As the title says, this is a larger update to The End of Dayz, which I hope everyone is reading and enjoying. I've tried my best to tone the violence down in it to just a few sword battles and regular uses of magic, so I hope I've done a good job.
It's been a couple days since I was last at the board and I'm glad that the whole mess with Braving the Storm is seeming to settle down. And I want to thank The Rose for your comments about my fics. I've always encouraged feedback from the readers and I love the positive feedback, but I also love the negative feedback. Because it lets me know if my stories are well liked or hated.
I've already said my apologies and made statements concerning Braving the Storm, so I'm not going to comment any more on it. All I'm going to say is that going the direction I did with the story was a mistake on my part. I should have taken a different route with it, and for that, I'm one hundred percent to blame. That said, on with the update.
I'm rounding the third base and heading home. What I mean is....I'm almost completely done with End of Dayz. After you read today's update, you'll see what I mean. There are some plot twists in today's update that I'm sure none of my readers would have expected. Anyway, I want to make this message to the mods. If this story does have too much violence for the board's taste, please make a post so I can learn from the mistake of writing violence. I really want to try my best to write fiction that's enjoyable to all.
One last thing to add before you read the update. When The End of Dayz is finished, I'm taking time away from writing on the Soulmate Series because I want to get started on my Virtual Season 7. I've already got the Big Bad decided on that I'm going with and I'll start the first episode after End of Dayz is finished. The episodes will be in story format, not script because I'm simply no good at writing script. Kind of like Hunter Ash because he's..or she's, I don't know if Hunter's a guy or a woman, but he's been doing a rewrite of Season 6 and posting it on his website as well as on a mailing list.
I just wanted to add this as well. Probably in a few weeks, or after I get the VS7 started, I'll probably start the 5th story of the Soulmate Series. So far, the running title is Spike's Revenge. And as the title indicates, it's going to bring the Jacob/Buffy/Spike situation to the forefront. That's including Spike's being the vamp Jacob's been searching for and the Spike Buffy scene from Seeing Red. Enjoy the update!
Kudos!!!
D ISCLAI[/u]Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Anya, Xander, Giles, or any of the other familiar characters seen on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Joss Whedon owns all of the characters of the show, because the show is his beauty and up until the end of this season, I loved it. I just hated the ending.
Spoilers: This story started unraveling in my head after I watched Entrophy and seen the important scenes of Seeing Red. I haven't seen the entire episode yet, but I will. I don't have UPN, so I've been downloading full episodes from the Internet to see this past season. So far, my favorite episode is Entrophy....because Willow and Tara get back together. That's one of the big reasons I became a fan of the show. Anyway, this story is set after the last episode of Season 6, I believe it's Grave.
Author's Note: This is the fourth installment to the Soulmate Series. Also, as you can tell, this story is a parody, in my own little way, of the Arnold Swartzenegger film, End of Days. Of course, there are changes in it to better fit my story, but you can easily tell. Pretty much like I took the whole Blade concept and changed it slightly to my story Returning. Same principle here. So, the ideas for End of Days goes to everyone involved in the creation of End of Days. Now, my villain here, as you'll read, is named Kell. The name and face that's going to go with him belong to the creaters of the Highlander films and tv show. Kell comes from the movie Highlander Endgame. Emails are always welcome at
letsrocket_1998@yahoo.com. Enjoy.
START OF NEW UPThe remainder of the day passed much too quickly for the group as they all went about their daily business before they returned to the Magic Box around sundown to discuss Kell's plans and do research about the Prophecy of the End of Dayz. They were all at the Magic Box at the current time. Willow and Tara were seated one on side of the round table, going through some of the history books as Dawn, Xander, and Anya sat around the other side of the table, going through other books. Anya was behind the counter, also skimming through some of the older material that was still in the Magic Box.
Giles, Jacob, and Buffy were in the far back, where most of the Dark Magic books were held and they were looking through them to see if they could research anything called the Dark Son or Kell in particular. They were all busy and not having much luck at their researching.
They had been researching for about a half hour when the bell at the front door chimed as the door was opened and someone walked in. Anya approached the older man. Even though the Magic Box was closed, Anya would've tried to sell him something, but his appearance made her wonder if he had money to buy anything. He wore a pair of very faded jeans with a dirty brown shirt with a brown leather jacket. The jacket had tears and holes all over it. He had a face full of facial hair as he skimmed through the place, looking at face after face.
"I'm sorry, we're closed right now. Why don't you come back tomorrow and we can sell you something." Anya said brightly.
"I'm not here to buy anything....I'm..." the man's voice stopped as his eyes landed on Jacob at the far wall.
Jacob's eyes locked on the man's and his eyebrows widened at seeing who he was seeing. Buffy and Giles glanced at him in confusion. Without a thought, Jacob climbed down the steel ladder that led to the upper level where the darkest books were held and he approached the older man. "Thomas, it's been a long while." Jacob said as he walked up to the dark haired older man and embraced him.
The man returned the embrace for a few moments. "I had to come Jacob. He's risen to Earth, hasn't he."
It wasn't a question, but a statement and Jacob knew it. He nodded. "Yes, Buffy and I ran into him last night."
Buffy, who had climbed down the ladder, walked over as the others watched with skeptical eyes. She extended her hand. The man grasped it and shook her hand. "I'm Buffy." she said.
"The Vampire Slayer." the older man said quickly, recognizing her face.
Buffy's eyebrows hiked. "How did you..." she looked questionably at Jacob. The Daywalker shrugged.
"I've studied Sunnydale for many years, Miss Summers. And I have crossed paths with many Vampire Slayers. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Thomas O'Hara. About twenty three years ago, I was a monk with the Order of Makhali."
Hearing this, Giles rushed forward, eager to meet an actual monk of that Order. "My name is Rupert Giles, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"It is an honor to meet a Watcher, Mr. Giles. And I wish our meeting like this was under better circumstances." Thomas said with sincerity.
