Faith, Xander, Zairre and Kallie
Faith stood in the centre of the library with Sophie, Samantha, Heath and Xander. She took a deep breath and looked up as Ziarre and Kalli floated down.
"The blood must flow from both of you,
The Slayer's blood from the present two.
So cut your hands, and let it drip,
The vampires ache to take that sip."
Faith lifted her hand and cut it open, then handed the small dagger to Sophie.
She shook her hand and let some blood drops fall to the ground, a manhole appeared and she looked to Sophie to do the same
Sophie, Heath and Samantha
Sophie thought quickly. Being ambidextrous, she was betting she would need the use of both of her hands down there. She bent back her wrist and sliced shallowly across the heel of her palm. The red droplets fell down and the stairs swung out. "Well, neat parlour trick," she commented wryly. "Let's go, shall we?" Samantha nodded, stakes in her hand and Heath shifted his axe slightly.
Faith, Xander, Zairre and Kalli
Xander stood back and adjusted his sword. "Slayers first," he said.
Faith shrugged and climbed down the stairs slowly. She smiled nervously at what she saw.
"I'm not scared."
Ziarre and Kalli appeared next to her.
Sophie, Heath and Samantha
"Well, I'm glad someone's not," Samantha said wryly as the Australians and Xander followed the Slayers down the stairs. "Doesn't that just fill you with confidence, Snuffles?"
"Bloody oath, yeah." Heath grinned back at her, and she shook her head slightly.
"Idiot."
"But going to save the world idiot." Sophie and Samantha laughed. Sophie stepped out behind Faith, and her eyes went wide.
"Ok. Well. This is...not of what I would call the good."
Faith, Xander, Zairre and Kalli
The Turok-Han came charging at them, and Faith grinned, lifting the scythe up.
Xander gulped. "Time for the big fight scene?"
Faith lifted her head slightly. "Hell yeah!"
She charged at the Turok-Han and started decapitating and staking, dust flying everywhere.
They were so busy fighting they didn't notice the sudden argument between the guardians.
Kalli's eyes had gone completely black and she outstretched her arm, towards Ziarre. Ziarre raised her own arm in defense.
"We must finish them," Kalli said.
Ziarre shook her head.
"I cannot let you end the line.
With my magic, you I bind.
All this time, I did not see,
The deceit you had over me."
Kalli shot a lightening bolt from her hand at Ziarre. Ziarre moved, but the tail end of the bolt hit her arm.
"The Slayer line must end here!
It is not this you need to fear!"
Sophie, Heath and Samantha
"I told you they were evil!" Samantha said, then screamed and scrambled back as a Turok Han leapt at her. She swung the sword and it luckily caught the edge of its weapon. Sophie came charging in to save her friend, and soon the Turok Han was dust on the wind.
"Looks like it's only one of em though, Moony!"
"PRONGS! DUCK!" Sophie ducked as Heath bellowed and an axe blade whistled over her head. The Turok Han's head was removed by Samantha as the Slayer ducked and rolled to engage another two. "How do we help the good one then? I don't think we'd be wanting Prongs to die!"
"I don't know!" Samantha found herself a breathing space, then put her hand to her hair. She drew out her metal hairchopstick, pure silver and hurled it at Kalli's back, before raising her sword again.
Faith, Zairre, Kalli, Xander and the First
Kalli pulled the chopstick out and threw it into Ziarre's chest. She extended her hands upwards and called a dark orb to her. Ziarre retaliated by calling a light orb. She gave it to Faith, who was looking confused by the fact she had a ball of light stuck to her hand.
"Use this to win," Ziarre whispered before falling to the ground.
Faith flipped the scythe in her hands and yelled. "You're the vessel!"
Kalli chuckled. "Yes."
Faith switfly cut off Kalli's head. "Yeah, take that, you stupid rhyming, UGH!" She looked down to see a sword protruding through her stomach. She fell to the ground.
Xander ran over to her. "FAITH!" He attacked the Turok-Han around them.
"Xand... keep fighting."
"What about - "
"I'll be alright."
Xander nodded and went to help Samantha as Faith coughed and stared at the blood on her hands for a second. She looked up to see The First in Buffy's form.
"Ow, mommy, it hurts. Didn't I stab you there once before?"
Faith ignored her.
"Face it, you're going to lose. Good try anyway, guess you don't really have much to live for."
Faith looked up. "You're wrong." She weakly got to her feet and picked up the scythe. "I have him." She turned and started to fight again, noticing that the orb still attached to her hand was leading her to a spot in the centre of the fighting.
Sophie, Heath and Samantha
"Christ!" Heath ducked and then swung upwards with his axe, cleaving the Turok Han he was facing in two. It dusted as he turned to face another. Samantha looked up at Xander and grinned before dusting another uber vamp.
"Gabriella said when this was over, we could go have coffee."
"And there's the reason to live. Coffee! Yay for coffee!" Sophie laughed as she fought. "Go Faith!" She cheered. "You got the shiney thing."
"You knew about this?" Heath asked her as they fought back to back.
"Oh, there was a weird kick ass dream and everything. Honestly, Sirius, you should've been."
"Ha ha, Prongs." He ducked and she whirled over his head with the axe, then he got back up again.
Faith
Faith looked down as the ball of light on her hand extended. It started to burn the Turok-Han within a few metres of her.
