The Times In Between
by Bob Head
Chapter 3
[reviews]
Author: Bob Head
Disclaimer: None of the characters below belong to me. All the BtVS people belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox. I'm just trying to have fun.
Pairing: Buffy/Willow, of course.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including the Series Finale is possible
Distribution: IKOLY and Wishful Thinking. Anybody else, just ask.
Rating: NC-17, mostly for language, but who knows what might happen.
Feedback: Well, Yeah! frank_8281@yahoo.com
The Times In Between
May 1st 2004, 10:52 am
"Well," Buffy said impatiently, "Are you going to tell me where she is?"
"Tell me about your dream, Buffy." Giles said quietly
So she told him about the dreams and why she thought Willow was in danger. He listened attentively, made the appropriate noises at the right times and occasionally polished his already spotless glasses.
"So, am I just being paranoid because she hasn't called me in all this time or is she really in trouble?" Buffy asked.
Giles sighed and said, "I wish I could say that she's fine but... I don't know."
For an instant Buffy felt like she couldn't breathe. "What do you mean you don't know?"
"A few days ago I received a call from Althenea. According to her, Willow had gone on a pilgrimage to a nearby stone circle and hadn't returned as scheduled."
"And you were gonna tell me this WHEN Giles?" She said angrily.
"I was hoping not to have to tell you at all, I was going to send Faith to look into it but..." He trailed off.
"I heard." Buffy sighed, "Do you know where she went?"
Giles hesitated. "I believe... Um, she may have gone to find Kennedy."
"Dammit," she cursed, "Is that why she and Robin broke up?"
"I um, wouldn't know. Though Faith did keep in contact with her after she left. That may have been a source of friction."
'Figures,' Buffy thought, 'Faith was who she ran to when Will kicked her out. Of course Faith was still ducking the police at the time, hence, the second hotel room breakage.'
"How do I find Will Giles?" she asked out loud.
"Are you sure that you..."
"Giles, I'm going and that's final!" she growled.
"Fine, fine, I should know better than to argue with you." He said reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a file folder.
What's this?" she asked, taking the folder.
"Research on the stone circle Willow was going to visit, a map and aerial photographs of the area." He said while moving to open a locked cabinet on the wall. "If, as your dream suggests, the First Evil is involved, you may also need... this." Drawing the Scythe from it's resting place Giles handed it to Buffy.
(I've always had trouble figuring time differences across datelines. So to simplify things I'm just going to ignore it for now. Of course if someone wants to try and explain it to me... please, e-mail me and I'll fix it later. B.)
May 4th 2004, 5:35 am
'Perfect!' Buffy thought, 'Almost three days of traveling and nobody's here!'
She glanced around the little village square, at the cobblestone streets, the quaint little shops, and the pub across the way. Closed naturally. Then she felt a familiar tingle at the back of her neck and sighed.
"I'm cold, I'm tired and I am so not in the mood, so come on out here and face me like a..." She saw Faith step around the corner, "Slayer."
"Hey B," Faith said with a grin, dropping onto the bench beside her. "You're a hard girl to catch."
"Giles sent you." A statement, not a question
"Yeah," she said, "Got in about three hours after your plane took off. Giles sent me for backup."
"Backup huh." Buffy saw Faith stealing glances back the way she'd come, "You brought her with, didn't you?"
"She's hanging back, thinks you might still want to kick her ass."
Buffy sighed, thinking back to the last time she had seen Willow.
She had cried for nearly an hour with her head in the blonde's lap after Kennedy had run out. During that time Xander had come back and told them that the police had come and gone, satisfied with promises to pay for the damages.
"Uh, Will?" Xander asked. "What happened in your room? I looked in there a minute ago and it was pretty trashed."
This started Willow on a fresh round of crying. Buffy stared daggers at Xander until he said, "I think I'll just head down and get something to eat. You guys use the room as long as you want, I'll... bye!" He fled from the Slayer's glare.