Giles nodded. He motioned to everyone. "Oh! Allow me to introduce you to everyone. This is Xander Harris, you met Anya, this is Buffy's younger sister Dawn, and those two are Willow and Tara."
The older man nodded to them all, his eyes flickering on Dawn's face a fraction longer. "You.....you were the Key, weren't you?"
Hearing that title made everyone tense up and Jacob picked up on it. "That business is in the past Thomas."
Thomas glanced at Jacob. "What? Oh yeah, I understand that. I meant no offense to anyone, it's just, I've done a lot of research on this city and on the Hellmouth in general. I had heard about a battle involving the Hellgod Glorificus and the Key. My informants told me the Key was in human form and that it was a little girl. I looked at her and somehow, I just knew." he said. "Anyways, I've come here to help you. I believe I have valuable information that you will need to fight the Dark Son and his disciples."
Reaching down, Thomas picked up his duffel bag he'd carried in with him as Giles led him over to the round table. Most of the table was covered in different books, but they cleared an area of it off as Thomas put his duffel on a chair and opened it up. Tara glanced at him. "What can you tell us?" she asked.
Thomas glanced at her, then at everyone else. "What exactly do you know about the Prophecy that predicts the End of Dayz?"
Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "Just that Kell has a limited amount of time before the alignment of the stars to absorb a certain amount of mystical energy so that he can open the Gates of Hell."
Thomas nodded as he removed a notebook that had his writing all over the pages. "Well, that's only one part of the actual Prophecy. And if that's all you know about it, then you don't really know everything."
Similar looks of resignation passed over their faces as Thomas finished his statement.
---**---
At the hideout of the Dark Son, Kell stood on the third level of the construction platform, looking at the other Knights as they spoke with each other in low tones. His gaze locked on Jin's, just watching the Immortal man. For centuries, Kell had watched the activities that happened on Earth from the Hell dimension he resided in. He'd watched what his Knights had done while they waited for his rise and for the most part, he liked what he saw them doing. But there was something about Jin Kane that didn't set well with the Dark Son.
Jin Kane had honor and he had integrity. Those were two things that Kell knew would come into conflict between them one way or another. Kell had knew that when Jin first pledged loyalty and that was so many centuries ago. But still, even after all this time, he and Jin had never come to blows. Jin's sense of honor never crossed with Kell's motives for Earth. But, there was one thing that Kell knew. Jin's honor code would come into conflict here. That was something Kell knew coming in and he was prepared for the time when it happened.
He'd seen it as he'd watched Jin battle the Slayer and the Daywalker. He'd seen the looks of respect that passed between Jacob and Jin and Kell knew, deep down, that before it was all over, there would be something that Jin wouldn't do and it would conflict against Kell's plans. So Kell knew that when the time came and Jin refused to obey an order, he would take his head and absorb his mystical energy and be done with the fool once and for all.
Kell heard soft footsteps walk slowly to him and he turned, letting his human eyes glance at Faithlyn as she stopped next to him. "Faithlyn, my dear." Kell said slowly. "What brings you up here?"
Faithlyn's eyes flickered to the others down at the ground level before looking at him. "I've come to have an assurance." she said.
"An assurance?"
She nodded. "Yes. I want a promise from you that when the time comes, you won't betray us."
Kell laughed. "My dear! You should know by now that I don't make promises I can't keep. I can't tell you that I won't betray you when the chances are excellent I might do just that."
Faithlyn's face tensed. "So you are going to turn on us."
"Of course." he replied. "I'm evil Faithlyn, evil beings do evil things. You should know that. Look at everything you've done. You had a chance to put your association with me behind you along time ago. You chose to stay."
"I did it because I pledged loyalty to you. That's something I can't break, even if I wanted to." Faithlyn said honestly.
He walked away. "Loyalty is a virtue, Faithlyn, don't forget that. And don't forget that disloyalty is not tolerated."
Faithlyn's face grew pensive as she watched him walk away. She wanted to know what was brewing behind his eyes, but she knew there was no way for her to find out. She growled in frustration. She was beginning to wonder if bringing him to Earth was the best idea after all.
---**---
Thomas opened the notebook to a certain page that he was looking for. Finding the page, he skimmed through several lines of writing, aware of the others watching him. He began speaking of the information they needed to know. "Alright, as I said, absorbing the mystical power is something he needs by the time of the alignment. But, there is another element he needs to have before the alignment occurs."
"What?" Giles asked.
Thomas read from his book. "From the day he rises to the day of the alignment, the Dark Son of Dekhleti needs to fulfill two elements. The first is the absorption of a large amount of mystical energy. The second element he must fulfill is to find and sacrifice a woman who bares his mark on her skin. If the Dark Son fails in any of the two elements by the time of the alignment, the Gates of Hell will not open and the powers he carries from the Hell he comes from will be stripped away, leaving him mortal and vulnerable."
Buffy and Giles exchanged glances. "So, there's a woman somewhere in the world that bares his mark?" Buffy said, her voice shocked.
Thomas rose from his seat. "No, the woman is either in Sunnydale, or near Sunnydale."
"How do you know?" Jacob asked, not knowing this information.
"This woman bears his mark, that means he's in her blood. At this moment, she can feel his presence here. The closer he is to her, the more she will feel compelled to seek him out." Thomas said. After a moment, he reached into his duffel and pulled out a thick volumed text. Opening it up, he flipped to a page of markings that, at some time or another, were associated with the Dark Son. "Do any of you know anyone who has any of these markings on their skin?"
Giles looked over the page. He shook his head. The same reaction came from Dawn, Buffy, and Jacob. Thomas pushed the text towards the witches. He saw Tara shaking her head in the same negative fashion, then he looked at the redheaded witch. She had a look of dread on her face. The others looked at her.
