Fighter
Season 8, episode 22.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
“You have to end it,” Blue said weakly. “The war. You have to push them back once and for all.”
“What? All the demons? That’s impossible.”
“You have to. No source - no new slayers. You have to end it now.”
“I can’t,” Buffy whispered. “I- we’re not nearly strong enough.”
Blue shook her head and reached out to stroke Buffy’s face. “You think you know- what you are- what’s to come. You haven’t even begun.”
“What does that mean?” Buffy yelled. “I am so fucking tired of this. What am I? What’s to come?”
Blue smiled up at her for a moment, then her smile faded and her eyes went blank. (8.19)
“So, we can do the counter spell?” Buffy said. “We have that kind of power.”
“Yes, it’s a simple incantation and a sacrifice. I’ll take care of everything,” Giles said. “You need to get the girls ready to defend the world when the hellmouths open.”
“If,” Dawn countered.
“When,” Buffy replied. “They’ll be ready, but I need the counter spell to be fast. They won’t be able to hold out against all the hordes of hell for long.”
Giles looked her in the eye. “I know.” (8.20)
“Her power is still in the cave? Like soapy residue?” Faith asked.
“Most likely,” Anya said.
“Ok, so great. Can we harness it?” Spike asked.
Willow sat back in her chair, a little dejected. “She was a demon,” she said sadly. “I’ve only heard of this sort of transfer working between two witches, using human power.”
“But I’m part of her, right?” Buffy said. “All the slayers are. We already have the same power.”
Anya shook her head. “No, not to the same degree. That kind of power transfer, the heightened perception, it would blow your brain like a tomato in a microwave. It was a stupid idea.”
Buffy winced at the imagery. “Ok, so other ideas.” (8.20)
“I think Giles misinterpreted something,” Dawn said, as she came up beside Buffy. “There’s a term in this scroll, see, ‘tantir.’”
“Yeah,” Buffy said without breaking stride. She hated it when Dawn did her freaky language thing, she always felt like the slow kid in class, the one all the other kids pitied.
“It can mean sacrifice in general, any animal, but at the time this was written it would have meant human specifically.”
Buffy halted and nodded as she took in the information. Her faced clouded over for a few moments, then cleared into an expression Dawn knew all too well.
“It can’t be you,” Dawn said.
Buffy turned to look at her. “Who should we sacrifice instead?”
“We’ll find another way.”
“We have another way. We stop him before he makes his sacrifice. But if he does – I have to Dawnie.” (8.20)
“Hey, Nibblet.”
Dawn turned to face Spike. “Hey,” she said hollowly.
“So, is it just a human sacrifice that’s needed? Or could any souled creature do?”
Dawn looked at him for a moment. She didn’t want him to die. He was her friend. There was a time when he was her only friend. But she’d give anything to keep Buffy. “It’s any souled creature,” she replied.
Spike nodded. “I assume we’re in agreement.”
Dawn nodded.
“And she can’t know we spoke.”
Dawn nodded again. (8.20)
Buffy stood in front of the girls for a few moments. She had a vague notion that she should say something inspiring. ‘Don’t die,’ leapt to mind, but she was pretty sure they were already on board with that sentiment.
“Um,” Buffy finally began. “I know there’s a lot of speculation about my love life.”
Faith eyed Buffy. She hoped Buffy was going somewhere with this, but it seemed equally plausible that she’d finally cracked under the pressure.
A few of the girls looked at each other awkwardly. It was true that they’d spent an inordinate amount of time gossiping about her vampiric predilection. A few were still convinced that she would end up with Angel, while others squeed quietly whenever she and Spike walked into the room together. Perhaps not the most respectful way to speak of your general, but was she really gonna take this time of all times to lecture them?
“People expend a lot of effort debating which is my soul mate: Spike or Angel. Some even make a case for Riley,” Buffy continued. “And they’re all wrong. The great love of my life is you,” she said, turning to survey the room. “Seeing you grow into the warriors who stand before me has been an honor and a privilege and I don’t have words to tell you how proud I am.”
A couple of the girls stepped forward and opened their mouths to say something, but she waved them away and looked down at her feet. “Let’s not make me cry, ok? Go on, you’ll miss your portals.”
