When they arrived at the football field, Buffy was being tossed to and fro between a state of drowsiness and total sleep.
"Keep her awake," Giles said to Willow. "She can sleep when we're ready, no sooner."
Willow gently pinched Buffy's cheeks and forearms, time after time pulling her out of her sleep. Giles was in the middle of the field, laying stones in a circular pattern. When he was done, he called for Willow to bring Buffy over. While the girls approached, he took a large black robe from his bag and swung it around his shoulders.
"Whoa! Giles the Magnificent Magician!" Willow said, chuckling at the sight. Buffy looked up and smiled as well.
"A little early for Halloween, Mr. Librarian." The one sentence was enough to draw her strength and make her doze off again, and Willow again pinched her forearm.
The robe Giles wore was covered in silvery and golden symbols. Willow didn't understand what they meant, but she did recognize them as Sumerian characters. She'd seen them in one of Giles' books once. Altogether, they made a pretty funny sight.
"And Wonderful Willow, his Amazing Assistant!" Giles retorted, as he threw her a second robe. Willow's smile quickly disappeared, but she put the robe around her shoulders without a word of protest.
"I hope no one sees me in this. It would totally destroy my popularity ratings."
Giles gave her a meaningful stare.
Willow didn't react, but carefully laid Buffy down in the grass at the center of the circle of stones. Giles took position due east, and told Willow to stand opposite, facing due west.
"And whatever you do, don't leave the circle until I say so, or all will be lost." Willow nodded. She understood.
"Now what?"
"Now we wait until Bahreil comes to Buffy again. It should be easy to notice when."
* * *
In silence, they stood there for over an hour. Willow was getting cold, but aside from a few shivers, it didn't show. She didn't dare say anything either, afraid it might ruin something. Every now and then, Giles would look up into the sky at the moon. Since it was a cloudless night, its sickle-shaped appearance was visible as bright and shiny as the sun by day. He was getting impatient. Or rather, worried. Worried that the demon might know tonight was the night he could be defeated, and would stay away. All Giles could do now was hope the demon didn't know, didn't realize, or just forgot. Or that he was too hungry for power to stay away, that he felt too omnipotent and would overestimate his strength. But then a moan escaped Buffy's mouth.
The weak sounds immediately drew Willow's and Giles' attention to the girl sleeping in the grass. At first, she lay still, but after a few moments she started tossing and turning. Giles gave Willow a stare. She nodded. She was prepared for whatever was to come. Giles took a piece of paper from his robe, cleared his throat, and started reading. He spoke in Sumerian, so Willow couldn't understand him, but because he had translated it before, she knew exactly what he was saying.
"Come, oh Bahreil, demon of the night! Come and leave this young girl's mind!" His first few words initiated a gentle breeze. At that moment Giles realized he had the demon right where he wanted it. It gave him the strength and courage to go on in an even stronger and steadier voice.
"I call thee on this night of the crescent moon! I call thee before the day of the solstice first! Come and leave this young girl's mind! Come, Bahreil, oh demon of the night! I cast thee out."
The breeze increased in force as Buffy's moaning slowly turned into a deep growling. Giles knew he had the demon's attention. By now, it should feel the strength if the spell.
"I command thee to leave this girl's mind! I command thee to abandon her unconscious mind! I command thee out of this mortal shell!"
The wind continued to grow stronger, and Willow found herself fighting to keep standing. She saw Giles wasn't standing as firmly on his feet either. And Buffy's growling became louder and a hint of ferocity crept into it.
"Come, oh demon of the night, come! Come, oh Bahreil, come! I command thee!"
When Giles' last words faded, a dark green mist appeared above Buffy, seemed to come from her mouth, and it hovered above her now wildly and uncontrollably shaking body. Slowly, a hideous face formed within the green. It was dark brown and had the features of a beast. It looked like horns grew out of both sides of its head, large fangs were in its mouth and the eyes were burning fire.
The demon growled with anger as it tried to free itself from Buffy's body. It pulled on the gown she wore, but couldn't tear it. When the demon realized the futility of its actions, it let out a loud growl that almost popped Willow's eardrums. The demon turned and stared at Buffy, and suddenly a ball of fire shot from his eyes. As soon as it hit Buffy, it dissipated, and she opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and turned to look straight into the demon's eyes.
'The Chosen shall awaken', flashed through Giles' mind. Suddenly he understood what that line meant. Before he could do anything, Buffy tore the gown and let the two pieces fall to the ground. The demon seemed to free itself completely as Buffy stood up. And though she was standing less than ten feet away from him, he didn't see she was now totally naked.
"Willow, the gown! Quickly!" Without further delay, Willow rushed forward and picked the gown up from the ground. She approached Buffy, but the Slayer turned and hit her friend right across the jaw. Willow let herself fall to the ground in a controlled fall and made sure she didn't roll out of the circle. Buffy, not waiting for the results of her actions turned towards Giles again. If looks could kill, he'd be dead ten times over.
Willow had gotten up, raised her hands to shoulder level and threw herself and the gown on Buffy's back. Both girls fell to the ground, and Willow made sure she landed on top of Buffy and the gown stayed between them. The Slayer tried to get up again, but where Willow normally wouldn't stand a chance against the strength of the Slayer, Buffy, weakened by the demon's feedings, was no match for her. Without any trouble, she kept Buffy pinned to the ground. The demon's face growled in anger. Giles, too, realized that Buffy was again covered with the gown. He looked the demon straight in the eyes, almost without fear.
"I cast thee out! I cast thee out of this mortal shell! Leave, Bahreil, oh demon of the night! Leave!" Giles kept repeating himself, each time louder and louder, until finally the green mist started shrinking in size. Buffy's struggles became weaker, until finally only a wailing cloud-like appearance remained. At that moment Giles jerked his robe off and threw it to the ground below the demon.
"Willow!" he yelled. Willow, who had kept her eyes on Giles, had already taken her robe off when she saw Giles do it, and threw it on his. Giles quickly moved towards the girls, pulled them up and out of the circle. Before he carried Buffy out he pulled the shredded gown out of Willow's hands and threw it on top of both robes.
"Thy possession is ended! Thy reign is over! Leave, Bahreil, oh demon of the night, leave!"
For a moment, Willow thought she could understand what Giles said, but he was still speaking in Sumerian. When his voice faded, a flash of fire erupted from the robes and engulfed the demon. It cried out one last time, and then died with the fire.
Giles and Willow just stood there and looked. Then Giles turned and put his arms around Willow's shoulder. "Let's go home, it's over."
Willow said nothing, but slowly started for the car. Giles, only now remembering and noticing Buffy wasn't wearing any clothes, took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. He put his arms around her and gently led her to his car. Buffy didn't even notice, she was already too far asleep.
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