Buffy waited for everyone to catch up. She knew that she was hurrying, but
she had a right to, damn it. The sight of her lover crumbling to dust
before her kept flashing back, leaving her shuddering. The dream haunted
her. But so did the cavern they were about to enter.
It was where she had died the first time. The lair of the Master, an
ancient vampire as ugly as he was powerful. He had drunk from her, the
first vampire to ever sink his fangs into her neck. Angel had been second.
Then Dracula. And Spike.
She still had nightmares about drowning. Being unable to move, as water
choked her mouth and nose, filling her lungs with each traitorous breath. All
because she had once drowned in this very place, only to be brought back to life
with Xander's breath.
This time, when she had died, she had been brought back confused. But
suffocating nonetheless; her coffin held no air. Her nightmares of waking
where they left her haunted her sleep almost every night. It was the same as
drowning, in a way. Not being able to breathe, dirt replacing the water
that had once choked her.
She was forced from her disturbing thoughts when Xander pushed up against
her back. No one spoke as they joined her, waiting for her word. The plan
was simple. Dust the lead vampire. Rescue Spike. Leave in peace.
As her grip tightened on the sword in her hand, she was suddenly frightened
that they hadn't planned enough. What if it didn't work? What if the head-on
rush wasn't effective? Should she have sent Faith or Angel in first as a distraction?
Or perhaps they had planned too long and would arrive too late?
She listened. Noises came from the room beyond the mouth of the cave, soft
chanting voices. Low growls. A little bit of light flickered through the
entrance, not touching the party that stood waiting in the shadows.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her arm, signaling the others, and rushed
into the room.
///
Spike pulled his head back, gasping. He was waking again, with the taste
of fresh blood on his lips. His eyes rolled as he tried to look around, to get
his bearings.
Kahamet knelt before him. He growled, his eyes flashing amber, and
released her arm as if it had burnt him. She laughed.
He scrambled back, rising shakily to his feet. She was on him in an
instant, so fast even he couldn't follow her movements. She grabbed him
roughly.
"Told you..." she whispered, sliding her fingers into his hair and yanking
his head back to bare his throat.
He spit and struggled, cursing, but fighting her was like fighting a brick
wall. He couldn't even move an inch in her grasp.
The chanting from the men around them grew louder. She bent with a smile
and sank her fangs into his neck once again.
His entire body stiffened. He couldn't even cry out. This time was
different. The pain was incredible. It felt as if everything he was was
being drawn away in agonizing draughts. The pull tugged on his veins, his mind,
his dead heart.
His eyes finally rolled back in his head, his mouth slack. All he could
see was light. When she abruptly released him, some unknown force kept him
on his feet, swaying slightly. For him, time stilled.
///
Buffy felt rage ignite and burn through her at the scene she took in upon
bursting into the room. Spike, limp in the arms of the vampire bitch.
She screamed, slashing through the first two minions to come at her, their
dust settling behind her as she continued on to her goal. The bitch. She was
going to die.
At the scream, the vampire released Spike, who remained standing even
though he seemed unconscious. Light twisted around him, red in streaks
like licking flames flowing up his form. Fear didn't even have a chance to
grip the Slayer's heart. She was too pissed off.
Kahamet stepped in front of her captive, smirking at the blonde rushing her
way.
"You've interrupted my ritual, girl. Luckily, I have drunk enough."
Buffy stepped forward and swung her sword at the vampire's midsection.
"Not so lucky. That's my boyfriend you've got."
The vampire moved backward, the blade arcing inches away from her. And
before Buffy knew what had happened, Kahamet had kicked the blade out of her
hands. The force of the blow smashed one of the Slayer's hands, and sent
her reeling.
She lifted her head, checking on the others, who were engaged in battle
with minions and human monks. She saw Angel get thrown into large ceremonial brazier, smashing the stand to bits, scattering the wooden legs about the room. He scrambled to his feet before the deadly flame would burn him to badly, though one of his arms was now useless.
Fire began to spread, igniting in patches of minons, dusting quite a few. Giles knelt, chanting, Willow at his side, holding an energy barrier about the both of them. Xander was backed against the wall, struggling with two vampires, his axe slashing the air before them. Faith fought like a wild cat, kicking and screaming, tearing through lesser minons with fevor.
Buffy rolled forward just in time, the vampire's fist grazing her head; jarring her, and
snatched up a long piece of wood, one of the legs from the broken brazier. Getting quickly to her feet, she spun and
connected a vicious kick to her foe's jaw, barely even phasing the woman.
Her fight with Glory suddenly sprang into her mind.
"Stupid girl. You think you can harm me? I have been restored!"
Faith was at her side then, wiping away blood from a split lip.
