HARD TIMES
Xander woke up and looked to his side. Anya was gone. Xander sat up and looked around the room. She wasn't anywhere. "Anya?" Xander asked, waiting for a reply. He heard a mumbling from next to the bed. He rolled over and peered over the side to see Anya laying on the floor, twitching slightly in short spasms. She moaned quietly, like she was having a bad nightmare. Xander put his hand on her shoulder. She woke up like a shot, and bolted upright. Xander had to move his head to avoid Anya smashing her's into it. "Jesus, are you alright?" Xander asked. Anya was taking deep breaths. Her dream had shaken her up badly.
"I don't know." Anya replied. "I heard the words. Only they were louder and more powerful." Xander got out of bed and sat on the floor next to Anya.
"The words?" he asked. "You mean those latin type words?"
"Yeah." Anya answered. She looked around, realising she was on the floor.
"Why am I down here?" she asked.
"You must've fallen out." Xander replied. He stood up, then helped Anya to her feet. "Let's get some breakfast. I'm hungry."
"Yeah." Anya said. Xander walked out of the room in search of something to eat, but Anya stayed where she was for a few moments before following.
The Sorcerer of Premaria stood over a small fire in the abandoned factory he'd chosen to stay in until the time is right. He was chanting something in a dead language. As he did so, the factory rumbled, then started shaking. The wooden floor started to crack, then splinters shot up from the ground. From underneath the floorboards, lots of arms burst through, pulling the rest of the bodies up with them. About 30 Sinkata demons emerged from the ground. They looked around at everything, wondering what was going on. Then they saw the Sorcerer of Premaria. They dropped to their knees and started bowing to him, worshiping him as if he was their God.
"Tatra astratta ormistroben azarta eargrets deridsa veratos canda." Anya said. "Well, I think that's how it went, anyway." Giles took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. A sort of symbol showing he was thinking which everyone knew by now.
"I'll look it up. It sounds very familiar." Giles told her. Anya looked at Willow.
"It's not a spell, is it?" she asked. Willow shook her head.
"I've never heard of it." she replied.
"It won't turn me into a frog or something, will it?" Anya asked her.
"No. That spell goes differently." Willow reassured her. Anya nodded.
"Good." she said. "Maybe it's something about this 'Promised One' stuff."
"Could be." Giles agreed. "You better go back to your home. You look shattered."
"She hasn't had a lot of sleep." Xander explained. He looked at Anya."I'll go with you." She nodded, then stood up. They left Gile's house, closing the door behind them. Giles continued searching through the book he was reading, repeating the words quietly to himself. Willow looked around at the almost abandoned room. She sat in silence for a few moments, then coughed. Giles looked up.
"I'll just be off. Places to go." she explained. Giles nodded, and Willow stood up. She grabbed her bag and left the house.
Angel was sitting in his old 'Home' away from the sunlight. He thought about what was going on, what was going to happen, but most of all, about Buffy and Riley. He sat in total silence, not moving a muscle. He then heard footsteps. On concrete. His floor. Someone was there. It didn't sound like Buffy much to Angel. Slightly, but definatly not her. He stood up and turned the corner. He faced the intruder, who's back was turned to him. "Can I help you?" he asked. He startled the young girl, who spun around to face him. Angel knew who she was before she had done.
"Angel..." Faith stated. "I thought you'd be here." Angel took a couple of steps towards her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. She smiled in her usual, excited way.
"Heard there was an apocalypse about to happen from your work-force." she told him. "Wanted to help stop it."
"How did you get out of prison?" Angel asked her. He prayed she didn't break out and escape. "Funny really." she told him. "Parole." Angel smiled.
"No escaping?" he asked.
"No escaping." she replied. Angel knew he was right to beleive she'd change.
"You know Buffy'll probably be pissed if she sees you." Angel reminded her. Faith nodded.
