Chapter 7

"Spike? Spike? SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!?" Buffy found herself screaming, though she didn't know why. She just kept screaming his name as she floated in blackness, unsure of which way was up and which way was down, or if there really was a right way at all. Saying his name gave her something to focus on, a reason to be where she was.

Abruptly, Buffy hit something, the force causing her to scrunch her face up tightly. I suppose even if I can't be harmed physically, I can still feel the pain…

Opening her eyes, she saw them. Mountains. Huge, tall, black mountains. Everywhere, completely surrounding her. They seemed to be oozing a thick black substance…almost like the blood of the Erimoir demons. She rose to her feet and the ground was black, thick and muddy causing her to sink deeper with each step.

Not knowing where to go, Buffy headed towards the nearest Mountain. Can't go under it, can't go around it, so I guess I'll go over it…

"Hello."

That voice! It sounded just like –

Her.

"Hello me."

A figure, dressed entirely in black stepped out from nowhere. She looked identical to Buffy, the only difference being her eyes, which were deep, dark and glistening. She smiled cruelly, folding her arms over her chest.

"Who-who are you?" Buffy asked, wondering if she could kill things in this dimension.

"Who am I?" the girl laughed. "Who am I you say? Can't you even recognise yourself? I'm so ashamed at my own stupidity." Her smile vanished. "Why are you doing this? Wouldn't you rather kill him? You want to kill that lover of yours don't you? You want to kill him for being soulless and a cruel monster…you want to kill him because something in your blood screams at you to do so. Just like you kill other vampires. There's part of you that longs to do it…."

"What are you talking about!" Buffy knew she shouldn't let the thing that was talking to her affect her, but she could feel tears running down her face. I love Spike…how could I ever think such cruel things? I don't want to hear this, I just want to get to Spike!

She turned her back on the dark Buffy and headed towards the mountain. Spike, I'm coming. Hang on there, baby.

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"No!" Drusilla shrieked as Giles killed the Erimoir demon. Three stakes were suddenly pointed her way.

"I don't know why you're helping us exactly, but even if it is for Spike, we still don't trust you." Giles said. "Get out of here, Drusilla. Now."

Drusilla smiled, abruptly forgetting about her demon. "Miss Edith needs her tea." She whispered, and glided away.

The remaining three sat in silence.

"What do we do now?" Willow finally asked.

"Well, I guess we simply go on as normal and hope for the best." Giles decided. " Time is different in hell dimensions. She could spend only an hour there, but it would be a month here, or it could be the opposite, she could spend years there and return in only a few hours."

"WHAT!" Xander shrieked. "You never told me that! If she is gone for a long time here, what are we going to tell Mrs. Summers?"

"She already took care of that, she told her mother she was staying with her father for a while." Willow said. "He's been sick so her mother allowed her to skip the last few weeks of school, good thing holidays are coming up…"

"Okay, well lets look at the other scenario. How the hell could anyone survive years in a place like that, even if when they return it's only been a few hours? Buffy is the slayer, but when she returns, if she's stayed there too long…." Xander trailed off, unable to say the words.

"Oh god, I never really though of it like that!" Willow gasped. "Giles, we should get her back right away! It's way too dangerous!"

Giles had turned very white. "I'm sorry, but Buffy is the only one who can return herself. We have to trust that she will know when it's the right time to do so, even if she hasn't managed to save Spike."

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The amulet glowed a mixture of green and gold, surrounding the slayer as she climbed the rocky mountain. Next to Buffy, her evil double climbed as well. Hands shot out of the black ground and grasped at her, but all they could do was brush against her, she was protected from harm by the amulet. Still, the feeling of a hundred fingers and claws scraping against her arms and legs was most unnerving.

How much time has passed? Buffy wondered. She noticed the sky was becoming darker and darker as she reached the top of the mountain. Do they have day and night here? Oh no, it's too dark…I can't see anything!

She was blinded, darkness surrounding her in every direction, making her dizzy. Things moved in the darkness, she could feel them, hear them…. but she couldn't see them.

"You're not scared of a little dark are you?" The clone at her side sneered. "Never mind, it will be over soon."

As she said that, Buffy peeped over the other side of the mountain and was practically blinded again…but this time with colour. All she could do was gape at the scene below her.

Everything was red… …a landscape that seemed to stretch forever lay out before her. Gorges full of fire, steep slopes with edges so sharp they looked lethal, blood red trees, twisting, twining. Vegetation actually grows here? Though no of it looks alive... For miles and miles she could see hovering, turning shapes, some with faces, screaming, screaming, each experiencing their own kind of torment.

"Well, that's not as bad as I thought it would be!" Buffy said. She looked down the mountain and shrugged. "I can't get physically harmed, so I might as well jump and save time." Holding her breath she leapt off and felt herself falling…falling…

Buffy's eyes widened in horror as a gaping chasm opened up in the ground directly below her….

Oh I'm such an idiot…

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"Xander!" Willow screamed. "Behind you!"

Xander whirled around and staked the vampire that had been about to attack him.

"Willow!" he called, turning back and seeing another vampire grab her.

"Get off her!" Xander punched him in the face making him release Willow.

The vampire stepped back, laughing. "Come on boys, fresh blood! It's party time."

"Uh oh!" Willow squeaked as an entire gang of vampires appeared. "Xander, how are we going to take on them all? We need Buffy!"

"Maybe….maybe we should run!" Xander shrieked, almost dropping his stake in fear.

"I don't think so." Another vampire grabbed Willow by the hair, yanking her towards him. As Xander made a move to help her, he too was tackled from behind.

Willow screamed and struggled but she didn't have to strength to win against the vampire whose fangs were coming dangerously close….

"Ahh!" Willow gasped as she was thrown on the ground, the wind knocked out of her. For a second all she could do was stare at the stars. What…what's happening? She could hear the sounds of punches and kicks… someone…someone was fighting the vampires off!

Meanwhile, Xander found himself in a similar position. Is Buffy back?! His mind wondered with hope. Willow and Xander leapt up together and gasped as they recognised the figure who had just staked every vampire attacking them.

"ANGEL!"

Wow, Christmas Eve already! I feel kind weird writing about this kind of stuff on such a date, I even thought about putting something Christmas themed in this little fic, but I just couldn't see how it could work out, lol. Anywyas, hope you all have a Merry Christmas!