By Star's Light: Part 2
by Jai L
Disclaimer: These characters belong to the crazy, but lovable Joss Whedon. The characters belongs to Joss. The character of Conner, and the story belong solely to me. ME! Please ask my permission before posting it.
My comment: I don't know how long this fanfic is gonna be so please be patient. Also forgive any grammar problems. My grammar stinks, and my grammar check is so screwed up. Sigh...
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Part Two
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The creature walked out of the park happily. It had eliminated the boy, which gave it less to worry about. The boy's carcass is probably a pile of mush on the bottom of the crack it created. Right now it had to rest, but soon it shall begin...
* * *
Buffy Summers watched in helplessness as Conner Matthews plummeted down the large "crack" and was swallowed up by the darkness. By pure instinct she jumped down the crack and could only imagine her friends' faces as she disappeared down this crack. She felt the rope whipping against her legs. She saw Conner below her, falling at an incredible rate.
Buffy felt the air whip her face, stinging her skin. She was getting closer to him. God, please make this rope long enough so I can save him, Buffy thought. She saw Conner look up and see her. His eyes widened in amazement, but quickly recovered. She was reaching her arm out to grab him. Conner shot his hand out to try and grasp her. They were incredibly close together now. She felt his fingers graze her own. Closer. She stretched her arm out as far as she could.
In one last effort they swung they're hands together. His hand clamped down on her wrist, as her hand clamped onto his wrist. They kept on falling, until suddenly, the rope jerked to a complete stop. They swung towards the wall of the crack, slamming into it, causing them to both grunt with pain. But their hands remained tight, holding to the other.
Conner looked up to her, panting, and said, "Ha. Ha. Thanks."
Buffy looked at him, panting as well from the adrenaline rush, and replied, "No problem. Anything for a friend. Besides, I owed you one."
Conner looked down at the abyss then looked back up to her and said, "We are even. We are so, so even."
Buffy and Conner just stayed there, swinging against the wall. She was upside-down, holding onto his wrist. He was looking up to her, grasping her wrist for dear life. He slowly swung himself to a small ledge a foot away, pulling her with him. They quickly undid the rope at her waist and looked up. They weren't far from the top. Buffy looked at Conner, and started climbing up.
* * *
As they approached the top, they saw Xander, Willow, and Giles staring at them with amazement. Xander wasn't really surprised though. When Buffy sets her mind on something, she does it.
Then, suddenly the ground began to shake. Xander looked around cautiously, and noticed that the other side of the crack was growing closer. Much closer.
He looked down to Buffy and Conner, almost near the top. "Uh, guys, problem." He said.
Conner looked up and yelled back, "I see it. Buffy, climb. And faster would be good, very good."
Buffy continued climbing and responded, "Oh, I agree. Wholeheartedly."
Xander reached down as Buffy and Conner drew closer. The other side was only a seven or eight feet away and closing. Buffy reached up and grabbed his hand. He started to pull her up, hoping that they would have time to get Conner out too. He finally gave one final yank, pulling Buffy out of the crack, but propelling them both backward. Buffy fell on top of him, both of them panting from the adrenaline pumping through them.
"You know this would usually be a fantasy of mine..." He said, joking.
Buffy smiled and looked back as Giles and Willow helped Conner out of the crack, a couple seconds later the chasm closed.
Buffy and Xander got up, brushing the dirt from their cloths. Xander looked at Giles and asked, "What the hell was that? I'm thinkin' that we're seeing something new."
Giles shook his head in frustration. "I, I don't know." He responded angrily.
Conner, looked up at them and stated, "Well whatever it was, it was powerful, one of the most powerful things I have ever encountered in my travels."
"I know that this is sorta a bad time, but I'm wondering if we should be still here. If it's that bad, I'm guessing that we should be getting away from here." Willow said nervously.
Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm guessing that whatever the that was, it's still close by." She said, still coming down from her rush. "And with both Conner's and my super senses, we could pick it up."
Conner picked up his bag and responded, "I agree. Whoever it is has sooooooo much to answer for."
The group started to walk away from the now crumpled monkeybars and towards the closest exit from the park. Buffy and Conner walked close to each other, in a daze, trying to pick up anything using their extraordinary powers. They had been walking for and hour, and still picked up nothing.
* * *
As they neared the exit of the park, Buffy separated from Conner and walked back toward Giles. "So, Giles. Do you think that our new villain is Mr. Black Spirit?" She asked.
Giles smiled sadly and replied, "Oh, yes. Whatever that was, it falls well within my personal definition as a dark one. Whoever it is has immense power. Even with Conner's help and your new powers, you may still be in for a dangerous battle. I don't have the vaguest idea at what happened back there."
The group kept on walking until finally Conner stopped. He turned to the group, shaking his head and said, "Whatever that was, it's long gone. I can feel it."
Buffy sighed unhappily and replied, "Yeah, our newest fiend got away. But I'm guessing that it'll be back."
"Well, I don't know about you four, but I'm feeling quite tired. I think I'll go home. And I suggest the same with the rest of you." Giles said.
Conner nodded and responded, "Yeah, I feel the same way. But falling down a chasm and nearly dying can do the to a person."