"I know. But, didn't you think she'd be pissed to see you?" she said. Angel didn't know how to reply. "I might go see if I can find her now, actually. See if I can clear things up with her." Angel nodded. Faith walked away, leaving Angel on his own again. The way he prefered it.
Anya reached to push the key in the lock to her door, but it pushed open. She looked at Xander, who slowly pushed the door away. Inside, a Sinkata demon had trashed the place up good. It noticed them and roared. Anya and Xander screamed in union, then ran down the street. The Sinkata demon gave chase almost imediatly, bursting straight through a wall as if it was made of dried mud. Xander peered over his shoulder to see the demon gaining on them slightly. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, he remembered the first time him and Anya encountered on. Only they had a car to escape in. This time they didn't.
The two frightened humans turned the corner and carried on running. Anya could feel herself burning from the inside as she became exhausted and scared. She realized that she not only feared for her life, but for Xander's too. She noticed a car speeding towards them. She could only just make out the driver as Riley. She waved her arms in the air at him. He drove past, and both Anya and Xander turned around to see him drive the car straight into the demon, sending it flying backwards, through a brick wall. They ran over to the car and got in. "Go!" Xander shouted, watching as the demon jumped out of the new hole. Riley slammed his foot on the gas and sped down the road, giving the demon no chance in catching them.
When they were at a safe distance, Riley turned his head slightly to talk to them. "You two alright?" he asked.
"Yeah." Anya replied. "Thank you."
"Don't sweat it." Riley replied. "That was a Sinkata demon, wasn't it?" he asked.
"Yup." Xander answered.
"Didn't we kill them?" Anya asked. Xander shrugged.
"Obviously not." he replied. "And now they're pissed off."
"Y'think?" Anya said, glancing out the back window. The demon had stopped chasing them. "It's gone." she declared. Riley slowed down slightly, but still drove fast.
Buffy heard a knocking at her door. She sat up from her bed and walked over to the door. She pushed the handle and pulled the door open to see the visitor. She recognized Faith almost instantly. She stared at her. "Hey, Buffy." Faith said, feeling awkward.
"Faith." Buffy replied, her voice carrying a tone of anger in it. "What are you doing here?"
"I got a parole, and found out something very bad is going to happen here. Soon." she answered. Buffy looked down at the ground for a moment, then back at Faith.
"You chosen a side?" Buffy asked. Faith nodded.
"Your's." she replied. Buffy laughed slightly.
"That's if I want you on my side." she told her. Faith felt slightly hurt, but not surprised.
"I know we haven't been the best of friends lately," Faith began.
"We haven't been friends at all." Buffy butted in.
"But I want to help. I want to help the world, and I want to help you. I want to be like a slayer should be. Like you. Not worshiping the forces of evil instead of fighting them. If you don't want my help, I'll do it by myself." Faith explained, and started to walk off. Buffy took a step after her.
"Faith," she said. Faith stopped and turned around. Buffy smiled slightly. "Welcome to the team." Faith smiled excitedly, as she normally smiled.
"Thanks." she replied, then jogged down the corridor. Buffy watched her until she turned the corner, then re-entered her room. She jumped and landed on her bed, front first. The phone rang suddenly, and Buffy picked it up.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Buffy, it's me." Riley told her. Buffy sat up again.
"Hi, honey." she said. "What's up?"
"Just saved Xander and Anya from another Sinkata demon." he explained, bluntly. "They think it wants to kill Anya."
"With all this 'Promised One' crap around, then it's possible." Buffy replied. "Wait, Sinkata demon, did you say?"
"Yup." Riley answered. "They're not dead, after all."
"Damn." Buffy said. "Where are Xander and Anya now?" she asked.
"At Xander's. I dropped them off there." Riley answered. "It's alright. We weren't followed." As soon as he said that, Buffy heard the sound of smashing glass in his room, then a roar. She then heard a fight going on, and instantly hurled herself at the door, leaving the phone off the hook.
