Chapter Six: Desperation and Orchids
Or Why Battle is Good for the Soul

_ _ _ _ _

Callista walked through the abandoned church slowly, a wicked smile on her face. She was
dressed in a tight leather corset that left her breasts exposed, and a pair of thigh-high, high-heeled leather
boots. She walked to the back wall of the church, and looked over her prisoners slowly. The cruel smile on
her face got wider.

Oz and Willow hung from the ceiling, each in their own set of shackles, both of them unconscious.
Oz looked much worse for the wear; he was wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jeans. His upper body was
covered in bruises and scratches, there were bite marks all along his arms, where Callista had allowed her
followers to feed from him. She hadn't allowed the other vampires to take too much however. She needed
both her prisoners alive for the time being.

Willow was in a little better shape. Her dress had been split up the middle, but still hung on her
body loosely. There were a few bruises on her arms and neck, but no bite marks. Callista hadn't allowed
the other vampires to touch her. She was saving Willow for herself.

"The Stormbringer is dead, and soon, the Slayer will be too," Callista said as she moved closer to
Willow. She reached out and ran her fingers along Willow's cheek. Willow whimpered, but didn't open her
eyes. Callista grinned.

"CALLISTA!" a deep voice boomed from nowhere. Callista jumped and whirled around. Seeing
no one, she quickly realized who was speaking. She sank to her knees amazingly fast.

"Yes sire," she said reverently. She could feel the dark power of the Archbishop fill the room,
even if he was only projecting his voice to her.

"THE TIME FOR THE SIEGE IS ALMOST UPON US. HOW GOES YOUR
PREPARATIONS?" the Archbishop asked. Callista smiled.

"Father Paul killed the Stormbringer last night, sire. I have two of the Slayer's friends, and told
her that if she wished to see them alive again, she would come to me, here. They are the last obstacles," she
said, her eyes lowered. She shivered when she heard the Archbishop laugh.

"GOOD. I WILL BE EXPECTING YOU IN LOS ANGELES BY TOMORROW NIGHT. WILL
THE VOZHD BE READY?" the Archbishop asked.

"Yes sire," Callista said meekly. Again the Archbishop laughed. Callista closed her eyes and
moaned softly.

"DO NOT FAIL ME CALLISTA," the Archbishop said. Callista sighed in relief as she felt his
presence slowly dissipate. She looked around briefly, then started to stand.

"No, don't get up. You look really good on your knees," a voice said out of the shadows. Callista
shot to her feet, her fangs extending in reflex.

"Who's there?" she snarled, her right hand reshaping itself into a sharp, bony point. She scanned
the darkness at the edge of the room, but saw nothing. At that moment, a man stepped out of the shadows.
He was dressed in black, including a flowing leather trench coat. He carried a long, black cane in his left
hand, which was topped by a dragon's claw, carved from silver and tightly clenching a large sapphire. His
eyes were hidden behind a round, black pair of sunglasses. Callista's jaw dropped in shock.

"Lord Raven. This is a surprise," she said. Raven didn't look at her, but walked toward Willow
and Oz, his cane tapping softly against the floor as he moved. He stopped in front of Oz and looked him up
and down before saying anything.

"Can't have been too much of a surprise. You didn't really think I wouldn't become involved in
this sooner or later, did you?" Raven asked quietly, not taking his gaze off Oz as he spoke. Callista moved
over to him, her hand reshaping itself.

"Perhaps. I honestly didn't consider it one way or the other," Callista said, her voice dark and
sultry. She reached out and laid a hand on Raven's chest, tracing a fingernail around one of his shirt
buttons. He didn't react at all, or even turn to look at her. She sighed in frustration, but didn't remove her
hand.

"How did you get in here?" she asked. Raven turned his head and looked at her.

"I can go just about anywhere. It wasn't difficult," he said, before stepping away from her and
moving to stand in front of Willow. As he did so, Willow opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her face
was strangely calm, her eyes glazed. She looked right at Raven.

"Which one are you? Who will use who?" Willow asked, her voice distant and quiet. She seemed
to be delirious. Raven smiled a gentle smile and laid a hand on her forehead softly.

"Sleep child, and dream. Dream while you can still afford it," he said quietly. Willow closed her
eyes again and slumped down, seeming to be asleep. Raven turned and looked at Callista, who was staring
at Willow with a confused look on her face.

"Where is the Archbishop?" Raven asked. Callista turned and looked at him, then shrugged.

"Somewhere in Mexico for all I know," she said simply, crossing her arms over her breasts. Raven
shook his head.