In defeat, the group separated into two groups and headed home.
* * *
Conner sighed in frustration as he walked with Willow, Buffy, Xander, and Giles in downtown Sunnydale. Over the past week and a half, they had gone out hunting every night. The group had gone to all of the usual vampire feeding grounds, but had found nothing. There were no deaths or missing persons reported in the news, which meant that the vampires were not feeding lately. Not to mention the whole group was uneasy for the main reason that the first part of Giles' prophecy was about to come true. Tomorrow was the day that the Hellmouth was supposed to heal.
"You know, this bothers me." Xander said unhappily. "Normally I would be glad that this is happening, but our bloodsucking friends are supposed to be doing something big tomorrow, which makes me wonder. Why aren't they out feeding, they should be getting energy for the big day, shouldn't they?"
Buffy nodded and replied, "They should be out here. What with the weekend, and all the partying teens, it should be a regular buffet for them."
Conner smiled weakly at the four and kept on walking. It was odd for him to be working with someone. Especially four someones. Ever since Ian was killed, he had hunted alone. But in the week that he had known these four, he knew that they were good people, who had been shoved into a new world on demons and monsters. While most other kids were partying, and hanging out with their friends at the mall, Buffy, Xander, and Willow had been shoved into a new world of demons and monsters. But, they chose this way of life, chose to fight the demons and the darkness, they didn't want to see their world die. And because of that, he considered them to be his friends. Friends. That was a luxury he couldn't afford in the five years that he had traveled alone. It was so weird to suddenly have them, and yet it felt so good.
Conner watched as Buffy stopped walking. But before he could ask himself why, he knew already. He felt a tingling on the back of his mind, just like that night in the park.
"You feel it?" Buffy asked cautiously.
"Yeah." Conner said, nodding.
"What is it?" Xander asked.
"Looks like of friend from the park is back again." Buffy replied.
Conner closed his eyes, using his mind to try and feel where the demon was. It was the strangest feeling. The feeling the demon gave off was strange, It felt like a vampire, but more.
Buffy looked around and said, "Whatever it is, it's giving me the wiggin's."
"You should be afraid."
* * *
Buffy looked around her for the source of the raspy voice. She saw a flash of movement at the corner of her eye. She turned as a figure slowly emerged from the shadows of an alley.
Buffy watched as the figure stepped fully into the light of a lamp post. The figure was a girl their age. She was a slightly taller than her, and very, VERY pretty. She had long blond hair, and pale skin. She was wearing tight black leather pants, with a black tank top, and a brown leather jacket.
"Haaaaaahaaaaagaaaaaaa." Xander said behind her.
"Hello to you too." The girl said with a smile.
"I can't believe it." Conner said behind her.
"Believe it." The girl replied.
Buffy turned at looked at Conner, who looked very angry. He was tense, ready for a fight.
"You know her?" Buffy asked Conner.
"Yeah." He replied softly.
The girl stepped closer and said, "Hello Conner. Long time no see."
"Shannon." Conner responded. "I could say nice to see you, but I wouldn't mean it. Although last time I saw you, you weren't into leather."
"Times change." Shannon said. "People change."
Shannon walked up to Buffy, who tensed. Shannon looked Buffy over and commented, "I see you still like blondes. Pity she doesn't have any taste in cloths."
Buffy looked down at her outfit. She was wearing her favorite blue jeans and a black T-shirt. She looked back up to Shannon angrily and said, "Oh, no. You shouldn't comment on anybody's choice in clothing. Have to say that the leather pant look is so out."
Shannon glared at Buffy and said, "Don't think that you can take Conner away from me. He's mine. He loves me!"
Buffy then heard Conner chuckling behind her. She turned around and saw that Conner was gazing at the ground, starting to chuckle even harder. He looked up to Shannon who was looking at him confused.
"You are *nuts*." Conner said with a sad smile. "You are completely loony tunes. You think I love you. Uh uh."
Shannon looked at him, shocked. She shook her head and replied, "No, don't say that. You love me."
"No way." Conner said, shaking his head. "You turned your back on your duty. And what the hell did you do to yourself?"
Shannon frowned angrily, refusing to accept his lack of affection. "You love me. You do. I want through so much for you. I left all those years ago, and learned. Learned witchcraft and black magic. But that wouldn't have been enough to make you love me, so I hunted down a Mulo. I made it turn me into one of them. But, the demon didn't fully possess me because of the powers I had already."
Conner looked at her with horror and sadness. "I can't believe you did that. And you love me. You tried to *kill* me."
"No." Shannon replied desperately. "No, that wasn't me. It was the demon in me. I wasn't able to control it for those few minutes. You have to love me."
"No." Conner said firmly. "I don't."
Buffy, who had been watching the exchange in confusion, watched as Shannon turned back to her. She glared at her.
"It's her, isn't it. She stole you from me." Shannon said angrily.
Shannon shot her hand out, sending Buffy flying into a wall. Xander ran to defend her, but Shannon shot her hand out again, stopping him in his tracks, making him crumple onto the ground, gasping for air. She then looked at Willow and Giles and glared at them, her eyes glowing. They both fell onto the ground unconscious. She then looked at Conner, who was standing in shock at what had just happened.