Buffy charged straight through the door to Riley's dorm, sending splinters everywhere. She saw Riley on the floor, holding his gut. It was bloodied. The attacker had ran off, so Buffy ran over to Riley and kneeled beside him. "Riley!" she shouted, going hysterical. He coughed, blood seeped from his mouth and sprayed through the air. "Oh, God! Hold on, baby. I'll save you." she told him, reaching for the phone.
"Buffy..." Riley struggled to say. "The paramedics'll never get here on time. I'm a dead guy." he told her, trying to accept death, whil being in a whole lot of pain at the same time. Buffy pushed her hand against the very deep wound in his gut, trying to stop the bleeding.
"No!" she insisted. "You're gonna live!" Riley coughed. "You've gotta live!" Riley put his other hand on Buffy's shoulder, then rubbed the back of his finger's along her cheek. She started crying.
"I love you, Buffy..." he whispered. It was getting harder for him to talk now. Buffy started crying more heavily now.
"I love you too." she replied. "But you're gonna make it! Please, don't die, Riley!" Riley's hand moved down her cheek slowly, falling to the floor. He sighed heavily, letting out a large breath. He didn't take another one. "Riley..." Buffy whispered to him. Something made her voice higher. Her throat tightened. "Riley, answer me..." She used her free hand to shake him slightly. "Riley!" she said, louder but still quiet. She burst into tears, unable to stop. "Riley!" she screamed, trying to wake him up. She stopped shaking him, and backed away. She couldn't stand up, and tumbled backwards to the floor. She cried heavily, not wanting to stop. She couldn't call for help, and laid on Riley's floor, in a heap. It felt like the end of the world.
After what seemed an eternity crying every drop of liquid from her body, Buffy slowly pushed herself to her feet. She looked at the smashed window, feeling the rage build up inside her. She bit against her teeth hard, then ran through the gap and onto the grass below. She rolled foward, and ran ahead. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to find Riley's killer and kill him slowly and painfully.
Buffy ran non-stop for almost 30 minuites, but hadn't seen anybody. She stopped, and started crying again. She looked around again, then punched a nearby tree. It splintered in the center, falling backwards and creating a loud crashing sound. She ran back to the college, crying along the way.
Riley's body had been taken away. Buffy laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to talk, or move, or do anything. Willow had arrived back from Spike's to see the paramedics and police. Buffy had managed to tell her, and they'd both started crying. Willow laid on her bed as well. Neither of them had phoned anyone about it. Willow thought she'd better. She looked over to Buffy. "I'll go and tell the others." she said. Buffy nodded. Willow stood up and walked out of the room. She walked along the corridor, dialing Giles' number along the way. His phone started ringing, and he answered it.
"Hello?" Giles asked.
"Hey." Willow replied. "It's Willow."
"What's wrong?" Giles asked, concerned by the obvious upset in her voice. Willow started crying again slightly. "Willow, what's happened?" Giles asked, growing more worried.
"Riley's dead." Willow managed to announce. Giles went very silent. "A Sinkata demon attacked him. Buffy was too late to save him." she explained.
"Oh, Jesus..." Giles muttered. "Is Buffy alright?" he asked.
"She's understandably upset. She doesn't feel like talking at the minuite." Willow told him.
"I understand that." Giles said. "Do the others know?" he asked.
"No." Willow replied, still crying.
"I'll tell them, if you like." Giles offered.
"Thanks." Willow replied.
"You make sure Buffy's alright, ok?" Giles told her.
"Ok." Willow answered. "Bye." She hung up on him, and walked back to her room. She wiped her eyes before she opened the door.
Xander rolled over as Anya was shaking in bed. He decided she was having another incantation dream. He shook her, and she woke up with a scream. She stopped, and looked at Xander. She sighed. "I had another..." she started to explain. Xander nodded.
"Bad dream." he finished. Anya nodded. Xander held her closer to him and kissed her head. The phone rang, and Xander leaned back to pick it up. "Hello?" he asked.
"Xander, it's Giles." Giles told him. Xander looked at the digital clock next to the bed.
