Author's note: I decided to cut this chapter into two again cause I really wanted to update today, so I'll have one more chapter after this and then an epilogue cause no story would be complete with out one lol. Thanks for the reviews people, please keep them coming cause they keep me going, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Joss owns everything
Chapter 32 (Part one)
MORNING OF BATTLE - SUNNYDALE HIGH
Buffy stared out across the school grounds. The slight breeze ruffling her hair. Buffy stood at the head of over five hundred Garou, flanked by Faith and Drake, who stood on either side of her. The Scooby's where inside the school, Willow and Tara in the library, Giles was with Marcus's group in the sewers, and the rest defending the corridors, should any Daywalkers make it past those outside. Buffy felt happier knowing that her friends where out of harms way, well they where as safe as they could be under the circumstances.
The pre-dawn sun was behind them, so when the Daywalkers eventually appeared they would be temporarily dazzled. The school was their fortress and they had it guarded both inside and out. There was no way a Daywalker could easily pass their lines. Buffy knew that in one on one combat the Garou's had the upper hand, however it was the sheer size of their enemies force that worried her. They where after all outnumbered ten to one, and where relying solely on tactics.
She sighed nervously, her stomach was in knots, however outwardly she appeared calm and controlled. She was the slayer, she had to appear strong no matter how scared she was feeling. If she appeared weak the Garou's around her would pick up on it and would also become anxious, after all fear was contagious, and a terrified army was no good to anyone.
A glance to her right showed her that Faith was just as anxious as she was. She tried to stifle a smile as she saw Faith fidgeting nervously beside her. Faith felt Buffy's eyes on her and turned to look at her, seeing the amused look on her girlfriends face.
"I just wish they'd hurry up an show. I mean it wouldn't have killed them to arrange a fucking time for this battle." Faith said bashfully.
Buffy laughed. "See that's the thing about the bad guys, they're inconsiderate that way. I mean keeping us waiting on a big date is the height of evilness."
Faith nodded seriously. "Yep, you can't get much more evil than that. Although stallin in the bathroom, when someone's bustin for a whiz is pretty close." she replied grinning knowingly at Buffy.
"Hey that was only once, and you know it takes me a while to get ready." Buffy said defensively. Whatever Faith was about to respond with was cut off by a cry of alarm from the rooftops.
"Well B, looks like this is it." Faith said, gesturing across the street. Buffy unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword when she saw what Faith was pointing at.
On the other side of the street Daywalkers where pouring down the side streets and appearing from empty houses and gardens. There where hundreds of them and they where all swarming towards the school like ants at a picnic.
"Good luck baby." Buffy said, not taking her eyes of the sight before her.
"Good luck B, not that we're gonna need it. Not with the slayer on our side." Faith said confidently, Buffy glanced over at her and saw the pride and confidence in Faith's eyes. Drawing on Faith's strength and optimism Buffy turned to face the approaching army of Daywalkers. The crowd of Garou roared simultaneously, before the clash of metal on metal echoed across Sunnydale as the two forces collided.
MEANWHILE - LIBRARY
Tara drew a pentacle on top of the hell mouth, whilst Willow lit the candles necessary for the spell. The two of them had been up all night learning the spell, they didn't want to leave any margins for error. Especially when they where the last line of defence, against the daywalkers.
Tara stood back and admired her work, it wasn't perfect but it would do. She couldn't afford to be a perfectionist. She glanced over at Willow and watched as she finished lighting the last of the candles. Willow looked up and caught Tara staring at her and they both blushed.
"O-okay that's everything ready." Tara said, gesturing for Willow to come and sit in the middle of the pentacle, they both sat cross legged on the floor facing each other. "D-do you remember everything?" Tara asked, sensing Willows unease.
"Yeah, ready and raring to go." she said smiling nervously.
"J-Just remember to follow my lead. If we go over everything like we did last night, then it w-will be perfect." Tara said reassuringly. They both looked up at the window as they heard the sounds of weapons clashing outside. "O-okay, there's our signal." Tara said, they both smiled at each other before closing there eyes, and joining hands. They both took a deep breath before reciting the Latin verses that they had learned off by heart, if their eyes had been open they would have seen the thin mist that began to appear around them. Their chanting grew in volume and speed until the mist filled the library and the witches where hidden from sight.
BATTLEFIELD
Faith ducked as a daywalker swung his sword towards her head. She kicked out with her foot knocking him off balance before plunging her own sword into his chest. As soon as she'd killed him another one appeared through the dust, taking his place. She blocked the vamps advances with her sword, seeing an opening she brought her foot up and kicked him in the groin, sending him crumpling to the ground. While he was nursing his manhood she brought her sword down on his neck decapitating him. A quick glance to her left showed her that Buffy was holding her own against a couple of daywalkers.
"Faith look out!" Faith ducked as a couple of daywalkers attacked her from both sides. There swords missed her head and they succeeded in decapitating each other.
"Cool!" Faith exclaimed. "Hey thanks for the heads up D." she shouted, sending a vamp flying with a right hook to the face.