"I could have killed them all just now, but I didn't. Because I love you." Shannon said smiling.
Conner shook his head in shock, unable to understand Shannon. She was really nuts.
"I'll prove it to you. I'll prove how much I love you. I'll prove my power to you." She said happily.
Shannon ran into the shadows of the alley, disappearing into the dark. Conner stood there, unable to believe what had just happened. He slowly brought himself out of his reverie and looked at his friends. Xander, Willow, and Giles were waking up from Shannon's spell. Conner looked at Buffy, who was still unconscious from the blow she had taken when she hit the wall.
He ran to Buffy and checked her pulse. It was strong. He checked her head, looking for any sign of head injury. Conner sensed Xander, Willow, and Giles walk up behind him.
"How is she?" Giles asked, concerned.
"She had a slight concussion, but she's going to be all right. Right now, we have to let her healing powers do their magic." He replied.
"How long?" Willow asked, worried.
"A couple hours. Let's just say that a good night's rest will do her wonders." Conner commented.
"We have to get her home." Xander said.
Conner gently picked her up, gathering her up into her arms. "That's my job. You guys get home. I'll see you guys in the morning."
As he walked away, holding Buffy in his arms, Giles called out, "You know the girl who attacked us."
Conner stopped and looked back. "I knew who she was. The girl we met tonight is a complete stranger." Conner said in return.
Conner turned around, heading towards Buffy's house. His mind rushing with what had happened tonight, and in the past.
* * *
Shannon ran happily down the street, humming an old tune she heard as a child. Tonight had been the night she dreamt about for all those years. She sighed happily. Conner would be hers. After all this time he shall be hers. He'll join me in my quest, and we shall destroy all who get in our way. Conner will be mine. With that final thought, she disappeared into the shadows of the night, her laugh echoing through the darkness.
* * *
Shannon skipped happily into the abandoned building that she currently called home. It was a temporary situation, one that she will resolve tonight. Tonight, she'll claim her right as the new master. She draw energy from the Hellmouth, grow stronger and open it. And she will rule the world, with Conner by her side.
* * *
Conner carried Buffy through the streets swiftly. Damn, he thought to himself. Shannon can't be in my life again. He looked around, and saw he was now on her street. He spotted Buffy's house down the block and headed toward it. He looked down at Buffy's still form. She had a nasty bruise on her head, but it should be gone by morning. Her healing powers were already healing her injuries.
He stepped in front of the doorway to Buffy's house. "Oh, boy." He muttered to himself. How the hell was he supposed to get inside? How was he supposed to get past Buffy's mom?
He lowered Buffy down, and saw the shape of keys in the left pocket of her jeans. He pulled them out and quickly unlocked the door. He slipped the keys into his pocket and picked Buffy up. He cautiously looked into the house and saw that it was empty so far. He walked in and slowly shut the door with his foot. He heard the click of the lock and headed for the stairs. He climbed the stairs carefully and started down the hall.
"Buffy?"
Conner paused and realized that the voice had come from a closed door behind him. Buffy's mom. Geez.
"Uh huh." He said softly in a false female voice, hoping Buffy's mom didn't notice the difference.
"Oh, just checking. Good night honey." She said.
Conner fought every urge to run towards the closest door near him. He walked towards the door and pushed it open. The room was very messy. Conner smiled at the large mess. Well a slayer has more to worry about than keeping a clean room, he thought to himself. He headed towards the bed and lowered Buffy onto the bed gently. He brought the blanket up to cover her.
She's gonna be confused in the morning. Not to mention what would happen if her mom came in and saw the bruise on her face. Buffy's defenses would be down, she could let something slip.
Conner sighed and picked up her alarm clock and set it for 8:00. They were supposed to meet the others at the library at nine. He picked a pillow up from the floor and placed it against one of the walls near the window. He sat down and placed his head on the pillow. Seven hours till they had to prepare for armageddon.
* * *
Conner woke up with a start. It took him less then a second to realize where he was. He felt a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Someone was coming. Buffy's mom! He swiftly slid underneath Buffy's bed. God, it was messier than the rest of her room. He heard the door open and saw Buffy's mom's feet as she walked towards the bed. Please let the bruise be gone. Please let the bruise be gone. He repeatedly thought to himself, while crossing his fingers.
"Buffy, honey? It's time to wake up." Her mother said.
He heard Buffy mumble incoherently. He then heard Buffy's mom sigh with defeat. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Conner waited a few moments and then slid out of his hiding spot. He looked at the alarm clock. 7:50. Close enough. He leaned down and saw that her bruise was gone. He shook Buffy gently.
"Buffy, wake up." He whispered softly.
He heard Buffy mumble angrily. Come on, he thought to himself.
"Buffy, wake up." He said, shaking her harder. Jesus, what does it take to wake this girl up?
* * *
Buffy woke up in a flash, seeing someone standing over her. Scared, she launched a wild punch, connecting with the persons jaw. She heard the person grunt with pain as he slammed against the wall, collapsing into the floor. She jumped out of the bed, defensively and saw Conner on the floor, rubbing his jaw.
"Nice shot." He said grimacing.
