CHAPTER THREE: WELCOME TO THE HELLMOUTH

The activity at Lindon Hall was crazy when the travelers returned. Watchers were eagerly working on their final preparations for the battle that was soon to take place. Many grumbled how stupid it was for the girls to take a “vacation” right before one of the most important battles of their time. Buffy heard it over and over. The BBC News had declared on TV that there were many meteors about to hit certain locations around the globe. Buffy was quite pleased to hear that news. At least those guys are getting off their asses and getting their people out, she thought. The Russians went with the old reliable nuclear holocaust to evacuate its people, much to Xander’s delight.

“Hey,” he said. “They’re using my idea. Look at that. It’s all over the TV.” He was so proud of himself.

It was decided that Willow would use her mojo to send the Slayers to their destinations over the next three days. Opening eleven portals at once would be too draining on her, so they figured this would be the best way to conserve WillowÂ’s powers. Kennedy was the first to be transported with her group. Buffy noticed that Willow wasnÂ’t so apprehensive after Kennedy had left. It was like a huge weight was lifted from WillowÂ’s shoulders. Her mood improved as well. BuffyÂ’s team would be the last to depart. She offered encouragement to all the girls as they left.

The night before Buffy was to depart England, she had another strange dream. She was walking alone on a deserted beach or so she thought. It reminded her of Hawaii. Very beautiful and the weather was perfect. She was wearing a long silk gown that was light blue in color. One strap kept falling off her shoulder. She was walking along the shoreline just like she did day after day in Hawaii. Her feet were sinking into the sand with each step. The water gently splashed over her feet and the bottom of her gown was soaked. The sun was beginning to set.

She continued walking without a care in the world. She felt totally at ease. She wasnÂ’t searching for anything or anyone, but felt compelled to go on with her leisurely stroll. As she rounded the corner she noticed someone sitting on the beach. She didnÂ’t react at all when she spotted the stranger. She didnÂ’t feel fear or excitement. It was a man. An old man. He reminded her of one of the Others from Lost. His clothing was tattered and he had long gray hair that billowed in the sea breeze. He also had a long beard and mustache that was tucked into his shirt. He was staring straight out to sea or the sunset, Buffy didnÂ’t know which. He paid no attention to Buffy as she made her way to him. He continued looking straight ahead.

Buffy sat down next to the stranger. She had no idea why, but she did. She, too, then began staring straight ahead. Neither of them talked for several minutes. Buffy broke the silence. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said softly. It was a statement more than a question.

“As a matter of fact it is,” he said in a deep voice. “This happens to be my favorite time of day.”

“Not mine,” she whispered. “This is the time when the vampires wake.”

He continued looking straight ahead. “And do you fear these… vampires?”

“No. Not really. It means that it’s time to go to work, is all,” she replied.

“Work?” he finally said after a few moments. “I would deem that the Slayer works at all times of day. Not just in the evenings… You have a very impressive endeavor ahead of you. Closing all the hellmouths at once. That is a bold move on your part… Yes, quite bold.”

Buffy looked at the stranger. “Who are you?” she asked as her curiosity got the better of her.

He remained still. Focused on whatever he happened to be looking at. His legs still in the lotus position with his hands resting on his knees. “I am the Lord of Waters,” he said in a commanding voice.

“Hmm,” Buffy thought for a moment. “So you’re like… Poseidon?”

A small grin came upon his face. “I am known by many names. Poseidon being one of them. Although, I must admit, I am not too fond of that name. Mankind has perverted it. I am not guilty of those… depravities that man has come to know as myth.”

“So you’re one of the good guys? One of The Powers That Be?” she asked.

“Yes. I know that you have many questions you would like to ask but now is not the time to address them. I summoned you here for a reason…”

“Summoned me?” Buffy interrupted. “Isn’t this just a dream?” she inquired.

“Yes… and no. Yes it is a dream, but it is I who controls the substance of this… dream.” His gaze had not changed. “Life is full of victories… and life is full of defeats,” he started again. “Not all of the Slayers will succeed in the upcoming campaign. Unfortunately, some of the men with authority will see to it that it does not succeed.”

“So, you’re saying that we shouldn’t go through with it?” Buffy asked apprehensively. “Are we supposed to just give up and let Bauglir have free reign over the world?”

“I did not say that,” he continued again. “Listen to what I have to say before you come to any conclusions.” Buffy felt ashamed by interrupting one of The Powers like that. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as the air was becoming cooler. She glanced in the same direction as the Lord of Waters and reminded herself to keep her mouth shut.

“Do not postpone your fight. Things are already set in motion that cannot be undone. You must see it through to the bitter end, if bitter it be.” Buffy desperately wanted to interrupt him here, but she bit her bottom lip instead. “Not all the Slayers will be successful, but some will be. That alone makes the fight worth while. It is you, Buffy, that have preoccupied my thoughts of late. You will be successful in your attempt, but there will be a price to pay for such a venture.” He sighed and then declared in a booming voice that caught her off guard, “Expect the unexpected!”

Buffy turned towards him waiting for him to elaborate on that statement. When it did not come, she asked, “Will I die? Even if I’m successful. Is that the price that I’ll pay?”

“No,” he said after a few minutes. “You will not die.” Buffy smiled to herself. “Turbulent times await you. Be prepared. Expect the unexpected,” he added once again.

“Can you vague that up for me some more?” she shot back sarcastically. “Listen, can’t you just tell me what all this ‘expect the unexpected’ crap’s all about? Time’s ticking away here. And that’s something I don’t have much of.”

