PART FIVE:
When Buffy and the others awoke, the sun was shining on a virtually deserted Sunnydale as Willow finished a telepathic conversation with Tara about how her pregnancy was faring in distant Westbury, across half a world in Southern England. Doug pointed to a distant, roiling cloudbank: "Here she comes. Looks like she's going to touch ground in Hammerfell Park. Looks like our aversion spell did the trick, Wills."
"Good idea, both of you. It has to be between Amy and us. No civilian bystanders." Buffy nodded.
Lindsey leant forward across the table and kissed Buffy deeply: "I love you, Buffy Summers."
"I love you, Lindsey MacDonald. Okay, everyone. Time to bring this whole story to an end. Let's do this..."
Significant release of thaumaturgic energy carries consequences with it and thus it was the day was already darkening when the Scoobies reached Hammerfell Park. Above them, amidst a darkening thunderhead silhouetted by lightning, Amy Madison stood, within a vortex of churning darkness. Willow rolled her eyes:
"What a drama queen."
"Can I have first strike, Buffy?" Anya cleared her throat and spoke.
"If you want revenge for what Amy helped to do to Xander, go right ahead, You have my wishes for vengeance."
Willow nodded: "And mine. She contributed to the murder of my best friend. I will never forgive her for that."
Doug and Oz consented too: "We want Jordy avenged too, Anya. Go, with our full blessing."
And thus, propelled and empowered by the desires of the bereaved, Anya rose steadily from the ground and hurtled toward Amy, who balked. She unleashed an array of lightning against the vengeance demon, but to no avail. Fury was firmly set upon Anya Emerson's face as she reached the fragile sanctuary of the thunderhead and began the battle with Amy. And thus, the final conflict began.
At that moment, a yellow and black blur rushed toward Doug as Oz wolfsided and moved to protect his life's love:
"Well, well. Touching, isn't this? My faggot big brother and his arse buddy."
At the cadence and accent of the bitter, snarling voice, Doug took a step back: "Lucy?!"
"You know this shapeshifter, loverman?:
"I thought you were dead, Lucy. What happened to you?"
"Like you even cared, Dougie. When Dad kicked you out, he was right. But afterwards? Did you even think that your lily white crusade would have consequences? It was because of you that vampires attacked our family, killed our parents. Oh, that's right. You're actually a bastard, aren't you, Doug? Because we're not good enough for you. So, when Amy up there offered me the chance to destroy you, I said bring it on. You and me. It ends with your death."
"Well, get you, Daddy's little girl," sneered Faith, carving an attacking demon in half with her blade, "from what Doug told the rest of us, his birth family was trash. Alcoholism, violence, all sorts of toxic shit. He doesn't have to answer to you."
"Loverman, she's got my skill set. And inexperience. I can smell it on her. She's only turned therio recently."
"I'm strong and vicious enough to kill you, arsewolf!" Lucy Mercer snarled, transforming further into a leopard, and stalking toward the two men. Oz dropped his shorts and became fully wolfside, launching himself toward the threat, intent on protecting the man he loved more than anything else in the world.
In the skies above, Anya and Amy were locked in a fierce struggle. But both had limited resources and it was starting to tell. Ultimately, Anya began to visibly tire- but did so valiantly, witnessing the further ebbing of Amy's darkmagick as the conflict wore on. Minutes later, with Anya bloody and panting, Amy's antigravity spell failed without sufficient energies to keep her aloft and she managed, with effort, to slow her descent to a mild bump on her tokus when she did impact.
Through the fog of battle, Buffy, Lindsey and Dawn were busily dispatching onrushing demons as they swarmed from the adjacent Hellmouth. And then, gliding above it, amidst almost blinding light, was Willow Rosenberg:
"Hello, Amy. Or should I say the First?"
"Rosenberg. I might have guessed it'd be you."
"I almost feel sorry for you. Except you've killed too many people and you feel no remorse or guilt for it. Including my parents and Xander Harris. And a little boy. But then, to feel some sense of accountability would mean you were still human, and you're not, are you? Not even remotely."
"I don't need to listen to a castrated witch who let her abilities be deliberately limited because she didn't have the guts to face the glory and splendor of power incarnate."
Willow shook her head: "Sorry, honey. Defensive power still carries a lot of oomph in it. And the light will always master the darkness."
"Enough talking!" Amy marshalled her remaining energies and an ebon spear of darkmagick swept toward Willow, darker than midnight. Willow gestured and it split into shards but Amy was not done. And with that, the two women arose, hurling energies older than time and space at one another.
Circling as his sister fought the man he loved, Doug could tell Lucy was starting to tire as his lover gained the upper hand. The female shapeshifter felt for a silver dagger, until it vaporised as Doug caught her tactic and acted to protect his partner. She snarled and with one last vestige of strength, threw Daniel Osborne off her and leapt toward him, intent on ripping out his throat. But she never got there- as Lindsey MacDonald's blade buried itself in her body. As he pivoted to defend Buffy, he called over to Doug: "Hell, I'm sorry, buddy."
Doug breathed shakily: "Don't be, Linz. You saved Danny's life. And Lucy made her choice some time ago. Family is what you choose, not what you're born into, sometimes. No hard feelings. Danny?"
"Doug. I wish that didn't have to happen."
"She's the past, Danny. She's not who I am now. Which is with you, the man I love and amongst my friends."
Sometimes, the outcome of battles can turn on a matter of chance. And thus it was, with a single prodigal outburst of energy, Amy Madison knocked Willow Rosenberg from the sky and the whitewitch's head impacted on a stone. And Buffy Summers found herself alone as Amy Madison picked up a discarded shield and broadsword from a fallen demon warrior and charged at the slayer, giving her no quarter. But Buffy Summers fought back as her lover saw the peril she was in and fought through a knot of warriors, as did Faith Lehane, her sister slayer. Helping a groggy Willow to her feet, Doug and Oz joined in the onrushing group of allies. But Buffy had been fighting for hours now. And with a victorious scream. Amy Madison fought a weak spot in the slayer's defence and thrust the blade home. Doug's eyes shone brilliant white, as did that of Willow and in that instant, the remaining demons were vaporised in a Sol Invictus sunburst. And then, reaching the woman he loved, Lindsey MacDonald's sword avenged what had been done to the woman he loved. With a hellish scream, Amy Madison cried out as the hellfire that had been her own for so long finally took her to its heart.
TO BE CONCLUDED