She held Willow until her sobs subsided and then asked, "Will, when do you have to go?"
"Soon." She said, sitting up.
Buffy looked down to hide her own tears. "Oh... do you want me to go to the airport with you?"
"I... I think it'll be easier if you don't." Willow said quietly.
She got up to leave and Buffy caught her hand. "I love you Will."
" I love you too Buffy, but I have to do this."
The redhead had pulled away and left Xander's room. She'd gone to the airport less than thirty minutes later. Buffy hadn't seen her (outside of her dreams anyway) since.
Buffy took a deep breath and looked at Faith. "Where's Kennedy?"
"Around the corner. B, she's really..."
"Kennedy!" Buffy shouted and stood up. "Get your ass out here!"
The girl stepped around the corner looking like she didn't know whether to say 'hi' or run like hell. Buffy strode up to her with a scowl.
"I'm sorry I said those things..."
Buffy cut her off. "Are you here to help Willow?" Kennedy nodded.
"Then we're good." She hugged the younger Slayer and whispered, "But if you hurt Faith, I'll kick your ass."
"I won't. I promise." She said earnestly.
Faith moved up and put her arms around the younger girl, "See, I told ya it'd be okay."
Buffy looked around the square again, " Yeah, everything's great! Except Will is god knows where, in who knows how much danger and the coven member who was supposed to meet me is nowhere in sight!"
"Actually, Miss Summers, I'm right here."
All three Slayers turned to face the voice. They were a little surprised to find a white haired older woman dressed in a tweed suit less than ten feet away.
Faith snapped, "Who are you and how the fuck did you get that close?"
"My name is Althenea. Rupert suggested that I wait to greet you until you were all together and with three Slayers about and all this tension in the air I felt it was prudent to be cautious. So I performed a small glamour to conceal myself until things settled a bit."
Buffy's eyes narrowed, "Do I look settled to you?"
"No my dear, you do not. And no wonder! With you worrying about your mate and all. But come along now, we shall retire to the coven house and discuss how best to retrieve Willow."
8:00 am
It was a big place, surrounded by miles of countryside. When they drove up to the place in the old witch's little car, Buffy had thought to herself, 'I can see why Will came back here. It's beautiful.'
They unloaded their gear from the car and once Althenea had finished introducing them to some of the other coven members, they ate breakfast. Buffy barely managed tea and toast, while Faith and Kennedy showed Althenea one of the perks of having Slayer metabolism.
After breakfast, Althenea, Faith and Kennedy went over the maps and photos of the circle, working out the best approach route. Buffy had fallen into a fitful doze on the overstuffed couch in the coven house common room. As she slipped into a deeper sleep, she began to dream.
Willow walked into the common room, unnoticed, past the others where they were working at the table. The redhead sat next to Buffy and held her hands.
She smiled as she said. "About time you got here slowpoke! I've been sending dreams to you for what seems like forever!"
"You sent me those dreams?" Buffy pouted, "You couldn't have made them a little clearer? Or, at least, less traumatic?"
"I'm sorry Buffy, I couldn't control exactly what you got because of the distance involved, but now that you're closer I can actually enter your dreams! Isn't it nifty?"
The blonde Slayer grumbled, "Yes, so nifty I woke up trying not to scream and wake Dawn."
"I said I was sorry," Willow said with a grin. "Besides, have you forgotten just WHO is the one locked up in a small dank, cell in a cavern underneath the stone circle?"
"No." she said, gently stroking Willow's cheek. " I haven't forgotten how much I've missed you either. Are you okay Will? What happened?"
"Apart from a few bruises, and a lump on my head, I'm fine. And what happened was, I got here and found a cadre of Bringers and Ubervamps had set up camp in this cave under the circle."
"And you tried to take them on yourself?" Buffy made an exasperated noise. "Why didn't you call Giles? Will, you could have been killed!"
