DISCLAIMERS:
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: I've always wrote Power Rangers fanfiction, never really wrote any other genre. I've always wanted to write fanfiction for a different show, but I never got the desire to until now. About a year ago, I started getting into Buffy and started watching the repeats on FX. I only started watching from season three on up and I really loved the way the relationship between Willow and Tara developed. Something new and different for TV. Then, I started downloading the full Season 6 eps from the Internet and I was really agitated by Willow's actions. It was so completely different from the earlier seasons. Then, the breakup happened, and I just kept watching with hopes of them getting back together. They finally did in Entrophy and now, they're separated again. I hope Joss and his writers bring Tara back in Season 7, I really do. But, if that doesn't happen, I can turn to fanfiction for their ongoing story. I'm beginning this story having not seen Villains, Two to Go, and Grave. I'm writing this story just going by everything I've read through the many spoiler sites that have usually accurate info. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my first BtVS story. Email goes to letsrocket_1998@yahoo.com
START OF MEGA UPDATE
About six o'clock that day, everyone was back at the Summers' House. Giles was in the kitchen, throwing some things together for an early supper for them. Xander and Buffy were in the living room, just relaxing on the couch when the front door opened. At first, Buffy was going to rush for her sword, but she relaxed when she saw her younger sibling enter. Dawn looked first towards the kitchen, then at her sister and Xander. She noticed their faces and the seriousness that was attached to their faces and her concern hit.
"Wha....what happened?" she demanded.
"Calm down Dawn." Buffy said.
Dawn looked around, seeing Giles with a white apron on as he was cooking a meal. She saw Xander and her sister and that only left one person who was missing. Dawn swallowed hard. "Did something happen to Willow?" she asked.
Buffy walked over to her sister. "Dawn, we have some stuff we need to tell you. It involves Willow. She's fine right now, but I need you to listen. Alright?"
Dawn nodded, sitting down as she listened to Buffy and Xander explain a lot of things to her. The small group ate the dinner that Giles had cooked while he explained, in detail, everything that had happened since the funeral. She sat while they explained to her the original visit by this woman named Sonya Baxter. She listened as they described everything from Tara's resurrection to the arrival of Deacon to Tara's abduction by both Sonya and Deacon. By the time they were finished, Dawn was shocked into silence.
"But......Tara was dead. How...." she was astonished.
Giles and Buffy shared glances. "Yes. But, like we've been telling you...things happened and Tara was brought back. Only now, our new enemy has her captive and he plans to use her tomorrow night for something very...." he paused to find the right words.
"Evil." Buffy supplied.
"Yes...evil." Giles gave the Slayer a look.
" But Willow's okay then?" Dawn wanted to know.
"Yes. She's upstairs right now. We're going to wait until morning to share everything we know." Buffy answered.
Dawn nodded before she headed towards the stairs. "I'm going to go see her." she said as she began heading up the stairs.
Buffy watched her leave with a frown on her face. "She's handling everything better than I thought she would."
"I don't think she's completely believing you about the Tara thing. Remember how she was when your mom died?" Giles said softly.
The Slayer nodded, remembering the pain she went through when she told Dawn about her mother's passing. "Well, it's pretty late. Let's all get some sleep and once we're all rested, we'll go over everything we have about this ceremony."
"That is an idea I'm all for." Xander sighed as he headed to the spare room Buffy was letting him stay in. Buffy headed to the stairs, but turned and regarded her Watcher. She frowned at seeing the serious tint in his eyes.
"Giles?"
Giles shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts and glanced at Buffy. "Yes?"
"What are you thinking? It seemed pretty important." Buffy asked him, crossing her arms across her chest.
The Watcher sighed, not sure if he wanted to worry her. But, he knew he couldn't hold any more secrets in because, in a way, it was all these secrets that led to this situation they were in. Things had been strained for all of them because they all had secrets they were withholding. Giles had been concealing his desire to return to England for a good long time. Buffy had hid her secret about being in Heaven, Xander with his nervousness about getting married. Willow's secret had been a little more serious as she had held back the information about putting the spell on Tara's mind. All in all, it was those secrets that led them to this point.
"I figured out what Deacon needs Tara for. The book I found at the Magic Shop describes it in detail." Giles glanced at the floor.
Buffy waited. "And?"
Giles looked up. "Get some rest. I'll explain in the morning. It would be better to tell everyone at the same time anyways."
Reluctantly, Buffy nodded as she headed up the stairs, glancing back a few times to see Giles's eyes go serious again as he walked over to couch. Giles sat down and glanced at the open book that described the ceremony. On it, there was a small picture of a person strapped to a stone device, deep gashes in the person's wrists. Giles took a deep breath, knowing that things had gone from very complicated to extremely complicated and he wasn't liking it at all.
---**---
Dawn rapped her hand against the white wood door softly, waiting only a moment before she slowly pushed the door open and entered Willow's room. She was still trying to accept the news that Tara was somehow still alive and well, just not in the best of places right now. She looked inside and saw Willow sitting on the bed, facing the door. Willow's gaze flickered up as she saw Dawn enter. "Willow?" Dawn spoke tentatively.
Willow rose after a moment and walked to where Dawn was standing. Wrapping her arms around Dawn's shoulders, she gave the younger Summers sibling a gentle hug, feeling Dawn returned the hug with just as much caring. "Hey Dawnie." Willow whispered into her hair.
"How are you?" Dawn asked as she pulled back to gaze at the redhead.
Willow shook her head, sitting back down on the bed. "I'm........I'm a wreck." she finally said. "These last few days have just been.....so exhausting for me. I mean, I get Tara back and....the woman who helped bring her back turns on us and now, the possibility of losing Tara again is....possible." she stammered.
Dawn sat down next to Willow. "Well, let me tell you something Willow. I think when the time comes, we won't fail. I know Buffy blamed herself for Tara being shot and your falling into the dark magic and she blames it all on herself."
"But, that wasn't her fault. It was mine." Willow urged, walking over to the bedroom window. The window was just recently replaced, as was the carpet.