"Giles, it's 11 at night." he said. "Why are you..."
"Riley's dead." Giles explained before Xander could finish. Xander finished halfway through his sentance.
"What? How?" Xander asked.
"A Sinkata demon attacked him earlier." Giles answered. Xander remembered their narrow escape earlier.
"Jesus Christ, we were attacked by one earlier! It must have followed him." Xander told Giles.
"I don't think they'll attack you tonight." Giles explained. "They'd have gone for you two instead of Riley."
"That's some good news, at least." Xander said. Giles hung up, then Xander did the same. He rolled back over to Anya.
"What is it?" Anya asked.
"Riley's dead." Xander told her. "Sinkata demon."
"Oh, my God!" Anya said. "I don't wanna think how Buffy's coping." Xander nodded.
"It's gotta be painful for her." Xander added. Anya hugged and kissed him.
"Please, promise me you'll never leave me." Anya begged.
"I promise." Xander answered, kissing her again.
It was now morning, and Willow had left the college early to go tell Spike the bad news. She walked into his crypt, then closed the door. Spike walked over to her. "Morning." he said. Willow nodded.
"Hi." she said, still sounding down. Spike could sense this.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Riley was killed last night." Willow told him, managing not to cry. "A Sinkata demon."
"Damn." Spike said, not sounding upset about it at all. "That's a pain in the ass. Take it Buffy's kinda unhappy."
"Yeah." Willow answered. "Look, I know you and Riley pretty much hated each other, but try not to say anything hurtful about him to Buffy, or anyone." she explained.
"I know. Don't wanna end up on the sharp side of a stake, now, do I?" Spike replied. He walked around his crypt. "Anyway, does this mean we'll all go on a hunt sooner than expected? Because I've been waiting for us to go kick some ass."
"I don't know, yet." Willow told him. "It's up to Buffy."
"Ok." Spike said, dissapointed. "Oh, yeah. Bit of an interesting discovery I made last night. I was hanging around that old factory, and heard something like chanting."
"Did you see who it was?" Willow asked him.
"No. Got chased away by a..." he slowed his speaking down, obviously realising something. Willow thought she knew the answer.
"Sinkata demon." She finished his sentance. Spike nodded.
"I'll take the sewers." Spike told her, grabbing his jacket. "Meet me at Giles'." Willow left the crypt, and Spike did also. He legged it as fast as he could, holding his jacket over him to stop the sun hitting him. He dived into the sewer tunnel, and Willow ran through the graveyard towards Giles' house.
Xander, Anya and Buffy were sitting in Giles' living room. He walked through, offering a drink to Buffy. She shook her head, declining his offer. Anya looked at Buffy, Giles, then the drink. "I'll have it if she doesn't." she said. Giles didn't say anything, so Anya took it. She took a sip of it, when suddenly Willow crashed through the door, blurting "I know where they are!" Everyone looked at her.
"Where who are?" Xander asked.
"The Sinkata demons and the Sorcerer of Premaria." Willow answered. Buuffy stood up quickly.
"Where?" she asked.
"Old warehouse." Willow told her. "Spike heard chanting, then got chased by a Sinkata demon." Suddenly, Spike barged past her, closing the door to avoid the light. Smoke was coming off his skin slightly, and he was exsausted.
"She tell you what's going on?" he asked, nodding his head towards Willow.
"Yes." Giles answered.
"And we're gonna go stop them. Now." Buffy told them.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Spike moaned loudly. "I only just avoided turning to a big walking flame."
"Stop moaning." Buffy ordered. "I'll go find Faith, then we'll go kill them all." Willow started walking back out of the door, then stopped.
"Faith?" she asked, confused.
"Long story." Buffy told her, not wanting to waste time. "We need weapons again. This time, it's gonna be tougher. So take the best ones." She started walking out of the house. "Meet me there in an hour." She ran out of the house. Everyone looked at each other, then headed seperate ways to find what they needed. Spike stayed where he was for a while, then shrugged and legged it back to the sewers.
