Crown and Key
By Sandra and William Johnson
Chapter Twenty One
“Here’s where the fun begins!” Glory shouted as Dawn cried out in pain and anguish. Then, ice shot from Glory’s eyes, but not at Lara or Buffy or any of the others. It impacted on the floor between them, each beam forming dozens of knights, each one made of gleaming ice. “Go my minions!” Glory shouted, waving her hands at Lara and Buffy, “Destroy them”
He-Man and She-Ra hefted their swords as they stood in front of Lara and Buffy. Lara whipped her guns out of their holsters. Buffy held her torch defensively. Behind them, the others readied themselves for the forthcoming battle.
As the nearest ice knight swung it’s sword at He-Man, the hero ducked and rolled between it’s legs, appearing behind it. With a crash, He-Ma’s sword shattered the ice knight. She-Ra swept her sword in an arc, shattering several of the ice knights. Shards flew through the air and towards the back of the horde, reforming new knights.
Lara’s guns blazed, shattering knight after knight. Soon, she was slipping the pistols back into their holsters, the gun’s reloading. “Cover me!” she shouted as she slipped behind the group. With a roar, the wolfed out Oz slid into her place, claws slashing through knights.
Lara looked around the room, “Something awfully familiar about this place” and she saw above her, a stone obelisk, lying on it’s side, suspended by a long chain, “Yes, something very familiar” Lara leaped into the air and landed on the obelisk and began rocking, making the obelisk swing. “Obviously, our enemy has no originality at all”
As the obelisk began to swing back and forth, Skeletor and Shadoweaver emerged from the shadows behind Glory’s throne. “The portal is beginning to open” Shadoweaver hissed. Skeletor laughed and lowered his staff, aiming it at He-Man, “Take this you muscle bound oaf!” he shouted, a blast shooting into his hated foe.
He-Man grunted, having not seen the blast coming. “Brother!” She-Ra shouted as He-Man was frozen in place. She parried two ice blades which swung at He-Man, only to take a blow to her back from a third night. “Into the valley of death!” Xander shouted, katana swinging as he slipped up to guard She-Ra’s back. His blade almost whistled through the air as he shattered ice knights. She-Ra swung again and again, but still the knights kept coming
“This is pointless! For every one we shatter” Buffy said, kicking a nearby knight into ice shards, “two more appear! We need a new tactic!”
Lara looked down from the now swinging obelisk, “Working on it as we speak” and suddenly the point of the obelisk struck a strategically placed gong in the ceiling. The noise it made filled the chamber and shattered all the knights at once.
“Nice move there hot pants. But it won’t save you from my wrath!” Glory shouted at Lara. Ice shot out at the Tomb Raider, who leapt form the obelisk just in time and somersaulted through the air, landing on her feet, guns drawn again.
“Mreow, she is mine” Katra purred, lowering her mask and leaping form the shadows, a panther once again. She bowled into Lara, knocking her to the ground, guns skittering from her grasp and sliding across the floor. Oz howled and leaped at Katra.
“No you don’t” Beastman growled, stepping between Katra and the leaping wolf that was Oz. With a powerful swing of his orange paw, he knocked the leaping wolf sideways into a pillar.
“Deus ex Lothica!” Willow shouted, raising her hand. Several shining orbs of red light streaked form her hand at Beastman, hitting him and knocking him across the room.
“Now, that’s not really fair, is it?” Ethan said as he stepped into the light. He raised his right hand, “Ignatius!” and suddenly, a flaming ball of fire was in his hand. “Catch!” he shouted and hurled the fireball into the midst of the cluster of friends.
“Ignatius protectior!” Giles shouted, and suddenly a barrier appeared between him and the oncoming fireball. The ball of flame slammed into the shimmering red barrier and exploded harmlessly.
“Well, Rupert, so nice of you to join us” Ethan said with a smile.
Lara grappled with the panther’s mouth. Katra struggled, but Lara was able to keep the jaws from closing on her vulnerable throat. Then, suddenly, Katra sailed across the room and squealed as she hit the wall, mask falling from her face, returning to her human form. She-Ra stood looking down on Lara, “Need a hand?” she asked.
Lara smiled as She-Ra helped her to her feet. She quickly surveyed the battle raging around her. Glory seemed to be above combat, sitting on her throne, holding the unconscious Dawn’s arm, blood trickling down it. He-Man was busy locked in combat with Skeletor, sword clashing against staff. Oz was keeping Beastman busy, while Xander used his new sword to keep Katra at bay. Giles was trading magics with Ethan Rayne even as Willow was locked in a magical duel with Shadoweaver. Lara smiled, “Go help your brother. I got some business with the blonde there” Lara nodded at Glory even as Buffy began to make her way up the steps.
“Let my sister go you bleached blonde hussy” Buffy said, anger burning in her eyes.
“Or what? You’ll kill me Slayer?” Ice flashed in Glory’s eyes as she gloated.