Buffy's eyes widened in surprise and rushed to his side. "Oh, god. I'm so sorry."
Conner slowly got up and replied, "It's okay."
Buffy looked around her room, surprised. "Last I remember, we were being bothered by a friend of yours. How did I get here?" She asked.
Conner got defensive at her statement and replied, "She's no friend of mine. Last night you hit your head on the wall, so I brought you home."
"Why did you stay?" Buffy asked.
Conner smiled and responded, "I figured that you would be confused when you woke up, so I decided to stay. Good thing I did. If your mother had tried any harder to wake you up this morning, a punch like the one you gave me would have brought up some interesting questions."
They then heard a noise in the hallway outside. In an instant, Conner was again under Buffy's bed , hiding. Just in the nick of time too, because Buffy's mom then entered the room.
"Good morning honey." She said happily. "I was wondering when you would wake up Sleepy head."
Buffy smiled and responded, "Morning, mom."
Joyce Summers looked at her daughter curiously and asked, "Why are you wearing the cloths you had on last night?"
Buffy paused for a second and replied, "Oh, I was sooooo tired last night, that I just collapsed on my bed and went right to sleep."
"Oh." Joyce responded. "Well, better hurry on down. Breakfast is getting cold."
Buffy smiled at her mother again and said, "Sure, be down in a sec."
Joyce Summers left her daughter's room, leaving Buffy and a still hiding Conner. Conner pulled himself out, brushing the dust off of him. "You really got to clean under your bed." He said.
"Cleaning hasn't really been on my mind lately." Buffy said, smiling.
Conner headed to the window and started climbing out. He looked back to Buffy and said, "You do the breakfast with the family thing. I'll meet you outside your house in an hour."
"Okay." Buffy responded.
Conner jumped out the window, and slid down Buffy's roof feetfirst. As he approached the edge, he jumped, landing on the ground. He looked up and saw Buffy still looking at him from her window. He waved at her, and ran down the street. He had to get home and prepare.
Buffy watched as Conner ran down the street. She sighed as she walked out her door, and headed for breakfast. One question was nagging her though. Who was Shannon?
* * *
Rupert Giles looked up as Buffy and Conner walked in, each holding a dufflebag full of weapons. Willow, who arrived earlier, sighed with relieve. They had been worrying about Buffy since last night. And Conner had not called them as he had promised.
Conner, sensing their anger, smiled apologetically and said, "Sorry about not calling you guys last night, but I couldn't call from Buffy's house."
"Buffy's house?" Giles asked, eyebrows raised.
"Long, and a rather painful story. One that we don't have time for right now." Conner replied, while rubbing his jaw.
Xander then ran into the library, panting. In his hand was a large brown bag. "Sorry, I'm late." He said as placed the bag by the table.
Conner glanced into the bag curiously. Inside was a vast array of junk food. Xander had chips, soda, candy, hoagies, and more. He looked up at Xander incredulously.
"Xander, that's a coronary in a bag." He commented.
Xander looked at the group sheepishly as they each looked inside the bag. "I kinda get nervous when facing the apocalypse. I also figured that we could get hungry."
Giles shook his head as he pulled out a pack of pork rinds. He shook his head in disgust and threw it back in the bag. Conner had pulled out a pack of altoids and was snacking on the curiously strong mints. Soon the rest of the group joined him.
Giles looked at Conner and asked, "Now with that delightful interlude behind us, you seem to be the only one who has the answers to a lot of questions. Care to enlighten the rest of us?"
Conner looked at the group and sighed sadly. "I don't know where to begin." He said. "There's so much."
Buffy popped an altoid into her mouth and asked, "Why don't you start with our leather wearing friend? Shannon?"
"Yes." Giles said, nodding in agreement. "She said she was a witch and a Mulo. We have encountered witchcraft before, but this Mulo thing is not in any of my books."
Conner nodded. "Okay. I think I got a good idea for a starting point. What do you guys know of ancient vampire lore.?" He asked.
Giles frowned and responded, "Not much. Countless information is available, but not before the late 1600's. Much of the vampire lore was destroyed over time."
Conner took in a deep breath and started, "In the 1300's, there was an outbreak in Europe."
"The black plague." Xander said.
The group stared at him, amazed.
"What? I actually paid attention in history class one day. I can't have knowledge?" Xander asked.
Conner smiled and continued, "Anyway, Europe was hit by the Black plague. It destroyed so much. But, what wasn't known then, was that all of Europe had become a large gathering of mystical energy, like here. Only bigger. The vampires loved this. Vampires flocked to Europe from around the world. But something wrong happened. The vampire's couldn't use the blood of plague victims. The blood wouldn't interact well with their systems. A couple minutes after they would suck the blood, they would self combust."
"How do you know all this?" Willow asked.
"The hunter before me, Ian, my teacher, wanted me to be prepared for anything. And history is a key part of demon hunting, so Ian sparred no expense in my teachings." Conner replied.
Conner took a breath and continued, "Well, anyway, with the lack of fresh blood, the vampires came to an impasse. The different sects of vampires were..."
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa." Xander interrupted. "Sects? What would you mean by sects?"
