Protected
Chapter Twelve
The Middle
Fred screamed out, "Hecate! Protectate, Sulphinit, Gamplenda, Andrew!"
A barrier flew up around Andrew and stopped the monster from slicing him in two with the long talons on its idea of hands. Lorne was talking hurriedly, "Buffy just took two more down. Spike, 4. Angel, 3. Oh! Giles went down. Connor just started fighting again. Oh, Goodness, Sweetie, don't talk to him."
"What?'
"Faith."
Mercy continued the spell,
"Ah, grande deesse
Madame de justice
Prenez l'undefeatable
Parcez-l'a son temps." (Oh, Great Goddess, Lady of Justice, Take the undefeatable, Force him to his time.)
With that, Willow threw a fine powder of sand, ashes, and dried leaves in between Mercy and herself and a swift wind flew through the house.
Faith did a flip over the Ubervamp, whipping a rope off the ground. She twisted it around the wiry neck and jerked. Dust flew over her and in the place of the vampire was Mayor Richard Wilkins. Faith stared at him with a surprise, wide eyes, beginning to brush off her clothes.
"Richard?"
He smiled at her, a fatherly expression warming Faith's heart.
"Faith, my dear girl, it's been a while."
"What are you doing here? Is this some kind of dreamish nightmare?"
"Of course not. I've been watching you. In prison, well, I'm surprised you let yourself be taken in."
"I was out of control."
"You were never out of control. But we shouldn't dwell. You know what they say, your past determines your future. You started out well by breaking out. Now help the First. He's a good guy. Well, good evil. All you have to do is help the First. Kill Buffy. He won't kill you."
Faith's mouth twisted as if considering the offer, then pushed foward with her sword. An ugly, blue skinned giant grabbed the sword as she toppled through the Richard Wilkins look-alike. The monster flicked the sword over and stabbed it through her stomach. "Ahhh!"
Gunn's head whipped over and he ran to Faith. Wilkins muttered to her, "You had your chance."
Faith's eyes were glassy and dead. She'd already stopped breathing by the time Gunn had reached her. Gunn felt a gutteral cry welling up inside him. He glared up, yelling, "I'll kill you."
But it was Alonna now.
"Charlie?" She stared in a babyish voice. "Why are you being so mean?"
" 'Lonna?"
"I didn't mean to make you mad at me, Charlie. Please, don't be." Tears were streaming down her chocolately smooth skin.
Gunn made a movement towards his little sister. "I'm not mad. Don't cry, 'Lonna. Please, Babe."
He crumbled over on top of Faith as he felt the puncture. He glanced over and saw the same blue-skinned monster that he'd forgotten about standing next to his baby sister. She was laughing now, her childish giggles gone, only a maniacal chuckle remained. He stared up at Faith's pale face before shutting his eyes one last time.
"Gunn! Ahh!" Fred's eyes overflowed as she watched her former boyfriend fall to the ground next to Faith. Lorne had wrapped his arms around the Texan girl, trying his best to make her concentrate, relax again. He muttered the scene to Xander, almost glad that the young man couldn't see what was happening. The high school was orange with flames, gray dust swirling, and red blood streaming like a river on the ground. Several weapons glinted in the moonlight, almost winking at them. Several fighter remained, but the other army seemed to continue on strong. At the vineyard, Connor, Buffy, Spike, Wesley, and Dawn held their own, trying to push back the Ubervamps, to wherever they were coming from. The attempt was valiant, but Lorne was wondering if this apocalypse would finally beat them.
Dawn felt the change immediately. A slight twinge coursed over her like huge waves knocking down and she knew she was the new Chosen One. Dawn hoisted the mace over her shoulder and swung hard at the yellow monster.
"Buffy!" Dawn shouted out.
Her sister turned, looking at Dawn, a worried look over her face.
"Yeah?"
Dawn said it quietly, but Buffy heard, "Faith's dead."
Buffy stopped fighting for a moment, realization hitting her. Dawn had taken Faith's place. Dawn had become her, eight years ago. The thought resulted in a hard punch to her jaw, since she was off guard, knocking her off her feet. Buffy rolled over and went on battling. Dawn turned and found Tara standing in front of her.
"Tara?"
"Dawnie! I promised you I'd always be here for you. I came to help."
Dawn felt three Ubervamps approaching from behind. She didn't move, only stared at Tara. She looked like an angel. Dawn hoped she was there to help, but knew this was likely a distraction. This had to be the First. She whirled. Her mace connected with a Turok-han's head, knocking it off. She grabbed a flaming branch and twirled it in her hand. She lit the other two on fire in an elaborate circle. Dawn breathed heavily, afraid to turn around. When she did, she saw that Tara was gone. It hadn't been her. It wasn't her guardian angel.
Anya was growing tired. Stupid mortality. If she had kept her powers she could have destroyed the First and his pals. But instead she was pathetically human and helpless. She leaned against the wall; closing her eyes only for a brief moment. When she opened again, Halfrek awaited her.
"Hallie!"
"You killed me."
"It wasn't me. D'Hoffryn did. I didn't want to be a vengeance demon. I wanted him to kill me, not you."
"I came when you called, just like I promised and I was murdered."
"I'm so sorry, Hallie. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to end your life."
"It's not good enough!"
"But..."
"No, Anyanka, I don't want to hear it. You deserve to die. You ended my life prematurely."
"Halfrek, please."
Anya's voice trailed off as she crumpled. Anya's few stray tears dropped onto the leaves next to her as she cursed her mortality once more. Her red blood ran into the leaves, mingling into her salty water drops.