Buffy stepped back and stood with Faith, Vi, Rona and Caridad and watched their armies walk through the shimmering doors.
“So, this is it,” Rona said.
Buffy feared that if she tried to speak she’d cry so she just nodded.
Rona reached out and hugged her. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’re ready.”
“Right,” Buffy choked. “Call me when you get there. And if you need any help planning your defense, call us.”
“Yes mommy,” Vi replied as she turned to walk through the nearest portal.
Faith and Buffy and watched the doors close up after the girls, leaving one still hovering in the lobby.
“I guess this is it,” Faith said.
Buffy turned to Faith and nodded. “Seems wrong, us being split up for the final battle.”
“I know,” Faith replied. “’Slike splittin up the Olsen twins.”
“Yes, exactly like that,” Buffy replied.
“Seriously-“ Faith began.
“Let’s not do a big thing,” Buffy said. “Let’s just get this done, then find a seedy bar and gossip about our boy toys over jello shots.”
Faith laughed slightly. “I was gonna go into this whole thing about how you made me a better person, but now I’m thinking it’s me who saved you.”
“Definitely,” Buffy said. “Now go before your portal closes. And look after Xander.”
Buffy walked swiftly into the library and surveyed her group. “Alright,” she said. “We have one objective- get to the sacred space before Cemtaur does. We’ve triangulated the location of the clearing. The first team will head out, while the rest stay here and set up the defensive perimeter. Any questions?” Buffy asked. No one spoke up so she continued, “Excellent, let’s get this apocalypse started.”
While the army began to disperse, Spike pulled Buffy aside and whispered, “What the hell is she doing here?”
“Who?” Buffy asked.
Spike gestured over toward Dana, but avoided making eye contact.
“She lives here,” Buffy replied, patronizingly.
“Yes, in her little room with the locks and the steel door and the unbreakable window. I like her in her little room.”
“She’s part of the army. She’s coming with us. You two are going to help set up the perimeter while Dawn, Giles and I find the clearing.”
“But she’s-“
“She won’t hurt you.”
Spike glanced at Dana. He was beginning to think maybe Buffy was right. Dana certainly appeared harmless enough, until she looked up and shot back a look of pure hatred. Spike moved to stand behind Buffy and whispered, “Like hell she won’t.”
“Don’t be a baby,” Buffy said as she loaded her pack onto her back and kissed him on the check. “I love you,” she said, hoping that the undertone of goodbye wasn’t too obvious.
Spike turned and kissed her temple. “I love you too,” he replied. He didn’t bother keeping the goodbye out of his voice, knowing full well that Buffy was too preoccupied to notice.
Having faced death once, Anya was fairly calm at the thought of another apocalypse. She would fight and maybe she’d die- Just how things were. She did have one regret though, she never finished reading the Series of Unfortunate Events books, finally some human literature she could get behind. Actually, when she thought about it, there was a lot she’d never done. A thousand plus years and there was still so much she’d missed.
“I think after the apocalypse I’ll go to Tahiti,” she said.
Fred looked up from restringing her crossbow. “Can I come?”
Anya looked up, a bit startled. Truth be told, she hadn’t even been aware that Fred was standing beside her and she was starting to seriously regret her lack of awareness. Not that going to Tahiti with Gidgit would be horrible, she could think of worse things. Like having your heart ripped out by a Grimslaw demon or reading another of those Left Behind books. It wasn’t that she hated Fred. It was just that she was so giggly and shoulder shrugging and cheerful and – cute. Like a bunny… on crack.
“Why don’t you go with Willow?” Anya asked.
“We broke up,” Fred replied quietly.
‘Aw hell,’ Anya thought. “Well, then… great. I’ll buy the tickets.”
Fred brightened. “Thank you. We’re gonna have so much fun.”
“Or, maybe we’ll die in the apocalypse,” Anya replied cheerfully.
“So, on the eve of your last battle, are there any thoughts you’d like to leave to posterity?” Andrew asked, thrusting the tape recorder into Buffy’s face.
Buffy jerked back and scowled at Andrew. “I thought I told you to stop that.”
“Actually, you told me you’d bash the video camera into my head. But this- is not a video camera.”
“And how do you think it would feel if I shoved the tape recorder up-“
“You wouldn’t do that,” Andrew replied, confidently. “You’re good now.”