"I'll not interfere… yet," Raven said quietly. "I will not allow you to take my city, however."
Callista laughed.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, old man," she said, tauntingly. Raven didn't respond, but
simply turned and walked back into the shadows, where he seemed to vanish. Callista screamed after he
left, and lifted one of the old wooden pews above her head. She threw it across the room in a fit of rage,
and it slammed into the far wall, exploding into wooden fragments.

"I'll kill him yet," Callista growled.

_ _ _ _ _


Buffy paced, agitated, in front of Jason's television. She was dressed in black, a t-shirt and a pair of jeans
Jason had lent her. They were at least two sizes too big for her, but they were better suited for rescuing
Willow and Oz than the sports bra and sweat pants she had been wearing. She had tied her hair back with a
simple ribbon, and was tossing a wooden stake from one hand to the other. She looked ready to fight.

Xander and Chelle sat on Jason's bed next to each other. Giles was in the kitchen area, making tea.
Chelle watched Buffy as she paced. She was still dressed in her black wedding dress. The glass monocle
she usually wore around her throat was in her left hand. Xander stared at his feet, a very worried look on
his face. Buffy stopped, and looked at him.

"We'll get them back Xander," she said quietly. Xander looked up.

"I hope you're right Buff," he said quietly. Buffy lowered her eyes.

"We do have one advantage," Jason said as he walked out of the bathroom. He was dressed in
black like Buffy, but was wearing a long-sleeved shirt instead. He was strapping on a leather harness that
held two 9mm pistols in holsters at his side. The harness also held several clips for the pistols along his
waist, and a strap across his chest held at least a dozen shotgun shells.

'What advantage is that? Your Gothic fashion sense?" Xander asked bitterly. Chelle sighed and
rested a hand on his shoulder. Jason shook his head.

"Callista thinks I am a ordinary mortal. She doesn't know about the immortal bit. She thinks I'm
dead right now," Jason said. "She's expecting to only have to deal with Buffy. She won't be expecting me
to show up,"

Xander blinked as Jason turned and walked over to his car, the '67 Mustang. Jason opened the
trunk, exposing a large cache of weapons and explosives. Buffy walked over, looked inside the trunk and
her jaws dropped.

"My god, you have enough weaponry here to attack a small country!" Buffy exclaimed. Xander
and Giles both came over, looking inside the trunk. There were several handguns of various types, two
pump-action shotguns, dozens and dozens of ammo boxes, several small packages of plastique, and a small
grenade launcher.

"I am afraid to ask why you need all of this," Giles said nervously. Jason laughed, and picked up
one of the shotguns, and slid it into a holster on his back.

"Massive amounts of destruction tend to follow me around. Couldn't tell you why," Jason said,
grinning. Buffy gave a nervous laugh. Jason turned and pulled a four foot long black case out of the trunk
before he closed it. He set the case on the closed trunk and opened it. There was a layer of red silk covering
whatever was in the case. Jason lifted the silk away, and it revealed a katana sword in its sheath. Jason
lifted the sword out of the case, and strapped it to his waist.

"I bet you're a fun date," Xander quipped. Everyone ignored him. Jason turned to look at Buffy,
and snatched the wooden stake out of her hand. He looked at her, then coughed once.

"You up for this? Things will get rough," Jason said quietly, concern obvious in his voice. Buffy
looked back at him, her eyes deadly serious.

"They are my friends. I'm up for it," she said. Jason smiled.

"Good. Now, here's the plan…" he said, motioning everyone closer.

_ _ _ _ _

Willow looked around, surprised to find that she standing in the field of flowers again. Her last
memory had been watching several of the vampires sinking their fangs into Oz. She had screamed, and
struggled against he shackles, unsuccessfully, screaming at the vampires to stop. Then she had felt a sharp
blow against the back of her head, and everything went dark.

Now she stood in the field she had dreamt of twice before. She looked down, and her eyes
widened in surprise. The first time she had appeared here naked, the second time in a white robe. This time
she was dressed in the tight leather outfit that her vampire-self, the one from the other world, had been
wearing when she and Anya had accidentally summoned her.

Willow looked around the field again. Her confusion and her fear for Oz fought for dominance in
her emotions. She felt her self sinking to her knees, tears streaming down her face. One of the people she
loved most in the world was being eaten by vampires. And she knew they were going to use her and Oz as
bait to lure Buffy to her death. Willow felt useless. She couldn't save her friends.