When Tara looked at her lover, she saw the look and was going to gasp at the thought of Willow being the woman Kell needs, but then a thought hit her. "Willow, honey, you don't have any of these marks on you." she pointed out.
Willow swallowed. "No, I don't. But we all know someone who does."
Thomas steepled his fingers together. "Who?" he asked patiently.
Willow locked gazes with the Slayer. "Buffy, Amy has that symbol on her arm."
The redhead's finger was pointed to a symbol on the page. They looked at the symbol for a moment. It was of a triangle inside of a circle with an eye inside the triangle. As Thomas saw which symbol she was pointing at, he sighed. Any of the symbols except that one could mean just coincidence. But the fact that it was that one, the symbol that the Dark Son has always used, meant one thing. This girl, Amy, was chosen before her death to be sacrificed by Kell to open the Gates of Hell.
"Then, we need to find this girl, Amy, and keep her hidden until the alignment of the stars comes and goes." Thomas said.
Glances flicked from face to face, not anyone knowing what to say. Finally, though, Willow spoke up, looking at Thomas. "There are some things you need to know about Amy."
"I'm listening." Thomas said.
Willow explained, in rather vivid detail of everything Amy had done in her life. Starting with her use of dark magic that turned her into a rat to her involvement with the warlock named Rack to finally, the recent events that led to her being taken to a monastery outside Sunnydale.
Thomas listened with a growing sense of dread. He had hoped that this woman Amy might not have been the woman because according to the Prophecy, the woman with the mark would be someone who's life was tinged around darkness and anger. And as he listened to the redhead, he knew that Amy was indeed the woman that Kell needed to fulfill his elements before the alignment happens. After she finished, Thomas took a deep breath. "We need to get to that monastery and get her. Even though there is a magical barrier around it, Kell's powers are much too powerful now. If he gets there before we do and takes her, all our efforts will be for nothing."
"We can leave first thing in the morning." Buffy said, her voice solid and had the tone that spoke of no argument.
"How long will it take us to get there?" Giles asked. The only one of them who had been there was Jacob as he had taken Amy to the monastery.
"It will take us a few days to get there. The monastery itself is deep in the mountains. We can take vehicles only so far, but we'll have to hike much of the way there." Jacob answered.
"Alright, everyone, this is what we'll do." Buffy said, in leadership role, "everyone will go home and we'll all pack what we need to make this trip. We'll get to that monastery and we'll get Amy out and keep her safe somewhere."
They nodded.
"What about Anya?" Tara suddenly asked. "I mean, is she coming with us?"
"No," Buffy said, "Anya, you need to stay here and try to keep tabs on Kell's activities. You can transport yourself to us if he makes some sudden move, right?"
"Yes." Anya answered.
"Alright, then it's settled. We leave at first light for the monastery, Jacob will lead the way." Buffy told them.
As they all let the silence lengthen, one thing became clear to them. They had a big struggle ahead of them.
---**---
It was around eight o'clock when Kell called a meeting with his four Knights. He had arranged a long white dinner table with enough chairs for them to sit. All over the table were different vintages of wine and many selections of delicious food. Tonight would mark the beginning of Kell's quest to bring forth the End of Dayz. His four Knights were dressed in identical white and light gray suits. Faithlyn had on a glittering white dress. And Kell was wearing a white robe that had intricate designs all over the fabric.
As they ate, Faithlyn began to remember a conversation she had just had with Jin Kane. He had been leaning against a steel support beam at the time and he had looked troubled. She had walked up to him and spoke with him.
"Is something wrong, Jin?" Faithlyn had asked.
Jin had pursed his lips. "For the most part, men and women alike can only mend their ways only after they've made a mistake."
"Yes, that is true I suppose." Faithlyn had replied.
Jin had looked very pensive for several moments, his eyes looking over many things before looking at the night sky. "One day very soon," he had said, "we all will serve very little purpose to Kell except dead."
She had just stared at him a moment, knowing the truth of the matter. Then her eyes had gone upward and glanced at the third level. Kell had been standing there, watching them with an expressionless face. And Faithlyn had somehow knew that he had either heard their conversation or read their lips and for the first time in a very long time, she felt tendrils of fear race through her.
That had been less than an hour ago and now, they sat there, eating a delicious meal and drinking red wine. Kell rose from his seat, lifting his glass. "A toast." he said evenly. "I see tonight....as a celebration of the spirit! To all of you, who continue to serve me loyally. Even those.....who might waver....at times." he said, his eyes locked on Faithlyn and Jin.
They glanced at each other before they tensed and returned the look at Kell.
He carried on with his words. "You....are my flock! You nourish....my soul." Kell began walking around the table. "You are all part of a great journey, a destiny of fulfillment." he moved behind Jin. "And here, my friends," he said, holding a sword in front of him. He lowered the point to the ground, holding the handle. "are the instrument of that fulfillment. The giver and taker....of creation." he moved back to the front of them. "Baptized in blood, it is the living that matters...after all."
Jin slowly reached down under his chair and grasped his sword, prepared to defend his existence if it came to that. He had a sudden feeling of dread coursing through him.
"It sings like an Angel." Kell continued as he raised his sword to be even with his face, watching the blade as they smiled at him, except for Jin. "Just listen." he whispered as he slowly pulled his hands apart, revealing that the sword he held was in fact, two blades of powerful steel. As the two blades were seen, Jin's eyes flashed and he rose form his seat quickly, holding his sword in front of him.
As Jin moved up, Kell jumped onto the long table, extending his swords outward. One of them aiming at Zeke and Rayzor while the other was aimed towards Faithlyn and Jin. Jin stared at him hard, slowly shaking his head. He knew fighting was pointless now. He and the others had been lured into this trap by Kell and Jin would face whatever happened now with honor, awaiting his death. Kell projected power from his arms into the blades and powerful beams of white energy cascaded from the blades and struck the bodies of the four Knights.
