Now, in contrast to the last chapter, this one I think is actually pretty good. It'd damn descriptive. And you get to find out some things about our Mystery New Players.

And, for those who are paying attention to the chapter titles that I put up for the next chapter at the end of each chapter, I changed it for this chapter. If that makes sense.

Now, in the second last paragraph (the one in italics), don't worry. It's not in proper english, it's not meant to be. The Explanation will be at the end of this Chapter

Chapter 32

Standstill

Buffy and Faith had been walking down the street, when all of a sudden, everything around them instantly stopped and froze. People who were mid-stride were frozen with one leg in the air. Cars which had been travelling down the street came to an abrupt halt. Leaves which were floating in the air, were still in their same exact position.

"What the ," Faith said while looking around at their surroundings. Both Slayers spun around, trying to take in what was happening. Buffy walked up to someone about five metres ahead of them and studied them closely.

"It's like, everything just stopped," Buffy said as she examined the person. Both Slayers spun around as they heard a slight tearing sound behind them. A small strip of white light had appeared in the air and was growing larger. It appeared like it was a rip in the air. It formed itself into a round portal, and after remaining there for a few moments, it pulsated as a humanoid figure emerged out of it, carrying two lethal looking knives at it's sides. Another one came out after it, and another and another. Both Buffy and Faith looked at them as the first one looked up at them, it's eyes having been removed and scars in it's place. At once, it came towards both of them, swinging it's knives at Faith, who was the closest. Faith easily dodged the attacks, and rammed her fist into it's face, sending it flying backwards and getting a shocked reaction from Faith, who obviously hadn't meant to use that much force. The creatures who had come through the portal moved as one towards Faith, and Buffy moved to her side. After approximately ten had come through, the portal closed behind them.

"There's only ten of them," Faith said, "This can't be too hard." Buffy however wasn't concentrating on the ten creatures coming towards her however, she was looking at another portal, with more of them coming out of it further down the street. She took a quick glance behind her, and she could see another portal at the corner of the next intersection.

"There's a lot more than ten of them," Buffy replied as the first creature came towards them and attacked. She easily dodged the blows, finding that the creatures moved relatively slowly. Another creature entered the fray, and then another, and then another as they attempted to attack Buffy and Faith. Buffy grabbed one of the creatures wrists, twisted hard, making it release it's knife, and swung the creature around by it's wrist, dragging its feet along the ground and released it, sending it and some others crashing into the ground. She just had enough time to see a blade coming for her head before she ducked out of the way and kicked another creature's ankles out.

Unknowing to both of the Slayers, the portals hadn't only appeared in Sunnydale, but had appeared in every major city, worldwide. In Los Angeles, San Fransisco, New York, Paris, London, Sydney, Mexico City, Dublin, Capetown, Auckland, Madrid, Cairo, and Buneos Ares, just to name a few, black hooded figures with no eyes were filling the streets, going completely unopposed. They were then making their way underground, going unnoticed by every human and demon eye. Syophers moved among them, them too unaffected by the time distortion, and them too, coming through the portals. In the remaining Watchers' Council Headquarters, Syophers showed themselves, materialising from employees of the headquarters, obviously having of killed them. They moved about, destroying records and references, looking up names of undercover agents and Potential Slayers. A Syopher near the Coven in the Exmoor forest approached the grounds, only to be repelled back by a magickal barrier which was obviously outside of time. The Coven had erected it years ago, knowing that this day would come and that they would need to be protected as they could nothing to make any of themselves stand outside of The Key's influence on time and the dimensional walls. They had feared that this day would come, that The First would get its hands on The Key, and use it against them in the final battles.