“I was always good.”
“Sure.”
“I was.”
“You were snippy.”
“It was the apocalypse.”
“You’re handling this one fine,” Andrew said, surreptitiously pressing the record button.
Buffy considered his assessment. “This one’s easier.”
“This one involves multiple hellmouths and the phrase ‘demon hordes.’”
“But I’m not alone,” Buffy replied.
Xander wanted to talk to Faith, it might be their last chance after all, but he wasn’t entirely sure what to use as an opener and she seemed preoccupied with her map of the fortifications so he stood silently by, awaiting his orders.
“I could die,” Faith said suddenly and looked up from her map.
Not the opener he would have gone with, but ok. “I know,” Xander replied, taking a step closer. From the look on her face, he could tell that this was something of a new revelation for her. There wasn’t really anything to say that would be remotely comforting so he said, “So, what’s it gonna be? Cremation or funeral?”
Faith smiled and looked down, the terror of her sudden revelation gone. “Funeral, thanks.”
“Really? You strike me as an ashes flowing free in the wind girl.”
Faith shrugged and stepped closer to wrap her arms around him. “What can I say? I’m getting more grounded.”
Xander smiled at her for a moment, memorizing her face. It was a maudlin thing to do, but he couldn’t help himself. “So, what’s my job?” he finally asked. “Please say something that involves watching your back,” he said, playfully slapping her ass.
“Cute,” Faith replied. “But no. You are Mr. Fix it – or rather Mr. Demolish it and create a blockade,” she said, handing him a set of keys.
“Wasn’t that a Vin Diesel movie?”
“Turn around.”
Xander slowly turned and saw a small fleet of construction trucks. Wrecking ball, scoopy thing that he really should have known the name of, everything a boy could hope for. “They’re beautiful,” he whispered.
“But not more beautiful than me,” Faith replied.
“I don’t know,” Xander answered. “Can you take down a three story building in twenty minutes?”
“Depends on how pissed I am,” Faith replied, slapping his ass. “Go play with your toys.”
“So,” Spike said as he helped Dana drag a sawhorse into place. “Remember that time you drugged me and cut my arms off? Good times.”
“Yeah, that was fun,” Dana replied, her voice almost cheerful.
“You are one creepy girl,” Spike muttered.
“I know,” Dana answered and for a moment he thought she was agreeing with him, but she continued, “She doesn’t know. Not really. But I know who you are, what you’ve done.”
Spike look at her for a moment, wondering what it would be like to remember his kills from the victims’ perspectives. “I’m different now,” he replied.
“Then why do you wear that?” she said, gesturing toward the coat.
Spike shrugged. “It’s mine. Doesn’t matter where it came from.”
“You’re so deluded.”
“You know- I think I liked you better when you were less lucid.”
“And I liked you better without arms.”
“So,” Dawn said, a little out of breath from trudging up the hillside. “Shouldn’t we have brought Willow?”
“Won’t be necessary,” Giles replied. “The spell is quite simple, for the key. Her talents are better used elsewhere.”
Buffy wanted to believe him, but there was a lingering fear at the base of her skull. There was something else going on with him. ‘Am I this irritating when I do my distant, disconnected thing?’ she thought. ‘No wonder I couldn’t keep a boyfriend.’ As soon as the thoughts took form, she regretted them. She should have been concentrating on happy thoughts. Good thoughts. She wracked her brain for something suitably deep and joyful to think about in her last moments on earth but all that came was – ‘I don’t want to die. My life is a mess but it’s mine and I want it. I want it. I want it…”
“Well, we’re looking all fortified,” Spike said, keeping a sizeable distance between himself and Dana. She was holding a saw- never good. “Best be checkin’ up with Buffy. You um, hold down the fort.”
Dana nodded. “Sure thing,” she said and started cleaning her saw.
Spike watched her for a moment before saying, “Dana, one thing.”
“What?”
Spike took off his coat and held it out.
“Are you taunting me?” she asked, incensed.
“What? No, I’m offering an olive branch. Or a leather branch - whatever”
Dana eyed him suspiciously and reached out for the coat. It was heavier than she expected and softer. She looked at him again. He nodded.