"No, but we can." and the dark haired Slayer attacked. She rushed at Kahamet, who easily side stepped her, and punched her hard in the back of the head, sending her kareening into the far wall. Faith crumbled, motionless.
Buffy stared wide-eyed, the rage bubbling in her again, with a scream, she swung the wood like a baseball bat the vampire's head. It smashed into her temple, splintering at the end, making it sharper.
Buffy blocked a punch from Kahamet with her arm, pain lacing up to
her shoulder as she did so. The second punch caught her in the jaw,
spinning her around and knocking her to the ground. Blood poured from her
mouth.
"See? You understand my power now?" The vampire raised her foot to
crush Buffy's head.
Buffy flipped quickly back up on to her feet, the woman's foot crashing
beside her, cracking the stone. She head-butted her forcefully, knocked her back
a few steps, and then shoved the long, sharp piece of wood into her heart.
"Bitch." she spat out. "Understand my power?"
Rage, then fear contorted Kahamet's face before she vanished in a cloud
of dust.
Buffy's breath stilled. Pain blossomed in her chest over her heart,
spreading slowly to encompass the rest of her body.
All of her rage drained away as she stared up at Spike's eyes, which met
hers through the dust filling the air. Between them, the piece of wood that
had dispatched his captor, the end of which was buried nearly three inches
in Spike's own chest.
"No!" Buffy screamed, the word seeming slow and soft to her own ears, as
she watched the myriad of emotions cross her lover's face. Shock. Pain.
Then love. Only love. The strange firelike light around him became a
whirlwind about them both, sparks of energy dancing across its surface.
Spike reached out a shaking hand, as if to touch her. The finger nearly
reached her, before it began to crumble away, glittering dust swept up in
the whirlwind.
Tears poured down Buffy's cheeks. Her eyes locked on his, watching in
silent agony as he slowly crumbled to dust.
Her life with him, from nearly four years ago, when the sound of his
clapping had signaled her first glimpse of him, to their first time together
in the house that had fallen down around the passion of their coupling. The
way he always knew what she was thinking, almost as if he could read her
mind.
His eyes were the last to go.
Motes of dust glittered around her.
"No!" She screamed again.
Time stilled. The whirlwind stopped. Sweeps of golden hair hung in the
air, as if caught in jelly. Soft dust colored the room. None fell. The
sun stopped moving. Darkness fell, and all was silent.
AN: Fear not. This isn't the end. Next update in three days.
~To Be Continued~
she had a right to, damn it. The sight of her lover crumbling to dust
before her kept flashing back, leaving her shuddering. The dream haunted
her. But so did the cavern they were about to enter.
It was where she had died the first time. The lair of the Master, an
ancient vampire as ugly as he was powerful. He had drunk from her, the
first vampire to ever sink his fangs into her neck. Angel had been second.
Then Dracula. And Spike.
She still had nightmares about drowning. Being unable to move, as water
choked her mouth and nose, filling her lungs with each traitorous breath. All
because she had once drowned in this very place, only to be brought back to life
with Xander's breath.
This time, when she had died, she had been brought back confused. But
suffocating nonetheless; her coffin held no air. Her nightmares of waking
where they left her haunted her sleep almost every night. It was the same as
drowning, in a way. Not being able to breathe, dirt replacing the water
that had once choked her.
She was forced from her disturbing thoughts when Xander pushed up against
her back. No one spoke as they joined her, waiting for her word. The plan
was simple. Dust the lead vampire. Rescue Spike. Leave in peace.
As her grip tightened on the sword in her hand, she was suddenly frightened
that they hadn't planned enough. What if it didn't work? What if the head-on
rush wasn't effective? Should she have sent Faith or Angel in first as a distraction?
Or perhaps they had planned too long and would arrive too late?
She listened. Noises came from the room beyond the mouth of the cave, soft
chanting voices. Low growls. A little bit of light flickered through the
entrance, not touching the party that stood waiting in the shadows.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her arm, signaling the others, and rushed
into the room.
///
Spike pulled his head back, gasping. He was waking again, with the taste
of fresh blood on his lips. His eyes rolled as he tried to look around, to get
his bearings.
Kahamet knelt before him. He growled, his eyes flashing amber, and
released her arm as if it had burnt him. She laughed.
He scrambled back, rising shakily to his feet. She was on him in an
instant, so fast even he couldn't follow her movements. She grabbed him
roughly.
"Told you..." she whispered, sliding her fingers into his hair and yanking
his head back to bare his throat.
He spit and struggled, cursing, but fighting her was like fighting a brick
wall. He couldn't even move an inch in her grasp.
The chanting from the men around them grew louder. She bent with a smile
and sank her fangs into his neck once again.
