FF: Two Worlds (Chapter 31: Nightfall)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hey again,
Small notice, it seems that some of my "..." are changing into "."
when I reformat the text before sending, well anyway onto the frigging
story...
Cilia
p.s. please don't hurt me!

Two Worlds
Cilia

Chapter 31: Nightfall

We charged at the Warlock. We were hoping that striking at him from three
sides at once would leave him at least somewhat vulnerable, maybe give us
some sort of a chance. Spike wanted nothing more than to get this over with
and return home. After being ripped from his realm and thrown in the literal
center of a battle, who could really blame him. Then there was me, Cordelia
Moondancer. I could sense night was falling and I just wanted to see my
girlfriend again. Willow was the focal point of our attack, the powerhouse
of the group. I've witnessed mage battles since then, but few could truly
measure up to the fury of the Red Mage when her anger is provoked.

Spike made it to the Warlock first and managed to get a strike in,
sinking his sword into his shoulder and cleaving his arm off, only to be
tossed away like a ragdoll by the explosion of energy that occurred when he
struck.

I followed, but knowing that this was Willow's fight, I guess my heart
wasn't in it. I struck at him, and then blinked out of vision, before
striking him again and again. I managed to inflict wounds on his entire body
before I, too, was struck, and sent flying into the wall again. Then it was
Willow's show...
- The Writings of Ranger Knight Cordelia Moondancer

Willow watched has her friends hurled themselves at the Warlock, only to be
tossed away after mere moments of fighting. She couldn't help but flinch
when Cordelia hit the wall again. The anger in the Red Mage was growing by
the minute. The warlock was shrugging off her magic like it was a light
summers rain. At least the warriors had managed to hurt him.
"Darken!" she shouted over the noise of the battles outside and
inside the palace.
Get a grip girl, you do not want to lose control again, her sanity
reminded her.
"Lose control," she repeated aloud. She painfully remembered the
fury she had unleashed when she'd been a little younger and little wilder
and before she'd realized her love for Buffy.
If that's what it takes, she thought sadly. Knowing all too well
that once she walked down that path, turning back would be hard, even
impossible, a second time. Steeling herself, she started focusing on the
mental image of her wife as she closed her eyes.
"You are still here," The Warlock asked mockingly as he turned
around, his arm was slowly growing back. He took an uncertain step back when
Willow slowly opened her eyes and revealed the living sparkles of green
energy dancing in them as she once again tapped into the full fury of her
power.

I had always suspected that Willow was holding something back. I
mean the stories I had heard hinted much greater power, but since marrying
Buffy, she seemed more reserved, like she had locked more and more of the
powers away. What I saw unlocked that day made her normal spells look like
cheap illusions.
-The Writings of Ranger Knight Cordelia Moondancer-

