Summary: Set in S5 of Angel and S6 of Buffy. What if Cordy had come to town to fight the Fyarl Demon and gone in by herself? Nobody knows she's there until Dawn tells them who just saved her from a Fyarl Demon.
A/N: Willow isn't invisible when she comes to town.
It was a beautiful night, as Cordelia Chase walked home on her way to her apartment.
Suddenly, just as she entered the apartment building, a vision hit her. She gritted her teeth in pain, as she saw images of a Fyarl Demon. It was stripping pieces of skin off and eating it. Then there was a scream, dark hair like Buffy's, and an unfamiliar face. There was an unfamiliar voice that said, 'They were here?' and the demon's voice saying, 'They went splittaty split without you.' Then there was cutting of flesh and skin, as small claws on the demon's hand scratched more and more. Then there was the demon continuing to eat her skin strip by strip, as she bled. Blood flowed freely and heavily. Then she easily saw where she was hurt at because of the demon. It was her lower stomach.
When it had ended, she just curled up in a ball in the corner and cried from both the pain and vision, not knowing why she was crying from the vision. She didn't know the girl, but she had some of Buffy's traits. That meant she was related to Buffy.
Meanwhile in Sunnydale, Buffy and her friends were having a party. It was a welcome home party for Willow.
"How do you like it?" Anya asked, as they walked in that night.
"It's great. Thanks, Anya."
"It wasn't just her. It was Xander and Dawn, too," Buffy told her.
"Ya. So I guess you love it, then. That's wonderful," Xander said.
"Speaking of, where's Dawn? I just realized I haven't seen her all day," Buffy said.
"She's a teenager," Xander said.
"Dawn?" Willow called.
"I think she went to go get soil from some caves for a project for school," Anya said.
"At night?" Buffy questioned.
Dawn was in a cave getting some soil, when there was suddenly a noise of skittering across the ground. She stood up and looked around. There wasn't anything. At least, until she saw a demon lunge for her.
At that moment, just when it should've scratched her, someone pulled her away. She looked to see a brunette around Buffy's age.
"Hi, I'm Cordelia. You must be Dawn. Now get out of here," she said.
That moment of distraction was all it needed to scratch the Seer on her back. The demon through her against a wall. It scratched her on the sides and stomach. Then, as it ate her skin strip by strip, it scratched other places, doing the same thing. She closed her eyes and waited for the paralysis to kick in. She grew limp as it did so, too much for her body to handle. It was slowly killing her.
Just when they were about to leave, coats and jackets on, she ran in in a hurry, slamming the door, fear on her face.
"Demon. Demon in the cave. I'm not sure what kind or what it was going to do. She pushed me out of the way before it could do anything to me," she frantically said.
"Demon?" Buffy said.
"Who saved you? You're not making much sense, Dawn," Anya said.
"There's a demon in one of the caves. It was about to attack when this brunette showed up and pushed me out of its way. She got in a brief introduction before it scratched her on the back. That's when I ran," Dawn tried again.
"Who did she say she was?" Buffy asked.
"Cordelia."
"Cordy?" Xander said.
Anya put an arm around him.
"It's okay. We'll find her in time," Anya soothed.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Cordelia went to school with us," Willow said.
"Xander dated her until right before graduation day when she broke up with him and left town. We never saw her again," Buffy informed her.
Anya looked at Dawn.
"What did it look like?"
Dawn described it.
Anya went over to the chest of weapons. She got out a sword for everyone and tossed one to each of them.
"It's a Fyarl Demon. Don't let it scratch you, or it'll paralyze you until it finishes eating your skin. Dawn, which cave?" Anya said.
Buffy walked in and kicked it off the Seer in the face.
"Xander and Dawn. Stay with Cordelia," Anya said before going to help Buffy.
They knelt by her.
"Will she be okay?" Dawn asked.
"Cor. Oh, God," Xander said.
All he could do was look at her. It was a horrid scene. She didn't look very good. What with skin ripped from her shoulders, stomach, sides, and legs. The only thing he could let himself see was the worst. The Fyarl Demon had opened up her old wound from senior year.
He gently pulled her into his arms and held her there. His left hand applied pressure to her senior year wound. Nobody would ever forget that night. It would haunt him and Willow forever. His Secret Eyes could die tonight. Die without telling them if she forgave them or not. He wished with all his might every night that he hadn't let Willow kiss him.
Willow, Anya, and Buffy came over.
"As soon as the bleeding stops, she'll be okay. He's dead now," Anya announced.
Xander looked at Willow. It was the look that told her everything.
Willow started over to her just as the Seer came to and gasped, sitting up. She put her own hand to her wound and got to her feet.
She looked around.
"Who saved me?"
"Well I told them and they came," Dawn announced.
"Buffy decapitated it," Anya announced.
"Thanks you two. Wills, you know what to do."
Wills walked up to her and Cor gave her some gauze and tape. She then patched up Cor's wound. The rest had stopped bleeding and were looking to heal. She hugged Xander and he did likewise with her.
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