CH.40

Jenny asked. " How would you modify the spell to exclude Buffy?"

Ryan smiled." Everything is connected to remember? All spells have their weaknesses and drawbacks. Take the ring Angels wearing for instance. It repels sunlight, but have you ever thought of what would happen if I increased its power say a hundredfold? Even his body would freeze as all heat would flee from his body, it would be like tossing him into space. Now if I increased it a thousandfold. All light would leave his surroundings and a white hole would form around the ring as the negative force pushed against the fabric of space. See where I'm going with this yet?"

Everyone shuddered and Markus was writing all of his analogy down. Xander asked." So it's about power?"

Willow answered. "No, it's about desires affect and the power applied correctly. A spell that summons light would do the opposite until it collapsed in on itself and created its own black hole. I don't see how he would modify the spell but I can understand his meaning."

Markus was furiously writing now. Seeing him Ryan sighed." If you're going to start following my words and writing them down Markus than at least learn control better before attempting something because if I felt that level of spell come from here I'll know it was you and be very cross with you."

Markus shuddered himself now. "I was just taking some notes about the knowledge of magic your people had before they died off."

Ryan sighed." We actually didn't call it magic then. The closest analogy I can describe it as would be the Ancients from Willow's favorite tv show, Stargate Sg1. The word doesn't actually translate from well but you could skin it to advanced theoretical physics and molecular manipulation at a quantum level using your own bio-electrical field, or aura for lack of a better term."

Markus was furiously writing and taking notes. Buffy looked at Willow and said. "I'm surprised at you Will, you're not taking your own notes."

Willow smiled." Don't need to, after tomorrow my brain should be evolved enough to understand all of the concepts without any need for notes."

Everyone went silent at that. They were reminded of the risky ceremony that was about to happen and felt worried. Markus asked. "How will getting married change your physical body?"

Ryan snorted." Continue your line of questions at your own peril!"

Markus shut up when he realized that he was about to piss off Ryan. Seeing that the current subject was taboo, even Anya and Cordelia didn't make a comment.

Xander turned to Giles." Are you taking notes as well?"

Giles chuckled. "I already know all this. Ryan was kind enough to get drunk one night and tell me everything I could ever want to know about what we call magic. I just can't publish most of it now without causing several wars and a couple of crusades. Not to mention what he'd do to me if I did."

Jenny smiled. "There there Rupert, he never said you couldn't make use of the knowledge, just not to spread it before humans were ready."

Lyndsey laughed." He told me the same. Apparently what I do is a branch of what he does on a smaller scale. If I used any more power then what I currently have, I'd end up crispy in a nuclear crater. The human body just isn't meant to house so much without stepping into immortality."

Faith stated." I thought you were immortal?"

Lyndsey shook his head." No, just really long-lived. I'll die off in about a million or so years. His last apprentice only lasted a hundred thousand years before he was in need of more power. It's why he betrayed him both times. The first time his apprentice tricked the leader of a group of god's into attack Ryan so that he could feed off of their life force when Ryan slaughtered them. Then when the bastard banished Ryan last time it was because he wanted him out of the way so that he was free to absorb all the life force he siphoned off through my connection with Ryan. Crazy thing is, if he hadn't put me in danger, Ryan wouldn't have killed him. In Ryan's culture, they treated their kids more precious than their own life and an apprentice bond is as close to that as it can come without him outright adopting me. His people's laws were very strict on child abuse, as in you abuse a child in any way and you die painfully to make a lasting impression on others. He pulled all his life force back then he dedicated and destroyed-"

"ENOUGH!"Ryan silenced him not letting him finish that sentence.

Ryan sighed." However I or you feel about it, he was still my apprentice before and I'll not listen to another word about it. He was punished and that's all you need to say."

Lyndsey nodded and looked away ashamed. Everyone else sighed, understanding another facet of his personality and ways. Giles looked thoughtful as he was one of the few who knew what the punishment entailed. Willow and Tara gave him comforting smiles and even gave his clones a kiss.

Willow whispered." We'll have our own little munchkins soon enough I'm sure. Until then Lyndsey can call me mom if it'll help you."

All the other supernatural people hear giggles and chuckled. Except for girls, they just blushed wondering if she was already pregnant and how she was so sure in case she wasn't.