They all yelled out as the powerful bolts of power surged through their bodies. Kell slowly lifted his hands into the air, the blades lifting up. And the four Knights bodies were in the air as well. The energy slowly was drained from their bodies and entered into Kell's body as he yelled out his completion of absorbing the mystical energy he needed. When it was over and the bolts of energy were no longer flickering, all that was left of the Knights of Dekhleti were piles of dust in the seats where they had stood and sat.
Smiling, Kell walked out of the room where the dinner had taken place. He had just achieved the first element that he needed. Now, he needed the girl.
---**---
Tara entered her and Willow's bedroom in silence. The redhead was already in her sleeping clothes, a sleeveless pink top with a pair of boxer shorts. She was rubbing a little lotion on her arms as her lover entered. The two women shared a familiar look. Another dangerous event was happening and they were involved. But one thing they were happy about was that neither of them were really at the center of it. Just involved.
"You okay?" Tara asked, not sure how Willow must be feeling now that they knew that Willow's high school friend, or ex-friend, Amy, was the center of Kell's plans.
Willow shook her head as she pulled the covers back and slid in. "I'm just finding it all hard to believe that we're going to be helping Amy after everything she's put us through recently." the redhead said as she watched her lover. Tara was over by the dresser. She removed her shirt first, exposing her back to Willow's appreciative eyes.
Tara reached behind her to unsnap her bra and let the garment fall to where her shirt lay. Unbuckling her pants, she slid them down and and put them with the other two items. And finally, her back still facing Willow, she pulled down her white panties and put them on top of the other clothes. Reaching into the dresser, she pulled out her sleevless cut off shirt and pulled it over her chest. She grabbed a pair of her boxers and pulled them on before she picked up her discarded clothes and took them to the hamper on the other side of the room. Reaching up, she let her hair down from the clip she'd had holding it up. When that was finished, she climbed into bed next to her lover and cuddled up against her side.
Willow flipped out the light and before she lay back down, her eyes locked on the two suitcases that were filled with clothes they were taking with them. She sighed as she relaxed against the bed and pulled Tara's body against her.
"What's wrong?" Tara asked.
"I hate this." Willow answered.
"What?"
"The constant fighting. I hate having to constantly be involved in some conflict or another." Willow said honestly.
Tara pressed her cheek against Willow's skin above the shirt. "I know you do. I hate it too but...it's something we can't get away from. Even if we moved out of the house and got our own place, I still think we'd always run the risk of getting into trouble one way or another."
Willow swallowed. "Then how....how are we supposed to get married, raise this child together, knowing we're constantly going to have to fight every day?"
Tara pursed her lips, hating that Willow seemed to be in this much emotional pain. "It's what we do Will. We live and we do it as best we can. Sure, we are going to have to fight to keep what we have and that's just a part of life. What I guess I'm trying to say is......Will, we've already faced a whole lot more than any two people should have to....to just be together. And our journey isn't over. But I think deep down, that you and I together, can brave any storm, can face any danger, no matter how dangerous, and still come out of it together and happy." Tara told her lover, giving her a kiss on the lips.
Willow smiled at her, returning the kiss. They both sighed together as familiar tingles surged through their bodies. It seemed that every time they kissed, their passions flared. But they knew that for right now, they needed to rest. There was no time for lovemaking tonight. Tara relaxed her body against Willow's and closed her eyes, feeling Willow's arm tighten around her. Willow closed her eyes, just glad to still have this closeness with her Tara.
---**---
Jacob pulled his black Trans Am in front of the Summers House and turned the engine off as he opened his door. He wore his usual getup, with his armored vest over his shirt. His face was set in all business as he walked up to the front door. He had his bags packed full of other shirts and pants, but mostly weapons. Stopping in front of the door, he knocked softly before he entered. There wasn't anyone in the living room, so he walked towards the kitchen. He saw the littler Summers sister rinsing out a bowl she had ate cereal with.
"Hello Dawn. Where is everyone?" Jacob asked.
Dawn smiled at him. "Hey Jacob. Um...Buffy's upstairs packing a few things. Willow and Tara are upstairs, getting dressed. And Giles came by this morning to pick up Xander and Buffy. They're getting a van to take everyone else. Buffy wanted me to tell you that me she'll ride with you and the rest of us will ride in the van."
He nodded. "Alright. That should work." he said, looking at the Slayer's sister. Dawn was wearing a light purple long sleeved shirt with a pair of black pants. She had her hair combed back.
Dawn looked at him. She studied him for several minutes before she spoke. "You like my sister, don't you."
Jacob was silent. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean. You like her as in.....you have romantic feelings for her." Dawn said.
Jacob sighed, he had hoped he'd kept his feelings guarded and a secret. Obviously he hadn't. "Yes, I do. But there are complications."
"There always are. Complications I mean. Especially for Buffy." Dawn said.
"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, interested.
Dawn trusted Jacob, that much the younger sister knew. And she thought he would be a good thing for Buffy. That's why the next words out of her mouth were ones she knew she shouldn't say, but she felt dignified in saying them. "It's just that the last guy, a vampire really, that Buffy had feelings for...well, he hurt her pretty badly."
"I know all about Angel, Dawn." Jacob told her.
She shook her head. "I'm not talking about Angel. I'm talking about the fling she had with Spike."
"Spike?"
"Yes, he's this creep who used to hate Buffy's guts. Now he's all obsessed with her. Stealing her clothes, even having a robot version of her to have sex with. Last year, though, because of Buffy's recent situation, they kind of slept together for a while. When she finally stopped it, Spike almost raped her. We haven't seen hide nor hair from him since." Dawn explained.
Jacob appeared calm on the outside, but anyone who knew him well had seen him, they would have recognized the signs. If Giles had been there, he'd of seen the lines of fury that were on his face and the look that was in his eyes. Jacob was really wishing that this Spike was in Sunnydale so he could seek him out and give him a good beating. Worse than that, Jacob was ready to stake him. Jacob needed to get his bearings under control before the others arrived. Sighing, he tried to calm down.
