PART EIGHT: For the Greater Good
Buffy stood; bracing herself for the bad news Wesley was about to tell her. She registered her grip had involuntarily tightened around the sword that she held at her side.
"What is it?" she pressed, calmly.
"We believe the Beast is on its way here as we speak."
"To rescue its master," Buffy realized.
"Yes, but I have an idea. We know we cannot defeat it in battle. The natural course of action would be to move Cordelia from here before the Beast arrives. I propose we do not. We use her as bait to lure the Beast here and destroy it. My research has indicated that the amulet has the power to not only bring back the sun, but to destroy the Beast also."
"Much of that information is shrouded in myth as those books of yours often are. We are to trust that alone?" Connor protested.
"Precisely," Wesley replied, without argument.
Giles simply nodded at Wesley in agreement, then shifted his gaze to Buffy.
"How do we, you know, 'activate' the amulet?" Buffy asked.
"The blood spilled by the good and the evil must yield it, alone. You and Angelus, that is. There is an incantation, which I have translated. It must be uttered outside, beneath the sky, as we will call on the Gods of the Sun," Wesley informed her.
"I will bring Cordy out there, with us. Connor, some assistance, please," Gunn said, even as he headed towards the basement.
"Hurry," Giles said, as Connor followed Gunn. "Willow, you and I must attend to our task."
"Right, yes," Willow answered, in hesitant secrecy. As Willow passed by Buffy, she averted her gaze, so as not to entertain Buffy's questioning glance. She thought it best that Buffy was not aware that she and Giles were about to begin the spell to re-insoul Angelus.
"More dark magic? Definitely not loving this. But, hey, if it's to save the world, who am I to raise a white flag?" Lorne muttered, as he followed the group outside, to the hotel courtyard.
Angelus trailed just behind Buffy, "Looks like our partnership isn't yet over, huh, Buff?" he whispered to her, slyly.
"All in good time" she replied coldly, without turning back to look at him.
Angelus snarled, as he continued to follow the group out into the courtyard.
Hotel Courtyard, Moments Later
Connor and Gunn stood flanking Cordelia who was tied to a bench in the courtyard.
Fred, Wesley, Lorne, Buffy and Angelus stood in the center, readying for the Beast's arrival.
"You cannot stop us," Cordelia/Beast Master hissed at the group.
"We will bring back daylight," Wesley replied, glaring at her.
"And that will be all. The Beast is only one of many minions I can call upon. His defeat will not prevent your disgusting world's destruction."
"Well, it's a damned good step in the right direction," Fred said, over her shoulder, as she tried to concentrate on preparing Buffy and Angelus to yield the amulet. She removed the gold chain that had been attached to it and handed the amulet itself to Buffy.
Buffy grasped it firmly in her hand. She could feel its power. She looked at Angelus who moved to hold out his hand knowing that he too had to hold the amulet with her.
Suddenly, he stopped, "He's here."
"Buffy, now!" Wesley yelled, as the ground began to shake, and the Beast's shadow could be seen at the gates of the courtyard.
Buffy and Angelus joined hands, holding the amulet as one and they began to read the passage:
To this world which it should belong
Return the fire above to its place in the sky
To the line of the Gods of the Sun
We beseech thee to heed our cry
With this power we hold, let our will be done
Cast out unnatural dark from up high
The Beast and its will are undone!
After a few seconds, Buffy and Angelus suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that the amulet's power had forced them into some sort of trance. Buffy was suddenly painfully aware of the chaos of the scene before her. The Beast had breached the courtyard and was throwing aside the group outside. Buffy and Angelus still held the amulet together and they could both feel the power of it, and more alarmingly, the increasing heat emanating from it. It was all that each of them could do to keep hold of it, the heat was so great.
Buffy turned to Angelus, "It's too hot. I can't…" she broke off, as she was suddenly hit by the fist of the Beast.
She hit the ground hard and rolled with the fall. She came to a stop and realized that she held the amulet in her hand. She clasped it tightly as the Beast advanced on her.
"Willow!" she screamed.
"Buffy, let go of the amulet!" Wesley yelled.
Before Buffy could even respond the amulet was lifted out of her grip, by some unseen force. It rose above the reach of all in the courtyard, even the Beast. Then, it began to spin. Faster and faster.
The Beast looked up at the amulet, realizing what was about to happen. And, that was when it headed towards its master, deciding that it might have just enough time to accomplish the task of saving her.
Connor and Gunn braced themselves for the approaching Beast.
"Great, so we die before the apocalypse even starts?" Gunn muttered to Connor.
Connor glanced back at Gunn, matching his nervous expression.
Suddenly, the Beast was blown back towards the entrance to the courtyard.
"Stay back!" Willow yelled, holding her right hand up, steadfastly.
"A witch cannot defeat me!" the Beast roared at her, slowly getting to his feet.
"No need for that" Willow replied, pointing at the amulet, which had gained greater speed, and now emanated a luminous golden glow.
Buffy and Angelus held fighting stances as the Beast continued to approach. But, without warning he stopped and roared in protest.
Suddenly, a blinding ray of light burst forth from the amulet and shot towards the sky, heading for the darkened sun. It shattered the black charcoal-like prison around it and the sun burst into existence again. Team Angel watched, mesmerized, as the Beast shuddered and exploded into nothing more than the rocks he was made from.
Angelus cursed and bolted for cover from the sun.
The sun had returned and the Beast had been defeated as quickly as he had come into being.
Yet, the apocalypse was still nigh. Much work was still to be done and much more was still to be sacrificed. The group gathered in the center of the courtyard to admire the wondrous sight before them. The sun had returned!
Buffy turned to look at Angelus. He licked his lips at her. Hungrily. Knowingly. Quickly, she adverted her gaze to look at the Beast Master. She knew what had to be done. She had to kill Cordelia. To prevent the apocalypse. For the greater good.