"Honestly Buffy, I didn't think that there were more than five or six," the Wiccan sighed, "at least until I got caught and knocked unconscious. Now I know why Giles hates it so much. Anyway, I woke up in this damn cell and I've been here ever since. I've tried to get out but something's blocking most of my magick. I think the Bringers are working some kind of mojo to prevent me from escaping. Oh, and I've missed you too." She said with a smile.
"Do you know what they're up to Willow?"
She nodded, "Oh yeah, the First hasn't exactly been shy about it."
"So it's there?" asked Buffy.
Willow looked thoughtful, "Yes...but something's wrong Buffy. It's only appeared in your form and no one else's. Now in Sunnydale, it changed form almost constantly. Why not here?"
Before Buffy could answer the redhead, the room darkened and went away, leaving the two of them in a flame lit cavern surrounded by at least fifty Bringers and Ubervamps. The Slayer and the Witch instinctively moved closer together as a familiar voice said cheerily, "THERE you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. Imagine how worried I was when the Bringers told me that your body was in your cell but your essence had gone wandering."
A petite blond, identical to Buffy, stepped from the crowd and approached the pair. "Now I find you on the dreamscape, cavorting with her."
"Not yet," said Buffy with her hands on her hips, "but if you'd come a few minutes later..."
An angry look crossed the First's stolen features. "Always joking Slayer, even in the face of Death."
The Slayer shrugged, "Been there, done that, already got the t-shirt."
"But this time she won't be around to resurrect you." The ersatz Buffy gestured and Willow vanished.
The Slayer's fists clenched as she advanced on the First. "Bring her back!" She growled.
"Now Slayer, I only sent her back to her body, but I'm still using her as a conduit to reach you. So unless you want to give 'your' Willow an instant lobotomy, you'll listen quietly."
"What do you want?" Buffy asked angrily.
"Really Slayer, I thought I'd made that clear the last time," sighing as she crossed her arms the First continued. "What I want is the slayer line ended and all of you dead!"
"Old news," the blonde hissed. "What do you want with Willow?"
"I want to use her to undo what you did. You see, by a happy coincidence, well happy for me anyway, one of the side effects of Willow's big lightshow in Sunnydale is that her fate is now linked to the Slayer power. I kill her and the line ends. One by one I hunt down and kill all the Slayers and no more will be Called. Finally, I'll let you live and take you as my trophy, because I'll have already destroyed you by killing Willow."
May 4th2004, 8:30 am
Faith, Kennedy and Althenea were still going over the material Giles had sent when they heard Buffy sobbing in her sleep.
Faith was at Buffy's side in an instant, "Buffy wake up," she said as she gathered the blonde Slayer in her arms, "It's okay B I got you... Shhh... It's okay."
"No Faith, it's not okay," Buffy looked up and despite the tears, Faith had never seen a look of such pure hatred on her sister Slayer's face, "and it's not going to be till the First is finally dead!"
10:23 am
It had taken nearly thirty minutes for Buffy to calm down enough to tell the others what had happened on the dreamscape. Then it took another thirty minutes for Faith and Althenea to convince her not to rush to the rescue and maybe get Willow killed.
"Think about it B!" Faith said, "If all she needs is to kill Red, why hasn't she done it already?"
"I don't know... F!" Faith tensed, whenever Buffy had called her that in the past they had been about to come to blows. "But who knows what the First could be doing to Willow right now!"
"Slayer," Althenea said as she hung up the phone she had been using to speak to Giles.
"What!" Both girls said simultaneously, bringing a smile to the coven leader's lips.
"While you two have been shouting at one another, Rupert and I have come to some conclusions. We believe that if the first were simply planning to kill Willow it would have done so already. Since it hasn't..." She trailed off.
"Then why would she tell me that?" the blonde asked.
"To make you do just what you're doing now." Kennedy spoke up from where she was seated at the table. "Stop thinking and rush to the rescue."