As Willows tears ran down her face, they began to drip off of her face and hit the ground, forming
a small puddle. Willow watched in amazement as the puddle grew on its own, until it was a small pond, the
water calm, blue and beautiful. Suddenly, the water rippled, and a picture formed in the center of the pond.

Willow saw her self and Oz hanging in the church. The vampires were greedily drinking Oz's
blood. Callista then appeared, yanking one of the vampires back viscously. The other vampires stepped
back from Oz, all of them bowing before Callista. Willow looked at the picture of Oz, and almost cried
with joy when she saw he was still breathing.

"You can save him. Him, and the others you love," a familiar voice said from behind her. Willow
turned slowly, and saw her self standing there. It was the same image she had seen earlier, Willow, looking
a few years older, and dressed in the flowing white robe.

"Hello Willow," her other self said. "I'm Orchid."

_ _ _ _

Almost an hour later, Buffy opened the doors of St. Joseph's, an abandoned Catholic church on
the outskirts of Sunnydale. When Callista had called Giles, she had told him that if they wanted Willow and
Oz back, that Buffy would have to come out here, alone. Buffy slowly stepped into the church, and the
massive wooden doors slammed shut behind her with a loud bang. Buffy jumped slightly, then looked
around.

"Welcome to the Gates of Hell my child," a soft voice said. Buffy turned and saw Father Paul
standing at the entrance to the main area of the church. The priest vampire was smiling almost warmly at
her, and clenched a silver crucifix that was nearly a foot in length. Buffy frowned. Jason had told her
crosses didn't work against the Kindred, but she hadn't really believed it. Father Paul took a step back, and
gestured to the interior. Buffy took a deep breath and walked inside.

The interior of the church was a wreck. There were a variety of odd symbols drawn on the walls in
what appeared to be dried blood. At least seven different vampires that Buffy could see leaned against the
wall, or sat in some of the few remaining pews. All of the vampires stared at Buffy silently. She ignored
them, and looked toward the altar. Willow and Oz were hanging there, both of them still unconscious.

"Willow! Oz!," Buffy exclaimed, taking a step toward them. At that moment, Callista stepped in
front of Buffy, seeming to come out of nowhere. Buffy took a step back, then jumped, as the interior doors
of the church slammed shut. Buffy frowned, then turned her gaze back to Callista. Callista stood there,
hands on her hips, still dressed in the revealing corset.

"Interesting fashion choice. Didn't anyone tell you the slut look was out this year?" Buffy
quipped, her voice betraying no nervousness. Callista laughed.

"I like your spirit," Callista said, amused. "I'd almost consider making you my ghoul, or even
Embracing you, but I have the feeling you wouldn't be worth the risk. I'll just have to kill you."

"Easier said than done," Buffy said. Callista laughed once more.

"You are outnumbered, and there is no way you could escape here. Poor misguided Jason is dead
and he can't help you. You are going to die, and your friends are going to die." Callista said, before
glancing over her shoulder. "Except the redhead. I like her. She'd make a wonderful childe."

Callista turned her head back around to look at Buffy, only to meet Buffy's fist. The blow cracked
against Callista's nose and sent her staggering back. She screeched, then look back at Buffy, dark blood
seeping from her nose.

"Hope you enjoyed that. It will be the last pleasure you will have. Kill her," Callista said, making
a dismissive gesture toward Buffy. The other vampires in the room rose, and began to circle Buffy. Buffy
moved into a fighting stance, her eyes rapidly moving from one target to another. The various vampires
snarled and taunted her as the circled.

At that moment, the massive doors that Buffy has entered exploded inward, filling the room with
shards of flying wood and metal. Buffy and the vampires ducked instinctively, but a few of the vampires
were unable to dodge the flying shards. Some fell to floor, chunks of wood and metal buried in various
parts of their party. Those that were uninjured looked toward the door.

Jason stood in shattered doorframe, holding his shotgun loosely in one hand. Chelle and Giles
stood next to him, on either side. Chelle's left hand was raised, holding her glass monocle before her, light
glinting off it. She held her ancient flintlock pistol in her right hand, pointing downwards. Giles was
pointing a massive revolver at the vampires, a look of cold concentration on his face.

"Hi! Are we late? Traffic was a bitch," Jason said cheerily. Callista stared at Jason in shock, then
whirled to look at Father Paul, a look of rage on her face.

"You told me he was dead!" she screamed. Father Paul looked around in confusion, his usual calm
demeanor completely gone.

"He could not have survived the blast, Mistress! I shot him at close blank range! He lost too much
blood!" he screamed back at her, the fear obvious in his voice.

