Willow sat cross legged with the spell book open in front of her. On either
side of her was Faith and Buffy. They sat within a circle of large gothic
candles, pure black, which burnt with a bright red flame. Under them was an
inverted pentagram. Each took a position in the outer lowers of the star.
In the centre of the star the Earet talon grasped the Baslock heart and two
piles were made out of the Theselat sand, one in front of both Faith and
Buffy.
The rest of the team sat or stood in the extremities of the room all nervously watching on. Willow shot a quick glance to the two Slayers. She took a deep breath
"You ready?" They both nodded. Buffy and Faith reached down beside them. When their hands returned to view, each was clutching a knife. Buffy held an ordinary dagger - one of her collection - while Faith held the double bladed knife, the once mayor of Sunnydale had given her. Buffy had returned it.
Each took their knife in their left hand and pressed the blade to their right palm. Unflinchingly the two slayers tore through their flesh. Small whimpers were heard around the room. The slayers balled their fists and let the blood spill onto the sand. Willow began.
"Blood of the Slayers. Power, strength, life. From the ground whence you came, so do you return." The scarlet blood flowed over the crystal white sand. It began to glow. A wind began to form though no windows were open. The sand began to lift and spiral upwards. Willow took the bleeding hands of Buffy and Faith and pressed them together, fingers interlocked, over the heart and the talon. The blood dripped onto these as well and the heart began to glow red. Willow continued.
"That of the demons, those which they fight, heart of the beast burn for our purpose!" With the last words she yelled them. Still brighter the heart became and the sand began to encircle it. The Slayers looked to Willow, her eyes were deep black and she was breathing heavily. Willow pushed on.
"We surpass good! We surpass evil! The essence of power I call to you." Suddenly the lights in the room went out. The candles surrounding the three burnt, not now with red flame but with the deepest black. The only light came from the heart, which now glowed a brilliant white. The wind picked up. The house began to shake. Vases from the mantle and pictures from the wall fell and shattered on the ground, shards of glass flying in all directions.
"What's happening?!" Dawn screamed
Everyone in the room looked to Willow. Her eyes were burning white, even brighter then the heart. Buffy and Faith seemed to be frozen either by fear or magic. Willow spoke again, but this time it was deep and demonic.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth," again she repeated it, stronger this time.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth." As she uttered the last word beams of light like chain lightning issued from the heart.
Two hit the Slayers in the chest and sent them flying into opposite walls. One streaked towards Angel hitting him with such force, that he broke through the wall behind him, leaving splinters of wood and mortar dust in his wake. Everyone that could, ducked for cover. At that moment, another hit Spike hurtling him into the roof, then he fell and was out on the floor. Suddenly Andrew entered the room
"Guys!" He yelled "what's happening?!" Dawn screamed at him.
"Get down you idiot." It was too late. Another chain of light hit him and he was sent smashing through the lounge room window onto the front lawn, showering Dawn, Anya, Xander and Gunn with shards of glass. For the last time Willow spoke the words.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth." Her normal voice returned and she let out an ear piercing scream. The heart exploded and the room was filled with a blinding white light.
"Ok, what the hell just happened!!" Xander roared. The blinding light that had filled the room was gone. So were Buffy, Faith, Angel, Spike and Andrew, although none had realised or seemed to care about the last.
"Oh my God, Willow." Xander picked himself up off the floor and ran to her side. She was on her back, one arm across her chest, eyes closed and very white. Dawn, Gunn and Anya rushed over as well. The four had cuts all over them and glass imbedded in their skin.
"Is she breathing?" Dawn asked, clearly distraught.
"I don't understand it," Wesley started "Nothing could have gone wrong, we followed the spell exactly. then.." He trailed off.
"Yes well something did go wrong," Giles added clearly angered and distraught that their champions had disappeared. "We have to find them."
"How?" Anya began in disbelief. "The witch is out to it and the Slayers, the vampires, they're gone. We're as good as dead." Dawn had risen from her knees beside Willow and was slowly backing towards the wall.
"You know Anya you're not really helping." Spat back Xander worried about Willow.
"I am being practical." She replied angrily.
Giles looked towards Willow.
"Stop it both of you. You four get her upstairs and check that everyone is ok. Wesley and I." Giles had looked to Dawn and fell silent.
Dawn was now fully pressed, back to the wall, with a look of utter terror on her face. A tear slid down her right cheek.
"Um guys," she spoke, though not looking at them, but over their heads towards the front door. She lifted her hand and pointed in the same direction. They all turned.