"And charge right into whatever trap it's got planned." Faith crossed her arms and shook her head. "Kenn's right B, and I bet you thought you'd never hear this from me but, we need a plan."
"This from the girl who once chased six vampires into a sewer with a smile and a wave?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, I've grown up a little since then." Faith had a touch of sadness in her voice as she continued; "Course if I'd done it sooner..."
"Don't do that," Kennedy said, moving to Faith's side and taking her hand. "We've HAD this discussion, remember? No more living in the past. Present tense living ONLY."
Faith and Kennedy continued talking quietly while Buffy asked Althenea, "So how do we find out what the First is really up to?"
The coven leader gestured towards the table, still covered with maps and photographs from the earlier planning session. "I'm not sure, but the answer may lie in the research that Rupert sent."
So for the next few hours the three Slayers and their host pored over the files Giles had given Buffy before her departure.
6:02 pm
"Son of a BITCH!" Buffy exclaimed as she threw a sheaf of papers down on the table. "This is getting us nowhere..."
"Wait," Althenea said. "This may be something. According to legend a tribe of Ke'lock demons once made their nests near the circle. Apparently they believed that it would become the gateway for the return of the Old Ones."
"Old Ones?" asked Kennedy.
"The pure demons driven from this plane of existence through the Sunnydale Hellmouth." Althenea explained.
"Wait a minute," Buffy said, confused. "Didn't ALL the Hellmouths collapse at the same time as Sunnydale's?"
"Well, Rupert has a theory. If a place had the potential to become a Hellmouth but was inactive at the time of the collapse it might still be possible, by releasing enough magickal energy, to awaken that potential and create a new Hellmouth."
"Oh shit!" exclaimed Faith. "I saw that somewhere!" she began sifting through the pile of paper in front of her.
"What?" Kennedy asked. "The Hellmouth thing?"
"No... the magick energy thing." She sounded a bit frantic as she finally cried, "Here! Look at this." She passed the pages to Althenea.
As Willow's mentor scanned the papers she muttered to herself, "Hmm, yes... Yes! This could be it."
Buffy couldn't control her impatience any longer. "What?" she cried, "What IS it?"
"Oh! Err... sorry. According to this, in order to release the energy that is inside Willow, she would have to be... well..."
Between gritted teeth Buffy spat "Just SAY it!"
Taking a deep breath, Althenea continued, "She would have to be killed with a magickal tool or implement that she had used in a powerful working or spell."
Buffy looked down at her hands as she asked, "A tool or... a weapon?"
"Yes." She answered.
"It wants the Scythe?" Asked Kennedy.
"Fucking bitch needs to get a new tune." Faith said darkly.
With a venomous scowl, Buffy looked up and said, "She wants it? Let's give it to her."
9:22 pm
The stone circle was only about an hour from the Coven house but preparations for the coming confrontation took almost two hours. After Buffy had explained what she wanted, Althenea was skeptical. Kennedy, even more so. But Faith simply smiled and said, "Damn B, where do you get this shit from?"
"Ten percent inspiration, ninety percent desperation." Buffy deadpanned. Looking at Al, as Faith had nicknamed her, to Althenea's eternal consternation, the blonde Slayer asked, "Can you do it?" The witch nodded in the affirmative and Buffy sighed in relief. "Okay, let's go get Willow."
So weapons were gathered, spells were cast and instructions were given to the Coven. Althenea didn't want them anywhere near the fight but had them preparing a spell to cap a newborn Hellmouth in case Buffy's scheme failed.
Getting into the cavern under the circle looked simple enough. Giles' research had included a diagram and even photographs from an archeological survey done in the late nineties. So they knew the basic layout and where the entrance was. The stone circle itself, only about half the size of Stonehenge, was on a mound in a clearing in the woods. The entrance to the cavern was at the base of the mound on the west side some ten yards from the tree line.