Dawn watched her. "I know it wasn't Buffy's fault and you know it, but Buffy is convinced she could have done something to stop Warren before he even brought out the gun. Anyways, I'm glad Tara's back. I wanna see her so bad."
Willow turned around and looked at Dawn. "I know you do and I know Tara wants to see you too. She loves you like the sister she never had."
Dawn's eyes glistened at the words. "She told you that?"
Willow nodded. "Yes. After we first moved in here, after Buffy's death, me and Tara had a long talk about a lot of things. She told me that she looks at you like you were the sister she never had. She loves you and I know she's going to want to see you when this is all over. If she survives that is."
Dawn went over and embraced the redhead. "She's going to get through this Willow. The reason I know this is because Buffy's not going to let anything bad happen and I know you're not going to let anything happen. There's too many people determined to fail here."
Willow smiled for the youngster's benefit, her doubts still lingering there. She wiped her hand across her eyes. "Go ahead and get some sleep, Dawnie. We're going to meet in the morning and go over strategy for tomorrow night."
Dawn nodded as she rose. She walked over to the door and smiled at Willow, hoping her smile would rid her of the doubts that the younger girl could feel lingering there. Closing the door behind her, Dawn headed to her room to get ready for bed.
---**---
A shimmer of dark energy materialized in the center of the penthouse suite that Deacon was currently holding up in. Sonya Baxter materialized there and looked around at the lavish comforts that Deacon always preferred to stay in. Much like Glory, Deacon loved to live in style. The bed was covered in silk sheets, expensive paintings on the walls. She chuckled to herself as she gazed around the room. Deacon was standing by the table where all of the scrolls were lying.
"It's about time you showed up." Deacon said, standing up and looking at her. "Where have you been?"
Sonya's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. "You know," she sidestepped his question, "the last time I checked, you were not my superior. I don't have to answer to you, Deacon. Just remember, I'm only helping you because you made me a promise and when this all goes down, you better keep it."
Deacon walked over to Sonya and gazed at her. "Anybody ever tell you your gorgeous when you're pissed?"
Sonya placed her right hand flat against his chest and a blast of energy rushed into Deacon as he went flying into the air, landing on the center of the bed. Deacon leaned up on his elbows and gazed back at her with hungry, lustful eyes. "Wanting to go bed with me, do you?" he leered.
Sonya shook her head. "Deacon, get your head out of the gutter. We have business to discuss."
The direct and serious tone quelled the lusty thoughts he was having. His eyes roamed over her arousing sensual form and once again, he wished she would lighten up on the business attitude and give him a roll in the sack. "Fine," he sighed, "what do you want to talk about then?"
Sonya pointed a finger at him. "You changed the plan. I want to know why?"
Nodding, he rose from the silk covered bed and walked over to where the scrolls were located. He leafed through them until he found the one he was looking for. "Look for yourself, Sonya. I found two passages in this scroll. The passages were so insignificant that my boys missed them. I didn't think much about them when I found them. Up until yesterday, I wasn't aware that a sacrifice would be needed for this ceremony to succeed. When I found the passages, I knew the plan had to change. I didn't have time to tell you, so...sorry."
Sonya read the passages carefully. The first passage stated that the blood of the Slayer would ensure completion of the ceremony. But, the other passage intoned that only a very powerful witch could be substituted for the Slayer. She shook her head, not liking what she'd read. "Well," she said, "don't worry about it Deacon. You just better give me what I want after this is over."
"I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. Now, tell me...where were you?" he changed the subject, walking over to the table and sitting down.
Sonya crossed her arms over her chest. "I was visiting Tara in the dungeon cells."
He nodded, pretty much expecting that answer. "Did you have a nice chat?"
She shook her head. "Not really. I pretty much got the response I was expecting."
"It hurts doesn't it. To know a secret about her......that you'll never be able to confide in her." Deacon laughed, leaning back in his chair.
Sonya's face hardened as she approached the table. "Don't even bring that subject up Deacon. She can never....and I mean NEVER know of what she is. Do you understand me?" she emphasized the statement with sparks running through her hands.
Deacon nodded. "Fine. But, whether the ceremony succeeds or not, you do know she's not going to survive what she'll endure?"
"Yes, I am very aware of that. It's too late for me to do anything anyways, even if I wanted to. I'll see you tomorrow." Sonya stated, not waiting before she vanished in a flash of dark energized light.
Deacon shook his head, his gaze flicking to the notebook his vampire researchers had written on. The words they'd written were deciphered from the scrolls. The passage deciphered that was written on the notebook made things clearer to Deacon. It was just one sentence, but it had a powerful meaning behind it. Deacon stared hard at the words.
The Witch or Slayer who endures the sacrifice will not survive. Thus is the will of the Blood God, La Magra.
Chapter Eight
Morning came much too quickly to the small group of Scoobies who were gathered in the living room of the Summers House. Xander had just gotten back from his apartment, where he'd showered and gotten dressed in the clothing he was going to wear tonight. He was wearing a gray short sleeved shirt with a black and red long sleeved flannel shirt over it. He had the bottom four buttons buttoned. He wore a pair of his used blue jeans over his legs. He was sitting on one end of the couch. Dawn sat next to him, on the middle of the couch. She'd gotten up earlier and had some breakfast before she showered and changed. She was wearing a dark blue sweater with a pair of black pants.
Buffy was in the kitchen, heading out of it and into the living room. She wore a light blue short sleeved shirt with her blue leather pants. Her crucifix was dangling around her neck as she entered the living room. Giles was standing near the far window. His attire was pretty much like it was the day before. He was reading through the book he'd taken from the Magic Box the day before. Buffy looked up as she heard footsteps. They all glanced at the stairs as Willow descended, waiting until she was standing next to Buffy before she stopped.
Willow had dressed in her brown jeans with her dark green turtleneck sweater over her upper body. She had her green flannel jacket in her hands. It was much the same outfit she'd worn when Glory had found out, through Tara, about Dawn being the Key. She had her hair tied back into a single pony tail as she gazed at Giles. With everyone there and accounted for, the redhead was ready for some answers. "Giles, can you explain it now?" she asked.
