The huge shadow-like creature was shocked to hear the cry of one of the most feared beasts in the Shadow Realm. It gathered its forces and prepared itself for battle. He expected for the Slayer to come to it – but never did it expect to come here in this manner! What manner of Slayer was she that had dared call upon the former King's most cherished of all allies? The Termagent Demon he sent to finish the Slayer should have done it right the first time! Now all this was due to that upstart's inadequacy! But no matter, it would relish killing her with its own bare hands!
Petting the chained Dawn beside him, it rose and summoned the Termagent Demon one final time.
It was time for the Slayer's blood to begin pouring down these halls.
Chad felt weird as soon as they touched down. This whole place seemed very unreal. He couldn't put his finger on it and decided to do so later. Letting your mind wander in a fight is the easiest way to get yourself killed. He summoned the shadow weapons for him and his friends as the first wave of enemies ran towards them. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes once to calm himself, when he opened them – he moved and acted like the efficient killing machine his subconscious knew he was. Nothing stood in his way for long. With his shadowguards flanking him from stray attacks, he let Moe lead them into the castle.
The vampire howled in glee at the ensuing violence, happy to do something to Dawn's kidnappers. Looks like massacring for the white hats was just as fun as doing it in the old days.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The Slayer is now amok. Buffy was mad as hell, and she let her anger shine through as she sliced through enemy ranks like a human tornado. Spike was right there with her, guarding her back as well as putting paid to all that the enemy was dishing out to them. And both of their shadows were doing the same, with wild abandon.
Xander was doing his fair share as he bopped anyone who got too close to the girls. Both witches and ex-demoness were able to get up their shield spell and attacked the opposition from within the safety of the shield. Energy fireballs of magical light shot out of the shield and hit most of the first wave.
"Up the stairs!" Moe shouted as he skewered one enthralled shadow after another, sickened by what the usurper did to his kind. "The throne room is three flights up the grand staircase!" Chad took point as he ran after his shadowguard.
"Follow him!" Buffy yelled, flipping over one shadow as she gutted another that was about to behead her partner vampire. Finally dispatching the last one, she ran after the young man with Spike, their shadows, and the Scoobies hot on her heels.
Chad's POV:
This is probably the messiest melee I've been in. Man, bar fights were tamer than this! I didn't know what sickened me more; the ongoing onslaught of goon shadows, or Spike's laughter at hacking them all to bits – with Buffy right beside him!
The BEACH! I should have gone to the beach! Just to lie down on the sand and watch all the pretty girls in VERY small bikinis pass me by as I drink ice-cold lemonade. I definitely should have gone to the beach.
As we got to the third floor, a bit winded and worn down, we heard a very human scream, which galvanized us into further action. At the far end of the ridiculously large room which seems to have taken most of the damned floor, was a darker than night shadow AND our buddy Termagent Demon. Beside the aforementioned idiots was Buffy's sister.
Suffice to say that the Slayer literally saw red at Dawn's condition was putting it mildly. I could almost see a couple of nukes go off in her eyes. The game face on Spike's face was no good either, they both wanted blood. As for me, all I want are answers to the questions such as to why do I feel a certain connection to this place even though I've never been here – and I'll bet that moron sitting there on the throne has some of them.
I just hope Slayer and Vampire don't tear him to pieces before I get the chance to ask him though.
"Welcome Slayer!" The large shadow boomed. Hiding his shock at finding some shadows fighting at their sides. "And I welcome your friends as well! Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Sardo Vonges, the Shadow King."
"You're not the real king." Moe said, plainly disgusted. "You're no more real than that pathetic excuse of a monster you summoned to destroy the Slayer."
Sardo jerked in surprise, looking closely at the belligerent shadow before him. "Mayhap that I am not – for now. But as you can see, I do what I please."
At his gesture, the room was crowded with shadows at his command.
"Kill her! Kill them! Kill them all!" Enemy shadows, and Termagent Demon included attacked.
"Lame! Lame! Lame!" Buffy said, jumping into the fray. "They always say the same damn thing every time they try to kill me and everybody with me. I mean, what's their excuse? No originality, I tell ya! Oh, Lookie here! Aren't you trying to compensate for something?" She bashed the head of a short shadow carrying Spike's equivalent of a great shadow battle-axe in before moving off to the next one. "Next!" she called.
Spike was deadly, swinging his own shadow axe in a circular sweep – reaping heads and body parts, which disappeared after moments of its death. He was doing his level best to keep up with the petite slayer as she moved onwards to get to Dawn – their shadowguards right behind them. Doing just as much damage as their original.
The rest of the Scoobies were ensconced in the protective shield and fired off as many spells as they could as Larry and Curly cleared some workspace for them by cutting some of the enemy down, firing some spells off on their own as well.
Chad was a human dynamo as he sliced after his friends. With Moe and Shemp flanking him, he cut a path straight towards the Termagent Demon and stopped right in front of it.
"You're ass is MINE!" he growled, and then called back the Buffy and Spike. "Buffy! Get to Dawn, I'll handle tall, dark, and gruesome here!"
The Demon let out a growl of its own and charged at the young man again.
"GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRR!!!!"
The quartet of Slayer, Vamp, and shadows weaved their way towards Sardo. Seeing this, the false shadow king drew out a shimmering broadsword and swung to face them.
He bowled them as he ran past and then reoriented himself to fight the Slayer. He slashed downwards with a mighty swing and was rewarded with a block from Spike. The sound of clashing steel was heard in the space before them.
Spike winced. If he wasn't careful, another hit like that and he'd rightly have a broken wrist. He launched a kick to get Sardo off and away from Buffy as he and Blood attacked on both fronts.
Meanwhile, the Slayer was a bit winded from dodging the near miss with B helping her up. Seeing Spike on the offensive, she joined him.
"Willow!" Larry called from outside their shield. "We need more magical light than the ones we're doing so far! Try a nova spell, it will give off a bright enough flare that'll cover this entire room!"
"But what about you guys?" She called back. "Won't you disappear too?"
"They won't!" Anya told her, approving Larry's choice of spell to use. Her suspicions about who Chad was would be justified once the spell showed its results. "They're too strong for that spell, they'll be all right!"
"How…." But Tara was cut off as Curly shouted confirmation.
"Anyanka's right." Curly said, deflecting a random shadow arrow coming straight at him. "We'll survive, but these lower class shadows will dissipate for days before they'll reform."
"Do it!" Xander screamed, "We're about to be overrun! Just do it!"
Willow, Tara, and Anya's eyes turned black as they combined their powers to recite the nova spell. Once they finished, a bright flash engulfed the room. Just like its name, the spell's effect flared as bright as a supernova – bathing everything in intense white light. Every human there shut their eyes, and when the spell faded – it took a while for everyone to get accustomed to normal lighting again. But every lower class shadow was gone.
When the Scoobies could see clearly again, what they saw next was totally amazing – Chad blew the Termagent Demon's head off.
Their friends went toe to toe with the main bad guys, and seemed to be winning!
Chad rushed at the demon, knowing full well to avoid hitting those horns once more – plus it having four arms was not endearing him to it either. He faked a dodge to the right and slid under it, coming out behind it and slashing with his shadow sword. The creature howled, instinctively backhanding Chad towards the far wall.
Their shadow master momentarily stunned, Moe and Shemp used this opportunity to wrestle the thing to the ground. The shadowguards were about to hand it its killing blow when Chad stopped them in mid-strike.
"I said he's mine." Moving away in respectful silence, both shadowguards let the demon up and free as Chad continued his attack. The demon's blocks were useless against his assault.
"This is for Buffy. And this is for Spike. And this is for me." He pummeled the Termagent Demon into a bloody pulp, clearly venting out all his frustrations on the defeated demon in one sitting. He definitely wasn't a good guy when he's that pissed.
"And THIS!" Chad said with a roar, slamming both of his hands down on either side of the demon's head. "Is for taking Dawn!"
Using his rather unique talent, he vibrated the demon's brain like a blender. Letting go at the last instant, the young man leaped clear of him as the demon's head shuddered violently – and then exploded, it's headless body falling to the floor. A few feet away, Willow and Tara had just finished the nova spell and they all clearly saw the demon's head explode under the resulting glare of magical light.
His work done, Chad turned his attention towards the Slayer and her vampire.
Sardo nearly faltered in his defense when he saw one of the Slayer's friends blow up his demon's head bare handed. Letting his fury grow, he took to the offensive and fired off a few spells of his own. He nearly fried the vampire with a fire spell, but the Slayer shoved Spike away at the last minute.
"You'll all pay for that!" He growled, backing up towards Dawn, grabbing her by the chains binding her hands.
Seeing this, both fighters abruptly halted in their advance. Chad joined them as they froze in fear at what Sardo might do.
Muttering in an unknown language, Sardo made the Shadow castle vanish. All that was left was the island wherein the castle once stood. And around them was the lake of lava several dozens of feet below.
Dragging her with him to the edge, Sardo called out. "Maybe another time, Slayer!!" With another incantation, he severed the part where he stood and let it float free, then he vanished – leaving Dawn adrift, chained on a islet that seemed to be beginning to melt around her.
Seeing no other choice, both vampire and Slayer ran and jumped after it
Chad and the Scoobies gasped as the two did a running leap towards the errant piece of the island. Spike made it, but Buffy nearly didn't. The Slayer screamed as she hung on to the ledge as the blond vampire and her sister called out to her.
Spike rushed to the ledge and extended himself downwards, trying to grasp the Slayer's hands. "Hang on Buffy!" He cried, straining against the heat of the lava as it's nearness starts to make his skin smolder. He could feel red welts appear on his skin inside his clothes, but paid no heed to it. His attention was completely focused on the Slayer. Despite intense agony, Spike dragged her in. The Slayer wrapped herself around him in mute fear, tears streaming down her face at her near miss. Then she was surprised as Spike emitted a groan. Her tears renewed as she saw that the vampire looked thoroughly scalded.
"You weren't going to let go were you?" She asked, awe in her eyes. "You just weren't going to let go."
