The Golden Queen Series:
The Golden Queen
by Damia

Chapter Seven

Earth

Nimisha knew something was wrong the instant she seemingly opened her eyes the next morning.

The first clue was that she wasn’t in the same bed, or even the same *house* she had been in the night before when she went to sleep.

Gasping, she quickly opened her eyes the remainder of the way and sat up on the grass.

*Grass*??

But yes, as she quickly surveyed her surroundings, she found herself half-laying, half-sitting, in what seemed to be a large field or park. There was the odd bird in the trees and parked cars across by the road so the girl instantly knew that she was still on Earth.

What in the world had happened? Nimisha thought, as she slowly got up from the ground and started to walk towards what seemed to be the entrance of the Park. Only then, when she had walked past a parked car and looked in the closed window to see if there was any people in there, did she realise that she wasn’t wearing her Pajarmas. Looking down at herself in surprise she found herself in a white, floor length Muslin dress. She looked positively medieval.

She groaned out loud in frustration...she *had* to be dreaming.

But starting to get a bit frightened now, not having a clue what was happening to her, she found herself jogging out of a park gates and down the deserted streets...and they *were* deserted. There wasn’t a person in sight, the normally busy city streets were like ghost town, no people, no animals, no moving cars, everything was frozen.

Picking up her pace with that thought so she was running flat out in a full blown run, Nimisha sprinted down the side-walk and around the corner.

Only to find herself standing outside the closed door of Angel Investigations.

She skidded to a stop, her mouth falling open in surprise. Looking around herself wildly, she had to stop from screaming for help in blind panic. Relising that wasn’t going to do much good in her present situation, she hesitantly knocked on the closed door.

Nobody answered.

She frowned in annoyance, and knocked again, more forcefully. But when still nobody bothered to answered her poundings for help, Nimisha hesitantly pushed on the door, and was stunned to find that it swung open slowly with the force of her push. Peering through the door, Nimisha wasn’t surprised to find the front room completely empty like the rest of her dream. Walking in, she tried to ignore the patting of her bare feet on the floor. Finally satisfied that there wasn’t another living soul in the building she silently went over to the elevator and pressed the little button that lead down to the basement.

She was skittish was excitement as it finally drawned on her that she was about to head into unknown territory...her father’s apartment. A place she had *never* in her life expected she would go.

The ride down seemed to take forever, Nimisha jumping nervously from foot to foot until the twin door suddenly ‘pinged’ and swooshed open.

Nimisha stared in shock.

White mist floated around the visible area, masking everything so it was impossible to focus on anything. Little tendrils of white smoke floated towards her, dancing slowly around her arms. She pulled them away quickly, but the reaction only caused the mist to float closer towards her, circling her whole body and tangling itself in her long black hair. Nimisha battered it away in concern, wondering what the *hell* it was.

Quickly stepping out of the white mist’s reach, Nimisha started to franticly look in ever room, every closed door for her missing father. Ripping open cupboards, peering under sofas, didn’t do much good as she finally had to admit that he wasn’t in the building.

She sighed in regret. How she had wanted to get just one look at him before she left Earth again....

A far door caught her attention. One she had not bothered to look in. Nimisha’s hopes rose once again as she silently creped over and hesitantly opened the door a crack and peered in.

The room was completely bare, save for a large, king size, four poster bed that was situated right in it’s centre. Nimisha eyebrows rose at the sight. She didn’t recognise the bed...until she peered through the falling silk curtains and saw who was laying on it.

It was Angel, curled up under a thin black blanket that didn’t fully cover his big body. Nimisha was instantly glad that her father was wearing pants or she didn’t know how she would have *ever* faced her mother again.

Almost daringly, Nimisha tip-toed closer to the mattress, staring down in wonder at the sleeping form on the huge bed. Bending down so she was on her knees, the girl silently put both hands on the mattress - inches from her legendry father’s sleeping face - and lay her chin on them, not really caring if she was stick in a dream that wasn’t real, just happy and content to gaze lovingly at the still face on the big bed...

Angel was having a good dream.

Buffy was running towards where he found himself standing, both of them on some sort of cliff. The wind was blowing in her unusually long blonde hair, forcing the huge waves to crash furiously at the lower cliffs underneath them. Looking out, all Angel could see was the ocean. The sky-blue, endless ocean that stretched out beside him.

He knew he had to be dreaming. He had had enough unnatural dreams in his long life to be able to tell the difference. But as Buffy ran closer, a huge smile gracing her face, he had to admit he didn’t really care.

She reached him, and flew into his open arms, laughing with happiness at the sudden surprise.

Their lips met, all laughter disappearing as their emotions took control and tried desperately to make up for the years of separation. Buffy gracefully raised her arms to tangle them around his neck, clinging to him tightly. He seemed to purr in response.

But as their common sense kicked in and they quickly pulled apart, Buffy let her hand rest on her beloved’s check, smiling up gently at him when he looked down at her in concern with her gently gesture.

They just looked at each other for what seemed like forever. Their faces blank of any emotion but their soulful eyes telling all that was needed for the other to see,

Their love...

“Are you dead?” Angel finally asked in a quiet voice, not really sure if he could handle the answer but so desperately needing to know.

But Buffy only smiled gently up at him, her eyes holding a mischievous gleam.

“Time will tell, my love.” was her only answer. Angel frowned in annoyance. “Can’t you tell me anything else?” he asked.

