As Buffy lay uncomfortably on her side, she thought she heard someone talking to her.  She was sleeping, damn it.  And when did her bed get so hard?  She never got to sleep anymore and now someone was trying to wake her up.  She slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she was having such a hard time focusing and, sheesh, why did her head hurt so bad?

 

“You okay, B?  Wake up already.”

 

Faith?  Why was Faith in her bedroom?  Why was Faith bugging her yet again?  Reality came crashing rudely back.  Buffy quickly sat up and immediately regretted it, both hands flying to her aching head. 

 

“How long was I out?” she asked, closing her eyes.

 

“Not exactly wearing a watch here,” Faith said.  “Guess the fun’s about to start.  The natives are getting restless.”

 

Buffy finally opened her eyes again.  The cavern was a blur of activity.  There were vampires rushing around everywhere.  Buffy tried to figure out exactly what they were doing, but couldn’t focus long enough for any of it to make sense, besides it made her all dizzy.  Did it really matter?  Whatever it was couldn’t be good.  The Master was sitting back in his chair; at least she figured it was The Master.  Between the pain in her head and seeing two of everything, Buffy wasn’t sure of anything. 

 

“Kinda wishing I was still passed out.”

 

“Seeing your point,” Faith said. 

 

Buffy finally looked at her, focusing to the best of her ability.  “Tell me I don’t look at bad as you do.” 

 

Faith was a mess.  She had dried blood across her forehead that looked like it had trickled down from her scalp, scratches and small abrasions were all over her face, and her lip wasn’t looking all that great either.

 

Faith laughed softly.  “B, you look worse than I do.”

 

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, bringing her hands up to her face, feeling the various bumps and scrapes she herself had suffered.  Her eyes sprang open.  “What about the others?”

 

The smile quickly vanished from Faith’s battered face as she shook her head.  “Don’t know.  Lights got turned out on me too.”

 

“Ahh, you’re awake.  We can start,” The Master said.  “There wouldn’t be any fun in doing this if you didn’t know it was happening, slayer.”  The Master motioned for the cage and a group of at least twelve demons came forward and began undoing the chains.  “Bring me the dark one first.”

 

Buffy glanced at Faith, catching the fear that registered there only briefly.

 

“Looks like I’m the lucky one,” Faith said, moving closer to Buffy.  Buffy took Faith’s hand and held it tight.

 

“We’ll get out of this, Faith,” Buffy said.  “Trust me.”  Buffy hoped she sounded surer than she felt.  Neither she nor Faith was in any shape to take on an army of vamps and The Master.  She doubted they could take on anything at this point.

 

“Yes, you are the lucky one,” The Master said.  “I will drain you.  Then I will drain her.  One at a time; no pomp and no circumstance; no rituals, nothing.  A simple drink for me, not so simple for you, because you’ll be dead and I’ll be beyond powerful.”

 

“Not as powerful as me.”

 

Buffy spun around, making her head hurt that much more and stared at the Willow shape.  It had to be Willow.  She’d know that voice anywhere.

 

“What is this?” The Master asked, standing.

 

Buffy didn’t need to see well to know that he’d been caught off guard.  That would make two of them.  Buffy turned back to Willow.  She willed her eyes to work, shaking her head and rubbing her hands across them.  Willow finally came into focus.  Thank God!  Buffy studied Willow’s face and recognized the look. 

 

It sent a shiver through her.

 

Willow was staring hard at The Master.  As she spoke, her eyes grew darker and darker.  She was slowly rising off the ground.  With each word Willow uttered, the intensity of her voice increased and the higher she levitated. 

 

Memories of Dark Willow flashed before Buffy’s eyes and she found herself pleading, “No Willow, don’t.”  To be honest with herself, Buffy was still a little afraid of Willow and her magic and Giles wasn’t around to help this time. 

 

As Willow’s voice rang out, Buffy closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer.

 

“I invoke the power of the good

In caverns deep, hail mighty Sun,

Ruler of day

Rise to light

I take your power in my hands

Move and redirect the energy in me

Help shape and build the ultimate power

I call on the Powers of Sun

I call on the Elements of Fire

To the Spirits of all good

To the Gods and Goddesses

Come hear my plea

Empower me.”

 

Willow was radiating.  Buffy and Faith shielded their eyes from the sudden brilliance that filled the room.  Painful memories of the last time the Hellmouth was this brightly lit filled Buffy’s thoughts.  Her heart couldn’t take it if Willow was consumed by darkness again, if they lost her forever.