Buffy lunged at her mother, telling herself over and over again, that this
creature wasn't her mother. She failed every time to convince herself. The
avatar was a part of her mother and her mother a part of the avatar. She
kicked high, but her mother ducked, so she jumped backwards, kicked up with
both her feet, and scored a blow on her mother's jaw. The force of the blow
raised the avatar up and back, but it didn't seem to cause her pain.
Face it girl, your mom is stronger than you are now, her rational mind told
her.
"I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded as she blocked another of
her mother's punches.
"But, you see, I do want to hurt you," Joyce countered as she punch
her daughter, hitting her hard on the midsection, sending her stumbling
away.
Al'x flinched as Buffy went down, but she was up and running before
she even hit the ground. Ziel continued singing; it seemed to be weakening
Joyce, but not nearly enough.
"Al'x, you must do it," Theris said calmly. She had tended to the
soldiers they had dragged out of harms way. If a division had only managed
to slow Joyce down for several minutes, then there wasn't much they could do
but pray.
"No, I. I can't," Al'x answered.
"You must." Theris stated firmly as Buffy landed a blow on Joyce
that sent the avatar crashing through a wall, only to walk back through the
hole a few heartbeats later. "While she's distracted," there was another
crash and Buffy was thrown to the ground.
"Damn you," he muttered as he picked up Ziel's crossbow and cocked
it. Theris handed him a crystal bolt, he didn't ask where in came from, but
he knew it would do the job. Placing the bolt on the crossbow, he took aim.
"Good bye, Slayer," Joyce said as she towered over the fallen
Slayer. With balls of flames surrounding and dancing between her fists, she
was poised to strike. Buffy looked up her mother, her thoughts
racing and images flashing before her eyes as she covered her stomach with
her hands, a vain attempt to protect her unborn child.
This is not the way I imagined going out... will Willow be all
right... Get up and fight... I hope it will be quick... I love you,
Willow... Giles, I hope Faith treats him well... Cordelia, too bad I can't
help you more... I'm sorry, little one, so sorry...
There was thud as the bolt pierced the joints of Joyce's armor,
entering her back just below a lung and exiting just below her chest,
sailing over the downed Slayers face.
Looking down at the blood spewing from the wound, the dark fire died
in Joyce's eyes and the shadows around her face seemed to disappear. She
fell without a sound.
"Mom!" Buffy shouted as she rolled to her knees and pressed her
hands against the wound.
"I'm sorry, dear." Joyce said in a low voice.
"Joyce?" Al'x asked cautiously as he walked over.
"Lass?" Gymli asked. Both where bruised and battered after their
tumbles with the Avatar.
"I am... me... darkness is gone," Joyce answered as her eyes started
to close.
"So Willow must have killed the Warlock, right?" Buffy said
hopefully as Theris took over pressing on the wound and starting the healing
process.
"No, the Warlock still lives." Theris answered.
"Then what? How?" Buffy asked as she still held her stomach.
"The shock of being wounded, the bolt I used, Ziel's singing or just
will power," Al'x counted off as he smiled down at his friend.
"Thank you?" Joyce whispered.
"We have a problem," Theris said calmly.
"What is it, lass?" Gymli asked.
"The healing doesn't work," Theris said.
"What!" Both Al'x and Buffy exclaimed.
"How long?" Joyce asked.
"I can bandage the wound, but the blood flow is too great," Theris
said.
"Then bandage it and make it tight," Joyce said as some of the fire
returned to her eyes. Al'x and Buffy watched silently as the High Elf
removed the armor from the avatar and started wrapping the white linen
around her body, covering the wound, and her breasts in thick wrappings.
Joyce stood up and leaned on her sword wearily. Rewrapping her arms in the
golden bindings, she let her eyes drift over those gathered around her.
"Mom, you should lie down," Buffy insisted. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine, honey. The bleeding will not stop so I'm going do what I
can while I still have the strength," Joyce said firmly, now dressed only in
the bottom of her armor, the white bandages covering her chest and the
golden bindings. She started walking for the imperial palace. "I'm sorry I
hurt you, dear," she said over her shoulder.
"Al'x, do something," Buffy exclaimed with an elbow to his stomach.
"Very well," Al'x nodded. "Joyce wait up," he said as he ran to
catch up with her. Buffy sighed, it seemed that her mother was in control
once again, but with no guaranties about how long it would last. Al'x would
watch over her, he was good for her mother and would protect her for what
time was left. There was nothing more the Slayer could do for her mom, so
she did what Slayers and Generals do best. Fight!
"Grimm, Gymli gather up those who can still fight, we're going to
clean out the city," Buffy said dryly as she slipped into her command
persona. But the part of that was a woman worried about the blow she'd taken
to the stomach. She walked over to the half-elf who looked ready to take off
after the pair.
"Ziel..." she grabbed the priestess' arm.
"Yes, General," Ziel said.
"Thank you, I don't know what you did, but I know it helped," Buffy
said.
"I'm just glad I could help," Ziel said and was off as soon as Buffy
released her arm.
"Theris, will you come with us?" Buffy asked without turning around.
"I will... stay here and care for the wounded... until the healers
arrive," Theris said and turned away.
"Angel." Buffy said. "It's, ah... good to have you back."
"Good to be back... in a way," Angel's voice answered.
"General, we're ready," Grimm shouted and Buffy turned around. Her
division was now a mixture of dwarves, her remaining drow soldiers and the
mercenaries, who's number had dwindled somewhat. She gathered her strength
and stood tall as she gazed at the Rose division banner still being carried.
"Lets go retake the palace," she shouted. She was tired and bruised,
but she knew she mustn't let it show. They marched back the way they came;
the only battles now were for the most fortified places in the city, the
inner palace, the barracks, and the Royal houses.

