[Reviews - 16]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2157 times

- Text Size +




Chapter 5

Zirg disappeared as soon as he congratulated Spike and Buffy on their win. In his place stood what could only be a female of his demonic species. She stood as tall as the males, and she had the same snow white skin. However, it was her six leather encased breasts that marked her gender.

"My name is Rizg." The demoness introduced herself. "My brothers are quite pleased that you passed their tests. I must tell you, most Slayers and vampires pass their tests. It's mine that they fail."

"Oh goodie, impossible odds," Buffy muttered.

Spike shrugged. "Been there, done that. Bring it on."

"You will each have your own foe to fight." Rizg snapped her fingers. "For the Slayer, you will fight the very essence of the Aurelian line."

A vampire similar looking in the face to the Master appeared at one side of the clearing. His lean body was encased in leather, and he had long flowing blond hair.

"For the vampire known as William the Bloody, you will fight the very essence of the Slayer line." The tall white-skinned demon snapped her fingers again.

On the opposite side of the clearing the First Slayer appeared. She crouched low to the ground as she surveyed the others through her dreadlocks.

"Senaya, we meet again," Aurelius shouted.

Senaya bared her teeth as a greeting.

"Oh boy, we could be in trouble," Buffy whispered.

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

"Oh boy, they could be in trouble," Faith said. "Last time I went to the desert, she was a cranky bitch."

"She tried to kill me in that cheeseman dream," Xander muttered.

In the mirror, Spike and Buffy cautiously approached their opponents. The blonds searched their opponents for any vulnerabilities. Both Spike and Buffy's first attacks were easily thwarted. Every move that Spike or Buffy made was easily countered by a similar block. In a surprising gesture, the two blonds looked at each other and seemed to come to the same conclusion. They each stopped fighting at the same time. The Scoobies watched in horror as they were easily overwhelmed by Aurelius and Senaya.

"That doesn't bode well," Giles said.

"I knew Spike wasn't vamp enough for the job," Angel sneered. "Don't send a boy to do a man's job."

"You sure are full of yourself," Tara said.

"Let's go, Illyria." Angel rose to his feet, and he strolled towards the door. "I've wasted enough time watching this shit. We have demons to fight."

Illyria gave the vampire a look of disdain. "You are the pet, not I. I wish to know how the trial ends."

"They lost, end of trial." Angel shrugged. "I don't need you." He left the Magic Box, and the others turned back to the mirror.

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

"You yield, Slayer." Aurelius bared his fangs to the Slayer.

Buffy glanced at Spike, and she saw that he was in the same predicament as she was in. Even though they'd both been captured, there was an underlying sense of rightness to their current positions. She knew she had little choice for her answer. Buffy nodded, and she dropped the scythe. She waited for the feeling of fangs in her neck.

Aurelius sniffed the neck of his yielding opponent. He threw his head back as he roared with laughter. "Senaya, I do believe you'll find that these two won't have any problems accepting us." He recognized the scent that covered the Slayer in his arms. He'd know the taint of his line amongst hundreds of others.

Senaya lifted an eyebrow in question. She sniffed at the vampire's neck in front of her. Her eyes widened slowly. This vampire was the first in a millennia to carry the scent she knew so well as her own.

"You see!" Aurelius turned his attention back to Buffy. He started to intone an ancient ritual. Aurelius' voice started off soft, but by the end of the chant his booming voice filled the air. "Love's heart retrieved by destined souls, choices tested times three. Bodies, hearts, and minds blend the two of kind. Champions who have paid the cost, forever merged what once was lost."

Both Aurelius and Senaya started to glow silver.

"They have to accept first," Rizg screamed. She stepped towards Aurelius as if she was going to interfere with the ritual.

Aurelius turned yellow demon eyes on the presiding demoness. "We are the judges of who has accepted us or passed at this point. They accepted us long before entering our realm when they became a mated pair."

"What?" Rizg stared at the Slayer and the vampire yielding to the essences of their mystic lines. "Really?" She was flabbergasted by the development. Even when past vampires and Slayers were willing to work together, none had accepted the other as their true mate. This pair of fighters were truly the destined champions.