---**---
Less than ten minutes later, a black van pulled up in the driveway at the Summers House. Giles, Xander, and Buffy exited the van as they headed to the house. Entering, they entered the living room. Xander was wearing a regular white t-shirt over a pair of blue jeans. Buffy wore a blue sleeveless shirt with a flower design on it over a pair of her black pants, and Giles wore his usual gray sweater with a white shirt under it and a pair of black jeans.
Willow and Tara were sitting close together on the couch when they entered. The two witches looked up as they entered the house. Both were dressed for the long day ahead of them. Tara was dressed in a long sleeved t-shirt of a deep green color. She had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A pair of blue jeans covered her legs. Her lover had worn something different than that. Willow wore a dark red top that covered her stomach, her chest and part of her shoulders. A light green sweater was over her shirt. She wore a pair of dark pants over her legs.
"You guys ready?" Buffy asked.
The witches nodded.
Jacob entered with Dawn. "We're ready too." Jacob said, glancing at the Slayer.
"Alright, I'm riding with Jacob and the rest of you will go ahead in the van." Buffy told them.
"Once we leave, it'll probably take us the better part of two hours to get to the point to where we'll have to hike the rest of the way. We should get going." Jacob told them.
Within moments, Jacob and Buffy were in his Trans Am, pulling away from the house. Giles was driving the van with Xander in the seat next to him. Dawn sat behind Giles with Thomas just behind her, looking through his notebooks. And the two witches had taken the long seat in the back. Together, the entire group headed out of Sunnydale, on their way to get Amy from the monastery before Kell could get to them.
None of them saw it, but Kell had been watching from behind a tree. He smiled evilly. They were going to lead him right to her.
---**---
The drive out of Sunnydale on towards the point where they would have to hike the remainder of the way was in relative silence. Jacob and Buffy were in the Trans Am and ahead of the van Giles had gotten ahold of. Right now, they were about fifteen minutes from reaching their destination and Buffy was watching the greenery they passed as she contemplated the conversation she wanted to start with Jacob. It was a topic she'd wanted to approach with him for a while, but she wasn't sure if it was one he'd want to take part in.
Right now, they were on a pretty smooth dirt road that led to the point to where they would have to hike and they were fifteen minutes from that spot. Forging ahead, Buffy decided to take the chance. "Hey Jacob?" she asked, starting the conversation.
"Yeah?" the Daywalker replied, his hand staying on the steering wheel as he moved the vehicle forward. He kept a conscious eye on the mirror every few minutes to make sure the van was following.
"If this is a little too personal, feel free to not answer. I was wondering about.....the vampire that you've been searching for." Buffy said gently.
Watching him, she saw Jacob's face twitch as he thought her words over in his mind. After a few seconds, he relaxed. "What about it?"
"Do you know anything about the vamp?" Buffy asked.
Jacob watched the fields all around them for a few seconds as he prepared to answer. "I don't know the vamp's name, but I've been able to learn a little about him. Some of my contacts tell me he's killed two Slayers in his lifetime and that he has blonde hair." Jacob paused. "This may or may not be relevant, but I've been told that the vamp was originally from England, well before he was turned."
Buffy tried to keep her feeling of dread from reaching her face as she turned her face to the window. She was starting to have a really bad feeling about what Jacob told her. A vampire that killed two Slayers, was from England originally, and had blonde hair. And Buffy knew a vampire that had those three things in common. Mere coincidence, Buffy hoped so, otherwise things were going to get a whole lot icky if Spike ever showed up in Sunnydale again. She sighed and relaxed against the seat as their trip continued.
About twenty minutes later, the two cars arrived at the point where the vehicles couldn't go any further. Both vehicles had moved slower and that being the reason they arrived five minutes later than normal. Opening the car door, Jacob exited his Trans Am and popped the trunk. Buffy was already out and heading back to where the van was stopping. As the others began leaving the van, Jacob began moving through his stuff in the trunk.
He unsnapped his vest and slid it off so he could pull over his shoulders two leather slings on either side of the built in sheath that held his sword in place. As the others watched in rapt fascination, Jacob first pulled out a rifle shotgun and sheathed it on the sling on his left side at his back. He had a refill of ammunition in one of his pockets on his pants. Reaching into his trunk, he pulled out a bazooka and snapped it into the sling on the right side of his back. Then he pulled his armored vest back over his shoulders and snapped it closed.
"Where in the world do you come up with that stuff?" Xander asked, astonished.
Jacob picked his sword up out of the trunk and turned to them, sheathing it at his back. "I have contacts all around the world. Some of them are into weaponry. Occasionally, some of them will give me new weapons. I've only had this bazooka for a few months."
"Alright, we need to get moving." Giles said, his voice brooking no argument.
And that's what they did. The locked the two vehicles up and grabbed the things they would need and began heading out. Although suitcases were packed, they had decided that since they would be traveling for a lengthy amount of time, it would be better to leave them in the cars. They only grabbed a change of clothes and headed out.
Jacob and Buffy were in the front, leading the way as Jacob showed them how to get to the monastery that had Amy in it. Willow and Tara walked a few feet behind the two chosen ones with Dawn and Thomas a little ways behind them and Giles and Xander brought up the rear, the entire group heading upwards into the mountains.
"This is a beautiful place." Tara said, her eyes looking over the grassy fields and the few clouds that grazed the blue sky.
Willow nodded. She'd removed the light green sweater and had it stuffed in the bag she carried over her shoulder. "It's very beautiful." she said, appreciating the view of the area as they continued to move upward.
"You know..." Tara murmured, flicking her eyes to Willow's face, "if you wanted, we could.....um....have the wedding somewhere out here."
It was the one subject that they hadn't really talked about. Even though the wedding was getting closer, they had shied away from speaking about it because of the arguments that had risen about it. Willow had wanted at least some of her Jewish customs to be involved, but Tara wanted it to be the traditional handfasting that she'd learned about as a child.
