Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow
Notes: The next chapter will be the last chapter, fair warning. For those of you desiring more Buffy/Faith mushiness, and you know who you are, you will hopefully have your fill in the next chapter. As this is supposed to be the big battle chapter, I don't know how much I'll be able to cram in. So thanks for the reviews, as ever, and feel free to continue heaping praise upon me. Sorry this chapter took a little longer to write than most, but as you can see, it's quite a bit longer than the others.
Previously:
"Thanks," Giles said, smiling back. "Now, everyone follow my advice and go get some rest. Buffy and Faith will lead the girls in a brief training session tomorrow, but after that, the rest of our energies must be devoted to gathering weapons and preparing for the battle."
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"I just want you to know, in case something happens...I love you. I love you so much and I know you want to be there with us tomorrow. But do me a favor," Kara said, pausing. "Don't wake up until it's over. I want this world to be a better place for you. And after tomorrow, it will be."
Chapter Sixty:
Kara watched as the sun faded from the sky. Beams of light shot out over the horizon in a spectacular display and Kara sucked in a breath, awed by the beauty of the sunset. She could feel tension rising from below, as she stood on the cliffs overlooking Sunnydale. The breeze wrapped itself around her and held her in its cold embrace, whipping through her hair. Tonight was a momentous occasion. Never before had an army of light gone against the very pit of blackness and despair. The slayers would be waging a war against the oldest evil in the world – the First evil.
The fight of good against evil had raged since the dawn of the world. But no one had faced the perpetuator of it all. Kara smiled slightly. When men waged war on each other, they would pray to their gods for favor in battle. Kara didn't need to pray for any favors. She knew the gods were on her side this time. Buffy and the others thought she would be returning to the Summers home at any moment. However, that was not her intent.
"They're wondering about you," a voice said from behind her. Kara turned and smiled at Veronica.
"I didn't know if you'd come. Though, I thought you couldn't come down here," Kara said thoughtfully.
Veronica smiled and chuckled a bit. "I'm not really here. I'm just a shadow flitting through the night."
"They think I've abandoned them," Kara stated, looking out over the town. The lights of the houses were twinkling in the quickening dark. Night was falling. Kara looked up into the sky and could see the faintest outline of stars.
"Yes, they do. Some of them anyway. Those closest to you know better," Veronica said. "Some have all the faith in the world in you."
"Like who?" Kara asked, looking over at Veronica.
"The answer might surprise you. But I imagine you'll find out before the end," Veronica said enigmatically. "It's almost time for you to begin. Did you bring it?"
"No, I came all this way and left it at the house," Kara said sarcastically. She slowly drew a ceremonial knife out of a sheath in her boot. "Of course I brought it." The knife glimmered in the light of the rising moon, the steel blade shining like a starburst. The handle was carved out of bone and blackened with age. A gold stripe ran up the handle and a crystal star was set at the center. An ancient language long forgot adorned the blade.
"It was forged by the first watcher, given to his slayer as a token of his love and trust. The knife was passed down from slayer to slayer until it was lost in time. We found it and kept it safe until the occasion it should be wielded again," Veronica said and smiled kindly. "We see no better person to wield it than the last of the line of slayers."
Kara nodded, admiring the knife. "It's beautiful."
"That it is. You know what to do," Veronica said, stepping away. "Kara...," she said, pausing. Kara turned to look at her. "I don't imagine we'll be seeing each other again. Fare thee well." With that, Veronica turned and walked away, fading into the night and the trees that lined the cliff side. Kara watched her go, wondering at the meaning behind her final words.
Sighing, Kara turned and looked back over the town. "Good luck," she whispered, wishing her companions hope for the battle to come.
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Buffy threw one last look back at her house before following after the others. She had insisted they wait until the last possible second for Kara, but Giles and Jack were keeping a strict schedule. Already, the others would be gathered at the high school – members of the Council, new slayers, members of the Coven. Jack estimated nearly a thousand people would be there to fight. But in the end, the First would have more.