"Okay, if you look at some of the many different cultures in the world, you can see different myths that resemble vampirism. Like in the Malaysian culture. They're type of vampire is called a Bajang. They look like polecats, but usually serve under a sorcerer as a servant. When not enslaved, they usually prey on the same family line for generations. Or in the American Indian culture. They have the Kwakiytl. In Europe, there is the Nosferatu. The Nosferatu is the type of vampire that we fight here in Sunnydale. They migrated here a long time ago. And in Serbia, there is the Mulo. They can travel in nighttime. And in daytime, but only the day before a new moon."
"Wait." Xander said. "You're telling me, that the planet has more than one type of bloodsucking fiends. Oh, this is good. Perfect."
Conner shook his head and said, "Xander, don't worry. Most of the sects died out a long time ago. Now getting back to my little history lesson. With very little fresh blood remaining, the vampires started fighting each other for food. They were able to use their powers to detect the people not infected, and would hunt them, only another vampire would intervene. Now there is a whole freakin' vampire war in Europe. Every single vampire on the planet was in Europe, fighting for food. And only one sect is winning. The Nosferatu. A couple decades go by, and only the Nosferatu remain. Only one or two members of each sect remains. Soon after that the plagues goes into remission. The supernatural stuff drops. And then there is only the Nosferatu."
Willow looked at Conner and asked, "Why didn't the remaining sects just make new members?"
Conner looked at her, thoughtfully, and replied, "Well, you see, the vampires gained a perception of the other sects over time. A perception that never left them. Now, say a Bajang sets off a small signal, now if you have more, the signal becomes bigger. And as soon as bigger sects like the Nosferatu sense this signal, they would be snuffed out their enemies. So, the small remnants of the small sects learned to just feed, not create more of their kind."
"So, now we have an endangered species of vampires. How does this explain Shannon?" Buffy asked.
Conner sighed unhappily and responded, "Shannon is, was a demon hunter like me. Ian adopted her before me. A while later he adopted me. He sensed that I had a greater aptitude for demon hunting than she did, so he trained me more. She grew angry at Ian, but I sensed that she had a crush on me. I couldn't return her feelings. I just wanted to be friends with her. I told her this over and over, but she refused to believe it. One night, she got into a huge argument with Ian, and the next morning, she was gone. Ian searched for her, but could never find her. A couple months after that, Ian was killed on a hunt. As far as I can figure, Shannon learned witchcraft and black magic. Then, I guess she encountered a Mulo, and made it turn her into one. With her demon hunter powers, and her magic, she could control her dark powers."
Giles stood up and said, "Now we have a powerful being, capable of opening the Hellmouth, who is in love with you."
Conner shook his head and said, "No, the girl we encountered last night is not the Shannon I once knew. She welcomed darkness and evil, and became someone else. She's insane. REALLY insane."
"Okay, we have a crazy girl with superpowers, intent on ruling the world, winning your love, and killing me because she thinks I'm competition." Buffy said. "And this is all gonna happen tonight? Joy."
"What can stop a Mulo?" Willow asked.
"Oh, the norm. Stake, fire, beheading, etc." Conner replied.
Giles looked at Conner curiously and asked, "You sure you can face her. She was your friend."
Conner looked sadly at Giles and responded, "Yeah, she was. But that thing we encountered last night isn't my friend. And the Shannon I knew wouldn't want the Hellmouth to open."
Giles fished his jacket pocket and pulled out a large ring of keys and a folded sheet of paper. He turned to Xander and Willow and said, "Okay, we have to prepare for tonight. You two go to my house and get the things on this list. I wasn't able to get them last night since I was researching Shannon."
Xander took the keys and replied, "Right. Oohhh. I get to test my learners permit on the Giles mobile."
Giles looked alarmed and asked, "You do know how to drive?"
"Oh, yeah! Sure, took lessons during the summer. And failed." Xander said, muttering the last part.
"What did you say?" Giles asked.
"Oh, nothing." Xander replied in a tone that didn't reassure Giles at all.
Xander and Willow exited the library anxiously, hoping to contribute in the upcoming battle. Giles opened the cage at the side of the library and opened the large cabinet. He pulled out two large staffs.
"Oh, Giles, not the staffs again. What are the odds that we have to fight with large sticks?" Buffy asked unhappily.
Giles gave her a look and said, "You never know, and this is an opportunity I've never had before."
"Opportunity?" Conner asked, confused.
Giles smiled and replied, "Yes. I must admit I am a good trainer. But a large problem is that I don't have Buffy's strength, so I'm not much of a challenge."
Buffy nodded and looked at Conner. "Giles is still bitter about me nailing him with those sticks."
Giles looked at her, astonished, "I am not. I just feel that a hunter would be a better match for a slayer."
"I don't even see the point." Buffy said miserably as Giles handed the staffs to the two teens. "We should be conserving our strength."
"Actually, I have used these in battle. They're pretty useful." Conner said, while examining the staff.
Giles brought his hand down, indicating them to begin. Immediately they both went into defensive stances. Buffy swung her staff to try to hit Conner. Conner ducked quickly, and swung his own staff in return. Buffy blocked it and tried to use the staff to try to pull his legs out of under him. Conner leaped in the air and flipped, landing behind her. Buffy swung her staff to catch him, but he was too fast. He swung his staff upwards, knocking her staff out of her hands. He then swung his body around, shooting his leg out, and sweeping her feet from under her.
