"What was that all about? I feel like I went through the rinse cycle." Buffy looked at Nierra and blinked. She could see through her new 'friend'. It wasn't as if she was invisible, more like looking through crystal clear water. Buffy didn't realize her red within gold eyes glowed whether from fear, anger or in preparation to defend herself.
"Be at ease, warrior. We are on the same side."
Nierra explained to Buffy about the solar system that would be her home. She explained space travel, then all about Elementals. Elementals represented all five elements - earth, air, water, fire and ether. Many believed they were the children of Gods. No other planet, no other people could do what an Elemental was capable of. Among the Elementals, in each represented element, special children were born - Messengers. Messengers for the Powers that Be, the rulers of the fate of every cosmos. These special children were trained to one-day guide a Warrior of the Light for the Powers. Nierra was a water Elemental and Buffy was her chosen warrior.
She started Buffy's training almost immediately. Nierra worried that too much time would only leave her time to miss her family, friends and world even more. Buffy needed to learn to control, hide and call the vast amount of power within her body. Her Watcher melding with her psyche gave her access to the full function of her mind. With Giles' opening her mind, Xander's gift allowed her to read, sense, and even feel another person's emotions. Willow's gift was the most startling. Wicca was based in balance, elements, acceptance and the natural aptitude for change - nature. Buffy could change her shape before your eyes; be it human, animal or mineral. She was a chameleon. Her part of the spell - body, resulted in the power, speed, stamina and skill she used to kill Adam.
Nierra's job was to teach her how to blend these traits smoothly back into herself and not be lost in the process. Then the real work would begin. The echoey voices as Buffy called them were vital to the outcome of this war, to the balance. She must use them with the accuracy of a sniper. Her skills must be fine-honed to the sharpest edge, and her reflexes and assessment of a situation able to take in the most minute detail in mere seconds and react. The Necromongers were unlike anything Buffy had ever faced before and her skills had to be flawless.
Aereon watched Riddick as the clouds moved over the frozen world he called home. He wandered the barren snow covered ground in solitude, his face as frozen as the rest of the planet. She wondered why the Powers chose him to be the one to save them? What was there about this Riddick that was so important? He was a criminal after all; he spent most of his life on one prison planet or another. The clouds dissolved and he faded from her sight.
She floated across the room from one side to the other. She knew there were always patterns, plans within plans. Her role would be small but pivotal. Each player must do their part, but what was Riddick's part, and when was his scene supposed to start?
Aereon once again looked in on her new charge. Her wise eyes tried to see beyond the rough outer layer. Riddick built up the fire in his home, his large parka hung on a hook by the door. His once shaved head was now covered with a shaggy head of hair that hung past his shoulders. The dim lighting would be difficult for a normal person to see, but for Riddick it was perfect. His polished eyes picked up even a snowflake falling.
He wondered about Jack at times like this. Their parting still troubled him, in the deep quiet of the evenings. Even six years later, Jack's crying, then cursing him rang in his head. Riddick shook his shaggy head trying to dislodge Jack's image, but nothing helped. Cursing himself for being a fool, Riddick went to bed.
No sooner did he fall into sleep, a whiff of smoke entered the room. Aereon sent out a tendril of smoke built from the snow. It hovered over him as he slept. The tendril smoother over a hard planned face in a soft caress. Aereon probed softly looking for a piece to the puzzle named Riddick. She pulled back in shock when his eyes popped open and his hand lashed out to grab at the smoke.
"Who ever you are, you won't get in." A deep voice rough as gravel and sure of itself sounded out in the darkened room.
The puff of smoke disappeared completely as Aereon pulled away. This Riddick is something different, something we all thought lost forever. She faded from the room moving quickly from one room to another. She was preparing to travel to Firwinterath, the capitol city.
Aereon was an Elemental. They were a unique race, even in this cosmos. Each was born with the power to control the element they represented. She represented the wind with her white hair, pale skin, and wispy white clothes. Her body could dissolve like a cloud and move across the air. She could float on the breezes and with great concentration as she did with Riddick, control the wind and air across long distances.
