Prompt 98 - Cubic - Ronin - Alex Foster - BTVS

[alexfoster451.livejournal.com]

Title: Ronin Chapter Two
Fandom: BTVS -- Season Eight Comic
Prompt: 98 - Cubic
Word Count: 2,640
Warnings: Femslash in later chapters, but only a couple of bad words in this one
Rating: R overall
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Mutant Enemy, Dark Horse, and Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.
Summary: On the run from a powerful force, including the slayer army, Satsu must unravel a mystery surrounding a mystical object and the phantasm taking a familiar form surrounding it.

Chapter Two

Satsu woke at dawn the next day with Buffy gone and logs in the fireplace reduced to white ash. Not wanting to rebuild the fire later on, she placed another oak log on the cradle and let it smolder. The house looked different in the light of day. Smaller, less frightening.

Drawing an experimental deep breath, Satsu found her ribs still smarting but slightly better than during the motorbike ride to the cottage yesterday. She flexed her hands and familiarized herself with the sharp pain that shot up her arms. Briefly considering putting her gloves back on while she healed, Satsu decided against it after remembering the feel of her skin sticking to the leather.

Satsu stood and noted that while the pitcher and water bowl were still on the floor, only a single armored vest lay over the chair. She wondered ruefully if the imaginary Buffy had suited up before evaporating, but then determined neither was ever really there.

Her backpack was on the breakfast bar between the living room and kitchen. Satsu frowned as she hobbled toward it. Vaguely she remembered Buffy moving it aside during the night, but...She shook her head at the very thought. If there really was a ghost around her, the least it could do was clean up. Her bare feet left marks in the dust on the floor.

Opening the pack, she dug around inside until finding a small but lethal looking wooden stake sharpened to a point. Despite the pain, the weight and balance of the weapon in her hand felt reassuring. She wouldn’t need it out here, she told herself, but nevertheless tucked it in her belt to keep it close by.

Though not necessary for her mission, Satsu began settling into the cottage. At the least, she thought, a feeling of home would help her shake off some of the disorientation weighing her down. Perhaps she would even stop hallucinating. Satsu paused at that thought. She did want to stop, right? In the beginning, while planning her escape from alpha team, the specter wasn’t hard to ignore, but lately their contact had increased dramatically and Satsu found herself responding as if it really was Buffy.

Shaking her head at the insanity of that, Satsu walked into the kitchen and began taking stock of provisions. The kitchen was a wide room with a line of windows along one wall to admit plenty of early morning light. Painted cheerful yellow with new looking tile work on the countertops and around the double sink. She had a sudden mental image of Mister Harris in a hard hat reliving his construction days while remodeling Buffy’s safe houses. In addition to the breakfast bar, the kitchen also sported a large wooden table in the center of the spacious room.

Mister Harris had stocked the cottage quite extensively with canned and dried food. Jars of teas and herbs also filled the pantry. They were either cooking spices or weapons for witches, she guessed. Rummaging through the unlabeled containers, Satsu finally found one holding a familiar and welcoming smell.

Not caring that it was probably stale from years of cabinet living, Satsu tucked the jar under one arm and found an old style percolator under the sink. Filling it with water from the kitchen’s hand pump, she carried both back into the living room. Using an iron food hook in the fireplace, she set about brewing a pot of coffee.

With the water cooking over the slowly burning log, she turned her attention to the living room. She pulled the dust covers off the furniture and stored them in a closet in the foyer. Upholstered with heavy burgundy cloth the furnishings were decidedly antiques, but very well preserved.

Soon the percolator was bubbling and the rich aroma of coffee filled the room. Retrieving a mug from the kitchen, Satsu poured herself a breakfast of strong black coffee. She leaned against one of the windows facing the overgrown front yard as she enjoyed the bitter liquid.

Almost an hour and a half passed without any sign of Buffy. Perhaps, Satsu thought, since she was at the fallback position and temporarily safe from the slayer army the false Buffy would leave her alone.

By early afternoon she had both the kitchen and living room swept out, her few clothes unpacked in one of the bedrooms, and the quicksilver box resting on the desk in the den. Obviously prepared for end of the world type research, the den was fully stocked with books on demons, extra dimensions, and data gathered by the old Watcher’s Council on active threats. There were even a couple of books bearing the stamp of Sunnydale High. Tomes from Mister Giles’ personal collection.