As Buffy landed with a grunt, Conner slowly stood up. They were both panting from the exchange of blows. He dropped his staff and helped her up. Giles walked up, smiling, with Buffy's staff in his hand. "Now, you see the good practice can do you." Giles said smugly.
Buffy sighed unhappily and took the staff from Giles, ready to practice some more.
* * *
Hours later, the group exited the school. Xander and Willow had returned, in an intact Giles mobile, with the supplies. Buffy and Conner had practiced for a long time with various weapons. Buffy had gotten her revenge on Conner and had beat him in five of their practices. At sundown , they had set out to find Shannon. As they left the school, the ground started to shake violently. The ground started to open in small cracks, no bigger than a child's hand, and started to spout large columns of fire. The group stared at each other, knowing what everyone was thinking at the same exact moment. Armageddon had arrived...
* * *
Shannon stood in front of a crowd of vampires. They would obey her. She will rule them. It had taken very little to convince them of her power, only the dismembering of the five vampires that had attacked her when she first came to them. They now served her. She weaved the spell as they stood before her. The ground stared to shake. Finally, she thought to herself. Armageddon had finally arrived...
* * *
Shannon stood before the large group happily. All my dreams are going to come true, she thought. First I get the world, then Conner, then my life will be complete.
* * *
The columns of fire slowly died out. The group looked at each other cautiously. They started to walk towards the park. Earlier they had decided that since Shannon was there the other night, she would probably be there too. They also figured that if she's going to lead an army of vampires, she'll need someplace big to organize. They agreed that the park was the obvious choice.
Conner and Buffy were each holding staffs and crossbows as Giles had so adamantly suggested. Also they each were armed with a satchel of weapons. In each satchel were stakes, holy water, and crosses. Giles was carrying more supplies in Buffy's and Conner's dufflebags. Xander arranged the satchel uncomfortably.
"Never figured that I would be wearing a purse." Xander said irritably.
"It's a satchel." Giles corrected.
Xander looked at the satchel again. "Really?" He asked. "Looks like a Gucci to me."
Willow kicked him in the shin, and told him to be quiet. Conner laughed as Xander grabbed his foot, and hopped around in mock pain. It was good to relieve some of the tension they were all feeling.
As they approached the park, they could see soft lights behind a group of trees. They slowly made their way to a group of shrubs, hiding in the shadows. Below them was a large clearing. In this clearing was a large boulder, lightened by dozens of torches. Shannon was standing on the boulder, her arms wide apart, chanting in a foreign language. Surrounding her was forty or fifty vampires, chanting along with Shannon.
"Oh, boy." Xander muttered. "How are we supposed to deal with that gruesome horde?"
They were all in shock. None of them had ever seen that many vampires. Ever. They had more than enough supplies to attack them, just not the muscle power.
"Okay. We need to try something else if we're gonna win this." Conner commented softly.
Buffy looked at him and asked, "Gotcha. How?"
Conner looked at the large crowd. "Well." Conner replied. "The crowd is pretty largely dispersed. A lot of them are hiding in the shadows of the trees. If we circle around, we could probably pick of twenty or so."
"What about the ones around the boulder?" Willow asked.
"Can't forget the ones around the boulder."
Conner looked at her in the darkness and responded, "Well those vampires are suckin' up to Shannon. Hoping to win her favor. If we use the crossbows, we could probably pick off a good number of them. Then I guess, we'll have to face them head-on."
Buffy sighed nervously. She knew that they all were feeling the same way right now. They were all nervous as hell. "Okay, let's go." She said softly.
The group swiftly moved through the tree, until they were behind a couple vampires . Conner took out his crossbow and loaded three arrow shafts onto it. Buffy looked curiously at the crossbow. "That can shoot three arrows?" Buffy asked, whispering.
Conner smiled and responded softly, "It was Ian's. He made it years ago. He gave it to me shortly before he died."
Conner turned around and aimed the crossbow at the group of vampires. He turned a small crank, adjusting the width between the arrows. Then he pulled the trigger, shooting the three arrows simultaneously. They shot through the air, and embedded themselves in the backs of the three vampires. The vampire erupted into a shower of dust. They looked around, wondering if any of the other vampires had seen it. Thankfully none of the demons had noticed.
* * *
They moved around for the next hour, slowly nailing the vampires with stakes or arrows. Finally the outer rim of the crowd was gone. The group slowly approached the edge of the clearing. There was a good twenty or so vampires left. Conner and Buffy each armed the crossbows. Shannon was still chanting, drawing energy from the Hellmouth, oblivious to everything around her. Just keep doing that, Buffy thought to herself. She took aim for Shannon while Conner took aim for three of the vampires. Buffy and Conner looked at each other, sharing the same thought. They both nodded to each other, indicating that they were ready. Then they fired.
Conner's arrows shot perfectly, slamming into the backs on the vampires, causing them to disinergrate. Buffy's arrow also shot perfectly, but suddenly stopped and shattered a foot from Shannon's heart.