Buffy looked away, seemingly fascinated by the endless blue blanket that surrounded them. The smile left her face as she turned towards him again. Angel gasped in surprise as she noticed the moon on her forehead, flashing brightly.

“What is that?” he asked, startled.

“My prison, my Angel.” her sad voice floated towards him. But without giving him time to answer, Buffy gripped him forearm in a firm grip, forcing him to look at her.

“Protect her, Angel. She is going to need your help.” There was such desperation in her angel-like voice that Angel looked down at her in surprise.

“Protect who?” he asked, baffled. But Buffy only smiled up at his confused look and somehow that seemed to make it worse.

“Protect the Key, my love.” She started to float away, being ripped from his warm arms. He cried out in surprise, trying to grab her back but the Force’s pull was too strong.

“She is my life, Angel. Swear that you will look after her for me.” The words floated towards him as he finally stopped and just watched her fade away. She was looked down at him, smiling gently.

“I promise, Buffy.” he whispered, not noticing that she was too far away to hear him.

But she seemed to smile more broadly, a huge weight seemed to be lift from her tiny shoulders as she mouthed the words...

“Thank you”. And giving him one more smile, she disappeared.

Angel hung his head, tears falling freely from his dark eyes, as he felt himself begin to float away.

His vision was swirling, he could no longer keep his eyes either open or closed. He was stuck in between. Angel’s head spun, unknown images and voices tore through his battered mind and he grasped his head in pain.

Castles....Palaces....laughing people....A blue face....A metal circle....and finally a flashing crescent moon....

Angel screamed.

Nimisha jumped back in shock as a painful scream tore out of her father’s throat, as he started to thrash and wither on the big bed. The girl looked around the room wildly, trying to find something, anything, that would ease his struggles.

She found nothing in the bare room so she quickly rushed back to his thrashing form. She fell to her knees once again - and using a ripped piece of her Muslin dress - started to quickly wipe away the sweat that had formed on his pale brow.

But she stopped suddenly when his fevered eyes slowly opened and tried to focus on her.

“Buffy?” he whispered and Nimisha nervously bit her bottom lip.

“No it’s not Buffy, Niá.” Nimisha told him, using the ancient Allrelen term for ‘Father’ so he wouldn’t know what she was saying.

“I promised her...” he whispered and Nimisha grimaced. But when he started to sob softly into the mattress she got angry..fast.

“Sati!” she called up into the roof, knowing the female Oracle could hear her. “Jadis! You guys get your asses down here *right* now!” she yelled.

And as she knew they would, her two white friends appeared in the middle of the room.

Nimisha jumped to her feet and confronted them head on. “What the *hell* have you guys done!” she screamed in their faces. But they made to response until Sati gently reached out and layed her white hand on the girl shoulder to sooth her.

“We did what had to be done, my child.” She cocked her head to the side. “To get the ball rolling.”

And without giving Nimisha time to reply, they Ported her out of the room.

Angel gasped and shot straight up in his bed minutes later, sweat glittering on his startled body. Hearing him, Cordelia rushed into the room and grabbed him by his bare shoulders, peering intently at his sleep filled face.

“Are you okay!?” she practically screeched in his ear and Angel winced in pain.

But Cordelia didn’t notice. “You’ve been screaming like a Ginnea-pig for like, an hour!” she told him, jumping up and going over to his closet to pick him out some clothes.

Doyle ran into the room and noticing that his fallow Irishman was awake, went straight over to Angel. “Are you okay, man?” he asked him in a concerned voice and Angel gave him a smile of reassurance.

Cordelia came back with some clothes and threw them on the bed. Angel looked up at her in surprise.

“Cordy, what are you doing?” He asked as she went back to the closet and got out a medium sized suitcase. Without turning around she told her two closest friends, “Get up and get dressed, Angel. I am sick to death of the weird things that have been happening lately.” She finally turned to the Vampire. “And i’m guessing that this screaming dream of your’s was to do with Buffy, am I right?”

Angel looked down at the mattress and nodded silently.

“Buffy and some other girl. I didn’t get a good look at her though, I couldn’t focus on anything.” He told them.

Hearing this, Cordelia huffed. “That’s it!” she screeched. “Doyle, go and get some clothes packed, were leaving in 20 minutes.” Her boyfriend looked at her blankly and Angel asked in surprise, “Leaving for where exactly?” although deep down he knew the answer.

Cordelia looked at him like he should know as well. But purposely she stuffed some clothes into the suitcase and strode towards the bedroom door. Calling over her shoulder at the two stunned men she told them.

“Were going to Sunnydale.”

Somewhere in Ireland....

Ash tumbled out of the Gate, landing forcefully on the ground. As the blue wave reduced and the Gate turned off, Ash looked up and around him wildly, searching for a threat. What he found was a dirt ground covered in moss and leaves, and towering green trees...

And a lot of them.

Ash gaped. Never had he seen so many tree in one place. Stunned, the dark featured 18 year old got up from the ground, brushed himself off and tilted his head back to look at the sky in complete surprise. All he could see were trees. Beautiful, proud, green trees. The roof of the forest he was in fully covered them, the sky invisible to the naked eye.

Where the hell was he???

But as the irony of the situation finally stuck him, Ash laughed. A fully happy laugh as he bent down to slap his knees in amusement. He had gone from a dark, bare planet that nothing in the least to offer him, to the complete opposite of the scale.