Dana pulled it in and hugged it to her chest. “Thanks,” she said quietly.
“No worries. Didn’t need it anyway.”
Dana hesitated a moment, then slipped it on. It felt wonderful, warm and comforting. She ran her hands over the leather, feeling it with her own skin for the first time, then looked up at Spike. Her eyes were still a little guarded but she smiled briefly before she turned and walked away.
Spike watched her go. “Don’t need the coat,” he whispered as she walked away. “I am not my coat. I am more than my coat…. I feel naked.”
Buffy, Giles and Dawn approached the clearing slowly. In the middle a stone circle had been set out. And inside the circle was a body.
“Shit,” Buffy said as she made out the form. “Is that the sacrifice? Are we too late?”
Before Giles could answer a figure moved out of the shadows and stepped into the circle.
“Stop,” Buffy cried, cringing at the lameness. Just yell stop, they’ll drop what they’re doing. Works every time. As she silently berated herself, she and ran forward, but she wasn’t fast enough. Cemtaur was slicing through the sacrifice’s neck before she was halfway to the clearing. As the life drained from the sacrifice, the air filled with screams and Buffy halted in her tracks. ‘This is it,’ she thought. ‘I failed. And now it’s over. God, I don’t want it to be over.’
As the screams faded Cemtaur smiled at her and said, “You really are pathetic,” before he disappeared.
‘And on that note,’ Buffy thought as she whirled around to face Giles and Dawn and say her last goodbyes. “Dawn,” Buffy said. “I’m sorry but-“
“No,” Dawn said, knowing that she couldn’t convince Buffy not to sacrifice herself, but hoping she could stall until Spike showed.
She was trying to think of something long and involving to say when she caught sight of a figure behind Buffy, moving into the clearing. She tried to stay focused on Buffy so she wouldn’t turn around, but Dawn couldn’t keep the millisecond of recognition off her face.
Buffy slowly turned to see Giles standing in the circle.
Behind them Spike ran up and halted at the sight of Giles. This was unexpected. He’d been ready to sucker punch Buffy, tie her up. He even had a mild tranquilizer in his pocket. But Giles-
But this was familiar territory for Buffy. She knew exactly what to do. She strode up to Giles, pulled back her fist and swung. But Giles was ready. He ducked out of range and smiled. “Not this time,” he said quietly. For a moment Buffy was arrested by the look in his eyes. Writers always went on about love shining through people’s eyes. It was a horrible cliché. But there it was. Right there in front of her.
“Giles,” she said, her voice hitching.
“I love you,” he replied and turned to Spike. “Get them out of here,” he commanded as he raised his gun.
The action finally jarred Buffy out of her daze. “No!” she shouted and reached out to grab the gun.
Spike lunged after her, caught her arms and spun her away from Giles.
“Let me go!” she hollered.
“No, we’re leaving,” Spike said, holding her tight and struggling to walk away. “Nibblet, turn around.”
Dawn dutifully turned away from the clearing. She was too numb from fear and grief and the dizzying array of crap choices laid out before them. For her, it was a relief to be commanded to look away, but Buffy frantically clawed at Spike, trying to break free.
“No, pet, please,” Spike said. “Don’t look.”
But she couldn’t just turn away. She had to try. She finally managed to loosen Spike’s grip enough to turn her head around in time to see Giles’ smiling face go slack as the bullet passed through his brain. And she continued to watch as he fell to his knees and crumpled on his side.
And she screamed.
Fred was glad she was with Buffy’s group. She felt safer with Buffy than with any of the other leaders, but most importantly it meant she was nowhere near Willow. Which was good, cause they had broken up. And that was for the best. It occurred to Fred as she was sorting weapons, that if it was really so right – she probably wouldn’t have to tell herself how ‘for the best’ it was every ten seconds.
Suddenly, two hundred yards in front of her the cement ripped open and demons began to stream out. She stared at them for a few moments. “We’re all gonna die,” she whispered. And suddenly the question of where she felt safest and why Willow had fallen for her seemed immaterial. “Right,” she said. “I got out of Pylea, I can rig up a little portal, easy.”
“Buffy! Buffy!”
The cry started distant and hollow, as if inside a cave, but it grew louder and clearer, finally becoming sharp stabs inside her brain. Buffy lifted her head off of Spike’s shoulder and looked around before realizing it was Willow speaking to her telepathically.