"A protection spell." Giles muttered angrily.
Conner reloaded quickly and shot again, embedding themselves in two of the vampires backs while the third arrow missed. But still the vampires didn't turn. They remaining vampires were still chanting.
Buffy and Conner loaded their remaining arrows and fired one last time. The four arrows rang true, plunging into four vampire's hearts. Then it happened.
The ground shook, knocking everyone to the ground. The sky's filled with dark clouds. Shafts of lightning cracked loudly and impacted on the ground around them, setting fire to the dry grass around them. The remaining ten or so vampires turned to them in unison and snarled.
"Oh, sweet mother of Jesus." Giles whispered.
The vampire got up and started to run for them. Buffy and Conner picked up their staffs and rushed toward the mob of vampires. Conner was the first to attack one of the vampires. He shot his staff forward, slamming it into the vampire's jaw. The vampire fell back, injured. Conner pulled a stake out of his satchel and plunged it into the monsters chest. Then suddenly a vampire jumped on him. He could feel the vampire descending onto his neck. Then suddenly the vampire groaned painfully and erupted into dust. Conner turned around, shocked. Buffy was standing there with a smile.
They looked toward their friends who were doing fairly well with the vampires. They watched as Giles plunged a stake into one of the vampires. Xander threw a jar in one the vampire's face, causing it to smoke. It shrieked in pain and ran off.
Willow was grabbed by one male vampire, but before Conner or Buffy could run to help her, Willow acted for herself. Willow pulled a cross out of her satchel and pressed it against the vampire's skin. The vampire howled in pain as the cross burned it's flesh. Willow then swung her fist, smashing it into the vampire's face, causing the vampire crumpled into a heap.
Conner and Buffy looked each other amazed. "Did you know she could do that?" They asked each other in unison. They looked back to the collapsed vampire and saw Xander slam a stake into the vampire's chest, dispatching with that last vampire. They looked back to the boulder.
Shannon was no longer chanting. She sat calmly on the boulder, looking at them. She smiled sweetly at Conner. They looked at Buffy and her friends and hissed angrily. She raised her hand and snapped her finger. A vampire came out of hiding from behind the boulder. But this was no ordinary vampire, if there was every such a thing. This vampire was huge. It was at least nine feet tall, and muscular as hell.
Shannon looked at them calmly and told the vampire, "Kill them all, except for Conner. Bring him back alive."
The mega vampire roared in acknowledgment and started for the group. Conner looked at his friends. They were still staring at the mega vampire in awe. He started for it, staff in hand, intent on stopping it.
He didn't. Conner had stopped in front of the behemoth, and had swung his staff with all his might towards it's head. The staff splintered as it connected with it's head. Conner stared at the remains of the staff in his hands.
"Uh oh." He muttered sadly as he dropped the remains of the shattered staff.
The mega vampire staked towards him. Conner put his hands out uselessly, hoping to ward off the creature.
"Whoa, ugly. Can't we work this out?" Conner asked hopelessly.
In response the creature backhanded him, sending him flying away.
* * *
Buffy watched as the mega vampire backhanded Conner, sending him flying a couple yards away. She saw Conner land on the ground, unconscious. Buffy looked at the monster and ran to try and stop it. She jumped up, intending to plunge a stake in it's heart. But the creature was quick. It grabbed both of her wrists and squeezed them, causing her to drop the stake in pain. It hissed as it leaned forward to bite Buffy's neck. Xander, who had been standing helplessly with Willow and Giles, ran forward. He slammed into the vampire, hoping to make him drop Buffy. The monster lurched, and let go of Buffy's left wrist. It brought it's mammoth left fist down onto Xander's back. The force of the blow slammed Xander to the ground, causing his head to connect with the ground with a crack.
Buffy had used the monster's lapse of attention to swing her feet upwards. She felt her feet connect with the monster's neck, causing it to drop Buffy. Buffy fell down and tried to get up, clutching her now broken wrists, but to no avail.
Willow ran up to the vampire, with a open jar of holy water in her hand. She flung it upwards, splashing it into the monsters face. The creature cried out as the holy water touched it's skin. It howled in agony.
* * *
Conner woke up as he heard a howl of pain. He looked up and saw Willow standing in front of the mega vampire, uncertain what to do. Conner had recovered slightly from his injuries and was now crawling to his dufflebag. He opened it up, and pulled out a large sword. He slowly got up and immediately felt dizzy. His head was throbbing painfully. Push it away, he thought to himself. He ran to Willow, who was still in front of the howling vampire.
* * *
Willow felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned around, ready to push the person. It was Conner. He looked like hell. Half his face was swollen and bleeding. His right eye was swollen shut.
"Go. Help Giles." He said painfully.
Willow nodded and headed towards Giles, who was trying to help the injured Buffy. She looked back to see Conner look at the large vampire hatefully.
* * *
"Look, ugly. No one messes with my friends. And I would be doing the world a BIG favor in putting you out of your misery." Conner said angrily.
The vampire looked at Conner, but wasn't prepared for his attack. Conner slashed his sword upwards, creating a large gash in it's chest. The vampire howled in pain. Conner then jumped up with all his might and swung the sword, beheading the monster. The head and body fell back, erupting into a shower of dust.
