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summer_of_giles2012-07-27 01:17 pm
rebelxxwaltz.livejournal.com) wrote in summer_of_giles2012-07-27 01:17 pm
FIC: The Darkest Age 1/2
Title: The Darkest Age 1/2
Author: rebelxxwaltz
Rating: A mild M, I suppose, for dark subject matter and eventual violence. Could possibly pass for T.
Characters: In this part, Wishverse Giles and Wishverse Ethan.
Pairing: None, really, although there may be a bit of a leaning towards Wishverse Giles/Wishverse Buffy in the end.
Fic Summary: An AU scene from the Wishverse, including elements from The Dark Age. Wishverse Giles is confronted by his past on a dark and stormy night. When a dangerously altered Ethan Rayne seeks to reunite the old gang once and for all, will Giles have to save himself or will an unexpected ally come to his rescue?
Word Count: This part is less than 1,500 words. Whole story will clock in at less than 5,000.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. They don't belong to me, but they are fun to play with. Especially the cracky Wishverse versions!
Spoilers: Yes, although this is blatantly AU. Spoilers for The Wish and The Dark Age in particular.
Notes: Unfortunately I was both busy and neglectful during SoG this year and wasn't able to finish in time to post this fic in its entirety today. The remainder of the story will follow during Tuesday's free for all! This is a bit darker than my usual, so be forewarned of a certain absence of humor.
Thanks: to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
littleotter73 for a welcome dose of encouragement and prodding during her present visit. :D
The Darkest Age
Part 1: A Dark and Stormy Night
It was a dark and stormy night.
Darker, he thought, than was warranted by the conspicuous absence of the moon in a sky menacingly heavy with star-obscuring clouds. Lightning flashed in the near distance, lending a brief but spooky illumination to the forest of headstones beyond the wrought iron fence of Shady Hill Cemetery. In short, the whole atmosphere had a remarkable air of the depressingly cliché.
Rupert Giles had learned that Sunnydale could be quite aggravating in this sense. The town was one of those places that wore the corners of the universe down into recognizable shapes, lulling its occupants into a false sense of security until that sharp and final moment when the things that go 'bump' in the night popped out to reveal that the shadow puppet which looked like a dog was actually a ravening crocodile after all.
On this night, the instincts of the erstwhile Watcher warned of a familiar menace at hand. Lately Giles spent most of his days tending a library that nobody used and his nights with the White Hats, fighting a war that nobody thought there was a chance of winning. They had their small victories and, on occasion, their massive and shattering losses. In some cases he could hardly find the strength to scrape the charred remains of his resolve up from the weathered sidewalk and force himself to fight another day. Their faces were what kept him going-- Oz, Larry, Nancy, and all the others-- even some who were dead and gone. He could see the fear, always present behind their eyes even in their strongest moments. As a Watcher it was his duty to protect them, Slayer or no.
Tonight was different from the usual. Patrols were always dangerous even without the impending threat of stormy weather, but this time there was something familiar in the air… a bloody iron tang of magic that made Giles' veins throb with the sensory memories of half a lifetime ago. It was the sort of thing not easily forgotten; like a birthday meal that you remember from the starter straight through to the after dinner brandy even years after the fact, or perhaps like a night so replete with screams and the sound of cracking bones that the impression could never be scrubbed from the back of your mind.
There was a magic user on the prowl in Sunnydale, and Rupert Giles was perfectly aware of the fact that he was being lured toward a potentially messy encounter. It was bad enough having The Master and his underlings to contend with-- this new threat was unwelcome indeed. Shadows gathered as he passed beneath the cemetery gates. Gripping his cross tightly, Giles was comforted by the weight of the sword strapped across his back. All the hair on his body stood on end, whether from dark anticipation or because of the static electricity in the air he couldn't say.