This planet was absolutely breathtaking.

But then as the images of his mother Zara filled his head and he remembered just how much his mother had loved the sparing amount of trees they were aloud on Balteiar, the smile slowly faded from his dark face. How Zara would have loved this...

But the teenager forced the images from his mind, knowing full well that his mother would have wanted him to use this gift to his full advantage.

She had died for him...and he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity for all the worlds.

Carefully making his way around and through the completely unknown types of plants, Ash briefly wondered if any of them were poisonous. But then shaking his head at the thought, he walked for a few minutes until he found himself standing on some sort of cliff. He gasped in surprise at the sight. Trees stretched on forever.

“Oh, Gods.” He thought out loud. “How the hell am I gonna find my way out of this?” He groaned in frustration, not for the first time wishing that he had Alliance Telekinesis.

“Walk, of course.” a voice sounded behind him.

Ash spun, his arms up in a obvious fighting stance. But then he paused in shock as he saw two white beings floating about two metres away from him. The female was smiling ironically while her partner was scowling in Ash’s direction.

Ash was lost for words. He knew who these people were of course, everyone did. They were the Oracles. The mystical Messengers for the Powers That Be. So he settled for just standing there, gaping.

The female laughed, a angel-like chime that Ash felt deep in his bones. He shuddered.

“Where am I?” he asked them finally. But as soon as the question was out of his mouth, he regreted saying it, relising how stupid it sounded. But the Oracles only laughed, both of them this time as the male had obviously finished his over view of their latest charge.

“Your on Earth, of course.” Jadis told him, and Ash almost fainted.

He was on Earth.

Earth, the birth place of Queen Everynne, and the planet that had a higher Vampiric population that over half of the Son’s of Chaos. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he yelled, panicking.

“How the hell can I be on Earth! I put the code in for Chandras!” he told them. But the female only smiled.

“If you recall, young Vanquisher Prince. You didn’t see what key you pressed in for the last symbol.” Ash looked at them, his face frantic.

He groaned and slapped his forehead when he realised the words they spoke where true. “Oh, crap!” he said to himself. Then looking up at his two magickal visitors he completely forgot their status as he raved. “Well, thats just great!.” he told them sarcastically. “What the hell am I meant to do now!”

Jadis frowned at his outburst, but his golden eyes were sparkling. “If you would shut up for half a minute then we might be able to help you.”

Ash looked at them warily. “Why would you want to help me of all people?” he asked them finally as the two of them started to float closer. The female just cocked her head to the side.

“Why would we not, young Prince?” she asked.

Ash shifted on his feet, uncomfortably. Couldn’t they just see what he was meaning? Were they going to make him say it? He thought.

“Well, if you look at me it should only take you half a second to see what species I am.” he said firmly.

Sati just laughed as she floated up to him and layed a glowing white hand on his shoulder. But still she didn’t answer him.

“And I kinda thought you guys were on the home team. You know, the good guys.” Ash continued, trying to ignore the sudden sensation he was getting from her feathery touch.

“Ah, young Ash.” she finally answered as she brought her hand up to tap his dark nose. “But so are you.”

Ash shook her hand off his shoulder and took a step back, watching them cautiously.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked them in surprise.

“Well, you are not a normal Vanquisher, are you, young one?” Jadis asked him in a odd tone of voice and Ash just looked at him, not speaking.

Finally taking pity of the young Prince, Sati floated over to his new spot and stood before him while the male stayed back. “We have been watching you for a very long time now, our Prince. Both you and this mother of your who you learned all your Empathy from.”

Ash flinched. “She’s dead.” he told her quietly. She only gave him a odd look and continued. “You know of Queen Everynne, do you not?” Sati asked and Ash gave her a strange look telling her *of course* he knew of Lady Everynne.

“And you have heard of her Vampiric Lover? Lady Nimisha’s father?” He nodded again, not sure where this conversation was heading...and not sure if he really *wanted* to know. “Well, they are Worriers, Worriers for the Powers. We would like you to be one as well.”

She ignored his suddenly dropped mouth and went on, raising her hands to lay in once more on the boy’s broad shoulder. “You have a lot of good in you, young Prince. Good that you didn’t all get from your mother. And we fully intend to use this good inside you for the better of the balance.”

She looked deeply into his eyes. “*You* are the balance, young man. The final piece of the puzzle that decides the winning side. Which ever side you fall on, shall win this war.” Sati paused. “You do understand what i’m telling you, do you not?”

Ash was stunned. But still found he could move enough of his body to manage to nod slightly.

Sati nodded, satisfied with not only his answer but just how he was reacting with the news.

Ash looked at her. Her beautiful golden face that radiated such raw power, such pride in her position in the Balance of the galaxy that he suddenly wanted more that anything to have to pride as well. To be able to say that he fought on the good side, to be a personal Worrier for the mighty Powers That Be. To fight on the same side as the Tessionare’s...

Ash looked at the Oracles, who were in turn, staring back at him. Waiting for him to make the biggest choice of his life.

“I hope you know that i’m not going to be much help in the day hours.” Ash told them. “It’s not like Balteiar where Vampires can walk in the daylight, this is Earth, and if I remember correctly the UV rays in the atmosphere aren’t going to do my skin much good.”

Sati snorted and waved the notion away, seemingly unconcerned with the idea. Ash looked at them again, silent. Then he sagged his shoulders and sighed deeply.

