Memories Maketh the Man, Chapter 9

[maryperk73703]

Anyanka's role is revealed, and the bait is caught.

Chapter 9

 

SJORNJOST MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 880

 

As D’Hoffryn led his newest recruit away from the scene of her crime, he heard the transformed lover scream out, “This is your entire fault, Aud.  I wish for you to learn the agonies of love.  I wish for you to find your soul mate.  May you live until that time occurs.”

 

D’Hoffryn looked to the future.  His Anyanka had over 1150 years to wait for her soul mate to be born.  It was a good thing that he was going to elevate her to vengeance demon status.  Being reborn over and over really sucked, but he felt that he needed to honor the wish.

 

D’Hoffryn sighed to himself.  He really needed to find a person just right to cover reincarnation.  He really had better things to do with his time than that particular line of vengeance. 

 

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D’Hoffryn knew that it was time to fulfill a very old wish.  Anyanka’s soul mate was born, and he was old enough for them to meet.  He called for Ceridwyn to join him.  He waved her to a chair before he started to speak.  “Anyanka is going to be leaving us soon, my dear.”

 

“Is something wrong?”  Ceridwyn would miss her old friend.  Anyanka was the one who had shown her the ropes of being a vengeance demon when she ascended.

 

“Nothing is wrong besides the fulfillment of a very old wish.”  D’Hoffryn shook his head.  “Your daughter’s young friend Xander Harris is Anyanka’s mate.”

 

“That boy is Anyanka’s mate?” Ceridwyn questioned.  “Are you sure?”

 

“I’ve been sure since the day I elevated her, my dear.”  There was a great resolve in the demon’s words.  “I shall miss her too, but the man she wronged had great vengeance in his heart.  I couldn’t deny him.”

 

“Please tell me you have a suitable replacement.”

 

“I know you don’t care for Halfrek.”  D’Hoffryn patted Ceridwyn’s hand.  “You will see your vengeance even against her one day.”

 

“So you say.”  Ceridwyn avoided the elevated Cicely Underwood.  She held no respect or love for the role the woman had taken in the last life that her daughter had lived.  She only acknowledged the other demon if her boss required it of her.

 

“I have the perfect person in mind to replace Anyanka.”  D’Hoffryn gave a toothy grin.  “Our dear patron of scorned women will soon be visiting a lovely young woman by the name of Lilah Morgan.  She will be the perfect replacement.  I shall call her Lilith for she shall bring disease, illness, and death to all those that she breezes by.  She is as ruthless and ambitious as she is beautiful, much like the original Lilith.”

 

“As always, I bow to your wishes.”  Ceridwyn tilted her head to her master.  She vowed to go take a look at this Lilah Morgan as soon as time allowed.

 

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Joyce stared down into the depths of her drink as if the answer to her dilemma would appear by magic.  If everything her daughter had told her was true, it could very well happen.  Buffy’s words were confirmed and reconfirmed by Buffy’s friend Willow and the vampire Spike.

 

“Have we met before?”  Joyce looked at the vampire again.  He looked vaguely familiar to her.

 

Spike looked a bit sheepish, but a quick glance at Buffy seemed to reassure him.  “You laid an axe upside my head, and you told me not to touch your daughter.”

 

Joyce glanced at Spike and Buffy’s joined hands.  “You don’t take direction very well, do you?”

 

Willow let out an inelegant snort.  “Doesn’t stick to a plan very well either.”  She started to giggle.

 

“Oi, I can stick to a plan just as good as the next vamp!”  Spike glared at the sniggering teenager.  “I’m just impatient.”

 

“Yeah, that’s why you showed up at Parent-Teacher night instead of waiting till Saturday to kill me,” Buffy teased.

 

“I don’t understand.”  Joyce glanced between her daughter and the vampire.  “Buffy, if he tried to kill you, why did you invite him into our house?  Shouldn’t you be worried or something?”

 

“Oh, that’s a different story entirely,” Buffy sighed.  “During Halloween, one of Giles’ college buddies did a spell on our costumes.  I remembered a past life.  Since then I’ve remembered more during a hypnosis session with my therapist.”

 

“Reincarnation is real?” Joyce asked in surprise.

 

“It’s a curse actually,” Willow said.  She went on to explain the research that Giles found out during his study on the phenomenon.  She took great joy in being about to recite the knowledge she had gleaned with the older man.  “Souls can only be reincarnated as an act of vengeance.  The soul will be reborn over and over until the terms of the curse are met.”

