more easier. Kai was also very
                thankful that Willow had wanted to be cremated, instead of buried. /I don't
                have to worry about the spell lasting to long. If I have to, I can use the
                energy generated on such a regular basis in town./ Kai gave a mental shrug
                and took out her phone calling her mentor to let him know that she was coming
                home, explaining what had just happened. The understanding voice agreed that
                with Kai's course of action.

                Kai slipped her arms around Willow's body and effortlessly lifted her up. She
                cast an invisibility spell around them and went downstairs where a car was
                waiting for her. Kai laid Willow carefully in beside her and silently made
                her plans, as they headed for the airport. A new life for Willow as an
                Immortal in San Francisco.


                Part 4

                Willow came out of her memories, sobs racking her body. The girl held her
                gently, running a hand up and down Willow's back. They stayed that way for a
                while, Willow calming down to a crooning voice that sang a soft lullaby in an
                unknown language.

                As Willow slowly straightened, she asked "I died, how can I still be alive?
                If I am, are you an angel?" Willow's face mirrored the confusion in her
                voice, teeth worried at the corner of her bottom lip as Willow's tried to
                make sense of what happened.

                "Me an angel?! No, I'm not. Your did die Fox." The girl answered.

                "How can I be alive then. I'm not a vampire." Willow felt along her neck for
                her pulse, and found one. She gave a sigh of relief. Willow then noticed that
                her clothes had been changed. Instead of bloody clothes Willow was wearing
                gray sweats and a white shirt. "What am I? Where am I?" Her mind caught up
                with the name that the girl had used. "Silver?" Willow asked amazed ~No
                except Kaisean calls me Fox~.

                Kai nodded slowly, as she pushed back a long red braid off of her face. ~I
                didn't notice that before~ Willow thought. "I-I don't understand, Kaisean.
                What ha-happened to me? What am I?"

                "You're an Immortal. There are many Immortals out there. Born foundlings, we
                age like mortals until we die our first death. Which has to be violent. In
                this state before first death we are called pre-Immortals, or pre-immies.
                Immortals have the ability to sense each other. This sensing differs for each
                Immortal. Each Immortal has a Quickening. The sum of all their knowledge,
                strength and power. Immortal's cannot age and are immune to all disease. If
                they suffer a mortal blow they die for an amount of time depending on how
                strong their Quickening is, which they then they heal, the only wound that an
                Immortal can not heal is beheading.

                "Now this is important." Kai leaned forward to emphasize. Willow listened
                attentively to her friend, fascinated by what she had become. "Immortal's
                play in what is called the Game. The object of this is to kill another
                Immortal, to take his head. When this happens all of their power is released
                going into the Immortal who is nearest the body. This is called the
                Quickening, and is often very spectacular depending on the losing Immortal's
                Quickening. It is said that there will be the Gathering, a time when
                Immortals will be irresistibly called to isolated location, where they will
                feel the urge to fight. The one who is the last in the Gathering is
                supposedly going to win the Prize. No one knows what the Prize is, most
                believe it is ultimate power, the ability to fully access all of the
                Quickening of all Immortals. The ability to rule the world for eternity.
                Other's say that they the Prize will be to become mortal again, to age and
                have children. No one knows for sure.

                "There are two hard core Rules in the Game. One you can not, my not fight on
                Holy Ground, no matter what. Doesn't matter what religion, Indian shrines,
                cemeteries, churches, etc. All Immortals can sense Holy Ground. It's said
                that the last Immortals who fought on Holy Ground were there when Mount
                Vesuvius erupted. The other rule is this, there are no other rules.

                "I saw as you fought in the library that you might be a pre-immie. I cast a
                spell that allowed me to see if you were a pre-immortal. I myself am a
                pre-immortal. I grew up with Immortals in my life. I got you out of the
                morgue, magicked a body to be you temporarily, and brought you here." Kai
                paused giving Willow plenty of time to absorb what she had just said. She was
                careful to lower her shield slightly to sense Willow's thoughts.

                Willow was a whirl with emotions. Awe and sadness. ~I'm going to live
                forever. I'll see so many things. So many places. But the price, to see those
                that I love die. My parents, my friends. Who think that I'm dead. Angel! Oh
                goddess!~ she thought

                "You will be able to see him again. I don't know when though. You have to
                learn how to fight first. To defend yourself in the game. You have start a
                new life Willow you can't go back to the one you had in Sunnydale." Willow
                was unknowingly broadcasting her thoughts out loud. Kai, who was a very
                powerful telepath received everything that Willow thought.

                "What are my options?" Willow asked, she trusted Kai with her life. ~Hell I
                trusted Angel's life in her hands.~ Willow would do anything for her friend.

                "You can learn, and learn well to survive. You can hole up on Holy Ground in
                an attempt to be safe. Or you can die. I assure you that you will die if you
                don't learn Fox. Believe me I've seen it happen. What do you chose Willow?"

                "Where do I start?" Willow asked resolved in her decision to learn. A feeling
                of rightness swept through her as Willow looked Kai in the eyes, accepting
                her Immortality. Kai smiled at Willow, tugging on her hand.

                "First I introduce you to everyone else in the house. Welcome to San
                Francisco, Willow Rosenberg."
 

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