Spike arrived a little before sundown, dodging sunbeams. He carried a familiar duffel bag.
"I can't use them," Dee said.
He shrugged. "You never know. You look nice."
"I didn't wear this kind of crap even when everyone was wearing it."
Spike used a mocking falsetto, "Daddy, I want a knee high saffron tunic. I want one because I'm a tom boy and pretty tunics are for girls."
Dee wrinkled her nose in a disgusted look. "Eugh. I hate saffron. I don't know who started that story."
"Are you ready?"
"I guess."
"There! That is the inspiring confidence I like to hear before we save the world! This will be my eighth time. How many times have you saved the world?"
"That depends on perspective."
"Let's say my perspective. How many times would I say you've saved the world?"
"A hundred or so. But most of that happened back when we were relevant. Before the Sundering."
"The what?"
Apollo got everyone's attention and made sure everything was ready. "And Buffy, you have the God-Killer?" She nodded and he looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Next, everyone counted car seats and piled into three cars, making sure to separate Dee and Spike.
When they arrived, the gods didn't need to worry, Dee ignored Spike and focused on the crag jutting into the sky. She needed to want to cooperate and to think of or see Spike would jeopardize that.
"Let's do it now," she said.
Selene and Hecate didn't waste any time and took up their positions beside her and clasped her hands. They began chanting in Greek, and their auras grew and flared brightly, surrounding all three of them. The glow tightened as the three bodies overlapped and combined.
Everyone, whether standing in front of, or on either side of the Triple Goddess was looking at a face and saw two arms. The dresses had melded into a perfect spectrum of shadow. The Triple Goddess opened her eyes and when she spoke it looked like the sun was inside her body, blazing through her eye sockets and mouth. Her aura hovered over her body like the smoke that comes off of ice.
"Dee, are you okay?" Spike asked, looking at the central face.
The face looked at him impassively and said nothing.
"Brother, we are ready." She stepped into the air and climbed a non-existent staircase to the summit of the crag.
Apollo suddenly struck Buffy and snatched the dagger in her hand. He felt its angry power and smiled at her where she lay on the ground. "Thanks. Watch out, though. I wasn't lying about the demon army." And he rose into the air, his god aura blazing like yellow fire and he looked like the sun god that he was.
His light signalled the horde to attack. And the fight began. Everyone fought conservatively, looking quickly for an opening and ashing as soon as possible.
Soon after, there was a bone-chilling howl and Tara appeared, riding a beast that seemed to come from the gates of hell.
"Tara! What are you doing here?"
"You forgot the bag of stakes." She opened it up and threw bundles at everyone with free hands to catch.
"Look out!"
But Hound, fully grown in the past hour, pounced on the vampire and pinned it to give Tara a clear shot at its heart. Together they joined the fight.
When the numbers had thinned, there was a blast of light from the top of the crag and Buffy turned to Spike. "We need to get up there."
"Hop on."
She jumped onto his offered back and he climbed up the vertical face. They hoped they would go unnoticed when they reached the top, as the trail path was on the opposite side. There was scraggly brush that hid them as they stealthily approached.
When the Triple Goddess arrived at the top, Mars, Eris, Minerva, and Zeus were waiting. Minerva and Mars were supporting Zeus, who was hunched over, holding a wound in his side. His aura of rolling clouds was dim and translucent. He looked at the Triple Goddess with distrust and malice.
"Is she under control?" he asked.
"She is." The Triple Goddess' answered, the three voices echoing deeply.
Apollo arrived shortly and Zeus said, "Let's finish this." He pushed Minerva and Mars aside and straightening as best he could, walked toward the Triple Goddess. She glided to meet him. Zeus raised his head proudly and looked into the face of the daughter who had wounded him.
Four arms rose into the air and the Triple Goddess spoke, her three toned voice echoing with power. "By all the power we command, above the earth, on the earth, and below the earth, we heal the wound of our father."
The two arms in the middle, both of which belonged to Diana and one of each of the others lowered to touch Zeus' side.
"This wound was made in fear, anger, and hatred and its evil has kept it from healing. We cleanse this wound with trust, compassion, and love." Tears fell from their eyes and they whispered, "I'm sorry, Father."
Dark smoke drained from Zeus' wound and he stood tall, whole. Free of the poison, he quickly healed the wound and his mighty aura flashed across the heavens and settled into a bright rolling cloudscape.
"It worked," Minerva said, relieved. "The effects can be reversed."
Zeus' eyes flashed and he back handed the central face. The whole head jerked and each face grimaced. "Stupid bitch," he spat.
"Father..." Apollo's tone was mildly scolding.
