Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 13: And So We Face the Final Curtain
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Summary: See pervious Chapters
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Have I mentioned how much I hate these things?" Andrew stopped by the side of the road and looked off into the desert.
"Yeah, about a million times." Buffy walked past Andrew and followed Faith up a hill to scout out the area they were going to be fighting in.
"Can't we just have an . . . I don't know, a debate or something?"
"I'm pretty sure we've moved past civilized arguments by now." Dawn handed Andrew a sword.
"But I did really well in that class," whined Andrew.
"Why does that not surprise me?"
"Cause he and Xander got into a thirty minute discussion over who would win in a fight between Superman and Luke Skywalker?" suggested Gunn.
The group, minus Lindsey, Angel and Spike were gathered in the desert waiting for the eclipse to start.
"That's probably it," replied the teen.
"Are you sure Lindsey's going to be okay with Angel?" asked Eve.
"Why wouldn't he be?" asked Dawn.
"The fact that Angel tried to have him killed last time he offered to help isn't sitting too kindly with me." Eve looked at the youngest Summers.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, I mean, he did offer to be the one to get Spike and Angel over here as soon as the sun was out of the way."
"I just want this to be over with," sighed Eve.
"We all do."
Just then Buffy and Faith came back over the hill.
"Where in the middle of a valley," said Buffy. "There's this hill and then another one of the other side."
"They're gonna want to fight down in the valley, which is okay cause that'll give Red here a perfect shot for her mojo," added Faith.
"Wills, I want you and Dawn to stay up here with Giles. You three can handle all of the magical aspects while the rest of us do the dirty work."
"Sure thing Buffy," replied Willow.
Buffy looked up at the sky and then down at her watch.
"We've got about twenty minutes before the eclipse, I suggest you all get ready."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Spike took a deep breath before he got out of the car followed by Angel and Lindsey. The two vampires had to wait until the sun wasn't a safety issue before they could come out to the desert. Spike and Angel stayed in what little shadows were provided by the cars while Buffy hurried over to them.
"Glad you could make it."
"Yeah, we would've been 'ere sooner, but we thought we'd be more useful in one piece," replied Spike.
"Well you're just in time." Buffy motioned up to the sky that was quickly darkening as the sun disappeared.
"This is deja vu all over again," mumbled Angel as the last of the sun vanished from the afternoon sky.
Shortly afterward the sound of several thousand feet pounding on the group could be heard all throughout the desert followed up a loud battle cry like roar. Buffy and the others hurried to the top of the hill just in time to see thousands of different types of demons pour into the valley.
"It's like we're going up against everything we've ever faced," commented Gunn.
"Is it too late to mention that I'm a lover, not a fighter?" asked Lorne.
"A little bit," replied Wesley.
"Wills, you guys ready with the mojo?" Buffy turned toward her best friend.
"Ready and waiting," replied the red head.
Buffy took a deep breath before turning to face the demon-filled valley.
"Let's get this over with then."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Spike winced as the tip of the demon's sword pierced his left shoulder.
"Bloody 'ell!" Spike elbowed the demon in the face with his right arm and pulled out the sword.
The group had been fighting for well over an hour now and seemed to be making some progress. Buffy and the Slayers seemed to be doing alright with swords and crossbows while Wesley was using his shotgun to blast apart the demons that came his way. Lindsey and Gunn were off to Spike's left slicing and dicing demons with battle axes while Xander and Lorne used swords.
Illyeria, Spike, Angel, Oz, and Faith seemed to be taking a bit of a more hands-on approach though. Illyeria was decimating the demon horde using just her bare hands to rip apart anything that crossed her path. Faith and Oz were handling the Turok-han that Wolfram & Hart had managed to find while Angel was in a fist fight with what appeared to be a troll.
"Are you all-right Half breed?" asked Illyeria.
"Just Peachy." Spike decapitated the demon that had stabbed him earlier.
"That is good, because I would be most displeased to see my pet die." Illyeria returned her attention to the ongoing battle.
Spike was thinking about Illyeria's usage of the term pet when he turned around and was met with a fist to the face. Spike wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his head before head butting the Boone demon.
"Now that's cheating mate." Spike motioned to the metal bands covering the demon's hands.
The demon quickly regained its senses and threw another punch at Spike, this time he saw it and dodged, before delivering a punch of his own to the demon's solar-plexis.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How do we know when they've had enough?" Willow looked over at Giles and Willow.
"I suppose we'll just have to use our best judgement." Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them.
"This is weird." Dawn looked down at the battle going on in the valley below.
"What do you mean?" asked Willow.
"Seeing an apocalypse from this perspective, y'know what I mean?"
"Yeah, we're usually down there, not down there looking down on everything," answered the witch.
"I just hope that Buffy and the others are doing all right."
"I'm sure that they're fine Giles," replied Dawn.
"Yeah, they can handle their own," added Willow.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Xander! Gunn! I little help please!" Andrew frantically clawed at the ankle of the demon that was currently trying to stand on his face.
"We're doing the best we can." Xander hacked away at the demon to no avail. "This thing's skin's way thick."
"Yeah man, just try to keep it from crushing your head," added Gunn as he dodged a swing by the demon.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Buffy was starting to get worried about how long this battle was taking. The eclipse would be over soon and they still had a whole lot of demon butt to kick before the sun returned. If the sun came up before they were done, Spike and Angel would be two piles of dust that wouldn't be very useful in a fight.
"You okay Buffy?"
Buffy looked over at Eve who had made her way up to the Slayer.
"I'm fine, I was just thinking is all."
"Thinking about what?" Eve swung her sword at a demon, cleaning taking off its head.