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

"That was unexpected," Giles observed. "Do you think that's why Angel's been so... uh... testy?"

Illyria tilted her head. "I did not think a half-breed would willingly mate with a human."

"From everything I've seen of Spike, I don't think he's all that ordinary for a vampire," Tara said. "I really think he's special."

"You know the Spike here in our dimension was really evil, but there was no hiding how much he cared for Drusilla," Willow replied. "He would do anything she asked."

"That's true." Xander nodded in agreement. "He looked almost happy when Kendra arrived to blow up the Judge, though. Wonder what that was all about? He was the one that started putting that thing together in the first place."

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

"Yes," Aurelius growled. "Do not interrupt us again." He tuned back to Buffy, and he resumed the ritual. Both Aurelius and Senaya started to glow silver once more.

Buffy and Spike arched in their captor's arms as a stream of wispy silver left Aurelius and Senaya. The wisp merged with Spike and Buffy, and their hands reached out for each other to lock together. The two blonds fell to the ground when the other vampire and Slayer winked out of sight.

"Congratulations," Rizg said wearily. "You've passed the test."

"Sure didn't feel like it," Spike muttered. "I haven't felt this knackered since Doc threw me off Glory's tower." He slowly sat up.

Buffy moaned from her spot on the ground. "I sure hope we don't have to fight anything right away. I think I'm pooped."

Rizg pointed to the east. "The Crystal Heart lies within the Crystal Tower in that direction. I regret to say that there will be guards between you and it."

"Peachy," Buffy groaned. She struggled to her feet. Then, she leaned over to grab the Slayer's scythe. Buffy gave the weapon a speculative look before she turned to help Spike to his feet.

"No rest for the wicked," Spike grumbled. He straightened up his jacket, and he smoothed back his hair.

"How does this feel?" Buffy tossed the scythe at Spike.

The vampire caught the weapon on reflex. "Feels better than the last time I touched it." Spike was referring to the time when he accidentally touched the scythe soon after they had dug it up. Back then it felt wrong to hold it, like the forces within the scythe were fighting to keep him from wielding the weapon. Now, the scythe felt like an extension of his hand like it belonged there.

"I thought it might." Buffy nodded. "Faith and I could feel the power, but the potentials couldn't until they were called."

"I've been Chosen?" Spike smirked. The irony of the Slayer of Slayers being chosen by the Slayer line was highly amusing to the undead man.

"Darn tootin'." Buffy grinned brightly. "So, wanna go kick demon butt?" Her body started to feel engergized again, and she was anxious to get going again.

"I suppose." Spike rolled his eyes at Buffy. He watched the woman he loved bounce around him, and a smiled forced its way forward. She was acting ike he used to before a fight.

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

It took Spike and Buffy two hours to reach the Crystal Tower. On the way, they encountered all kinds of demons, but both the Slayer and the vampire found the creatures even easier to dispose of than usual. Every movement in battle seemed like a choreographed play instead of a fight to the death. Back to back and side by side the Champions fought in sync with each other.

The only problem the two blonds had was when Buffy grew fangs during a particularly nasty fight. She had been a little startled at the change, and it caused one of the demons to get a lucky swipe of their claws down her arm. Surprisingly the wound healed rather quickly, and they were on their way again. Spike couldn't wait until the quest was over, and they could try the fangs out.

Buffy and Spike slipped into the tower, up the staircase, and found the room at the top. They stared at the brilliant green heart.

"It's so beautiful," Buffy whispered in awe.

"Well, grab it so we can get the bloody hell out of here," Spike groused.

"On the count of three!" Buffy exclaimed. "One. Two. Three."

The Slayer and the vampire stepped forward together. Understanding of how to use it flooded through them when they touched the heart. With a single thought, Spike and Buffy found themselves back in the Magic Box staring at the astonished Scoobies and their other allies.

"Hi." Buffy gave the others a small wave. "Long time, no see."





You must login (register) to review.