 

Buffy willed her eyes open, fighting against the urge to close them.  She didn’t care about the pain.  After awhile, she didn’t even notice it.  She had missed Willow’s magic then, she wasn’t going to miss it now.  What she saw her best friend accomplishing was amazing.

 

Amid the light emanating from Willow, Buffy could see a shadow rising upwards.  It began to spin; becoming a vortex that whirled so fast it created a dust tornado in the middle of the cavern.  Buffy narrowed her eyes to slits and watched as the tip of the vortex burrowed itself into the stone, dirt, and mud, creating an opening. 

 

Finally breaking through the surface, sunlight blasted into the cave.

 

The vampires finally realized what Willow was doing.  Up until that moment, they had been in awe.  As awareness turned to fear, they scattered, trying to find somewhere to hide from the brightness.

 

They didn’t get far.

 

Faster than Buffy could imagine, Willow pointed to each tunnel, corridor, and path.

 

”Adoperie!” Willow cried.

 

Each one sealed shut, eliminating any chance at escape.  There was nothing the vamps could do, and no place for them to go.  A chain reaction began, all turning to dust.

 

“Noooo,” shouted The Master.

 

Buffy could barely see him through all the dust and dirt that was flying, but she knew what was happening.  The Master himself wasn’t powerful enough to survive Willow’s power.  He, too, slowly turned to dust, his ashes mixing with everything else. 

 

In the end, he was no better than the rest of them.

 

XXXXX

 

Willow scanned the room to make sure The Master was nowhere to be seen.  There weren’t any demons left standing either.  She whispered, pointing toward the cage.  The chains dropped to the ground.  Buffy and Faith were up and out in no time.

 

Once Willow knew they were vampire free and that the cavern wasn’t closing in on itself, she focused inward on the magic.  She willed it to release her and felt most of it retreat to where it had originated. 

 

“I did it,” Willow said to herself.  “I did it!”  Louder this time.

 

Buffy ran up to Willow, hugging her tightly.  “Willow!”

 

“Did you see that, Buffy?” Willow exclaimed.  She couldn’t be sure but she thought Buffy was crying.  “I’m sorry, Buffy.  I know you wanted The Master for yourself.  But I had to do it.”  Willow felt Buffy pull away from her.

 

“You think I’m mad?” asked Buffy, shaking her head.  “Oh my god, Willow I’m not mad.  I am so proud of you.  Look at you,” Buffy said, wiping a tear away that had made one clean patch down her cheek.  “You are spectacular.  I didn’t get to see it before, with the scythe and the slayer thing, but I saw it this time.  You are…  You are…”

 

“Da witch?”  Willow provided, smiling.

 

Buffy laughed.  “At least that.”

 

Willow saw Faith approaching.  She couldn’t be sure, but she thought Faith looked a little uncomfortable.

 

“Little Miss Light My Fire did it,” Faith said, smiling.  “You did good.  Real good.” 

 

“I did, didn’t I?  And I didn’t go grrr!”  Willow said, matching both Buffy and Faith’s smiles.  Willow’s grin quickly faded.  “Xander and Spike.  I forgot all about them.”

 

“Where are they?” Buffy and Faith asked in unison.

 

Willow mouthed a few words and gestured; the hole she had created in the Hellmouth closed back up and the passages unsealed.  “Down there,” she said.

 

Buffy, Faith and Willow took off running.  Spike and Xander emerged from the passage before they crossed the cavern.

 

“Okay, someone want to explain to me what just happened?” Xander asked.

 

“Willow’s da Witch,” said Faith, glancing at her.  “Da wicked good Witch.”

 

“The Master?” Spike asked.

 

“Dusty.  Poof!  They’re all gone.  Willow got them all,” Buffy said beaming.

 

Spike smiled.  “Told you so, Harris.”

 

“And not a moment too soon either,” Xander said.  “Being stuck with whiney over there is enough to make anyone crazy.  ‘My arm hurts’.  ‘Wonder what’s going on out there?’  ‘I wish I could see something.’  ‘Bugger this.’  Talk about torture.”

 

“I don’t whine!” Spike exclaimed.  “Come over here and I’ll make you bloody whine, though.”

 

“There will be no whining already,” Buffy said.  “There’s no time.  We need to get out of here.”

 

“Little too bright out there for me, pet,” Spike said.  “But it’s getting near sunset.”

 

“I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready to get out of this cave,” Faith said.  “Had about enough of this place to last a lifetime.”

 

Buffy glanced at Willow.  “Do you mind waiting here with Xander and Spike while Faith and I take a peek outside?”

 

“No.  Could use a little rest I think,” Willow said.

 

“Okay, wait here.”  Buffy turned to Faith.  “Coming with?”

 

“Right behind you, B.”