What do you want me to do?” he asked finally.

Both Sati and Jadis smiled.

Meanwhile in Sunnydale....

Day 3.

Nimisha was bored. She was sitting in science later the that afternoon after being up all night after that horrible dream of Sati and Jadis’ tired as hell, listening to her teacher prattle on about Black Holes in space, a topic she obviously didn’t know very well because she kept getting it all wrong. Nimisha frowned and had to contain herself from putting her hand up and telling her just *what* happened when a large object would get sucked in...

The girl sighed again, trying *so* hard not to laugh. It didn’t help matters that Karan was seated with her lab partner up the front of the classroom and kept turned around and pulling faces at her. Trying to distract herself from the hilarious scene she turned to her lab partner to see what he was doing.

Jesse Phoenix was doing something alright. Trying not to let her catch him staring at her.

She just had the most beautiful hands....

Jesse shook his head forcefully. He just shouldn’t be thinking those things, he told himself firmly.

Nimisha knew that her red-headed friend was watching her, it was pretty hard to miss actually, he wasn’t really doing it sneakily. She just hoped he didn’t go do anything dumb as to ask her to the Prom, she didn’t want to hurt him like that, he was such a nice person. She just didn’t know how long she was going to be here.

Then she caught a movement out to the corner of her eye. Turning her head ever so slightly, Nimisha saw Jesse writing furiously in his book. There was nothing weird about that, she thought. But then she raised her eyebrows, he seemed angry about something. Watching him subtly she saw the boy not-so-gently place his pen of the desk and reach for a colouring in pencil. He started the whole process over again, writing furiously in his science book.

Then there was the movement again. Looking around their table her gaze finally rested on Jesse’s discarded blue pen.

It was jerking.

Nimisha’s eyebrows shot up in alarm, as she looked around the room wildly for the source of the Telekinesis. No one was looking their way, everybody in the classroom had their heads down and was writing away. Not that that mattered. You didn’t have to be looking at an item to Port it.

Looking back down at the pen to make sure she hadn’t been dreaming it, she once again found it to be jerking from side to side. Okay, Nimisha thought shakily. Someone is *definitely* moving that thing. But who could it be?

Then she clicked.

Her eyes opened even wider as she turned her eyes slightly and looked across at the person seated next to her. Jesse was still writing furiously in his book and as Nimisha dropped her green gaze to the pages she saw that he had almost ripped a long hole in the paper with the pressure he was putting on the colouring pencil.

Of course, she thought to herself. Strong emotions always cause your Talent to activate. She could remember countless times when she was little and she had completely smashed window with the force of her Mental scream.

Looking at her friend with a little stunned smile on her face she couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed what he was doing. That kid’s so angry, Nimisha thought, that he’s moving the bloody pen with his mind.

But then he noticed she was looking at him, and shot her a hesitant glance.

“You okay?” Jesse hissed at her, trying not to let the teacher hear him.

Nimisha was stunned. He doesn’t have a bloody clue....

“Oh, yeah. I fine.” she hissed back at him, smiling broadly to put some force behind her words. He smiled back.

And then the bell rang.

Nimisha walked towards the sitting area where she was meeting Karan and Alex for lunch in a daze. How can there be a Telekinetic in my bloody school? she raged to herself in her mind. There is like, a ratio 1:10, 000 of Talented humans on Earth and I have to get stuck in the same school as one!?

She shook her head at the irony of it as she sagged her shoulders and blew out a breath of air.

“Crap.” she muttered under her breath.

But knowing there was nothing she could do to change it, she picked up her pace as she swung her backpack slightly back in forth in her right hand.

Passing students she found herself confronted by Karan and Alex who were sitting on the bench under a tall tree to get away from the hot Californian sun. Smiling with pleasure to see her friends, Nimisha jogged the rest of the way over to them.

Karan saw her first, and gave her a big smile and a wave. “What was up with you in Science, Nimi?” the blonde girl asked as Nimisha sat on the ground in front of them, pushed up her knee length skirt just to her middle thigh and waited for them to tan.

“Oh, nothing.” The girl answered smoothly, not wanting her friends to get involved.

Alex looked at her oddly for a moment at her cryptic response, but noticing that his friend wasn’t going to elaborate he shrugged his shoulder and tried to put it at the back of his mind. All conversations were dimmed to small talk as the three teenagers ate their lunch, Nimisha chucking her apple up to Karan when the girl took her first bite and decided that was one type of food that she would tend to pass on in the future.

Then suddenly Nimisha sensed a presence behind her. Spinning her black head around quickly she visibly relaxed when she saw that it was only Jesse, standing awkwardly and nervously on the grass with his hands stuffed firmly in his Jean’s pocket, his backpack swung over his right shoulder.

Nimisha smiled up at the Telekinetic teenager. “Hey, Jesse! You want to join us?” she asked, patting the grass beside her and the boy’s eyebrows shot up.

“Ah, yeah. Sure.” he sputtered and quickly sat down. Karan and Alex stopped their engrossed, quiet conversation and smiled kindly at the new arrival.

“Hi, Jesse.” Karan said, trying to be friendly. “I saw your piece in the Art collection this morning, its great!”

Jesse finally smiled, seeing that he was on save territory. “Thanks.” He shrugged modestly. “It’s not one of my best, but it was the only one they would let me enter.”