"Out here, in the wild?" Willow replied.
"No." the blonde shook her head. "I mean....out here....somewhere beautiful like this. I just think it would be a nice place to have our wedding, that's all."
"Having a wedding out here would be a perfect thing, Tara. I think we should plan it that way. Well, given that we survive this mess."
"Oh...we will." Tara said, smiling at her lover.
"How can you be so sure?" Willow asked.
Tara put her hands in her pockets. "Well, first of all, we have the Slayer and the Daywalker on our side. And second, every single one of has a motivation to win and not let this guy Kell win." she said, "I mean, Xander has his future with Anya that he wants to have. Dawn has her life in front of her and I do know she wants to live it. You and me, well we have a wedding to have and a family to raise. Giles has the motivation to see Buffy have her happiness and as for Buffy and Jacob, correct me if I'm wrong....but, they seem to be falling for each other."
Willow wrapped her fingers around Tara's forearm as she leaned closer. "Yeah, they are. At first, I was kind of surprised by it, but....they fit. I wouldn't have thought it....but they do."
"Well, there you go. We all have very good reasons to see this through, so we'll make it." Tara said. "But to be honest, I'm more worried about Amy than anything else."
"Why?" Willow asked.
"Will, Amy hates all of us. She hates you because it took you so long to turn her back to human and that wasn't your fault. She shouldn't be blaming you for that because she was the stupid one, turning herself into one." Tara shook her head. "Anyway, she's not too fond of you because you wouldn't do magic with her and she blames the rest of us for that too. I'm just not convinced that when we get there, she'll accept our words and come peacefully."
Willow had her arm linked through her lover's. "Maybe being in this monastery's doing Amy some good. Maybe these monks up here are helping her gain peace with herself." Willow supplied, hopeful about her school time friend.
"We can hope." Tara answered, leaning into Willow.
Up ahead of the witches, Jacob was chatting with Buffy as the group continued to hike up the path that was now surrounded by the beginnings of the mountain. He had unsnapped his vest to let some of the cool air hit him to help him cool off. He had his senses alert, though, in case of any dangers that might come their way.
"Are you sure it's gonna take us three days to get there?" Buffy asked, wiping her forehead of the sweat that had gathered there.
Jacob glanced at both sides of the walls they were walking between. "Actually, we've made very good time. We're further along than I thought we'd be by now. If we keep this up, we'll be there tomorrow evening."
"Good, that's very good." Buffy replied.
"Not much of a hiker, are you?" Jacob glanced at her.
"Me? No way. The most hiking I've ever done in my life is going through my yard when the grass is high." Buffy told him.
He chuckled. "I've hiked a lot in my younger years. Before....before the thirst for blood had taken control of me." he said.
"Before Giles found you." Buffy said.
He nodded. "Yes, Rupert did a lot for me and he didn't have to. He saved my life then."
"And...since then you've always gone after vamps and demons?"
He shrugged. "Like I've been saying, I want revenge on the monster that is responsible for my thirst for blood. I want the satisfaction of knowing I achieved my quest. That I brought peace to myself and to my mother's memory."
"And you think staking the vamp's gonna do that?" Buffy asked gently.
Jacob was silent as he thought about her statement. The questions she was asking him about his mother and the vamp that attacked her were a little personal to him, but the Daywalker knew that if he wanted a relationship with her that was more than just allies, he had to truthful with her.
"I think..." he paused, "I think that if I can at least confront him, confront the vampire that did this to my mother, to me, then I can have the peace I've always sought. Because, every time I've staked a vampire, every time I've slain a demon, I feel like I've gotten back a little piece of the life I could have had."
Buffy nodded, keeping silence as they all continued on.
Pa
[/b][/u]
The group of hikers moved through the mountain area quickly and without much trouble for the remainder of that day and they found a nice place to make camp. They made camp next to a small lake, which was exactly what everyone needed. They all used the lake to refill their canteens and to privately bathe. Even though they slept on the ground, it wasn't much of a problem. Willow and Tara slept in a secluded area, cuddled together. Dawn slept close to the lake with the others sleeping around her as well.
When the next morning rolled around, they were all ready to move on. With the progress they had made the day before, Jacob anticipated them to arrive at the monastery before the day's end. So just after the sun rose to begin the start of a new day, they were off, away from the lake they had camped at and on their way to the monastery, Jacob leading them.
Jacob had just told them that they had less than a mile to go before reaching it. Jacob was in the lead with Giles and Thomas, the three talking about the Prophecy of the End of Dayz. Xander was a little ways behind them, just looking around the greenery as he moved. Dawn was chatting with Tara behind him and Buffy was walking with Willow, the two bringing up the rear. Willow noticed something with her friend and she questioned her about it.
"Something bothering you, Buffy?" Willow asked.
Buffy stared ahead for a few moments as she watched Jacob walk. She then looked at the redhead. "Can you keep a secret, Will?"
Willow's eyebrows hiked. "Um, I can try I guess. But you know me and secrets don't go well together."
The Slayer nodded. "Will, I think I know the vampire that killed Jacob's mother and made him what he is."
Willow stopped cold for a moment before she started walking again. She was truly shocked by the news. "You know?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure it's someone you and I both know. Jacob told me that the vamp was English, had blonde hair, and that the vamp killed two Slayers in his lifetime." Buffy told her friend, watching for her reaction.
Willow merely looked ahead as they continued to walk ahead. "So, you think it's Spike."
Buffy nodded. "Those three things have one thing in common. Spike. I can't ignore it."
"Are you going to tell him?" Willow asked.
Buffy looked at the ground. "How can I?" she looked at the redhead. "Because if I do, he's going to find out about the whole sleeping with Spike and I definitely don't want him finding out about that. At least, not yet."