"She'll be there," Faith said reassuringly, wrapping her arm around Buffy's waist. "She can take care of herself."
"I know. What if she doesn't come? What if the First got to her already?" Buffy asked, instantly imagining the worst.
"She's strong. You'd feel it if she was dead, B. You'd feel it in here," Faith said, pointing to her heart. "And I feel she's alive."
"What if she abandoned us?" Buffy asked, voicing the question she knew the others were thinking.
Faith sighed and looked away. "Then I would understand," she said. They walked on in silence, listening to Giles and Jack ruminating over final plans and strategies. They finally reached the high school, awed at the sight of so many people armed and ready to give their lives for the cause of good. But Kara was not among them.
"Listen," Giles said, sidling up beside Buffy and Faith. "In Kara's absence, someone else must lead the first team with you," he said addressing Buffy. "Jack and I feel that Faith should go with you."
"That's cool, G-man," Faith said. "But who's gonna go with Spike?"
"I will," Dawn said, suddenly volunteering.
"What?" Buffy and Spike both exclaimed together.
"I can do this," Dawn insisted. "Yeah, I'm afraid. But this is what we were all born for. Don't make me sit and watch," Dawn pleaded.
Buffy eyed her for a moment before a grim smile settled on her face. "Okay. But be careful," Buffy added, noticing as Spike shook his head angrily, but he kept his tongue. "You and Spike will lead the second team. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, they're all waiting on you," Giles said. Buffy stepped forward, with Faith just behind her, and took her place at the head of the crowd.
"Alright, first team, second team...let's go!" She yelled and stepped forward, opening the front door of the high school. It was dark inside and she could feel the evil pouring off the place in waves. She shuddered slightly. Faith put her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
"I'm right behind you," she said, as they advanced into the building. It was deadly quiet. The sound of the group walking seemed to echo on the walls and Buffy cringed. They weren't going to be surprising anyone that was for sure.
Finally, they reached the basement door. "Okay, guys, this is where we split up. Second team, make sure no one gets out of this building," Buffy instructed. "We'll see you when it's over."
With that, she kicked open the basement door. The teams split apart, the second team wandering a bit back toward the entrance, taking up posts along the hallway. Xander, Spike, and Dawn stayed in front, closest to the basement door. When the last member of the first team had passed through it, they sat down on the hallway floor, gripping their weapons tightly in their hands.
"I probably should have mentioned this before," Dawn said suddenly. "But I've never used a sword before."
"That's okay, Bit," Spike said, nudging her shoulder with his. "You just swing it like a baseball bat. You're bound to hit something."
"Yeah, if I can do it, you can do it," Xander said, flashing her one of his infamous half smiles. "But here's to hoping we won't have to."
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The third team remained outside of the building. It was mostly composed of members of the Coven, a few young slayers left behind to protect them, some Council doctors Willow, Tara, Anya, and Joyce. The Council had set up a hospital not far from the school, for those wounded after the battle. Buffy had been adamant that Joyce remain at home, but her mother insisted on coming. Though she knew she couldn't fight, Joyce wanted to be there when everyone else did. She wouldn't have felt right sitting at home waiting while everyone else was fighting and dying.
"It's gonna be okay," Anya said, sitting down next to Joyce on the grass. In front of them, the Coven, Willow, Tara, Giles, and Jack had gathered by the entrance of the high school. Anya could hear them chanting. According to Giles, they were to enact a barrier spell that would prevent any lucky demons from escaping into the town.
"I hope so," Joyce responded, looking rather sullen.
"She does this all the time, you know," Anya said. "Not the first apocalypse and all."
"I know," Joyce said, smiling over at Anya. "But the thing about apocalypses...one of them has to be the last."
Anya sighed, knowing the older woman was right. Eventually, their luck would run out and evil would win. It was bound to happen sooner or later. "At least we'll be safe out here," Anya said finally. "With the barrier spell and all."
"Yeah. Where do you think Kara is?" Joyce asked absently.