Conner fell down painfully. He looked a the boulder. Shannon was standing on top, smiling happily. She blew him a kiss and jumped down. She ran into the shadows, laughing.
"God, she is NUTS." Conner muttered to himself.
"I agree." Someone said from behind him. He turned around and saw Giles and Buffy leaning over him.
As they helped him up, they heard Willow scream for them. They quickly made their way to Willow, who was leaning over Xander. Xander was seriously hurt. He had a large gash across his forehead and had a large pool of blood underneath him.
"What's the matter with him?" Willow asked them, worried.
Giles kneeled down and inspected Xander. His eyes widened and looked up to the three teens. The expression on his face indicated that the news is not good.
"His skull is fractured. Severely. He doesn't have much time left." Giles said, eyes brimming with tears.
The three teens kneeled down, around Xander. They all felt tears starting to well up in their eyes. Even Conner, who had not know Xander long, but considered him a friend. A good friend.
"There has to be something we can do." Buffy said desperately.
Giles looked at the young faces around him. They had all been rushed into adulthood by demons, and because of the battle, they were about to lose one of their own.
"Buffy, the only ones I know that can recover from a trauma this severe are you and Conner." Giles replied sadly.
The group looked at their fallen comrade. Willow shook her head, refusing to give up. "Can't you guys use your healing powers to help him?" She asked hopefully.
Conner looked at Willow unhappily and responded, "I'm sorry Willow. I don't think so."
"Wait." Giles said abruptly. "It is possible. In the early days of the slayer line, they had a hidden talent that could heal the wounds of victims of vampirism. But the power slowly receded over time. The last known case was a hundred years ago when a slayer named Jessica healed a man attacked by a vampire in Paris. Since then-"
"Giles, no offense, but lets skip the history lesson." Buffy interrupted. "If it doesn't work anymore, how can I use it?"
"Well the talent is still in you, it just isn't powerful enough." Giles answered. "But with Conner's help-"
This time Conner interrupted, "Giles, I don't think hunters have that power."
Giles nodded, "But if I'm right, you can use your own powers to channel Buffy's healing powers, then amplify it."
"Look!" Willow interrupted. "If it's possible try it. His pulse is getting thready."
Buffy looked at Giles and said, "Let's do it. How?"
* * *
It took Giles less than a minute to explain what to do. Soon Conner and Buffy were holding hands. Buffy was trying to do as Giles said, trying to flow the energy from her body to Conner's. Conner in the meanwhile was getting ready to channel that power, and add his own.
Buffy felt the energy course through her body. The energy that she normally used to heal her own wounds was being diverted to her link with Conner. She gripped his hand tightly as the energy flowed from her. It was hard because her wrist was broken, but she endured the pain.
* * *
Conner felt the energy rush into his body. It hurt like hell, but he kept on drawing it into him, storing it up to release into Xander. He felt raindrops fall onto his body. The clouds had erupted into a heavy shower of water. It feels good, Conner thought. But he pushed those thoughts away and concentrated at the work at hand. He felt the energy in him surging. Then the power exploded.
He opened his eyes, watching the energy flow out of his body. It was surrounding Xander, enveloping him. He watched Xander's body glow with energy. He's close to death, Conner thought. This is going to be close. He felt hot tears of pain running down his cheeks. Simultaneously He and Buffy cried out of sheer pain. They collapsed onto the rain soaked ground.
* * *
Slowly they got up with Giles' help. They looked at Xander, who no longer had a gash on his face. They all held their breaths, hoping to see some trace of life in him.
A few seconds later his eyes opened. Xander looked up to the group and smiled weakly. He was tired, but alive.
"Vampires?" He asked coarsely.
"Gone." Giles replied, smiling.
"Armageddon?" He asked as he tried to get up.
"Averted." Willow said smiling.
* * *
As Xander got up Willow hugged him happily, followed by Buffy. Giles ran and got their things and brought them back to the teens. They stood for a moment. They were are soaking wet from the still pouring rain, but they were happy. Happy and alive.
Giles looked up to the sky and saw the clouds part slightly. He saw only one star, but smiled nonetheless. By the star's light, the stood alive. Victorious. They had saved the world. Again.
* * *
Buffy walked up to Conner, who was staring at the trees where Shannon had disappeared.
"A penny for your thoughts?" She asked him quietly.
Conner looked at her and tried to smile, but grimaced instead with pain. Their healing powers were already healing their injuries.
"I was just wondering about the future." He responded softly.
"You think she'll be back?" Buffy asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah." He replied. "She's not going to give up on this. And I'm positive that she'll be behind the chaos thing."
"We'll find her. We'll beat her." Buffy said, positive of her words.
Conner looked at her and smiled, not showing any pain. "Yeah. I know." He responded, positive of her words too.
The two teens joined their friends and headed for the park entrance. None of them caring about the rain.
Xander looked at his friends and said, "You know, you guys look like hell."
The group looked at each other and started laughing as they exited the park.
* * *
Well? That's the end! Good? Bad? Okay? I'm already workin' on my next piece. It's going to be very interesting.
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