Yes, I'm well aware I've been a nasty person and left it AGES to update this. Hopefully I'll get a bit better at this, but please forgive me for since I last posted I've gotten married and there's a mini-me on the way, so lots of RL to deal with LULZ. I'm poking my muse with a stick to pursue my remaining uncompleted stories, just for you guys this is a short one for now, need to build up the momentum a little!

This story takes place after the end of ATS. LA was just the start. Hell in the alleyway has become Hell on Earth and no one can predict the outcome. Only a prophecy holds the clue to what can stop it.

So far – Angel and Illyria have escaped from the final battle, or what they thought was the final battle, and have travelled to England, meeting up with Giles, Buffy and the massive amounts of Slayers. They have rescued Spike from W&H and are now preparing for the real final battle against the evil of the world and indeed, the universe. A prophecy sits between them and success.

AN: I made a boo boo in the last chapter and said Faith and Robin had turned up, when they haven't. I'm also not featuring Illyria massively in this story, and it doesn't end with just the apocalypse….but then it never does in BTVS. Once again, apologies for the late postings xxx

Disclaimer: All characters created by Joss Whedon. I don't own them, I just make them do stuff to entertain myself.

-P-

It didn't take long for the demons to respond. Buffy had run towards the first grotesque looking creature and decapitated it without a second glance, taking down four or five more before one particularly large demon landed a punch on her. Which was all the encouragement Spike needed to stop spazzing out at the atmosphere around him and run snarling towards the demon that had hit the Slayer, game face in place and fists ready to go to work. Dawn was back to back with Xander, both of them wielding swords with an almost expert proficiency, creating their own little pile of demon corpses. Angel and Giles fought hard against their own opponents, both warily watching the Slayer and her vampire up ahead. Thousands of demons and other creatures were advancing upon them now.

The sky was burning. There was no sun, nothing in the sky but it flared a brilliant reddish orange. Buffy wasn't sure if that was the evil things causing it or Willow and her witches, who were currently killing anything they could. Illyria was cutting her own little swath through the demons, ignoring everyone else in the fight. Everywhere slayers and demons were fighting, falling and Buffy realised how much bigger this was in comparison. If they didn't finish it this time, it was the end.

Another large demon rushed her, this one having ownership of an axe about the size of her, and she ducked, whirling around to find the demon turning for a second go. A roar had her jumping a little and worrying about an attack from behind when she saw a familiar shape go flying above her head. Spike had jumped and landed clear in the demons face, punching a hole through its skull, coating himself in blood and brains as the demon practically exploded in front of her. Buffy pulled a face then started towards her next opponent, laughing slightly as Spike outpaced her, flashing her a trademark grin. She knew he was still as he had been, and he was just revelling in the fight as he always had done.

The fight raged on and several slayers retreated due to injury. Giles and Angel had taken up protective stances around Dawn, and were struggling to keep up to the blonde duo. As it stood, they were a good two hundred metres from the complex they needed to break into and hell only seemed to be getting angrier. The beasts were vicious and the city appeared to be imploding around them as bomb-like sounds filled the air and screams from human and inhuman mouths alike mingled with the sounds of battle.

Spike was racking up an impressive kill count, his fight being poetry in motion. He had no serious injuries and was causing havoc with the enemy, laughing at his own ability to toy with them and destroy them in minutes. Buffy would have loved to have stood and watch but she was holding her own against the creatures that swarmed her. Now, with the crowd thinning, she began to see a bit more hope for the side of good.

Suddenly, clouds gathered from all around and the heavens opened, pouring rain down onto the world. Buffy looked up at Willow, who shrugged and indicated it was not her doing. Rain wasn't going to harm any of them, so maybe the PTB were finally doing something to help. The Slayer plodded on, swinging the scythe left and right, leaving a trail of bodies as she followed her glee filled vampire on his killing spree.

A scream from behind had them both pausing and Angel appeared from a throng of demons, carrying a nearly unconscious Dawn. Spike ripped the head off of his previous opponent and ran towards his Sire, panicking at the sight of Dawn bleeding from the temple. Buffy took out three demons in one hit and then motioned towards the entrance of the complex, almost in sight. She looked up, spotting the witches not too far away, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

'Willow!'

The red headed witch, whose hair was slowly turning white at the roots, turned sharply and aimed her splayed hands towards the door. A burst of energy and the path was cleared, demons thrown to the side. Buffy knew it would buy them only seconds but it seemed to not matter as the two vampires and their cargo sped past her, and she ran to keep up. The door was shut as they drew closer, and Spike increased his speed, ramming himself into and through the door almost effortlessly, with Angel and Buffy hot on their heels.

And there was silence.

The door reformed itself, and the battle from outside could not be heard. The quartet were stood in a vast hallway of grey stone, empty apart from a single fountain in the middle, which seemed to be made of thin air, the water was supported by nothing as it sprayed six foot into the air, coming back down to the pond in a graceful arc. Buffy stood for a moment, worry for her friends outside consuming her, until a soft keening made her turn. Angel was cradling Dawn in his arms, using a ripped piece of t-shirt to cleanse the wound on her head. She was breathing and simply unconscious, but Spike was the one making the noise as he fussed over her. Buffy approached their side and noticed that Spike was holding his arm at a funny angle.

'Spike.' She said, quietly, as the hall was giving her the wiggins and she didn't feel like it would be a good thing to speak loudly. He winced as he moved closer and she frowned, holding him steady as she knelt beside him. 'Let me check you over, okay? Dawn is fine.' He looked at her blankly, sending worried glances towards the young brunette. Buffy took advantage of his distraction and snapped his dislocated arm back into place. He growled and snapped at her, then retreated as he saw the look on her face. He bent his head in submission and then crawled to his sire, acting for all the world like a toddler that had been told off.

Dawn whimpered and opened her eyes, struggling to sit up as Angel held her. 'My head, ouch. What fell on me?'

'Giles did.' Angel said, catching Buffy's eyes. The slayer looked beyond worried. 'He's okay, he just lost his footing.' Buffy relaxed and then tensed again as a sound echoed from the end of the hallway. All four fighters stood up, Spike taking on a defensive stance and growling loudly, until Buffy shushed him.

Silence. Then a single bang.

Nothing else.

Angel edged closer, touching Buffy's shoulder lightly. 'We need to do the bonding ritual, now.' He said quietly and then all four looked up in shock as a man materialised from the fountain, clearing his throat. Two of the party recognised him and sorrow shot through both of them.

Wesley Wyndham-Price smiled sadly back, smoothing the front of his suit down and then shaking his head. 'I can only wish it were that easy, old friend.'

-P-