Lara grabbed her pistols and took careful aim. One shot barked as she pulled the trigger. Her aim was true and the crown suddenly flew from Glory’s head.
“No!” Glory shouted, releasing Dawn and leaping after the crown. Buffy leaped ahead fo her and threw Glory to the ground. “Not this time!” she shouted, as Glory flew across the room to land on the floor.
“I think this is where I make my exit” Ethan said, just before he teleported away
“You know, the human has a good idea,” Skeletor said. He blocked yet another of He-Man’s swings, even as She-Ra made her way over to the fight. He pressed a button on his wristband and suddenly, a hole was blasted in the roof of the temple. “You are on your own, Glorificus!” Skeletor shouted as several beams activated, removing Skeletor, Shadoweaver, Beastman, and Katra, from the field of battle.
“So, it looks like once again it comes down to you and me, Slayer.” Glory said as she dropped Dawn’s arm and faced off against Buffy.” “Only this time, you don’t have your big old hammer to beat me with.” She looked around and smiled. “And this time, your over glorified bricklayer is too busy fighting others to nail me with a wrecking ball.”
Buffy smiled as she looked Glory in the eye. “Don’t need him. I mean, this time.” She locked eyes with the Hellgod and continued. “See, Morganna, Glory, whatever the hell you want to be called this time, I’ve got a couple of surprises in store.”
Glory smiled right back. “As do I.” She shouted as she leapt over the portal. With a point of one finger, the seal burst and the denizens of her hell dimension began to pour out.
“Hell on Earth is always so much fun!” She laughed as she watched several demons crawl from the mystical energy. Xander leapt on them, his katana slicing through them like butter.
“And here’s something for you, you little witch!” Glory shouted. With a raise of one arm, a figure shimmered into being. Her long light brown hair and full figure looked strikingly familiar to everyone. She opened her blue eyes and stared, helplessly frightened, around the room.
“Tara?!” Xander shouted as he continued taking down the demons. She whirled around, pointed a finger, and shouted something in Latin. Xander froze mid swing.
“She’s in my power boy!” Glory practically giggled at the prospect. “Once I’ve swallowed a part of your brain, your soul belongs to me!”
Tara’s hands glowed with magic. She took aim at She-Ra, and a ball of fire shot fourth towards the warrior woman..
“Sword to shield!” She-Ra shouted as she held her sword aloft. The light flashed and a brilliant silver shield replaced her sword. She-Ra ducked behind it, and the fireball exploded harmlessly.
“Will, I need those big guns now!” Buffy shouted as she reeled back and punched Glory in the nose, just for good measure.”
“I’m sorry, Buffy.” Willow’s voice echoed throughout the chamber. As she looked around at her friends, all helplessly fighting off the forces of evil, Willow’s hair changed from brilliant red to pitch black, her eyes black as night. She ran to the helpless Tara and grabbed her arm.
“ARDEMENTE!” Willow shouted, and Tara fell unconscious into her arms. Glory stared and shook her head.
“That’s impossible!” she shouted, as blood began to pool under Tara’s body from a hole in her chest.. “Her soul is mine! You can’t take it from me!”
Willow strode up on the dais, the veins in her face clearly visible.
‘Try me!”” She hissed, and opened her mouth wide. Several scorpions flew from her throat and attacked Glory, tangling themselves in her hair and overdramatic gown. Willow raised her hands, and the portal shimmered with a thin membrane holding it barely closed, like in the painting on the bridge.
“I can’t hold this down for long! She shouted as Buffy began pummeling the distracted Glory with anything else could find. Willow shouted a command, and The Hammer of the Troll God appeared once again at her feet. Shouting a quick thanks, Buffy picked up the hammer and repeatedly slammed it into Glory’s face. The hellgod fell to the ground, not necessarily dead, but definitely out of the fight for now.
The crowd watched as a ghostly spectre of Tara rose from the bloody corpse on the floor. She looked around the room, smiled, and rasped “I love you, Willow” as she rose from the ground and shimmerd into the night. Her body faded as well, leaving the friends and the unconcious Glory alone with the barely contained portal.
Dawn opened her eyes and looked around. “Oh no, not again!” She shouted. She started for the portal, and was caught by her sister.
“Dawnny, no!” Buffy shouted as she held the crying girl in her arms. Giles mounted the stairs quickly.”
“Buffy, I have to!” she cried. “I can’t let you die again, and only my blood stopping closes the door.”
“Not this time!” Lara shouted gleefully from the ground near the portal. At her feet lay the crown.
“Hurry! Get it to Buffy! I can’t hold this much longer!” Willow shouted as the light in the portal shimmied. Xander started towards Lara, but was intercepted by a large, cricket-like demon. Oz leapt into the fray, the two boys literally tearing it limb from limb.