Anya thought back to the night she and Kara had talked about the final battle on Buffy's back steps. Kara had said she had a trick up her sleeve, something the First wouldn't be expecting. Anya smiled, knowing that whatever it was, it would ensure that they would all live to see another apocalypse someday. "Wherever she is, it's where she's supposed to be," Anya replied, looking up into the sky. A strange sensation fell over her and she turned, looking back at the cliffs that overlooked Sunnydale. She could feel immense power coming from them and it made her shiver.
Anya stood. "I'll be right back," she said, wandering away from Joyce. Once she was out of sight, she turned and looked back at the others. Then, she started running toward the cliffs.
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"Fall back!" Buffy yelled over the sounds of swords clanging and bodies falling. They were more than significantly outnumbered. They had started off well enough, charging down into the Hellmouth. They decimated the first line of demons the First sent at them, but the second proved to be more challenging. They weren't making any progress. In fact, the First's army was pushing them back the way they came. More than anything, they needed to regroup. Buffy was about to yell again when a sharp pain spread through her entire body.
Looking down, she saw the point of a sword piercing through her stomach. She faintly heard Faith yell as she fell to the rock floor. Faith saw Buffy fall and instantly began to charge through the crowd of demons and slayers amassed at the base of the Hellmouth. Breaking through, she wildly swung her sword and dispatched the demon that had stabbed her fiancée. Kneeling beside her, Faith scooped Buffy up into her arms. "Hold on," Faith said fiercely, her eyes glowing in the dark with the passion of a slayer in the heat of battle. "You're okay."
Buffy gritted her teeth at the pain, but she knew she had to keep fighting. "Get me up," she instructed as Faith pulled Buffy to her feet. Leaning down, the dark slayer picked up the Scythe and handed it back to Buffy. "I believe you dropped this," Faith joked, turning and decapitating a demon that was attempting to sneak up behind her. "You good to go?"
"Yeah, let me loose," Buffy said, tightening her grip on her weapon. "Nothing's gonna take me down."
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Kara briefly closed her eyes and pressed down, dragging the blade lengthwise across her arm. She gasped at the pain, but ignored it, continuing until blood was flowing from her elbow to her wrist. Then, she moved the blade over to her other arm and did the same. The blood flowed out and rained down onto the grass in little droplets. Kara could feel herself getting weaker as the blood flowed out of her. Falling to her knees, she slowly began chanting the words the Powers that Be had whispered in her ear when she went to the cave in Africa. It was an ancient language, the same as the one written on the blade itself.
It was an invocation spell. The earth began to tremble and shake. Kara swayed forward, but she steadied herself. A fine mist began to spread around her, pouring out of the wounds in her arms, running with the blood. The mist grew, shimmering in gold and blue, until it covered the entire cliff. Then, it began to rise and take form. Kara looked around, watching as the forms became figures and the figures became flesh. Finally, the mist subsided and standing before her was an army. Kara smiled and watched as a woman stepped forward.
She had a sword at her side and was dressed much like a knight. Walking up to Kara, the woman knelt in front of her and pressed her fingertips to Kara's forehead. She closed her eyes and after a few moments, opened them again. "We shall do as you ask," the woman said. Then, she stood and turned. She addressed the army assembled before her in a strange tongue that Kara couldn't understand, but her soul seemed to recognize. It was language of slayers. Before her stood every slayer that had ever lived and died since the first slayer was called. The Powers that Be had granted them this one gift, that they would get the chance to fight one last time. This was that time.
Suddenly, the army burst forth in a battle cry that shook the very trees themselves. It filled Kara's heart and she covered her ears to block out the sound. It was both terrible and beautiful. Then the army began to move, charging through the trees, toward the high school, toward the First. Kara closed her eyes and fell forward, catching herself with her hands. The world was spinning and she was woozy. Letting herself drop onto the grass, she smiled slightly as the cool leaves caressed her face. Then the world started to go black.
