Chapter 16
The heavens shone blood-red as the sun -- nearly as red as the sky -- set. Moments later, the moon -- almost obliterated by the sky -- rose.
From the window of the room where the Sword of Kells lay -- the light of the sky shimmering off of it --, Faith stood, humming a haunting melody not heard in centuries. Angel sat in a chair, slouched, head bowed in a trance-like peace.
She could feel his body feed on the vibration of the lullaby. She swayed towards him and lightly touched the crest on his shoulder, as if to remind him of who he was.
Faith moved to the door, unlocked it, and opened the door, still humming the melody as Maeve entered the room. She started to speak to Faith, but Faith just gently put her fingers to her lips to silence the Watcher.
She walked back over to Angel and hummed the Gaelic tune that Angel alone centered on. He stared forward -- still in the trance-state -- as he stood up and laid his hands upon the sword, and lifted the mighty blade.
Mechanically, he turned and moved towards the door, without a word still entranced to Faiths' song. He went to the door looking past Maeve and the others.
As if parting the Red Sea, all moved out of his way. Faith followed, still humming to him.
Dru turned to Maeve, and whispered, "Daddy's ready."
Maeve looked at Dru, as the vampiress followed behind Faith.
Maeve then looked at the Watchers within the hallway, and said, "We must take them to Stonehenge."
In silence, the Watchers moved to do as they were told, as Maeve followed the two vampires and Slayer in reverence.
"They are ready," the Head of the Watchers Council whispered, then thought, They are ready.
The smell of incense filled the air, as a shrouded figure slowly walked down the stairs leading into the tomb of St. Vigeous. All activity stopped, as those within the catacomb turned to look as they felt the power of the unknown being. A power echoed by the catacomb itself.
Behind the enshrouded figure, Faith followed, her expression calculating...yet curious. Behind Faith, Drusilla seemed to glide down the stairs. Once both Slayer and vampiress were standing behind the cloaked entity, the cloak fell away...revealing Angel.
His stance was proud, a warrior ready for battle. In silence, the Sword of Kells slowly rose in his hands until it was angled upward before him.
The closest vampires that stood in front of Angel turned just in time to see the flash of the blade as it came, and severed them into dust.
At that same exact moment, Buffy -- just to the left of the stairs -- slowly raised her head with effort. Trembling, she gasped out, "A-An-Ang-Angel!"
The other vampires were now aware of the Champion standing poised with the blade pointing downward, as Angel looked up at them to accept their challenge of attack.
St. Vigeous, still feeding off of Buffy's essence, let out a hideous howl that shook the room, and began scrape the inside of his coffin with his claws. He wanted to get to his blood-kin -- human as well as vampiric --, and stop him.
Faith felt her sister's pain, turned to Buffy, and said, "Angel, you must clear a path to the altar and free Buffy," then thought, "Buffy, think of your shield. I am by your side. Your mate as well. We will free you. Be ready when I tell you to."
In silence, Buffy nodded once, then dropped her head. As though it were a signal, Angel began to move.
With a swift movement, the souled vampire struck out with the sword, beheading the next creature that sprung towards him. As that one fell to dust, another moved to replace him, the blade went straight up the vampire. As Angel stopped the blade at the vampire's heart, twisted it, and pulled away. Dust went flying everywhere. Within seconds, Angel was beside Buffy.
With a mighty blow of the sword, the chains holding Buffy to the pillar broke...as the stone beneath it shattered.
As the weakened Slayer fell to the floor, the Champion of Kells moved on.
He turned to see two more vampires jump over the tomb. Angel swiftly sidestepped the first creature, as the soulless vampire thrusted with a spear. The Sword of Kells came down on the vampire's arms. The vampire bent down in pain, as Angel came back up with the blade, and separated his head from his shoulders.
The second vampire threw back his head, laughed, and stuck out his tongue...as if mocking the Champion. Angel only stood up straight, and propped the blade on his shoulder, to wait for the vampire's stupidity.
Like a spider, Angel watched the vampire move, as he did his dance of death. Then, Angel put both hands on the blade, waited till his vampire pest got too close, and spun. The blade came out and severed the vampire in half.
Angel stopped facing the tomb.
Rectangular in shape, the Crest of Kells carved upon it, the stone throbbed with the power of the enraged vampire trapped beneath it. Red eyes began to glow through the stone, as the Champion of Kells sneered in hatred and disgust.
"You will not win, blood of my blood," he whispered.
"Champion!" Faith called from behind him. "Do nothing yet, concerning him, until I tell you to."
With a low growl, he moved on, as Faith followed in his wake.
He lowered he head and shoulder, and slammed the blade into the first vampire that dared to cross his path. The vampire tumbled over onto his back, then onto his heels, and stood. Before the vampire could become aware of his surroundings, Angel thrust the sword all the way through his chest.
As if in a chess game, the pawns moved towards Angel, as the queen followed the knight.
The Champion blocked the next blow that came down on him, as the demonic vampire slid down the blade. They stood facing each other.
Angel pushed off, as the demon hit the wall and bounced back. The Champion jumped up into the air, flipped, and landed behind his opponent. The vampire started to turn to only feel the impalement start, only half of him made it around. The vampire's feet were still turned towards Faith.
Vampires began to cower at the approach of the Champion. They moved farther and farther away from Angel and Faith. Most clutched the walls trying to find a hole to escape through.
Complete chaos had fallen, by the time the Champion and Faith reached the alter. As Faith positioned herself before the alter, Angel turned to look at what was going on.
