Chapter Sixteen
Buffy paced in front of the group. Everyone was checked and treated medically; the doctor thanked and dismissed. Buffy stopped suddenly and looked at the group. Faith insisted on staying with the group, she was propped up on the couch with Wesley and Dawn nearby, helping her with anything she needed. Oz sat perched on the staircase with Gunn and Rondell taking up other stairs. Angel stood by the door with Connor at his side. Fred stood a few feet away, holding the little girl in her arms. Lorne stood next to her, trying to help keep the little girl quiet. Spike stood by the dining room table, leaning against it. Giles stood a few feet away. Willow and Xander stood together by the couch with Kennedy and the other potentials scattered across the room. Gunn's old gang stood together near the kitchen door. Buffy began to speak.
"Faith and I had a dream." Buffy began. "They told us we couldn't defeat The First Evil."
Willow gasped in shock as muttering filled the room.
"That doesn't mean we're not going out without a fight." Buffy said. "The First wants a battle, I say we bring it. No more of this holding the demons back, taking them out one by one, patrolling twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, training whenever we're not sleeping, not patrolling, not trying to survive. Tomorrow at daybreak, we take the fight to The First."
"And what?" Gunn said. "I don't mean to step all over your power trip, but if we can't defeat The First, why are we going to it?"
"Because." Buffy said. "Only pure good can defeat pure evil."
Gunn looked confused. "O-kay." He said. "That still doesn't mean anything to me."
Faith chimed in. "That's what we were told, only pure good can defeat pure evil."
"So, we what? Get a priest and a big ol' bottle of holy water and bless The First Evil?" Gunn said. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Do you know what Pure Good is?" Buffy asked.
"No." Gunn admitted. "Do you?"
"Yes." Buffy said. "I was there. I was in heaven. It was pure. There were no thoughts of evil, no fighting, no pain, no suffering. I was like a big warm fuzzy blanket."
"Okay." Gunn said, still confused. "So, we're going to find a fuzzy blanket of good and let it attack The First?"
"No." Buffy said. "Because, as soon as it attacks, as soon as it taps into the fire that gives it the strength to fight, it becomes tainted and it loses purity."
The group began muttering again.
"We don't have anything then." Vi said. "We don't have anything lacking that fire."
"Everything in the world is tainted with evil." Rona added.
"No." Giles said, the thought coming to form in his mind. "Innocence."
"Childhood." Wesley breathed. "We've had the key here all along."
"Wait." Spike said. "You're going to send a bitty baby to fight The First?"
"No." Buffy said. "She's not a child."
"She's more than that." Faith said. "But she doesn't remember."
"Or else evil would be able to get in." Buffy added. "It would seep into her heart making her cold against the kill."
"Giving her the strength to fight, but taking away the purity in her heart." Faith concluded.
"So, what's the plan, then?" Angel asked.
"The First Slayer said something in my, in our, dream." Buffy said.
"One by one the women fall, one by one they hear the call, to strike a pose, terror bent and protect the earth pure goodness sent." Faith repeated from memory.
"A spell?" Willow asked.
"There was a girl saying it along with The First Slayer." Buffy said.
"She was sitting in front of something with a green smoke coming from a fire." Faith added. "And she was rocking when saying it."
"Green smoke?" Willow quickly began searching her database. "I've put together everything we gathered on The First. Here!" She called, pointing to the screen. "Out of everything on the earth, a being once formed. Yellow and red rose to the sky, black and gray sunk to the earth and green sat pretty eating the energy of the sky and deflecting the misery of the underground."
"Okay." Xander said, shaking his head.
"There was a spell attached to it." Willow said. "To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes, a shielded light, a beam of pure love, the righteous encompasses from high above, a golden light shimmer, an orange glow so real, the light will devour and the child to feel."
"Anything else?" Buffy asked.
"No." Willow said.
"No ingredients." Xander nodded. "So, what does it mean?"
Everyone began speaking at once, mulling over the spell and trying to decipher it.
"To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes." Faith repeated. "So, someone needs to give three drops of blood."
"But who?" Buffy asked.
Giles shook his head. "Perhaps it is the child." Giles guess.
"Yes." Wesley said. "Pure blood as the base."
"A shielded light." Angel said. "A clouded sun?"
"An eclipse." Willow nearly jumped from her chair. "In three days, we have a solar eclipse."
"A beam of pure love." Xander asked.
"Angel." Faith said.
"What?" Angel asked.
"The First Slayer said that your love was needed." Faith said.
"She said true love is the path." Buffy said. "My love for you."
Angel nodded. "You did say you loved me." Angel said. "Before you woke up, you said that you still loved me."
"So, three drops of the girl's blood? The eclipse and the fact that Angel and I love each other?" Buffy said confused. "It doesn't make sense."
"I think we're missing something." Faith said. "Why would we take three drops of blood from the girl who is supposed to embody innocence?"
Willow shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe we're on the wrong trail."
Buffy reread the spell, "To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes, a shielded light, a beam of pure love, the righteous encompasses from high above, a golden light shimmer, an orange glow so real, the light will devour and the child to feel."