"Let's bring back Pan and quickly. I want Diana to face her punishment," Zeus said, backing away. Eris was sitting on a boulder, swinging her legs and smiling at the Triple Goddess. "And I don't like that one. Why is she here? She's nothing but trouble."
Eris looked back at him with wide, innocent eyes.
Mars spoke. "She's the one who gathered Pan's remains. We couldn't hope to bring him back without her."
"We have them now, send her away. She only schemes."
"I miss Pan. He and I always had a good time." Eris' tone implied several definition.
"She deserves to be here, Father," Mars stated.
Eris saw something in the brush and turned her face away to look at Mars and smile.
"Then let's do it now, before she finds a way to ruin everything."
Minerva pulled an asymmetrical piece of volcanic glass from a bag and gave it to the Triple Goddess.
She turned it over in her hands and whispered, "no." The four arms raised up, the central two clasping the rock tightly. She started to speak but all that came out was a strained cry. Her aura grew and swirled around her and she trembled as she struggled to hold the rock and speak.
"She needs more power!" Apollo shouted over the whirling vortex. Each god pulled power from their sources, making their auras blindingly bright.
Spike and Buffy covered their eyes and lay flat as the wind tore at them.
Each god poured their power into the vortex, until it was so fierce they could no longer see the Triple Goddess within it. There was a three-toned scream and suddenly it collapsed.
The darkness was blinding. The gods had been reduced to their mortal forms and it took a moment for them to regain their godly bodies and illuminate the area. Even then, their auras were dim and everyone was weakened with exhaustion.
On the ground were four bodies. In the darkness, Spike had started to stand but Buffy had stopped him. Now in the dim light they snuck closer. Eris moved to stand between them and the others, pretending to want a better view of the bodies.
Hecate was the first of the four to move. Apollo went to the fourth body and rolled it over. "It's Pan. He's not breathing." And the god of the healing arts put his hands on his brother's chest and his aura nearly extinguished in order to revive him.
Pan took a gasping breath and sat up, grabbing Apollo's shoulder. "Why have I got legs?" he asked. "And what perverse language am I speaking?"
"It's American. Welcome to the 21st Century." Apollo laughed and clapped Pan on the back. "Minerva, bring out the clothes."
"Fuck that." Pan stood and scratched himself. "Mm. Fuck. I like the sound of that. Sounds vulgar."
Hecate was on her side, leaning on her hands. "Apollo... where is his aura?" Her voice rose into hysteria. "Where is his aura?!"
Pan looked down at himself, then at both sides of his hand. He closed his eyes and clenched his body and farted. He looked at his hand again and laughed. "I'm mortal." He laughed and slapped his thigh. "You stupid assholes take my lovely legs and make me a damned human!" He was no longer laughing.
"I think you look great," Eris said.
"Shut up."
"It was Diana," Zeus said. "She fought the resurrection."
Pan saw her, just starting to stir. He grabbed her and lifted her off the ground by her throat. "You." His voice grated with rage. "You're the one who killed me."
"You were mad," she coughed out, holding his arm.
"No. Now I'm mad." He turned, lowering her a little, but still choking her. "Where is that fucking dagger?"
"Yes," said Zeus.
Apollo sighed and handed it over, handle first. Pan and Dee looked at the flint blade and without a word Pan stabbed Dee in the heart. She stared in surprise and he dropped her. Her aura faded and went out.
Eris stepped up and rolled Dee over, away from Pan and touched her face. "I liked her," she said. "She was the black sheep of the family. Lots of drama." Then Eris sat down next to Dee to watch the group. "I don't think you appreciate a good drama. They aren't all tragic. Some are quite comedic. If you know how to look at it."
"Shut up."
"Eris." Mars shook his head, warning her to stay quiet.
Selene finally awoke and saw Pan. "It worked."
"Not as well as you hoped," Pan said, bitterly.
"He's a mortal." Hecate helped Selene up. Selene saw Dee. "Oh, and he slew Diana with the God-Killer."
"Pity. Do you think we have to replace her or can we go on as the Double Goddess?"
Pan snatched the clothes from Minerva and resentfully put on the jeans and t-shirt. He flexed his arms. "I feel strong. I mean stronger than I think I should be. Maybe you brought me back as a demi? Aren't there ways to turn a demi into a full god?"
"We can try," Hecate said. "But we'll need time to recover. And to find out what the Triple Goddess is without her."
"Maybe we should store her body in the rock, like Pan was." Selene picked up the volcanic glass, now clear as crystal.
They turned to Eris.
"Where's the body?" Pan asked.
"What body?" she said.