"The eclipse should be over soon and I just wanna make sure that Spike and Angel don't get all dusty." Buffy delivered a roundhouse kick to the demon she was fighting.
"How long do we have?"
"Probably an hour or two, which isn't a lot of time to fight your way through this mess and to get to safety. Someone should probably have Willow get ready."
"I could get over there. I'm not that good at fighting anyway," volunteered Eve.
"Okay, but be careful. Lindsey'll kill me if something happens to you."
"I'll be fine." Eve took off toward the hill where Willow was currently stationed.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Are you sure you're okay?" Gunn helped Andrew to his feet.
"I'm fine guys." Andrew rubbed his check where a foot-shaped bruise was beginning to show. "But you might want to work on your timing for in the future."
"We went as fast as we could, I mean that thing weighed at least three times what we do," said Xander.
"Let's just get back to fighting so we don't die out here." Andrew picked his sword up off the ground and head back into the battle.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I'm starting to get a little bit nervous," confessed Willow.
"Well, there's been no real sign that they're in trouble." Giles looked from the fight to Willow. "That has to be a good sign."
"Hey, is that Eve?" asked Dawn.
"Where?"
"Right there, running up the hill." Dawn pointed to the figure in question.
"It appears so," replied Giles.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lindsey had lost track of Eve fairly early into the fight and he was worried about her. She wasn't that good a fighter and he was afraid she might've gotten hurt. He was about to give up his search, when he spotted her making her way up the hill toward Willow and the others. Lindsey let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that his girlfriend was alright, but his relief quickly became fear.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eve was about half way up the sand embankment that lead to Willow when she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Eve looked down to see an arrow protruding from her chest. The pain was blinding and Eve was having a harder and harder time walking toward Willow.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Oh my goddess!" Willow looked on in horror as Eve was struck by the arrow.
"We have to help her!" exclaimed Dawn.
Giles quickly gathered up some medical supplies as Eve began to sway with each step she took until she fell.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lindsey rushed forward as Eve toppled back down the hill. Any demons that were unfortunate enough to cross his path were quickly dispatched. Lindsey worry and panic only lessened slightly by the sight of Willow, Dawn, and Giles rushing toward the fallen Eve from the opposite direction. By time Lindsey made it to Eve's side she was already being attended to by Giles.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Eve? Eve can you hear me?" Giles gently rolled Eve onto her back.
Eve slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the three faces gathered around her.
"I-I'm fine," replied Eve.
"We need to tend to your wound," said Giles.
"Don't let me stop ya," replied Eve.
"Dawn, I need you to prop Eve up a bit, so I can remove the arrow." Giles looked at the teen.
"Sure thing," replied Dawn.
Lindsey got to them just as Giles removed the arrow.
"Oh god! That hurt like hell." Eve looked down at her shoulder.
"Are you all right!?"
"I'm fine, really. It's just a flesh wound." Eve smiled at Lindsey.
"I think it's time for the clean up," said Willow as Giles began to dress Eve's wound.
"I'd say so, everyone's getting a bit tired and I think Andrew got stepped on," commented Lindsey.
"The sun's about to come back too," added Dawn.
"I'll go get my supplies, Dawnie, can you come with?"
Dawn hurried after Willow while Giles and Lindsey helped Eve.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dawn watched as a gold mist began to fill the valley as Willow chanted the incantation. The mist moved swiftly through the valley avoiding the Scoobies and LA Gang, but encircling the demons.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Spike watched as the demon he was fighting was encircled by the golden mist. It appeared as if the demon began to crack and gold light burst through the cracks. The cracks grew bigger and pieces of the demon began to flake off and crumble. Finally the demon seemed to burst into flames and turn to dust. The other demons began to do the same and soon the air was thick with the remains of the demon horde.
Way to go Red. Thought Spike as he brushed demon dust off of his coat.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I have to say that this was one of the better apocalypses," commented Xander.
"Yeah, none of us died this time." Buffy motioned to the group to show that they were all still there.
"This can't be the end," said Angel.
"What do you mean? Of course it's the end, it's all over. Y'know, demon goes poof." Xander looked at the vampire as if he were crazy.
"No, after the final battle the vampire with a soul should become human. I signed away my chance at it, but Spike should've gotten it. If you haven't noticed were both still vampires."
"Did you really think that we forgot about you two?"
The group turned to see Cordelia walking toward them.
"Cordy? But . . . you're dead." Angel stared at Cordelia, dumbfounded.
"Funny thing about dying, it's just not all that it's cracked up to be."
"What did you mean by did you really think that we forgot about you two?" asked Angel.
"I mean, the PTB's didn't forget about the Shanshu prophecy being fulfilled, that's why I got sent back."
"What are you going to do?" asked Angel.
"Spike, come over here for a second, please." Cordy motioned to the other vampire, who somewhat reluctantly walked over.
"What are you going to do?" asked Spike.
"You two have done terrible and unbelievably awful things to innocent people," said Cordelia.
Both vampires looked at Cordy, wondering where she was going with this.
"But you've also done a great deal of good things, with a soul," Cordelia looked at Angel. "And without," Cordelia looked at Spike. "And for these good deeds, you are to be rewarded."
Cordelia placed a hand against each vampire's chest. Both Angel and Spike winced and let out gasps of pain as a white light flowed from Cordelia's hand into their chests. Cordelia removed her hands just as the sun began to reemerge in the sky. Angel and Spike watched in awe as they were bathed in sunlight without burning to a crisp.
"I hope you enjoy it, you two really deserve it," said Cordelia.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To Be Continued . . .
I know this chapter sucked, but I'm trying to draw the story to a close, because if I don't it'll just go on forever. The epilogue's next and then I'm done with this story. Thanks for the review!