“That is true, but I am not permitted to say any more. My brethren would not be all too pleased to know that we have conversed in the first place. Remember what I said, that is what is important. For I am The Lord of Waters, and my essence runs throughout the entire world. When the time comes when your need for me is the greatest, I will give you the support you need. But you must keep in mind that you’re The Slayer… The Chosen One. The Slayer is to work alone. It is not the chosen two or three. Do not forget that.”

“Well, let me ask you something, uh, Lord.” She wasn’t sure how to address him. She didn’t want to piss him off by calling him Poseidon. He didn’t seem to like that name too much. “For the last few years, I’ve heard these words over and over again. Sometimes in my dreams, sometimes people I know say it to me…” She chuckled. “Hell, even my enemies have used the exact words that I heard many years ago. I don’t understand what it means. ‘You think you know. What’s to come, what you are… You haven’t even begun yet.’ What the hell does that mean? Can you tell me that?” Buffy waited with bated breath for his answer to those mysterious words.

After several minutes, he sighed, “That is the question that I was afraid that you would ask of me. My brethren feel that it is imperative that in time, you shall understand what those words mean.” He continued looking straight ahead. “But you only tell me a portion of the prophecy. There is more to it.”

“What?” Buffy was surprised by that statement. “What’s the rest of it?”

He paused once again. Buffy could tell by his facial expression that he was wrestling with his thoughts concerning her question. “I’m sorry, Buffy,” he finally announced in a defeated voice. “I cannot elaborate on that any further. It could be detrimental to you. It is important that, in time, things will be revealed to you…”

“That sucks, royally!” Buffy blurted out. “I’m tired of putting my ass on the line fighting all this evil while you guys… what? Sit around being hand fed grapes by the Muses or something. It’s total bullshit. Ya know I’d like to be able to sit around and not have to worry about what’s lurking around every corner. I’d like to live in peace. Instead I get to deal with all these Big Bads wanting a go at me. ‘Take out the Slayer,’ they say. I’m tired of it.”

His expression did not change. “Did you not activate all the Potentials? You’re not alone in your fight any more. I must say that you defied the whole balance of the world by that one spell that Willow did. Indeed, things are more advantageous for you at this moment, but it will not last.” He paused. “The world is changing. We are certainly living in the End of Days. You, and you alone, are The Guardian. In time, things will be revealed to you. You will understand. In time. I, for one, will not forsake you. Despite what my brethren say. Be alert. Expect the unexpected. Wisdom comes with time. And that time will soon come upon you.” At that point, Buffy knew instinctively that the interview was over. He would not answer the many questions that were still running through her mind. She got to her feet and began to walk slowly away deep in thought. “Hey Slayer,” she heard him call. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed that he finally looked directly at her. A fire was now blazing before him and the flames were reflected on his face. His eyes were clear and a brilliant blue. “I thought you would be bigger,” he said with a sly grin on his face.

Buffy smiled back at him.

“Yeah, yeah. The story of my life.” She turned around and then found herself wide awake in her bed.

Buffy stared up at the ceiling. What the hell was that? she thought to herself. Was it a dream or a premonition? Was she really going to succeed? And who was going to be foiled by the traitorous ambassadors? So many questions went through her mind. She looked at the clock on the nightstand; it was 4:06 am. In less than four hours they would open the portal to Cleveland. The war would begin precisely at 8:00 am. All the Slayers were scheduled to open the Hellmouths at that time, regardless of the time zone they were in. For some it would be night. And Buffy now knew that those who would face the enemy under the cover of darkness would be the ones whose chance for victory would be the poorest. But there was no turning back now. Even the Lord of Waters said that.

Knowing that she would be unable to go back to sleep, Buffy crawled out of bed. She walked over to her wardrobe looking for an outfit to wear to the Apocalypse. There was no need not to be stylish even when going to battle. She decided on a pair of khakis and a white turtleneck sweater. She knew it was going to be frigid in Cleveland. Might as well not freeze to death. She pulled on her black boots and then surveyed herself in the mirror. She clasped the crucifix that Angel gave her around her neck. Once she approved her clothing, she sat down and carefully put her make up on. Looks were very important to Buffy. Even if one is about to go to her death, doesnÂ’t mean she should look like crap in the process.

It was nearly 5:00 am when Buffy finally left her room. Caffeine was a must at this point. Her mind was racing a million miles per second. She had this enormous amount of energy stored up inside of her just waiting to be unleashed on Bauglir’s minions. To Buffy’s amazement, the kitchen was already filled to capacity with Slayers and Watchers. The Scoobies were even there, too. “Look who’s finally wakey wakey girl,” exclaimed Willow over the noise of the crowd. Buffy gave her a wry smile.

“Name your poison Buff?” asked Xander.

“Espresso, black,” retorted Buffy. She wouldn’t feel her best until she had some caffeine in her. Xander handed Buffy her coffee a few minutes later.

Giles approached Buffy as she sipped her brew. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” she said matter of factly. “I had a strange dream or premonition or something,” she whispered to him.

“Oh,” he replied as he sipped his tea. He gestured to Buffy to follow him to the butlers’ pantry. The only place not occupied by overzealous Slayers. A dim light was on. “What is it Buffy? What did you see?”

Buffy looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Giles, too, looked over her shoulder. He shut the door as it seemed that Buffy had something she wanted to share with him and him alone. “Giles, this may sound crazy but I think…” she was having a hard time getting the words out. “I think that I was visited by one of The Powers last night… or was it this morning?” she was confused as to what time the actual dream took place.

Giles raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure?” he questioned. “You don’t think it was The First impersonating one of The Powers?”