Xander woke up and looked to his side. Anya was gone. Xander sat up and looked around the room. She wasn't anywhere. "Anya?" Xander asked, waiting for a reply. He heard a mumbling from next to the bed. He rolled over and peered over the side to see Anya laying on the floor, twitching slightly in short spasms. She moaned quietly, like she was having a bad nightmare. Xander put his hand on her shoulder. She woke up like a shot, and bolted upright. Xander had to move his head to avoid Anya smashing her's into it. "Jesus, are you alright?" Xander asked. Anya was taking deep breaths. Her dream had shaken her up badly.
"I don't know." Anya replied. "I heard the words. Only they were louder and more powerful." Xander got out of bed and sat on the floor next to Anya.
"The words?" he asked. "You mean those latin type words?"
"Yeah." Anya answered. She looked around, realising she was on the floor.
"Why am I down here?" she asked.
"You must've fallen out." Xander replied. He stood up, then helped Anya to her feet. "Let's get some breakfast. I'm hungry."
"Yeah." Anya said. Xander walked out of the room in search of something to eat, but Anya stayed where she was for a few moments before following.
The Sorcerer of Premaria stood over a small fire in the abandoned factory he'd chosen to stay in until the time is right. He was chanting something in a dead language. As he did so, the factory rumbled, then started shaking. The wooden floor started to crack, then splinters shot up from the ground. From underneath the floorboards, lots of arms burst through, pulling the rest of the bodies up with them. About 30 Sinkata demons emerged from the ground. They looked around at everything, wondering what was going on. Then they saw the Sorcerer of Premaria. They dropped to their knees and started bowing to him, worshiping him as if he was their God.
"Tatra astratta ormistroben azarta eargrets deridsa veratos canda." Anya said. "Well, I think that's how it went, anyway." Giles took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. A sort of symbol showing he was thinking which everyone knew by now.
"I'll look it up. It sounds very familiar." Giles told her. Anya looked at Willow.
"It's not a spell, is it?" she asked. Willow shook her head.
"I've never heard of it." she replied.
"It won't turn me into a frog or something, will it?" Anya asked her.
"No. That spell goes differently." Willow reassured her. Anya nodded.
"Good." she said. "Maybe it's something about this 'Promised One' stuff."
"Could be." Giles agreed. "You better go back to your home. You look shattered."
"She hasn't had a lot of sleep." Xander explained. He looked at Anya."I'll go with you." She nodded, then stood up. They left Gile's house, closing the door behind them. Giles continued searching through the book he was reading, repeating the words quietly to himself. Willow looked around at the almost abandoned room. She sat in silence for a few moments, then coughed. Giles looked up.
"I'll just be off. Places to go." she explained. Giles nodded, and Willow stood up. She grabbed her bag and left the house.
Angel was sitting in his old 'Home' away from the sunlight. He thought about what was going on, what was going to happen, but most of all, about Buffy and Riley. He sat in total silence, not moving a muscle. He then heard footsteps. On concrete. His floor. Someone was there. It didn't sound like Buffy much to Angel. Slightly, but definatly not her. He stood up and turned the corner. He faced the intruder, who's back was turned to him. "Can I help you?" he asked. He startled the young girl, who spun around to face him. Angel knew who she was before she had done.
"Angel..." Faith stated. "I thought you'd be here." Angel took a couple of steps towards her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. She smiled in her usual, excited way.
"Heard there was an apocalypse about to happen from your work-force." she told him. "Wanted to help stop it."
"How did you get out of prison?" Angel asked her. He prayed she didn't break out and escape. "Funny really." she told him. "Parole." Angel smiled.
"No escaping?" he asked.
"No escaping." she replied. Angel knew he was right to beleive she'd change.
"You know Buffy'll probably be pissed if she sees you." Angel reminded her. Faith nodded.
"I know. But, didn't you think she'd be pissed to see you?" she said. Angel didn't know how to reply. "I might go see if I can find her now, actually. See if I can clear things up with her." Angel nodded. Faith walked away, leaving Angel on his own again. The way he prefered it.