Nimisha turned to the red-headed boy in confusion. “You draw?” she asked. Jesse chuckled quietly but Alex and Karan hooted with laughter. “Nimi! He only one of the best artists in the *whole* school!” Alex raved as Karan tried to stop her stomach from shaking.

“Oh!” Was Nimisha’s answer as her eyebrows shot up once more.

“What about you, Nimisha?” Jesse asked her inquiringly although she could have sworn there was a hidden reason for his question. “Have you got any hidden Talents?”

She felt her body stiffen unconsciously. Forcing herself to relax, the girl smiled brightly at Jesse and shrugged her shoulders. “Nope.” She told him, but noticing at the same time that Karan and Alex had stopped talking and were taking interest in the what she was saying.

“Nothing special about me!” She laughed, but Jesse could tell that it was very forced.

Jesse had known there was something special, or just plain *odd* about his little friend the first time he had layed eyes on her. The way she moved, head held high, back straight, it just wasn’t an ordinary stance for a typical 16 year old American teenager. And then there was the incident with his Glasses, which he could have sworn he heard break when they had smashed into each other the day before. But, strangely enough, when she had passed them to him they were fixed, better than new. Even the scratches that *he* had put on there since he had first gotten them were gone.

But knowing that to ask her out right what she was would be *really* overstepping his boundaries, for everyone knew that Alex Matthews and Karan Lockwood had taking the dark girl under their wings at her new school - much to the apparent outrage of Maria Chase. But something inside of him was almost forcing him to dig deeper and learn more about this enchanting girl than he rightfully should be.

Jesse shock he head, forcing himself to pay attention. Nimisha was looking down at the ground, deep in thought while Karan and Alex were talking to someone behind them. A comfortable conversation while told both Jesse and Nimisha that the boy they were talking to was a mutual friend of the both.

“Are you alright?” Jesse whispered gently to her. Nimisha’s head shot up and she smiled slightly. “Yeah, i’m fine. Just a bit tired, that’s all.” To empathise her words, she rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous gesture.

“Bad dreams?” he asked, only concerned. But Nimi’s head flew around, her eyes wide with alarm. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off but Karan squealing happily and calling her name.

They both turned simultaneously in her direction. The blonde girl was clapping her hands in an excited way, almost jumping up and down on the bench.

“What are you guys doing tonight, Jesse? Nimi?” Karan asked her new friends. Nimisha startled, wondering what she could mean. “Ah, nothing. I think...” she answered slowly, wondering just what she was getting herself into.

“Well that great!” Karan cried. “We can all go!” Seeing that she wasn’t going to get a clue out of the hypo girl Nimisha turned to Alex and raised her eyebrows in question. He saw her glance and met it, shrugging. “We just heard there is going to be a great party at a local hang-out later on.” he grinned openly at her, flicking his brown hair out of his eyes. “Just wondering if you wanted to go.”

Nimisha grimaced, picturing all too well what Willow and Sita’s reactions to that one were gonna be. But knowing that she could full well take care of herself and remembering that Buffy sent her here in the intention that she learn more about human life...she nodded her head.

“Sure! It’ll be a great way for me to get to look around.” Alex smiled, relieved that he wasn’t going to have to beg. “So where is it gonna be?” Nimisha added, guessing that she would have to have some information for the two adults to let her go.

“Oh!” Karan said, hearing her last question and turned quickly to her friend. “It’s at this awesome club, well actually the only club they have here, but its for teenagers so it’s pretty cool.” She looked down at Nimisha.

“It’s called The Bronze.”

Later that evening....

Jesse sat in his bedroom desk, the computer screen glowing in front of him, the only light in the room echoing from a single, small blue lamp sitting on his bedside table. A pair of clean blue jeans and a new T-shirt lay untouched on the cover of him bed, seemingly just ripped from his closet and thrown on the bed.

Jesse was frowning, deep thoughts running through his mind. He brought his hand up slowly and scratched his chin then quickly brought it down again and started to type flat out, obviously used to doing it. Windows and boxes appeared before him, but still he seemed to search, his hands almost flying Magickly at the keyboard. Deeper and deeper he dug, his endless search almost done....

A small window was clicked and opened on the screen and the boy let a cry of achievement. The words on it read, “Sunnydale High School Role.”

Slowly now, not wanting his desperate searching to go wasted, Jesse gently clicked with his mouse two more buttons in a row, his search coming to a close....

And then it was there. A single almost tiny box appearing on the screen. It read,

“Student name: Nimisha Jezlia Tessionare. Age: 16 years.”

Jesse frowned. “There should be more than that” he muttered out loud. “...her birth-date, for example, or previous school, where were they?”

And only then, looking all over the little box for more further evidence, did he notice the tiny black symbol almost hidden in the bottom right corner, so small that only people who knew what to look for would know what it was....and Jesse did.

He sucked in his breath in utter surprise. It couldn’t be possible....Who the *hell* was she to have to have that...

He stared at the little symbol for what seemed like hours. The little two slashes and the half circle flanking them. Impossible thoughts flying behind his poor eyes.

And slowly, with heavily shaking fingers, Jesse brought the mouse over to rest it over top of the link. Almost having the push himself to press the button.

But he did.

The response was immediate.

The screen went completely black, all his previous work disappearing like time. Jesse rocked back on his chair in amazement, his eyes glued to the screen.

