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"Now, Slayer, if you go down that trail..." Griz pointed towards a worn path that meandered off through the trees. "... you'll find my brother Zirg ready to show you the next trial."

"Thanks." Buffy nodded at the demon. She turned to Spike. "Let's get this over with."

"Right behind you, pet."

"The people you are trying to help are watching," Griz said. "While you travel to your next trial, I'm going to show them some history."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Show us some history?" Faith asked. "Wonder what kind?"

"Look, it's the Bronze," Willow replied. She pointed at the mirror. "Xander and I are dancing with Buffy." A flash of blond hair got her attention. "There's Spike. He's stalking us."

"Stalking Buffy, you mean," Angel replied coolly.

The scene changed to the alley behind the nightclub, and Buffy was fighting a vampire. When she staked the creature, Spike stepped out of the shadows, clapping and issuing a death threat. The scene changed again to what Willow, Xander, and Giles recognized as the late Sunnydale High. Spike and Buffy fought until Spike got the advantage, but before he could move in for the kill, Joyce Summers whacked him over the head with an axe. The image of Spike leapt to its feet and retreated.

'Why did he do that?" Faith asked.

"Spike always had a thing for mothers." Angel's brow furrowed. "He rarely killed mothers or children, unless the rest of us pressed him to do it."

The mirror changed scenes again. This time Buffy wore an old-fashioned dress, and she had dark hair. She was acting scared and amnesia-like.

"Halloween." Xander snapped his fingers. "Ethan Rayne's spell."

Spike now had Buffy in a compromising position. He caressed her hair as he went in for the kill. Suddenly Buffy was on her feet, and Spike was on the ground.

"Why doesn't she kill him?" Faith questioned in a confused voice. "She had him."

"Maybe some higher power was holding her back?" Giles suggested.

The mirror flashed through Ford's betrayal and the confrontation at the wanna-be vampire's club. It showed Spike using Angel to heal Drusilla's injuries, his accident with the organ, and his reappearance in a wheelchair.

The scene changed to Angel and Buffy kissing lovingly, and then Angelus wreaking havoc. The dark-haired vampire was sufficiently distracted by Drusilla that the only person they recognized that died was Jenny Calendar.

Then, Spike was out of the wheelchair, and he had teamed up with Buffy. Faith and the Scoobies watched as Spike hit Angelus over the head. Then, he took Drusilla away, leaving Buffy to fight Angelus. They realized when Angel's soul returned. Each one was truly unsettled as they could only sit and watch as Buffy sent Angel to Hell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike and Buffy entered another clearing in the woods. In the center of the clearing stood a demon that looked almost exactly like the first one.

"Welcome to your second trial. My name is Zirg." The demon spread his arms in a welcoming manner.

"So, what's this trial all about?" Buffy asked.

"This trial is to show you what life would be like if either of you had succeeded during your first fight," Zirg replied.

"And what? We're supposed to choose which life we'd rather live?" Buffy asked. She glanced at Spike. She knew there were times when she or her friends would have died or been seriously hurt if Spike wasn't there.

"No, you are to decide your counterparts' fate."

"Well, Spike went first last time." Buffy stepped forward. She tightened her grip on the scythe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, I don' think Buffy's life could be much worse, if you ask me," Xander scoffed.

"You really need to learn to think before you speak," Anya said as she rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't be a trial if it was a better life."

The mirror flashed through what they had already seen; Spike and Buffy's meeting at the Bronze and the beginning of the fight in the high school halls. Instead of a draw punctuated by an axe wielding Joyce Summers, Buffy quickly dusted a shocked Spike.

The audience watched in horror as Buffy got seriously hurt during the Halloween spell followed by the betrayal of her friend Ford. She was hurt again before she could escape the vampire wanna be's. While Buffy was still injured, Angel seduced the young Slayer, resulting in his soul being lost just as it had been in the previous reality.

"Not good," Willow whispered. "She's not being allowed time to heal."

"Drusilla's not there to distract him," Angel said. "She's still sick."

Faith, her Scoobies, Angel, Illyria, and Gunn watched as Angelus methodically killed Buffy's Scoobies until the only ones left were Giles and her. Then, the dark-haired vampire tortured the Watcher to find out Acathla's secrets. When Angelus called forth Hell on Earth, he proceeded to start his torture on the petite blond Slayer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy shuddered in disgust at the things that were happening to her counterpart. She stepped closer to Spike. At least he had just wanted to kill her, not make her insane while doing it. "Please stop," Buffy whispered. "I can't watch any more."

Spike put his harm around Buffy's shoulders, and he pulled her close. He didn't like the scenario displayed anymore than she did. Even back when he hated her, torture was never on his mind. Only a fight to the death for them.

"Your turn, Spike," Zirg replied. "Here's what would happen if you'd had a good day that first night."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can watch," Hope said. "I thought what really happened was bad enough, but can one person's existence really affect your life that much?"

"Yes, of course they can," Anya said knowingly. "I made a man not be born once." She shook her head. "Honestly, the woman's life was worse without him. He'd actually saved her from a life of prostitution. Quite sad actually, now that I think about it."

The mirror once again showed the scene in the high school of Spike and Buffy fighting. Only this time, Spike had time to kill Buffy before Joyce showed up. The bleached blond vampire ignored the heartbroken woman as he swaggered off, high from his kill.

The scene changed to a depressed Angel falling under Drusilla's influence. He didn't lose his soul like he did in the other two realities, but he no longer tried to seek redemption. Angel beat Spike within an inch of Spike's unlife for crimes real and imagined. Then, the dark-haired vampire left Sunnydale with Drusilla, leaving a broken Spike to his fate. The bleached blond vampire slipped into his own depression, punctuated by great bouts of drunkenness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike gave a disgruntled growl. Now he was even more thrilled that he'd beaten the poofter at getting the cup.

"Now, you must decide the fate of your counterparts," Zirg announced. "Let them stay on their path, or let them die?"

"Can Spike and I talk privately for a few?" Buffy asked.

"Sure," Zirg said with a wave of his long-fingered hand. He moved away to give the Slayer and her vampire the requested privacy.

"Can I say right now that I'm glad neither of us were ever lucky killing the other?" Buffy said softly. "I'd hate to see what would happen later with Glory and the First." She shuddered.

"I agree." Spike put his arms around Buffy. "We can't leave them like that." His heart went out to the other Spike and Buffy.

"I don't think I can let her die though."

"They need each other." Spike cocked an eyebrow. "Wonder if tall and pale would let her go to his reality?"

"Worth a try." Buffy grinned. She turned to speak to Zirg. "We've made our decision."

"Excellent."

"We wish for you to transport that Buffy to that Spike's dimension," Buffy replied.

"Really?" Zirg looked perplexed. "I'll have to consult with the others." He popped out of sight.

Before Spike and Buffy could react, the demon returned.

"That is acceptable." Zirg snapped his fingers. "You have passed this trial. Congratulations."





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