Ladybard Chapter 12, by Slayergirl
WARNING!! You may require tissues for this chapter.
*** *** *** ***
Buffy awoke to find Spike pacing the room, holding Stella along one arm, the telephone in his other hand. "Who is it?" she asked blearily.
"Giles. We've got a problem."
"Uh. Okay, gimme." She held her hand out for the phone. "What now? Another apocalypse?"
"Very possibly. There's been a lot of demon activity lately…"
"I know. I killed some of it."
"And I'm not sure why. And that's always a bad sign."
"No kidding."
"Buffy, this is serious!"
"Yes, Giles, it's also three in the morning, and you've woken up me, Spike, and my daughter, to tell me something I already know!"
"And the Arkalima demons?"
"Uh… what?" She suddenly went icy-cold.
"I've heard reports of Arkalima demons in LA – Wesley phoned. He seems to think they might come this way."
"Oh. God. How do we kill them?"
"Well, starving them weakens them. But I've never heard of any actually dying or being killed before."
"So what do we do?"
"Keep Willow away from them, stop her from doing spells, and kill their travelling companions."
"Travelling companions?" she whispered, sensing this wasn't going to be good news.
"A few Fyarl demons, a couple of your telepathic friends, some trolls and a vengeance demon…"
"Vengeance demon called…?"
"Not Anyanka, unfortunately, or we might avoid this. Anyway, there are some others that neither Wesley nor I recognised from the descriptions."
"So why are they coming here?"
"Drawn to the Hellmouth, most probably," he said. "Though why now, I don't know."
"When do they hit town?"
Sunset tomorrow, if my calculations are correct."
"They'd better be!" she gritted out.
"Er – yes, well, I think that's all."
"Great. See you later, Giles."
She groaned as she hung up the phone.
*** ***
They waited. Angel, Xander, Giles, Buffy and Spike. Waited for the battle to commence.
'Hope Dawn'll be okay looking after Stella and Willow,' thought Buffy anxiously.
'She'll be fine, love. Just concentrate on the fighting. You won't be on best form, otherwise.'
The demons seemed edgy. To Buffy's horror, they'd made their way to Revello Drive, not anywhere more – well, demony. Only Buffy and her friends stood between them and the house.
"They may be after Stella," said Giles softly.
"The thought had occurred to me!" she snapped. "But equally, they might be after Willow."
"Also possible," he admitted.
At that point, a Fyarl demon moved forward menacingly. He was swiftly despatched by Angel. The demons fell back a bit, although there were still three times as many of them as the silent guardians of the house.
Then everything happened quickly. All but the Arkalima demons attacked at once. The two vampires fought side by side, a duo that struck fear into the hearts and minds of all their opponents. Giles and Xander flanked them, armed with silver daggers, which ripped and slashed mercilessly, eventually stabbing to the heart. Buffy fought at the front, until only the Arkalima demons remained. Spike pulled her back as the demons advanced. He looked worried and drained.
"I can't hold her back much longer!" he gasped out. "She's started to fight me. I can't fight them both!"
"Then fight her. Don't let go of her!"
The soft sound of the door opening made them turn swiftly. The colour drained from Buffy's face.
"No! Willow, back!" shouted Spike.
They could see her, swaying, torn between the thrall and the magick. "Got – to stop – the demons!" she said.
"Don't use magick, Will, they eat magick, it'll make them stronger," urged Spike.
"Must – stop them! They want Stella. Mustn't let them hurt Stella. Stella and Dawn. Got to stop them!" She looked at Buffy helplessly. "The prophecy, Buffy! They mustn't be allowed to hurt Stella!"
Buffy shook with fear, looking at Spike. His eyes were closed, concentrating for all he was worth on keeping her from using any magick. "We'll stop them," she whispered. "Don't worry, Willow. We won't let them hurt Stella."
"You need magick, let me help!"
"NO!" screamed Buffy. "Go back to the house!"
Next to her, Spike collapsed, gripping his head. "No! Will, no… don't do it!" he whimpered. "Lost her, Buffy, I've lost her…"
Magick was already crackling round her, gathering and swirling so fast that the violet eyes of the Arkalima demons were spinning. She flung an invisible ball of magic at them. As it hit them, they screamed and exploded into gushes of steam.
"Fill your bellies with that!" she cried triumphantly. Then she doubled over in agony and fell to the ground. The others turned towards her.
"No! No, Willow, no!" Buffy ran to her.
