“Spike.” Auron beckoned him over. “Do you know where Yuna’s gone.” Spike sniffed the air.
“That way.” He pointed. Auron walked over to where Tidus was standing. He said something to him and then pushed him towards the exit to their campsite.
“Spike.” Buffy sat on the leafy forest floor, she had finished her dinner and was redoing her hair.
“What’s wrong, love?” Spike asked.
“Oh, nothing, its just, can we walk?”
“Sure, I think I know a place we can go.” He led her out of the campsite, turning right. The path was well lit, light from the moon and the stars shining on the crystal that littered the forest. They walked right past the exit from the woods to High Bridge, a guard had been posted there and was sleeping under a tree.
Scattered throughout the place were large, glowing orange orbs, like giant flowers, emitting a pulsing light.
The soft, blue glow of the forest took away the harshness that existed throughout the day and everything painful and confusing melted away, giving the place a dreamlike quality. Buffy held onto Spikes arm with both hands, her head leaning on him as she walked.
They came out on a ledge above the forest floor, the strange pathway/branches came up from the ledge. Buffy looked past the branch and stifled a gasp. A different kind of pathway shimmered in midair, reaching down to the ledge. It looked as though it had been woven from starlight, it flowed and sparkled, however when they stepped on it, it was perfectly solid.
They followed the path up through the trees, often it crossed directly above or below the other path, however it had no fiends on it. This high in the air the trees seemed to be made of crystal, the giant flower/orbs were larger and surrounded by delicate looking crystals. They followed the path high into the air as it came out over a wide, open part of the forest, the ground was a long way down and the view was spectacular.
“Just a little further, pet.” Spike assured her as she stopped to admire the landscape. They came to another giant flower and the shimmering path turned sharply downhill, they walked through the trees and Spike stopped in front of some branches, he ducked underneath them, Buffy following and led her into the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Spike stepped onto what had looked like a pool, interlaced with roots, however it was as solid as the ground, she walked over several more of these, coming out into a wide, open area. It was dotted with small crystals and a large crystal tree wove it’s way up from the back. Behind it a small, shimmering waterfall fell towards the solid surface which seemed to flow like water beneath the surface.
Buffy sat down on a low branch, Spike came to sit beside her, shivering slightly.
“You’re cold?” She asked, incredulous.
“It’s nothing.” Spike answered, seeking her lips with his, she was happy with this change of topic, but she pulled away a moment later.
“Spike, what is it?”
He sighed, toying with her hair. “Back in Home I was feeding off animal blood but since I left.. Something’s changed, Buffy, I can’t.. I can’t just feed off humans anymore, I know you’d hate it if I did.”
“Oh.” Buffy had all but forgotten that Spike was a vampire. “Spike, you’re stupid.”
Spike was taken aback, he looked slightly hurt.
“You should have said something….” Her face creased into a frown as she searched for a solution. There must be something they could do…all she knew was this vampire, this man meant the world to her, she would do anything for him, if she could. Then she realised she was pretty stupid to, of course there was something she could do… “You can feed off me.” She offered.
Spike was startled, blue eyes widened and he actually stood up. “Buffy..” His voice was filled with emotion. “I couldn’t, not that. I love you, Buffy and I never want to hurt you.”
“Oh, how much could it hurt, I’ve been hacked, slashed and shot at with a big gun, not to mention crispy fried by an Anima laser.” Her slight joking tone diminished, her voice becoming serious. “Spike, you need to do this, a vampire without blood is like.. A thing without.. another thing that the first thing needs or it won’t be a thing..” he shook her head, impatient with herself. “Oh, you know..”
She stood up, turning her face up to his. “Spike, do this.. for me.”
He battled within himself. More than anything he wanted to bite her, to feed off her, to feel her become truly part of him. His entire being ached with a longing to be closer to her, an inch away was too much and when they touched it was as though he was pouring himself into her, as though he would fade away to nothing becoming only Buffy, as though she was drinking him dry and he wanted her too. More than that, he needed her to.
“Buffy..” He realised he was sitting back on the branch.
“Spike, no more arguments. Okay.”
He felt his face change, sharp fangs touching his bottom lip.
As he leant towards her she seemed to ache, she realised that she wanted him to bite her, more than anything she wanted it, to feel his lips pressed against her neck, to feel herself falling into him, her heart pounded as though it was trying to escape.