Anya reached to push the key in the lock to her door, but it pushed open. She looked at Xander, who slowly pushed the door away. Inside, a Sinkata demon had trashed the place up good. It noticed them and roared. Anya and Xander screamed in union, then ran down the street. The Sinkata demon gave chase almost imediatly, bursting straight through a wall as if it was made of dried mud. Xander peered over his shoulder to see the demon gaining on them slightly. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, he remembered the first time him and Anya encountered on. Only they had a car to escape in. This time they didn't.
The two frightened humans turned the corner and carried on running. Anya could feel herself burning from the inside as she became exhausted and scared. She realized that she not only feared for her life, but for Xander's too. She noticed a car speeding towards them. She could only just make out the driver as Riley. She waved her arms in the air at him. He drove past, and both Anya and Xander turned around to see him drive the car straight into the demon, sending it flying backwards, through a brick wall. They ran over to the car and got in. "Go!" Xander shouted, watching as the demon jumped out of the new hole. Riley slammed his foot on the gas and sped down the road, giving the demon no chance in catching them.
When they were at a safe distance, Riley turned his head slightly to talk to them. "You two alright?" he asked.
"Yeah." Anya replied. "Thank you."
"Don't sweat it." Riley replied. "That was a Sinkata demon, wasn't it?" he asked.
"Yup." Xander answered.
"Didn't we kill them?" Anya asked. Xander shrugged.
"Obviously not." he replied. "And now they're pissed off."
"Y'think?" Anya said, glancing out the back window. The demon had stopped chasing them. "It's gone." she declared. Riley slowed down slightly, but still drove fast.
Buffy heard a knocking at her door. She sat up from her bed and walked over to the door. She pushed the handle and pulled the door open to see the visitor. She recognized Faith almost instantly. She stared at her. "Hey, Buffy." Faith said, feeling awkward.
"Faith." Buffy replied, her voice carrying a tone of anger in it. "What are you doing here?"
"I got a parole, and found out something very bad is going to happen here. Soon." she answered. Buffy looked down at the ground for a moment, then back at Faith.
"You chosen a side?" Buffy asked. Faith nodded.
"Your's." she replied. Buffy laughed slightly.
"That's if I want you on my side." she told her. Faith felt slightly hurt, but not surprised.
"I know we haven't been the best of friends lately," Faith began.
"We haven't been friends at all." Buffy butted in.
"But I want to help. I want to help the world, and I want to help you. I want to be like a slayer should be. Like you. Not worshiping the forces of evil instead of fighting them. If you don't want my help, I'll do it by myself." Faith explained, and started to walk off. Buffy took a step after her.
"Faith," she said. Faith stopped and turned around. Buffy smiled slightly. "Welcome to the team." Faith smiled excitedly, as she normally smiled.
"Thanks." she replied, then jogged down the corridor. Buffy watched her until she turned the corner, then re-entered her room. She jumped and landed on her bed, front first. The phone rang suddenly, and Buffy picked it up.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Buffy, it's me." Riley told her. Buffy sat up again.
"Hi, honey." she said. "What's up?"
"Just saved Xander and Anya from another Sinkata demon." he explained, bluntly. "They think it wants to kill Anya."
"With all this 'Promised One' crap around, then it's possible." Buffy replied. "Wait, Sinkata demon, did you say?"
"Yup." Riley answered. "They're not dead, after all."
"Damn." Buffy said. "Where are Xander and Anya now?" she asked.
"At Xander's. I dropped them off there." Riley answered. "It's alright. We weren't followed." As soon as he said that, Buffy heard the sound of smashing glass in his room, then a roar. She then heard a fight going on, and instantly hurled herself at the door, leaving the phone off the hook.