So complete was the library that Satsu wasn’t sure where to begin. Normally Mister Harris and the other watchers handled most of the research duties.

Starting with a dictionary definitely not written by Webster—unless he published an edition of magical items and phrases—Satsu looked up any cubical items of magic made of metal. There weren’t many listed and none that fit the description of the box. One could alter its shape, so she made a note of it and continued on. Outside the sun slowly moved sending shadows angling sharply through the den.

Putting one book aside she sighed and began another. Uncomfortably aware of how empty the cottage was she tried focusing only on research. A social outsider most of her life, Satsu was at ease by herself but did recognized the need to have someone watch her back. Times like this she wished for Rowena or Leah to help go through the books and share ideas with.

Satsu glanced over her shoulder and out the large window behind the desk. Like the front yard the rear of the cottage was a mess of uncared for plants and vines. Through the brush she could make out small trails, probably from rabbits, winding their way past ragged hedges and ivy-covered benches. She’d even take a hallucination for company right now.

Three cups of coffee later she had a legal sized notepad filled with possible matches to the box and several names of living witches and warlocks strong enough to make an object of power out of mystical metal. There were a lot of question marks dotting the page. Satsu considered the box for a long while. It would help her research greatly if she knew exactly what the cube did.

All she knew was Buffy and the rest of the army suddenly started acting strangely and pulled global resources away from the Twilight war to track down the box. And that while the search was on, everyone except her seemed to know about the object and why it was so important. She pretended to be part of it all until she could figure out what was really going on.

Satsu wondered if perhaps she was wrong to steal the object and go rogue. She never really saw Buffy or Mister Harris give any sinister orders or harm anyone, but a feeling in her gut told her something was wrong. Watching Buffy command alpha team when they retrieved the box, she could just tell something wasn’t right with the group.

She studied the notepad, hoping the answer would suddenly write itself.

“Maybe you forgot something?” Buffy’s voice sounded behind her.

Satsu flinched and had one hand on the stake when she turned to face the apparition. “I thought you were gone.”

Buffy shrugged. She’d changed her clothes, Satsu saw. The older woman now wore jeans and a white plush sweater. “I came back. How’s it going?” She tipped her head and read Satsu’s handwriting upside down.

The specter smelled like Buffy. Her hair had the same familiar herbal shampoo scent as the real person. Satsu didn’t understand how a phantasm could have such a real presence and elicit a strong physical reaction from her.

“Right track. Have you figured out the box yet?” Buffy picked up the mysterious object and turned it over in her hands. “Mmm...Cubey.”

Satsu looked at her warily. “That’s what the list is for. Ideas and people that could have built it.”

Buffy tossed the box into the air and caught it. “All of those warlocks and witches could have built it yeah—but they didn’t. It’s older than both of us.”

“Then why did you say I was on the right track?”

Buffy shot her a coy smile Satsu would normally have found appealing. “Because while it doesn’t matter who built the thing, a magic user could tell you what it is and how to use it.”

Satsu looked again at the names. “But I have no clue who any of these people are! I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look for them.” When Buffy didn’t say anything, she added, “Just tell me! You obviously know.”

“I can only help you so much. That’s the way it works, I’m sorry.”

Satsu hardened her tone. “Then tell me who the hell you are.”

“Buffy Summers.”

“You’re the First, aren’t you? The other girls, the ones that have been with Miss Summers since Sunnydale, told us that you can make a person see whatever they wish to see.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and reached out and flicked her thumb and forefinger against Satsu’s shoulder. “Not go through-able,” she repeated. “The First is non corporeal.”

“The rules are different now. Maybe when Miss Summers—”

“Nope.”

“But now—”

“Nope.

“With all the—”

“Nope. Listen, the First can’t become solid. That is one of those rules like night is dark.” She held up the box. “Focus on this.”

Satsu dropped hard into the desk chair and flipped helplessly through the research books.

“I’m not kidding,” Buffy said. “You have to do this before Twilight or some other big bad realizes that no one is manning the gate over at headquarters.”

“Either give me something useful or leave. You’re distracting me,” she added under her breath.

“Magic is affecting the slayers,” Buffy said after a small pause.

“But not me?”

“No, you are under the spell just like everyone else. The only difference is you see me and no one else does. In the entire army you are the only one. If Leah walked in right now she would see you behind a desk talking to thin air.”