“What?” Buffy murmured.
“Where are you?” Willow yelled. “The hellmouths are open. What the hell happened?”
Buffy looked around the clearing and saw Dawn standing next to Giles’ corpse, reading from her book.
“Dawn’s on it,” Buffy replied.
“Well she better be on it quick,” Willow replied. “It’s so much worse then we thought. We’re getting killed out here.” Willow punctuated the last word with brief flashes of the front line. The demons were far more numerous and powerful then Buffy’d imagined. She liked to think that throwing herself into the fray would help turn the tide, but as she watched the images of girls being beaten and killed, she knew they’d need a much more powerful weapon.
“Willow!” Fred cried. “Anybody!” Her portal hadn’t been the most precise thing ever and somehow she’d ended up on the battle side of the line of defense. She did her best to hack through the demons, but she couldn’t even tell which direction she should be heading. She was whirling around, trying to get her bearings when she suddenly realized she was surrounded.
“Anya!” Buffy cried as she ran up to her.
Anya swung in a wide arch, knocking back the demons around her, before turning to Buffy. “Have you been crying?” she asked.
Buffy shook her head. “Later. I need you to do the transfer thing,” Buffy said as she grabbed Anya’s arm and pulled her away from the fray.
“What?” Anya replied.
“We’re losing,” Buffy said forcefully. “Do it.”
Anya pulled her arm out of Buffy’s grip. “No, it’ll kill you.”
“No it won’t,” Buffy replied. “Probably. Doesn’t matter. We don’t have a lot of options.”
Willow was dealing out blows as fast as she could, but there were too many demons and too little power. Well, there was plenty of power. It surged all around her. It seeped out of the demons like sweat. She had only to reach out and… become a killer. Willow resisted the temptation and went back to concentrating on the good magiks. Otherwise known as the wussy magiks.
She had almost succeeding in pushing back a battalion of fyarl demons when she heard Fred scream in the distance. Willow turned around to see Fred a hundred feet away. She’d been disarmed and she was beset on all sides. Willow quickly calculated the distance. She’d never get there in time, not before they ripped her apart.
Time slowed as Willow watched Fred struggle helplessly against the demons. And without making a conscious decision, her arm reached out and pulled the power of a hundred demons into her body, into her mind. And she was no longer Willow. She was rage.
Willow was at Fred’s side in an instant, reaching out to send pieces of rubble through the heads of the demons around them.
“Willow?” Fred whispered from her place at Willow’s feet.
Willow turned to look down at her. Her eyes were blank. She could feel the rage boil up inside of her. It rose up and reached for her soul.
“Willow, it’s me,” Fred said. “Listen to me- We’re not monsters anymore. Remember?”
Willow looked at her. It took a few moments for her to recognize Fred and make sense of her words but slowly it sank in and the rage stopped. It didn’t retreat. It just stopped.
Fred watched as Willow smiled slightly. At first it was creepy, that happy face with those inky eyes, but behind the black pools was Willow, just Willow.
Willow turned away from Fred and faced the demons. They instinctually recoiled from the power crackling off of her. But they weren’t quick enough. Willow shot out her hands and wrapped bolts of electricity around their bodies and squeezed.
Anya followed Buffy through the portal, into Blue’s cave.
“I’m not even sure I can do this,” she said. “We need Willow.”
“There’s no time,” Buffy replied. “You turned a guy into a troll- you can do this.”
Anya nodded decisively. “Right. I can do this.”
Dawn could feel the words falling into place. It was exactly like a key turning the tumbler in a lock. As she spoke the dead bolt slowly pushed into place, just as she’d imagined it would. What she hadn’t anticipated was the way it pushed everything in its path. Anything between her and the hellmouths was being pushed toward the hellmouths, but the bolt was selective. Humans were left behind while the demons were pushed away. The weaker ones were already tumbling backward into the hellmouths.
As Anya completed the words of the spell, Buffy became aware of a distant clang of swords. She turned to look at the portal, but nothing had changed. The sound grew louder and suddenly a blade sliced through her shoulder. Buffy whirled around but there was no one else.