"Oh, don't get to mad at him Callista darling. He tried," Jason said. He drew one of his pistols
from its holster and tossed it to Buffy, who caught it easily. She spun on her feet and pointed it at Callista.
Callista screamed again.

"Kill them! Kill them all! Unleash the ghouls!" Callista screamed before diving behind one of the
pews. Buffy fired two shots at Callista as she moved, but missed. Bright gouts of white flame exiting the
pistol and slammed into the pew, catching part of it in flames.

At that moment, one of the closer vampires swiped at her, his hand transformed into a misshapen
claw. Buffy fell backwards, barely avoiding the blow. She rolled backwards, and came up on her feet in a
crouch. She fired a shot at the vamp, catching it full in the chest with the shot of white flame. The vampire
shrieked and ran, but was quickly engulfed in the flames, and fell to the floor, nothing more than a burning
skeleton in less than five seconds. Jason had told Buffy burning phosphorus ammunitions was real effective
against vampires. She decided he was definitely right.

Across the room five vampires tried rushing the remains of the door. Jason raised his shotgun, and
caught the first one with a face full of burning phosphorus. The second one's head exploded messily, blood
bone and brains flying as a bullet from Giles' revolver caught it at close range. Giles wasn't prepared for
the massive kick of the gun and took a few steps back, off balance.

Chelle stepped sideways, bracing herself against the wall as she raised her flintlock, searching for
a target. Jason pumped another shell into the shotgun, then cracked an onrushing vampire hard across the
jaw with the shotgun's stock when she got to close. The female vampire went staggering back, clutching
her shattered jaw. A quick burst from the shotgun finished her off.

Back in the middle of the room, Buffy was trying to get to Willow and Oz, but two large male
vampires were in her way. One of them lunged at Buffy, but she easily avoided his attack and sent a sharp
sidekick at his chest. The vampire went flying, and Buffy spun on her feet, and put her gun in the other
vampire's face before he could react. She pulled the trigger, and the vampire's head vanished instantly in a
flare of white fire.

A loud boom filled the room, and Buffy saw a burning vampire fly across the room and slam into
a wall with a sickening thud. She turned and saw Chelle pulling herself out of a six-inch deep impression in
the wall. The impression had been caused by Chelle's body being pushed back when she had fired off her
flintlock pistol. Buffy blinked in amazement.

"All right, that's enough!" Callista's scream cut through the fighting. Everyone stopped, and
looked at her. Callista was standing behind the altar, her hand reshaped into a sharp, fleshy blade. The
blade was pressed hard against Willow's throat. A small amount of blood dripped down Willow flesh.

"Drop your weapons or I will rip this bitch to pieces with my bare hands," Callista said smugly.
Buffy looked on in despair as Jason dropped his shotgun. Giles set the revolver on the floor and stood up,
his hands in the air. Buffy swallowed and felt tears come to her eyes as she dropped her own gun. Callista
looked at Chelle.

"You too mage-cunt. Drop the gun, and your focus. I feel one bit of magic and the girl dies,"
Callista said.

"Fuck!" Chelle said bitterly. She dropped her gun and the glass monocle to the floor. Callista smiled. A
few moments later, at least ten more vampires and ten of the monstrous szlachta ghouls stepped out of the
shadows. Callista smirked, and looked at Jason.

"You may have caught me off guard, Stormbringer, but as you can see, I am always prepared for
the unexpected," she said, then laughed maliciously.

_ _ _ _ _


Willow looked up at Orchid in amazement. She was almost completely identical to herself.

"Who are you?" Willow asked in amazement. Orchid smiled warmly.

"I am you, Willow. Your eternal self. Your Avatar. I am the part of you that has been here since
the beginning, the part of you that never dies. When this life ends, I move on to your next life. I am always
there, part of you. I guide you around the Wheel," Orchid said, still smiling. Willow looked up at her in
shock.

"Why are you here?" Willow asked in a whisper. Orchid moved forward, and reached out,
brushing some of Willow's tears away from her face gently.

"To Awaken you to your destiny. Time has grown short, you have Slept too long. I have to place
you in touch with your power, and your memories. Look," Orchid said, then gestured to the pond. Willow
turned, and saw the image of the fight in the church. She saw Callista press her bladed-hand against her
throat, saw Buffy and the others drop their weapons in order to save her life. He eyes widened in horror.

"Callista will kill them! I have to do something!" Willow said desperately. Orchid smiled, and
offered her hand to Willow.