"I'm not so sure this shiney thing is going to be good for my health though, although it's keeping everything away."
She lifted her arm towards the ceiling, as the walls began to crumble.
"GUYS! I THINK YOU SHOULD ALL THINK ABOUT GETTING OUT OF HERE!"
Sophie, Heath and Samantha
Samantha nodded, and decapitated one more vamp before hightailing it towards the stairs. Heath and Sophie started backing towards the exits, still taking out Turok Han as they went. Samantha paused for a moment, to look for her friends. Heath flashed her a grin, then his eyes widened in horror as a piece of rock directly above her head detached and came crashing down.
"SAM!" He screamed and she looked upwards, mouth opening and starting to dodge out of the way. The rock caught her on the back of the head, killing her instantly. Sophie screamed and fought like a crazed thing to get to her friend's side. Heath blinked away tears and fought harder.
Sophie levered the rock off Samantha and cradled her friend in her arms, wailing.
"Let's get out of here. We can mourn her later," Heath said softly, pulling at Sophie's arm. The Slayer nodded and followed Heath out as the walls started to crack.
Xander and Faith
Xander ran to Faith's side.
"I won't leave without you."
"You have to, Xander."
"I can't. You'll die!"
Faith shook her head sadly. "This is what I was born for, Xander."
"What about Zac?"
She glanced at the still expanding orb in her hand, then returned her look to Xander, her eyes filling with tears. "Tell him... tell him I love him. But this is what I have to do. And I'd never known that before, but now I get it."
Xander touched her face lightly. "I don't want to leave you."
"I'll be alright... now go, there isn't time."
Xander kissed her cheek and retrieved Samantha's body carefully. He went up the stairs and paused to look at Faith. "Are you going to be ok?"
"Five by five, now go!"
"I won't leave here without you." He turned and ran as Faith held tightly onto the light.
Sophie and Heath
Sophie and Heath stumbled out onto the surface, Sophie cradling Samantha's dead body in her arms and tears coursing down her cheeks. "I HATE being a Slayer! It should've been me who died! And her death is never gonna be recognised for what it was, never!" She wailed in grief. Heath hugged her shoulders awkwardly as they ran for the exit.
"Moony never went in for much fame, you know that. She was work behind the scenes girl."
"IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
Xander, Paige and Faith
Xander ran behind them, making sure they were all out of the school and a fair distance away.
"PAIGE!" he called tearfully.
Paige orbed in. "Where's Faith?" she asked.
Xander coughed, relying on this sword to keep him standing. "She's in there, I can't..."
"I'll get her." Paige orbed out and into the Hellmouth, where Faith was still holding the orb.
"Paige!"
"Faith!"
"You have to go!" Faith cried.
"No, I won't."
"I can't leave until this is over... I'm not going to make it. The orb is stuck to me."
Paige wiped tears away from her eyes. She held her hand out. "Orb!" The orb moved from Faith's hand to her own. Using her own orbing power, she moved it above Faith's head and grabbed Faith's hand and orbed them outside, just as the school exploded.
Faith collapsed onto the ground, Xander running over to hug her.
Sophie and Heath
The two teenagers slumped to the ground, Samantha cradled between them. They were both crying.
"Well, we made it, Moony." He looked at Sophie and his face worked desperately. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I...I was going to ask her out once this was over."
"Oh god, Heath." She stroked his head.
"I loved her. You know I did. I just don;t know if she did." He cried harder for a moment. "And now she never will." He lifted his head and wailed to the night sky, sounding like an animal in pain.
Faith, Xander and Paige
Faith gasped as her knees went weak and she fell to the ground. Xander stepped back as Paige moved to heal her. She lifted the bottom of Faith's shirt slightly and healed the cut.
Faith's eyes flew open again and she smiled up at her friends. She gazed sadly at Sophie and Heath. She sat up and leaned weakly against Xander.
"No one will ever know, will they?" Xander asked.
"At least she can be buried properly, the way she deserves," Faith replied softly.
Sophie and Heath
"God, this is all my fault. I should have made her stay home..." Sophie whispered to herself.
"It's not your fault. Never your fault, Prongs. You're not the one who made up the brilliant plan to close the Hellmouth." Heath's fingers tightened almost convulsively around the axe.
"Hey, no one made her come with us," Sophie whispered to him.
"Oh god, Soph, it hurts so bad." He raised his head again and screamed his agony to the nightsky.
Faith, Xander and Paige
Faith look at the pair of teenagers and felt her heart wrench. It was her fault, she'd been told to close the Hellmouth and she'd jumped into it without looking. She stood up and gathered her things, watching as the fire burnt in the distance, the faint sounds of sirens getting louder and closer.
Xander reluctantly stood up. "I guess we go."
Faith nodded and saluted to the younger Slayer and Heath. "Thanks for your help... and I'm so sorry about Samantha."
Xander bent his wrist back and forth, rubbing it to get the feeling back. "I'm sorry guys, so very sorry."
"Goodbye."
Faith and Xander took Paige's hands and they orbed back home.
Sophie and Heath
They waited for the ambulances. They helped Samantha's parents arrange the funeral. Later, they put on her tombstone -
Samantha 'Remus' Dransfield
20-1-86 29-6-03
Always watching our backs