Riddick flew the stolen transpo towards Hellion. A small muscle in his jaw flexed, every so often. It was the only outward sign of his anger. Only one man knew where to find him, a holy man, a man of his word, a man he had trusted. The man he left Jack with for safekeeping. His gut told him something had happened to her. He knew he had to leave or she would have been in even more danger. Riddick couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled at the base of his spine. Jack was the first person, he could remember caring about, really caring. Riddick led his life with no attachments, no emotional strings anyone could pull or use against him.
He easily outmaneuvered the air police that patrolled Hellion's sky from intruders. Landing the transpo, he grabbed a cape the previous owner left in the back. He stepped out, his goggles firmly in place to protect his sensitive eyes. Moving easily through the crowds, Riddick found what he was looking for - Imam's house. He quietly moved inside. It was scary, yet mesmerizing, how quickly this large muscular man could move.
Aereon watched Riddick move from room to room before making himself at home while he cleaned up. She was startled by how handsome he was underneath the beard and shaggy hair.
Imam opened the bedroom door and jumped when he heard a voice from the past.
"I trusted a man once, a holy man. Gave him something valuable to care for and told him, and only him, where I'd be."
"Riddick." It was said as a prayer and a curse. The tall black man had a face that clearly showed his belief and calling. His dark eyes held a wisdom and peace, few men ever found.
"Now why would a holy man break his word?" Riddick put away the knife he used to remove his hair and beard. His mocha colored skin gleamed dully in the shaft of light from the hallway.
"I had no choice. Let me explain."
"Where is she?" He growled as he prowled forward. His voice caused the other man to go absolutely still.
"That is part of the reason I sent for you. She went looking for you, Riddick. As soon as she was old enough, Jack joined up with some mercenaries. They weren't real mercenaries, more a group of outlaws. She wouldn't listen to me and she got caught, Riddick. They took her to Crematoria."
Riddick was across the room in a blur of speed and shadow. His hand was almost on Imam's throat when a sound from the door caused him to change his direction of attack.
There in the doorway stood a tiny little girl with big doe eyes and dark curls. "Daddy, read me a story."
Riddick's body twisted like a tiger into a crouch in front of her. "What's your name?"
"Ziza. You have pretty eyes. Are you my daddy's friend." A small chubby hand reached out to touch his cheek.
"You would have to ask your father that."
Imam's wife rushed in grabbing her little girl, her eyes wide with fright. She knew all about Richard B. Riddick. "Come with me, baby, daddy is busy."
Pounding could be heard coming from the front door. "Open up in the name of the law."
Imam paled turning towards the stairs. "Riddick, hide. I will get rid of them. There is more you must know." He quickly went to the door startled to see at least fifteen soldiers waiting there.
They shoved their way into the house nearly knocking Imam down in their haste.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"A known criminal was spotted entering your house. We have orders to search the premises."
The soldiers knocked over pots and tables as they tore the house apart. The captain opened a set of doors to see the back of a large man with a shaved head.
"Are you afraid of the dark?" Riddick's polished eyes glowed in the dim light. They flared even brighter when he extinguished the flames of the candles throwing the room into total darkness. He smoothly swept across the room to pull the captain the rest of the way into the darkness.
One after another, the soldiers tried to attack and capture the prisoner. Their bodies littered the room and tumbled down the stairs.
Aereon watched and waited for Riddick to finish. She silently apologized to the men she sent after him but she had to be sure. Sure, of his skill and something else she thought she had only imagined.
"Riddick, wait. Where are you going?" Imam called after him.
"Out. Away. Gone. I don't know what your game is, but I'm not playing." A knife appeared in his hand directly across Aereon's throat when she appeared. "Who are you?"
She easily spun like a tiny tornado only to reappear several feet away and to his right. "I am Aereon and I set the bounty on your head. It will be withdrawn if you but listen a moment."
Riddick looked at her with eyes of polished silver. "You have five minutes."