Eve, the potential that the First had killed and taken the form of once before, was standing there, hands behind her back. She looked at them, eyes full of life and malice. She spoke in her southern accent not able to hide her joy.
"Ooh, this is just getting good." With that she vanished in a line of white light
The rest of the team sat or stood in the extremities of the room all nervously watching on. Willow shot a quick glance to the two Slayers. She took a deep breath
"You ready?" They both nodded. Buffy and Faith reached down beside them. When their hands returned to view, each was clutching a knife. Buffy held an ordinary dagger - one of her collection - while Faith held the double bladed knife, the once mayor of Sunnydale had given her. Buffy had returned it.
Each took their knife in their left hand and pressed the blade to their right palm. Unflinchingly the two slayers tore through their flesh. Small whimpers were heard around the room. The slayers balled their fists and let the blood spill onto the sand. Willow began.
"Blood of the Slayers. Power, strength, life. From the ground whence you came, so do you return." The scarlet blood flowed over the crystal white sand. It began to glow. A wind began to form though no windows were open. The sand began to lift and spiral upwards. Willow took the bleeding hands of Buffy and Faith and pressed them together, fingers interlocked, over the heart and the talon. The blood dripped onto these as well and the heart began to glow red. Willow continued.
"That of the demons, those which they fight, heart of the beast burn for our purpose!" With the last words she yelled them. Still brighter the heart became and the sand began to encircle it. The Slayers looked to Willow, her eyes were deep black and she was breathing heavily. Willow pushed on.
"We surpass good! We surpass evil! The essence of power I call to you." Suddenly the lights in the room went out. The candles surrounding the three burnt, not now with red flame but with the deepest black. The only light came from the heart, which now glowed a brilliant white. The wind picked up. The house began to shake. Vases from the mantle and pictures from the wall fell and shattered on the ground, shards of glass flying in all directions.
"What's happening?!" Dawn screamed
Everyone in the room looked to Willow. Her eyes were burning white, even brighter then the heart. Buffy and Faith seemed to be frozen either by fear or magic. Willow spoke again, but this time it was deep and demonic.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth," again she repeated it, stronger this time.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth." As she uttered the last word beams of light like chain lightning issued from the heart.
Two hit the Slayers in the chest and sent them flying into opposite walls. One streaked towards Angel hitting him with such force, that he broke through the wall behind him, leaving splinters of wood and mortar dust in his wake. Everyone that could, ducked for cover. At that moment, another hit Spike hurtling him into the roof, then he fell and was out on the floor. Suddenly Andrew entered the room
"Guys!" He yelled "what's happening?!" Dawn screamed at him.
"Get down you idiot." It was too late. Another chain of light hit him and he was sent smashing through the lounge room window onto the front lawn, showering Dawn, Anya, Xander and Gunn with shards of glass. For the last time Willow spoke the words.
"Impret ashnoen husnin oloth maiet ol abet nin apretnoeth." Her normal voice returned and she let out an ear piercing scream. The heart exploded and the room was filled with a blinding white light.
"Ok, what the hell just happened!!" Xander roared. The blinding light that had filled the room was gone. So were Buffy, Faith, Angel, Spike and Andrew, although none had realised or seemed to care about the last.
"Oh my God, Willow." Xander picked himself up off the floor and ran to her side. She was on her back, one arm across her chest, eyes closed and very white. Dawn, Gunn and Anya rushed over as well. The four had cuts all over them and glass imbedded in their skin.
"Is she breathing?" Dawn asked, clearly distraught.
"I don't understand it," Wesley started "Nothing could have gone wrong, we followed the spell exactly. then.." He trailed off.
"Yes well something did go wrong," Giles added clearly angered and distraught that their champions had disappeared. "We have to find them."
"How?" Anya began in disbelief. "The witch is out to it and the Slayers, the vampires, they're gone. We're as good as dead." Dawn had risen from her knees beside Willow and was slowly backing towards the wall.
"You know Anya you're not really helping." Spat back Xander worried about Willow.
"I am being practical." She replied angrily.
Giles looked towards Willow.
"Stop it both of you. You four get her upstairs and check that everyone is ok. Wesley and I." Giles had looked to Dawn and fell silent.
Dawn was now fully pressed, back to the wall, with a look of utter terror on her face. A tear slid down her right cheek.
"Um guys," she spoke, though not looking at them, but over their heads towards the front door. She lifted her hand and pointed in the same direction. They all turned.
Eve, the potential that the First had killed and taken the form of once before, was standing there, hands behind her back. She looked at them, eyes full of life and malice. She spoke in her southern accent not able to hide her joy.
"Ooh, this is just getting good." With that she vanished in a line of white light