Giles closed the book and placed it on the table before he looked at them. This was going to be the hardest part, knowing what he would have to explain and knowing it was going to painful to them all, most of all Willow. "Alright. You better sit down, this isn't going to be pleasant."
Willow nodded, sitting down in one of the recliners. Buffy sat down on the couch next to Dawn as they listened to Giles speak. "Well, as Sonya had already told us, Deacon plans to resurrect the powers of the Blood God, La Magra. If he does this, Deacon will become nearly invincible. He will have the power to control any living being that has blood running through their body. He will be able to make a person's blood boil until they explode with just merely thinking it."
Xander paled. "Oh....man." he managed.
Giles continued. "Yes well.....in order for Deacon to even be able to perform the ceremony, he needs all of the bones of the First, which he has. He knows where the sacred Temple of Eternal Night is as well. But the one element he has to have in order for it to work is the sacrifice."
Willow swallowed. "Sacrifice?"
The Watcher nodded. "Yes. According to the ancient texts I've read on this, there needs to be an outside source of energy to channel the Blood God's powers. The powers themselves are embedded inside the bones of the First. That's why they were not destroyed by the Slayer and her team of warriors. They would have destroyed Earth if they destroyed the bones. How the ceremony will work is that the bones will be placed around him in a sacred circle. The channeling source will stabilize the powers in the bones so that Deacon can harness them." he said.
"How is this outside energy source going to channel the powers, though? I mean, Tara wouldn't willingly do it." Willow said.
Giles took a deep breath. "Whether the outside source was the Slayer or a powerful witch, the result is the same. The outside source is the person's blood. There's a device that the witch or Slayer would be hooked to and the device drains blood out of the witch or Slayer and the blood is channeled through the Temple. The blood eventually will drop onto the bones and that is how the powers are channeled from the bones into Deacon."
"Tara's blood." Dawn said after a moment.
Sadly, Giles nodded. "Yes. And, everything I've read from this book indicates that the witch or Slayer who endures the sacrifice doesn't survive it."
All eyes turned to Willow, whose eyes were downcast on the floor. Willow somehow was expecting something like this. Having things go smoothly was never a possibility for them and Willow had already accepted the fact that this was going to happen. After a few moments of silence, she looked up. "Do we know where this Temple is?" she asked.
Giles nodded. "I've been looking through some of the older maps of Sunnydale. There's a couple of places to the north of Sunnydale that the temple could be. As soon as we finish up here, I was going to get us a van and head out there. It's going to take a while to even find a way into the Temple and we don't have much time left."
Willow nodded. "Is that all we know about this?"
Giles turned to Buffy. The Slayer rose and walked over to a table where the case that Shakijan gave them was laying. "That demon that works with the Council, Shakijan, gave us this." she said as she opened the case. "He said that if Deacon succeeds with the ceremony, this stake can kill him. But, I'll have to taste his blood first. Otherwise, I can kill him with this stake before he succeeds."
"A silver stake?" Willow's voice was incredulous.
Buffy shook his head. "No, he said it's made from a type of metal that is Deacon's only vulnerability right now."
Giles retook the focus of the conversation. "At any rate, Willow....we're going to need your help right now." His voice was serious.
She looked at him in confusion. "Me?"
The Watcher nodded. "Yes, before last night happened, our plan existed around the binding spell you and Tara were supposed to do. With last night's developments, I've come up with a new plan of action for us to use. I spent a couple hours this morning going through most of Tara's magic books. There's a spell in one of her light based magic books that I believe you can do."
Willow watched him.
"It's a spell that calls on the very essence of the Earth. It uses the essence of Earth to bind any mystical and magical energy Deacon possesses. It will work whether he had the Blood God powers or not. It's a very tricky spell and if it works, Buffy will have an easier time beating Deacon." Giles said.
Willow took a deep breath. "Giles.....I can't do any kind of magic anymore. You know what happened when I just tried to use it to get Warren. The magic consumed me."
Giles looked sympathetic at her. "Willow, what happened before happened because you used dark magic to go after Warren. And the dark magic consumed you because hate and rage filled you. I know that's different now. You will be calling on magic based in light, not dark. And I know your hatred and rage is gone. You can do this. You can do this for Tara." he emphasized the last word to get through to the redhead.
Swallowing, Willow nodded, hoping the older man was correct in his words. I'll do this for Tara. For Tara. she thought to herself as Giles grabbed his long overcoat.
"Alright, I'm going to get the van. I should be back in thirty minutes." Giles said before he turned and headed out of the house.
---**---
The Temple of Eternal Night was one of the oldest Temples in the known world. It was built by the original Blood God, La Magra. It was built before the time of Ancient Rome, before Egypt, before even the Pyramids were even a thought. Back then, vampires were gathered together under one ruler, one leader. That leader was La Magra. Unlike today's day and age, all vampires followed La Magra's rule without question and no vampire dared dispute what La Magra wanted.
The main chamber of the Temple was large, round, and spacey. It was made of the purest marble in the world. There were ancient symbols carved into the circular structure. Around the walls, there were eight symbols written into the glyphs. Deacon was standing in the center of the of the chamber, looking at each glyph. The bones of the First would be placed in a circle around him, an even number of the bones would represent each glyph. He already had the eight vampires he would need to stand under the glyphs. The witch's blood would fall from the ceiling of the chamber and drop onto the bones, the energy in the blood releasing the Blood God's powers from the bones and, once Deacon began chanting, the bones would merge with his vampire body, therefore giving him the power he desired.
Kolon and other vamps were moving around the temple, looking at the ancient carvings of their ancestors who originally resided in this place. They head Deacon talk, so they listened. "The ancestors of vampires called this place the Temple of Eternal Night. They predicted that the fall of humanity would begin inside this very temple. And tonight, humanity's fall begins." Deacon said, looking around the Temple walls.
Sonya Baxter walked out from behind one of the stone columns. She wore a pair of tight black pants and a black blouse that covered her upper body and most of her arms. She wore a golden ceremonial robe much like the robe that the hell god Glorificus wore during her final moments. Ancient symbols were embroidered all over the gold robe. Just behind her, two vampires stood, each holding one of Tara's arms as they made sure she didn't try to escape.