“No way,” she whispered. “This was the real deal. Bauglir never came to me in dreams. He always appeared, well, as me, in front of me.” Buffy was bewildered again. “Does that make sense?” She began repeating that over and over again. It just didn’t sound right. She gulped down the rest of her coffee.

“Never mind that,” Giles whispered frantically. “What did he say? Or was it a she?” Giles was catching the same ailment as Buffy – caffeine deprived logic.

“It was a he. An old he, too. Very Dumbledory, if you get my drift.” The caffeine was beginning to take affect. “He told me that we weren’t all going to succeed.” Buffy thought hard. It seemed like the dream was fading before her very eyes. “But he did say some will succeed and that we should still do it nonetheless.” Buffy then remembered a key element. “Giles, he told me that I wasn’t going to die. He said that I would survive. That’s good, right?” Buffy knew there was more said but her mind was blank. She forgot nearly everything he said.

“Of course, of course.” He smiled reassuringly at her. “Did he say anything else?”

“Sorry Giles. I can’t remember anything else.” Buffy was disappointed. She wished she could have shared the entire experience with Giles, but she just couldn’t remember. Dreams are like that sometimes. They come and they go.

“Well, at least we know that The Powers are behind us on this one,” replied Giles. Buffy knew that the old man said something about ‘his brethren’ and something about ‘time’, but damn, she couldn’t remember what. Giles realized that Buffy was attempting to regain the memory of the dream and decided not to question her any more. “Come, Buffy. Have some breakfast before we go.” Giles led her out of the pantry back into the throng of teenage girls.

After two more espressos and a hot meal, Buffy was ready for action. She went back to her room to collect her weapons. It was 7:00 am. They planned on leaving at 7:30. That would give them thirty minutes to open the Hellmouth. She opened her trunk and began culling through her weapons choosing the ones she felt were imperative to the mission. The scythe, without question, would be her primary weapon. It was a crucial tool last time and she knew it would be again. She knew that there were many Slayers who were envious that she possessed such a beautiful and mystical weapon. It was hers and it would remain in her keeping forever. Maybe that was selfish, but it was Buffy who King Arthured it in the first place.

Allandro had given Buffy a spada for her birthday. It was another one of his ‘most precious artifacts.’ Ages old, although it did not show it. It was a magnificent weapon. The sword was a little over five feet long. The blade was extremely sharp. There were seven stars and rune looking things etched into the blade. Buffy couldn’t remember what they said, she knew that he told her what it meant, but she was slightly intoxicated at the time and failed to remember. The hilt was inlaid with rubies, diamonds and silver. It was quite beautiful really.

“Hey Buffy,” she heard Willow say as she entered her room. Buffy had just put her sword back in its sheath and placed it on top of her bed.

Buffy looked over her shoulder, answered “hey,” and resumed digging through the contents of her trunk. “I know it’s in here somewhere,” she mumbled more to herself than to Willow.

“Looking for this?” asked Willow. Buffy turned and noticed that Willow was holding the knife that once belonged to Faith. Buffy smiled because that was exactly what she was looking for. “You left it in the training room,” said Willow as she walked over and handed it to Buffy. She noticed two weapons on the bed. “Still trying to decide which ones to bring?” she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Nope. I’m taking those two for sure. This baby is coming with me as well,” replied Buffy as she threw the knife on top of the bed. “I know I’ve got a sheath for that somewhere in here.” She continued digging through her trunk.

Willow picked up the sword, “Gosh, this thing is heavier than it looks.” She was wielding it with both hands. “I guess you need Slayer strength to use it properly.” Buffy looked up at her and smiled again. She now pulled her cross bow from the trunk and put that too on the bed. “Damn Buffy, how many weapons are you taking? It’s not like you’re that Octo-demon and can wield all these at one time.”

Buffy laughed at that. “I just wanna be prepared.” She knew she had a quiver of arrows in here. “Each weapon serves its purpose. My gut tells me to bring as many as I can carry.” She looked up at Willow. “I don’t know why, though. Crazy, isn’t it?”

“You mean the potential for the world ending this very day? Yeah, I guess it is.” She put the sword back down. “I know we’re doing the right thing, Buffy.”

“Thanks,” answered Buffy. It was her idea after all. “So, I guess that means you guys aren’t going to kick me out of Linden Hall then, huh?” she asked sarcastically.

Willow’s face flushed and she looked down at the hardwood floor. “I thought that was behind us,” she said with a hint of shame in her voice.

“Don’t worry about it, Will,” Buffy laughed. “I meant no offense. Just want to make sure we’re all in agreement here.” She pulled out the quiver of arrows and threw that on the bed. “Where the hell is that sheath?” Buffy was getting frustrated. “I know it’s in here somewhere.”

“I didn’t see it in the training room,” said Willow as she now picked up the scythe. “Do you want me to go have another look?”

“You don’t mind do you?” Buffy asked. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“Sure,” Willow put down the weapon and headed for the door. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Buffy stumbled upon Mr. Pointy, Kendra’s stake. She smiled as she remembered her late friend. She wasn’t going to be bringing any stakes with her. The hides of the über-vamps were like steel and Buffy didn’t want to damage Mr. Pointy. She made a mental note to give it to Giles. It deserved to be retired from service. Even though she was bringing several weapons, she decided not to bring any holy water or crosses. They weren’t going to be of any use to her anyway.

In a few minutes, Willow returned with Xander in tow. “Looking for this?” asked Xander as he threw the sheath to Buffy. “A little birdie told me you needed it?”

“So now I’m a birdie, huh?” asked Willow.

“Isn’t that the English way? You chicks are referred to as birdies, ya’know,” he said in a chipper British accent. “Just trying to fit in, mate.”

