Goodbye, Fred

"This has got to be the most evil thing I have ever seen in my life… And I grew up in a hell dimension." Connor said in fear.

"It's ok, Connor. We'll get through this…" Wesley said in a worried tone.

"Yeah… I mean… We can do this… Right?" Gunn asked.

"Like hell we will. It's the bloody end of the world." Spike said.

"Apocalypse, here we come." Lorne said in return.

A loud screech is heard and the team prepares for a battle with Illyria in her true form.

Hours earlier…

Connor is awakened by the sound of Spike in another training session with Illyria. He goes down to the basement to check up on them and is nearly be-headed by a large axe.

"Oh, its you. You may not want to be here right now. Or does that axe thing happen to you everyday?" Spike said as he was sparring with Illyria.

"Try not to destroy the basement." Connor said as he was leaving the room.

In the kitchen, Connor finds Gunn eating his breakfast with Wesley. He plans to join them until Lorne comes in and tells he had a vision. He wrote down an address to go to and the team quickly leaves and moments later, find themselves in front of a very large crypt in the middle of the cemetery.

"So this is the place then?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, that is definitely what I saw in my migraine." Lorne replied.

"Let's get to work." Connor said

As they enter the crypt, Illyria suddenly falls to the ground but is caught by Spike. "I'm fine. Let's just move on." Illyria said with a tired voice. As they went deeper in the crypt, they find a demon shaman who was nearly beaten to death. Spike is awed at the site more than anyone else simply because he has seen and personally experienced firsthand the power of a demon shaman.

"Who could have done this?" Gunn asked.

"Whoever it was, it's gonna kick our bloody asses." Spike replied.

"Sono qui… e seguirà…" The demon shaman says as he points at Illyria and later dies.

"Wesley, can you make out what he said?" Connor asked.

"It's Italian, shouldn't be that hard. I'm just glad it wasn't some dead demon language." Wesley replied.

"Right then, I think we're done here. Everyone get some rest and regroup at the hotel tomorrow." Connor said.

The next day, Illyria is found to be missing. Connor and Gunn look for her as Spike helps Wesley to translate what the demon said and figure out what it had to do with Illyria. Soon enough, they made a rough translation; "They are coming and she will follow." Before they can call Connor, Illyria attacks both of them from behind essentially knocking them unconscious. Upon their return, Connor and Gunn discover Wesley and Spike lying on the floor. As they began to regain their consciousness, they begin to explain what the demon said.

"If she's really gone back to her old demonic ways, why didn't she kill you two?" Gunn asked

"Because some part of Fred is still lying within Illyria. And that part of her needs help." Wesley answered.

"So you're telling me that knocking us unconscious is Fred's way of saying 'Help me!'?" Spike asked

"Essentially…" Wesley replied.

"We have to find her before this Old One does." Connor said.

"Well, I can take the sewers." Spike said.

"Gunn, go with Spike. You search where he can't. Wesley, Lorne, stay here and look for any sort of spell that we can use against an all powerful being. I'll patrol the city."

As they search for Illyria, Wesley and Lorne discover that there have been numerous attacks on vampires and other demons lately and their bodies have been ripped open and drained of blood violently. "So whoever this Old One is, he needs demon blood, but why?" Lorne asked. Wesley looks up some old books regarding ancient demon magic and realizes that the only spell that would require this much demon blood is an unnamed spell that will revert Illyria back to her original demon form. "This guy wants the Old Ones to rule over humanity again." Lorne said is shock. The two quickly leave to find Connor. As they leave the hotel, they notice the sky is completely blackened.

"What time is it?" Wesley asked.

"Half past noon." Lorne said in shock.

"Who turned of the sun?" Spike asked as he climbed out of a manhole with Gunn.

"RUN!!!" Connor screams as he is seen trying to run from something.

"Oh, my, GOD." Wesley says in utter fear.

"Not exactly…" Gunn said.

Present

"This has got to be the most evil thing I have ever seen in my life… And I grew up in a hell dimension." Connor said in fear.

"It's ok, Connor. We'll get through this…" Wesley said in a worried tone.

"Yeah… I mean… We can do this… Right?" Gunn asked.

"Like hell we will. It's the bloody end of the world." Spike said.

"Apocalypse, here we come." Lorne said in return.

A loud screech is heard and the team prepares for a battle with Illyria in her true form.

"YES. Illyria has RISEN! ALL OF HUMANITY WILL SOON SERVE THE OLD ONES AGAIN." The Old One said as he stood in front of Illyria. Though he did summon her again, Illyria almost instinctively kills the Old One while he is still vulnerable and turns her attention to Connor.

"Now you will know true power." Illyria said as she was preparing to kill Connor.

"Hey, FRED! You know that look REALLY isn't flattering you." Spike said in an arrogant voice.

"The woman you knew is gone. She has been since I took over." Illyria replied.

"Oh really? Then, why don't you kill me. C'mon! Here's some wood! DO IT! Or maybe you could get rid of the clouds and burn me up, eh." Spike said as he threw a large piece of wood in Illyria's way.

"Spike what are you…" Connor said

"Shhh… I think he's going somewhere with this." Wesley interrupted.

"You blackened the sun in the middle of the day. I'm right in front of you questioning your bloody authority and I'M STILL STANDING. Face it Illyria, a part of Fred's still in that gruesome look o yours. You just can't admit to weakness." Spike said with an arrogant tone.

After some words from Spike, Illyria is seen having conflict with herself. Regradless, she impales him with a railroad spike as a form of irony. After seeing Spike in tremendous pain, the demonic figure reverts back to Fred's body. For a few brief moments, Fred is in seen instead of Illyria.

"Spike, thank you… It's the second time you sacrificed something for me." Fred said.

"Fred…? You're… back?" Spike asked in shock.

Before Fred is able to respond, Illyria takes form again and helps Spike up. She eventually decides to leave the team, thinking she could only do harm to them. Though Spike tries to stop her, Connor lets her go seeing her as a major liability.

"So that's it then? We're just gonna let her walk? What about Fred?" Spike asked.

"I'm counting on her to contain Illyria." Connor replied.