"No," he answered hoarsely, his partially burned throat making it sound like a wheeze. "I won't let go of either of you. Not now, and not ever. Let's get Dawn and get the hell outta here!"
Back on the island, their friends muttered a huge sigh of relief.
Larry glanced at Willow and said, "They're going to need help in getting back. Time to bring out the big guns Willow."
"What can I do?" Tara could tell that she was nervous. "By all rights, I shouldn't even be doing magic!"
"No Willow," Larry smiled. "What you shouldn't be doing was BLACK MAGIC – and using that kind of mess would really screw you up. Now what you've all been doing today was WHITE MAGIC – magic created and used to help people with the greater good in mind. Now while black or darkest magic is the easiest way to power – white magic is a lot harder and it requires those with pure of heart to master it. And in using white magic, there are no shortcuts. To achieve its fullest level in a Mage is the sign of a great magic user. Be that magic user Willow. I know I'm no Yoda, but going down that path is not good for you."
"You can do this, Willow." The shadowguard urged her. "Combine powers with Tara and see if you can teleport them back. Take it nice and slow – teleport them one at a time if you have to."
Buffy and Spike heard Tara in their minds as they cut Dawn free. "We're going to try teleporting you over one at a time. Brace yourselves."
Willow's eyes shut, concentrating with all her might. She imagined, in her mind's eye, Dawn fading like the transporter effect in Star Trek and making her reappear on their side of the island. She felt her nose begin to bleed again, and it hasn't happened to her in for so long.
Dawn felt something wrap around her; like a thousand feather needles tickling her, she felt herself slowly vanish and reappear in front of Chad and the Scoobies.
They all fell in to hug her, crying in joy. Dawn wrapped her arms around Chad as she spoke to Willow, "C'mon," she smiled at the young witch. "Time to bring Buffy and Spike in."
Willow grinned nervously, wiping the last droplets of blood from her nose and concentrated once more.
"Meet you on the other side." Buffy smiled at him as she felt herself fading. "I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."
Spike nodded, not daring to believe what he had just heard from her. And that look she gave him. That's it old boy, the vampire told himself; the heat's definitely getting to ya. Then he did a double take as Buffy reappeared besides him once more, a look of confusion written on her face.
What the hell?
Willow staggered, coughing up blood. She wasn't going to give up. No way in hell. Tara clasped her lover's hands tighter, sending Willow her own strength and love through the link as Anya sent hers as well.
Buffy disappeared again and then successfully reappeared before the Scoobies this time. Once whole, she ran to Willow as the young witch's legs gave way from under her.
"How is she?" Buffy asked.
"Not good," Tara replied, concern and panic marring her lovely features.
"It's just like the first time she tried cursing Angel all over again, Buff." Xander said, holding on to Anya.
"Will she be all right?" Dawn asked, "Spike's still out there."
Willow tried to stand up, "I know." She said, "One more to go."
She tried once again, but with a cry of anguish, she fell back to the ground. "Too weak, I'm sorry."
Chad was worried as he saw Larry shiver with just as much concern as her friends. He stared out towards the rapidly sinking islet with the vampire standing on top. There wasn't much time; he warred within himself.
He saw Buffy's ashen face, knowing what was going on by the look in her eyes.
Dawn was no better, either.
To choose between the lesser of two evils.
He had to laugh at that thought. He's a vampire for crying out loud!
Acting on pure instinct, he summoned the creature that brought them here. A shrill cry in the distance told him it was on its way. He looked at each of them one more time, forever etching their faces on his mind.
"What is it?" Dawn asked, as the shrill cry drew closer. She looked at Chad as he took her hands in his.
Saying nothing, he drew her into a long, bittersweet kiss. Behind them, Larry whispered a few choice words at Tara. She nodded, puzzled at his request. But before the blond witch could ask any further, the shadowguard moved away and stood by his comrades with his master.
Chad broke the kiss, lightly touching her tear stained face – and without a word, ran and did the longest running jump in history.
He didn't even hear Dawn's strangled scream as he cleared the ledge.
Aiming right towards the vampire and the sinking islet, he flew onwards.
The islet groaned under the impact of Chad's landing.
His fingers clung on the islet's ledge as he scrambled onto the top; inching his way towards the smoking vampire. The heat around the place was reaching towards unbearable. In fact, the whole place was smoking – not just the vampire!
"What the bleedin' fuck are you doing!" Spike rasped as he tried to stand up in spite of the rising heat. He knew he was done for, but what the hell did this git hope to accomplish?
"Willow's down." Chad said, "I'm here to trade up."
"What?!"
Chad punched the vampire, knocking him out. Carrying him, he hoisted him up like a javelin. "Take care of them like you promised, vampire." He said to Spike's unconscious form. "Or you'll be dealing with one very obnoxious ghost, much less your own shadow."
Mustering every ounce of strength the young man possessed, Chad hurled Spike all the way to the main island. He saw Spike land safely on the other side with satisfaction. As the Scoobies collected him, he caught sight of Dawn gazing at him – calling out to him.
He tried to smile and raise his hand to her.
Unfortunately, that was when the islet blew.
"CCCCCCHHHHHHAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dawn screamed.
TBC