"You shall, child, you shall," she said quietly. Willow took her hand, and Orchid helped her to her
feet. Then, Orchid stepped forward, and placed her hands on Willow's shoulders. She leaned forward and
pressed her lips against Willow's in a gentle and motherly kiss. Willow felt… something enter her body,
filling her with power.

At that moment, Willow opened her eyes. She was back in the church. She felt Callista sharp hand
pressed against her throat, but felt no pain. Willow looked up at the chains holding her. Callista didn't seem
to notice the movement. Willow's eyes focused on the metal of the chains. She found that she could look at
the very molecules of the metal itself. She knew this should have worried her in some way, but it seemed
natural.

She felt something stir inside her, and reality itself moved. She saw molecules of oxygen rapidly
meld themselves with the metal. Her vision quickly focused back out and she saw that the chain holding her
was rapidly rusting. In a matter of seconds, the pristine chain was nothing but rusted, rotted metal. Willow
gave a small tug and the chain fell apart, releasing her.

Callista stepped back, surprise and shock registering on her face. She took a step forward, raising
her bladed hand, but Willow raise a hand of her own and Callista went flying backwards, crashing through
the back wall. Callista's followers looked on in shock, as did Buffy and the others.

Willow stepped over to Oz, not understanding how she was able to do all these things, but
knowing that this power was right, that it was a part of her. She placed her hands on Oz and let her power
flow through her and into him. His wounds healed themselves almost instantly, and his eyes opened
quickly.

"Willow?" he said in confusion. She smiled and leaned forward, kissing him briefly as his chains
rusted and fell apart like hers had.

"We have to help the others," she whispered against his lips. She felt more of her power flow
across her lips and into Oz. His eyes widened, then began to glow a bright orange. He growled and then
changed rapidly, his body expanding, his hands becoming massive claws. He grew, standing almost eight
feet tall, his body covered in hair, his head that of a massive wolf. He was used to his changes, but it had
never been like this before. He was in control this time, not the wolf.

Oz snarled and leapt forward, his teeth bared, growling loudly. One swipe of his razor sharp claws
completely decapitated the vampire closest to Buffy. Buffy and the others quickly took advantage of the
confusion, diving for their dropped weapons. Jason came up, firing his shotgun into the grown of vampires
and ghouls, scattering them. Buffy dropped two vampires with well-placed shots from her retrieved gun.

Three vampires ran toward Willow in a panic, trying to get away from the rampaging Oz, whose
teeth and claws were making short, if bloody, work of anyone that got in his way. She raised a hand idly,
and the air in front of her seemed to ripple as if it was water. This ripple struck all three of the vampires in
the chest, and they stopped, looking at Willow in shock, before their bodies exploded into dust and rotted
flesh, falling to the floor.

It was over in a matter of minutes. The vampires and ghouls screamed and ran. Those who didn't
manage to escape through a window or some other means were caught between three engines of death; the
combined firepower of the Slayer and Jason, the strength and fury of the werewolf Oz, or the powerful and
mysterious magics of Willow. Soon there was no one left to fight.

Oz looked around, blood dripping from his claws and teeth. He tilted his head back and let loose
with a bone chilling howl, then blinked as he suddenly found himself human again, blood covering his
hands and mouth. He turned, with the others, and looked at Willow. Willow stood there, looking at her
friends, a serene smile on her face.

"I understand now," Willow said quietly, before she fainted and collapsed to the floor. Oz and
Buffy ran forward, kneeling beside her. Willow lay there, breathing steadily. She appeared to be asleep. Oz
lifted her head and laid it in his lap, stroking her hair softly. Buffy stared at her in amazement, then turned
to look at Jason, Giles, and Chelle as they walked up behind her.

"What happened to her?" Buffy asked in amazement. Jason smiled slightly but said nothing, Giles
stared at Willow, the confusion obvious on his face. Chelle smiled as well, then finally spoke up.

"She Awakened. All of reality will now bend to her will. She is a mage."

_ _ _ _ _

Raven stood silently outside the church, hidden in the shadows. He watched as Buffy and Oz
carried Willow out to Jason's car, where Xander sat behind the wheel, worry etched on his face. Jason,
Chelle, and Giles followed behind them. Jason had an arm around Chelle's waist, and she leaned against
him, a smile on her face. When they got Willow into the car, Raven could hear Xander's cry of joy at
seeing his friends were unharmed.

"Enjoy your victory, Hunter and Slayer. Relish the time with the ones you love. Darker times are
coming, and even I cannot stop them. Enjoy your victory, while you can," Raven said quietly, before
turning and walking off down the road.

End of Chapter Six