Buffy charged straight through the door to Riley's dorm, sending splinters everywhere. She saw Riley on the floor, holding his gut. It was bloodied. The attacker had ran off, so Buffy ran over to Riley and kneeled beside him. "Riley!" she shouted, going hysterical. He coughed, blood seeped from his mouth and sprayed through the air. "Oh, God! Hold on, baby. I'll save you." she told him, reaching for the phone.
"Buffy..." Riley struggled to say. "The paramedics'll never get here on time. I'm a dead guy." he told her, trying to accept death, whil being in a whole lot of pain at the same time. Buffy pushed her hand against the very deep wound in his gut, trying to stop the bleeding.
"No!" she insisted. "You're gonna live!" Riley coughed. "You've gotta live!" Riley put his other hand on Buffy's shoulder, then rubbed the back of his finger's along her cheek. She started crying.
"I love you, Buffy..." he whispered. It was getting harder for him to talk now. Buffy started crying more heavily now.
"I love you too." she replied. "But you're gonna make it! Please, don't die, Riley!" Riley's hand moved down her cheek slowly, falling to the floor. He sighed heavily, letting out a large breath. He didn't take another one. "Riley..." Buffy whispered to him. Something made her voice higher. Her throat tightened. "Riley, answer me..." She used her free hand to shake him slightly. "Riley!" she said, louder but still quiet. She burst into tears, unable to stop. "Riley!" she screamed, trying to wake him up. She stopped shaking him, and backed away. She couldn't stand up, and tumbled backwards to the floor. She cried heavily, not wanting to stop. She couldn't call for help, and laid on Riley's floor, in a heap. It felt like the end of the world.
After what seemed an eternity crying every drop of liquid from her body, Buffy slowly pushed herself to her feet. She looked at the smashed window, feeling the rage build up inside her. She bit against her teeth hard, then ran through the gap and onto the grass below. She rolled foward, and ran ahead. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to find Riley's killer and kill him slowly and painfully.
Buffy ran non-stop for almost 30 minuites, but hadn't seen anybody. She stopped, and started crying again. She looked around again, then punched a nearby tree. It splintered in the center, falling backwards and creating a loud crashing sound. She ran back to the college, crying along the way.
Riley's body had been taken away. Buffy laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to talk, or move, or do anything. Willow had arrived back from Spike's to see the paramedics and police. Buffy had managed to tell her, and they'd both started crying. Willow laid on her bed as well. Neither of them had phoned anyone about it. Willow thought she'd better. She looked over to Buffy. "I'll go and tell the others." she said. Buffy nodded. Willow stood up and walked out of the room. She walked along the corridor, dialing Giles' number along the way. His phone started ringing, and he answered it.
"Hello?" Giles asked.
"Hey." Willow replied. "It's Willow."
"What's wrong?" Giles asked, concerned by the obvious upset in her voice. Willow started crying again slightly. "Willow, what's happened?" Giles asked, growing more worried.
"Riley's dead." Willow managed to announce. Giles went very silent. "A Sinkata demon attacked him. Buffy was too late to save him." she explained.
"Oh, Jesus..." Giles muttered. "Is Buffy alright?" he asked.
"She's understandably upset. She doesn't feel like talking at the minuite." Willow told him.
"I understand that." Giles said. "Do the others know?" he asked.
"No." Willow replied, still crying.
"I'll tell them, if you like." Giles offered.
"Thanks." Willow replied.
"You make sure Buffy's alright, ok?" Giles told her.
"Ok." Willow answered. "Bye." She hung up on him, and walked back to her room. She wiped her eyes before she opened the door.
Xander rolled over as Anya was shaking in bed. He decided she was having another incantation dream. He shook her, and she woke up with a scream. She stopped, and looked at Xander. She sighed. "I had another..." she started to explain. Xander nodded.
"Bad dream." he finished. Anya nodded. Xander held her closer to him and kissed her head. The phone rang, and Xander leaned back to pick it up. "Hello?" he asked.
"Xander, it's Giles." Giles told him. Xander looked at the digital clock next to the bed.
"Giles, it's 11 at night." he said. "Why are you..."