"Well," Deacon drawled, watching Sonya gaze at him, "the time's drawing nearer, Sonya. Sure you want to be a part of it?"
Sonya's expression was emotionless as she watched him. "Shut up Deacon. We both know why I'm helping you, so don't make any more of it than that."
He smirked. "You know, I'm really going to miss your comments when this ceremony comes down." he paused as he gazed at his vamps. "Alright, you lot. Bring in the bones and begin placing them in the correct order. I don't want any mistakes tonight."
Kolon moved forward. "You heard him, boys. I have the notes on how the bones are placed. Let's get to work."
The vamps moved away as Kolon went to retrieve the chest that contained the bones of the First. Deacon moved from the center of the temple's inner chamber and walked over to where Tara was being held. With a motion of his steel filled arm, the two vamps moved away. Deacon watched Tara's face, seeing the normal signs of fear there, but also a nagging little sense of bravery and courage that most people never showed when faced with a vampire. He smiled.
"Scared...little witch?" he asked, running the pointy end of his forefinger over her cheek.
She visibly shivered from the cold touch, but forced herself from running. She knew that would be what he'd enjoy seeing. "What do you think?" she answered with her own question.
"Sonya? Are all of her powers bound?" he asked to Sonya.
"Yes. Just as we discussed." she answered.
Deacon's eyes drilled into Tara's. "Good." he said before his right hand suddenly found itself around Tara's throat, squeezing so hard that she started gasping for desperately needed breath. He allowed his fingers to squeeze for several moments. When he felt she was about to pass out from the lack of oxygen, he relented the pressure, but he kept his hand around her throat. "Don't forget, little missy....I have the control here."
Tara didn't reply, just watched him.
"Lock her back up until the time comes for the ceremony." Deacon ordered the two vamps. As they pulled her away and back towards the dungeon cells, Sonya's eyes watched Deacon's back. One of the problems Deacon's always had was lack of trust in his allies or servants. Because, the moment his hand squeezed around Tara's throat, Sonya's entire face flashed in rage and anger and she was only a moment from reacting to it. His back was to her, so there was no way for him to see the venom being shot at him through her eyes.
Sonya cleared her expression as he turned back to her. "Tonight," Deacon said, "the world changes forever."
He walked away after saying that, Sonya's eyes following his leave.
---**---
Giles entered the front door to the Summers' House having already secured the van they would need. Parked in the driveway was a dark painted van, large enough to carry them and the weapons he had picked up to the site where he believed the Temple of Eternal Night to be. As he closed the living room behind him, he saw that everyone was more or less ready to leave. Xander was putting on his coat, Buffy already had her coat on and she tied her hair up high off her neck. Willow had put her green flannel jacket on and had let her hair off of the ponytail so it now was set freely across her shoulders. And Dawn had her hair moved into a ponytail.
"I have secured the van and some weapons for us to use." Giles informed them as he stood in the entrance between the hall and the living room.
Buffy kneeled down to grab the small bag of weapons lying on the floor. As she hefted it over her shoulder, she saw Willow stop at the front door before she walked back to stand just next to Giles. She saw the serious glint in her best friend's eyes and she suddenly realized her friend was about to say something important. She stopped as the redhead begun to speak.
"Hey guys?" Willow started, looking at each of them in the eyes before she continued, "I need all of you to understand something before we go."
"Sure Will. What is it?" Xander asked.
Willow took a deep breath. "Something occurred to me last night. I realized that if something happened to Tara, yeah I would hurt for the rest of my life. But, I realized that I would eventually continue with life. I don't want you guys worrying tonight. If something does happen and Tara doesn't.....make it, I won't go back to dark magic and try to destroy the world. But, you need to know that.......if Tara dies tonight, I won't be staying."
"You won't be staying?" Giles spoke up after a moment.
She nodded. "In Sunnydale. If Tara dies, I'll leave Sunnydale. Because being here when she's not....it's just too painful. If she doesn't make it, I'm leaving."
Given that it was a real possibility, Buffy asked. "For how long?"
"I don't know. Perhaps indefinitely." Willow shrugged before she headed towards the door, reaching it and pulling open the wood. Opening it, Willow came up short when a man stood just outside the door. The others gathered behind her as they greeted the newcomer.
The man was in his mid thirties with sandy blonde hair that was cut just above his shoulders. He wore a pair of black leather pants with a black long sleeved shirt tucked into the pants. He wore a black leather coat that hung all the way to his ankles. He had on a black armored leather vest over his shirt. At the back of his neck, a long broadsword could be seen, just the handle visible as the rest of the blade was hidden by his coat. He had black gloves over his hands and wore black shades. His face was clean shaven and mostly normal except that there was a long scar embedded permanently into his skin on his right cheek from his forehead to his lips. He reached up and removed his shades as he gazed at the people in front of him. "Rupert. It's been a while." the man's voice was crisp and deep,
Giles moved forward and grasped the man's hand, shaking it. Giles was visibly surprised to see the man. "I..I....I can't believe you made it." he finally spluttered.
The man shook Giles hand before he moved it back to his side. "Of course I came. You told me a vampire was trying to become the Blood God. That makes it my business."
"Um...Giles?" Buffy spoke up. "Who is this?"
Giles shook off his surprise and stepped aside, welcoming the newcomer inside. "Everyone, this is Jacob. I imagine he's here to help us. Right?"
Jacob stopped at the entrance to the living room and glanced at them. "That's the only reason I'm here. You called me to ask for my assistance here. And your lucky I wasn't far from here when you called."
Giles nodded, then looked at the others as they were still confused as to who this person in black was. "Jacob here is....well.....he's like you Buffy."
"Like me?" Buffy's eyebrows shot up.
"Yes....like you, he was born with a very specific purpose for his life. You see....he's the Daywalker."
"The Daywalker?" Xander spoke up, clearly confused.
"Yes," Jacob spoke, "like the Slayer, the Daywalker is born to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. The Slayer isn't the only Chosen one. Surely you're not that egotistical to realize that."
Buffy, slightly miffed at the remark, got in his face. "Of course I realize that. What is the Daywalker?"