There were two levels. The first was a fairly narrow tunnel and was lined with secondary caves that might have once been sleeping quarters. According to the diagram this let out into the main Cavern. Two ramps led left and right from the tunnel exit to the cavern floor about thirty feet down. The monoliths that made up the circle on the surface extended through the roof of the cavern all the way to the floor. In the center of the cavern was a raised circular area like a dais or stage. Beyond that, opposite the entrance tunnel, was another smaller tunnel that led to a series of small caves. That was where they figured the First was holding Willow. The only real problem they could see was that there was only one way in or out. It sort of limited their options if they had to make a hasty exit.
They had hiked in the last mile or so trying to keep at least some element of surprise on their side. Faith and Kennedy were armed with a large axe apiece, stakes, long Bowie knives and vials filled with Holy Water. In addition Kennedy had an elaborate multi shot hunting crossbow with a telescopic night sight slung at her back. As expected Buffy carried the Scythe, along with a sword sheathed at her back and 'Mr. Pointy' her favorite stake.
As they approached the edge of the clearing the Slayers and the Witch saw their first obstacle, Two Bringers guarding the tunnel entrance. Buffy waved Kennedy forward and tapped the crossbow as she pointed at the guards. The younger brunette nodded, unslung the weapon and took careful aim. Two shots later both Bringers were dead. Even if they hadn't been mute, neither would have had time to raise an alarm.
Quickly crossing the open space, Buffy and Faith concealed the bodies in a patch of brush near the entrance while Kennedy ushered Al into the tunnel. Buffy and Faith took point, checking side caves as they went. Finally they reached the end of the tunnel. Buffy waved the others into the last empty cave to get Althenea set up as she crept to the exit and peeked into the main cave.
She saw a crowd of Turok-Han, maybe forty of them, squabbling and yapping at each other in that weird clicky language of theirs. Nearby was a group of nine Bringers just standing there facing towards the dais. The First Evil and the one person she was hoping to see most were nowhere in sight.
Buffy ducked back into the smaller cave and reported to the others what she'd seen.
"Fewer than we thought then," Faith, whispered.
"Still, more than I'd like to handle one at a time." Kennedy said earning herself a glare from Buffy.
Hence, phase one of the plan." Buffy said, "Al, how's the mojo coming?"
Althenea gave a long-suffering sigh at the blonde's use of the irritating nickname from where she sat cross-legged in a sacred circle drawn in green powder on the cave floor. "Almost ready." She said.
"Faith? You ready to do this?" The blonde Slayer asked.
"As I'll ever be." She replied. "Kenn?"
"I know! I know!" the younger Slayer snapped, then taking a deep breath she continued, "Keep the escape route clear, protect Al and cover you guys." She walked over to Faith and looked into her girlfriends face and said softly. "Have I mentioned just how much I HATE this part of the plan?"
Faith touched Kennedy's arm and said, "We've been over this Kenn. You're the best shot we have with a crossbow. That makes you the one for the job."
"I know," she grumped, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
As she placed the last ingredient in a small cast iron pot Althenea said, "Now ladies."
The Wiccan elder began to chant and Faith and Buffy felt a tingling sensation run over their bodies as their vision blurred just for a second.
Moments later two Bringers emerged from the tunnel into the main cavern, moving smoothly down the ramp to the right. When they reached the floor they began to work their way around toward the entrance to the caves behind the dais. In the cave they had just exited, Kennedy nervously kept watch as Althenea continued her incantation.
In the main cavern, the two paused in their approach to the tunnel entrance as an agitated looking First emerged with a Bringer by her side.
"What is TAKING them so long!" She asked poutily in Buffy's voice. "That lie I fed the Slayer about killing her redheaded slut should have had them charging to the rescue HOURS ago!" The Bringer beside her made a noncommittal gesture.