“It’s bird, not birdie,” said Willow as she rolled her eyes. “Geez!” she added for effect.

Buffy was strapping the sheath to her leg. She wanted to have the knife handy. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna go all Madonna on us and start talking with a fake British accent.” Iit was more of a statement than a question.

“Who me?” he asked, still doing a fake British accent. “I have no idea what you bloody birds are talking about,” he smiled. “Seriously, you guys about ready?” He asked that in his normal Xander voice.

“Not quite,” answered Buffy as she put the knife into the sheath. “Perfect.” She looked at the weapons on her bed.

“Ah, Buff?” Xander began. “You taking all these?”

“Yeah. Why?” she asked.

“Well, let’s see. Two hands, two weapons. Need I say more?” he asked.

“Buffy wants to be prepared,” responded Willow. “A Slayer can never have too many weapons when it comes to fighting the Apocalypse.”

“Hear, hear,” said Buffy. “I couldn’t agree with you more.” She reached under her bed and pulled out a duffel bag. “This should come in handy.”

“Aren’t you going to wear this?” asked Xander referring to the sword. Buffy laughed. She held it up to her waist. “Ahh, I see. Too long. Obviously it was made for someone bigger.”

“Obviously,” she replied as she placed it into the bag. “Okay, I think I’m ready.” Buffy said as she placed the strap over her shoulder.

“Um, Buffy?” Willow started as she looked at Buffy. “It’s like freezing in Cleveland. You gonna wear a coat or something?”

“Oh shit. I forgot.” Buffy said as she walked over to the wardrobe. She was so high on her caffeine buzz that she hadn’t given any thought to the weather. She pulled on her grey wool coat. She pulled the gloves out of the pockets and put them on as well.

“I would probably leave this,” said Xander referring to the scarf that she always wore with it. “Some über-vamp could come up behind you like this,” he looped it around her throat and attempted to choke her. Buffy quickly bent over hurling Xander to the floor. “And I guess you would do something like that.”

“Sorry Xan.” Buffy offered him her hand. “It’s good advice. I’ll leave it.” She pulled off her now stretched out scarf and placed it on a hook on the door of the wardrobe.

“Glad I could help,” he moaned as he rubbed his lower back.

“That’s what you get for rough housing,” chastised Willow. Willow glanced down at her watch. “We really need to get a move on guys.”

With that, the gang left Buffy’s room for the entry hall where the others were already assembled. Fifty Slayers would accompany them on this mission. Dawn, Giles, Faith, Wood, Xander, Willow and the twin watchers Saul and Paul (they were hotties!) were also going. Every girl carried a weapon of some kind. Buffy’s short speech consisted of, “Don’t get yourselves killed,” and “Watch out for each other.” It was a little wordier than that, but that was the gist of it. Within minutes, Willow had the portal open and they went through it in pairs this time.

The city of Cleveland was deserted. Everyone was pleased that the meteor threat worked and nearly the entire populace was evacuated. Deep inside they knew that not all would leave. But that meant fatalities would be low. There was a blanket of snow on the ground and the wind howled through the trees. They were outside the wrought iron gates of the Eerie Street Cemetery.

“Everybody here?” asked Giles as he did a head count. When everyone was accounted for he said, “Good. Let’s proceed on, shall we?”

Buffy led the way. She kicked open the gates which flung off their hinges and went sailing about twenty feet.

“This is a lot smaller than the one in Sunnydale,” she commented. “Point the way Will.”

“Uh, let me see.” Willow had pulled a diagram of the cemetery out of her coat pocket. “Okay, we’re here,” she said as she pointed on the map. “We want to go here,” she traced the way with her finger. “The Malison Family Mausoleum.” She looked at her watch. “We’re still early. We’ve got half an hour before we open the Hellmouth.”

“Malison,” murmured Dawn. “Why does that name sound so familiar?”

The gang had no answer. They started walking deeper into the cemetery. It was dead quiet except for the soft voices of the Slayers. That’s why they were so shocked when Xander exclaimed, “I don’t believe it!” Everyone turned to see what Xander was looking at. “Did you know about this?” he asked Giles.

“I had no idea,” said a stunned Giles. To everyone’s surprise the U.S. government has dispatched one of their monster squads to the cemetery. Apparently they had parked all the military vehicles along the back and sides of the cemetery. Buffy knew damn well that Ollie was behind this. She didn’t want the government involved in this war.

“Oh, look,” began Xander again. “It’s Buffy’s old beau.” And of course Riley was leading the commandos to the very spot where they stood.

“Shit,” Willow said. “Oh, I mean, damn it!”

Buffy sighed. “I can’t believe this.” She started walking towards Riley. “What the hell are you doing here?” she yelled to Riley.

Riley smiled and then said, “What a nice way to greet an old friend.” Buffy was quite furious about this situation. “Colonel North sent us. Said you could use our help.”

“I never asked him for help. I told him to evacuate the city. Period.” There were probably an equal amount of commandos to Slayers; both groups were curiously surveying each other. Regardless, Buffy didn’t want them here. “So you guys can just mosey on home like good little soldiers.” Some of them snickered at her.

“C’mon Buffy,” began Riley again. “You can never have too many soldiers…”

“We’ve got plenty, thank you. Now go away.” Buffy was ready to kick his ass all the way back to his hummer.

Giles made an attempt to intervene in this situation.

“Listen Riley, it’s very good to see you after all this time, but we are in a bit of hurry. I’ve made myself very clear to your Colonel that this war is to be fought by us. No commandos!”

“We’re trained special forces….”

Buffy was so annoyed by this.

“Willow, do something.” Buffy whispered to her in an agitated voice.

Willow stepped forward.