Ryan smiled at the sweet gesture. Lyndsey, on the other hand, heard and shut that shit down quick."I've already graduated, sorry Willow."

Tara picked up the stray thought running through Ryans head an said out loud." I don't think Xander is a good candidate to be your new apprentice. I don't think he would welcome the kid treatment and lessons he would inevitably receive."

Willow told him." You thought of Xander as your student? That's so sweet but I don't think I could help raise him again. The first time was already a pain."

Everyone chuckled except Xander who yelled. "Hey! I'll have you know I was self-taught mostly."

All the girls snorted and Giles shook his head. Xander went on." I said mostly not all."

Another snort was heard from the room. Even Anya said." The only real things you were good at was sex and construction and you were taught the sex by me, and the construction from Ryan."

Angel laughed his ass off, finally having ammo to use against him for all the dead boy jokes. Just when he was about to dig at him Buffy spoke up. "Say something Angel and I'll give you the physical beating Xander's pride just took."

Ryan laughed his ass off at this." You remind me so much of Semeria it's uncanny. If I didn't know better I'd think you were the key instead of Dawn. She spoke just like that every time Syn and I'd argue and we brought up each other's faults."

Buffy blushed at the compliment and Willow and Tara looked awed that he'd finally told everyone his brother's name. Not even they had pried that far into his memories. Giles noticed it as well."So your brother's name was Syn. It sound Sumerian or perhaps Babylonian. I wonder if his name was the origins of the catholic word sin."

All of Ryan's clones shook all over at Giles's inquiries. Willow and Tara yelled." Shut up."

Giles finally realized what he was saying and the damage he was doing. Ryan took several minutes to calm down then told them. "The massages are pretty much over, take your time in the mud baths it'll finish exploiting your pores. Use the spring to rinse off in. It has the benefits of healing any scar tissue even on vampires so it'll get rid of any aches and pains any of you have. Now if you'll excuse me I need some air."

With that, all of his clones evaporated at the same time. Giles tried to apologize. "I apologize I must have spent too much time around Anya."

Anya yelled." Hey! Don't blame me for your rude behavior!"

Ryan shook his head. " It's ok, really. It's all in the past. I'll see you guys when you're done with your spa treatments tonight."

Willow and Tara almost left with him but stopped themselves only because they were in towels. They turned to Giles and glared daggers at him. Jenny defended him. "He apologized already, just let it go please?"

Tara sighed signaling her forgiveness and Willow followed suit knowing it was for the best. They all went to their mud baths while Ryan made preparations for tonights's together. With a thought and a few moments of wait, several cows came into the clearing for him. They were followed by various animals carrying ingredients.

After he slaughtered the cows quickly and efficiently, he started making a fire pit. When he was done he started cleaning the beef, giving everything he didn't use to the animals to feast on.

He saved most of the blood for Angel to drink. After he started the fire and spit the meat, he went to wash up. When he came back a bunch of fruits and vegetables were waiting in a pile close to the fire pit.

He collected them then washed and cut the fruit up, he set up several small cauldrons of boiling water over the pit next to the cooking meat, then put the uncut vegetables inside them.

He put the cut-up fruit in an ice chest and set to making a sweet cream for the dip. When he was done with that, he came back to the pit to find everyone had gathered there.

Xander asked." Where did you learn to do all this?"

Ryan smiled." I went from an advanced society to a pre-Jurassic era. It was either learn fast, eat raw meat or starve. Guess what I chose."

Everyone nodded in understanding. He went on." Angel, the blood is in the cauldron at the end. I added some herbs and spices to give it a bite you should enjoy. If you like it I'll give you directions on making it later. It's cow FYI, not that I think you can't already smell it."

Fifteen minutes later everything was on a freshly grown dining table meant for a large great serving hall. Everyone complimented the food and he laughed. "I've wrestled t-rex's for my food and eaten them for their efforts, of course, it's good. I've had eons to perfect it."

Even the coven joined them for the feast after they smelled it wafting through the forest. When they were finished and no one could eat any more he whistled. A second later, all the animals were back, he told everyone to back away from the table.

When they were several feet away, he loudly grunted and a hoard of animals descended on the table. After ten minutes he grunted again and they all left, leaving a clean table and a lot of questions in the witness's minds.