He noticed Drusilla slyly -- just like a black cat -- making her way to where she needed to be. One of the vampires stopped and ran towards her as she looked down, and saw an abandoned axe. She grabbed it quickly, as they paused for an infinite moment, gazing at each other.
He jumped to the left as she moved to the right, to only feel the searing pain of a sword cutting her arm. She gasped in pain, looked at her arm, and then at him.
Then she turned on him and struck him hard with the axe, as he tried to no avail to hold the blow with his sword. It shattered, as the axe came down on his skull.
"I got 'em Daddy, I got 'em!" she said, as she jumped for joy. Then she moved to her position.
Angel turned his head, and noticed Buffy struggling to stand, and unable to do so.
Quietly within his mind, words were spoken by Faith. "Champion of Kells, the time is now. Go!"
With unearthly silence and preternatural speed, the Champion leapt...landing upon the tomb of St. Vigeous.
Once there, the stone throbbed red, as in the background, Faith raised her hands -- blazing white --, and began to chant in the ancient Gaelic tongue.
As the chant grew, she noticed two vampires trying to sneak up the stairs leading out of the catacomb. A cold rage filled her, as she realized that these were the same vampires who had killed her mortal parents twelve years ago. Faith's eyes grew dark and cold, as the words became a crisp frost from her lips.
The vampires shrieked in pain, as a blue light slowly froze them from their feet to their necks. As they watched in terror, flames seemed to surround Faith, as her words seemed to become fire.
The crystals embedded beside her eyes blazed with power, as her words became even harsher. The vampires screamed in relentless torment, as they slowly began to feel their flesh melt. Soon they were nothing but a puddle of flesh and blood.
Faith now returned to the task at hand, her gaze focusing upon the tomb. Her voice rose, as silver light shot forth from her hands, and touched Buffy and Drusilla, connecting the two to her, and to each other.
Buffy stood up suddenly, as the power of the Oracle revived her waning strength. Drusilla threw back her head, and laughed, as the full power of her gift awoke. From the triad that was formed, an almost crystalline thread -- from each -- attached itself to the stone entombing St. Vigeous. All who were in the way of the silver or crystal threads were destroyed.
All sound and motion stopped, as the Champion of Kells knelt upon the tomb, and slowly brought the Sword of Kells to a pinnacle above the Crest of Kells engraved upon the stone. With a cry that was a combination of his human, vampiric, and demonic essences, he brought the sword down.
Sparks flew, as the Sword of Kells seemed to scream as it pierced the stone as if it were water. As the double-hilt of the sword reached the top of the tomb, it stopped.
Into the deafening silence, St. Vigeous screamed from within his tomb. The sound was piercing, as a white light -- brighter than the noonday sun -- exploded outward like a sphere from the tomb.
All not connected to the silver or crystal threads became dust, as the Champion of Kells remained untouched, the sword in his hands a blaze of light.
When the last creature had become dust, the light and the silver and crystalline threads disappeared, as all who had been part of the Oracle's spell fell to the ground. As the Oracle Faith made her way over to Angel, he pulled out the Sword of Kells.
He turned to look at her, as she said, "You must now give back my heart and soul, my Angel."
As if a knight would do before a queen, he knelt to her. With a grace that only she possessed, she extended her hand to Angel. Silently, he took the proffered hand, and escorted her to the alter. He released his hold on her, and stepped back slightly.
Faith out stretched her arms to embrace the altar, and whispered reverently, "Place of my birth...I have come home."
The room echoed and vibrated with the sounds of her words. As the echo died away, Buffy walked over to Angel. Questioningly, she looked at him.
Without looking at his beloved, he said, "Trust me, in what I am about to do."
From a corner of the catacomb, Dru murmured, from where she lay on the ground, "She will be made whole again. She is prettier than any star in the sky... Just you wait and see Slayer."
Angel stepped further away from Faith, the tip of the Sword of Kells facing her. She looked into his eyes, and began to smile.
With a faint nod, she began to vibrate as her arms rose. Pure white flames appeared from her hands...as from her bosom, the door reopened.
There was pure emptiness inside. Buffy stood back in utter awe. She could not comprehend what was happening.
Angel looked up at Faith and with one swift motion thrust the sword back into Faith's chest. As Angel came to her she embraced him to accept her life back.
A shaft of light encircled them both, as Faith pulled herself away from Angel. He stepped back and looked into her eyes, as Faith turned to Buffy and motioned to her.
Buffy came closer to the Oracle and vampire. Once standing beside them, the Oracle took her and Angel's hands, and placed them together.
Faith then began to hum the haunting tune from Angel's past, and Angel smiled. The light grew brighter as Faith's image grew dimmer. Before they knew it, she was gone.
After a moment, Buffy turned to Angel, and asked quietly -- her voice uncertain --, "What if we need her again, Angel?"
Angel gently pulled Buffy into his embrace, and whispered into her hair as he held her, "Do not worry, Beloved. She will be there when we need her."
The moon shone white in the night sky, as Angel, Buffy, and Drusilla walked out of the catacomb. Outside of the stone circle, Maeve and the other Watchers looked on in unease.
They watched as the three supernatural beings stopped at the edge of the circle, and as Dru -- laughing -- left, slipping into the night. In peaceful silence, the vampire and Slayer walked the rest of the way to the Watchers.
"Where is Faith," Maeve asked, her gaze wary.
Angel looked at Buffy, then to Maeve, a faint smile tracing his lips, as he whispered, "Home."
THE…END?
P.S.: The story continues in A Challenge Fic Answered 3, which can be found with my other stories.