Jacob looked at the Watcher, trusting Giles to explain it since it was Giles who first showed Jacob his calling. Giles sighed as he walked over to the couch. He knew they needed to get moving, but he also knew they had a little time and the others needed to know something about Jacob before they could work with him. "The legend of the Daywalker dates back even before the Prophecy of the Slayer. It begins when vampires were united under such beings as the Blood God La Magra and even the Master. The Daywalker is a human being who is half human and half vampire. The Daywalker is born half vampire in that he possesses all strengths of the vampire, but none of their weaknesses."
The three digested that. Jacob continued the conversation. "My mother was attacked by a vampire when she was in the early stages of her pregnancy with me. Instead of it turning her or killing her, genetic traits of the vampire were coded into my DNA. I have all of the strengths that vampires have, but I also have their thirst for blood." Jacob said, bringing out a small vial of green colored liquid. "This is the only substitute for blood I can use. Through the years, my contacts with people in medicine have helped me develop this vaccine against the thirst. It's been working up to now."
"It's not that I don't want to know more about you, because I'm fascinated by you...." Willow said, "but we need to find the Temple of Eternal Night and get there. We don't know how long it'll take to find it."
"I already found it." Jacob said quietly. "It's only about a mile outside Sunnydale, to the north. I found an entrance that will get everyone in. I could sense about thirty vamps under the entrance. Which means that there are vampires patrolling through the structure."
"You can sense vampires?" Buffy sounded shocked.
Jacob nodded absent mindedly. "Yes, it's part of my gift. Now, Rupert said that this vampire's taken one of your friends?"
"Yes, he and this woman....Sonya Baxter, she's a witch. They have my girlfriend, Tara MaClay." Willow told him.
"Augh, not that blasted woman." Jacob sighed.
"You know Sonya Baxter?" Giles asked.
The Daywalker nodded. "Yes, but she's not a witch. She's a powerful sorceress. And her real name's not Sonya Baxter. Well, her name is Sonya Baxter, but she shortened it. Her name's Sonyora Ellence Baxter. Have the Watcher's Council send you books on her. And Sonyora and I have crossed paths before. If she's helping this vampire become the Blood God, then she must be getting desperate to end her existence."
"Why do you say that?" Buffy asked.
Jacob pursed his lips. "Well, the answer to that question is very long because you have to go back about eighty years. I don't know the entire story, but what I've learned through my battles with her is that she lost someone she loved more than life itself, a soulmate if you will. And since that happened, she's tried to force anything to destroy her. She won't kill herself or let anything destroy her because it would dishonor her family. Dishonoring her family is not an option for her. I believe the only reason she's helping this vampire is because, with the powers of the Blood God, she can fight him to the death. She knows he'll destroy her and that's what she's wanting."
"So it is just business for her." Willow's voice was full of sarcasm.
Jacob studied the redhead. "You.....you tried to destroy the world not too long ago."
"Yes I did." Willow kept his gaze.
Jacob tilted his head to one side. "You've still got a lot power." Jacob shook his head of his thoughts. "At any rate, Sonya's going to try to stop us simply because she wants to ensure her death later. Now, tell me about this vampire who wants the powers of the Blood God."
Giles did as Jacob requested, recalling everything they had been told by Sonya Baxter. When Giles was finished, Jacob's face was hardened in deep thought. "This Deacon is going to be trouble. The only way for a vampire to be able to become immune to the natural weaknesses that vampires have is through absorption of mystical energy. And if he's acquired this much, he's going to be strong even before he has the Blood God powers." Jacob said.
"Yes...this is going to be difficult." Giles agreed.
"Then, let's not waste anymore time." Willow said, eager to save Tara. "Let's get moving."
Walking to the door, Jacob let her open it. "Eager to get this started, aren't you?"
She ignored him as they all headed out the doors. Jacob's vehicle was a black two door Trans Am. He stopped by it as they loaded their weapons into the black van. "Follow me in your...van." he said, letting them know what he thought of the van. "The ride will take about an hour." he informed them.
"Let's just go." Giles said, getting into the driver's side of the van. Buffy sat in the passenger's side as Willow and Xander climbed into the back of the van. Dawn joined them in the back of the van. Jacob put his shades back over his eyes as he got into his black car and started the engine up.
Moments later, the two vehicles pulled away from the Summers House and began heading north.
Chapter Nine
The time for the ceremony was at hand. Most of the day had come and gone and it was now just turning dark. The bones of the First were already laid out in the circle at the floor of the inner chamber at the Temple of Eternal Night. Deacon was at the very top of the inner chamber, looking over everything and making sure nothing was out of the ordinary. As he turned around and began walking over to the Sacrifice, a solid black formation that the ceremony begins at, he saw Tara being brought from another direction. The two vamps bringing her were following behind Sonya Baxter. Preferring not to be there when it begins, he headed down the stairs to the inner chamber.
They stopped just in front of the Sacrifice. It was a solid black looking device with an a shape of a human body molded into it. There were straps at the neck, arms, and legs and a few feet away was another portion of the device, which would enclose the human sacrifice inside. The two vamps stepped back as Tara stood before Sonya. The sorceress glanced at her face before looking down at her arms. "Remove her jacket." she ordered.
One of the vamps roughly removed the black jacket that Tara had been wearing. She still had on her black shirt and pink jeans. As Sonya's gaze saw that the button up shirt Tara had on was long sleeved, Sonya sighed. "And the shirt. Remove the shirt as well."
The other vamp tore apart the shirt before taking it off Tara's shoulders. Tara's upper body was shown, the black silk bra evident over her breasts. Tara was breathing deeply, her embarrassment at the display of her skin being overridden by her fear of what was about to happen.
"I guess this is it, Tara." Sonya said. She still had her golden ceremonial robe on as she spoke the words.
"I guess so." Tara agreed, her voice quavering somewhat.
Sonya nodded to the two vamps. They grabbed her and moved her back until her body was inside the molded portion of the device. They fitted the straps over her wrists and then did the straps over her ankles. One of the vamps went behind the device and pressed a few buttons and the straps tightened, securing Tara's body within. Sonya snapped when she saw the strap around Tara's neck begin to choke her. "Not so rough, vampire." she ordered, watching as the strap around Tara's neck lessen so she could breathe.