Then the window appeared. A large, square box. It was red. And flashing furiously. Looking very intimidating against the darkness of the now pitch-black backdrop.

Jesse’s mouth dropped as he read the fateful four words that changed his life forever...

“RESTRICTED INFORMATION. UNAUTHORISED ENTRY.”

The Bronze was wild. Sita frowned as she stepped through the open doorway after paying the bouncer her and her partner’s entry. Scanning the huge room, feeling the Telepathic feel of bodies pressing against her mind reminded her just why she usually avoided places like this back on Allrelen. The pressure of people’s thoughts were overwhelming.

She looked down in concern at the tiny form beside her, wondering if she could handle the mob that was bound the overloud her powerful mind. But Nimisha didn’t notice, she was looking around her with wide, green eyes which were alive and brilliant, darting across people’s faces and giving them all quick Mental nudges to see what their emotions were. They wouldn’t feel it of course, but she just thought she better see how she should be acting in the new territory.

And new territory is was. Willow and Sita’s mouths had almost hit the floor when she had casually informed them that she would attending a party at a local hang-out earlier that evening at dinner. Willow of course, who new instantly what she was talking about and just *where* it was going to be held had almost fainted remembering some of the things that Buffy had gotten up to at the Bronze. And there was *no* way, she told the gaping Nimisha, that she was sending her best friend back a daughter that could proudly say she did some of the things her mother had done earlier in her life.

Sita grinned with the memory, knowing Willow was just being protective of the girl but knowing very well herself that Nimisha would never do anything like that, her position was too important to her. And if any of the Council ever found out...

Sita shivered in the thought of what they would do. Nimisha noticed finally and shot her up a puzzled glance with she returned with a smile.

“You didn’t have to come, Sita.” Nimi told her, knowing her dislike for crowed places. But the brunette just shrugged. “It’s okay. A little headachy, but i’ll get over it.” She brought her hand down and rested it across Nimisha’s small shoulders and gave them a little squeeze.

“And anyway,” she told her. “I promised your mother I’d look after you, nothing is gonna go wrong on my clock. So, me’ darling, get used to seeing me around, cause i’m gonna be following you around *everywhere*”

Nimisha groaned. But her come-back was cut off when she saw Karan through the mob of people sitting at the table with Alex, both of them chatting happily with a dark haired boy. Nimisha couldn’t see his face but by what she could remember of the last few days, she didn’t recognise him as one of Alex or Karan’s friends.

Just then Karan looked up and their eyes met, the girl standing up on the legs of her seat and waving at her friend wildly. Nimisha chuckled at the girls enthusiasm but only gave a little wave back.

She had just started to walk over to them when Sita grabbed her arm and brought her lips down close to her ear. Whispering above the music but low enough so no one else could hear she told her, “I just saw a Vamp leaving through the back door. A girl was with him.” Nimisha threw a frightened look up at her tall friend, her question obvious. “Do you want me to come with?” she asked quietly. But Sita just shook her head. “Nah, I can take him. You stay here with your friends.” She straightened and headed in the door direction.

“Just remember, don’t do anything Asia wouldn’t do!” she called back laughing, over her shoulder and Nimisha grimaced in response. Asia was very aware of her sexuality, and used it to her full advantage.

Noticing that she was alone for the first time, Nimisha bit back a shudder and went in search of her friends. Spying the table that they were still sitting at, she made her way over, standing slightly behind the stranger that both Alex and Karan seemed to be staring at in awe, holding onto his every word as if it was gospel. Nimisha frowned and coughed to get their attention. They all startled and finally noticed she was there.

“Oh, hey!” Alex called over the loud music as the stranger finally sensed there was someone behind him. He suddenly tensed....and slowly turned around.

Nimisha gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.

She thought she would die.

What Ash saw was a beautiful gypsy-looking teenager in a white short sleaved shirt, and loose blue jeans. Long black hair fell in loose curls to her waist and slanted green eyes pierced to his very soul. He gulped. Never having seen such a beautiful creature in all his travels. He saw she was watching him, jade eyes open wide in what he could only describe as she knew him from somewhere. He frowned, knowing he would have never forgotten her face if he had seen it once before. He tried to shake his head, knowing that the mission that Sati and Jadis had prepared for him had nothing to do with beautiful elves like this. Oh, well, he thought. They can just wait....

What Nimisha saw was a dark skinned, black haired boy who was a fair bit taller than herself. Short wavy black hair, high check bones...and startling blue eyes. She frowned visibly, sensing somehow that they shouldn’t be that colour. She saw him tense as he got a good look at her, noticing for the first time just how different she looked from others around him.

They stood, staring at each other in complete silence. Their eyes locked, powerful energies unknowingly dancing between them, rejoicing as they came home. Nimisha’s head started to spin, every cell on her body coming alive as she stared up at the man who was destined to change her life forever.

They were coming home....

What has been done, has been undone. The future is changing...the balance is shifting. The players are chosen...

“Hello.” the stranger said quietly in an odd voice. Nimisha started, picking up on the faint accent and wondering just where it was from.

She continued to stare up at him. “Hello.” she said back, not knowing what else to say.

Karan broke the silence, the girl had been watching the two gawk at each other for long enough. “Ash, this is Sasha.” she told the stranger, and Ash smiled. Finally having a name for this enchanting girl.