Buffy paced in front of the group. Everyone was checked and treated medically; the doctor thanked and dismissed. Buffy stopped suddenly and looked at the group. Faith insisted on staying with the group, she was propped up on the couch with Wesley and Dawn nearby, helping her with anything she needed. Oz sat perched on the staircase with Gunn and Rondell taking up other stairs. Angel stood by the door with Connor at his side. Fred stood a few feet away, holding the little girl in her arms. Lorne stood next to her, trying to help keep the little girl quiet. Spike stood by the dining room table, leaning against it. Giles stood a few feet away. Willow and Xander stood together by the couch with Kennedy and the other potentials scattered across the room. Gunn's old gang stood together near the kitchen door. Buffy began to speak.
"Faith and I had a dream." Buffy began. "They told us we couldn't defeat The First Evil."
Willow gasped in shock as muttering filled the room.
"That doesn't mean we're not going out without a fight." Buffy said. "The First wants a battle, I say we bring it. No more of this holding the demons back, taking them out one by one, patrolling twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, training whenever we're not sleeping, not patrolling, not trying to survive. Tomorrow at daybreak, we take the fight to The First."
"And what?" Gunn said. "I don't mean to step all over your power trip, but if we can't defeat The First, why are we going to it?"
"Because." Buffy said. "Only pure good can defeat pure evil."
Gunn looked confused. "O-kay." He said. "That still doesn't mean anything to me."
Faith chimed in. "That's what we were told, only pure good can defeat pure evil."
"So, we what? Get a priest and a big ol' bottle of holy water and bless The First Evil?" Gunn said. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Do you know what Pure Good is?" Buffy asked.
"No." Gunn admitted. "Do you?"
"Yes." Buffy said. "I was there. I was in heaven. It was pure. There were no thoughts of evil, no fighting, no pain, no suffering. I was like a big warm fuzzy blanket."
"Okay." Gunn said, still confused. "So, we're going to find a fuzzy blanket of good and let it attack The First?"
"No." Buffy said. "Because, as soon as it attacks, as soon as it taps into the fire that gives it the strength to fight, it becomes tainted and it loses purity."
The group began muttering again.
"We don't have anything then." Vi said. "We don't have anything lacking that fire."
"Everything in the world is tainted with evil." Rona added.
"No." Giles said, the thought coming to form in his mind. "Innocence."
"Childhood." Wesley breathed. "We've had the key here all along."
"Wait." Spike said. "You're going to send a bitty baby to fight The First?"
"No." Buffy said. "She's not a child."
"She's more than that." Faith said. "But she doesn't remember."
"Or else evil would be able to get in." Buffy added. "It would seep into her heart making her cold against the kill."
"Giving her the strength to fight, but taking away the purity in her heart." Faith concluded.
"So, what's the plan, then?" Angel asked.
"The First Slayer said something in my, in our, dream." Buffy said.
"One by one the women fall, one by one they hear the call, to strike a pose, terror bent and protect the earth pure goodness sent." Faith repeated from memory.
"A spell?" Willow asked.
"There was a girl saying it along with The First Slayer." Buffy said.
"She was sitting in front of something with a green smoke coming from a fire." Faith added. "And she was rocking when saying it."
"Green smoke?" Willow quickly began searching her database. "I've put together everything we gathered on The First. Here!" She called, pointing to the screen. "Out of everything on the earth, a being once formed. Yellow and red rose to the sky, black and gray sunk to the earth and green sat pretty eating the energy of the sky and deflecting the misery of the underground."
"Okay." Xander said, shaking his head.
"There was a spell attached to it." Willow said. "To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes, a shielded light, a beam of pure love, the righteous encompasses from high above, a golden light shimmer, an orange glow so real, the light will devour and the child to feel."
"Anything else?" Buffy asked.
"No." Willow said.
"No ingredients." Xander nodded. "So, what does it mean?"
Everyone began speaking at once, mulling over the spell and trying to decipher it.
"To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes." Faith repeated. "So, someone needs to give three drops of blood."
"But who?" Buffy asked.
Giles shook his head. "Perhaps it is the child." Giles guess.
"Yes." Wesley said. "Pure blood as the base."
"A shielded light." Angel said. "A clouded sun?"
"An eclipse." Willow nearly jumped from her chair. "In three days, we have a solar eclipse."
"A beam of pure love." Xander asked.
"Angel." Faith said.
"What?" Angel asked.
"The First Slayer said that your love was needed." Faith said.
"She said true love is the path." Buffy said. "My love for you."
Angel nodded. "You did say you loved me." Angel said. "Before you woke up, you said that you still loved me."
"So, three drops of the girl's blood? The eclipse and the fact that Angel and I love each other?" Buffy said confused. "It doesn't make sense."
"I think we're missing something." Faith said. "Why would we take three drops of blood from the girl who is supposed to embody innocence?"
Willow shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe we're on the wrong trail."
Buffy reread the spell, "To draw power from the green and let the smoke rise, three drops of blood placed before mine eyes, a shielded light, a beam of pure love, the righteous encompasses from high above, a golden light shimmer, an orange glow so real, the light will devour and the child to feel."