He told them." Some call it the language of birds, others call it pre-Babylonian. I like to consider the language of understanding. Either way, when you're the one that created it, you have your own words for it."

Everyone looked at him, gobsmacked. Fred asked. "You created the primal language?"

Xander looked agitated for a bit then calmed down saying." There was something about the sounds that reminded me of the hyena spirit years ago."

Ryan sat down around the still-burning fire with a beer. " There was no one to talk to when all my people died and I really didn't want to deal with demons so for the better part of a hundred million years I sat with and spoke with animals. They were quite funny after you know how to speak their language. I taught a few early men how but they abused it and started forcing bonds with the animals. If you know the language it's like a password that reminds the animals that it's me their speaking to. They have a sort of genetic memory for happy memories. I spent a long time with their early ancestors and became bonded with a lot of them. It's like the same way most demons instinctively fear and run from my presence when I let them feel it, well except for Miss Kitty Fantastico. That cat was weird, even by my standards, if I had to guess then I'd say one of its distant ancestors was a demon while the rest were cats."

Both Giles and Markus were both furiously writing now. Markus inquired." Would you be willing to share the language with the coven?"

Ryan looked at him then turned to Willow and Tara." Have you both decided?"

They nodded and Tara spoke." We can't join the coven, there's too much we need to do and experience before we ever consider joining a sacred circle."

Ryan turned his steely to the coven. " I'll be willing to share it if you give binding magical contract stating none of you will ever share it or abuse it. If I hear word of it being abused or spreading I'll destroy your coven and kill all the people who know it. While I detest and swore never to kill, I'll break that oath to ensure that they aren't being abused or spreading it for later generations to do so. I'd rather slaughter one race then allow for all other races to be slaughtered."

The coven members sucked in a deep breath, it was a very big decision for them to make because one slip and they would all die painful deaths.

Althenea told him." We will have to get back to you on that. I'll try to sense the future around this, we can't have any mistakes happening, we'll let you know our decision when we come to a consensus."

Ryan nodded and turned to see everyone else's worried looks. Sighing he told them. "To me, it is a language to speak to the descendants of old friends and ask for help in small things. In the wrong hands, it could be used to while out all other life on earth. With it, all animals instinctively trust you completely and to the point of unblinking suicide. I won't have all the children of my old friends killed over someone's fuck up."

He turned to Willow and Tara and tapped his forehead. After relieving their fears he reassured them that humanity wasn't ready for that kind of power and they may never be. When they reluctantly agreed, when he gave an example of an evil human-like warren telling all cute animals to die.

He switched to speaking to the group says. "By the way, I want to warn you that Warren May show up at the wedding. I wanted you to be truly prepared to forgive yourself for killing him when you confirm for yourself that he's still alive and well."

Willow took shallow breathes for few minutes while her skin paled a little and her eyes went black. He gave her a mental picture of the peaceful moments they had over the past few months. Her eyes changed back and she calmed down grabbing Tara's hand, reassuring herself that everything is fine.

After a long drawn out silence she nodded and spoke. "I'm going to have to deal with someday anyway, at least this way I'll go into this marriage with a clear heart and open mind."

Ryan told her. "If at any moment he gives you a hostile feeling, I'll deal with him myself."

Xander interrupts. " I get the need to come to terms with your past but why does she have to do it on her wedding day?"

Ryan explained patiently as if to a child. "If she doesn't do it then, then she'll be going into this marriage unsure of herself and I'll be damned if she does that. Quite literally, why do you think I brought up my brother's name earlier. It's a requirement for the ceremony to work. Tomorrow we will be sharing our very essence with each other we need to know everything about each other that we possibly can. Tonight I plan to share every aspect of myself with them. Traditionally it was witnessed by the family which is why you are all here right now. A day earlier, humans mutated it into what you now refer to as stag and die parties or bachelorette and bachelor parties, because I once shared stories of it among early man. I gotta say, even to me humans are weird sometimes."

Again Giles and Markus were writing, Giles had already known about the ceremony but he didn't know how it connected to human traditions until now.

Xander looked properly scolded and quit asking questions. They sat around the fire in silence until Ryan spoke again. " It's time the coven went to bed or else away somewhere, what I'm about to do next is only for family."