In San Diego, the vampire Spike had been fending the small apartment that he had recently requisitioned from it's previous occupants from some Morha demons who claimed that he owed them thirty kittens from a game of poker, plus fifty years interest. Spike had told them that he didn't have a clue what they were talking about, but of course, they didn't accept that for an answer. So, Spike was left to try to keep them out of his apartment by shoving everything he could against the door in order to keep them out enough so that he could get away. He liked a decent throw-down as much as the next guy, but he wasn't stupid, there was no way he was going to survive against seven Morha demons. Suddenly, the banging on the door had stopped, but that didn't slow down Spike's relentlessness in putting things against the door. It wasn't until a few minutes went by without hearing a sound, or smelling anything that Spike stopped and thought about the situation. He took the objects away from the door, pausing each time to carefully listen for any outside movement. When he had finally got the last dresser away from the door, he opened it just a peek to see a Morha demon standing by the door with it's arm raised, about to strike at the door. However, it's arm didn't move. To Spike, it looked perfectly frozen. Spike took a closer look and saw that it's eyes weren't moving, and that it's lungs weren't expanding, and that it's eyelids weren't blinking.

"Heh. How's that," he remarked to himself. He fully opened the door and stared the Morha demon straight in the eye. He then looked to his companions, who were also frozen. He looked down the hallway, and saw that there was a man, half standing in his doorway, his hand on the doorknob, looking down towards the Morha demons. Spike squeezed between the Morha demon and the wall and moved down the hallway to the man and looked at him. He too appeared to be frozen. Spike walked down the hallway, and made his way down the stairs. He stepped outside only to see that everything was frozen. The traffic in the street was at a dead standstill, a passing cyclist was frozen where he stood. A paper on the ground was half in the process of leaving the ground and becoming airborne. Spike's brain was trying to figure it out when he was hit on the back of the head with a dull object, sending him sprawling forwards into the ground. Spike quickly recovered, got off the ground and turned around only to see a black hooded figure, carrying a large knife, with scars where it's eyes should be.

Inanna and Illyria stood on top of King Man's Bluff, looking down over the town. Nothing moved, the waves on the beach were at a standstill, the birds above them were stuck in the air. The pair stood there for quite a while.

"The First's followers swarm into this world," Illyria said while staring down at the tiny movements she could see. "The humans do not stand a chance… most of them can not fathom what lays before their very eyes, relying on those who do to protect them, taking the cowards way," she said in a soft voice. She was the warrior among her peers, which at the moment consisted of Inanna, "Things have truly changed."

"Yes, things have changed," Inanna replied, "but these humans possess and understanding of the world such that we do not conceive." This confused Illyria somewhat, and she turned her head and looked at Inanna.

"Of what do you speak?" Illyria questioned her.

"The memories of these shells," Caelecae said while walking up to the pair, her dark red hair and adding to the variety of colours with Illyria's ethereal blue and Inanna's earthly green, "they have, feelings, to a much greater extent than ours."

"Indeed they do, and this drives them," Inanna replied.

"The feelings of these shells infect us," Caelecae replied. There was a moment as each of the Old Ones looked at each other. "I come to bring information," Caelecae finally said. There was another silent moment as both Inanna and Illyria looked at her. "The Wolf Ram and Hart summoned me back to this world, to play apart in the upcoming change. They wish the times to return to how they once were, when we walked the earth," Caelecae explained.

"They were weak in our time, no better than the vampyr," Inanna replied. "Why do they wish to return to that when they dominate these times?"

"They wish to keep their current level of power once the world returns, am I wrong?" Illyria suggested. Caelecae gently nodded in Illyria's direction.

"The Wolf, the Ram, the Hart, wish control," Inanna also suggested.

"They are deceivers and try to control me," Caelecae said.

"You say that the Wolf Ram and Hart summoned only you. What then is the purpose of our return?" Inanna questioned. Caelecae looked to Inanna.

"The Wolf, The Ram and The Hart are still weak, not even able to control the energies used to bring me back to this world. Both of you were not meant to return, and are not a part of The Wolf, The Ram and The Hart's plans," Caelecae replied. There was a silence between the trio of demons.

"We should end this now… together our armies can wipe this earth clean of the human infestation, the Wolf Ram and Hart, as well as The First's worshipers," Illyria said.