Willow looked at her. "Buffy, you can't keep this secret much longer. And I think that Jacob's going to find out about Spike whenever he returns to Sunnydale."
"You think Spike's coming back." Buffy said.
"Yeah, I'm sure of it. I don't think we'll ever be rid of him." Willow said.
Buffy shook her head but she was unable to argue with that logic. Ever since that first night with Spike, Buffy had felt changed. She had made a decision that she knew would change everything and it had. Ever since that night in the bathroom and learning of Spike's disappearance, she'd started wondering where Spike went. Was his pain at what he almost did driving him to stay away or was he acknowledging the beast within him? Those were thoughts she had thought about.
She shook her head, continuing on with the hike. She changed the subject. "So how are things with you and Tara?" she asked.
"We're doing great." Willow replied, a smile hitting her face whenever she thought or talked about the blonde witch. "Yesterday, she kind of hinted at me about having our wedding out here, you know in the country."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, it seems like a good idea to me."
"Yeah, it would be nice." Willow said, imagining the wedding being held out in the sun with a grassy field surrounding them. Just thinking about it made her insides surge with the warmth she felt whenever she thought about Tara.
"So, you two looking forward to having this baby?" Buffy asked, pointing at Willow's stomach.
The redhead grinned at her. "Oh yeah. Tara's so happy about it, she even suggested going shopping for maternity wear. Wouldn't that be something?"
"Yeah, that would be great." Buffy felt happy for her friend. At least one of them was starting to have better days in their lives.
The redhead woman and Buffy slowed as Jacob, Thomas, and Giles stopped. They had stopped at the top of a very high and steep hill. As they drew near, Jacob turned. "What is it?" Buffy asked.
Jacob pointed down the steep hill. "We're here."
Buffy looked down the hill and her eyes widened. There was a compound made out of wood and stone. A rectangular shaped fort with a stone gate surrounding it was visible. Within the gate was many homes made out of wooden logs and other hard materials like stone and rock. At the front gate where they were facing, they could see two monks standing guard.
"That's a pretty large monastery." Buffy noted.
"Well, a lot of the monasteries have been attacked by different demons and such so the elders of the monasteries have increased the defenses here. Come on, we need to hurry before Kell finds this place." Jacob said.
"You think he knows about it?" Willow asked as Tara came to stand beside her.
They started moving down the steep hill towards the valley where the monastery was built. "Maybe not yet, but this Amy's in his blood just like he's in hers. He can feel her presence and I'm sure he's on his way right now."
They moved down the hill that led to the front gate in only minutes and they soon found themselves facing two monks in yellow cloth robes. The two guards held quarterstaffs in their hands as the group approached. "What business have you here?" the monk on the right asked. He had a bald head and pale gray eyes.
Jacob pulled his black glove off his right hand and held his palm out, facing the monks. "I am a brother of the monastery. I seek to speak with Josiah concerning a great matter."
Upon seeing the mark that adorned Jacob's palm, the monks bowed their head. It was a mark that Jacob had been born with. It was also the mark that designated the Daywalker. Most of the monasteries in existence knew of the legend of the Daywalker and that the Daywalker had a mark on his hand. Without further word, the monks opened the gates to the monastery and the group were ushered inside.
The semi-large group entered the monastery's compound, seeing the attention they were drawing by the looks on the faces of all of the monks. Jacob led them to the larges building on the compound, the worship chamber. Jacob opened the double steel doors and led them inside. As before, Josiah was sitting on his small throne as they approached. He didn't look at all surprised to see them, just very concerned.
Jacob lowered himself to one knee and lightly kissed Josiah's knuckles in respect to the older man. "Josiah, you know why we are here."
Josiah nodded. He answered, his voice slightly choked as he was battling a fever at the time. "Yes, the demon has risen from his Hell dimension and you are here for the woman you brought to me."
Jacob nodded, rising to his feet. "Let me introduce you..."
"There is no need, Jacob. I know already who these are. You are the Vampire Slayer." Josiah said. She nodded. "And you are...no....you were the Key."
Dawn nodded, surprised that Josiah knew that. He continued. "You are Xander, loyal friend to the Slayer. You...you are her Watcher." Giles nodded. Then Josiah's eyes flickered to Thomas. "You....you are a man who's studied this Prophecy that predicts these events."
"I am." Thomas replied.
Josiah nodded as his gaze flickered to the witches, watching him. He smiled. "You are witches. Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay. I have been told much about you by the Powers That Be."
"Yo...you have?" Tara stuttered.
"Yes, but now is not the time to discuss that. Mikas?" he summoned one of the other monks.
"Yes Josiah." Mikas said, kneeling down.
"Bring Amy here." the older monk said.
"At once." Mikas said, turning and disappearing around the corner.
Josiah turned back to the assembled group. "You do not have much time."
"What do you mean?" Giles asked.
Josiah let out a breath. "The alignment of the planets isn't happening at the time the Prophecy predicts. The alignment's happening tonight."
"How do you know this?" Jacob asked, concerned.
"I receive visions from the Powers. They showed me a rather powerful vision last night. It involved all of you being here. But it also involved Kell, the Dark Son, being here as well. The only observation I can make is that he's followed you. He's not far from here as we speak."
Looks of dread and worry passed over their faces. "What are we going to do?" Buffy asked.
Josiah looked at his old hands. "I have already explained this to the girl. She knows the words to be true because recently, she has began seeing Kell in her nightmares. She knows he's coming to sacrifice her in order to open the Gates and she's ready to help you in any way possible."
"Amy," Xander spoke up, "how is she? I mean, have you reached her while she's been here?"
The older monk looked at Xander. "It has been a difficult experience, but she has finally seen the damage of her actions and she's ready to atone for them. She may still be difficult at times, but she's ready nonetheless."
