Aerith looked out into the horizon of the salmon colored sky, the gentle breeze flowing through her brown curls. She brushed a strand of hair gently behind her ear and let out a sigh. Things were still the same. The heartless were still here, and along with Leon and Yuffie, she helped keep them to a minimum in the Hollow Bastion. It was her home after all. She leaned against the railing, looking down into what seemed like oblivion... the Hollow Bastion was so high...
She had been fondling a flower, turning it while she thought. A daisy. She thought to herself what she should do when this was all over, and if Cloud would ever come back home. With a heavy expulsion of breath, she kissed the daisy and let it fall, down into forever.
'KRACK!' a purple bolt of lightning crashed into a lower level of the Bastion. The wind picked up, whipping her hair around like a tiny windstorm. Her breath drew heavier and she began to perspire.
'Ansem...' She thought to herself. Did Sora lose? Did the darkness win? Is he returning to enslave her people?
She didn't think. She just ran. Ran to find someone, anyone.
Then she saw him. That man with what seemed like a permanent scowl on his face. Not that he was an angry person, he was just... misunderstood. She stopped running and panted, shouting his name between breaths.
"Leon... Ansem's back..." She said, trying to catch her breath. His eyes widened and he nodded. He looked over his shoulder to a boy who was sitting on the wall behind him and nodded his head, and the boy ran off frantically. Within minutes a horn sounded, and people were running scared left and right. Yuffie ran to the two, barely slowing down and nearly running into them.
"What's going on?" She asked a little frightened. Leon led the two to the balcony and just stared. Across the way a portal was opening, and four looming figures stepped out, carrying a girl.
"He must've lost..." Leon winced, looking down with gloom on his face. Then he looked at the two with determination.
"That means we're all that stands between them and the end." He scowled. They nodded.
"Let's go."
* * *
The gigantic looming doors opened away from the main chamber. Buffy never looked away. Faith just sighed.
"Ready to go down the rabbit hole, B?" She asked, putting her and on her shoulder. Buffy just nodded. Then the six of them walked through. This wasn't nearly what she expected...
When she looked around, she saw the place that comforted her in her high school days, the place that was practically her home. The smell of musty old books loomed through the air as the dim light's from Gile's old office lit up the room. It was the high school library, as it was before the school was destroyed. Buffy felt uneasy. This wasn't right.
"This is the library! Where is Giles!" The Buffy-bot said with unending cheer, mispronouncing Giles name as she always did.
"This place meant something to you? I told you that it creates the hell from your mind." Dante said, looking idly at Buffy. She just nodded. Vamp Xander plopped himself up on the counter and sniffed at the air.
"Well that's fun..." He smiled to himself. Faith grimaced and walked over to him.
"What?" She asked. He just smiled. Faith grabbed him by the shirt to threaten him, but Spike sniffed at the air too.
"Oh dear..." He said, walking over to the door and opening it. Only it didn't open to the halls of the school. It opened to the streets of Sunnydale. Only they were different, gloomier, if that was possible. Cars and stores were on fire everywhere. Trash littered the streets in layers. The acrid smell of death polluted the air.
"Everyone's dead Buffy." Spike said, stepping out. Buffy followed, along with everyone else. It was a scene from a nightmare. Her nightmares to be precise. What Sunnydale might look like if she ever failed. She choked up a little, Buffy-bot coming to her side.
"What's the matter real-Buffy? You are very pretty, don't be sad." She smiled. Buffy laughed a little, then walked to Spike and Dante.
"Let's just find our first challenge." She said, walking forward.
"Uh, B..." Faith said, standing at the back of the group, looking in the opposite direction with vamp Xander. "...I think we're in the first challenge."
Buffy turned, gasping. There, facing them, was every man, woman, and child that lived in Sunnydale... only they were dead. Or undead. But they weren't vampires. They were zombies, horrible zombies. Their flesh was decaying, their limbs falling off as they shuffled towards them, groaning in some hellish agony. All six of them gradually backed up as they got closer.
"Um, Dante... where are we supposed to go..." Buffy said, clasping her sword tightly. Dante shook his head, hitting buttons on his wrist that called out two blades from each of his knuckles.
"There." He said, pointing past the zombies.
"Figures..." She said with a scowl. "Everyone ready?"
Each person shook their head timidly. And then with a quick battle cry, Buffy lunged into battleā¦
* * *
Willow cried. Hard. She felt it was her fault that Dawn was taken. She was the most powerful person there, to her knowledge anyway. Xander held her hand and Anya patted her back.
"It's okay Willow... At least you only let Glory take and possibly kill one person in ways we can't possibly imagine. We're safe!" Anya said with her unearthly perkiness. Willow cried harder and Xander frowned at her.
"An, you're not helping." He said, reaching around Willow for a hug. Anya just pouted. Sora looked at Willow with understanding.
"Don't worry Willow, we'll get her back. We know where they're going." He smiled, grabbing her hand. "We'll take you to her!"
Donald went crazy, jumping around and quacking like a wild man... er... duck. "NO WE WON'T! THAT WOULD BE MEDDLING!"
Willow glared at him, her eyes going black, emotion taking over her. Donald just gulped.
"My best friend's little sister is in danger. One of MY friends are in danger. And you DARE deny me the right to save her?" She said, her voice getting deeper and more commanding with each word.
"Take us to her or I can promise you will pay." She commanded, Donald shaking feverishly now. Sora laughed to himself.
"C'mon. Our ship should be fixed by now." He smiled, leading them out past Donald. Donald scowled and followed.