His entire body stiffened. He couldn't even cry out. This time was
different. The pain was incredible. It felt as if everything he was was
being drawn away in agonizing draughts. The pull tugged on his veins, his mind,
his dead heart.
His eyes finally rolled back in his head, his mouth slack. All he could
see was light. When she abruptly released him, some unknown force kept him
on his feet, swaying slightly. For him, time stilled.
///
Buffy felt rage ignite and burn through her at the scene she took in upon
bursting into the room. Spike, limp in the arms of the vampire bitch.
She screamed, slashing through the first two minions to come at her, their
dust settling behind her as she continued on to her goal. The bitch. She was
going to die.
At the scream, the vampire released Spike, who remained standing even
though he seemed unconscious. Light twisted around him, red in streaks
like licking flames flowing up his form. Fear didn't even have a chance to
grip the Slayer's heart. She was too pissed off.
Kahamet stepped in front of her captive, smirking at the blonde rushing her
way.
"You've interrupted my ritual, girl. Luckily, I have drunk enough."
Buffy stepped forward and swung her sword at the vampire's midsection.
"Not so lucky. That's my boyfriend you've got."
The vampire moved backward, the blade arcing inches away from her. And
before Buffy knew what had happened, Kahamet had kicked the blade out of her
hands. The force of the blow smashed one of the Slayer's hands, and sent
her reeling.
She lifted her head, checking on the others, who were engaged in battle
with minions and human monks. She saw Angel get thrown into large ceremonial brazier, smashing the stand to bits, scattering the wooden legs about the room. He scrambled to his feet before the deadly flame would burn him to badly, though one of his arms was now useless.
Fire began to spread, igniting in patches of minons, dusting quite a few. Giles knelt, chanting, Willow at his side, holding an energy barrier about the both of them. Xander was backed against the wall, struggling with two vampires, his axe slashing the air before them. Faith fought like a wild cat, kicking and screaming, tearing through lesser minons with fevor.
Buffy rolled forward just in time, the vampire's fist grazing her head; jarring her, and
snatched up a long piece of wood, one of the legs from the broken brazier. Getting quickly to her feet, she spun and
connected a vicious kick to her foe's jaw, barely even phasing the woman.
Her fight with Glory suddenly sprang into her mind.
"Stupid girl. You think you can harm me? I have been restored!"
Faith was at her side then, wiping away blood from a split lip.
"No, but we can." and the dark haired Slayer attacked. She rushed at Kahamet, who easily side stepped her, and punched her hard in the back of the head, sending her kareening into the far wall. Faith crumbled, motionless.
Buffy stared wide-eyed, the rage bubbling in her again, with a scream, she swung the wood like a baseball bat the vampire's head. It smashed into her temple, splintering at the end, making it sharper.
Buffy blocked a punch from Kahamet with her arm, pain lacing up to
her shoulder as she did so. The second punch caught her in the jaw,
spinning her around and knocking her to the ground. Blood poured from her
mouth.
"See? You understand my power now?" The vampire raised her foot to
crush Buffy's head.
Buffy flipped quickly back up on to her feet, the woman's foot crashing
beside her, cracking the stone. She head-butted her forcefully, knocked her back
a few steps, and then shoved the long, sharp piece of wood into her heart.
"Bitch." she spat out. "Understand my power?"
Rage, then fear contorted Kahamet's face before she vanished in a cloud
of dust.
Buffy's breath stilled. Pain blossomed in her chest over her heart,
spreading slowly to encompass the rest of her body.
All of her rage drained away as she stared up at Spike's eyes, which met
hers through the dust filling the air. Between them, the piece of wood that
had dispatched his captor, the end of which was buried nearly three inches
in Spike's own chest.
"No!" Buffy screamed, the word seeming slow and soft to her own ears, as
she watched the myriad of emotions cross her lover's face. Shock. Pain.
Then love. Only love. The strange firelike light around him became a
whirlwind about them both, sparks of energy dancing across its surface.
Spike reached out a shaking hand, as if to touch her. The finger nearly
reached her, before it began to crumble away, glittering dust swept up in
the whirlwind.
Tears poured down Buffy's cheeks. Her eyes locked on his, watching in
silent agony as he slowly crumbled to dust.
Her life with him, from nearly four years ago, when the sound of his
clapping had signaled her first glimpse of him, to their first time together
in the house that had fallen down around the passion of their coupling. The
way he always knew what she was thinking, almost as if he could read her
mind.
His eyes were the last to go.
Motes of dust glittered around her.
"No!" She screamed again.
Time stilled. The whirlwind stopped. Sweeps of golden hair hung in the
air, as if caught in jelly. Soft dust colored the room. None fell. The
sun stopped moving. Darkness fell, and all was silent.
AN: Fear not. This isn't the end. Next update in three days.
~To Be Continued~