Part 11. Z for Zachariah.
A/N: All of the Latin etc in this chapter is real language, translations appear on the line below.
Only two more parts to go. Thanks to everyone who reviews, and also to everyone who has reviewed.
Samantha
They were as silent as shadows as they crept through the night.
Dressed in black camouflage gear, each person gave only the glancing impression of black on black.
Buffy and Max exchanged hand signals, which Max then relayed to the rest of the X5s. They all looked at Buffy, waiting for the signal to go.
Once she gave it everyone moved into position, Willow, Giles and Xander began to form the circle they would use to summon the spirit of the first slayer.
Forming a ring around them Tara, Anya, Spike, Wesley and Cordelia began the preparations to form their own circle. Also inside that circle Angel began to chant a spell binding everyone to each other, and everyone to Buffy.
His voice was steady and deep. It filled Buffy with a sense of calm.
Necto sua animae contra acerbus, contra malum.
Bind these souls against the dark, against the evil.
Imperium iussu una.
The power flows through one.
And she was the one.
All at once she felt power rushing through her body, through every fibre of her being.
Then Tara began to chant her voice a smooth contrast to Angel's.
Centrum lumen respiratis.
The center of light breathes.
Leto respiratis.
The Slayer breathes.
Sua ensis jussio.
She is the sword of order.
Sua animae.
She is life.
Sua lucis.
She is light.
As Buffy left them, all of the magic users had began chanting, except Willow, Giles and Xander. Their part would come later.
Buffy paused, watching them all. She had to come home to them, not just for them, for Elissa and Dawn, and even for herself.
Max gave her a signal, which she acknowledged, and then slipped away into the darkness.
She had to find Zachariah.
Not far off she could already hear the sounds of the battle between Zachariah's minions, and the combined forces of the X5's and the soldiers.
As she left Willow began the incantation to summon the spirit of the First Slayer.
By the generous will of the
Ancients, the almighty power
of the Divine Spirits... Your
supplicants humbly beseech thee
to behold us, and that which we
possess... the moieties of the
One, the Avatar.
She turned the first tarot card.
Spiritus... The Spirit...
She laid the next in front of Xander and this time he spoke the words.
Animus... Heart...
She turned the next card and laid it before Giles, waiting for him to speak.
Sophus... Mind...
She laid the final card at the base of the magic gourd.
Manus... The Hand...
We enjoin that we may inhabit
the vessel - the hand -
daughter of Sineya, First of the Ones.
We implore thee: Admit us,
bring us to the vessel! Take us now.
This time white light surrounded them, filling the circle like a mist. Their heads snapped up towards the ceiling. Everyone looked on in astonishment, but no one broke the circles.
Buffy meanwhile, had crept in through an open window and found Zachariah.
She did nothing this time. With Adam she had moved him to fight him straight away. This time she waited for the change to come over her.
The white light found her and engulfed her, when it cleared it left her bathed in an aura of white light, crackling with blue bolts of magical energy.
Zachariah stared at her. He was alone.
"I am the Ultimate Weapon.
I am Zachariah.
I shall be the last man on Earth.
Why do they send you, a girl to fight?" Her aura of light had made him curious, but not afraid.
When Buffy spoke, her voice was the voice of the Ages, the voice of Time itself.
"I am eternal.
I am the sword of order.
I am the one.
I am the light."
"And I am the darkness." Zachariah answered her. He fired a tap of bullets at her, and was astonished to see the white light surrounding her absorb them.
He pulled the pin from a grenade and threw it at her. She caught it in her fist, holding it until it exploded.
She was completely unscathed.
When he next spoke Zachariah sounded surprised. "What are you?"
"We are human.
We are spirit.
We are light.
We are eternal.
We are beyond your comprehension.
We are eternal." was her answer.
A ball of light formed in her outstretched hand.
She threw it at him.
Zachariah was shocked when the ball of light damaged him.
Circuits blew and tiny sparks of electricity zapped from his body.
He pointed his right arm at her, and she watched as his hand dissolved into his arm, only to be replaced by a double- barreled missile launcher.
She waved her hand. "No"
The missile launcher turned back into a hand.
Zachariah looked shocked.
"How did you do that?
I am Zachariah.
Z for Zachariah.
The last man on Earth."
Buffy closed her eyes as she began the incantation, the spirit possessing her speaking the Sumarian easily.
"Sha me-en-dan.
We are heart.
Gesh-toog me-en-dan.
We are mind.
Zee me-en-den.
We are spirit.
Oo-khush-ta me-ool-lee-a ba-ab-tum-mu-do-en.
From the raging storm, we bring about the power of the Primeval One."
"What is this?" Zachariah began. "What is your source of power?"
Light issued from Buffy's hands, a halo formed around the top of her head.
"Our power is beyond your grasp.
Our power is beyond your comprehension.
We are light.
We are the Eternal Flame . We are untouchable."
She paused reaching towards his chest. She reached right inside and pulled out his ribcage.