“What the fuck?” she whispered. Another blow landed, this time square in the stomach and accompanied by an image of a demon she’d never seen before.
“Um, Buffy?” Anya asked. “Your brain didn’t in any way… liquefy, did it?”
Buffy could barely form thoughts, much less process Anya’s question. The experiences of all the other slayers were assaulting her, which wouldn’t be so bad if they were having a tea party. But, alas, no.
As she stood in the cave, experiencing the battle from every single perspective, a rage grew within her.
Buffy strode out of the cave, and back onto the battlefield. As she ran toward the fighting, she slowly got better at blocking the pain. She ran more swiftly than she ever had before. Her feet moved as if not pushed by her own will alone, but by the will of all the slayers who came before. She lashed out at the nearest demons, quickly decapitating them and leaving their corpses behind her. Her body responded more quickly and with more force then she had ever felt.
But the most amazing thing was that she pushed back against the demons not only with her own body, but with the arms and legs of every slayer. Her rage and expertise made their blows sharper, and more precisely aimed. Within seconds the slayers were gaining the upper hand.
Halfway across Europe, Faith felt the change immediately. It was like having her body and mind taken over without losing her sense of self.
Beside her, Xander looked on anxiously. “What? Is something wrong?”
Faith smiled, ripped a rebar out of the cement beside her and launched it through the eye of a demon fifty feet away. “Five by,” Faith replied.
Dawn was nearing the end of the spell- just a few moments and she’d be done, Cemtaur could feel it. He could feel the power of her words, driving him out. It took every counter spell, every bit of strength he had, but he held on and pushed into the clearing.
“Hello, dear heart,” he said through gritted teeth.
Dawn’s whole body ceased up at the sound of his voice and the memory of her pain. The words choked in her throat, but she continued to force them out.
“Brave little girl,” Cemtaur said as he raised his hands to rip apart her nerve endings. Dawn arched backwards and collapsed onto the floor. As soon as she stopped speaking, the force of the spell ceased.
At the hellmouths, the demons were immediately aware that things had changed, and started pushing back more forcefully.
Cemtaur walked up to Dawn and stood over her, smiling. She was in so much pain that she was babbling incoherently. “What fools the monks were to put an instrument so powerful in a vessel so-“ his words cut off suddenly as a strong wind rose up at his back. Cemtaur whirled around to see a portal directly behind him. He turned back to Dawn, his eyes wide with horror.
“I’m stronger than you could imagine,” Dawn replied through gritted teeth. “The walls between dimensions bend to my will.”
“No,” Cemtaur cried, reaching out comically, trying to find purchase on this realm.
“Don’t worry. I picked a really good one- just for you,” she said with a smile as he was pulled into the tear.
Buffy tore through the line of demons, killing some and thrusting others toward the hellmouths. They were all around her now, some still pushing out of the hellmouths, others being pushed toward them by Dawn’s spell. It was chaos, but they were managing, barely. Until the dragon arrived.
Buffy was already exhausted from taking not only the blows directed at her, but the blows that all the rest of the girls were weathering. A flying, taloned beast from myth was just too much. “No,” she said simply. “You go now.”
The dragon was not impressed by her authoritative tone. Instead of retreating, he started swooping toward her head. Buffy stood her ground and waited. His wings were beating hard, throwing up dirt and debris all around them. Through the whirlwind Buffy could see the demons being beaten back. Dawn’s spell had picked up again and the girls had them on the run.
But there wasn’t time for joy. She had to concentrate on the dragon hurling toward her. She tried to dodge, but she was too exhausted. She moved just a millisecond too slow and its claws ripped into her shoulder and sent her sprawling face first. Buffy hit the ground hard and quickly spun around to face the dragon who pulled back to make another lung at her. Buffy wanted to get up and run, but she fought down her fear and waited.
The dragon lunged again, this time Buffy was ready. She rolled out of the way just as one clawed foot smashed into the ground she had occupied. The dragon screamed in pain while Buffy kipped up and sliced through its neck with the scythe. It screamed again and began to flail about. Buffy stepped back and watched as its movements grew less frantic and it finally fell into a heap, then she followed suit.
‘It’s over,’ she thought as she sank down. ‘It’s finally over.’