“Hey Riley. Really good to see ya. Where’s Sam?” she asked much to Buffy’s horror. She had not intended for her to start a conversation and waste what precious time they had left. She was hoping she would do some type of spell to get rid of them.

“Oh,” said Riley. “Hey Willow. She’s at home on leave. We’re expecting a baby in May.” Everyone congratulated Riley.

A baby, thought Buffy. Just perfect. While Willow was making small talk with Riley, Buffy actually elbowed Willow to get her attention.

“Do something,” Buffy mouthed to her.

“Oh, sorry.” She focused on Riley and the commandos again. “Give Sam my best, and Riley… sorry.” With that she waved her hand and the entire commando squad disappeared in a blink of the eye.

“Where have they gone?” asked Saul.

“I think I’ve sent them back to D.C. That should give us a few hours anyway,” answered Willow. “In case they think about coming back. We should be long gone by then. Or dead,” she added in a cheery voice.

“You never cease to amaze me,” said an awed Xander.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side Will,” interjected Faith.

“C’mon,” said Buffy. “We’ve already lost too much time.” Buffy’s temper was beginning to abate after the commando’s departure. She had a funny feeling that Ollie was going to attempt something before the end. She hoped that was the last of it. “This way,” Buffy ordered as they headed due north.

“Hey, there it is,” exclaimed Willow. About a hundred yards in front of them was the mausoleum.

“It looks so small,” uttered Dawn. “It looks like a play house or something.”

The group proceeded with caution. Buffy found herself saying, “Expect the unexpected.” The wind died down as flurries of snow began to fall from the sky. “Did you hear that?” asked Buffy.

“Hear what?” asked Giles.

“I thought I heard a twig breaking or something,” she answered.

“I didn’t hear it,” said Xander. “And I’ve got better hearing than you.”

Buffy pulled her scythe out of her bag and listened intently. Her feet were already freezing. They slowly advanced their position. Everyone was on guard. They broke off into smaller groups in order to surround the mausoleum. They didn’t want to risk any über-vamps catching them off guard. The Scoobies remained together. Now they were fifty yards from the building. It was at that precise moment that a black cat leapt from the top of one of the evergreen trees in front of Buffy. Buffy reacted too fast. She gin sued the kitty into two pieces before it fell with a flop into the snow covered ground which was quickly turning red. Willow whined when she saw what Buffy did.

“Sorry, Will. I didn’t mean to… kill a cat.” She looked at the pool of blood that was steaming on the snow.

“I know you didn’t mean to,” said Willow in a heartbroken voice.

“You never know B,” said Faith as she lit up a cigarette. “He could have been a minion for The First.” She laughed at that.

“Accidents happen, ya’know,” defended Dawn.

“Well, just make sure it doesn’t bloody happen again,” said Giles.

“It was only a cat, Giles,” Buffy retorted.

“Yes, I know. At least your reflexes are in top shape.”

“It’s the caffeine,” argued Buffy. “I’ve got too much caffeine in my system and I… just reacted. It shouldn’t have jumped out at me.”

“Ever hear of decaf Buff? Well, I’m sure kitty learned his lesson,” said Xander. “Something tells me that was his ninth life.” Willow whined again.

They then heard Ashlyn yelling, “Hey, we’ve got one!” in a loud voice. The gang ran towards her. “Stay right there buddy.”

The gang gasped when they arrived.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” exclaimed Buffy. Ashlyn had her sword to the throat of Angel. Buffy was slightly amused to see him in this predicament. “It’s okay Ashlyn. He’s one of the good guys.” She brought her weapon down and released Angel.

“Hey Buffy,” said Angel. “I thought you could use some help.” He walked up to her. She hadn’t seen Angel in person for quite some time.

“Angel,” she said with an elated voice. The Slayers noticed immediately that her reaction to Angel was quite different than Riley. She greeted him affectionately, not caring what anyone had to say about it. She could hear some of the girls talking about him, ‘he’s the vampire with a soul,’ ‘we met him in L.A., remember?’ ‘He’s so good looking.’

Buffy looked up into Angel’s eyes. She had always loved the way he looked at her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I told you. I’ve come to help.” He greeted the rest of the gang.

“What’s up with all of Buffy’s exes coming to the Hellmouth?” asked Xander.

“Can I talk to you a minute?” Angel asked Buffy. Before she could respond, he took her hand and they walked a few paces from the others. Buffy was really happy to see Angel. She didn’t want him here, but it was still good to see him. “You look good,” he said.

“And you came all the way to Cleveland to tell me that?” she retorted.

“It’s a lot closer than Rome. How are things with… The Immortal?” He asked warily.

“You came all this way to ask me about Allandro?” she asked bluntly.

“No. I was just trying to make small talk,” he smirked. “You know why I’m here… Buffy, let me wear the amulet. You don’t need to…”

“Here we go,” Buffy interrupted. “Angel wants to come and save poor defenseless Buffy.” She let go of his hand. “This isn’t your fight Angel. I appreciate…”

“Why do you have to be so difficult?” he asked in an annoyed manner.

“Why do you always have to play the hero?” She retorted.

“Because that’s what I do,” he replied trying to keep his composure.

“Not this time. This is my fight.” She sighed and then added, “We’ve been through this before.” She looked into his dreamy eyes. “Please Angel. Go home.”

“Buffy?” He pleaded.

“Willow?!” She yelled over her shoulder. “A little help, please.” She looked at Angel and kissed him once more. “Take care of yourself.” With that, Willow did her spell again and Angel vanished.

“We could’ve used his help, B,” said Faith as she flicked her cigarette. “Angel’s one helluva champion.”