She looked up, tears in her eyes. "Tell Spike – he was right. But I knew what I was doing. They were after Stella – little miracle. The prophecy – too important. Had to stop them…" She stopped and swallowed in pain. "Is he all right? Spike?" Buffy nodded. "Thank him. For trying. Good friend. It's time, Buffy. Time to go. This was what I was meant for. I felt it. I can go now. Be at peace…" She closed her eyes. "Say goodbye to the others. Dawn. Xander."
"They're here, Will," she whispered. "Hold on, we've got you…" She cradled the red-haired head in her arms. "Hold on!"
She gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "Time, Buffy." Her pulse had slowed, almost stopped. Buffy's tears dropped onto her face. "Love you, Buffy!" Then the pulse stopped.
"NO!" screamed Buffy, sobbing. "No, Willow, come back, come back! She can't be dead, not Willow, not my Willow!" She rocked the dead body of her best friend in her arms. "Willow…!" She laid her body on the ground, frantically trying to do CPR.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "She's dead, Buffy," said Angel gently.
"No, she can't be, not my Willow, she can't be dead! Spike!" At the panic in her voice, Spike shot Angel a warning glance, and knelt down beside her.
"You breathe, I'll try to get her heart going."
'Is she dead?' she asked silently.
'You know the answer to that, love,' he replied into her mind, as gently as possible.
They carried on going. 'It's this kind of time I always hope for a miracle,' she thought bitterly. 'Never happens like that, though, does it?'
"Sometimes it does," said a soft, silvery voice.
Spike and Buffy looked up at the familiar form. She had their daughter in her arms. "The Ladybard," she said reverently. "The hope of the world in its latter years. She fought bravely, gave her life for the Ladybard. She has earned her reward." She handed Stella back to Dawn. "Guard her well!"
Spike and Buffy looked at each other, puzzled. Eventually, Spike asked, "Why Dawn? Why is it up to Dawn to guard her?"
Estrellita smiled. "It is time," she said simply. She turned to Angel. "Souled One, you have a son. I know him well, for it was I who saved him from death." Angel bowed his head. "You know the prophecy?" Angel nodded, unable to find any words to say. The others gazed open-mouthed. "The prophecy will be fulfilled."
The air shimmered, so bright that they closed their eyes. When they opened them, Spike, Buffy, Willow and Estrellita were gone.
TBC…
WARNING!! You may require tissues for this chapter.
*** *** *** ***
Buffy awoke to find Spike pacing the room, holding Stella along one arm, the telephone in his other hand. "Who is it?" she asked blearily.
"Giles. We've got a problem."
"Uh. Okay, gimme." She held her hand out for the phone. "What now? Another apocalypse?"
"Very possibly. There's been a lot of demon activity lately…"
"I know. I killed some of it."
"And I'm not sure why. And that's always a bad sign."
"No kidding."
"Buffy, this is serious!"
"Yes, Giles, it's also three in the morning, and you've woken up me, Spike, and my daughter, to tell me something I already know!"
"And the Arkalima demons?"
"Uh… what?" She suddenly went icy-cold.
"I've heard reports of Arkalima demons in LA – Wesley phoned. He seems to think they might come this way."
"Oh. God. How do we kill them?"
"Well, starving them weakens them. But I've never heard of any actually dying or being killed before."
"So what do we do?"
"Keep Willow away from them, stop her from doing spells, and kill their travelling companions."
"Travelling companions?" she whispered, sensing this wasn't going to be good news.
"A few Fyarl demons, a couple of your telepathic friends, some trolls and a vengeance demon…"
"Vengeance demon called…?"
"Not Anyanka, unfortunately, or we might avoid this. Anyway, there are some others that neither Wesley nor I recognised from the descriptions."
"So why are they coming here?"
"Drawn to the Hellmouth, most probably," he said. "Though why now, I don't know."
"When do they hit town?"
Sunset tomorrow, if my calculations are correct."
"They'd better be!" she gritted out.
"Er – yes, well, I think that's all."
"Great. See you later, Giles."
She groaned as she hung up the phone.
*** ***
They waited. Angel, Xander, Giles, Buffy and Spike. Waited for the battle to commence.
'Hope Dawn'll be okay looking after Stella and Willow,' thought Buffy anxiously.
'She'll be fine, love. Just concentrate on the fighting. You won't be on best form, otherwise.'
The demons seemed edgy. To Buffy's horror, they'd made their way to Revello Drive, not anywhere more – well, demony. Only Buffy and her friends stood between them and the house.
"They may be after Stella," said Giles softly.