It encased a throbbing, pulsing mass of black energy.
"You are not." she finished.
In the binding circle Tara began to chant.
Necto sua acerbus
Bind this darkness.
Necto sua malum.
Bind this evil.
Lucis luna, necto malum.
By the light of the moon, I bind the darkness.
Lucis stella, necto malum.
By the light of the stars, I bind the darkness.
Lucis solis, necto malum.
By the light of the sun, I bind the darkness.
Jacio malum lumen.
I cast the darkness from the light of day.
Lustro lucis.
I encircle it with light.
Necto malum, acerbus.
I bind this evil, this darkness.
Nomen animus lustro.
By my name and my heart I encircle it.
The circle was flooded with bright light.
Everyone gasped as Buffy and the black energy ball were transported into the circle.
The energy ball became covered in a thick layer of white light.
As this happened the darkness began to contract, becoming smaller and smaller until it disappeared all together.
As the magic pulled back, Buffy collapsed.
With the magical bonds that held the circled gone, Angel rushed in to her.
Frantically he felt for a pulse, for her heart beat.
He found none.
"Xander!" he shouted, "Do something!"
Xander bent over her, beginning CPR, Willow dropped down beside him to help.
"Come on, Buffy," Xander panted, "Come on, breathe." He blew into her mouth again.
Max and the others, bloody and bruised from the fight with vampires and demons ran towards them.
Giles edged Willow, who was very weak, away from Buffy, so that Jondy could get in to examine her.
While she did, Xander kept performing CPR.
Max flopped down beside her friend. "Buffy, wake up." she snapped at her lifeless friend. "Don't you remember. 'Of all the friends I've ever met, You're the one I won't forget, And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you, I'll give the angels back their wings, And risk the loss of everything.'" Tears trickled down Max's cheeks.
She couldn't lose another person, not now, not Buffy. "You have to remember. You're not going to die this way. You can't, not like this. When we die again, we'll die together, like we planned, little old ladies... God damn it, Buffy, wake up!" with that she brought her fists down hard on Buffy's chest, in frustration. She heard bone crack.
Slowly Buffy's eyes flicked open. "Can someone say Deja vu?" she uttered weakly. A sigh of relief was echoed by each person.
Xander smiled. "At least this time you don't have to go and kill a really old vampire."
As she went to sit up, Buffy winced. She looked at Max. "Do you always have to be so violent?"
Max said nothing, just reached out to hug her friend, tears streamed down her face.
Logan chuckled and pried Max off Buffy, so that Jondy could bandage her ribs.
A/N: All of the Latin etc in this chapter is real language, translations appear on the line below.
Only two more parts to go. Thanks to everyone who reviews, and also to everyone who has reviewed.
Samantha
They were as silent as shadows as they crept through the night.
Dressed in black camouflage gear, each person gave only the glancing impression of black on black.
Buffy and Max exchanged hand signals, which Max then relayed to the rest of the X5s. They all looked at Buffy, waiting for the signal to go.
Once she gave it everyone moved into position, Willow, Giles and Xander began to form the circle they would use to summon the spirit of the first slayer.
Forming a ring around them Tara, Anya, Spike, Wesley and Cordelia began the preparations to form their own circle. Also inside that circle Angel began to chant a spell binding everyone to each other, and everyone to Buffy.
His voice was steady and deep. It filled Buffy with a sense of calm.
Necto sua animae contra acerbus, contra malum.
Bind these souls against the dark, against the evil.
Imperium iussu una.
The power flows through one.
And she was the one.
All at once she felt power rushing through her body, through every fibre of her being.
Then Tara began to chant her voice a smooth contrast to Angel's.
Centrum lumen respiratis.
The center of light breathes.
Leto respiratis.
The Slayer breathes.
Sua ensis jussio.
She is the sword of order.
Sua animae.
She is life.
Sua lucis.
She is light.
As Buffy left them, all of the magic users had began chanting, except Willow, Giles and Xander. Their part would come later.
Buffy paused, watching them all. She had to come home to them, not just for them, for Elissa and Dawn, and even for herself.
Max gave her a signal, which she acknowledged, and then slipped away into the darkness.
She had to find Zachariah.
Not far off she could already hear the sounds of the battle between Zachariah's minions, and the combined forces of the X5's and the soldiers.
As she left Willow began the incantation to summon the spirit of the First Slayer.
By the generous will of the
Ancients, the almighty power
of the Divine Spirits... Your
supplicants humbly beseech thee
to behold us, and that which we
possess... the moieties of the
One, the Avatar.
She turned the first tarot card.
Spiritus... The Spirit...
She laid the next in front of Xander and this time he spoke the words.
Animus... Heart...
She turned the next card and laid it before Giles, waiting for him to speak.
Sophus... Mind...
She laid the final card at the base of the magic gourd.
Manus... The Hand...
We enjoin that we may inhabit
the vessel - the hand -
daughter of Sineya, First of the Ones.
We implore thee: Admit us,
bring us to the vessel! Take us now.