Sonya walked up to Tara and spoke in a soft voice. "Before your left alone, I just want to tell you what you're going to endure." she said, "when that part of this mechanism closes you in, your going to be in pain. There are sharp blades fitted into it that will immediately cut into your wrists. The blood from your body will pour down these holes here and flow throughout the Temple, eventually leading to the bones of the First."
Tara was breathing deeply, her fear multiplying now that the actual moment was here. "Miss Baxter?"
"Yes Tara?" Sonya said, stepping back.
Tara's eyes were full of sympathy for Sonya and that innerved the sorceress. "The past two nights I've spent here, I've done a lot of thinking. I've tried to hate you. I thought about your betraying me, betraying Willow and my friends. And everything your about to force me to endure, I've really hoped I could hate you for it. But I don't." she said. "I feel sorry for you, Miss Baxter. For the loss you had to feel that would drive you to this. But there is something you should know. Something I should warn you about."
Noticing the lack of the stutter that Sonya knew Tara had, she crossed her arms over her chest and let the corners of her lips raise into a half smile. "And what would that be?"
Tara's gaze was unwavering and very focused. "Don't be in the Temple when Willow finds me. If she gets here and sees what's happened here, you know what might happen. The last time I was in physical danger was the shooting. And we both know what happened there."
The smile was gone from Sonya's face as she looked at Tara. "You're threatening me?"
Tara would have shook her head, but she couldn't move it. "No. I'm just telling you a fact. Warren is now dead because his actions resulted in my getting shot. The end result might be worse for you if I'm dead when she finds me."
Sonya began taking steps back, letting one of her feet touch the small mechanism that triggered the movement of the closing unit of the device. As her feet moved it down, the large structure moved forward, enclosing Tara's body within it. Looking at Tara's eyes through the small part of the device that showed her face, Sonya's face was that of apology. "I am very sorry it had to be this way Tara. I really am." Sonya said before she turned and began walking away, Tara's screams echoing through the chamber as she did so.
The moment that the outer half of the Sacrifice closed Tara inside, the blades that were aligned on the other side sliced through her wrists, causing the screams of pain to resonate from Tara's body. Blood began dropping from her wrists, down her hand, and dropping onto the stone ground, where the blood slowly began moving down the holes in the stone that would take the blood throughout the Temple, to where the bones of the First were set. As Tara's pain continued, the ceremony was finally beginning.
---**---
At the lower section of the inner chamber, the bones of the First were laid out, forming a circle around Deacon as he stood in the center of the structure. Looking around, he noticed everything was as it should be. The eight vampires who were the sacrifices for him were aligned under the glyphs and there were vamps behind them to ensure that they stayed put if they tried to run. In mere moments, the blood from Tara's body would begin it's trek through the temple, finally coming down here for the ceremony to begin.
Once the first drop of blood began to fall onto the bones, Deacon would begin chanting from the scroll he held in his hands. He had a sinister smile across his face as he now knew the moment of truth was at hand. His destiny was about to be realized. Tonight, he would be the Blood God and nothing or no one could or would stop him.
With the ceremony starting, all of the vampires that were patrolling the tunnels and ground above were in the inner chamber, so no one noticed the black Trans Am and the black van pull up just a few blocks from the spot where the Temple was buried. Jacob exited his car and headed to the trunk of his car. Just to the right of his vehicle, the van pulled to a stop and the assembled Scoobies exited as they began getting their weapons.
Opening the trunk, Jacob stripped his long black trench coat off and put in the trunk. He grabbed a small black leather strip that held six wood stakes, brilliantly carved, and he strapped it to his right bicep. He took a second strap of the same stake number and type and strapped it to his other arm's bicep. Buffy watched from a few feet away as he reached in and pulled out a shiny silver machine gun and put into a holster that was attached to his waist, on his right side. The Slayer walked up to him.
"You know, I don't think bullets are gonna help us against vamps." she mentioned.
Jacob glanced at her as he pulled out a sharp knife and strapped it to his left waist side. "The bullets are made out of wood. They'll work just as well as stakes. And they're faster."
Buffy's eyes widened as she suddenly wished she had a weapon like that. She decided Giles would have to get her one of those after this was over. She watched as he reached back into his trunk and pulled out a long sword made out of titanium. He had his sheath attached to his vest at his back and he quickly slid the sword into it and shut the trunk. He turned to the others as they came running up, weapons at the ready.
"The ceremony's already begun, Rupert. We can't waste any more time." Jacob said.
Giles nodded. "Alright. Jacob, why don't you and Buffy head to the Temple where Deacon and his vampires are. Stop the ceremony no matter what. Xander, Willow, and I are going to find Tara and get her out."
The Daywalker and Slayer nodded. Jacob walked a few feet away from the cars and reached down, finding a chain on the ground and he pulled upward very hard. The dirt and sand covered hatch opened up, revealing a ladder that went downward. "Let's go." Jacob ordered as he headed downward.
Each of them headed downward and soon, they were at the end of the ladder. The tunnel they found themselves led them forward for about a hundred feet, slowly descending into the ground as it did so. At the end of the hundred feet, the tunnel broke up into two different pathways, two different subtunnels. Buffy looked to Giles, but she noticed the Watcher looking at Jacob.
"Which way?" Giles asked.
"Wha..." Buffy didn't understand.
"He can sense other vampires." Giles whispered to her.
Jacob took a few steps forward and tilted his head. He glanced at one entrance, then the other. Finally, he turned back towards the others. "I felt the most vampires presences in this tunnel so I'm guessing that's where Deacon's performing his ceremony. The other tunnel probably leads to the human sacrifice."
Willow paled at the words human sacrifice and Xander put a hand on her shoulder in support. "Alright, Buffy, go with Jacob and stop that ceremony. If not, you know what you have to do." Giles instructed as the group split up.
Giles, Willow, and Xander started running down the tunnel to the far left while Jacob and Buffy ran down the other tunnel, their intent on getting to the ceremony in time to stop it.
