CHAPTER SIX: GREEN

Sunnydale: Three months after Buffy's death

Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya knelt around Buffy's grave, solemn expressions on their faces.  Willow was at the foot of the grave, a candle in her hands.

"Start the circle.  Now."

Willow brought out a small jar and poured the fawn's blood into the urn of Osiris.  Tara, Xander and Anya shifted nervously, looking on curiously.

"Osiris, Keeper of the Gate, Master of all Fate, hear us," Willow recited.  She had spent the better part of the last months memorising the incantation.  She knew she would only have one chance to perfect this spell, and damned if she was going to fail.

She dipped her finger into the urn and smeared three small lines on her forehead and cheeks.

"Before time and after.  Before knowing and nothing."

She tipped the remains of the blood onto the foot of Buffy's grave.

"Accept our offering.  Know our prayer."

She jerked backwards suddenly, a pain rushing through her chest.  She gasped as deep gashes appeared on her bare arms, blood beginning to stream from the wounds.

"Willow!" Xander cried, about to stand and break the circle.

"No!" Tara cried.  "She t-told me…she'd be tested.  This is supposed to happen."

Willow had mentioned tests, she'd mentioned small amounts of pain, but this was going into the realm of fierce mutilation. 

"Osiris!  Hear lies the warrior of the people.  Let her cross over!"

Small bumps appeared in her skin, making their way up her arms and onto her throat.

"She needs help!" Xander exclaimed.

"Xander, she's strong.  She said not to stop, no matter what.  If we break the cycle now, it's over," Tara explained firmly.

Willow nearly lost her balance and fell forward, her palms digging into the earth.

"Osiris, let her cross over!"

She cried out in pain and began choking, a large snake coming from her mouth.  She tried desperately not to panic, but she could feel the fear rising within her.  She reminded herself to keep breathing and let the snake fall freely from her mouth.  The others looked on in horror.

"Osiris!  Release her!"

Xander, Tara and Anya could only watch as Willow chanted loudly.  They were so caught up in the orange whirlwind that surrounded their friend that they didn't even notice the vampire advancing towards them.  For a newly-risen fledgling, he was fairly gutsy and moved towards the group. 

Ignoring the magic swirling around the red headed witch, he grabbed her by her shoulders and threw her forward, the three others screaming in shock.  The urn smashed as Willow landed heavily on top of it.  Xander quickly grabbed a stake from his belt and the new vampire was swiftly dispatched.

Willow gasped in pain as the rush of magic went back into her.  "No!"

She tried to remain conscious, but her head felt heavy.  Her world went black and the others stared at her in wide-eyed horror.

It was ten minutes before Willow came to, Tara softly stroking her hair, Xander standing guard over her, a stake at the ready.

"Tara?" Willow whispered, her throat feeling incredibly sore.

"I'm here baby," Tara whispered softly, kissing her girlfriends forehead gently.

"What…did the ritual work?"

Tara shook her head, tears in her eyes.  "I'm sorry.  We…we can try again."

Willow closed her eyes in pain and blinked back tears.

"The urn?"

"It's broken," Tara replied.

Willow swallowed hard and tried not to burst into another bout of sobs.

"Will, it's okay.  We'll get another one," Xander said comfortingly.

"There is no other one," Tara explained.

Xander finally felt defeated.  They had been researching for spells to bring Buffy back from the very beginning, deliberately not telling Dawn, Spike or Giles.  They had the most to lose if the spell didn't work, and their lack of knowledge somehow made their failure easier.

Willow finally burst into full-fledged sobbing.  "Buffy's gone.  She's really gone."

------------------------

Los Angeles: Seven months after Buffy's death

They were standing at an impasse.  Holt stood with Connor in his arms, a dangerous glint in his eyes, Justine standing next to him.  Angel stood with an automatic weapon aimed at Lilah Morgan and her commando lackeys.  Across from Holt stood Sahjan.

"So I'm going to take him," Holtz declared, sounding confident.  "With me he gets to live, anyone tries to take him, he dies."

"Take him," Angel said, a pained expression on his face.  He would rather let his son live with a man hell bent on revenge than let Lilah and her cronies riddle his tiny body with bullets.

"Woah!  No!  What is wrong with you people?" Sahjan exclaimed, feeling extremely cheated.  He had made several arrangements with different people to ensure that Angel's child died, but none of his associates seemed to be keeping their side of the bargain.

"I will take good care of him, as though he were my own son," Holtz said.  "He'll never even know you existed.  Don't come after me.  You will though won't you?  Maybe I should just-"

Holtz went to snap Connor's neck and Angel panicked.

"No!  Please…Take him."

Sahjan raised his hands, almost going unnoticed by the group.  His words in an ancient language, however, managed to bring him attention.

"Lekko najine forkahdio!"

A bright burst of red opened up in the sky, a portal leading to a hellish dimension.

"What you are looking into is the Quortoth, the darkest of the dark worlds.  So…I can widen the portal and you can all be swallowed up by a world you cannot begin to imagine, or you can keep your world and kill that child.  Now!"

No one moved and Sahjan moved his arms, making the portal open even wider. 

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Kill it!" Lilah yelled.

"No!" Angel cried, his weapon still aimed at Lilah.

In the confusion, Holtz pushed Justine away from him and charged towards the portal opening.  Angel dropped the gun and raced after him, Holtz jumping through before Angel could reach him.  Angel went to jump through but the portal rejected him and he went flying backwards.

"Wow," Sahjan said, a distinct note of irony in his voice.  "I didn't count on that.  Kinda takes care of my problem."

The demon raised his hands again and the ancient lanuage strew forth once more.  "Forkahdio najine lekko."

The portal closed, leaving Angel and Justine looking wistfully at the now clear horizon of the Los Angeles sky.  Angel didn't even hear any of what was happening around him.  His only thoughts on his lost son, taken to a hell dimension where no one could ever bring him back.

"Connor."