"No." said the First, "We don't have the resources to just assault the Coven and take what we need. Not anymore, but once I have the Scythe and use it to awaken this Hellmouth to be, energy will be mine in abundance again and that bitch will pay for every day since Sunnydale. Every day that I've spent like THIS!" The First glanced at her harbinger as she approached the dais and stumbled on an irregularity in the floor.
Behind the glamour protecting her and Faith, Buffy's eyes widened as she thought, 'She's not incorporeal anymore!'
Faith gripped Buffy's arm in warning as she shook her head willing her fellow Slayer to stick to the plan.
Nodding as she took a deep breath and one last hate-filled look at the First she thought, 'Your time is sooo running out bitch.' Then followed Faith into the tunnel.
Moving swiftly down the torch lit corridor, the glamour disguised Slayers discovered two doors at the end of it. Buffy moved to the one on the right, touching it lightly.
"She's in here." She whispered.
"How do you know?" Faith asked.
"I just know." She drew back the bolt and stepped through, spinning just in time to catch the rock that Willow was trying to brain her with.
"Willow!" Buffy hissed, "It's me."
Willow stared in confusion at the apparent Harbinger speaking with Buffy's voice. Then the redhead's face slowly lit up with an understanding smile. Buffy couldn't stop grinning.
"Buffy?" The camouflaged Slayer nodded. "Oh god Buffy, I've been so scared!" She all but leapt into Buffy's arms as the blonde began peppering Willow's face with kisses.
"Uh, guys?" Faith whispered, "Come on guys! There's a serious gross out factor watchin' a Bringer kiss Red."
"Oh... sorry Faith." Buffy said apologetically but still couldn't stop grinning or pull herself away from Willow.
"Don't be sorry B, just give her the doohickey and let's get the fuck outta Dodge!" Faith said from her position by the open door.
"Doohickey?" asked Willow.
"Yeah, here," Buffy said, pulling a crystal on a chain out of her pocket. "Put this on Will, it'll extend the glamour to cover you. Then we get you to Al and the party really starts." Willow slipped the chain over her head and the glamour kicked in changing her appearance to match the camouflaged Slayers.
A newly disguised (and very confused) redhead asked, "Who's Al?"
"Althenea, she'll fill you in on the rest of the plan."
Willow shook her head as she giggled, "Oh... Althenea must HATE that nickname! Faith's doing?"
"Yeah," Buffy said, still unable to stop smiling. "Hey, speaking of which, where'd she go?"
Going back to the hallway they saw Faith was standing in the now open doorway across the way. Joining her they found she was staring into what must have been the First's living quarters. At first glance it appeared to be a typical girl's bedroom, with a huge four-poster bed and colorful draperies hiding the rough-hewn walls.
Faith nudged Buffy and pointed to a large amount of clothes hanging on makeshift racks at one side of the room. Dozens of pairs of shoes were lined up underneath. "Guess she doesn't just look like you B." she snickered. "Maybe you two should join S. A."
"S.A.?" Buffy inquired sourly.
While Willow struggled to control the impulse to giggle, she said, "Shoe-aholics Anonymous."
"Actually," Faith deadpanned, "I was gonna go with Shop-aholics ... but I like Red's better."
Buffy glared from behind the glamour.
"Let's get moving." The lead Slayer growled.
Quickly the three moved back into the main cavern. The First was still talking animatedly to her mute henchman as they began crossing the open spaces between the monoliths. They made it almost all the way to the ramp when she called out, "Excuse me, but since when do my Harbingers hold hands?"
Buffy sighed, realizing that her hand was indeed entwined with Willow's.
"Shit." Said Faith disgustedly, "KNEW I should have kept you two separated..."
May 4th, 2005 9:50 pm
"Will, get up that ramp!" Buffy ordered, "First opening on your left up the tunnel!"
Willow started to protest, "But Buffy..."
"Go Will! Al needs you to finish the mojo!"
Faith yanked her necklace off saying, "Don't need this crap any more."