This time white light surrounded them, filling the circle like a mist. Their heads snapped up towards the ceiling. Everyone looked on in astonishment, but no one broke the circles.
Buffy meanwhile, had crept in through an open window and found Zachariah.
She did nothing this time. With Adam she had moved him to fight him straight away. This time she waited for the change to come over her.
The white light found her and engulfed her, when it cleared it left her bathed in an aura of white light, crackling with blue bolts of magical energy.
Zachariah stared at her. He was alone.
"I am the Ultimate Weapon.
I am Zachariah.
I shall be the last man on Earth.
Why do they send you, a girl to fight?" Her aura of light had made him curious, but not afraid.
When Buffy spoke, her voice was the voice of the Ages, the voice of Time itself.
"I am eternal.
I am the sword of order.
I am the one.
I am the light."
"And I am the darkness." Zachariah answered her. He fired a tap of bullets at her, and was astonished to see the white light surrounding her absorb them.
He pulled the pin from a grenade and threw it at her. She caught it in her fist, holding it until it exploded.
She was completely unscathed.
When he next spoke Zachariah sounded surprised. "What are you?"
"We are human.
We are spirit.
We are light.
We are eternal.
We are beyond your comprehension.
We are eternal." was her answer.
A ball of light formed in her outstretched hand.
She threw it at him.
Zachariah was shocked when the ball of light damaged him.
Circuits blew and tiny sparks of electricity zapped from his body.
He pointed his right arm at her, and she watched as his hand dissolved into his arm, only to be replaced by a double- barreled missile launcher.
She waved her hand. "No"
The missile launcher turned back into a hand.
Zachariah looked shocked.
"How did you do that?
I am Zachariah.
Z for Zachariah.
The last man on Earth."
Buffy closed her eyes as she began the incantation, the spirit possessing her speaking the Sumarian easily.
"Sha me-en-dan.
We are heart.
Gesh-toog me-en-dan.
We are mind.
Zee me-en-den.
We are spirit.
Oo-khush-ta me-ool-lee-a ba-ab-tum-mu-do-en.
From the raging storm, we bring about the power of the Primeval One."
"What is this?" Zachariah began. "What is your source of power?"
Light issued from Buffy's hands, a halo formed around the top of her head.
"Our power is beyond your grasp.
Our power is beyond your comprehension.
We are light.
We are the Eternal Flame . We are untouchable."
She paused reaching towards his chest. She reached right inside and pulled out his ribcage.
It encased a throbbing, pulsing mass of black energy.
"You are not." she finished.
In the binding circle Tara began to chant.
Necto sua acerbus
Bind this darkness.
Necto sua malum.
Bind this evil.
Lucis luna, necto malum.
By the light of the moon, I bind the darkness.
Lucis stella, necto malum.
By the light of the stars, I bind the darkness.
Lucis solis, necto malum.
By the light of the sun, I bind the darkness.
Jacio malum lumen.
I cast the darkness from the light of day.
Lustro lucis.
I encircle it with light.
Necto malum, acerbus.
I bind this evil, this darkness.
Nomen animus lustro.
By my name and my heart I encircle it.
The circle was flooded with bright light.
Everyone gasped as Buffy and the black energy ball were transported into the circle.
The energy ball became covered in a thick layer of white light.
As this happened the darkness began to contract, becoming smaller and smaller until it disappeared all together.
As the magic pulled back, Buffy collapsed.
With the magical bonds that held the circled gone, Angel rushed in to her.
Frantically he felt for a pulse, for her heart beat.
He found none.
"Xander!" he shouted, "Do something!"
Xander bent over her, beginning CPR, Willow dropped down beside him to help.
"Come on, Buffy," Xander panted, "Come on, breathe." He blew into her mouth again.
Max and the others, bloody and bruised from the fight with vampires and demons ran towards them.
Giles edged Willow, who was very weak, away from Buffy, so that Jondy could get in to examine her.
While she did, Xander kept performing CPR.
Max flopped down beside her friend. "Buffy, wake up." she snapped at her lifeless friend. "Don't you remember. 'Of all the friends I've ever met, You're the one I won't forget, And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you, I'll give the angels back their wings, And risk the loss of everything.'" Tears trickled down Max's cheeks.
She couldn't lose another person, not now, not Buffy. "You have to remember. You're not going to die this way. You can't, not like this. When we die again, we'll die together, like we planned, little old ladies... God damn it, Buffy, wake up!" with that she brought her fists down hard on Buffy's chest, in frustration. She heard bone crack.
Slowly Buffy's eyes flicked open. "Can someone say Deja vu?" she uttered weakly. A sigh of relief was echoed by each person.
Xander smiled. "At least this time you don't have to go and kill a really old vampire."
As she went to sit up, Buffy winced. She looked at Max. "Do you always have to be so violent?"
Max said nothing, just reached out to hug her friend, tears streamed down her face.
Logan chuckled and pried Max off Buffy, so that Jondy could bandage her ribs.