"Riley's dead." Giles explained before Xander could finish. Xander finished halfway through his sentance.
"What? How?" Xander asked.
"A Sinkata demon attacked him earlier." Giles answered. Xander remembered their narrow escape earlier.
"Jesus Christ, we were attacked by one earlier! It must have followed him." Xander told Giles.
"I don't think they'll attack you tonight." Giles explained. "They'd have gone for you two instead of Riley."
"That's some good news, at least." Xander said. Giles hung up, then Xander did the same. He rolled back over to Anya.
"What is it?" Anya asked.
"Riley's dead." Xander told her. "Sinkata demon."
"Oh, my God!" Anya said. "I don't wanna think how Buffy's coping." Xander nodded.
"It's gotta be painful for her." Xander added. Anya hugged and kissed him.
"Please, promise me you'll never leave me." Anya begged.
"I promise." Xander answered, kissing her again.
It was now morning, and Willow had left the college early to go tell Spike the bad news. She walked into his crypt, then closed the door. Spike walked over to her. "Morning." he said. Willow nodded.
"Hi." she said, still sounding down. Spike could sense this.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Riley was killed last night." Willow told him, managing not to cry. "A Sinkata demon."
"Damn." Spike said, not sounding upset about it at all. "That's a pain in the ass. Take it Buffy's kinda unhappy."
"Yeah." Willow answered. "Look, I know you and Riley pretty much hated each other, but try not to say anything hurtful about him to Buffy, or anyone." she explained.
"I know. Don't wanna end up on the sharp side of a stake, now, do I?" Spike replied. He walked around his crypt. "Anyway, does this mean we'll all go on a hunt sooner than expected? Because I've been waiting for us to go kick some ass."
"I don't know, yet." Willow told him. "It's up to Buffy."
"Ok." Spike said, dissapointed. "Oh, yeah. Bit of an interesting discovery I made last night. I was hanging around that old factory, and heard something like chanting."
"Did you see who it was?" Willow asked him.
"No. Got chased away by a..." he slowed his speaking down, obviously realising something. Willow thought she knew the answer.
"Sinkata demon." She finished his sentance. Spike nodded.
"I'll take the sewers." Spike told her, grabbing his jacket. "Meet me at Giles'." Willow left the crypt, and Spike did also. He legged it as fast as he could, holding his jacket over him to stop the sun hitting him. He dived into the sewer tunnel, and Willow ran through the graveyard towards Giles' house.
Xander, Anya and Buffy were sitting in Giles' living room. He walked through, offering a drink to Buffy. She shook her head, declining his offer. Anya looked at Buffy, Giles, then the drink. "I'll have it if she doesn't." she said. Giles didn't say anything, so Anya took it. She took a sip of it, when suddenly Willow crashed through the door, blurting "I know where they are!" Everyone looked at her.
"Where who are?" Xander asked.
"The Sinkata demons and the Sorcerer of Premaria." Willow answered. Buuffy stood up quickly.
"Where?" she asked.
"Old warehouse." Willow told her. "Spike heard chanting, then got chased by a Sinkata demon." Suddenly, Spike barged past her, closing the door to avoid the light. Smoke was coming off his skin slightly, and he was exsausted.
"She tell you what's going on?" he asked, nodding his head towards Willow.
"Yes." Giles answered.
"And we're gonna go stop them. Now." Buffy told them.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Spike moaned loudly. "I only just avoided turning to a big walking flame."
"Stop moaning." Buffy ordered. "I'll go find Faith, then we'll go kill them all." Willow started walking back out of the door, then stopped.
"Faith?" she asked, confused.
"Long story." Buffy told her, not wanting to waste time. "We need weapons again. This time, it's gonna be tougher. So take the best ones." She started walking out of the house. "Meet me there in an hour." She ran out of the house. Everyone looked at each other, then headed seperate ways to find what they needed. Spike stayed where he was for a while, then shrugged and legged it back to the sewers.