-

Stjar'a stood in the courtyard of her imperial palace. She had gotten the
reports that the source of the darkness lay within and that Willow was
involved in a fight with it.
"Princess Stjar'a, the throne room has been magically sealed," one of her
guards reported. She had not selected them, they had just gathered around
her, guarding her because she was their long lost princess.
"Then we shall have to trust the Red Mage. Is there news of my
consort?" she asked. She had taken the time to inform her guards of who
Cordelia was and what she meant to her.
"She's inside, Princess, with the Red Mage."
"Then we must trust in her, too," Stjar'a said as a great explosion
shook the ground and she thought of her ast'one trapped inside.

The Throne room of the Imperial Palace

My name is Prince William Blood to my peers and enemies and Spike to me
mates. I just dropped in, you see, and believe me when I tell you that I am
really not supposed to be here. You see, some months ago, I had a part in
defeating a Warlock. Nasty bugger, he was, nearly managed to kill us all.
Since then, I've been in charge of guarding the crystal in which he was
trapped. Then out of nowhere, ten minutes ago, poof, it started pulsing;
five minutes ago, I checked it again to see what was going on, and three
minutes ago, I arrived here, in another realm, right in the middle of a
bloody war. Now a quick recap, the young woman on my left, currently trying
to get to her feet, is Cordelia Chase. She is the former fashion freak of
Sunnydale High and secretary for Angel Investigations, who, currently, is my
only ally in this place because the third player in this little drama, you
see, has just gone of her kilter. She's the little red haired witch over
there that's putting the hurt to the bad guy, by the way. And, in the
process, she may end up killing us, too.

"I'm ba-a-ack!" Willow exclaimed with a manic gleam in her eyes as
she hurled green lighting at the Warlock, causing him to scream in pain as
he stumbled back into the throne.
"Is this fun or what," she shouted. As she clapped her hands
together, the throne came alive and started to squeeze the Warlock.
"Cordelia?" Spike asked as he crawled over to the Ranger.
"Spike, so glad you could join-"
"Foolish little mage," The Warlock shouted as the throne exploded
off him.
"Duck," Spike shouted as he covered Cordelia, little bits of throne
bouncing harmlessly off his red cape. When they looked up, the Warlock had
their friend by the throat, at least a foot off the ground. The Red Mage
didn't look very worried though.
"We've got to go now!" Cordelia exclaimed as she saw the flux in
Willow's aura. The energies surrounding the Red Mage were pulsating with a
power the ranger had never seen. "She's going to bring the roof down!" she
shouted.
"I believe you," Spike yelled back as the green light started to
flow from Willow's eyes. Green lightning was crackling and growing all
around her, moving to enshroud the Warlock. Bolts of light, like the vines
of some giant plant, were twisting and writhing around the Warlock, some
stabbing into him. Cordelia risked one more glimpse back and gasped at what
she saw, the green energy streams from Willow were pulling the red out of
the Warlock and fueling it into her. She was compressing the energies
together and amplifying them. These two different magicks had no business
being together.
Oh, shit! being her only thought in a mad dash for the doors, now unlocked
thanks to Willow's attacks, they dodged falling bricks and slabs of stone as
the roof began crashing down into the room behind them. They didn't pause as
they yelled to the soldiers they passed to get the hell out of there. The
entire city was bathed in a dazzling green light that flowed from Willow as
she was locked in a death grip with the Warlock.
"This time, you'll stay dead!" she whispered as the domed ceiling
came crashing down. The Warlock was barley able to move his head as he
looked up just in time to see the dome rush down at them. There was nothing
he could do. Willow just smiled and thought of Buffy.

Buffy watched in horror as a large part of the Imperial Palace collapsed in
on itself. The green glow flowing out of the palace flickered as the dome
over the throne room crashed completely into the palace. Then the light
died.
"W-Willow," she whispered in a weak voice. She barely noticed the
ogres they where facing lose some of their drive and stop fighting. Then, as
if waking from a long sleep, other fiends looked around in shock and then
ran.
"Grimm, Gymli give chase," Buffy ordered offhandedly with a vague
wave of her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the cloud of rubble rising in the
air from the collapsed part of the palace. She sensed somebody behind her
and felt a small hand rest on her shoulder. She looked back into Theris's
concern filled eyes then she turned and ran for the palace.

Stjar'a was swept away by her guards as soon as the shouts that the Red Mage
was about to bring the roof down on their foe reached them. Somewhere in the
throng of people, she saw her ast'one running with a dark haired man in
foreign clothing. Was that the man known as Spike? Her mind didn't have the
time to process the information she was receiving as she watched a large
part of the imperial palace collapse onto the battling Mage's.

