(A/N: the songs belong to Creed, 'Freedom Fighter' and 'Is This The End'.)
Chapter Six
In Love and Prophecy
3.1.2113 2:52 PM
...
The mouths of envious
Always find another door
While at the gates of paradise they
Beat us down some more
...
"Rayvin!" Spike called out after he'd gotten Buffy back to sleep. "Come with me. You an' I need to have a bit of a talk...Bring whatever you've got on this prophecy...I want you to explain it all to me..."
I glanced over at Kyla and Nick, and Kyla grabbed her book of prophecies she'd found in an old book store before we'd taken off to fight in this war and handed it over to me.
"Thanks, Ky. See you guys next lifetime..." I half-heartedly joked. No one laughed. I turned and quickly followed the master vampire back into a niche in the wall that I was sure used to be a concession stand of sorts.
"Rayvin, talk to me. What's this whole prophecy bit about?" Spike looked flustered. The stress was finally getting to him.
"It started when you brought her back, Spike. I don't know what all happened with you two, but I do know you were lovers,"
Spike's jaw dropped.
"Oh, don't act so bloody oblivious, William! If it weren't true, the prophecy wouldn't have started!"
"What do you mean, 'started' ?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't you see, by resurrecting her, we brought on the chain of events leading up to the Final Battle. Spike, the apocalypse is coming...today!"
Spike's eyes darted to the leather-bound volume in my hands.
"What's that?" his head bobbed in the direction of the book.
"The Book of Prophecies. In it are all of the prophecies the world has ever known...and will ever know." I opened the book to a marked page. "It's from an old used book store back home - Kyla found it before we...left. The only catch is, it's written in Irish Gaelic."
"You can translate it, right?" Spike looked unsure.
"I can get the gist of it, yeah. Translate it perfectly, probably not. But I could give it a shot...I haven't...exactly looked at this thing since we were shipped out..." I searched the book for the text I wanted. "AH! Here's the passage...
"It says...uh...'On the first of the third month, a prophecy shall be fulfilled...' " I squinted at the text and frowned. "I can't make this next bit out, but it has something to do with the resurrection of a great warrior starting the chain of events...hence, the resurrection of...the Slayer.
"The Druids foretold of a special clan of Angels '...so great in number and power and that to resurrect the warrior would mean bringing half of the Angels within her heart and soul. If needed, the Angelos could be called upon to assist in the battle, but only for a short time," I looked up at Spike. "But it doesn't say how long, just that they can, which seems to coincide with Buffy's ramblings earlier." I looked back to the faded text. "Once the warrior has returned, she has ten hours to harness all of her powers..."
"SHIT!" Spike leapt to his feet, billowing his duster out toward me. I grabbed it and flung him back to the ground, shooting daggers at him through my eyes, and continued reading the text from memory as he glared right back.
"...only through the premise of the dream realm and her fellow members of the Clan of Angelos. Spike, do try to wait until the entire explanation is over with before ya barge on outta here. You want to hear about the prophecy, you sit and wait until I've told you everything! Understood?!"
He nodded.
"Good. Now, on with the scripts. Um...after the ten hours, the battlefield must be filled with the Hellions, led by the One of Dark, and the One of Light. The Light shall be the great warrior, the Slayer, and the Dark shall be her vampyr lover. The two will be as one and lead the Hellions to victory in the cloak of night. Also, the coming apocalypse will descend quickly. The Hellions must find the field of battle before their adversaries open the mouth of the hellbeast."
"They open the Hellmouth?"
I nodded. "Yes, but quite involuntarily. A spell will go wrong or something like that..."
"A spell?! I thought they were against all bloody things supernatural!" Spike's temper flared.
"William...NEVER underestimate the other side of any battle, they will always surprise you if you do not give them the benefit of the doubt. Spike, their mage is Nick's brother, Edward."
I watched as Spike's jaw hit the floor.
"But...but I thought he had no family..."
"Not in his mind, he doesn't. Edward killed the rest of his family for siding with us. The only way Nick escaped was by the grace of the protection spell I had Shalimar and Isabelle put on his head..." I turned back to the text and scanned it quickly.