“I don’t want him to die,” said Buffy. “We need him alive.”

“How do you know he would have died?” asked Wood.

“Because,” Buffy started as she pulled the amulet out of the pocket of her pants. “This,” she held it up. “This would kill him. That’s why.” She put the amulet around her neck. “Let’s go.” They walked to the door of the mausoleum.

“I wonder if Spike’s gonna show up next,” commented Willow as she peered behind a tree.

“Yeah, Spike has a thing for hiding behind trees,” added Xander.

“Enough. Both of you,” reprimanded Giles.

“Hey, what are you yelling at me for?” asked Xander. “It’s Buffy’s former beaus that keep popping up around every corner.”

“Let it go, Xander,” chimed in Dawn.

Buffy kicked the door open.

“If you guys are finished discussing my love life, we can get down to business.” Buffy’s mind was befuddled with the appearance of two former boyfriends. She didn’t want to admit it, but she too was on the look out for Spike. Trying to stay focused she noticed there was no way all fifty girls were going to get inside this small space. The chamber was maybe fifteen feet square. There was only one tomb in the center of the room. “Faith, help me.” Buffy and Faith pushed the concrete casket out of the way. There on the floor was the Seal of Danzathar. “Okay,” began Buffy. “How we doing on time Will?”

“Um, it’s 7:53. We’ve got seven minutes.”

“Okay. Slayers,” announced Buffy. “Come forward.” They tried to cram themselves into the small chamber.

“Bloody hell,” said Giles in a muffled voice. He was crammed between the girls and the door frame, his glasses askew. “This isn’t going to work.”

“Alright. Let me think,” Buffy instructed everyone to stop. “How about we have a dozen Slayers stay inside. The rest can go outside.” Dawn and Wood both seemed hurt by that. “It’s our blood that opens the Hellmouth.” They couldn’t argue with that fact. The girls made a circle around the Seal. Buffy slid her scythe back into her bag and pulled out the knife that hung on her leg. She noticed Faith glaring at her. Buffy tried to ignore that. She slid the blade along her palm and handed it to Faith. The knife made its way around the circle until it got back to Buffy. She wiped the blood off on her pants and put it back in its sheath. “Ready?” The girls nodded. They stretched their arms out over the Seal and their blood began dropping on top of the Seal. As each drop made contact, it emitted a white light and gradually it began to open.

The opening was no larger than a man hole cover.

“After you, B,” said Faith as she wrapped a bandanna around her hand.

Buffy looked at the others.

“You guys know what to do. If anything escapes, kill it. Will,” she looked at her intently. “You know what to do. I’m depending on you.”

“I know. I know. I’m in complete control.” She smiled. “Now go kick some über-ass.”

“Take care,” she said as she looked at her friends for a moment. “If anything goes wrong get the hell outta here.” She slowly walked down the steps that were carved into the stone. She could hear the others following her. It was dark and dank, but much warmer than it was only moments ago. Buffy’s eyes were adjusting to the darkness. She walked a few paces from the stairs and noticed that they were on an outcropping of the stone vault. Looking below she saw thousands upon thousands of über-vamps. “Damn,” she whispered to Faith.

“Looks like they’ve been breeding since last time,” Faith said softly. “Do you think someone gave ‘em the heads up?”

“I don’t know.” The girls gathered at the edge of the shelf. “Ladies, welcome to the hellmouth.” At that point someone’s foot kicked a stone about the size of a golf ball over the edge and it echoed as it clattered against the stone prison. Thousands of torches ignited at once in the cavity below them. The demons began their mad dash towards the Slayers. Buffy put her hand on the amulet. It gave her a confident feeling knowing that she was the possessor of such a powerful object. “Let’s rock n’roll,” she yelled to the others over the deafening roar of the über-vamps. “Kill ‘em all,” she said in a commanding voice.

From Buffy’s perspective the über-vamps reminded her of ants. Thousands upon thousands of little worker ants who were now quickly ascending the outcropping on which the Slayers stood. All the girls were in a fighting stance. The first few dozen of them hurdled themselves upon the ridge as the girls immediately launched into defensive combat. The sound of metal crashing upon metal resonated throughout the Hellmouth. Buffy was forced against the chamber wall by four of the über-vamps. She let her bag slide off her shoulder as she pounced on them with her scythe. She managed to behead two of them with one stroke. The third she did a spinning kick that sent him flying over the edge as she came face to face with the fourth. His rancid breath was as lethal as his strength. “Eww,” she had quipped. “Ever… hear… of… mouthwash?” She punched him in the mouth as she said each word. Her fist knocked all his visible teeth out of his mouth. His cries brought her even a greater satisfaction. “Oh, just forget it!” she exclaimed as she took off his head.

Buffy turned around to see that Gretchen was being overwhelmed by some vamps. She had stationed herself near the stairway and many were now fleeing into the mausoleum. Gretchen was thrown about twenty feet from the stairs; her weapon flung from her hands. She lay in a prone position on the rocky floor.

“Gretchen?!” Buffy shouted to her. Her eyes had a glazed look about them. But only for a moment. Buffy threw her scythe to her. She thankfully caught it and quickly rolled over as a vamp was about to swoop down upon her. She was able to defend herself by using the scythe to block his blow. With her feet she kicked him sending him reeling into the wall. Jumping to her feet she delivered the death blow to her attacker.

“Thanks,” she had shouted to Buffy but before she could give her back the scythe she was once again under attack. Buffy, in the mean time, had pulled out her sword and began making mincemeat of the vamps that were around her. She used both the sword and her body. One she kicked so hard that he knocked down five of his comrades. Other Slayers took advantage of that situation by beheading those on their backs.