Piratess walked out of the healers' tent in time to see the green lights
dancing above the city followed by the collapse of the palace dome. Only one
person had the power to collapse a building as big as a palace. She leaned
heavily against a post and felt sorry for her General and friend who had no
doubt lost her beloved wife.
"Oh, Grimm," she thought out loud, her mind wandering to her thief,
out there somewhere, fighting in a war he never should have been a part of.
The queen turned back to the tent to offer a prayer for the safety of her
friend's wife. She didn't know how much time past, but the next thing she
knew, Grimm was at her side.
"My Queen," he greeted in somber voice. A crystal sword rested at
his hip and his daggers were red with tried blood. His cloak was torn and
punctured and tried blood dotted his clothing.
"My Thief," she whispered as she inspected his cuts and bruises.
"I'm fine," he whispered as he stroked her cheek. Placing a gentle
kiss on her lips, which then grew, the pain and destruction around them
seemed to fade away.

Joyce looked at her latest slain foe. There were many more behind her, all
dead. Her bandages were now blood-soaked and there were few more cuts on her
bare arms and midsection. Al'x stepped behind her to offer a hand in
standing when he froze as he saw, what he knew, was Willow's doing. Then
they heard the thunderous crash of the dome coming down and Ziel's eyes grew
wide at the display of energy, not knowing the price that was being paid for
victory. There was soft thud as the Avatar fell, first to her knees and then
backwards onto the ground, overcome by the loss of blood and shear
exhaustion that was catching up with her. Ziel turned away from the
spectacle in sky and raced over to her.
"Avatar?" she asked.
"I'm just gonna... go to sleep now," Joyce said with a weak smile.
"So very... very tired,"
"No, you can't die," Ziel whispered, glancing over to Al'x, but the
warrior was frozen in place.
"Not... gonna die," Joyce said as her eyes closed. "Just sleep," she
muttered.
"Al'x," Ziel shouted, bringing the stunned warrior back to his
senses.
Joyce just smiled, sleep would be nice, and maybe she'd dream. Dream about
her and Al'x, together, dancing to Theris's songs about the forest.

Amy spun at the sound and feel of the massive magical explosion echoing
throughout the city. Sensing the distinct feel of Willow's magic failing,
she began to cry. She fell to her knees sobbing as she desperately sought
the presence of her mentor and friend through the magical flow lines, but
came up empty. Looking up to see Vitor standing behind her, she stood and
threw herself into his arms.

Cordelia stopped Buffy just outside the palace. The ranger struggled to hold
the thrashing Slayer back.
"Buffy, there's nothing you can do," Cordelia stressed. "She's...
the whole roof came down."
"She's right, luv," Spike added sadly as he looked down at the
crystal in his hand, the red glow had died, the Warlock was gone, but so was
their friend.
"Spike?" Buffy asked incredulously as a blue glow began coming over
the vampire.
"It's me Elisabeth, but what I came to do, is done," he said as he
crushed the crystal in his hands. "I... I'm sorry about Red. But I'll see
you again soon and we all miss you," he said, as the light grew brighter.
"How long?" Buffy asked, but eyes where fixed on the pile of rumble.
"It's been a week since you left... everything is..." Spike never
finished the sentence as he disappeared in a flash of light.
"Bye, Spike," Buffy whispered in a daze as tears ran down her
cheeks. The tears were not for her friend leaving but for her wife, her
lover, her world, that was now buried beneath a mountain of stone. Cordelia
let her go, but instead of running for the rubble, Buffy just walked numbly
towards it. As she approached, she fell to her knees and her heart cried out
when she spotted a piece of red cloth, darkened by blood, sticking out from
underneath a large slab of rock.
"Wills," she whispered, as her energy and a part of her life, seemed
to drain away as the sobs took over. So many dead, she always suspected as
much, but she always thought they would pull through and be together
forever. But, that was no longer true. So she just sat there. Alone and her
tears were her only company.

Nobody dared to disturb Buffy for a long time, until Al'x finally went to
her; his cheeks lined with tried tears, he found her sleeping with her arms
wrapped protectively around her stomach and clutching a scrap of red cloth
in her hands. He lifted her from the ground and carried her back to her
tent. I watched from afar as they past the rows of soldiers lining their
path up to her tent, many stayed there the whole night. We'd won, but it was
a hollow victory.
-The Writings of Ranger Knight Cordelia Moondancer

To Be Continued.... soon!