Chapter Twenty-Five

The gang made their way to City Hall, but first they would stop at the school. There was unfinished business in that basement.

"Sunnydale High." Willow breathed as she stood before the building, different from her old alma mater, but yet the same. Willow inhaled deeply and tried to fight off the fear in her heart. She chuckled, same old Willow, afraid of the high school. Willow followed the others into the school.

"Stay together." Buffy whispered as they entered the school.

Angel and Connor joined Gunn and Rondell at the back of the group. The four men walked carefully, protecting the group from rearward attacks. Oz sniffed the floor and nudged Dawn who followed carefully. The two walked slowly towards the classroom doors. Dawn placed her ear against the door, but heard nothing. Oz whimpered.

"Guys!" Dawn whispered urgently and began waiving her arms to get Buffy's attention. "Come here."

Buffy walked to the door and listened. "I don't hear anything." She said to Dawn.

Oz whimpered again.

Buffy nodded and slowly pushed the door open. She walked carefully into the room with Dawn and Oz following her. Buffy's eyes went wide as covered her mouth and nose from the smell. Buffy turned and pushed Dawn from the room.

Dawn's eyes were rimmed with tears as she stumbled into the hallway. Oz whimpered again and nuzzled against Dawn in order to comfort her.

"Bodies." Buffy said sadly. "About a dozen or so, all dead."

The gang stoically nodded and moved on. They walked quicker now, at a steady pace as they approached the basement door. Faith pushed the door open and began to walk down the steps. Bodies of students and teachers lined the staircase down and onto the floor below. Oz stayed close to Dawn, his teeth bared.

The group moved toward the Seal and began solemnly moving the bodies away. Faith wiped her bloody hands on her jeans and stifled a sob. Angel and Gunn moved the bodies back as others began setting up for the first part of the spell.

"Spread out." Buffy said, ordering the team to form a circle around Willow and the Seal.

Willow began setting her supplies on the floor around the Seal.

A harsh sob caught in Dawn's throat as she turned away from Angel and Gunn. Tears sprang to her eyes as they moved Kit's body away from the Seal and onto the pile of dead students and teachers. Angel turned to Dawn and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. No words were spoken, only a gaze that passed between them letting Dawn know that The First would pay for the death of all of these people. Dawn nodded and moved back to her tasks.

The air crackled with tension and sadness as the Seal was decorated with the items for the spell. Willow sat before the Seal and began chanting softly in Latin.

Giles lit the candle in his hand and began chanting his own part of the spell. Wesley followed by lighting the herbs and chanting his own part. Anya placed a bushel of sage on the seal and began chanting as well. Angel joined them, placing a vial of liquid into a bowl and tossing in green herbs, he joined the chant.

Buffy watched from the side as her friends joined together to cast the evil away from the Seal and force the aura there to purify. She held her breath hoping it would work.

Blood began pouring out from the Seal and covered the top, threatening to extinguish the flames surrounding the Seal. Willow began chanting faster and louder. Her hair turned from it's beautiful red to jet-black. Her eyes popped open, showing the group the large blackness that consumed her. Willow continued to chant.

Xander reached his hand out slowly and placed it against his best friend's shoulder. Buffy joined him and placed her hand against Willow's arm. Faith and Kennedy gathered on the opposite side of Willow and touched her as well. Angel watched this with intense eyes as he continued his portion of the chant. Willow's eyes returned to normal as her hair began to fade into red. A white light came from the Seal and vanished with a smoky residue.

Willow breathed deeply as she stopped chanting, the others did the same. "It's done." Willow said. Xander helped her from the floor. The blood that rose from the Seal swirled and began to dissipate.

"Let's go." Faith said as she herded the gang back upstairs.

The sun was beginning to pour into the hallway at Sunnydale High as the gang moved silently down the hall. Willow sighed with relief. She had done it; they had done it.

"Buffy." A voice barely whispered broke the silence in the hallway.

"Robin?" Buffy tentatively asked as she approached Principal Wood. She grasped his hand and helped him to his feet. "What happened?"

"I couldn't fight anymore." Wood said defeated. "It took over the school."

"It took over everything." Buffy said, watching as Sunnydale burned in the morning sunlight. "We'll get it back." Buffy released his hand and walked off.

The group moved off, leaving Wood behind.

The gang exited the school; the sun warmed their bodies as well as their spirits. They were going to win this.

Faith and Buffy began moving off towards City Hall with the gang following. Dawn wiped the last of her tears away, leaving behind the friends she had made as well as people she had barely known. Angel placed his arm around her and hugged her reassuringly. Oz pressed against her and comforted her in the only way he could as the wolf.

Faith watched with a worried look on her face as the sun shone down on City Hall, the place where she let evil in to her soul. Buffy and Willow nudged her and took Faith by the hands. The group moved together as one.