Walking the few steps the separated them, Ash reached down the still frozen Nimisha and outstretched his hand. She looked dumbly at it, not having a clue what to do in this sort of situation. She frowned, almost bursting into tears in the shear frustration. Ash noted her discomfort and chuckled deep in his chest. She looked up, startled at the sound, but decided that she didn’t actually mind it, the sound was oddly comforting.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked her softly, his voice confident save for the briefest note of hesitation. After a beat, Nimisha raised her head from where she had been staring at his outstretched hand and gazed into his startling blue eyes. Wishing for all the world that she didn’t possess these sudden shooting emotions for the boy, wondering franticly what everyone back home was going to say.

Thian...

She shook *that* thought to the furthest corner of her mind, not having the energy to deal with it right now. Instead she looked up into Ash’s dark, smiling face and knew that she would never feel so safe again as she did right now.

And with that thought, the Heir to the Alliance Thrown made her decision. The greatest ever of her life. She stood, and as their hand clasped, never to be broken, she pushed aside all her pain, her anger, and her fear of the last few days and the seven days to come.

She let it all go...and fell into oblivion.

It was a slow song, perfect for the joining of souls. As the hypnotising music started to sing, Nimisha looked down at her tiny, pale hand clasped gently in Ash’s large, dark one. Knowing that this bond, this joining was forever, that they would never be separated again. He found a spot in the middle of the dance floor and brought her into his arms, his strong, dark arms wrapping around her waist firmly, not wanting to let her go. Nimisha hesitantly brought her hands up, awkward at first them more confident and wrapped them around his neck, clinging to him as they swayed to the music.

What was happening to her? she thought as she lay her head his chest and he rested him chin on the top of her hair. I don’t even know this boy! she raged to herself, but even that sounded weak, for she knew deep inside that they have knowing each other for such a very long time, only they never knew it, they never found each other.

It was that thought that forced her to raise her head and look into Ash’s eyes who, in turn, where gazing down at her, bright and brilliant.

“Who *are* you?” she whispered up at him in confusion, not knowing if he could hear her over the music. But she found that he must have had good hearing for he just smiled gently down at her and bend down to kiss her softly on her forehead. He paused briefly over the spot where he moon was hidden, sensing that something was not right with her head.

“What do you wish to know?” he asked her, chuckling. She frowned up at him, telling that he shouldn’t be laughing in such a serious moment.

“How ‘bout telling me just what you’ve done to me for starters?” she told him coyly, then regretted it, for little elves like her didn’t do coy very well.

He didn’t notice. Only smiled more broadly as he continued to sway them to the music, ignoring everyone else around them, concentrating only on the small girl in his arms.

“Why, darling. I haven’t done a thing!” he told her laughing and after a beat she smiled, nestling again in his chest. But he wasn’t finished, gently bringing her chin up with his finger. Their eyes locked. They had unconsciously stopped moving, now standing still in the middle of the dance floor, the world falling away...

He brought his head down, bringing her’s up as he went with his finger. Lips almost touching...

Nimisha jerked out of his touch, shaking as memories invaded her mind.

Ash looked down at her, hurt. But that was suddenly the last thing on his mind as he noticed she was trembling, her hands clutching her head what seemed like pain.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, concerned. Reaching out with his arms. But she skipped away, not letting him touch her.

“I’m sorry...” she whispered, brokenly. “I can’t do this...” She let out a terrified sob.

And with that, without looking once more at the baffled Ash, she ran from the floor.

Ash stared after her, hearing only briefly Karan’s cry of surprise as Nimisha quickly walked out of the Bronze...seeing Alex only slightly running after her but stopping at the door when she guessed that she was way out of his sight by now.

And Ash stayed where he was, frozen on the dance floor. His arms dropping to his side as he felt his heart break.

And he knew he had lost half of his world.

“Stupid, Stupid.” Nimisha muttered under her breath as she walked furiously through Shady Hill Cemetery five minutes later on her way home to Willow and Oz’s house. Even though it was in walking distance from the Bronze, Willow had made her promise *never* to walk home after dark by herself.

So she decided to put her hormones to blame for this one. She was so angry she could hardly breath, let alone manage to go back and find Karan or Alex to walk her home. Why had she done that!? she raged. Why had she suddenly had the complete urge to run from the room in fright?

God, Nimisha didn’t know. She was so confused. The only reasonable explanation she could think off was that she had been frightened at the high Mental levels of emotions dancing through her head, never having experienced them before.

The girl groaned, rubbing her neck in frustration. “If I ever see his again, he is gonna think i’m a *complete* idiot.” she muttered out loud to herself, stamping her foot to emphasise her words.

“Oh, I don’t think that is gonna be a problem.” an unknown voice rasped from behind her.

Nimisha screamed. Spinning around to face her attacker, her hands going up in obvious fighting stance.

As she got a good look at him, her face fell. “Oh, shit.” she muttered.

The figure wasn’t meant to walk through the Shady Hill cemetery. The place held bad memories for him. But, alas, his arms were pull with grocery bags and it would have taken his almost twice as long to walk around the long way.

So, that was how he came to be walking around a particular large grave stone when a piercing scream filled the air. He jumped, startled, and swore as he almost dropped his groceries. Looking around for the source of the scream he heard the sound of a fight not to far away, behind the next set of trees. Wishing not for the first time that the bloody Slayer hadn’t gone and died on them, leaving *them* to do her dirty work he gently put his back down and jogged towards the sound.