“That’s not exactly inspiring self-confidence in me.”

Buffy was somber now. “Wasn’t meant to. You wanted truth and there it is.”

“Okay…What about the box?”

“That’s the answer. And before you ask, I don’t know how. Just that it is. Best I can do is set you on the path to figure it out for yourself.”

Feeling like she was learning the rules of the game, Satsu stood and took the cube from Buffy. “What happens if you do more than that?”

The apparition didn’t answer.

“Do you not know or just can’t tell me?”

“Would if I could.”

Satsu nodded. That was something anyway. “So why me?”

“I’ve got some ideas, but nothing solid.”

Satsu had a few as well. Her feelings for Buffy were turning her into one darn lucky slayer. The cube in her hands was cold and heavy. The sides smooth from seams or divots. It had enough heft and weight that she didn’t think she could shatter it even with full slayer strength.

She looked again to her list of magic users. All incredibly powerful and capable of building such an unworldly looking object and infusing it with magic. It suddenly struck her who was missing.

“Miss Rosenberg,” she said.

“Took you long enough.”

“B-but I have no clue where she is. No one does. She hasn’t been to the castle in weeks.”

Buffy shook her head. “When magic is involved, Will’s our best shot. You’ll have to find her.”

“How? I have zero resources here. And what if she is under the spell too?”

“You have more than you think,” Buffy said. “And it depends on where Willow is spending her time right now.” The slayer looked the bookcase over, absentmindedly letting her fingers travel over the leather bindings.

Satsu studied her for a moment, waiting for a clue the specter was indicating a certain book. She saw none though. That part of their odd relationship apparently was past. She carefully set the cube on the desk and turned away.

“I need some air.”

“I’ll come with.”

“No.” Satsu waved helplessly at the box. “Just…guard that.”

---

Walking slowly and with only a trace of a limp, Satsu made her way through the overgrown garden and toward the expansive back field that stretched for acres before rising to mountainous highlands. Her bare toes sank into cool, moist soil.

The cottage was set in the basin of a valley with formidable and craggy terrain surrounding it. Wild green grass, almost as tall as she was, bent with a near ever-present breeze.

Satsu rubbed her neck with her right hand. The pain in her ribs had settled to a dull ache that she forced aside as she walked. She suddenly wished she'd had the foresight to pack a jacket as the icy Scottish air reminded her of every cut and bruise.

Dark clouds were building over the peaks of the distant mountains and she detected the telltale scent of rain. On top of everything else, she thought bitterly, a storm. Perfect. She hated storms.

Satsu came to a stop in the middle of the field and looked up at the sky. Overhead it was still clear with bright sunlight doing its best to warm the chilly air. Still though she could hear thunder beginning to rumble in the distance.

She held her arms out wide and smiled dryly to herself. “God…” she started and then frowned. It was still thundering. The steady growl was coming from behind her—not the distant clouds. She glanced back and saw blue-white light flashing from inside the cottage. “…Damn.”

Satsu broke out into a stumbling run back to the cottage. She silently cursed with each painful breath. Had someone found her? Or was there now something new for her to worry about? She pushed through the grass and bramble, passing the garden’s stone benches, and ran into the cottage at full speed. Wooden stake drawn and ready.

Her ribs screamed as though a vise squeezed her sides. Panting and trying to get her lungs to work properly, she began to hyperventilate. The entire house seemed to tilt under her feet as dizziness swept over her. Spots danced in her vision.

The blue-white light was almost blinding inside. It pushed under doors and through cracks like a living thing. And its source, Satsu saw, was the den. Pushing forward, she threw open the door. Floating over the desk was a quickly growing sphere of light. The box had incredibly split apart down the center and released the glowing ball.

“Rules be damned,” Satsu gasped. “You’d better tell me what this is.”

Her back against the bookcase, Buffy shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on. It just started.”

A surge of power escaped the open box and fed the sphere. It increased in size and almost completely swallowed the desk.

“Now would be the time for a good plan."

Satsu looked from Buffy to the rotating sphere. At its center the figure of a person formed, walking toward her. She could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. Everything was beginning to feel heady and far away. The pain in her chest was getting worse.

No time for a good one.

With the last of her strength, Satsu launched forward and jumped into the sphere. Before everything went white she saw the figure in the center raise its arms to catch her.

And then she was falling into nothingness.

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