There was no doubt in her mind that The First was waiting for the girls to tire out. It was impossible to kill all of the vamps. The amulet had to work. Without it, theyÂ’d all die. Including those who Buffy knew were now battling above ground. The sun was hidden today and the vamps could easily flee into the deserted city. But Buffy tried not to give much thought to those above. Her concerns were for the ones down here. There were actually so many bodies on the shelf that you couldnÂ’t help but collide into each other. Whether a good guy or a bad guy. It didnÂ’t matter. You had to try to stay on your feet. Falling down could lead to your death. Buffy witnessed that very thing with Mattie. The teenager just had her throat ripped out. BuffyÂ’s heart sank as she tried to hack her way towards her only to be thrown in the opposite direction.

“Buffy, watch out,” she heard Faith scream. Buffy turned just in time to meet another vamp whose blade was in mid motion coming towards her head. As she tossed her head back she felt his blade skim across the right side of her lip. She tasted blood followed by a stinging sensation as her sweat dripped into her cut. That really pissed her off. As he completed the motion Buffy took advantage of it by throwing him off balance. He landed on his side. She used her sword to sever the arm that held his weapon. He let out a wail and Buffy rammed her own sword through his chest. As she lifted her sword, his body was still impaled on it. He was not dead. He squirmed as she lifted him in the air. Faith came to her aid and completed the kill. He was dust and Buffy was free to continue the assault.

She noticed that several girls lay dead. All had their throats ripped out. It was a very gory scene. The surviving Slayers made the greatest effort to kill those with blood on their mouths. To avenge their sisters. There were heaps of corpses all over the outcropping. Buffy was drenched in sweat. She wished for a lapse in the fighting so she could take off her coat. It was stifling. And the smell of death saturated the entire chamber. She tried to defend the girls who seemed to be tiring quickest. When the hell is this damn thing gonna work, she thought to herself. It didnÂ’t seem like it took this long when Spike wore the amulet.

And then He appeared. Just like last time.

“Aw,” she heard in that familiar drawl of Caleb’s, the preacher man, Bauglir’s emissary that she killed. “Lookie there,” he said. “Looks like my boy nearly got you. What a shame. I was hoping he would take your head off.” He smiled. “Yeah, that would be a most welcoming sight.” He lazily leaned against the rock wall watching the action before him. “Ooh, there goes another,” he laughed as Fiona fell to the ground with her throat ripped out. Buffy tried to ignore Bauglir’s comments as she continued to slash away at the über-vamps around her. They had already been in the Hellmouth for nearly thirty minutes and still the amulet was not emitting its rays of death.

“Listen girl,” The First began again. “I’ve come to the conclusion that activating all the Potentials ain’t such a bad thing.” He shook his head. “I mean, I’ve been lookin’ at this the wrong way.” At this point, the fighting around Buffy shifted in the opposite direction, so she had minute to breathe. She focused her attention on Caleb. He wore a sneer on his face as he continued, “How many Slayers are there now? Hundreds, I’m sure. And here I’ve been, sending my boys out to kill all those little whores.” He walked up to Buffy, looked her up and down and grinned widely. “No. Not any more. I’ve come to realize that they may be useful in other ways. Yes, darlin’, very useful. At this moment, most of your Slayers are being fed on by my boys. You see if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. What could be better than a legion of Slayers turned demons? Soulless warriors to do my bidding. Even as we speak your little protégé Jordan is dead. But not for good. No sir. She’ll be like Lazarus before her. She will rise from her grave and devote her immortal life to my service. Hallelujah!” Buffy knew that he was speaking the truth. She only hoped that Bauglir didn’t get all of them. Deep inside she was pleading with The Powers to help the Slayers who were battling the forces of darkness elsewhere. Give them strength, she begged in her mind. Buffy showed no emotion to Caleb’s proclamation. She didn’t want to show any weakness.

Buffy was hit from behind which sent her to her knees. Her attention shifted back to the task at hand. Killing as many of BauglirÂ’s minions as she could. She directed her anger at those demons around her. Slicing and dicing them with both of her weapons. It was becoming extremely difficult to maneuver due to all the bodies that lay on the ground. She yelled to the others to start rolling them over the ledge. It would help knock some of those down that were coming up and it would make it easier to maintain their footing. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see Caleb watching the action. He was no longer smiling. The frown on his face made Buffy even more determined that they were not going to fail. No matter what shit spewed out of his mouth, she wasnÂ’t going to give up.

Bauglir realized that Caleb was getting no reaction from the Slayer, so he changed his appearance to that of Joyce. He indicated to his minions to break away from Buffy. He wanted a little one on one time with her. It was time for him to have a little fun. She was getting tired; he could sense it.

“Listen Buffy,” her ‘mother’ began. “It’s impossible to defeat The First. He’s more powerful than you. You’re weak. But it’s not your fault. We women… well, we’re the weaker race. We’re supposed to be subservient to men. It’s in our nature, honey.” Buffy hated that Bauglir came as her mother. She could feel her anger rising even more. “You can’t defeat him.”

Buffy turned her back on Joyce and resumed the battle. She threw her sword in anger and it pierced three über-vamps at once. The force was so powerful that the blade became imbedded into the stone wall. With her right hand she used her scythe to take off all their heads. But still, Joyce was with her, mumbling criticisms in her ear.

“You let me die,” Joyce said in a menacing voice. “And now I suffer because you never loved me enough to get me out of the hell IÂ’m subjected to for the rest of eternity. ItÂ’s your fault. You think you’re so righteous. You never gave a damn about anyone except yourself.” Buffy tried to ignore her ‘mother’sÂ’ taunts as she continued battling the undead. She unfortunately had to kick GretchenÂ’s body over the edge of the shelf in order to keep her footing.

“See!” began her mother again. “You have no regard even for those that you claim to love. Death is your gift, isnÂ’t it? You killed me. You killed Angel. You killed William. You’re responsible for every death here today. All that blood is on your hands. And what about poor Dawn? She was always my favorite daughter. She…”

Buffy couldnÂ’t take it any more.

“Shut up,” she yelled, much to the astonishment of those around her. “You’re not my mother!” Buffy looked directly in the eye of her enemy. Of course, those around her could not see that she was speaking to The First in guise of her dead mother. They only saw Buffy yelling at nothingness. Faith, alone of all the surviving Slayers, knew who Buffy was directing her rage at. Instinctively, Buffy swung her scythe through the phantom image of Joyce.

At that point, The First resumed his demonic form, which she hadnÂ’t seen since she confronted him long ago when he was tormenting Angel. A menacing black figure that spanned nearly the entire surface of the ridge on which they stood. Everyone saw him this time. His minions fell to their knees in terror and the Slayers were frozen on the spot, trembling. Only Buffy was not affected by his presence.

“I am tiring of you, little girl,” he said in a booming voice that resonated throughout the entire Hellmouth. “You have no comprehension of my power. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. I know everything that is, and was, and which is yet to come…”

BuffyÂ’s mounting frustration could not be quelled any longer.

“And your point is… what? You don’t belong here. This isn’t your world any more. It’s ours. We’re destined to defend it from the likes of you…”

“I am the Lord of the World. And I always will be. No one can take that from me. As for you, your time is up Slayer. You want pain, I’ll give you pain. You want sorrow, I’ll give you sorrow. I will teach you a lesson you shall never forget. There is no hope. Love does not conquer anything, but brings on even greater pain…”
“You’re wrong,” Buffy said through gritted teeth. She was witnessing the effects of his words on her fellow Slayers and she didn’t like what she saw. “As long as there is life in my body, I will hope. There is good in this world that you can’t poison with your lies and treachery. I’ve seen things that you can’t possibly understand. I’ve seen evil turn to good. Hate turn to love. Fear turn to hope.” At last, Buffy felt a growing energy come from within the amulet. Immediately Bauglir disappeared, and his minions were left alone and very confused. The Slayers were finally coming back to their senses and took advantage of the situation by easily killing the über-vamps that surrounded them. “It’s working,” she yelled to the others. “I can feel it.” A brilliant white light emanated from the amulet. It then burst into a dazzling shade of blue. Like a blue flame. The power concealed within the amulet was so intense that Buffy was forced against the wall for support. All the über-vamps were sizzling before them. All of them. Dead. The mass killing was followed by the rumblings of the earth. “Run!” Buffy yelled to the survivors. “Get outta here!” Buffy was frozen on the spot.

“Aren’t you coming, B?” Asked a stunned Faith.

“I can’t move,” Buffy stammered. “Go! There’s not much time left.” The walls were beginning to crumble.

“I can carry you,” Faith urgently suggested.

“NO! Go, Faith. Please.” Faith looked at her for a moment than over her shoulder as the Hellmouth was beginning to collapse. She looked into Buffy’s eyes once more. A tear rolled down Faith’s cheek as she grasped Buffy’s hand. “Take care of them,” Buffy said to her. Faith nodded and then ran like hell.

Once Faith was gone and Buffy was left alone in the deserted Hellmouth, the vibrant beams of the amulet ceased. Buffy was now having a hard time trying to keep her balance as the earth was shifting beneath her feet. She examined herself quickly and realized that she wasnÂ’t dead. She still had a chance to get out alive. She ran towards the steps and swept her duffel bag off the ground with her sword, letting it slide down until it reached her shoulder. The steps were cracking as she ran up them. Unfortunately the mausoleum must have already crumbled as her escape route was now blocked. She lowered herself to get some leverage and used all her force to smash though the concrete barrier. The steps gave way and she was just able to hold on to the remnants of the floor above her. She utilized her Slayer strength to heave herself up. A couple of the walls were still up. It was the roof that had caved in on the small structure. She quickly made her way through the doorway and saw the last girls getting in Willow’s portal. Willow was still on this plane waiting for all the survivors to make their way through.

“Willow?” she yelled to her friend.

“Buffy?” Willow said with an expression of relief and joy on her face. “C’mon. You gotta move faster. There’s not much time left.”

Buffy was running with all her might. She was nearly there. All of the sudden she felt something pulling her in the opposite direction. She looked over her shoulder and saw a black shadow.

“Willow!” she screamed as her feet left the ground. She didn’t see Willow’s expression after that. She was devoured by the shadow and pulled back into the Hellmouth. She tried to fight and wrestle with the ghostly apparition but to no avail. She was being pulled deeper and deeper into the pit. Then for a split second, the amulet activated itself once again. A bright white light illuminated around her. She even stopped falling in mid-air. She could feel an immense amount of energy encompassing every fiber of her being. But only for a moment.

No words could ever describe what she felt. As the light went out, Buffy felt herself falling again. Not for long. She soon hit the earth with a hard thud, knocking the wind out of her. Her weapons were still in her vice-like grip. And one of her weapons in her duffel bag hit her side painfully. She quickly regained her composure and got to her feet. She was surrounded by total darkness. As her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she could feel something… different about this place. The stench was greater than in the Hellmouth and Buffy, for the first time during this battle, was terrified. She was in her fighting stance as she looked around, piercing the shadows with her eyes. In an attempt to give herself confidence, she murmured, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas any more.” And unlike Dorothy, Buffy was all alone.