As it hit the floor the glamour vanished. Drawing her axe from its position slung at her back, she rushed at the Uber Vamps surging towards them. Buffy tore her own crystal off as she shoved Willow up the ramp and ran to help Faith brandishing the Scythe.
At that moment Kennedy emerged from the tunnel entrance and began to fire into the crowd of Turok Han and Harbingers. Every arrow found a mark but not all were fatal. Willow shot past at a full run, she gave her ex-girlfriend an odd look as she continued to fire arrow after arrow.
Willow barreled into the cave and Althenea said, "Quickly! Come join me, we've little time!"
The redhead entered the circle and resealed it as she sat cross-legged facing her mentor. "Buffy said that you needed me to finish a spell?"
"Yes, do you remember telling me about a sunlight spell you had tried?"
Willow's expression grew panicked. "My 'ball of sunshine spell'? But that was a failure! The only thing it accomplished was to release Olaf the Troll from that crystal! Oh, and Anya almost wrecked Giles' car, the Bronze was practically demolished... Oh! And let's not forget what Olaf did to Xander's poor arm!"
Althenea grabbed the younger Witch by the shoulders to get her attention. "Willow, listen to me! You CAN do this. For the Wiccan that empowered all the potential Slayers on the planet, conjuring enough sunlight to destroy a few Vampires should be child's play."
"But what about the Bringers blocking me?" she asked.
"Already taken care of. Inside this circle their power holds no sway. Now, draw strength and calmness from me, if you must and begin!"
Willow took Althenea's hands in her own and bowed her head to send a quick prayer to whoever might be listening and began marshaling the magicks. In the main cavern Faith and Buffy were holding their own. Fully one third of the Turok-Han were dust and all but the three Harbingers protecting the First were dead. But the sheer numbers of the Ubervamps were starting to take their toll.
The two senior Slayers had been forced apart by the attacking prehistoric Vampires and were hard pressed to keep from being overwhelmed. From her vantage atop the ramp Kennedy kept shooting but the crush of bodies made kill shots almost impossible. She reached for another rack of arrows to reload and found none.
"Shit!" She cried. "Hang on Faith! I'm coming!" with that she drew her bowie knife and ran to join the melee.
Meanwhile Althenea was staring in awe as Willow, her eyes closed, began to glow and a wind began to howl through the caves. Brighter and brighter she glowed as her power built to a crescendo. Her eyes snapped open, her hair turned pure white and her voice echoed throughout the complex as she cried, "SOLARIS FIAT LUX!"
The words reverberated in the main cavern as a small light began to glow near the ceiling. It continued to grow brighter until the blazing light of the sun had illuminated every nook and cranny. In seconds all of the remaining Turok-Han had been reduced to ashes.
Willow collapsed to her side, breathing hard as her hair returned to its normal red hue. "Wow." She said, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that."
The three Slayers looked at each other through the cloud that was all that remained of the Ubervamps. "Damn! Red did it!" Faith said with a silly grin to Kennedy.
"Job's not done... yet." Said Buffy as she stalked toward the dais.
The First watched this with a hateful glare. "What are you waiting for? Kill them!" she shrieked at the three Harbingers standing before her. They leaped to the attack, only to fall almost immediately. Kennedy parried a dagger thrust with her Bowie, throwing the Harbinger off balance. She spun before he could recover, slashing his throat nearly to the bone. Faith caught the knife hand of her attacker, forcing his own weapon under his ribs and into his heart. Buffy simply decapitated the bringer before her, barely breaking stride as she continued advancing on her double.
The First looked directly at Buffy and said, "Damn you, Slayer! You always have to RUIN it!"
"Hey!" Kennedy said, "She's not the only Slayer here, ya know!"
"She's the one that matters," the First said with disdain. "She's the one that changed the rules! Sealed the Hellmouth! Forced me to make a choice."
"Choice?" Asked Faith.