"The thought had occurred to me!" she snapped. "But equally, they might be after Willow."
"Also possible," he admitted.
At that point, a Fyarl demon moved forward menacingly. He was swiftly despatched by Angel. The demons fell back a bit, although there were still three times as many of them as the silent guardians of the house.
Then everything happened quickly. All but the Arkalima demons attacked at once. The two vampires fought side by side, a duo that struck fear into the hearts and minds of all their opponents. Giles and Xander flanked them, armed with silver daggers, which ripped and slashed mercilessly, eventually stabbing to the heart. Buffy fought at the front, until only the Arkalima demons remained. Spike pulled her back as the demons advanced. He looked worried and drained.
"I can't hold her back much longer!" he gasped out. "She's started to fight me. I can't fight them both!"
"Then fight her. Don't let go of her!"
The soft sound of the door opening made them turn swiftly. The colour drained from Buffy's face.
"No! Willow, back!" shouted Spike.
They could see her, swaying, torn between the thrall and the magick. "Got – to stop – the demons!" she said.
"Don't use magick, Will, they eat magick, it'll make them stronger," urged Spike.
"Must – stop them! They want Stella. Mustn't let them hurt Stella. Stella and Dawn. Got to stop them!" She looked at Buffy helplessly. "The prophecy, Buffy! They mustn't be allowed to hurt Stella!"
Buffy shook with fear, looking at Spike. His eyes were closed, concentrating for all he was worth on keeping her from using any magick. "We'll stop them," she whispered. "Don't worry, Willow. We won't let them hurt Stella."
"You need magick, let me help!"
"NO!" screamed Buffy. "Go back to the house!"
Next to her, Spike collapsed, gripping his head. "No! Will, no… don't do it!" he whimpered. "Lost her, Buffy, I've lost her…"
Magick was already crackling round her, gathering and swirling so fast that the violet eyes of the Arkalima demons were spinning. She flung an invisible ball of magic at them. As it hit them, they screamed and exploded into gushes of steam.
"Fill your bellies with that!" she cried triumphantly. Then she doubled over in agony and fell to the ground. The others turned towards her.
"No! No, Willow, no!" Buffy ran to her.
She looked up, tears in her eyes. "Tell Spike – he was right. But I knew what I was doing. They were after Stella – little miracle. The prophecy – too important. Had to stop them…" She stopped and swallowed in pain. "Is he all right? Spike?" Buffy nodded. "Thank him. For trying. Good friend. It's time, Buffy. Time to go. This was what I was meant for. I felt it. I can go now. Be at peace…" She closed her eyes. "Say goodbye to the others. Dawn. Xander."
"They're here, Will," she whispered. "Hold on, we've got you…" She cradled the red-haired head in her arms. "Hold on!"
She gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "Time, Buffy." Her pulse had slowed, almost stopped. Buffy's tears dropped onto her face. "Love you, Buffy!" Then the pulse stopped.
"NO!" screamed Buffy, sobbing. "No, Willow, come back, come back! She can't be dead, not Willow, not my Willow!" She rocked the dead body of her best friend in her arms. "Willow…!" She laid her body on the ground, frantically trying to do CPR.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "She's dead, Buffy," said Angel gently.
"No, she can't be, not my Willow, she can't be dead! Spike!" At the panic in her voice, Spike shot Angel a warning glance, and knelt down beside her.
"You breathe, I'll try to get her heart going."
'Is she dead?' she asked silently.
'You know the answer to that, love,' he replied into her mind, as gently as possible.
They carried on going. 'It's this kind of time I always hope for a miracle,' she thought bitterly. 'Never happens like that, though, does it?'
"Sometimes it does," said a soft, silvery voice.
Spike and Buffy looked up at the familiar form. She had their daughter in her arms. "The Ladybard," she said reverently. "The hope of the world in its latter years. She fought bravely, gave her life for the Ladybard. She has earned her reward." She handed Stella back to Dawn. "Guard her well!"
Spike and Buffy looked at each other, puzzled. Eventually, Spike asked, "Why Dawn? Why is it up to Dawn to guard her?"
Estrellita smiled. "It is time," she said simply. She turned to Angel. "Souled One, you have a son. I know him well, for it was I who saved him from death." Angel bowed his head. "You know the prophecy?" Angel nodded, unable to find any words to say. The others gazed open-mouthed. "The prophecy will be fulfilled."
The air shimmered, so bright that they closed their eyes. When they opened them, Spike, Buffy, Willow and Estrellita were gone.
TBC…