THE HELLMOUTH REDEEMED
1999
The world is so oblivious to the peril it could be about to face. It can be interesting, sometimes, amusing most others, watching the two ever-opposing forces battle out against each other for the fate of the world and watching the people's reactions, not even aware that they are influenced by some monumental battle.
---
It was night but the clear sky allowed the light from the moon and stars to light all but the shadows. It wouldn't be long until the moon became full and then Buffy would have more than vampires to deal with.
Unfortunately something had altered the natural balance of vampires and their weaknesses and although vampires were a common sight in graveyards, they were now more common as the cross-shaped head-stones inflicted no damage.
A vampire exploded into dust showering the ground. Standing behind the shower was a blonde girl, her hair messily tied back into a pony tail, wearing a tight black halter-neck and tight red leather trousers. "That'll do for the night" Buffy assured herself brushing the dust from her clothes.
She spun on her heal and started to head back home in a relatively good mood.
There were streetlights along the roads of Sunnydale but most were growing yellow and dim with age. Her footsteps echoed twice along the street. She stopped and listened, waiting for the second pair of feet and shadow to emerge from behind her. "What do you want?" she snapped her good mood suddenly taking a downward plunge.
She missed him but she was still irritated by him shadowing her. He had went to LA for a reason, so why didn't he stay there for the same reason? "I wanted to see if you were all right."
"I am" she said and started walking and he drew up to walk beside her.
"I worry about you" Angel told her.
She stopped and turned to face him, black top, trousers, coat as always, hair combed and gelled back "I worry about you," she replied "but that doesn't mean that I trace your every step" she finished sourly.
"I'm sorry."
"Are you?" she questioned and walked off leaving him standing in the moon light.
---
Swords clashed as the Dark one surged forward for yet another blow. The Light one blocked it and kicked at the Dark one's shin. He knelt but retained his hold on his weapon. He pushed himself into a backwards roll and just missed a scratch on the leg continued his assault. He spun round, taking a swipe at the Light one, who just managed to back off to gain no injury. The second spin of the sword clashed with the light's defending one but was followed by a strong kick to the light's stomach. He fell to the floor and almost instantly was leapt upon by the Dark one who now had his sword at the Light one's throat. He was trying to push the weapon away but it was cutting through his hands stinging with mind numbing pain.
---
"He's like a lost puppy, he won't stop following me around, everywhere I turn he'll be right behind me."
"Yea, I know, its really bad you should let him know how you feel...you know?" Willow cautionary contributed not really wanting to get into an argument with her best friend.
"No Willow" Xander condemned.
"Yes Willow, next time I see him, I'm gonna tell him exactly how I feel."
"Well yes, that's all good and well but in the mean time we've got other problems to deal with" pointed out Giles, as always holding a musty old book in his hand, gazing down at it through his glasses "It's been almost five years since the Master was killed."
"Yea, I like that number" said Willow but then after reading the faces of her friends "er...but not any more. Five, evil, bad."
"He can be revived this Friday."
"Great timing Homes" muttered Xander under his breath.
"What, we've killed him...twice!" Willow exclaimed.
"So we'll kill him again" rationalised Buffy.
"Why doesn't he just stay staked?" the red-head moaned.
"Problem is, if we can't finish him off this time he'll become immortal" cautioned Giles who actually after all the monsters Buffy had defeated wondered if there really was such thing as immortality.
"So where will the revival take place and we'll stake them all."
"I am afraid that one is beyond my knowledge."
"Damn, it is the end of the world as we know it" sighed Xander.
"...again..." Willow muttered.
"...and I feel fine" muttered Buffy finishing off the R.E.M song lyric.
"Well don't forget about me, I can, me and Tera can find out using a location spell."
"Yes, yes, that may work", you could always tell when Giles spoke because he said it in such a distinct British accent.
"...but we'll need a full moon, I've tried before and it won't work without a full moon."
"How unfortunate," sighed the Librarian "the next full moon is this Friday."
There was a silence as each of them calculated what this meant and alternative methods. "Well, we could ship Willow and Tera to England and back again before it gets dark over here."