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Anya paused when she heard an immense cry rip through the forest. She clung to the nearest tree and covered her ears. The sound seemed to pierce her very soul. When it stopped, she continued moving forward through the forest, toward the cliff. Suddenly, the forest started moving in front of her. She watched as an immense army charged passed her, either ignoring her or ignorant of her presence there. The army consisted of thousands of women. Anya watched them for a moment. They were all dressed differently. After a while, Anya realized that their dress reflected the time they had lived. Anya gasped when she realized that moving passed her was an army of slayers. Finally, the last slayer disappeared from sight and Anya pushed on.
She came to the clearing just before the cliff and stepped out into the night air. She could see Kara slumped over in front of her. Running forward, Anya knelt beside Kara and cradled her in her arms. "Hey, wake up," Anya said gently. She looked down at Kara's arms and saw the blood pouring out of her wounds. "Shit," she muttered. Kara's eyes fluttered open and after a few moments, focused on Anya's face.
"What are you doing here?" Kara asked, her voice slightly slurred.
"I had a feeling you'd need some help," Anya said. "Looks like I was right. Come on, the Council hospital isn't far from here," Anya said, pulling Kara to her feet. She looped her arm around Kara's waist and balanced her. It was slow moving, but they pushed on through the forest, stopping every once in a while when Kara felt faint.
"Thanks," Kara said, as they stopped beside a particularly large tree.
"For what?" Anya asked, nearly breathless from the exertion of trying to hold up Kara.
"For having faith in me."
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"See anything?" Xander asked, peering around the corner and glancing at the basement door. Thus far, no demons had escaped from below, but they could hear the sounds of the raging battle growing louder and louder.
"No," Spike whispered back, gripping his sword tightly. He felt that if something didn't happen soon, he would lose his nerve. Looking back at his motley band of warriors, he realized they were all feeling the same thing.
"Uh, guys?" Dawn said, directing their attention to the door. "Someone's coming out." Spike turned to see a horde of demons silently advancing through the door, anticipating an attack.
"Steady," Spike whispered loud enough for his men to hear. He had the distinct feeling that the element of surprise would be all they had going for them. "Steady," he whispered as the demons crept closer. Raising his sword, he watched out of the corner of his eye as all of the others did the same.
He could hear the demons snorting, their heavy feet clamoring on the floor. Rising to his feet from a crouching position, Spike looked back and nodded his head. Then he dashed forward, followed closely behind by Xander and Dawn. Together, they swung their swords and took out the first line of demons. The rest of the group followed quickly behind them and the battle began. Dawn quickly lost sight of Spike in the crowd. Demons were practically surrounding her, but she found at that moment that she felt no fear. Steeling herself, she closed her eyes and swung her sword with as much force as she could muster.
She felt the blade slice into something and opening her eyes, found a demon standing before her, staring down at her sword stuck through its chest. It looked up at her in disbelief and crumpled to the ground. Dawn smiled to herself, realizing, perhaps for the first time, that she wasn't just the slayer's sister; she was a warrior of light. Glancing around, she caught sight of Spike trapped in a corner, surrounded by three rather large demons. They were beating on him mercilessly.
Gripping her sword tightly, Dawn inhaled deeply and charged. The sword flashed before her and within moments, the demons fell to the ground in heaps. Spike looked up at her from the floor, blood covering half his face, and he smiled. "Looks like I'm not the one needing saving," Dawn said triumphantly as she grabbed Spike's hand and helped him to his feet.
"No, I wager not," Spike said, a bit in awe. "Do me a favor, yeah? Watch my back from now on," he said and smiled widely. Picking up his sword, he and Dawn turned to rejoin the battle when a roaring sound, like a speeding train, wailed through the hallway.
"What is that?" Dawn asked, fearing the worst. Spike simply shook his head, his eyes landing on the entrance of the school. Suddenly, the doors burst off their hinges and a woman stepped inside. "Who is that?" Dawn asked, watching in wonder.
"I don't know," Spike answered. The fighting around them stopped and everyone turned to watch as an army filed into the cramped hallway. "But I hope they're on our side," he quickly added, when he saw their numbers. The woman raised her sword and with a unified battle cry, the army charged forward. Spike grabbed Dawn and pulled her against his chest, backing against the wall as the mysterious army swept through, annihilating every demon in its path until they all disappeared through the basement door.