Giles found that his concerns were justified as three figures emerged around him, closing in from all sides. His blood ran cold as he caught a proper glimpse of the dominant presence, the sneering visage illuminated as lightning flashed and large droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. The face was one he hadn't seen in many years, but it hadn't changed in the least… indeed, the only thing that was different about Ethan Rayne were the razor sharp fangs adding a new and quite literal edge to an already threatening smile.
xxxxx
"Hello, Ripper! Fancy meeting you here."
Ethan was dressed all in black, which was rather unusual for an individual traditionally prone to choose the flashiest fabrics on offer. Giles reasoned that the evident change in his former friend's… circumstances… must have affected his fashion sense as well. The Watcher flexed his fingers around the cross in his hand, ever aware of Ethan's companions in the corners of his vision. "Ethan. What do you want?"
Snarling, the vampire crossed his arms and gestured toward the other two figures. "With so little endeavor at civility we are met! Tsk tsk Ripper, is that any way to greet your old friends?"
"You and I haven't been friends for a long time, Ethan. You--" His voice trailed off as the other visitors drew up next to Ethan, standing just behind him as if to display their subservience. Giles shuddered, devastated by sudden recognition. "Diedre? Philip? No… Ethan, what have you done to them!"
The vampire chuckled, stepping back to drape one leather-clad arm across the shoulders of each companion. "Now you see! Look, the gang's all here! Isn't it splendid?" Diedre and Philip flashed their fangs, glancing at their leader admiringly. Ethan's eyebrows crinkled in annoyance. "They're not really the best company, what with being in my thrall and everything. Rather boring in fact, but I can't help it if I'm so charismatic that they are helpless against my every whim."
Giles took a step back, nervously rubbing a hand across his stubbled cheek. The raindrops were falling steadily now, beading atop the surface of his wool jumper. "I don't understand. Why have you done this?"
The dark figure of Ethan Rayne was only too happy to elaborate now that he had a willing audience. "Why? Well that should be obvious! Isn't it every man's greatest wish to recapture his glory days? Shortly after I was turned I realized that I finally had the means to do so."
"How did it happen?"
"What, this?" Ethan gestured at himself, waving imperiously at his own pale skin and impressive fangs. "Come, Ripper, you know what London is like these days. One step down the wrong dark and suspicious alleyway and, well…" He narrowed his fathomless eyes, chuckling darkly. "Avoid the rougher parts of Brixton by night, they said. Turns out it was the only place I could find someone willing to provide this particular service."
The Watcher frowned. "You wanted them to turn you?"
"Oh yes. Of course none of the vampires in our former acquaintance would do it. Seems I was thought to be a bit too dangerous and somewhat unstable. Can you imagine?" The outer rings of Ethan's irises glowed with a strange crimson luminescence. "The unruly creatures south of the Thames simply didn't know any better."
"But Diedre and Philip…"
"It's as I said. I thought it would be ever so nice to get the whole gang back together again. Unfortunately Randall couldn't make it. Not for lack of effort, you understand. He was back with us for a few moments, but it seems he was a bit too… decomposed to properly handle the resurrection." Ethan shrugged casually, as though he was discussing a football result or the weather report. "Shame, really. The boy did have spirit! He sends his love. At least, that might have been what he meant by all those undignified gurgling noises he made."
Flinching, Giles contemplated the horror that this new and terrible version of Ethan Rayne had wrought. Turning Diedre and Philip, desecrating and doing Lord knows what other unspeakable things to Randall's remains… but what was his purpose here in Sunnydale? Where did Giles himself fit into this pageant of atrocity?
"Ah, I see. We've come to the point now haven't we? I always could read you like a book. You must begin to understand my reason for being here."
A loud crack of thunder sounded, lightning once again bathing the scene in an eerie light. Giles removed his glasses, his vision too far obscured by the escalating rain. "I won't join you."
Ethan cackled, eyes once again lit with a mysterious scarlet glow. "Who said you had a choice? Remember what the Rolling Stones said, Ripper-- you can't always get what you want!"
Beginning to advance, Ethan nodded his head absently to Diedre and Philip. Following his unspoken order, the two split off and circled around behind Giles, effectively trapping him. Ethan came another step closer, baring his fangs. "As it happens, old boy, there's somebody else here who's just dying to see you again! Surely you wouldn't want to be rude..."