His fingers gently brushed her exposed throat, he could smell her, more intoxicating than any alcohol, more addictive than any drug. He could hear her heart speed up, see the tiny movement of her neck, feel her love for him, speaking louder than any words as it poured from her, consuming him. He gently brushed his fingers across her neck, dipping his head and gently biting. His teeth parted flesh and every sense he owned seemed to reach towards her. Sight, scents, he was deaf to anything that was not Buffy. As he pulled his fangs from her neck he latched on, lips pressed lightly onto her delicate flesh, tongue massaging gently.
She could have remained in that moment forever, she wanted to, everything she had ever known slipped away. She was no longer the slayer, from Sunnydale, brought to Spira and protecting a summoner. She was Buffy and she was Spike’s and the world dropped out from under them, leaving them suspended in a place without time that needed no reason, it just needed to go on.
“Buffy?” A noise broke through into her world, she looked up into Spike’s blue eyes, burning with emotion.
“Are you okay, love?”
“I’m fine, I’m more than fine, I’m.. Spike, never, ever leave me- ever, okay?”
“I never want to leave you, pet.” He pulled the chopsticks from her hair, allowing it to fall freely down her shoulders. He ran his hands through her hair.
“Spike, I never want to go, I want to stay here, always.”
“Right here?
“I can’t get back, I know that, and.. It’s good, I’ve been the slayer, longer than anyone else has, there is nothing for me back home and I just want to be here with you. We could.. If you wanted.. could we.. build a house on the bank of the Moonflow. It’s really- pretty.”
“I know, Buffy. We can, I will. We can do it.”
Buffy suppressed a nervous giggle. “I almost don’t want to finish the pilgrimage in case something happens..”
“Hush, love, nothing will happen, I promise. You’ll get your house on the Moonflow, you’ll get anything you want.”
Buffy smiled, running her fingers down his cheeks. “Right now.. I just want you, Spike.”
…
“Oh.” Yuna walked back into camp, hand in hand with Tidus. “Where are Buffy and Spike?”
“They.. went for a walk.” Lulu answered.
“Should we look for them, perhaps something happened.”
“I think we should give them some time alone.” Lulu answered, fixing Yuna with a pointed look as the summoner let go of Tidus’ hand.
“If they are not back by morning we will search for them then.”
As Spike and Buffy walked past the Bevelle entrance the guard was waking up, the sun was beginning to lighten the sky and Buffy could hear a strange chirping noise in the trees.
As they neared the campsite they heard the sounds of people waking up.
Auron, of course, was awake, surprisingly he didn’t give them a disapproving look as they walked in. Rikku was asleep in a tree high above and Tidus and Yuna were sleeping next to each other near a tree stump.
Buffy looked around, the chirping noise was here too. At this moment Lulu walked into the campsite, clothed and ready to go.
It didn’t take everyone else too much longer to awaken and get ready and in surprisingly little time they were nearing the end of the forest, which led to a place known as the ‘Calm Lands’.
Buffy frowned, finally stopping.
“Is anything wrong?” Lulu asked.
“I keep hearing this chirping noise. It almost sounds like..” Buffy shook her head, she’d lost Kirrel when they fell through the ice, it couldn’t be him.
“Almost sounds like what, pet?” Spike asked.
“Oh, it kinda sounds like this creature I picked up near the Moonflow, I named him Kirrel. But I lost him on the lake..”
At the sound of his name Kirrel chirped again, poking his little white nose out of the bushes. He gave a questioning chirp.
Buffy stared, surprised.
“Kirrel?”
He tentatively walked towards her, stopping to sniff her leg.
“I think it’s him.” Buffy said.
As Spike watched it finished sniffing her and raced up onto her shoulder.
“Can we go yet?” An impatient voice asked. Buffy looked up, startled. She realised they were waiting for her.
“It is a good sign.” Lulu said.
They reached a narrow, rocky ledge leading up to a hill, surrounded by rocks on both sides, they walked up the hill, coming to the top they looked around. A huge, green plain stretched out on both sides, the sea was visible off in the distance and rocks and cliffs jutted out into the sea.
“The calm lands.” Lulu explained. “long ago the high summoners fought Sin here. The road ends here, beyond there are no towns, no villages, only these plains.”
“many summoners stray from their path and lose their way here.” Auron added.
To Buffy’s surprise Yuna collapsed backwards onto the grass, long, flowy arm things spread out beside her, she stared up at the sky, breathing deeply.
“I’ve always known where to go.”
Tidus walked over to her, offering his hand to help her up. “I.. won’t let you die. I’ll find a way, somehow.”
She sat up, staring into his eyes, she took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. They stared out across the plains, stretching for miles below them. Buffy realised that countless numbers of summoners must have walked these plains, must have stood here on this hill and looked down, realising that this was it. This is where it began and ended for them. Silently she swore that she, too would put an end to it for good.