"Spike, the rest of this is about casualties..."
"I don't want to know that muck..." he grumbled before standing up.
"Then that's all there is, Spike, go back to her. Make her as comfortable as possible. She has lots more training to do..."
"How long's it been, pet, since we...you know..."
"Resurrected her?" I asked, seeing the look of depression on the vampire's face.
"Yea. How long?"
"Roughly? Six hours and fifteen minutes."
Spike sighed and glanced back at Buffy. "I hope she's somewhat near finished...We've got a lot to get done in the next four hours."
He turned to leave and I called out to halt him.
"Spike!" He turned to look at me. "Where exactly is this supposed battlefield...?"
"My guess? The old high school...Sunnydale High. The Hellmouth opens right underneath the old library. If the 'Mouth's gonna be opened, we gotta be there to stop it..." Spike gave a half-hearted grin and returned to the Slayer's side and I trotted off back to Kyla and Nick to try to rest up in the last couple of hours that we had.
...
But our mission’s set in stone
‘Cause the writing’s on the wall
I’ll scream it from the mountain tops
pride comes before a fall
...
"Buffy, do try to concentrate here, you only have mere minutes in this dreamscape to get down your new abilities..." Giles pulled the glasses off of his face and cleaned them on his t-shirt before putting them back on.
"Geez. And I thought you soured quick back in the day..." Buffy tried to joke and Giles simply glared back at her. Before she knew it, the Slayer was breezing through workouts that should have been too hard, and too quickly paced for even her enhanced Slayer stamina. In thirty seconds, she'd accomplished an hour and a half of an extended training routine, according to the former watcher.
"Now, Buffy, you are physically ready to meet this encroaching apocalypse..."
"Whoa, Giles...English, please?"
The man rolled his eyes. "The coming apocalypse...happy?" He peered at Buffy over the bridge of his glasses who squirmed in glee at having her watcher with her again.
Buffy nodded.
"Now, you must move on to the next station. Kendra will instruct you on the arts of communication between each other and between the realms." Giles stepped over and gave his surrogate daughter a hug. "Do be careful Buffy...the next time you..."
"Die?" Buffy supplied, taking in the grim look on her watcher's face.
"Quite...yes. The next time you...die...will be the last. You will remain deceased. No more of this Buffy Summers' Nine Lives bollocks...so do be careful. If you live through this battle you will receive two wishes...think about them as much as time will allow, for you must make an educated decision...The two wishes can be for anything you so desire, but as I said, choose wisely. Go now, Buffy. You're the newest freedom fighter...once again..." Giles gave a wry grin before hugging his former charge once more. Before his image faded out, Buffy caught his voice faintly in the waning breeze.
"I love you, Buffy...Take care of yourself..."
...
So many thoughts to share
All this energy to give
Unlike those who hide the truth
I tell it like it is
...
"So, Ray...how'd it go?" Shalimar came running up to me, a frown on her face, followed by Isabelle, Kyla, and Nick.
"All right, I guess." I shrugged. I really couldn't tell how it went. It wasn't all 'peachy'...that was for sure. I pushed past the four begging me for answers and climbed something that was akin to an apple crate to speak to the entire company. I clapped my hands loudly to garner everyone's attention.
"Everyone, listen up!"
All of about a thousand eyes fell upon me, and I grew suddenly nervous. I swallowed my emotions and continued.
"In about four hours, we will face the most rigorous battle ever to befall any human, demon, or the like in history. We have joined up with our fellow humans and demons across the world to come together to face this one, inevitable battle. That's right, people. The apocalypse is upon us this very day. We have four hours left for the Slayer to find her new feet, for us to try and gain some semblance of the rest and recuperation that I'm sure we won't have time to get after this fight starts, for us to do the dirty, or whatever else you guys had planned on doing before the end of the world. I suggest that, whatever you had planned, you do it now. Otherwise, you may not get a chance to do it.
"Many of us will die today, and I want to say in advance, that it has been a pleasure serving with you all. I've enjoyed your company, your comfort, and your love, in my times of need of it. You all are family to me...vampire or not. Human, or not. I love you all with the whole of my unbeating heart...And I thank you, for staying here to fight beside us this night.
