Princess of the Night
by Mystic Winds

The slayerettes were in the library researching for a way to close the Hellmouth forever. Xander, Buffy, and Giles were the only ones to make it past 11:30.

"Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm bushed! I think this corner looks nice and inviting", stated Xander as he walked over to a darkened corner next to Willow and crashed.

"Yeah, I would love to stay and chat, but I have to go slay some vampires. See ya!"

"Buff- Buffy?" However, Buffy was in no mood to hear another one of her watcher's lectures about safety. Moreover, how evil things were starting to brew yet again.

<Giles, when isn't there evil in Sunnydale?> Buffy laughed aloud. As Buffy rounded the corner to the graveyard, she got a chill, as if someone just stepped on her grave.

"Buffy."

"Who's there? Show yourself." Buffy stopped and turned in small circles, stake in hand ready to dust a vampire. But there was no one there. Only the wind was there to greet her. Buffy shivered involuntarily and pulled her leather jacket tighter, making her think of Angel.

"Buffy...Buffy, the time is almost here, my dark princess. And there is nothing that Angel can do save you from my grasp..." The voice made Buffy stop dead in her tracks, causing her to lose her focus. There came a melody, one which invaded her mind and grew louder. Buffy's vision swam as her world blackened and spun. Buffy could see two figures coming at her, but she was powerless.

"Well, look who we have here. If it isn't the little slayer." The vampire moved closer, "Aw, did the pretty slayer drop her little stake?" he sneered, picking up her fallen weapon.

"What's the matter? Slayer got a headache?" But Buffy didn't even hear their endless taunting. She was caught up trying to take breaths were becoming painfully shorter. She was hardly aware of pain, a sharp, stinging sensation.

The two vampires started to beat Buffy mercilessly. They kicked her several times in the midsection, hearing some ribs crack. They punched her numerous times in the face, splitting her lip, and giving her two black eyes. Then if that wasn't enough, they started beating her repeatedly with her own lost stake. Buffy could no longer stand the pain and passed out. Yet even in her unconscious state, she could still feel the excruciating torture that the vampires were putting her through.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadows and signaled for the two to stop their beating.

"Why are you stopping us? Why not let us kill her now?"

"Because you fool, Mozenrath wants her alive. If she dies, you will have to answer to ME! Am I understood?"

"Y...Yes!" With that, the darkened figure stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. Once he was gone, they started to beat her once again, before they too ran off.

From the shadows, whispered a voice, "Sleep well, child, enjoy the life you now live. For it will soon come to a close. And you shall live for eternity at my side."

As Buffy lay there bleeding, her thoughts were filled of white pain and the loneliness of her hero's death.

Buffy felt herself starting to slip into unconsciousness again.

Off in the distance, Xander and Willow were trying to find Buffy when they saw two vampires fleeing the graveyard.

"I bet that's where Buffy is."

"You think, or does it hurt too much?"

"Funny, Willow. Very funny."

Buffy faintly heard her friends" discussion, as she tried to bring herself out of her daze. But she failed, over come with agony.

"Buffy? Buff-oh God! Willow don't look!" yelled Xander, as he tried to hide Willow from seeing her best friend mangled and laying there in a way not humanly possible in sickening angles.

"Xander, wh-?" Willow screamed as Xander pulled her close.

"Look, I think she's breathing. I don't think she's dead!" Both ran over to the unconscious Buffy.

"Xander, run and get help!" But he was already gone.

"Shhh, Buffy. Everything is going to be okay." As Willow laid a hand on Buffy's face, she moaned in pain and flinched.

Willow prayed silently.

Willow could hear sirens off in the distance. The paramedics arrived soon and announced that it didn't look good. Xander just held Willow as they both watched their best friend be loaded. They were almost done loading her when Buffy cried out Angel's name, and started to struggle, as if trying to run from something.

"Please, can I ride with her?" she asked desperately, not wanted her friend to be alone.

"Are you family?"

"I'm the closest thing to family she has right now," she said, on the verge of tears.

"Okay, maybe you can comfort her if she wakes up." And with that, they took off, leaving a dumbfounded Xander.

Giles was reading "Death by Blood" when the library doors flew open to reveal a pale Xander with tears in his eyes.

"Giles! Buffy's was attacked! She is being rushed to the hospital."

"Wh-what?"

"Never mind. Let's go!" said Xander as he started to run out the doors with Giles in tow.

As the two reached the hospital, they came face to face with a crying Willow.

"Ho...How is she?"

"I...don't...know. They don't tell you anything!" said Willow between sobs.

"Did Buffy regain consciousness at all?"

"Yeah, but all she did was call out his name and slip into unconsciousness again." Xander was about to comment when Dr. McChay walked up.

"Ah, excuse me. Are you Buffy's father?"

"What? No, I am her uncle. How is she?"

"Well, I won't lie to you. We almost lost her twice in the emergency room. Her right arm is fractured in three places. She also has a small concussion, with some broken ribs. That however, is the good part." At that, Willow cried harder into Xander"s shoulder as both Giles and Xander paled.

"What else...is...wrong?" Asked Xander struggling to keep his voice steady.

"Well, there was also some internal damage done as well. One of the broken ribs punctured a lung and filled with blood. We were able to correct the damage, but there is still some fluid left. She had bleeding elsewhere, but we were lucky enough to stop that. Ms. Summers flat lined twice on the table. We were able to revive her. However, she has slipped into a coma. She is in ICU. The next 48 hours will tell."

"Thank you Dr. McChay. Can we go see her?"

"Well, we normally only allow family..."

"WE ARE THE ONLY FAMILY BUFFY HAS RIGHT NOW! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STOP US FROM SEEING HER!" yelled Willow while Xander and Giles tried to calm her down.

"As I was going to say, I think tonight I can make an exception."

"Oh, sorry."

"This way, please" As they followed Dr. McChay, memories flooded all three of them. Buffy has spent too much time in hospitals in her young life.

As they entered Buffy's room, they heard a breathing machine and beeps of other monitors connected to her. Buffy's once angelic face was covered with bandages, and marred with cuts and bruises. Willow broke down crying as the three stood over the sleeping slayer, praying she would make it.

Part Two.