Searching the area wildly, Giles scanned for another presence but did not detect anyone. Quite suddenly, a terrible burning pain shot through his arm. With a harsh gasp he inhaled a mixture of charged air and raindrops. Frantically he rolled up his sleeve, violently repulsed by what he knew he would find there.
The Mark of Eyghon, dormant but never forgotten for all these years, blazed with the flaming orange glow of a fresh brand.
xxxxx
That's the end of part one! I hope you'll all forgive me for not having the whole story ready to post, and also for the fact that Ethan very nearly quoted from Jane Austen in this fic (can you spot it?). Who knows-- Wishverse Ethan obviously doesn't need much sleep anymore, so maybe he's been catching up on his reading.
Things are looking a little bit bleak for Giles here, and the situation might get worse before it gets better... but I promise someone will show up to help him in the concluding chapter. Anyone care to guess who? :D
Author: rebelxxwaltz
Rating: A mild M, I suppose, for dark subject matter and eventual violence. Could possibly pass for T.
Characters: In this part, Wishverse Giles and Wishverse Ethan.
Pairing: None, really, although there may be a bit of a leaning towards Wishverse Giles/Wishverse Buffy in the end.
Fic Summary: An AU scene from the Wishverse, including elements from The Dark Age. Wishverse Giles is confronted by his past on a dark and stormy night. When a dangerously altered Ethan Rayne seeks to reunite the old gang once and for all, will Giles have to save himself or will an unexpected ally come to his rescue?
Word Count: This part is less than 1,500 words. Whole story will clock in at less than 5,000.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. They don't belong to me, but they are fun to play with. Especially the cracky Wishverse versions!
Spoilers: Yes, although this is blatantly AU. Spoilers for The Wish and The Dark Age in particular.
Notes: Unfortunately I was both busy and neglectful during SoG this year and wasn't able to finish in time to post this fic in its entirety today. The remainder of the story will follow during Tuesday's free for all! This is a bit darker than my usual, so be forewarned of a certain absence of humor.
Thanks: to
littleotter73 for a welcome dose of encouragement and prodding during her present visit. :DThe Darkest Age
Part 1: A Dark and Stormy Night
It was a dark and stormy night.
Darker, he thought, than was warranted by the conspicuous absence of the moon in a sky menacingly heavy with star-obscuring clouds. Lightning flashed in the near distance, lending a brief but spooky illumination to the forest of headstones beyond the wrought iron fence of Shady Hill Cemetery. In short, the whole atmosphere had a remarkable air of the depressingly cliché.
Rupert Giles had learned that Sunnydale could be quite aggravating in this sense. The town was one of those places that wore the corners of the universe down into recognizable shapes, lulling its occupants into a false sense of security until that sharp and final moment when the things that go 'bump' in the night popped out to reveal that the shadow puppet which looked like a dog was actually a ravening crocodile after all.
On this night, the instincts of the erstwhile Watcher warned of a familiar menace at hand. Lately Giles spent most of his days tending a library that nobody used and his nights with the White Hats, fighting a war that nobody thought there was a chance of winning. They had their small victories and, on occasion, their massive and shattering losses. In some cases he could hardly find the strength to scrape the charred remains of his resolve up from the weathered sidewalk and force himself to fight another day. Their faces were what kept him going-- Oz, Larry, Nancy, and all the others-- even some who were dead and gone. He could see the fear, always present behind their eyes even in their strongest moments. As a Watcher it was his duty to protect them, Slayer or no.
Tonight was different from the usual. Patrols were always dangerous even without the impending threat of stormy weather, but this time there was something familiar in the air… a bloody iron tang of magic that made Giles' veins throb with the sensory memories of half a lifetime ago. It was the sort of thing not easily forgotten; like a birthday meal that you remember from the starter straight through to the after dinner brandy even years after the fact, or perhaps like a night so replete with screams and the sound of cracking bones that the impression could never be scrubbed from the back of your mind.