When they heard him, they went away scowling. When they left he told the scoobies." I'm about to perform a sort of mass hypnosis and illusion on everyone here. If you're not comfortable with that it's time you went to bed. What I'll be showing you must stay a secret till the day you die. I'll understand if you can't make that kind of commitment."

Gunn stood up excusing himself with a nod. "I just met you a few times and while I trust you I can't guarantee I won't tell someone someday."

Ryan nodded and waited. Cordelia was next to stand." It's not what I'm sure most of you are thinking, I'm constantly connected to the PTB, I can't guarantee what I learned wouldn't end up in their hands."

After a while, Angel stood up. Ryan snorted." Sit down, if your worried about going soulless and blabbering then don't worry I'll be speaking to your little demon in a bit."

Angel sat back down, now clearly agitated. Fred told him she was okay with it because she didn't have anyone to tell, not that she ever would. Ryan turned to Wesley and all he said was." If you're referring to my contact with the council let's just say I've learned to keep my mouth shut the hard way."

Ryan looked at each person then stood up and walked over to Angel looking him in the eyes. "Don't resist the pull."

With that, he was inside Angel's head. He sat down and pulled a double of Angel out of the murky darkness. This version of Angel was trying to flee. He grabbed him by the throat and did something he hadn't done since Maloker, he forced his own experience on the demon. It screamed in agony and writhed on the floor for eons. When he was done he let up and told it. "If you mention what you see here tonight that will be your future for the rest of your immortal existence. Just know that I can pull you from him and trap you like that in an impenetrable dimension without any hope of parole. Do we have an understanding little demon?"

The Angel double looked at him with absolute horror and fear. There was no resistance against him as it swore to itself to purge any and all of tonight's memories. He left Angel's mind and walked back to his seat saying."If you feel anything from the demon ignore it. It's in a little pain right now."

He sat down next to Willow and Tara and began doing magic. He placed a ward around everyone to stop onlookers from seeing what he was about to do and started the spell work.

To everyone, it appeared as if the fire came to life and showed the ancient passed. It began with his birth and went on, showing everything in great detail. Willow and Tara were forced to experience all of his emotions and pain as it happened in the memories until they both understood what and why he felt what he did, before continuing on.

His average life amongst his people ended with their sudden and violent death. They saw everything through his dreams he shared with his twisted brother. Then it was eons of loneliness and self-hate. They felt how he learned to slowly speak to animals and bonded with them.

They watched with reverence and fear at what eons did to the Titan and soon enough they saw old ones and early man rise. Giles took notes here or there about unimportant things he didn't care was shared. They watched his alliance with Illyria and the betrayal he experienced when it turned to power-hungry ways.

They watched him except his first apprentice and his eventual betrayal. The eventually learned that Titan was a title and a name the early gods gave him. They watched how one day a tribe member of early man warned him of the shadows men's plans. How he had to run there because he couldn't teleport to a place he hadn't been to before.

They saw the shadow men's great sacrifice of the tribal people and all the bodies he had to wade through until he reached where they had the cave where she was chained to the floor. They saw the box the shadow men used to store deaths essence and how after the girl was done with it she was changed beyond his help.

They saw his helpless rage and subsequent slaughter of all but three of the shamans of the area that had worked together to pull the demon into being. How, when his rage was abated he was left facing the first slayer and the shadowmen behind her cowering.

He fled when they went to release her because he didn't have the heart to end her. They watched his time among the tribes of man he protected with a bloody fist. He maimed and tortured various old ones for violating treaties.

How he answered each time someone called his name, in the hope that he would be there in time to save someone.

They saw how the first slayer fought Maloker and when she almost died, he showed up because it called his name. They watched him torture and destroy its body, and his portal malfunction. His self imposed exile and meditation.

They watched how he walked random dimensions until one day he felt someone call his name once more. How he scried and saw the army of vampires attacking the school and the way he burned them all to ash from a far dimension.

They watched him return to the world and his promises and threats to Wolfram and Hart. How he callously burned Holland Manners and his evil puppet suit. Through his eyes, they were able to see the puppet-like strings connecting each employee to the law firm. His meeting with the avatar of the senior partners and his threats.

They watched him choose Lyndsey after his conversation with Nox and his arrival at the Hellmouth. His first reaction to Willow and her friends, everything speeds up as Willow and Tara recognized the memories and the feelings easily.