"To those of you that will die - your deaths will NOT be for nothing, for the prophecy that has been laid out for today has guaranteed us a victory. We will emerge from the shadows tonight, victorious.
"In one of their songs, Creed, a band from the early part of the last century, said:
" 'The world is at war leaving all fault behind
So Is this the end for us my friend?
So Is this the end for us my friend?
The stains in the sky
Are there to remind us of man and his fight
When two worlds collide
One steals the life like a thief in the night
So look to the sky
He holds the keys for your life and mine
So Is this the end for us my friend?'
"Well, folks, some of us may be dead already, and even more of us will die today. Some of us will fight against our family, and others of us against our friends. But people - and we all are people here, now and forever - Heaven is with us, believing that or not is up to you. But it is with us, nonetheless, and we shall be free, no matter the cost. When this night is over, we shall emerge from the shadows...FREE!"
...
If the truth will set you free
I feel sorry for your soul
Can’t you hear the ringing ‘cause
for you the bell tolls
...
Buffy had just completed her session with Kendra when an obviously very happy Tara and Willow appeared before her.
"Buffy!" The duo of witches chorused as they showered the Slayer with hugs.
"Tara! Wills! I've missed you guys so much!"
"We...we've missed you too Buffy!" Tara grinned back, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder.
"But..." Willow interrupted. "We have very little time and every bit of this is precious information."
Buffy nodded.
"Are you ready, Buffy?" Tara asked quitely before taking Buffy's hand in hers and leading her over to a spot on the ground that Buffy could have sworn looked like orange carpet...
Buffy nodded again as the trio took a seat on the plush flooring.
"Good. Now we will begin your training," Willow pulled out a leather-bound book and handed it to Buffy. She opened it to the very center of the old book, and placed Buffy's palms upon the text, one hand upon each page, and then took her hands away from Buffy's own. "Buffy, close your eyes."
Buffy did as instructed.
"Good. We are going to teach you the ways of the Magicks. All that you will need to know is in the texts beneath your palms. Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on reading the texts...."
Buffy clamped her eyes shut even tighter, and turned her head to the sound of Willow's voice.
"Wills - I feel uber stupid! How the hell am I supposed to read with my eyes closed?!"
"The same way you knew where I was..."
"HUH?!"
"Shh, Buffy...Listen..." Willow whispered and Buffy shrugged, concentrating again on the texts before her.
This time, the Slayer heard something unlike anything she had ever heard before. A sort of whispering met her ears, all jumbled together so that she couldn't make out a word of it...but as she listened, she began to hear separate sounds...then words...then the incantations and spells reaching out to her in whole, telling her how to cast all of the spells in the book...Buffy's eyes flew open and the sounds were gone...
"You heard it..." Willow grinned victoriously.
"Damn straight!" Buffy's eyes were wide, and the Wiccas could tell that the girl was in awe.
"I'm glad. Now that you've got the gist of it...it's time to teach you how to search for a certain spell. We'll start with a protection spell..."
...
I’m just a freedom fighter
No remorse
Raging on in holy war
Soon there’ll come a day
When you’re face to face with me
Face to face with me
...
When Buffy awoke, Spike was right beside her, holding her head in his lap tentatively, caressing first her silken hair, and then her soft cheek. When she looked up into his eyes, his heart broke. He knew that she was ready to die...once again.
"Spike..."
"Hush, luv. Just let it last...what little time we have left." The souled master vampire whispered as his Slayer sat up and locked her gaze on his.
"But I..."
"No 'buts,' Slayer..."
"Dammit, Spike. Shut up for two seconds, would you?" Buffy snapped.
The blonde vampire was taken aback, and Buffy watched - bemused - as his jaw dropped.
The Slayer's features softened before she grabbed her lover by the back of his head and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, tempting him with her eternal love, and teasing him with her soft yet torturous caresses.
If Hell's torture was the same as this...then he had no problem with being in Hell for all eternity...
"You won't be in Hell, Spike," She grinned, caressing his cold cheek.
