Buffy was walking in Sunnydale Cemetery when she noticed something was odd.
It wasn't obvious at first what exactly had happened – she wasn't
immediately certain anything had – but the temperature dropped fractionally
and there was less light bouncing off the gold writing on the headstones.
She glanced at the sky and noticed that there was some kind of slight mist
covering the sun. With that, she ran.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy fumbled in her pocket for the keys to her front door, hands shaking. She dropped the keys and quickly retrieved them from between her feet. This time she managed to open the lock and so bolted up the stairs to grab some weapons. She pulled out her bag of assorted instruments of attack and realised she hadn't the foggiest which one was most suitable.
"What the hell," She thought to herself. "I'll just take them all."
With bag in tow, Buffy ran down the stairs and through the door, pelting along the street. She ran with all her strength towards Giles', infinitesimally aware that minute by minute the light was going from the street. After 5 minutes she arrived at Giles' and hammered on the door until Xander came to open it.
"Xander, what's happening? Sunset shouldn't happen until about 8pm at this time of year, why is there no sun?"
"Hey, I'm never the man with the answers to 'what the hell's up with something big and scary" questions, Buff," Xander said. "Better ask Giles' or Willow. Sounds like it's more their department."
Buffy entered the house and saw Willow standing there.
"Darkness. That's what happens when the Gorans all attack. I'm not sure about this, but I have an idea. You see, it being dark is very little use to them. They're so strong that they could overpower a member of the public without even a thought…" Willow trailed off, as she saw Buffy's expression of shock. "BUT, that probably means that light harms them. It's a simple spell for me to create an area of light, called a globe. I've done it before. The only problem is…"
"What? Problems? I don't want problems!" Buffy asked, looking desperate.
"The only problem is that I'm not sure if it can be sustained without my being there. I'm gonna have to come with you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy was selecting her weapons with the aid of Giles when Riley knocked on the door.
"Buffy, you can't do this," He started. "I know you're the slayer but this is too many demons, too little time. I'm going to have to insist you don't do it."
"Riley, who else is going to try? This is going to mean mass destruction and loss of life and you expect me to decide not to do it because it might cause ME problems? I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to play the doting little girlfriend when people are going to die, Riley. I'm not some simple peasant girl off your farm back in Iowa." Buffy said, eyes flashing.
Riley looked shocked at Buffy's outburst. Without a word, he turned round and walked out the door, gently closing it behind him. The whole room fell quiet, waiting for Buffy to speak.
" What? Let's carry on going, we don't have time to waste."
After a further 10 minutes, Willow was ready.
"Okay. I've made the mixture I need to create the globe of light. I need a few minutes of silence so I can concentrate, otherwise it won't last without me doing the quick incantation. Even a few seconds of pitch blackness could be pivotal to the Gorans' campaign." Willow said.
She positioned herself in the centre of the room and scooped up some of the mixture from the bowl. Sprinkling it randomly in front of her she started the chat.
"Gaudeamus Igitur, Juvenes dum Sumus. Post Jucuntum, Jeventutum, Semper sint in Flore."
With that a strong force was felt by all in the room as a ball of light shot outwards from the bowl and grew until the intense patch of light was almost a metre in diameter. The room was immediately lit up so much that everyone around it shielded their eyes until they had adjusted.
"Okay," Willow said. "Now we're ready to go."
"Will, I'm a little worried about you coming with." Buffy said. Willow opened her mouth to speak, but Buffy stopped her. "I know you have to, but that doesn't make it any safer. I'm going to have to fight these things - it's going to take all my strength and attention. I can't protect you when I have to protect myself AND fight. So I need someone who can make sure you're safe."
The silent figure standing in the corner shifted feet.
"I need Angel."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy fumbled in her pocket for the keys to her front door, hands shaking. She dropped the keys and quickly retrieved them from between her feet. This time she managed to open the lock and so bolted up the stairs to grab some weapons. She pulled out her bag of assorted instruments of attack and realised she hadn't the foggiest which one was most suitable.
"What the hell," She thought to herself. "I'll just take them all."
With bag in tow, Buffy ran down the stairs and through the door, pelting along the street. She ran with all her strength towards Giles', infinitesimally aware that minute by minute the light was going from the street. After 5 minutes she arrived at Giles' and hammered on the door until Xander came to open it.
"Xander, what's happening? Sunset shouldn't happen until about 8pm at this time of year, why is there no sun?"
"Hey, I'm never the man with the answers to 'what the hell's up with something big and scary" questions, Buff," Xander said. "Better ask Giles' or Willow. Sounds like it's more their department."
Buffy entered the house and saw Willow standing there.
"Darkness. That's what happens when the Gorans all attack. I'm not sure about this, but I have an idea. You see, it being dark is very little use to them. They're so strong that they could overpower a member of the public without even a thought…" Willow trailed off, as she saw Buffy's expression of shock. "BUT, that probably means that light harms them. It's a simple spell for me to create an area of light, called a globe. I've done it before. The only problem is…"
"What? Problems? I don't want problems!" Buffy asked, looking desperate.
"The only problem is that I'm not sure if it can be sustained without my being there. I'm gonna have to come with you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy was selecting her weapons with the aid of Giles when Riley knocked on the door.
"Buffy, you can't do this," He started. "I know you're the slayer but this is too many demons, too little time. I'm going to have to insist you don't do it."
"Riley, who else is going to try? This is going to mean mass destruction and loss of life and you expect me to decide not to do it because it might cause ME problems? I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to play the doting little girlfriend when people are going to die, Riley. I'm not some simple peasant girl off your farm back in Iowa." Buffy said, eyes flashing.
Riley looked shocked at Buffy's outburst. Without a word, he turned round and walked out the door, gently closing it behind him. The whole room fell quiet, waiting for Buffy to speak.
" What? Let's carry on going, we don't have time to waste."
After a further 10 minutes, Willow was ready.
"Okay. I've made the mixture I need to create the globe of light. I need a few minutes of silence so I can concentrate, otherwise it won't last without me doing the quick incantation. Even a few seconds of pitch blackness could be pivotal to the Gorans' campaign." Willow said.
She positioned herself in the centre of the room and scooped up some of the mixture from the bowl. Sprinkling it randomly in front of her she started the chat.
"Gaudeamus Igitur, Juvenes dum Sumus. Post Jucuntum, Jeventutum, Semper sint in Flore."
With that a strong force was felt by all in the room as a ball of light shot outwards from the bowl and grew until the intense patch of light was almost a metre in diameter. The room was immediately lit up so much that everyone around it shielded their eyes until they had adjusted.
"Okay," Willow said. "Now we're ready to go."
"Will, I'm a little worried about you coming with." Buffy said. Willow opened her mouth to speak, but Buffy stopped her. "I know you have to, but that doesn't make it any safer. I'm going to have to fight these things - it's going to take all my strength and attention. I can't protect you when I have to protect myself AND fight. So I need someone who can make sure you're safe."
The silent figure standing in the corner shifted feet.
"I need Angel."