They watched every brutal and naked memory to the point where he came back and killed The immortal his feelings of absolute trust in Lyndsey when he showed up and knelt before him.

After his return, it went from fast to fast forward because of Tara's own memories of the events. They watched his agony and pain over his lost love and how it dimmed his world.

They watched him spend months in a blackout drunk state until he was called by Willow. How he dropped his last chance at peace for an agony of pain and his subsequent trist with Buffy. They watched him put his affairs in order and except death.

How he injured Glory and got a second shot out of pure stubbornness. They saw him in a black void for the longest time until one day he was brought back. Willow and Tara intentionally slowed the memory of him proposing to them, so the others could see.

They saw everything from start to finish until the very moment they could tell was being created. Then it switched to Tara's memories of the past and growing up in a bigoted sexist family.

They witnessed the horrors of her family's treatment of him. By the time they arrived at her early college days, both Ryan and Willow were shaking in rage but they were forced to experience and move on with the memories like life itself going on.

They watched her meet Willow and eventually Ryan that sent the memories into light-speed. When it caught up it changed to Willow's memories of growing up. How she met Xander and grew to like him.

Her closet obsession with him until the day Ryan showed up for his first day of school. How his interactions changed her on a deep level until she became bold and started to take what she wanted speaking up in their relationship.

They watched the confusion with Oz and the memory overlap from the spell Ryan broke. Her adventures and love for Oz grew to the point that when he broke it, she broke with it. They watched and he experienced it all. Until the day Tara died and she went insane grief and rage. Ryan experiences much the same as Willow did before when she watched his memories.

Soon enough they were all back inside their own heads and he was standing over Willow and Tara, waiting on the emotions to subside. When everyone was clearheaded again, he sat down in silence, holding both the girls in his arms.

The rest of the group would soon forget most of what they saw, because of the lack of emotions they felt when they saw memories, they can't really hold on to them. The only memories that they themselves could remember were the ones that produced strong emotions from themselves.

After a long and deafening silence, Anya asked." So, when does the show start?"

Ryan, Willow and Tara chuckled and Tara explained to them."Its already over, you just can't remember them because you didn't feel the emotions we did from them. That would've been embarrassing if you could, besides, would you really want to? It was very personal and very detailed."

Ryan looked at Angel and sent a message. -Remember my warning little demon, hide the knowledge away the best you can.-

Angel shuddered and nodded his head. Ryan sighed and told them. "Girls are on the second floor of the tree home, guys the first. You'll find your rooms labeled and everything equaling a fully qualified five-star hotel. Now I think it's off to bed, or we will be missing our own wedding. Willow and Tara will show the girls around, all men follow me, we have to go get Gunn before he pisses off the surrounding animals."

They split up and headed to where he knew Gunn to be, they found him with a stick in his hand, fighting a wolf from killing a wounded female mountain lion. When he saw this, Ryan growled a little and the wolf backed off.

He looked at Gunn and shook his head. "You were warned not to interfere in the natural order of things here!"

Gunn defended himself." It's the same cougar that Buffy was holding a while ago! It's just defending its cub!"

Ryan shook his head." The cub was never in any danger! All young are protected in this forest. It would grow up just fine and stay safe, but since you broke the rules now both the cub and its mother will be banished from here!"

Gunn turned to Ryan fully now." You wanna explain that to the damn wolf? It was attacking the cub when I arrived! The damn thing was about to eat it!"

Ryan rounded on the wolf now, pissed off he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and brought it to eye level, after a few minutes he growled." You're not from the surrounding wolf packs! Who are you? Speak!"

The wolf growled and groaned for a bit, then Ryan threw it against a tree and burned the wolf to death in front of everyone. After a while, he turned to Gunn and apologized. "I am sorry, the wolf wondered in and thought it could find easy prey here. It didn't know the rules and it wasn't from around here. I'll have the rest of the animals be on alert for any outsiders, but I implore you to be careful. If it happens again, I won't be able to stop it from attacking you without all the rest of the animals here, turning on the humans."

He looked at the mountain lion and apologized with a hiss and a loud purring noise from his throat. After a minute the cougar and her cub were brought to the center of the nexus to heal. With that, they all headed to bed.