The door behind Josiah opened and Mikas returned, Amy following behind. The entire group looked surprised at her appearance. She looked much different than when Jacob took her from Sunnydale. Her skin had the darker shade to it that comes from being exposed in the sun. Her hair was slightly longer than it was before and she was wearing an orange cloth robe tied at the waist by a yellow silk sash. She looked nervously at them, trying to smile but knowing the memories of what she did to them.
"Hello Amy." Buffy said, trying to be polite to her. But with all the memories of what Amy had done still fresh in her mind, she was having a difficult time.
"Hi." Amy said, still not sure if they were going to be civil with her.
"Amanda, please come here." Josiah said.
She obeyed at once, moving over and kneeling next to the monk. "Yes Josiah."
"Do you remember that conversation we had earlier about your nightmares?"
She nodded.
"That time has arrived. The Dark Son will be here momentarily. I want you to do whatever the Slayer and Daywalker tell you. They will keep you safe from his evil." Josiah said.
"Okay." Amy replied, looking at the two of them.
Thomas moved forward. "May I see your mark?"
Amy rolled up her sleeve and showed the symbol that she was born with to Thomas. He nodded and sighed at the same time. "Then it's true. He really is coming for you." Thomas said with a tone of regret.
"Listen to me," Josiah said, motioning to all of them, "I have enough mystical energy to teleport six of you to a far off destination. But Buffy and Jacob must remain to protect Amy from the Dark Son."
Buffy looked at her friends and looked at Josiah. "Alright, teleport them to the vehicles that we left. We'll get Amy there on foot."
"Buffy no!" Giles said angrily.
"That's suicide!!" Willow urged.
"Willow there's no room for argument here. Jacob and I need for all of you to be somewhere safe. We can't constantly be worrying about you when Kell gets here." Buffy said to her friend. She looked at Tara for support.
As much as Tara didn't like the idea of Buffy and Jacob going up against Kell by themselves, she knew this was the way things had to go. And she felt an inner peace that told her everything would work out in the end. She grabbed Willow's arm. "Will, it'll be okay. Buffy and Jacob can take care of themselves."
"I...I know....it's just..." Willow stammered, "Buffy....I don't......want to be leaving here thinking I won't see you again."
Buffy held Willow's hands. "You won't. Me and Jacob are going to get through this. We'll see you in Sunnydale, I promise!"
Reluctantly, Willow nodded.
A monk came running in through the entrance. "The Dark Son is here! He's just gotten through the front gate."
Josiah stood on his weak legs. "Alright, let's get you there."
"What about Amy? I mean, shouldn't she come with us?" Dawn asked, looking at the nervous former witch.
"No." Jacob said. "If we did that, Kell would know the moment the teleportation takes place. He wouldn't even waste his time with us. We need to keep her with us."
Giles looked at Buffy. Without saying anything, he walked up to her and embraced her with all the emotion he felt towards her. "Take care of yourself and of Jacob." Giles said in a tone so low that only she would hear.
"I will." she whispered back.
Walking over, Giles gave Jacob the type of hug that only a father would give a son, full of caring and love. "Don't let yourself get killed, Jacob. And watch out for Buffy." the Watcher whispered.
"You know I'll do my best." Jacob said, releasing the Watcher.
Giles nodded and returned to the group. Josiah raised his hands into the air and closed his eyes. His lips were moving, but he wasn't using his voice. He was mouthing an ancient Arabic language based spell that was created to shift living beings from one place to another. The only thing about the spell was that the person doing it had to be very powerful and be able to withstand the exhaustion that doing the spell causes.
The air around Dawn, Willow, Tara, Giles, Thomas, and Xander cackled and began glowing different colors. Moments later, the energy surrounded their bodies and a flash of light filled the entire room. When the light ended, they were no longer there. Josiah's legs buckled and he would have fallen to the floor had Mikas not been there. The monk carried the older monk from the room as Buffy and Jacob looked at each other. Their friends were safe and now, they just had to wait for Kell to show up so they could begin to keep Amy safe.
Less than ten seconds passed since Mikas took Josiah out of the room when the double doors were pushed open and there he was, the Dark Son Kell, standing in the center of the entrance, his hands on the two doors, watching the Slayer and the Daywalker before letting his eyes gaze at Amy. The demon in human form was wearing a pair of dark pants with a deep black colored robe over his upper body. It was tied together at the sides and there were four flaps. There was a black flap on the side of his right leg, the side of his left leg, a flap in front of his legs, and a flap at the back of his legs. He had a sword in it's sheat at his waist on his left side and on the chest of his robe was his symbol, the eyed triangle inside of the perfect circle. Kell let his fingers slide off the door as he walked down the aisle towards the three. Amy visibly cringed and moved behind Jacob and Buffy, who stood at the end of the aisle.
"Well..." Kell's voice rang out, "here we are! The Slayer and the Daywalker, facing OFF with the Big Bad villain!"
Jacob kept his eyes on Kell. "You know why we're here."
"Yes, I do." Kell replied. "But it will be of no consequence. None of you can stop me from achieving my destiny! I will open the Gates tonight! And there's nothing either of you can do to stop me!"
"We're going to see about that." Jacob said as he took one step forward. "Buffy?"
"Yeah?" Buffy replied, making sure Amy was behind her.
"Take Amy and start heading back the way we came." Jacob told her.
Buffy's head snapped to his. "What!"
Jacob looked at her. "Just do it. I'll catch up, I promise."
With a curse, Buffy grabbed Amy's arm and pulled her towards one of the side exits. Kell watched them leave then looked back at Jacob. "You want to fight me one on one?"
Slowly, Jacob reached behind him with his right gloved hand and pulled his sword from it's sheath. Kell did the same by pulling his sword free. The two fighters looked at each other in silence for long moments before they both moved forward and collided swords.
END OF NEW UPKudos!!!
Edited by: xita 
at: 9/8/04 10:09 pm
DISCLAIMERS 
:hat 
so are there moe to come??
at: 6/13/02 8:14:39 pm