Her body melted into the rocks beneath her and the muscles in her arms finally relaxed. She could still see the battlefield behind her closed eyelids. Her vision flitted back and forth between the slayers’ perspectives.
Suddenly, Blue’s face replaced the battle slide show. It was almost as if she was lying on the ground next to Buffy. “Hello,” Buffy said with a smile.
“You did good,” Blue replied.
“Yes,” Buffy agreed. “Hard- but did it.”
Blue smiled and reached out toward her. Buffy could swear she could feel Blue’s fingers brushing through her hair.
“This is what I am, what’s to come, what is,” Buffy murmured, her voice trailing off.
“Yes,” Blue agreed. “This is why I chose you. This was your destiny.”
“And now?” Buffy asked, groggily.
“Now, you’re destiny free.”
Buffy giggled but the look that clouded Blue’s face killed Buffy’s joy right at the source.
“There’s just one more battle,” Blue said and disappeared. In place of Blue’s image, Buffy found herself focused on Spike. He was in game face, contorted in pain. He was holding on to a tree, but it was clear he was loosing his grip.
Buffy shoved off the ground and took off stumbling toward the far side of the battlefield. She gained speed and coordination as she went. All around her the demons were toppling backward, pushed toward the nearest portal. They clawed at anything they could but it was no use. The slayers had only to hack at their arms to get them to let go.
Buffy sprinted past all of it, focused entirely on Spike’s form growing larger and clearer in the distance. At first she thought he was being attacked, but the demon she saw wasn’t attacking him- it was being pulled from him. Spike was holding back, trying to keep from being pulled along, but it was no use. The spell was too strong. Before Buffy could reach him he was flying through the air.
“NO,” Buffy screamed and took off after him.
Willow’s power drained from her as the demons were pushed away. The last of it dissipated and she fell limply to the ground. She was slumped over, taking several deep breaths, trying to center herself, when a shadow passed over her. She looked up to see a Fryarl demon standing over her, clearly struggling to stay out of the portal.
“Hi,” she said, crawling backward.
The Fyarl growled in response. He reached out to swipe across her face. She pulled back, but he still caught her, leaving three red lines across her face.
“No magic. No magic,” she said as she crawled back. “But that’s ok. I’ve got other skills. I can run.” Willow turned and tried to get up but the demon grabbed her arm and threw her down.
Willow crawled backward while the demon loomed over her and reached out to slice at her throat. She quickly calculated the speed and trajectory and realized that the claws were coming at her faster than she could avoid, there was nothing to do but hope for a quick death.
But, then, all of a sudden his arm stopped and he jerked back.
“What the hell?” Willow said as she struggled to stand up.
The Fyarl turned around to reveal Kennedy holding him up by the back of the neck. She tossed the demon away and readied herself for his next attack.
He got up and lunged at her, just as Dawn completed the spell. Suddenly the Fyarl was pulled forward toward the portal, taking Kennedy along with him. Willow reached out to grab her, but she couldn’t reach. Willow could do nothing but watched in horror as Kennedy and the demon were swept into the portal.
“Nooo!” Willow cried. She tried frantically to remember a portal spell, but it was no good. Even if she could think of it, nothing would counter act Dawn’s seal. Willow watched helplessly as Kennedy’s hand was pulled into the closing portal.
Spike looked back at Buffy as he was hurled toward the hellmouth. He tried to warn her back but the air was rushing by too quickly. He couldn’t move his arms or speak.
If Buffy noticed his warning, she didn’t heed it. She caught up with him in a few strides, grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to her. He pushed her away, tried to hit her, knock her out, but he couldn’t get his arm free.
Buffy wrapped her arms around him and put herself between Spike and the portal. Spike tried to struggle free but Buffy held onto him and reached out to grasp a tree branch. Spike roared in pain as his being was ripped in two. All around them demons were being pulled back into their realms. Suddenly Spike vamped and his demon began to pull out of him again. The rest of the army watched in horror as the demon suddenly ripped out of Spike, passed through Buffy, and catapulted into the portal.
As the portal slowly closed and the hurricane stopped, Buffy looked down at Spike, hanging limply in her arms.
“Spike?” she whispered.
He didn’t move.
Her grip loosened and she lowered him to the ground.