There was a magic user on the prowl in Sunnydale, and Rupert Giles was perfectly aware of the fact that he was being lured toward a potentially messy encounter. It was bad enough having The Master and his underlings to contend with-- this new threat was unwelcome indeed. Shadows gathered as he passed beneath the cemetery gates. Gripping his cross tightly, Giles was comforted by the weight of the sword strapped across his back. All the hair on his body stood on end, whether from dark anticipation or because of the static electricity in the air he couldn't say.
Giles found that his concerns were justified as three figures emerged around him, closing in from all sides. His blood ran cold as he caught a proper glimpse of the dominant presence, the sneering visage illuminated as lightning flashed and large droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. The face was one he hadn't seen in many years, but it hadn't changed in the least… indeed, the only thing that was different about Ethan Rayne were the razor sharp fangs adding a new and quite literal edge to an already threatening smile.
xxxxx
"Hello, Ripper! Fancy meeting you here."
Ethan was dressed all in black, which was rather unusual for an individual traditionally prone to choose the flashiest fabrics on offer. Giles reasoned that the evident change in his former friend's… circumstances… must have affected his fashion sense as well. The Watcher flexed his fingers around the cross in his hand, ever aware of Ethan's companions in the corners of his vision. "Ethan. What do you want?"
Snarling, the vampire crossed his arms and gestured toward the other two figures. "With so little endeavor at civility we are met! Tsk tsk Ripper, is that any way to greet your old friends?"
"You and I haven't been friends for a long time, Ethan. You--" His voice trailed off as the other visitors drew up next to Ethan, standing just behind him as if to display their subservience. Giles shuddered, devastated by sudden recognition. "Diedre? Philip? No… Ethan, what have you done to them!"
The vampire chuckled, stepping back to drape one leather-clad arm across the shoulders of each companion. "Now you see! Look, the gang's all here! Isn't it splendid?" Diedre and Philip flashed their fangs, glancing at their leader admiringly. Ethan's eyebrows crinkled in annoyance. "They're not really the best company, what with being in my thrall and everything. Rather boring in fact, but I can't help it if I'm so charismatic that they are helpless against my every whim."
Giles took a step back, nervously rubbing a hand across his stubbled cheek. The raindrops were falling steadily now, beading atop the surface of his wool jumper. "I don't understand. Why have you done this?"
The dark figure of Ethan Rayne was only too happy to elaborate now that he had a willing audience. "Why? Well that should be obvious! Isn't it every man's greatest wish to recapture his glory days? Shortly after I was turned I realized that I finally had the means to do so."
"How did it happen?"
"What, this?" Ethan gestured at himself, waving imperiously at his own pale skin and impressive fangs. "Come, Ripper, you know what London is like these days. One step down the wrong dark and suspicious alleyway and, well…" He narrowed his fathomless eyes, chuckling darkly. "Avoid the rougher parts of Brixton by night, they said. Turns out it was the only place I could find someone willing to provide this particular service."
The Watcher frowned. "You wanted them to turn you?"
"Oh yes. Of course none of the vampires in our former acquaintance would do it. Seems I was thought to be a bit too dangerous and somewhat unstable. Can you imagine?" The outer rings of Ethan's irises glowed with a strange crimson luminescence. "The unruly creatures south of the Thames simply didn't know any better."
"But Diedre and Philip…"
"It's as I said. I thought it would be ever so nice to get the whole gang back together again. Unfortunately Randall couldn't make it. Not for lack of effort, you understand. He was back with us for a few moments, but it seems he was a bit too… decomposed to properly handle the resurrection." Ethan shrugged casually, as though he was discussing a football result or the weather report. "Shame, really. The boy did have spirit! He sends his love. At least, that might have been what he meant by all those undignified gurgling noises he made."
Flinching, Giles contemplated the horror that this new and terrible version of Ethan Rayne had wrought. Turning Diedre and Philip, desecrating and doing Lord knows what other unspeakable things to Randall's remains… but what was his purpose here in Sunnydale? Where did Giles himself fit into this pageant of atrocity?
