Chapter 33
A week had passed since Kakistos had dusted. Things had returned to normal, more or less. Buffy was nestled between Spikes legs as they reclined on the couch, watching television. Angel and Faith were in the kitchen arguing over the best way to cook the steaks for the human occupants of the Mansion. Finally after threatening him with a different kind of stake, he relented and cooked them her way. Buffy rose a brow and laughed at the pussy whipped vamp that was Angel. His muttered answer made Spike look his way and growl.
"I'm not bloody pussy whipped , no threat of a stake is gonna make me do what she soddin wants now is it, Immortal now in case you forgot"
Angel slumped into his chair and stared at the television and then frowned
"How can you two watch this?"
"It's okay"
"Please, like any self respecting vamp would sleep in a crypt and hide from daylight in a coffin"
Spike coughed and frowned, Buffy tried hard not to laugh.Angel looked across at them and rolled his eyes.
"You didn't? No childe of mine would lower themselves"
"Not all of us had the bloody funds to afford big posh digs , if I remember rightly, you took all my bloody cash once we left London in 1881"
Angel suddenly went quiet and slopped off back to the kitchen. Buffy nudged Spike .
"What? He did. Ponce took advantage of me cos I was a fledge, emptied my bloody bank and sold off what was rightfully mine. Him an' that bint Darla , had to have the best an' everything"
"So, he's loaded and he took your inheritance?"
"S'pose you could say that"
Buffy turned back to the film , she'd have a quiet talk with her Grandsire soon . She pulled Spikes arms around her and relaxed against his chest, domestic bliss continued around them , things didn't get much better than this.
Across town, a circle of light opened in mid air.Clouds spilt across the sky and lightning crackled around, striking the ground, opening fissures in the concrete. People ran for cover as more lightning bolts hit the town and the portal widened.Tara ran into the room, glowing green and muttering wildly about a portal. Angel, Buffy and Spike sit up and listen closely as Tara repeats herself.
"They come to take from this world, that which can make their world whole, they need the key to unlock the gateway. "
"Who are they Tara?"
"Gods, they're Gods of destruction and chaos, of pain and fear. They will leave this dimension baron and unable to support life, what they seek and take will give life to their world"
Buffy sighed . The last thing she was ready for was another apocalypse, which is why there was one about to happen. It wasn't long before everyone had assembled in the main room and was looking to Buffy for orders.
"Tara? Any idea how we close the portal? Your like the key, I assume you can close it but we don't know how."
Spike stood up and ran his fingers through his hair.
"It's her blood, it's always blood love"
"So we draw some off and throw it through the portal, easy "
"S'not gonna do it Buffy, it'll need more"
"I'm not sacrificing her, we're Immortal, not Tara"
"Which is why it'll be me, I'll have to drink from her an' jump"
"No! There has to be another way, we just have to find it"
"We don' have time pet, c'mon, you know the way these things work"
"Doesn't mean I like it or have to accept it"
Spike held Buffy tight, he looked at Tara and Giles. Both nodded their agreement . Angel and Faith gathered weapons in case the beings that came through attacked while they tried to close it. Willow stood back, watching her girlfriend and friends. Nervously she spoke.
"I... I'm the Protector of the Key, what am I supposed to do?"
Spike and Buffy looked at her, Buffy went to her and rubbed her arms soothingly.
"I guess you make sure nothing tries to take her while we fight"
"No, it's more than that, I can feel it. It's like I'm the other half of her, like between us we close it"
Tara took Willows hand and Willow glowed white whilst Tara glowed green. Giles stepped forward, cleaning his glasses.
"I believe they are right. In my opinion it is more likely that both Tara and Willow go through the portal to close it, Willow then uses her magics to bring them back , but, you would have to capture the beings that originally opened it and send them through to restore the balance"
Faith held her axe up and walked towards the door , calling back over her shoulder.
"What are you guys waiting for? There's some Gods that need their asses kicked "
Arming themselves, they followed her out of the Mansion , the apocalypse induced darkness meaning that Angel had no problems joining them. The sight that met them as they drove through town was unnerving. People ran screaming as demons and vampires fed and killed randomly. Buffy watched horrified at the chaos and death that continued around them.
"Angel? You Faith , Spike and Giles, try and keep the death toll to a minimum, I'll go ahead with Willow and Tara. We'll join you once the portals closed. You'll know if we need you guys"
Buffy ran off towards the portal, Willow and Tara in pursuit . They looked up into the portal and each of them shuddered. The world beyond the portal was visible, it was baron , dark and decayed.Willow held Tara's hand, both girls glowed and as they aproached the area, the portal glowed green . The noise coming from the portal drowned out their voices as they tried to communicate. Eventually Willow closed her eyes and linked them all , using telepathy to talk.
"Buff... I'm going to have to levitate us up to the portal to go through it, I won't be able to protect you while I do it, I'm not sure I even have the power to do this"
"It's okay, I'll be fine, don't worry bout me, Just make sure you don't burn yourself out and keep you and Tara safe, we don't know what's on the other side. The Higher Being said you were wicked powerful now and I believe that. Just get home as soon as you can"
"We will. "
Willow took one last look up into the portal and swallowed hard. She gripped Tara's hand tightly and looked over at Buffy.
"Ready. If anything happens, if we don't make it back..."