Willow was still staring at the space where the hellmouth had closed when Fred hobbled up beside her. “Hey,” Fred whispered.
Willow turned to her. Her eyes were back to normal, but they were still hollow. “You were amazing,” Fred said.
“Not amazing enough,” Willow replied, looking back toward the hellmouth.
“You saved me,” Fred offered.
Willow turned to Fred once more. “Things were awful today,” she said. “So many people died. But-“
“What?”
“I think for the first time in a long time- I know who I am. I know all of me. And I know that I love you.”
Fred grinned. “I love you too.”
“So we’re not breaking up?”
“No,” Fred replied.
“Good, I was worried you’d already gotten over me- moved on.”
“Not possible,” Fred replied, taking Willow’s hand to lead her away from the battlefield. “Just have to find someone else to got to Tahiti with Anya and I’m free as a bird… who doesn’t live in a zoo… or have its wings clipped.”
“Wait,” Willow said, following after her. “Anya? You and Anya?”
“We are awesome,” Faith said as she came up beside Buffy.
Buffy didn’t reply.
“What’s the damage on your side?” Faith asked before she looked down. “Hey, lazy bones,” she said, gently kicking Spike. “He got knocked out?”
“He’s dead,” Dawn said from a little ways back.
Faith was shocked to silence for a moment. “Wait,” she finally said. “He’s a vamp. He’s not dust, he’s not dead.”
“The demon’s gone,” Dawn explained.
“Shit,” Faith said, turning to Buffy, who’d taken a step backward.
Buffy sank to her knees. “I don’t want to- I can’t-” she blubbered.
Dawn sat down next to her. “Hey, it’s ok. You’re going to be fine. Come on, let’s go.”
Faith and Dawn pulled Buffy up and started walking back toward the group.
Spike’s body was collapsing inward. The pain was awful, but it was nothing compared to the panic. His chest got tighter and tighter until he was about to pass out when instinct forced his mouth open to suck a great gulp of air into his lungs. His eyes flew open and wildly darted around as his breathing went from erratic, to almost normal. His focus finally rested on Buffy, just a few feet away. She was stumbling away from him, leaning heavily on Dawn.
“I do this noble self sacrifice thing and you just walk away,” he muttered. “Typical.”
Buffy halted, but hesitated to turn around. What if it wasn’t true? What if she was imagining his voice?
Spike struggled to stand up. “You could have at least wept over my fallen body.”
Buffy turned around and gazed at him for a moment before throwing herself at him with enough force to knock him back against the tree.
Spike wrapped his arms around her and said, “See, that’s all I wanted. Just-”
But before he could finish his thought, Buffy pulled back quickly and pointed at his chest. “You’re beating,” she said, stumbling backwards a bit.
Spike looked at her quizzically. “My death drove you mad? Well, I guess we’re even.”
Buffy took two quick steps forward, put her fingers against Spike’s neck and said, “Pulse.”
Spike’s face went ashen as he reached his hand up to his other artery. “Shit.”
Buffy laid her head against his chest and listened. She was so drained she couldn’t even think.
“Buffy?” Xander asked as he walked up to them.
Buffy turned her face toward him, but kept her ear firmly pressed against Spike’s chest. “Beating,” she said.
“I don’t think this is an appropriate place to play doctor. There are children present,” he said, gesturing toward Dawn. “Ok, wait. Beating?”
“Spike’s alive,” Faith explained.
“Seriously? Did we know about this?” Xander asked.
“No, it shouldn’t have happened. He should have been pulled into the portal with the rest of the vampires,” Dawn said.
“Why wasn’t he?”
“Buffy wouldn’t let me go,” Spike replied with a smile.
Epilogue
And for five hundred years the world went on. There were girls with the potential, girls who were fighters, but they were never called. Their power was never unleashed. They were content to fight other battles, less demonic foes….
Until he was born.
He: the one who would lead them. The one whose potential for evil was greater than could be imagined. But along with the monster- came a savior.
There are none among us who can say how or why five hundred years after the source was killed and the demons were expelled, a slayer was born. Perhaps it was another group of frightened men, another demon’s heart harvested and bestowed. But I like to think her power came from another source- the collective will of those who came before. Don’t laugh. It’s not so far fetched. For what power, what law, what logic, would dare defy the slayers?