She sighed, "To remain as I was, incorporeal, unable to affect anything on this plane of existence. Or, I could draw on the last vestiges of power emanating from the Hellmouth and make myself... THIS! Mortal... HUMAN, with all of the... the SHIT that implies!"
"You're kidding right?" Buffy asked incredulously. "All this? Trying to kill Willow, open a new Hellmouth? Because you want do-overs?" catching a smirk trying to form on Faith's face she said, "I am NOT that bad."
Faith struggled to keep a straight face as she said "Not... um, all the time B."
Kennedy coughed trying to hide her laughter, earning a glare from both Buffys.
Returning her attentions to the First Evil, the Slayer saw that she had drawn a knife. As Buffy assumed a fighting stance, her double said, "Oh don't worry Slayer, this is for me not you."
With that she slashed her palm and dripped blood onto the dais. A rapidly expanding energy bubble quickly enveloped the two blondes while forcing Faith and Kennedy to move back until it stopped just a few feet short of the monoliths supporting the roof.
Buffy glanced around, saw that her allies were locked out and spotted Willow and Althenea coming down the ramp.
"This barrier was originally intended to keep anyone from interfering with my sacrificing your girlfriend. But... since you've ruined that plan, I thought I'd use it to isolate you while I beat you to a pulp."
"Blah, blah, blah," with a bored tone in her voice, "what IS it with bad guys? You can't just fight, you've always gotta SAY something!"
With a shriek of rage the First lunged off the stone slab at Buffy, only to be met with a right cross to the jaw. Stunned, the false Slayer landed and rolled managing to get up in time to catch a fist in the midsection, driving her back.
"Know what?" Buffy quipped as she launched a kick into the side of her double. "You may look like me," following up with a back fist. "You may sound like me," moving behind her opponent and sending a boot to the back of her leg dropping her to one knee, "But you are NOT... UH!" The First scored with a desperate uppercut to the jaw as Buffy circled in front of her.
"Oh, SHUT UP!" the first exclaimed. Breathing heavily, she got to her feet and stalked over to the real Buffy. "And you say I talk too much?" Kicking the downed Slayer in the ribs, she continued to rant, "You think I want to be you?" Planting a boot in her back this time, the First bent down and pulled the Scythe free from the strap holding it to Buffy's back. "I just want this... and your Witch." Looking around she spotted the Slayers, Althenea and Willow outside the barrier.
"Oh there she is now." She said and moved towards them menacingly.
On the perimeter of shimmering energy, the two Slayers ready themselves for a fight. Faith lifted her axe into a ready position while Kennedy reached for the other weapon slung at her back. Willow stopped her with a touch and a gentle shake of her head.
"Not yet." She whispered. Nodding, the young Slayer drew her bowie knife and waited.
Ignoring the pain from her ribs, Buffy rose from the ground and spat blood. "Hey!" She called, "We're not finished yet."
"Yes we are." The First said with a look of triumph. "I have the Scythe, all I need now is Willow."
"Think so?" Buffy replied, breathing hard, "Look again."
The First glanced down at the weapon in her hands only to see it change to an ordinary axe. "Nooooo! Damn YOOOUUU!"
It seemed as if everything happened at once. The first turned and rushed at Buffy, axe raised. Willow cried, "Now Kennedy!" and slammed both palms against the barrier rupturing it. Kennedy drew the real Scythe from where it was concealed by yet another glamour and threw it to Buffy. Buffy sidestepped the Firsts attack and leapt to catch the Scythe in midair, turning as she did, slicing through the axe handle and beheading the First in the same motion.
Time seemed to slow as Buffy watched her duplicates head sail through the air with a shocked expression on its face. She saw the body continue a few steps and collapse. She turned in time to see the others coming closer. Then time resumed its normal flow, pain from her broken ribs kicked in, and the last thing she saw was Willow bending over her looking frightened.
TBC...