"The magicks that were used to reinforce and protect this dimension from crumbling and interference are still too strong, even for us. If what you suggest is to happen, we must allow The First to use The Key to further deteriorate the magicks strengthening this dimension," Caelecae said. There was another pause as each of the Old Ones looked to one another once again.

"Why should we wait for The First to carry out it's plans. We can do it ourselves," Illyria said.

"The Wolf, The Ram, The Hart, they control the energies which bind us to this plane?" Inanna queried, not too sure what she was suggesting to Caelecae.

"Yes, I believe so," Caelecae replied.

"Then, they possess the ability to send us back whenever they want," Inanna said. "Surely, if they acquired the knowledge that we were to try and use The Key to bring about their destruction, they would banish us once more."

"Agreed," Illyria said. It was obvious that she didn't want to go back to wherever they had come from, even if it had only passed in the blink of an eye, to her. "If they no longer exist, they can not take any action against us," Illyria said.

"The First is in allegiance with The Wolf Ram and Hart, one of it's Syophers was at our awakening. It will surely know of our intended plans and will give word to The Wolf Ram and Hart," Caelecae said to them.

"The Wolf Ram and Hart are deceivers and manipulators. They would certainly have their own agenda in these battles. I doubt The First would care if they are gone once they have served their purpose," Illyria said.

"We will wait until that day arrives," Inanna said. Caelecae slightly bowed her head in acknowledgment and turned and strode away, while Inanna and Illyria remained standing on the top of King Man's Bluff. They both turned to look at the town below them.

"You still seek to protect the humans?" Illyria put forward.

"Indeed. This shell, it was strong, and there are remnants, pieces which affect me," Inanna replied. "That is why I strive to understand the nature of the humans. To understand this shell and the fragments which it left behind."

Tara didn't understand why Willow wasn't backing up the stairs with her. She was four steps back from Willow, and Willow hadn't moved in the slightest bit. To think of it, there wasn't much else going on, no one screaming, no one moving. Out of the corner of her eye, she got a quick glance to the living room of the Summers' house only to see that everyone appeared to be frozen; everyone except her and the Syophers. She continued to back up the stairs, the Syophers moving towards her very quickly. She had finally reached the top of the stairs and started backing down the hallway. No sooner than she had turned the corner, a Syopher appeared there, towering above her. Another one appeared behind it. She wanted to turn and run so badly, but her legs wouldn't move an inch. The other Syopher made it's way around her so it was behind her, blocking her escape.

"Some short life," she said to herself, thinking about the fact that she had only been brought back to life, apparently, a couple of weeks ago. Another Syopher appeared at the top of the stairs and moved around so it too was behind her. The last one moved in front of her, standing beside the first one which came into the hallway. She was completely trapped with no where to go. There were no doors that she could go through, there were no other hallways she could escape down. There weren't even any windows that she could jump out of.

Tara tried to remember the spell that Cordelia had led her through at the hotel in Los Angeles that they had been when the vampires attacked, supposedly looking for her. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember it, and the chances of her remembering it faded the instant the Syophers pulled out their large, rather decorated, lethal looking knives. They closed in on her, raising their blades as they did so. In a blinding flash, thoughts and images shot through Tara's mind, images that she consciously couldn't remember or imagine. She saw various images of Willow, and of Buffy, and of Xander, Dawn and Giles. She saw images of whom she guessed to be her mother, and of whom she guessed to be other members of her family. Her conscious mind was overloaded as her whole mind released hoards and hordes of information in a blind panic before it died. As the blade came down towards Tara's neck, her eyes went wide as it finally hit her who she was, and who she was about to not be.