Chapter Twelve
The Middle
Fred screamed out, "Hecate! Protectate, Sulphinit, Gamplenda, Andrew!"
A barrier flew up around Andrew and stopped the monster from slicing him in two with the long talons on its idea of hands. Lorne was talking hurriedly, "Buffy just took two more down. Spike, 4. Angel, 3. Oh! Giles went down. Connor just started fighting again. Oh, Goodness, Sweetie, don't talk to him."
"What?'
"Faith."
Mercy continued the spell,
"Ah, grande deesse
Madame de justice
Prenez l'undefeatable
Parcez-l'a son temps." (Oh, Great Goddess, Lady of Justice, Take the undefeatable, Force him to his time.)
With that, Willow threw a fine powder of sand, ashes, and dried leaves in between Mercy and herself and a swift wind flew through the house.
Faith did a flip over the Ubervamp, whipping a rope off the ground. She twisted it around the wiry neck and jerked. Dust flew over her and in the place of the vampire was Mayor Richard Wilkins. Faith stared at him with a surprise, wide eyes, beginning to brush off her clothes.
"Richard?"
He smiled at her, a fatherly expression warming Faith's heart.
"Faith, my dear girl, it's been a while."
"What are you doing here? Is this some kind of dreamish nightmare?"
"Of course not. I've been watching you. In prison, well, I'm surprised you let yourself be taken in."
"I was out of control."
"You were never out of control. But we shouldn't dwell. You know what they say, your past determines your future. You started out well by breaking out. Now help the First. He's a good guy. Well, good evil. All you have to do is help the First. Kill Buffy. He won't kill you."
Faith's mouth twisted as if considering the offer, then pushed foward with her sword. An ugly, blue skinned giant grabbed the sword as she toppled through the Richard Wilkins look-alike. The monster flicked the sword over and stabbed it through her stomach. "Ahhh!"
Gunn's head whipped over and he ran to Faith. Wilkins muttered to her, "You had your chance."
Faith's eyes were glassy and dead. She'd already stopped breathing by the time Gunn had reached her. Gunn felt a gutteral cry welling up inside him. He glared up, yelling, "I'll kill you."
But it was Alonna now.
"Charlie?" She stared in a babyish voice. "Why are you being so mean?"
" 'Lonna?"
"I didn't mean to make you mad at me, Charlie. Please, don't be." Tears were streaming down her chocolately smooth skin.
Gunn made a movement towards his little sister. "I'm not mad. Don't cry, 'Lonna. Please, Babe."
He crumbled over on top of Faith as he felt the puncture. He glanced over and saw the same blue-skinned monster that he'd forgotten about standing next to his baby sister. She was laughing now, her childish giggles gone, only a maniacal chuckle remained. He stared up at Faith's pale face before shutting his eyes one last time.
"Gunn! Ahh!" Fred's eyes overflowed as she watched her former boyfriend fall to the ground next to Faith. Lorne had wrapped his arms around the Texan girl, trying his best to make her concentrate, relax again. He muttered the scene to Xander, almost glad that the young man couldn't see what was happening. The high school was orange with flames, gray dust swirling, and red blood streaming like a river on the ground. Several weapons glinted in the moonlight, almost winking at them. Several fighter remained, but the other army seemed to continue on strong. At the vineyard, Connor, Buffy, Spike, Wesley, and Dawn held their own, trying to push back the Ubervamps, to wherever they were coming from. The attempt was valiant, but Lorne was wondering if this apocalypse would finally beat them.
Dawn felt the change immediately. A slight twinge coursed over her like huge waves knocking down and she knew she was the new Chosen One. Dawn hoisted the mace over her shoulder and swung hard at the yellow monster.
"Buffy!" Dawn shouted out.
Her sister turned, looking at Dawn, a worried look over her face.
"Yeah?"
Dawn said it quietly, but Buffy heard, "Faith's dead."
Buffy stopped fighting for a moment, realization hitting her. Dawn had taken Faith's place. Dawn had become her, eight years ago. The thought resulted in a hard punch to her jaw, since she was off guard, knocking her off her feet. Buffy rolled over and went on battling. Dawn turned and found Tara standing in front of her.
"Tara?"
"Dawnie! I promised you I'd always be here for you. I came to help."
Dawn felt three Ubervamps approaching from behind. She didn't move, only stared at Tara. She looked like an angel. Dawn hoped she was there to help, but knew this was likely a distraction. This had to be the First. She whirled. Her mace connected with a Turok-han's head, knocking it off. She grabbed a flaming branch and twirled it in her hand. She lit the other two on fire in an elaborate circle. Dawn breathed heavily, afraid to turn around. When she did, she saw that Tara was gone. It hadn't been her. It wasn't her guardian angel.
Anya was growing tired. Stupid mortality. If she had kept her powers she could have destroyed the First and his pals. But instead she was pathetically human and helpless. She leaned against the wall; closing her eyes only for a brief moment. When she opened again, Halfrek awaited her.
"Hallie!"
"You killed me."
"It wasn't me. D'Hoffryn did. I didn't want to be a vengeance demon. I wanted him to kill me, not you."
"I came when you called, just like I promised and I was murdered."
"I'm so sorry, Hallie. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to end your life."
"It's not good enough!"
"But..."
"No, Anyanka, I don't want to hear it. You deserve to die. You ended my life prematurely."
"Halfrek, please."
Anya's voice trailed off as she crumpled. Anya's few stray tears dropped onto the leaves next to her as she cursed her mortality once more. Her red blood ran into the leaves, mingling into her salty water drops.