He stuck to the bushes, not wanting to reveal himself unless absolutely necessary, not forgetting the beatings he got for doing just that.

And so, as he quietly peered though the hole in the bushes, after all he had seen in his life he wasn’t just prepared when he got the fright of his life...and suddenly wished he had gone the long way after all.

The Vampire grabbed her around her waist in a death grip, unbreakable for normal humans. Nimisha grunted as she felt the wind being nocked out of her, knowing she was *so* gonna get him back for that one.

With a cry of triumph, Nimisha used her Vampiric strength and sent one of her attacker sailing over her shoulder where he landed with a hard thump on the ground. He lay there, stunned as two friends gaped at her and she quickly got her bearings back to prepared herself for a long over-due hunt.

Nimisha spread her stance, suddenly thankful she had worn jeans as she planted her legs firmly on the ground, raising her hands to place them in front of her chest.

The Vampire flipped to his feet, turning quickly to face her. His two friends fell into place beside him. Their hideous Vampiric faces where snarling, furious sneers planted on each of them.

“You’ll regret that, little girl.” The flipped one said dangerously.

Nimisha laughed and raised her eyebrows. “Really? Ya’ think?” she shot back at them. They only growled in response, creeping closer.

Suddenly the smile was wiped from Nimisha’s face, replaced with a firm, angry glare. “You guys wanna fight? Cause i’m telling you, i’m rearing to go.”

They all laughed, obviously thinking she was no match for them. “You sound so sure of yourself, little girl.” one of them told her. “What makes you think you have any chance?”

Nimisha sighed, sick of the game all ready. And with no thought to her mothers previous warning, she casually waved her hand in front of her forehead, revealing the flashing moon that was picking up on her emotional state, ready for all she was capable off.

And as the Vampires were about to find out...that was a lot.

The first one was easy. Nimisha quickly threw up her hand in a quick jerk and the Vampire went sailing across the clearing, landing with a painful yell on top of a grave stone, successfully breaking its back.

The two remaining Vampire stared at her hard, no longer amused face with what she could only interpret as growing fear.

“Who’s next?” she asked them, not finding this game funny any longer. They stayed where they were for a second, then as one attacked her full on. She meet their punches effortlessly, sending the second one flying over her shoulder with a second flick of her hand. The one she had flipped earlier suddenly paused, unnecessarily breathing heavily.

He stared at her. The girl was not even flushed, her breathing not changed at all through out the intire fight. Her eyes had slanted angrily, now where like pale, yellow slits...Vampiric eyes.

“Your not human.” the first one said, and Nimisha let out a laugh. “Who cares?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. “Your not!” she concluded. And with that she stretched out her left hand and sent a burst of blue energy out of her finger tips straight into the gaping Vampire’s chest.

He exploded into dust.

Nimisha huffed, both hands now on her hips as she stared down at the pile of dust that was now settling on the ground. Then she suddenly frowned as a thought came to her.

Wasn’t there three....?

She let out a quick scream of surprise as he tackled her from behind, pushing her into the ground with his weight above her. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud, her eyes flashing as her head spun.

The Vampire noticed, and laughed. “Can’t use you Magick now, can ya’?” he chuckled as he lowered his mouth to her neck for a bite.

The figure had been watching the whole fight in amazement. He had never seen a person fight with such ease, such power in her body...not even Buffy and that was what surprised him the most. He had sucked in his breath as he watch the black haired girl flick her hand so effortlessly and send two of the Vampires flying. His eyes had popped as he saw the blue flame fly out of her fingers and dust the Vampire in front of her.

What the hell was she?

She couldn’t be a Witch, that he knew. Even they didn’t hold such power within them. He had been around Willow long enough to know that. Maybe he should spilt before she noticed him watching her and tell Giles....

He spotted the third Vamp a second before he tackled her. Almost losing his post to jump out and help when he saw that her head had been hurt. But still he waited, hoping that she would get to her senses and jump up to dust him. But still she lay there, limp and weak in the laughing demon’s arms as he lowered his mouth to feast....

Nimisha winced and tried to scream as she felt the Vampire’s fangs pierce her skin. The pain was unbearable. She looked up into the heavens over the demon’s shoulder and wished her mother was here.

She saw the stars shining brightly, her ancestors flying proudly but not making any attempt to save her....she felt herself slipping away...

The Vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust, making her sneeze which mortified her. She lay there, trying to discover why she wasn’t dead. Her head spun as she sat up on the grass, putting her hands behind her to support her back even before she saw the hand being thrust in front of her. Her head shot up in alarm, wondering just who had been her mysterious saviour.

He was cloaked in darkness, the moonless shadow hiding him from her view as she hesitantly reached up and grasped the cold...cold? hand in front of her face. She felt herself being heaved up to her feet.

She stumbled, the blood loss suddenly catching up with her.

Her mother was going to be furious....

She groaned at both that thought and the pain in her head and she felt the stranger reach out to grip her shoulders to support her. She felt better almost instantly.

Raising her head for the first time to thank her saviour, her smile completely drained off her face as she lifted her eyes and saw just who was standing in front of her.

Her eyes widened as she recognised who it was.

“So, I’m guessing you got a lot of explaining to do, am I right?” the British voice drawled as Spike lit his cigarette and regarded her with interest.

To Vignette 2: Dimeara's Legacy

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