"I know...but...HEY! I never..." Buffy stopped him by placing a finger on his lips.
"You don't have to speak for me to hear you...Spike, I want you to do something..."
"Anything, Buffy." Spike kissed her nose gingerly, and held her tight to his chest.
"Drink from me."
"What?! I can't do that!"
"You said you'd do anything for me..." She whined, squirming to get out of his grip.
"Yea! Anythin' but that!" the vampire shot back, releasing his Slayer. In moments, she had his back pinned against the wall, her face mere inches from his.
"Spike, I need a link to you...To be able to contact you over distances...and realms, should it come to that, I need a link to you. Rayvin will have to do the same thing for me..."
"But your strength..."
"Won't fade a bit...now drink. You need more strength than you have anyway..." The Slayer bared her neck to the vampire, and his demon revved up inside of him.
"And just what's wrong with...my...vampire...strength...?" He craned his neck...for the first time in years wanting...striving for the blood of a human...
No...No, he couldn't. Not from her.
He collapsed backward onto the wall. "I...I can't..." He whispered, slapping a hand to his forehead.
Buffy fell back on her haunches, and her head drooped.
"Why, Spike? I...I need you to..."
She was hurt, and it was hurting him in return.
"Any other time, you would have. Why not now?"
"I just...can't."
A spark lit up in Buffy's eyes.
"I can still make you..." She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh...you think so, do you?"
"I know so," she winked before hauling her vampire lover to his feet, and dragging him into the nearest enclosed space...
...
Can’t you hear us coming?
People marching all around
Can’t you see we’re coming?
Close your eyes it’s over now
...
"Rayvin!" I turned and Nick was jogging to catch up with me. "Can we talk?"
"Uh...yeah." I sighed and stopped short. "Talk."
"In private?" He continued hopefully.
"Oh, okay..." I led the way into an enclosed room and barely had the door shut before Nick took my hands in his.
"Rayvin...I, uh. I wanted to tell you...something..." He began nervously.
"Something?" I couldn't help but grin. "What kind of 'something'?"
"Oh, you know...a little of this..." He ran his fingertips down the length of my right arm slowly, my eyes following his movements all the way. "A little of that..." His other hand snaked up to cup my face in his hand, and I leaned into his touch on impulse. I closed my eyes...and collapsed into his embrace.
"Oh, Goddess..." I whispered as a tear slid down my face. "Nick...I'm so scared..."
"Shh...don't be, baby." He ran his fingers through my hair, and let them come to rest at the nape of my neck before massaging the skin at the base of my skull. I pulled my head away from the crook of his neck and gazed at him curiously.
"Why are you comforting me like this?" I cocked my head to the side, waiting for his reply.
"Because, Rayvin..."
" 'Because,' why?"
"Because...I love you."
...
Can’t you hear us coming?
The fight has only just begun
Can’t you see we’re coming?
...
Nick watched as Rayvin's jaw dropped and then turned up into a grin.
"You...you love me?"
"Yeah, Ray," he tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. "I love you. And I almost missed my opportunity to say it."
He grinned, before dipping his head down to kiss her. She responded greedily, taking from his lips all that he had to give, and relenting when he reluctantly broke off the kisses for a breath.
"Wow..."
"Definitely, wow..."
"I thought you said you were never loved, Ray. So...how'd you learn to kiss like that?" Nick panted, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"Yeah...I did. That doesn't mean I haven't been kissed though..." She gave him an evil grin and raised one eyebrow.
"Oh really?" He grinned fiendishly.
"Really..." I nodded.
A pensive look came over Nick's face...right before a scream pierced the air, followed by a ravenous roar.
"Well...someone's sure making good on their down time..." Nick chuckled.
"Yea..." Rayvin replied, before growing quiet. After a few minutes she turned back to him, an evil grin on her face. "Think we can take em'?" She squirmed suggestively in his grip, grinding her hips against his.
Nick grinned widely. "Not a problem there..."
In no time their clothes were shed, and the 'battle' was on...
...
I’m just a freedom fighter
No remorse
Raging on in holy war
Soon there’ll come a day
When you’re face to face with me
Face to face with me
...
Index | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter