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Sarah looked up at the eyes of the new comers. She anted to tell them everything, from the moment she had discovered Alyson was a witch, through the ordeal they had all faced, to this final battle. But she didn't have time.
"That demon is trying to destroy all reality and we need help."
The newcomers exchanged glances. The four girls in denim seemed to accept it better then the others.
"Save the world again huh?" Keavy shrugged.
"Sounds familiar huh.", asked Winona. "You guys are looking a little worse for wear."
"Speak for yourself." Sinead laughed. "Well girls?" she said turning from her companions to the humanoid form that was Yeatril.
"Lets go for it." Edele launched into the air, fire trailing behind her.The four witches headed for the battle front where Rachael, Jauden and the others fought. The red head turned to the boy.
"What do you reckon Keenan?"
"Don't ask me Eda." he shrugged. "You're the changeling." She smiled, kissed him then walked into a war.
"Um, Sarah." Kate Winslett asked, stepping forward.
"Yeah?" the blonde replied, getting to her feet.
"We're not exactly demon killer material. I'm not going to ask why we're here exactly but.."
"Where are the vampires?" Winona finished, brandishing her stake.
"That way." Sarah pointed to the mass of demons and vampires.
"Thanks."
Kate and Winona were gone.
"Now love, I don't know what the hell we've got into but I think it could be rather confusing."
"Miss Edith says we should kill the bad monsters."
"That's what I love about you ducks. So to the point. and it just so happens that even avec brain chip, I can still kill demons. Better than an after shag fag don't you think."
Sarah and Katie stood and watched as the new warriors each hurried off to their battles.
"Sarah?" Katie asked, looking towards the demon battle.
"Yeah?"
"Maybe you're just as confused about all this as I am but do you think that Juliet Landau or Drusilla?"
The two actresses watched as the dark hair girl skipped into battle, picked up an axe and decapitated a toad demon to the tune of Claire de lune.
"My bet would be Dru." Sarah sighed.
"Excuse me?" asked the remaining young woman, stepping forward, and looking rather cold in her slinky night dress. "But are you who I think you are? And if so, what the hell is going on?"
"Long story." Katie shrugged. "Who are you?"
"Heather Donahue."
Blank looks.
"The Blair witch."
"Ah" Katie nodded. "The movie?"
"No." Heather sighed. "I'm the Blair Witch."
A beam of energy surged through the air, struck Rachael head on and sent her crashing to the earth in a small crater. As she dug herself out, she heard a voice she never thought she'd hear again.
"Hello Rachael."
She looked up. "Eda?"
Eda Langford shrugged. "Don't worry. I remember everything. And you deserve to be Guardian."
"Thanks. Um.. What are you doing here?"
"Well, we were in Britain, all hell started breaking loose, The World Serpent rose over Dublin and I ended up teaming with B*witched and The Corrs to save it. How's your day been?"
"Worse. How powerful are you?"
"Well, I can cast some spells. Not much."
"Go to Willow and Giles. Help them raise shields."
"Okay. You're the Guardian."
"So you're the Guardian of Balance?" asked a soft voice with an Irish accent. Keavy, Lindsay, Edele and Sinead came to rest beside Rachael.
Rachael, folded her arms. "Later we can chat. Right now, we need to hit him with everything we've got. Can you help."
Earth rumbled, Wind howled, Water surged and Fire flared. "Yeah." Edele grinned. "We can do that."
Angel flipped a vampire over his shoulder, kneeling an staking him. He was tired. More tired than he could remember being in a long time. But then again, he was human now. There was bound to be a down side. He rose up, only to catch a punch in the face which sent him reeling. Another vampire, in full vamp form. Angel tried to counter another punch but is old strength was gone. He tumbled back, banging into a grave stone.
The vampire stepped forward, ready to grab him. Then it stopped. Then it exploded into dust. Behind it stood a short, dark haired girl with a stake. Angel watched as she spun, kicking and staking another vampire, then jumped and kicked a demon back to the earth.
"Let me guess," Angel drew in breath. "Another Slayer?"
"Something like that." she nodded, lunging and kicking once again. "How many of these things are there?"
"Way too many." Angel sighed, lifting a broad sword from the ground. "But I don't think they care."
He looked around the battle field. As hard as it was to imagine, the demon numbers seemed to be thinning. But then, the number of combatants seemed to have increased. The Halliwell sisters were holding there own for the time being. And the new slayer seemed to have come with a red head, a vampire herself by the way she was throwing around bodies. They were just two people, but they had plenty of power. Then he saw something that made him shiver.
Buffy. Fighting Angelus.
He knew the face, though he had never seen it. It was a face no mirror would ever reflect, the face of his demon form, now separate, now fighting Buffy. He ran to help. Buffy blocked a punch and countered with a kick of her own, pushing Angelus backwards. He charged at her, only to be tripped by Angel as he entered the combat. Angelus rose, looking at Angel and sneering. The two sides of him, good and evil, locked gazes.
Angelus laughed in his face. "You think you can defeat me? You're nothing but a puny human."
"Maybe," Angel clenched his fist, "but a soul can be a powerful thing."
Angelus raised his fist, ready to strike his good twin down. A hand stopped him.
"Aren't you forgetting the Slayer here?" Buffy quipped. She pulled and twisted, forcing Angelus backwards to the ground.
He roared, kicking her legs out from under her. Buffy flipped back, rising to her feet. She scowled at Angelus, holding Angel before him, arm around his neck.
"Now this is interesting isn't it Buffy? Do you try to kill me, and risk Angel. Or do you surrender to me? It's not so easy when it's a clear cut case of good and evil is it. Not like last time you killed us."
Buffy simply stood.
"What the bloody hell?"
Buffy and two Angels turned to see Spike walking towards them.
"Now, I'm willing to accept all this transdimensional bollocks, even the fact that I seem to be in Sunnydale from a year ago, but what the hell is with two bloody Angels."
"William." Angelus smiled, "How nice to see you. Me and my wearer half have had something of a division of late."
"Oh. Well I've seen stranger things I suppose. But the good bad splits been a bit done to death hasn't it."
"So what now Spike?" Buffy growled, "Are you going to fight me too?"
"Very funny." Spike rolled his eyes. "After what your soldier boy and his friends did to me."
"Solider boy?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"Oh never mind. You'll figure it all out eventually."
"William." Angelus called again, "How would you like to kill the one that interfered in your plans so many times?"
Spike turned to him, looking at the helpless Angel. "Well actually that would be rather fun."
He pulled the stake from Buffy’s hand, walking over and placing the tip over Angels heart.
"Oh, one thing before I do the deed Angelus?"
"Yes William."
"Well. three actually. Firstly, I rather prefer to be called Spike these days. Second, I have a little problem with a chip in my head which I won't go into.."
"And three?" Angelus asked.
Spike lifted his hand and thrust the stake right through his chest. "I always found your evil side to be much more annoying."
Angelus dropped Angel. The demon stepped back, looking at the stake through his heart, disbelieving. Then he dissolved into dust. Angel and Buffy stared at Spike.
He shrugged. "You wouldn't believe the year I've had. Or am going to have. Or is that.. Ah bollocks to it. I'm going to hurt some demons." With that, he launched back into battle leaving Buffy and Angel, totally stunned.
The sky was lit up by magic. Blast of chaos clashed with blasts of balance. Earth, Wind, Fire and Water all buffeted the demon. Sparkles surged through the sky. Shields shuddered under the assault. The battle raged.
"How are we doing?" Willow asked the other red headed witch as she raised another magical shield.
"This is incredible." Eda yelled through the noise. "I've never heard of anything this powerful."
Giles nodded. "The attacks of the others seem to hurt it temporarily but then it recovers. I don't know what else we can do to stop it?"
"Keep fighting." Keenan shrugged, already preparing another spell.
Sinead wove in and out of a hail of rocks and debris. Of all the nature witches, she had the most maneuverable flying ability. Her friends were probably having a tougher time but she couldn't worry about that now. She blew a hail of rocks back at the demon form, watching as they detonated along the chaotic skin.
"How much can her take?" she yelled to Rachael, who was flying near by.
"I don't know." the Guardian replied, blasting another wave of magic against the shape. It rippled then returned to normal.
"There has to be some weakness, something that we're over looking."
"Too bad it's not like nature."
"Meaning?"
"The whole elemental thing. Fire is weak against water. Like a big cosmic Rock paper scissors."
"Which would mean chaos is weak against order. But I've been hitting him with that. I can't stop him."
"You're only attacking one point. What if you tried a broad attack."
"Then I wouldn't have the power." Rachael protested, deflecting a wave of debris. "There has to be some way.."
Xander laid Alyson’s unconscious form down by the tree. He checked a pulse, winding a very weak one. He tore the sleeves from his shirt, trying to bandage the cuts on her hands and wrists, trying to keep her from bleeding to death.
But it seemed already too late.
"Alyson!" Sarah cried out, running to the side of the fallen witch.
"She's lost a lot of blood." Xander explained. "A Lot!"
"So what can we do?"
"Magic?"
"Alyson knew some healing spells but.."
"I know, she can't cast them."
Katie ran to their side, closing her eyes. She opened them after a few seconds. "She's still there, her soul anyway. But it's fading."
Sarah looked at the cemetery, a huge war zone of physical and magical combat.
"Magic, magic everywhere and not a drop to use."
"I think I can help."
The three turned to Heather as she approached.
"I don't know how I know them but.. I know some spells."
"Well go!" Xander yelled. "Heal her!"
"I can't heal her as such. I can exchange life forces. Sort of like a spiritual blood transfusion."
"Okay." Sarah nodded. "So which of us-"
"Me." Xander said flatly. "You're all more important than I am. Magic wise. What do I do?"
"I've never done this before. I don't know what will happen to you if-"
"What do I do?" he demanded.
The three woman looked at him.
"I was ruined. She saved me. I was alone, she came to me. I love her and I am not going to let her die. Now what do I do!"
"Put your hand on her chest." Heather whispered. He did so.
Heather closed her eyes, moving her lips, uttering silent incantations that somehow had been infused into her mind.
Xander felt a puling inside him, a weakness running through him. He felt warmth flowing through his body, through his arms and into Alyson, leaving behind a cold chill. Then the warmth stopped flowing, leaving only the cold sensation.
He opened his eye, looking down. Alyson blinked, looking up at him.
"Xander?"
He picked her up and hugged her tight.
"How are we doing?" she asked, her voice still groggy.
At that moment a blazing comet tore through the air, split the tree in half and crashed into a crater behind it. Seconds later, five more comets came down, all blasting up pillars of light as they crashed. Xander and the four actresses watched the closest crater as a figure slowly emerged.
"You know." Rachael rubbed her head. "I'm getting a little sick of that."
Slowly and painfully, Jauden and four Irish witches emerged from their craters.
"We tried a unified attack but he just blew us out of the sky."
Sabrina, Giles, Willow, Eda and Keenan rushed to them, followed by Salam, whose fur was standing on end.
"We need a new plan." Giles coughed, brushing away dust. "He's ripping through our shields like tissue paper."
"I don't suppose we can just beat him up?"
Everyone turned to see Buffy approaching. Behind her walked a mixed assortment of warriors. Behind them was the biggest field of demon corpses any of them had ever seen.
"You actually killed them all?" Willow asked, looking at the battered Slayer.
"With a little help. Now we just have the big guy to go."
They all turned to Yeatril, even larger, even more chaotic than before. The air was filled with a constant rumble. It sounded like laughter.
"The longer he spends here, the more he's going to break down our world." Rachael explained. "We need to put order into chaos."
"How do we do that?" Buffy asked, taking charge.
"We need to unify our attacking power. Hit him from all sides at the same time. "
Alyson, Winona, Kate and the Irish witches exchanged a glance. It sounded familiar. "We could link our minds." Alyson suggested.
"How?" Rachael asked immediately.
"Well we just need enough members of a lesbian mind control cult." Keavy shrugged.
Numerous eyebrows rose in utter confusion.
"Long story." Winona waved it away.
"I can do it." Alyson said.
"But-" Xander began.
"I can do it. I know I can. But I need a drop of blood from you. All of you."
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh I like her." Dru giggled.
Eleven witches, six humans, three vampires, two slayers, two changelings, one genie and a cat, waited. Formed in a circle around the massive demon, they focused on what was to come. The last, final strike on the demon. Alyson mixed the blood on the plate before her, whispering the words of the spell. She closed her eyes. She said the words.
Twenty six minds merged.
50 hands and a tail rose.
Light surged.
Yeatril screamed.
It was impossible. Nothing could attack with such precision, such power. Every side was struck with equal force, the chaos energy left with nowhere to escape to. The thunderous roar filled the sky, shaking the earth, the air, the very fabric of reality itself. It struggled, fighting to retain it's chaotic form, pushing against the relentless magical energy, channeled from so many worlds. Then it wound the key.
One witch. The red headed one that was the center of all their power. Destroy her and the link would be broken. A bolt of energy surged, from him, a single strike, heading towards the one target, ready to kill. Some didn't see it. Some did but were frozen. Some moved but were too far away.
The bolt struck flesh, burning through the body, shattering internal organs. Each of them, bound together, felt the agony of the single searing attack. The screaming body of Xander Harris fell to the earth, mid leap. Behind him, Alyson sat, unable to open her eyes as she maintained the spell, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Yeatril roared again. But this time it was too late.
The chaotic form collapsed, folding in on itself, shrinking until all the remained was a single solid form, engulfed in a sphere of light. The light faded, leaving only blackness. Twenty five people opened their eyes. Where the mass of chaos had been, now stood a black, smoking heap.
"Xander!" Alyson called out, moving to him. She lifted him up, looking at his blackened chest. Blood ran from his lips as he breathed.
Willow looked at him, then turned away, Buffy hugging her tight, her own eyes transfixed on what didn't seem real.
"Please." Alyson gulped back a sob. "Someone do something."
The witches each stepped forward, closing their eyes, speaking their words, raising their palms. Nothing happened.
"Chaos." Rachael whispered. "It was chaos energy. Without magical shielding it.. We can't save him."
"hey.." Xander whispered. "Buffy?"
The slayer moved towards him.
"Look after them all okay. It was a hell of a ride. No regrets."
"Listen." Buffy sniffed. "You can't die. Because you're Xander. And.. you just can't."
"Say bye to Willow. And Alyson?"
"Yeah?" the blood witch hugged him.
"No guilt. It was all good."
Despite the pain he smiled. Alyson kissed him. And he died.
There was silence, even from those of them without souls. Hell, thought Spike, He was a weed but he didn't deserve that.
No one knew what to say. Until the silence was shattered. By a laugh. A single, booming laugh. All eyes turned to the charred mound, watching it crack, break open. From within came a form, ten feet tall, a jet black insect like figure, a distorted head, writhing tentacles and glowing red eyes. The solid form of Yeatril
DON'T CRY
. laughed the grating voice. YOU'LL ALL SOON JOIN HIM.No one could speak. No one save for a single voice.
"No."
Sarah Michelle Geller stepped forward.
"No." she repeated, shaking her head.
The demon laughed again.
YOU THINK YOU CAN DESTROY ME GIRL. I AM IMMORTAL.
"Yes." Sarah nodded, her face fixed with rage and determination. "But you are solid."
She raised her hands. White light flared. Then it flared again, brighter and brighter, engulfing the demon, then the cemetery, then the entire town. There was a roar, louder then the scream of the demon, louder than the rumbling of the earth. It was the power of The Gateway. The power of infinite worlds. As a being of Chaos, Yeatril was beyond her power. As a solid being he was not. Sarah pulled at him, tugged at him.
She ripped him apart. Then she ripped again and again and again, tearing at the very fabric of his being, dividing him into marble sized particles, then dust sized, then atom sized then smaller still, splitting until she had torn him apart as far as possible, scattering his infinite remains into infinite different universes, so that he would never, ever be able to reform.
She dropped her hands. The light dissipated. And Yeatril was no more.
The war was over.
THE END
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