"No problem sis." Drake grunted, slashing a daywalker across the chest before stabbing it through the heart with his dagger. "So have you told Buffy yet?" He asked, slamming his elbow into a Daywalkers face, grinning when he heard a satisfying crunch.
Faith leapt to the side, dodging a blow which would have sent her flying. "Um…..not yet." she replied, grabbing the Daywalkers head in her hands and twisting it right off his shoulders.
"What! You promised you'd tell her!" Drake exclaimed, dusting the vamp he was fighting, before another two appeared from nowhere.
Faith flipped over the head of one of the vamps and ran him through with her sword, "I will tell her, just not now. I was gonna tell her last night but I didn't wanna ruin the moment we had goin." She said, grunting as one of the vamps hit her in the face. She wiped at her nose and growled when she realised that it was bleeding. "Well fuck you very much!" she growled. "You like blood so much here have some!" she smeared the blood on the Daywalkers cheek and watched as he screamed in pain, smoke pouring from his face. She quickly dusted him putting him out of his misery.
"And how was your 'moment'." Drake asked grinning knowingly.
"The words mind blowing and awesome spring to mind." Faith replied "But so does none of your Goddamn business." she said smiling sweetly, managing to flip him the bird before refocusing her attention on the Daywalkers in front of her.
An ear piercing screech rained down from above, risking a glance upwards Buffy saw with horror that the sky was swarming with Drachna's. They began to swoop down on the Garou's below, before carrying them up into the sky. She leapt out of the way as a body was dropped from above, the two vamps she'd been fighting weren't so lucky and where crushed under the weight. Bodies began raining down from the sky as the Drachna's released their grip on the Garou's they'd snatched.
Buffy signalled to the roof and the archers came out of hiding. A cloud of arrows flew from the rooftops, hitting the Drachna's from all directions. Realising that they where under attack they refocused their attention to the Garou's on the rooftops. Dust fell like rain as the Drachna's where destroyed above them. A few managed to get past the volley of arrows, reaching the rooftop unharmed, before knocking several Garou's off the roof to their deaths. They where quickly stopped as several Garou's leapt on them, pining them to the ground, before viciously tearing them to pieces. A triumphant howl rang down to the Garou's below, who howled back in unison.
The Daywalkers became unsettled at the unearthly sound, it was easy to forget what their foes where when they where in human form, however the howl that issued from their lips reminded them all too easily that they where werewolves. The Garou's sensed the Daywalkers unease and morphed into their wolf forms, and attacked with a new frenzy that came from knowing that the battle was tipping in their favour.
SUNNYDALE SCHOOL INSIDE
Xander, Oz and Cordelia stood nervously in the corridor outside the library. There where other Garou's in the school but they where spread out along the corridors, each standing guard at a window. They could hear the battle raging outside the school, and their thoughts kept turning to their friends who where out there in the thick of it.
"I hope Drake's okay." Cordelia said worriedly.
"Let's not forget about Buffy and Faith." Xander added.
"They'll be okay, Buffy can handle anything, and it's not as if Faith and Drake are totally defenceless." Oz said reassuringly.
"Not being able to see what's going on is making me nervous, I mean we don't know if they're winning or losing out there." Cordelia said, she looked around and saw the small windows above the lockers in the corner. "Xander lift me up there I need to see what's going on." she commanded.
Xander rolled his eyes. "Yes ma'am." he saluted. Between them they managed to hoist Cordelia, rather ungracefully, to the top of the lockers.
"Eew this is rank, I don't think they've cleaned up here since this place was built." she said in disgust.
"Never mind the dirt can you see anything?" he asked anxiously.
"No, these windows are too dirty, hand me your shirt." she ordered holding her hand down to him.
"What! Your not cleaning the windows with my shirt." he said, looking offended.
"Well I sure as hell aren't going to use my clothes am I!" she said glaring at him, Xander finally relented. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously, as he sat on the ground and took of his shoe.
"You can use my sock, I'm not fighting any big bads topless, it makes me feel vulnerable." he explained taking his sock off.
Cordelia snorted. "Yeah like a thin nylon shirt is going to make you feel that much safer."
Xander was about to respond when Oz cut him off. "Okay you two, don't make me come over there and split you up." he said pointing at the both of them, from his position at the library doors.
"Too late for that." Xander mumbled. He grudgingly handed Cordelia his sock, who took it in disgust.
"Sweaty much." she complained, she quickly wiped the window and peered out.
"So what can you see?" Xander asked impatiently.
"I can see them, I think we're winning!" she said in confusion, she looked back at Xander, "It's hard to tell cause all I can really see is lots of fur and dust, but that's a good thing, right."
"Well considering our side consists of a load of werewolves I'd say yes." Xander said happily.
Cordelia grinned and turned back to the window, what she saw caused her to freeze in terror. A Daywalker was looking straight back at her, he grinned before slamming his fist through the glass window, making a grab for Cordelia's throat. Xander managed to catch her as she fell back off of the lockers, screaming. They watched in horror as Daywalkers began pouring in through the broken window.
Tbc.