---**---
Deacon watched as the blood traveled through the temple's sacred walls and slowly began coming together at several points around the ceiling. He smiled like a predator about to have prey as the blood came together at several points of the ceiling and drops slowly began to fall from the ceiling. The drops traveling downward in the air, their journey to touch the bones of the First, therefore beginning the final stages of the ceremony. Deacon had the scroll unrolled and he was holding it in his hands as he waited for the drops to begin falling on the bones. He knew the blood came from the witch and the fact that she was slowly dieing a horrible death didn't faze him one bit. Especially considering he knew that if she and her partner ever learned the truth as to why she was originally allowed to leave limbo, it would bring them a great deal of happiness and pain.
But he didn't dwell on that anymore because the drops began falling on the bones. The second the first drop touched one of the bones, flashes of light began surging throughout the Temple of Eternal Night. The eight vampire sacrifices and all the other vamps all looked around in caution and somewhat fear as they began to wonder what was happening. Only Deacon and Kolon knew this was part of the ceremony. Deacon quickly ripped his leather vest off and opened his white button up shirt, exposing his chest. Looking down at the scroll, Deacon began to chant.
"Magnus, crete, kola agon!" he chanted. "Venuza, obligia, terminia, flain!"
Those eight words were of the first line of the chant. The moment he finished chanting them, the bones of the first section began to glow white and surges of energy sparkled around them as they lifted off the floor and into the air. The rose until they were even with Deacon's chest. Deacon looked at the bones and moved his arms out of the way as he knew the painful part of the ceremony was about to begin. He just now needed to say the last two words of the first line and the bones would begin to merge with his body. And the vampire just beyond those floating bones would begin to fade to dust as his life force would merge with Deacon's.
"Lacente Cora!" Deacon yelled as the bones suddenly rushed forward, the front of them entering his flesh and the remainder sticking out of his flesh. Deacon screamed in painful agony as the bones slowly began sinking into his chest. His eyes slowly begun glowing an eery black as he locked gazes with the vampire sacrifice. The vampire began convulsing as he started to turn to ashes from his chest on outward. As the last of his body turned to ashes, the vamp's life force energy swept forward, entering Deacon's body as the last of the bones entered his body.
Deacon's body fell to his knees as the last of the bones entered and merged with his body and the vamp's life force was added to his own. He felt the power from the bones surging through his blood veins and he began to feel much more powerful than he ever had felt in the past. Rising back to his feet, he turned to the next section of bones and the vampire under the next glyph and he smirked, beginning the next line of the scroll.
---**---
Jacob and Buffy had just gotten to the end of the tunnel when they both stopped short and realized two very important things. The first was that they had made it to where the ceremony was taking place because they could see the flashes of light going throughout the place and they could faintly hear Deacon's voice. The second thing they realized was that they were suddenly the focus of a large group of vampires looking to suck some blood. Taking a deep breath, Jacob looked at the Slayer.
"You realize this is going to get dusty?" he said.
She nodded. "Dusty. That's one way to put it."
Buffy took out her carefully carved wood stake from her jacket while Jacob pulled out his gun, fully loaded with his wooden bullets. As they began to battle the horde of vamps, one of them moved forward. It was Kolon and he smirked. "So, the Slayer shows up. It's a shame you're too late. Deacon's already becoming the Blood God and your friend is on her way to Heaven." Kolon snickered.
A burning tinge of anger erupted from Buffy's heart, a feeling she hadn't ever felt before. Just hearing an undead soulless thing say Tara was dead erupted Buffy's inner instincts and she rushed forward, attacking. Jacob, taking that as his cue to begin, moved in a different direction, raising his hand and opening fire on any and all vampires heading at him.
---**---
Giles, Willow, and Xander reached the end of the tunnel and looked at the dark chamber they found themselves in. It was of circular shape and there was a dark standing tomb like object in the center of it. Giles's eyes glanced at the bottom of it, where he could see red liquid dropping to the ground, entering small holes in the floor. He paled as he realized what he was seeing. "Oh...god." he breathed.
"What!" Willow exclaimed, seeing the Watcher's face. She looked where he was looking and her entire face registered shock. It didn't take long for any of them to realize what they were seeing. Willow rushed forward, her throat restricted with emotion as she looked at the small opening in the tomb and she saw what she didn't want to see, but also what she was hoping to see. Tara's blue eyes stared back at her, but there was no movement of them. "NOO!!" she screamed as she frantically tried to move the outer section of the object away.
Xander, hearing her scream, rushed forward. His foot connected with the triggering button on the floor and the tomb moved apart, separating. All three faces registered shock and disbelief as they saw Tara's body inside. Her arms, neck, and feet were strapped in, holding her in place. There were two matching wounds on her wrists. They were deep gashes that went all the way to the bones of her wrists. Willow, tears in her eyes, turned to Giles. "We have to do something! Now!!" she yelled at him.
Xander moved to the back of the tomb and found buttons that loosened the straps holding Tara in place. As he loosened them, Willow and Giles helped move Tara's body to the cold floor. Moving back around, Xander saw that Tara was completely unconscious and Giles was checking her throat for a pulse.
Giles looked up. "She's alive. Her heartbeat's very faint, but she's still there." he said. Giles reached into his coat's pocket and produced a small piece of paper, which he held in his hand. "We can still save her, but both of you have to do what I say, no questions asked."
Willow merely nodded, her eyes on Tara's face. Xander nodded as well. Giles moved over to where Tara's left arm lay. "Willow, move behind Tara and cradle her head in you lap. Xander, move to Tara's right side and place one of your hands over her wound."
Xander did as requested, as did Willow. Willow placed her palms on Tara's cheeks and closed her eyes, just hoping for her lover to awaken. Giles placed his palm over Tara's other wound and he spoke. "Willow, I need you to keep in physical contact with Tara's body. Just be touching her in some way. Xander, I need you to repeat everything I say in this spell. This spell will substitute Tara's depleted blood with magical energy drawn from Mother Nature. It will only substitute it until her body regenerates the missing blood."
They nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Giles began to chant from the paper he held. "Mother of the Earth. Mother of the Stars." Giles said.
"Mother of the Earth. Mother of the Stars." Xander repeated.