“He-Man, She-Ra!” Lara shouted, trying to get their attention. But He-Man was still unconscious, and She-Ra was busy defending him from something that vaguely resembled the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Giles was nowhere to be seen, and Buffy was holding her sister in her arms, both of them crying.
“Lara, Please!” Willow shouted, her voice getting deeper. “The dark magic is killing me!”
Lara felt it deep in her stomach, the need to place the crown on her own head. She didn’t think it was the aspect of Morganna compelling her, for the single shot she had gotten in the crown had cracked the Ruby of Eternia. Suddenly it all made sense; her strange training regiments with Giles, her old English tutor; her curiosity about all things occult, her constant need to do the right thing.
She was a potential Slayer. She had the potential, should Buffy fall, to be the next Slayer.
And also the potential to use the crown.
Placing it on her head, Lara focused all of her energy on the portal. A beam of red magic shot out from the ruby. A great vacuum began tearing through the room, yet all of the hero’s remained perfectly still. As the denizens of Hell were sucked back down into their dimension, the portal grew smaller and smaller, till it closed. The walls around them shifted back into place, returning to their former state of the new High School. Where the portal had been lay a huge crack in the earth that seemed to smile up at Lara. She could only guess that this was the Hellmouth. Willow collapsed to the ground, her hair still black as night. Oz, returning to his human self, rushed to her side and held her in his arms.
All that remained of this horrid night was the unconscious form of Glory.
Who wasn’t unconscious anymore.
“You stupid girl!” she shouted as she rose to her feet and advanced on Buffy. “You’ve ruined everything!” She seemed to double in size, her true Hellgod stature finally manifesting itself on earth. “Well this time, lousy old Ben can’t help you! There is no man to kill to destroy the god!”
Lara shouted, guns again in her hands, firing repeatedly, “Who needs a man to destroy a god?” The bullets seemed to be no more than pinpricks to Glory, but they annoyed her none the less. Buffy released Dawn and rushed to the attack. She-Ra turned, just as He-Man finally freed himself of Skeletor’s beam. The two drew swords and advanced on Glory.
“Buffy, catch!” Xander shouted, the katana arching through the air to land hilt first in her hand. Now armed, Buffy smiled wickedly. “Time to finish this”
“Yes, it is. And like the annoying bugs you are, I will squash you all beneath my feet.”
Buffy swung the katana, the blade slicing along Glory’s descending foot. She-Ra and He-Man leaped over the Hellgod’s bent knee, swords cutting with their inhuman strength. Lara took careful aim and placed an entire clip of bullets into one of Glory’s eyes. While all this was going on, Giles methodically made his way towards the fight.
Glory spun around, foot arching out, catching both He-Man and She-Ra in the kick and sending them sprawling back down the steps. Several punches arched out and landed squarely on Buffy’s stomach, doubling the Slayer over, the katana clattering to the ground. Lara swore, dropping her pistols back into their holsters, reloading the guns yet again.
“Your time is over, Glorificus,” Giles said as he reached the top of the dais, an ancient sword gleaming in his hands.
Glory stared at the blade, “What you got there, Watcher boy?” her smile faded as she took in the weapon in Giles’ hands. “Where did you get that sword?” she hissed.
Giles smiled, “You provided it for us when you channeled your brother’s spirit outside.”
“You lie!” she shouted. “Only a descendant of Uther and Igrane can carry that swords!”
“Unless I change the magic.” An elderly voice boomed. Across the room, stood an old man, his white beard nearly to the floor, his robes gleaming light. “And I say than anyone with a noble heart whose cause is just and true can weild Excalibur, for he will be the true heir to Camelot’s glory!”
The blade glowed green, and seemed to vibrate with energy. Guiles smiled as he raised the sword, which seemed to sing. Glory’s eyes went wide as the blade swept down, “No!” she shouted as Excalibur descended through her neck, separating her head from her shoulders. There was a bright burst of red light as Glory’s essence was forever destroyed.
As the light faded, Buffy surveyed the carnage, “Who are you?” She asked the stooped old man in the back, who was wheezing from the effort of his spell. His blue eyes twinkled with a youth that belied his age.
“An old friend.” He said with a smile. “A friend of all the Champions of Light. “ He reached out, and a warm breeze ruffled Buffy’s hair. “Well done, my friends, well done.” He vanished into the night, his voice echoing softly as he did so with the words, “Tell the Sorceress I love her.”
Buffy took a look around the room. “Well, looks like we survived another apocalypse.”
“What’s that make now, about one a year?” Xander asked with a laugh.
‘Seems about right.” Willow whispered from her place on the ground, her eyes now again blue. “Though,this time it wasn’t without more than a little help from our friends.”
“Both old and new.” Dawn chimed in.
Lara smiled, He-Man and She-Ra laughed heartily as did the rest of the group soon after. Buffy looked at Willow, whose hair had finally regained it’s normal red color. “Let’s go home everyone.”
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