"It wouldn't work" Willow told them "We have to be within Sunnydale."
"Looks like we're going to have to play this game fast guys" Buffy announced.
"Real fast" Xander assured.
---
The Light one's hands had now been cut down to their bone but he refused to give up. He rammed a knee into the Dark one's groin who yelped in pain and crouched down defending it after scrambling off before another attack. Still stunned the Dark one started to take the white one's kicks to his side. The Light one plummeted kicks to the Dark one's side and with an extra successful kick knocked the Dark one's sword from his hand. In quick hesitation the Light one scrambled slightly back to retrieve his but rose to the blade of the Dark one who nodded his head in disappointment.
---
The group watched as the candles on the five points of the wiccan star flared and the pendulum started to rock.
A destination
A time unknown
Show us where to be
The Master's throne
It may not sound too good but it was all Tera and Willow could whip up at the last second, and did it really matter as long as the spell worked? The couple continued to chant and locked hands together.
A destination
A time unknown
Show us where to be
The Master's throne
The pendulum rocked and pulled down to the area outside Buffy's house. It took three seconds for them to react. A wide eyed Buffy asked "Why my house?"
"Because," chuckled the familiar voice of a certain bleached vampire. "You killed him...twice."
"Spike we don't have time for this" ordered the Slayer.
"Hey, I'm offended. I walk in on my old friends, the Slayeretts and you immediately think I'm here to cause harm."
"You usually are."
Spike turned to Xander and pointed a finger at him "You, better watch it or you won't know what's coming" he threatened. "I'm here to help."
"Here to help?" The read-headed witch queried.
"See, right now, as far as Sunnydale vamps go, I'm top dog" Xander sniggered - top dog vampire, hanging out with the Slayer? Spike snarled but continued. "If the Master comes along I'll be knocked off my throne and likely to pay for helping you every now and then" he spat.
Giles gave him a disgusted look but the vampire just shrugged it off. "And exactly what are you going to do?" Buffy asked.
"Help of course" he said rubbing his hands together "I want to kick some serious vampire butt!"
"Ok we're going to need all the help we can get."
"Even if it is a vampire" Giles dictated.
---
Roundhouse, high-kick, low-kick, right jab, back-hand. Not long now. Then the fate will be decided yet again. The two forces both reaching breaking point, how much more will they survive, how much more can they each take, but most importantly what will the outcome be?
---
The plan was confusing. It wasn't as if they could simply charge in, kill the bad guys and go home, because it was Buffy's home. It was analysed that Buffy would have to be home so the attack would seem unexpected. Joyce was out, luckily in a conference so there was no danger that she would get hurt. There must have been some spies hovering around for the Master to know, once he was revived, that Buffy was at home. Riley and the Slayeretts were watching the house. "Heads up Buffy" came Riley's voice over the intercom.
"Thanks" she replied, stuffing the intercom into a draw and sitting down on the couch turning on the T.V.
No sooner had she sat down did the windows smash open and doors splinter inwards. Traditionally vampires couldn't get in without an invitation but under drastic changes they now could. Buffy leapt to her feet and started to pulverise the mass of undead. Riley and Spike entered in, followed by Willow, Xander and Giles. Tera had returned home.
With stakes and guns the Scooby gang had also started to eliminate the vampires. Buffy was smashed into the mirror in the hall, cross above it falling down. She got to her feet and started to beat up the vampire. Dodging a punch and kick, sending roundhouses and punches to his chest. The others too were prancing around smashing Joyce's vases over enemy heads. A lot of Joyce's ornaments had gone that way. While this was going on three vampires dressed in long violet cloacks made their way into the house and lay dust particles collected from the Master five years ago onto the carpet. They were seated in a triangle chanting Latin or something vaguely similar. "Riley, don't let them finish the incarnation" Buffy frantically yelled between staking another vampire. Riley tried to stumble through the crowd of supernatural but fell over. The volume of the chanting rose constantly until the groaning of the Scooby gang was drowned out. The dust particles started to twirl and gain form, rising like a face emerging from a sea of water. "No!" cried Xander
In the seconds of shock in which the resistance were paralysed they were knocked down or pinned to the wall. The Master rose from the carpet and the dust stood as it rebuilt itself into the pale figure of the vampire. The youths tried to struggle out of their captive's grasp but failed. "The Slayer?" His voice growled "I am revived."