Aereon explained about the Necromongers and their leader. She told Riddick of his heritage as a Furyan. "You are the one spoken of in the prophecy. You can kill the Lord High Marshall where others have failed."
"Lady, you've read one too many fairytales. This is not my fight. You picked the wrong horse." Riddick pulled up his hood before walking out the door.
A drop of water at Aereon's foot assembled into Nierra. "Your champion is quite stubborn, mother."
"What are you doing here, child? You should be at home." Aereon looked at her daughter's face, the beautiful blues of her hair, skin and clothes, drinking it all in.
"I am here for the same reason as you - balance." Nierra tried to keep the grin from her face as she told her mother of her calling.
"I do not understand, there is only one guide per warrior. Riddick is the one from the prophecy. What part do you play in this?"
"She doesn't, I do." A soft voice came from the shadows.
Aereon dissolved in a blur turning to see what or who lay in wait for her. There stood a small girl, no woman, with long blonde hair, golden skin, high cheekbones and a fine-boned body. She moved forward and Aereon saw her eyes and fought not to gasp. They were horrifyingly beautiful. Golden-rimmed red glowing orbs studied her. Aereon felt as if this woman, creature, could see to her very soul.
"Nierra, what is the meaning of this? Who is this person?" She demanded of her daughter. Aereon tried to pull her eyes away from the glowing eyes in front of her but found she couldn't.
"This is Buffy. She is my warrior and here also to fulfill the prophecy."
"That makes no sense."
"Excuse me while you two work out the inner working of the Powers, prophecies and life itself. I think there are people outside who need some help."
Mother and daughter were so caught up in their struggle for dominance they didn't even notice what was happening around them.
Imam and his family ran from their home, trying to reach their hidden shelter. The Necromongers looked like fireflies in the night sky as they blasted the city below. People ran from the troops that now swept through the streets. They killed everything in their path that the sniffers didn't approve.
The sniffers once were men, but Necromonger technology bent and shaped them into creatures. Creatures that picked up the heat signatures of living beings. Their real purpose played out then. Based on the signature, their DNA identified who should be killed or captured. They were the hounds hunting down the fox.
Riddick pulled Imam and his family to safety, motioning for them to stay quiet. The sniffers went by until Ziza accidentally knocked over some rubble. Her eyes engulfed her face with fear. Riddick moved to help, but Imam stopped him.
"No, take my family to safety. Please, Riddick." He didn't wait for an answer but ran from their hiding place into the open and down the street.
The sniffer squealed and the hunt was on. Imam ran, his heart was in his throat. He quietly prayed as his legs pumped taking him further away from his family. He regretted that the last sight of his little girl would be with fear on her face. Bursting through a door onto a rooftop, he realized this was where he would die.
The Necromonger solder slammed the door open striding out confidently. He was a race above these dogs. Nothing worthy could be found among these peace loving people. Stupid peasants, who knew nothing of war. His sword in his hand ready to split the fool who thought he could run from a Necromonger soldier.
Imam rushed forward with a battle cry, determined to die fighting for his family, way of life and planet. He stopped short mere inches from the soldier. A feral grin spread across the battle-hardened soldier's face. This was too easy, no sport at all. He tried to swing his sword up for the killing blow, but it hit something. Turning around, he saw a small woman with her hand on his blade. No matter what he did, he couldn't budge the blade. Fear raced down his spine. No one should be able to stop a Necromonger soldier in his prime, but another Necromonger.
Buffy smiled. It wasn't her normal cheery smile. It was a smile that told anyone who saw it, she was ready for retribution. "You know, you shouldn't play with sharp objects, you could get hurt."
"You are insignificant woman. The only use we have for you is to find release for our bodies."
"Ooh, how nice, I can't wait for a date, NOT!" Buffy flipped the blade out of his hand, spun it in her hand, and took his head.
"Who are you?" Imam asked, his hand unconsciously holding the symbol of his faith.