"Ah, I see. We've come to the point now haven't we? I always could read you like a book. You must begin to understand my reason for being here."
A loud crack of thunder sounded, lightning once again bathing the scene in an eerie light. Giles removed his glasses, his vision too far obscured by the escalating rain. "I won't join you."
Ethan cackled, eyes once again lit with a mysterious scarlet glow. "Who said you had a choice? Remember what the Rolling Stones said, Ripper-- you can't always get what you want!"
Beginning to advance, Ethan nodded his head absently to Diedre and Philip. Following his unspoken order, the two split off and circled around behind Giles, effectively trapping him. Ethan came another step closer, baring his fangs. "As it happens, old boy, there's somebody else here who's just dying to see you again! Surely you wouldn't want to be rude..."
Searching the area wildly, Giles scanned for another presence but did not detect anyone. Quite suddenly, a terrible burning pain shot through his arm. With a harsh gasp he inhaled a mixture of charged air and raindrops. Frantically he rolled up his sleeve, violently repulsed by what he knew he would find there.
The Mark of Eyghon, dormant but never forgotten for all these years, blazed with the flaming orange glow of a fresh brand.
xxxxx
That's the end of part one! I hope you'll all forgive me for not having the whole story ready to post, and also for the fact that Ethan very nearly quoted from Jane Austen in this fic (can you spot it?). Who knows-- Wishverse Ethan obviously doesn't need much sleep anymore, so maybe he's been catching up on his reading.
Things are looking a little bit bleak for Giles here, and the situation might get worse before it gets better... but I promise someone will show up to help him in the concluding chapter. Anyone care to guess who? :D
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And wtf with you stopping there!!!!
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A couple more days of panicking to get this done and I can finally go back and catch up on everything I've missed. I feel bad for missing so much! XD
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Well done and I can't wait for the next part :)
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I've still got a few surprises left in this story, though... I've become rather fond of vampy Wishverse Ethan, so we'll have to wait and see what happens to him! Thanks so much for commenting! :D
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Tra-la, see you at the other end.
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I was a little mean to Giles here, I suppose, but all that abuse is truly born from love. He can handle it, and might even get a halfway happy ending. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it's much appreciated!
Thursday July 26th & Friday July 27th, 2012
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As to who . . . the little super nerd guy? . . .But I'd much rather have bad-ass Wishverse!Buffy! I hope I will get what I want!
Thanks for sharing!
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I am flattered that people think I'm clever enough to give Giles a truly surprising rescuer-- it makes me extremely tempted to go back and change the story so that Wishverse Jonathan shows up wearing a cape and rescues Giles with a deadly combination of a K-Mart lightsaber and Karate learned from watching poorly dubbed movies. Hmm... *contemplates* Errr... I think it's a bit more likely that you will get what you want. ;)
Thanks for commenting, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've got a lot of SoG catch up to do, so I'll be looking forward to reading what you posted, too!
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Who will show up? Well, I know your style well enough to make a pretty good guess. But, if I had a wish, it would be vamp!Willow coming to fight for him, but only because she wants to turn him for herself. (I know. I might just be eviler than you.)
Write faster!
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Your guess is probably the right one, and should really be shared by anyone who read the summary at the top of this fic. That being said, people can never resist a cracky guess-- I'm sorely tempted to change the ending so that Giles gets himself rescued by vamp!Willow and superhero Wishverse Jonathan. It's really difficult for me to resist comedy at times... too bad I've hardly got time to write one ending, never mind two!
Once I finish this up I'm looking forward to catching up on everything I've missed! How is it that time goes by so quickly? I'm glad you are enjoying this... it's nice to be writing *something* again. :D
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It really does write itself! Wow, if we ever co-write anything it will either be truly bizarre, or the best fanfic ever.
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Hopefully I can get everything wrapped up in another 2000 words or so... I don't want to draw things out too much, but action requires a lot of description and there are a few twists I would like to throw in. :D
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