"Again" Spike muttered.
The undead bowed before him "You fools, it took you five years to revive me!"
"The Slayer stopped us sire."
"Butt kisser" spat Spike.
"Quiet fool" one of them hissed.
"You betray your own people? Disgraceful! You shall die first!"
"Hey come on." the blond vampire protested "Better to slay than to be slain."
The Master eyed a chair in the corner and broke off it's leg and paced towards Spike. A window smashed and the battle resumed. "Angel!" Buffy cried in relief "I thought I told you I could handle this" she finished with anger.
"You did."
"Then go back" she said smashing a head.
"Don't be stupid" he replied knocking over the enemy "You may be the Slayer but you're still human."
"I'm still here aren't I?"
"There's no guarentee you always will be."
"Not now Angel, fight." Buffy yelled staking another vampire.
A hand landed on her shoulder and she turned, stake still in hand to destroy the offender. She thrust the wood forward without even looking. Then she saw the shoes and followed up to the face. "Angel" she gasped.
His face was hurt like a puppy kicked out in the rain. She was locked by a vampire, his arms solid holding hers back across her shoulders. She was pulled away from her love as he deteriorated into dust and shattered. This wasn't a time for an out burst of anger. Her knees went week and the vampire was struggling to hold her up, "Angel."
Now everything was still again as all Slayer and Slayeretts were restrained. The Master paced around them "I shall kill all your friends first, then when you die you will have nothing to die for."
Stake sill in hand from destroying Spike the Master plunged it into Riley. An uncontrollable flow of blood poured through and at this it was clear why he was a vampire. He forced the wood round the wound, then withdrew his hand and licked the blood on it. He came to Willow and bit at her neck lapping up the sweet liquid. She groaned "Oz."
He, Anya and Cordelia had died in a car crash a year before. The Master's face showed the sheer delight as the metallic liquid flowed through his body. Bliss, pure ecstasy as it warmed his insides. So soft, so, so soft. The body became limp and fell to the floor. Then he came to Xander who he tired one of Joyce's scaffs around his neck and then around Giles' hand. Then he pressed hard against Giles' throat, pushing his Adams apple into his gullet. His body fell and the noose around Xander's neck tightened. He too collapsed on the floor. The Master paced around for a while. Six hours until an unsuspecting Joyce came home. In the time waiting he examined the house and dipped his fingers into the cooling blood of Riley's body when ever he was a little peckish. "Oh my goodness."
"Mom, get out!"
"Buffy! What have you been doing?" she peeped throughout the door and was arrested by two vampires. Slowly the Master drained her blood, then he slit his wrist and made her drink. "in an hour she will rise as one of us."
Another pain staking hour passed as the curtains were closed, or re-hung for those torn down. 5:21am Joyce arose. She stared at her child and bit "Mum, stop, remember who you are" Buffy pleaded.
The slayer died "Well done my young one" the Master congratulated then laughed "I am immortal!" he yelled into the sunlight. Within 10 minuets the sky had darkened and the rein of vampires began.
---
Both exhausted the Light one and the Dark one took an unspoken rest. To recover from the everlasting battle. The Light one rested standing supported by his sword while slowly edging closer to the Dark one. The within the distance for the Dark one not to be able to respond he charged, swiping at an arm. "I will not let you win!"
Crippled on the floor the Dark one lay. The Light one sat watching his opponent. They both knew that one couldn't last without the other and so the Dark one was left, if ever goodness, justice, love, peace were to rise again the Light one would be recovered enough, while the Dark one weakened enough to be crippled yet again. Wait a while and new revelations will begin and the interesting battle between light and dark, evil and good would resume.
Ah, how cute, how odd, and if I had actually advanced in my writing I'd add 'how ameturistic'. As it is I need a lot more practice, I think.
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