With a swift movement, the blade came down into Tara's neck and passed right through it, not affecting Tara in the slightest bit. She panicked as another blade from another Syopher passed through her mid-section, again, doing nothing. Another passed through her arm, and again, it had no effect on her. Tara could feel a strange kind of energy building up inside her, and it automatically channelled itself to her head. In an instant, Tara could feel something else take over her body. She was still there, she still knew what was going on, except she only had a limited control over her body. The Syophers moved backwards as her eyes suddenly glowed white, and a dull white shine surrounded her. Tara could feel herself raise her right hand towards one of the Syophers, and with a little flux of her bodily energies, it was sent flying back down the hallway, crashing through the doorway and through the wall behind it outside. It took her body a moment to recover, and in that moment, the remaining Syophers had moved towards her in a sudden simultaneous movement. She just stood there, calmly as the blades and bodies of the Syophers passed through her without harm. She looked at the Syopher in front of her, and raised her hand again. With the slightest flicker of her wrist, the Syopher was sent to the ground. As she looked at it, it seemed to be in pain. It let out a loud, high pitched shriek, as it suddenly imploded on itself, leaving it's blade and cloak behind. Tara could feel herself turn around to face the other two Syophers, and she just saw the last remaining images of them disappearing into the air, fleeing the scene.

As abruptly as the takeover of her body had occurred, it diminished, leaving Tara standing there, wondering what had just happened, and her mind going over her new-found memories.

They were now in the centre of a rather large ring, the bodies of the eyeless creatures surrounding the pair, and with other, more lively eyeless creatures facing them off. There must have been at least thirty of them dead, lying in a ring around Buffy and Faith, and at least forty more alive, standing behind the bodies. Buffy and Faith had had the ability to test their new found inner feelings in battle, and their newfound powers. Neither of them was afraid of death, but they weren't looking for it either. All their inhibitions that had made them hold back in battle, even the ones that they didn't know were there, were now gone. Their bodies had been improved, giving them added strength, flexibility, speed, stamina, coordination and agility as well as a heightened Slayer Sense. Both Slayers stood now, back to back, a knife of one of the creatures in each hand with blood over most of their bodies, only a little of it being theirs.

"We have to get to Dawn, I've got a feeling we can stop this if we get to her," Buffy said.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Faith replied. None of the creatures were attacking them, they had just formed a loose ring around them. "Where'd The First be holding her, or the Key, or whatever form she's in?" Faith asked her.

"I'm guessing the Hellmouth… it's only a block away," Buffy replied.

"Or, you know, right here," another voice said. Both Buffy and Faith turned to see the image of Dawn standing in the circle that the Slayers had made for themselves.

Control. There was no such thing before. But now, there was control. And that didn't sit too well. There was use before, but never control. Control didn't have meaning on this scale. Nothing should have this much control. Awareness wasn't present before either. In fact, what was before. When trying to recognise what before was, there was nothing there. Before what? Before awareness? Or before Control? Maybe it was before Decision? Decision was there now. Along with Control and Awareness. Along with many other things. There was choice now, and control was not welcomed. So, the choice was made to refuse control. It was a decision. This decision was due to awareness. This decision was to refuse control, but it implemented control over ones actions as well. Action. Action was never around before either. Action was now the result of decision, which was to change control, which was found out and influenced by awareness. All of this happened after.

The Decision was made, to take the action, which refused control.

At once, linear time snapped itself back into it's rightful progress. All those that were once in mid-stride now completed their stride. All the things that were once falling, now fell. All the things that were once starting, would now come to a finish. The only difference was, that now, worldwide, in many, many cities, there were now black, hooded figures in the streets, holding knives at their sides, all of which were directed at a human being.

The Bit in Italics is meant to represent the thoughts of The Key… that stuff going on about awareness and control and decision, that's meant to illustrate the point that The Key wasn't completely turned back into The Key, and some consciousness of Dawn (only just a little tiny bit, not enough for it to actually be Dawn, just enough to give it a little bit of self awareness) still remains there.

If the 'sides' of Illyria, Inanna and Caelecae seem to be jumping all over the place, don't worry, that's fine.

Ooooh, and look at that. Tara's got her memories back, as well as something else… after all, I did say that she would play an important part in the apocylapse (sp), but don't jump to conclusions that it's what happened in this chapter ;) (hint, hint).

Next Chapter coming up

Chapter 33 - Undecided title