 

“Who hated you in this past life to do something like that to you?”  Joyce looked at Buffy in shock and horror.  It was hard enough coming to terms with the whole Slayer thing, but to find out Buffy was the victim of a curse was more than the older Summers woman could handle.

 

“The vengeance wasn’t against Spike or me.  It was against those who separated us from each other, and those two spent centuries keeping us apart.”  Then Buffy went on to tell her mother about the information they had learned from the regression session, Ceridwyn’s visit, and the soul binding ceremony.

 

“This is a lot to take in, Buffy,” Joyce said at long last.  “I’m going to need time to process all of this information.”

 

“I understand.”  Buffy nodded.  “I’ve had a while to adjust to it all.  I’m just really curious who the heck has Cilla’s soul this time around.”

 

“You’re not the only one, luv.”  Spike chuckled.  “I just hope it’s someone that can bring the broodin’ poofter to heel.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

 

Angel stumbled out of the demon bar with his perfectly coifed do barely intact.  He glared at Cordelia who was sitting in the car brushing her hair.  “You could have gone in there and backed me up you know.”

 

“You’re the big bad vampire,” Cordelia said with a roll of her eyes.  “I might break a nail if I went in there.  I just got a manicure.”

 

“Whatever.”  Angel shook his head.  How did he end up with such a vapid tagalong?  Who had he insulted in some former life?  “We’re going to a karaoke bar called the Caritas.  The Host will help us with our problem.”

 

“I certainly hope so,” Cordelia muttered.  Why did she decide to come along with this idiot?  What on earth had Buffy seen in him before she latched onto Spike instead?  Who had she insulted in some former life?  She stared off into the darkness of the Los Angeles streets while Angel maneuvered the car towards their destination.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

 

Phillip peered out the window of Giles’ old gray Citron.  “I know this town of yours isn’t that big, Ripper, but how on earth are we going to find Rayne?”

 

“We’ll start at the costume shop.”  Giles turned down the street where the shop was located.  “Maybe he left some kind of clue behind.”

 

Phillip made a noncommittal sound in his throat.  “Want to tell me why you’re hanging out with a vampire?  Thought you were in the vamp dusting business now.”

 

“These are strange times we live in.”  Giles gave a half-shrug.  He parked in front of the store.  He and Phillip emerged from the car.  “Let’s see if those lock picking talents of yours are still good, Oggy.”  Giles gestured towards the door.

 

“Won’t someone call the police if they see us breaking and entering?”  Phillip gave his old friend a look of astonishment.

 

“This is Sunnydale, old man,” Giles chuckled.  “Breaking and entering doesn’t even merit a raised eyebrow here.”

 

“Okay, if you say so.”  Phillip knelt in front of the door.  He concentrated on the lock and all of its mechanisms.  In a few moments the lock clicked open.  Phillip turned the door handle, and the door swung open to reveal a chaotic mess inside the store.

 

“You can’t come in…”  Ethan Rayne came from the rear room.  He broke off when he saw his old pals, and he backed up before trying to make a break for it through the curtains that led to the back of the store.

 

Giles and Phillip leapt towards Rayne.  They each grabbed an arm, and they easily subdued the other man.  The three of them tumbled to the floor in a pile of limbs and grunts.

 

“Get off me,” Ethan grunted.  “I’ve been a good boy, Ripper.  Been minding my own damned business.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s back, and we need some bait.”  Giles stood up, and he dragged Ethan to his feet.  “You’re the lucky winner today.  You just volunteered.”

 

“Yeah, right,” Ethan scoffed.  “You and Oggy here elected me to be bait.  Now, which he are you talking about?”

 

“Egyhon, of course.  Did you really think we would be able to run forever?” Phillip answered..

Comments

Memories Maketh the Man, Chapter 9

[cordykitten]

So Lilah Morgan will take Anyanka's place. Yeah, I think she would be perfect.

And Joyce took it well, being told Buffy's secret. I hope they can break the curse soon.

With Ethan now caught they can bring their plan in motion.

Looking forward to more. :)

Re: Memories Maketh the Man, Chapter 9

[maryperk73703.livejournal.com]

Yep, I tried to think of a canon person who would fit and figured Lilah was just as good as any of the others.

Yeah, the curse will be broken with Spike and Buffy.

[lil-leti.livejournal.com]

more revealed in this chapter. At least Joyce is being told the truth about everything. SHe might have made a comment a little differently but at least Spike is there by Buffy's side.

[maryperk73703.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked the chapter.