"Will, you can do this now stop with the mucho depresso talk and save us already"
Buffy smiled and hugged the girls. Willow shook off her sadness and insecurity. She closed her eyes and started to chant in Latin. Slowly both Willow and Tara floated up towards the portal. Tara glowed a brighter green , which the portal did also. As the two girls went through it snapped shut, blinking out in a bright flash. Buffy covered her eyes with her arm and watched the point where it had been.
Willow opened her eyes, Tara laid beside her unconscious. She went to her girlfriends side and lifted her head into her lap.
"Come on baby wake up for me"
Willow looked around her. The world was dark, the trees had died and were dried out, brittle and decayed. The ground was nothing but dust, being whipped up in little tornadoes by the wind. Willow looked for shelter and saw none. As far as she could see, there was nothing but a decrepit landscape. At least she hadn't seen any demons from this realm yet and so felt kind of safe. She pulled herself up and narrowed her eyes as she saw something sparkle in the distance. She pulled Tara up onto her shoulder and tried to walk towards the light that seemed to get brighter the closer she got to it.
Not having Slayer or even vampire strength proved hard. Every now and again she had to stop and put Tara down as she was too heavy to carry. Willow fell to her knees crying. A voice interrupted her thoughts as she sat wishing that she could just get them both home now.
"Do not cry little one, your strength is far greater than you imagine. Close your eyes and simply wish to be beside me and you shall be. Your power is great, use it but use it wisely"
Willow opened her eyes and blinked away her tears. She focused on the light and held onto Tara, within seconds, they were sat at the feet of a being that glowed white, her hair shone silver and her eyes looked like liquid mercury, swirling with the sockets.
"See, have faith in yourself child"
"I .. I didn't know"
"Well you have yet to learn your true potential, I shall help you"
"But we have to get back... the others need us"
"No... your part is done and you are both safer here now. Come, we shall need to move somewhere safer before the storms of orion start again"
The being waved her hand over Tara and she woke. She stood on shaky and weak legs, but managed to walk the short journey to the cave that the higher being had taken residence in.Once inside , the being made a brew which the girls likened to tea. It warmed them and was welcomed after everything they had been through. The being sat down and began to explain Willows powers.
"I am the Goddess Vesta, I was sent here to help you young ones. There is much to learn and so little time, but you are both wise and I feel that you will be good students. Firstly Tara, as you saw your role is an easy one. Once you are within reach of a portal , you instinctively glow and your energy will close the portal as you enter it. The hardest part is opening a portal to go home, and closing it behind you so that there is no longer a dimensional rift. This needs blood, your blood."
Vesta reached into a pouch that hung at her waist and bought out an ornamental knife, which she handed to Tara.
"This knife has been blessed by Gods and Angels, awaiting the day when the Key would become. Now you are here and the knife has it's true owner. The blade is magical, it heals as it cuts , so that only the right amount of blood is lost and there is no danger of the portal gaining in size and becoming a threat. "
Tara took the knife and inspected it . It was truly beautiful. The blade had scrolls across it, the handle had crystals set in it, the largest seemed to glow when she held it. Tara smiled and said her thanks to the Goddess .
"Praise be child, it is I that should thank you both. Now, Willow, I think you are in need of some training, come"
Vesta led the girls deeper into the cave. It opened up into a well lit grotto that took the girls breath away. Vesta led them deeper in and finally stopped and sat beside a large rock pool.
"Now, where to start..."
Back in Sunnydale, Angel, Faith and Giles had met up with Buffy. They had killed most of the demons and vampires and had managed to beat the rest back to the portal site. Once together, Spike and Buffy fought side by side. Spike reached for Buffys hand instinctively and as they touched, they started to glow. Angel, Faith and Giles ran for cover as light burst from the two Immortal vampires and radiated out from their chests. Rays of light hit the demons and vampires and they turned to ash and dust , crumbling to nothing before they fell to the ground. Buffy and Spike staggered backwards as the light faded, finally they sat together gasping for air.Buffy rested her haed on Spikes shoulder, taking a few seconds to recover before she looked around for the others. Spike lit up a fag and pointed towards the abandoned house across from where they stood and Buffy sighed with relief. They looked up as the darkness faded to day and the clouds cleared, leaving the sun out and the day now warm again.
"Guess we did it again"
"Not bloody likely pet, still got those bloody Gods to hunt down and kill"
"Can we really kill Gods? I mean won't it be bad karma or something?"
"Not for me it won't.. evil 'member"
Buffy smirked and patted his chest, causing him to hiss. She frowned and noted that her chest wasn't painful. She'd look at his later , for now, they had to regroup and hope that Tara and Willow got back soon. Spike went to get the car and brought it to the front of the building. Buffy stood before Giles who shook his head with shock at the power she and Spike now possessed.
The car pulled up and Angel darted into the back seat quickly followed by Giles and Faith. Buffy got into the front passenger seat and turned to face the others .
"Anyone injured?"
"Few cuts n' scrapes B, not much else. Nothing a good feed and a shower wouldn't cure , right?"
Faith winked at Buffy , Buffy smiled and then rolled her eyes as she remembered the ' Slaying makes me hungry and horny ' conversation that they had shared. Buffy turned back to the front of the car and sat quiet. Worry about Willow and Tara took her focus , was there something she could do to bring them back? And what of the Gods that had a free reign on this world of theirs at the moment? Buffy slung her head back against the head rest and sighed. So this was their lives from now on... Looking over at Spike she knew, with a smile , that she would cope and continue to do it , so long as she had him beside her. She reached out and took his hand, he glanced at her and winked. Oh yeah, this could be her forever.