Once they were gone, the second team wandered through the hallway, gazing in wonder at the trail of corpses and splattered remains that were left behind. Nothing with so much as a trace of evil in its heart had survived. "Yeah, they were definitely on our side," Dawn muttered, gripping Spike's hand fiercely.
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"Why won't you just admit defeat? You're outnumbered and outmatched," the First said, as its men surrounded the remaining slayers, trapping them in a tight circle. The girls still brandished their swords, holding them high, prepared to fight until the end.
"We will never surrender to you," Buffy spat. Her back was aching from the stab wound and it took all of her strength just to remain standing. Faith had her hand on Buffy's back holding her steady. The rest of the girls were bloodied and broken, but only in body. Their spirits raged on and none were ready to give up hope.
"Fine. We'll just kill you all then," the First said and smiled. "It's been a pleasure."
"I have a feeling that the pleasure will be all mine," a voice boomed out over the din. Everyone in the room turned toward the voice, wondering at the army of women standing on the brink of the Hellmouth, arrayed with everything from medieval weapons, to sharpened sticks. "Or, shall I say, ours."
"Who are you?" The First asked, squinting slightly as it studied the woman's face.
The woman smiled suddenly and motioned out toward the army of past slayers standing around her. "We are light. We are the sun that rises over the darkness," she said and paused, her eyes dancing in the light. "And we're gonna kick your ass."
With those words, the army spilled forth over the brink of the Hellmouth and swept through the cavern. The nearly defeated slayers, with their spirits renewed at the sight of so many allies, took up their weapons and joined the fray once more. Before long, the army of the First lay tattered and ruined and the great spirit of evil was nowhere to be found. Buffy and Faith stood amongst the carnage and wreckage of the battle, seeing those who fought beside them lying in the rubble. Then, looking at the survivors, they smiled, knowing that they had indeed won possibly the greatest battle of their time.
"The Powers that Be have fulfilled their promise," the woman said, walking up to Buffy and Faith. "We can now rest. Please thank the one that brought us forth. She was the last of our line in her time," the woman said, smiling slightly. Then she turned, and as she did, she and all of the others warriors faded into a fine mist that spread throughout the cave and vanished.
Turning to Buffy, Faith wrapped her arm around the golden haired slayer's waist to support her and said, "Let's go home."
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"How is she?" Anya asked one of the Council's doctors as he tended to Kara's wounds. Kara was lulling in and out of consciousness, dizzy from blood loss.
"She'll be alright. We've got transfusions going and she's a strong girl. She'll be on her feet before you know it," the doctor said, smiling warmly. He was a kindly old man and Anya instantly took a liking to him.
"Thank you," Anya said, as the doctor finished wrapping Kara's wounds and stood.
"I'll be in the other room if she needs anything," the doctor said, nodding slightly before walking out. Anya sighed and sat in a chair next to Kara's makeshift hospital bed. A beeping sound pulled her out of her thoughts and reaching into Kara's jacket pocket, Anya pulled out her cell phone. The Council had given them all phones several weeks ago courtesy of a suggestion Willow made that everyone should be connected in case of an emergency.
"Hello?" Anya said in to the phone, resting it against her ear.
"Hello, this is Doctor Samuels from Sunnydale General. Am I speaking to Kara Summers?"
"No, she's unavailable at the moment," Anya said, looking over at Kara's sleeping form. "But I can take a message."
"Yes, if you would, could you tell her that Kennedy woke up a half hour ago. She's been asking for her," the doctor said.
"Yes, thank you," Anya said, hanging up the phone. Smiling, she leaned down and brushed a strand of Kara's hair behind her ear. "Did you hear that? Kennedy's awake. Seems things are looking up after all."
Note: The next chapter will be the final chapter. Look for the sequel: Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow II: The Rising Sun, which shall be up shortly thereafter.