History Fanfic / TheDevilsTruthSeries

* BargainWithHeaven: Cordelia goes into a trance to contact the Powers, whom [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness for once]] give precise, non-vague instructions. Cordelia even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]]

** The Scoobies [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E16WhoAreYou not noticing]] that Buffy was possessed, ''[[UpToEleven and]]'' that the only person who noticed something was wrong with her was Tara, [[{{Irony}} who never met Buffy before]];

* AliensMadeThemDoIt: Well, "made" might be a bit strong, free will was still very much in operation, but Cernunnos certainly ''inspired'' them to do it. The presence of a god of life and death tends to do that.

* BiTheWay: Canon for Willow, but [[spoiler: forming a pack with Oz and Tara]] actually allows her to be with both at the same time.

** The bonds formed when [[spoiler: Oz, Willow, and Tara form a pack]] are what allow Willow to [[spoiler: MarryThemAll]]. Although it is strongly implied that Oz and Tara will not be having sex with ''each other'', since Tara is ''not'' BiTheWay, it's clear that both have a respect and affection for each other (and an appreciation for how well the other took care of Willow) that makes them okay with the situation in a way they wouldn't be with anyone else.
** A platonic example. Cordelia has never shown any signs of being BiTheWay and probably wouldn't be okay with just any woman handling her breasts and getting...flustered...while doing it (see SkinshipGrope), but in Willow's case she shows a bit of amused understanding, takes it as a compliment, and lets it go.

* EldritchAbomination: Angelus in his form as a "true vampire demon". The angels probably count, too. They're just prettier

* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Belial is too metaphysically "big" to enter our universe, and requires a large natural crystal to use as a "bridgestone". Fortunately, the Hellmouth is happy to provide. When he takes angelic form, he looks like he's made of crystal and his "halo" looks like orbiting stars.

* ShownTheirWork: Played with. Belial talks about how the Claddagh rings are actually wedding rings[[note]]the Claddagh rings can be worn as wedding rings, but can also mean friendship[[/note]] which means that when Angel [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E13Surprise gave them to Buffy]], shared vows and then made love for the first time, that's basically a matrimony

* StatusQuoIsGod: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]]. Belial points out that, for all of Buffy's efforts, there are never any fewer vampires and demons in the world

* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: All over the place. The Scoobies are dealing with gods, archdevils, archangels and other greater forces of the universe in this one, and their sanity is tested. Belial weaponizes it, Metatron's presence drives Cordelia to her knees before he can [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith take a more comfortable form]], and [[spoiler: simply looking in Cernunnos's eyes burns away Spike's demon and restores his soul]]

* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: When he's still trying to tempt Buffy, Belial takes human form. The Metatron takes the form of [[ShoutOut Alan Rickman]].
** While a twenty-foot tall giant with antlers and hooves is hardly "comfortable", at least it's within the parameters of what the Scoobies are prepared to deal with, and in any case much more comfortable than [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm the true form of a god of life and death]].

* GagPenis: Cernunnos is twenty feet tall, but since he's a fertility god, he has one of these even in proportion to his size
* TheGodsMustBeLazy: Averted, the PowersThatBe don't intervene because doing so would destroy the Earth
* {{Heaven}}: [[spoiler:Faith]] goes here for a few minutes after she's wounded in battle to receive instructions on how to defeat Belial. Cordelia later visits it too during an induced trance

* IfItsYouItsOkay: The bonds formed when [[spoiler: Oz, Willow, and Tara form a pack]] are what allow Willow to [[spoiler: MarryThemAll]]. Although it is strongly implied that Oz and Tara will not be having sex with ''each other'', since Tara is ''not'' BiTheWay, it's clear that both have a respect and affection for each other (and an appreciation for how well the other took care of Willow) that makes them okay with the situation in a way they wouldn't be with anyone else.
** A platonic example. Cordelia has never shown any signs of being BiTheWay and probably wouldn't be okay with just any woman handling her breasts and getting...flustered...while doing it (see SkinshipGrope), but in Willow's case she shows a bit of amused understanding, takes it as a compliment, and lets it go.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Faith does this in her [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice]]

* ListingTheFormsOfDegenerates: During his rant about how human evil, he lists that amongst the human evils includes murders, rapists, torturers, abusers, racists, homophobes, liars and thieves
* MarryThemAll: The solution to not one but ''two'' love triangles
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Buffy delivers one to Angel. They're usually better matched, but he's talking instead of fighting in the hopes of [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight getting through to her]]

* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Belial is too metaphysically "big" to enter our universe, and requires a large natural crystal to use as a "bridgestone". Fortunately, the Hellmouth is happy to provide. When he takes angelic form, he looks like he's made of crystal and his "halo" looks like orbiting stars
** The Metatron looks like a giant (as in, one eye takes up most of the sky when he opens it) figure made out of night sky and he speaks with a voice like a chorus of people of all ages and sexes speaking in perfect unison

A lot of issues were never dealt with in Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer. Quietly papered over and ignored because no one wanted to face them. It's a way to quick and easy peace. Unfortunately, that approach leaves gaps. Chinks in the armor. When the fallen angel Belial, the greatest of tempters, comes in from the Outer Dark, the Scooby Gang and especially Buffy are vulnerable to his blandishments.

The Devil's Truth Series tells the story of what happens when a BigBad with enough knowledge and power forces the Scoobies to face their secrets - ''all'' of their secrets - and what comes after.

!!The Devil's Truth Series contains examples of:

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Cordelia when Belial tells that her [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E19Choices 'this conversation is restricted to people who actually have a future']] comment was so cold and cruel that it even impressed a devil

[[Fanfic/TheDevilsTruthSeries The Devil's Truth Series]] tells the story of what happens when a BigBad with enough knowledge and power forces the Scoobies to face their secrets - ''all'' of their secrets - and what comes after.

!!Fanfic/TheDevilsTruthSeries contains examples of:

* TheGodsMustBeLazy: Adverted, the PowersThatBe don't intervene because doing so would destroy the Earth

-->'''Angel''': I should kill you. Not for me. If you'd told Buffy, maybe she could have kept me away from Acathla long enough so that I wouldn't have had to go to Hell. Maybe I wouldn't have been tortured for more than six thousand years. We'll never know, will we? But that's a maybe. And maybe she would have let her guard down just far enough for Angelus to kill her. He was ready to, you know. So who knows? Maybe you even did the right thing, wrong reasons and all. And I don't care if you hate me, either. You're a petty, spiteful little boy who can't deal with someone intruding on what you perceive to be your territory. I think Oz will agree with me on that. No, the reason I want pry your ribcage open and eat your heart right now is how you treated Buffy. Angelus returns, and what do you do? Gloat and browbeat her to kill me—him. You'd always wanted me dead, and you finally had an excuse. No sympathy for what she's feeling. Your hatred for me crowded that out. When she finally does kill me, she runs away. Weaker souls have been driven to suicide by what she went through, but do you care? No. All you cared about was how she 'ruined your life' by leaving for a summer that she would have spent with her father anyway. Who would she have talked with about her grief if she'd stayed, huh? Giles or Willow, who I—Angelus—hurt? Or you, who would have been gloating? Maybe you—" he pointed across the room, at Joyce. "After you let her back in the house?" Joyce raised a hand to her mouth and started trembling. Fresh tears started in her already red eyes. Angel turned back to Xander. "Or maybe the nice police who interrogated her for murder? She gets back, and you know she had to kill the man she loves, you don't care, because that man was me. You never stopped berating her and rubbing her face in all the harm that I—he—did, until you found out what it was like to not be forgiven. Congratulations, Xander. Angelus would have admired your cruelty.