"Institute your healing energy. Give this daughter of the light new life." Giles chanted.
"Institute your healing energy. Give this daughter of the light new life." Xander repeated.
Giles spoke a few lines more of ancient Latin, to which Xander repeated and they sat back and waited, hoping the spell worked. After a few moments, Tara's body convulsed several times, each of them holding her down until the last convulsion faded. Then, after another moment, her body began breathing deep and steady breaths. Giles checked her pulse and he took a deep breath of relief when he felt the very strong pulse. "I believe she'll be fine after some rest." he said.
Xander closed his eyes and Willow smiled a wide cheeked smile, grateful beyond words that her lover was going to make it through this experience.
"She may be.....but I can guarantee you won't." Sonya Baxter said from the entrance to the dark chamber. She wore her golden robe and she stood, dark menace radiating from her body. She stared hard at all three of them before moving forward.
---**---
"Migente, kovatok, miga tona!" Deacon chanted out. The bones of the section he was facing did the same procedure as those before it. They rose into the air and suddenly rushed forward, burying themselves into Deacon's chest as he continued to scream at the pain. More lightning flashed through the chambers as the bones merged with him and the life force of the vampire merged with his.
Deacon had now completed four of the eight sections for the ceremony to be a complete success. The other four vampires were trying desperately to escape from their fate, but once the ceremony started, they found that their bodies were made immobile. They couldn't move even if the other vamps helped them. Their fate was sealed and Deacon was now moving to the next section of bones to complete his transformation into a Blood God.
At the top of the inner chamber, the horde of vampires were fighting Jacob, the Daywalker, and Buffy, the Slayer. Jacob had gone through all his wooden bullets, so he had his weapon holstered back at his waist and he was ending vampires the old fashioned way. He had one of his carefully carved stakes and he was staking them right and left. Buffy, a few feet away from him, was doing the exact same thing. She had just staked three vamps when she came face to face with Kolon, who was happily ready to kill her where she stood.
"It's a shame really." Kolon said, standing his ground in front of the Slayer.
"What?" Buffy snarled, her right hand clenched around a stake. Buffy's stance was purely defensive, waiting for him to make his next move.
"Deacon was really wanting to have the pleasure of killing you himself. I'm going to have to deprive him of that glory." Kolon said with a sneer. "I'm really going to take pleasure in this." Kolon said before he rushed forward, attacking Buffy.
Buffy met his attack head on, meeting the vampire move for move. She knocked Kolon back with a swift kick to the face and moved forward, whipping her arm out and catching him across the face. As he recovered from the shot, Buffy ended the battle by putting her stake through his chest. He turned to dust as Buffy charged at the remaining vamps.
Jacob, some feet away from her, was holding his own against five vampires. With his sword in his hand, he was one step ahead of the bloodsuckers. He whipped his sword out and across one of the vamps, decapitating the vamp. He smothered into ashes as Jacob stepped up his attack against more of the vamps. A few minutes later, the two warriors had the vamps taken care of and they glanced at each other in respect of their abilities before they rushed towards the end of the ledge. Stopping, they looked down and saw Deacon standing in the center of the floor, the last of the bones of the First floating in the air.
They realized with rising feelings of frustration that they were too late. They wouldn't get down there in time to stop Deacon from finishing the ceremony. They would have to deal with Deacon as the next Blood God. They turned and headed for the stone steps. They led down towards the platform that Deacon was standing at. As they were heading towards the steps, they didn't notice the last of the bones merging with Deacon's body or the life force from the remaining vampire sacrifice doing the same. They also didn't notice the brilliant flash of light that emanated from Deacon's eyes and mouth as the final stages of the ceremony lifted his body high into the air before he came crashing down, landing on his hands and knees.
---**---
Giles rose as the three of them faced Sonya Baxter, who was looking at them with menace in her eyes. Sparkles of energy was crackling through her hands as she slowly approached them. "Sonya, why are you doing this?" he asked, hoping to reach the person he'd known before she came to Sunnydale.
Sonya Baxter stared at him, her hands clenching and unclenching. "You really want to know?" she asked. "Have you ever lost someone that....you loved more than life itself?"
Giles had no answer for that, so he just shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
She turned her lips into a sneer. "Have you ever loved someone so deeply...that if you lost them........it would be like losing half of yourself? I have. You just want to die....you want the pain to stop that you'll do whatever it takes to achieve it."
Giles and Xander looked at each other. They each started taking steps closer to the sorceress. Before they could do anything, Sonya's arms came out in a flash and both men found themselves airborne as they each hit different walls, gasping as they hit. With them no longer a concern to her, she faced Willow, who was still holding Tara's upper body against her.
"I believe you know what I'm talking about, Miss Rosenberg." Sonya said, taking a step closer to her.
Willow looked up at Sonya, mystical energy surging through her eyes. Giles felt the change in the redhead's stance and he tried to stop her from using the dark energy. "Willow, don't!" he called out. Willow looked at him and Giles's entire face registered shock at what he saw.
Unlike countless other times when Willow's eyes turned completely black like coal, this time was completely different. Every inch and every centimeter of her eyes, the pupils and the white portion of the eye was covered by magic, but instead of black, it was solid white. Solid white meant that Willow was channeling the essence of the magicks that were based in light and Giles didn't think it was possible for Willow to do it, considering the depths to which her rage took her less than a month ago.
Willow rose to her feet and stood against the sorceress. Sonya was surprised at Willow's eyes, but she didn't waste any time dwelling on it. She charged at Willow, sending sparkles of her power at the witch. Willow raised her hand up into the air, chanting all the while. A white glimmer showed the protection shield she created. Willow moved forward and extended her arms outward, spectrals of powerful white energy blasted outward, hitting Sonya. The power sent Sonya Baxter flying backwards. She went crashing through the brick walls, crushing her through to the other side. As she struggled to recover, Willow moved forward, her intention evident.
Willow was about to send another painful blast at Sonya, but Giles moved forward, turning her around and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Willow! Don't kill her. It's not the answer." he urged her.
She shook her head. "Giles, Tara almost died because of her. I can't let her get away with it."
. 
That was excellent. I am looking forward to your next series.