"No one anymore. Your family needs you. I hate to ask, but you need to leave something, so they will think it was you who died." She picked up the body throwing it over the side of the building. Buffy snatched up the head repeating her actions. Imam reluctantly pulled his necklace from around his neck and dropped it into a large pool of blood. "Come on, I'll help you get back to them safely." Buffy walked toward the door calling out over her shoulder. "Well, hurry up. I'm sure your little girl is anxious to see her daddy."
Imam silently followed Buffy until he couldn't stand it anymore. "Who are you? Why did you help, and how do you know about my family?"
"I'm Buffy, I followed you from your house, and I was there the whole time."
"Are you an Elemental like Aereon?"
Buffy laughed. "No, I'm something all together different." She stopped holding him against a wall.
A sniffer with twenty soldiers following it shuffled down the street. It stopped in front of a brick wall squealing. Its handler pulled on the leash around its neck. "There is nothing there." He shoved the poor creature forward.
"I don't understand. How could they not see us?"
"Just call it a perk, and leave it at that," her voice went cold and hard. She walked through the ruined streets dodging troops. Buffy delivered Imam to his family then turned to leave.
"Wait. Are you here to help, Riddick?"
Buffy laughed harshly. "If he can ever figure out everyone needs help. Yes, I'm here to help, if he doesn't get himself killed first."
She moved down the street, her face a beautiful frozen mask. A drop of water fell on her cheek. "Go away, Nierra. I'll save your damned hero. By now, I'm sure the Necromongers have him. It's time to play the game. I wonder how much he is going to like being the Powers' play toy."
Nierra sighed and assembled beside her charge. "Buffy, you are not a play thing."
She raised an eyebrow at the water Elemental who had ran her life for the last three years. "Really, then why am I here? Why did I have to leave my family, my home, everything I knew? For what? To come here when they already had someone to do the job? They could have fixed things if they wanted to." Buffy refused to cry another tear. She wouldn't give the Powers that satisfaction. The first year she cried every night. Now, she just hated. She didn't know how to live so alone. Buffy always had people around her for support, guidance, and love.
Nierra, in her youth and inexperience, didn't give Buffy the time she needed to grieve, heal, and adjust to the changes in her life. She realized her mistake too late. By pushing Buffy too soon, Nierra lost the opportunity for them to bond. Buffy learned everything she needed from her, but she didn't trust her. Especially after she learned, just how much power was available to Nierra but more importantly to Buffy. Now, Buffy pushed back against everything Nierra asked of her. Buffy hated what she had been forced to do in the name of the Powers.
"Clothes for you are in here." Nierra led Buffy into a small out of the way house. "They have taken Riddick in as a guest but it won't last before they put him in the chamber. They must not find out he's Furyan. Buffy, please this is important."
"I got it already. Hate to tell you and Cloud Dancer but prophecies don't usually work out the way you think. They aren't straight forward. They will come true, just not the way you think they will. Did you know I was supposed to die when I was 16? There was a prophecy and everything. I drowned, but a friend did CPR and I got up and kicked major butt. So, you see Nie, it isn't always the way it's written."
Buffy stripped then pulled on a long dress that fit her body like a second skin. It pooled at the floor and had a small train. It was a red, so dark it looked black until the light hit it the right way. A silver belt hung low on her hips. She pulled her hair up to show the conditioning marks of the Necromonger chamber. She hated when she had to make them appear. It meant her bite from Angel disappear just like she did.
"Do I pass inspection?" Her voice held a note of boredom and disdain.
"Yes, Buffy, you look as beautiful as always. Please be careful. I will try to help if I can," Nierra said wearily.
Buffy moved away, her head held high and her movements graceful. Nierra thought over the last two and a half years of training and prayed she had prepared her warrior properly. Buffy's words rang in her ears, then she went still.
Buffy drowned at sixteen. Why would the Powers choose a water Elemental to be her guide? Was Buffy right, were they all just play things?
Nierra melted into a puddle, then rose into the air as steam. She needed to talk to her mother. She searched the city only to see Aereon being escorted onto the Lord High Marshall's ship. She knew it was out of her hands now. Nierra only hoped Buffy was ready for this.