They struck just after the sun set, streaming from the seal underneath the High School like a swarm of angry wasps - Turok Han, dozens of them. They crawled their way up from Hell, grinning and ripping out chunks of flesh from the screaming form of Spike, strapped into the rack he had been in before... positioned above the seal. He had been drained and as the swarm had escaped, much of his flesh had been ripped away leaving large gaping wounds that wouldn't heal. As it was... it was a matter of thanks that Spike didn't last much longer than he did, for with his final moments... he sealed the seal with his own life.... but by then it was too late.
High above the seal the real battle was underway. Men fought Demon. Young girls faced that which wanted nothing more than to kill them all... and many fell. The few that survived were quickly separated and then vanished amongst the oncoming horde... never to be found.
In the heart of the battle, a small band of people could be seen holding a small patch of ground. Buffy, the Slayer; Willow, the witch; Dawn; the Key, Faith, the Dark Slayer... and Xander. Their small group was a whirlwind of stakes and swords and battleaxes, all of them defending the land they had barely managed to hold for so long already... but were losing quickly.
One by one, they drew closer together until their backs were almost touching. Around them lay the bodies of the Slayers in Training, a look of fear frozen on their cold faces. They had lasted only minutes before they fell... with Anya and Andrew soon joining them. The stink of death filled the air, joined by a scream of pain, as yet another body hit the ground. They had lost another in the final battle against the First... and they were losing.
*This is the end...*
Xander ducked a blow from a Bringer and sliced out with his sword. He caught the bringer in the shoulder and slashed it from shoulder to hip... effectively killing it. It was yet another kill on his score card this night... but it wasn't enough.
*This is going to be it...*
Xander felt himself being pulled away from the group... but by this time, the battle was turning to the point that failure was assured. He shook his tired head and continued on, even as he drifted further and further away from the girls, knowing that it would all be over soon.
//When we die we go into the arms of those that remember us
We are home now
Out of our heads
Out of our minds
Out of this world
Out of our time...//
Xander focused himself as he drifted far enough away that he was all alone, surrounded by almost a dozen Turok Han. Blow after blow snaked past his sword to weaken him bit by bit. Blood flowed freely down his sides from numerous gashes and slashes, pooling around his feet. He looked around for the others, barely able to see them over the rising flood of evil all around them. He could see that they had managed to keep together... then one fell; arms flailing in terror as she was pulled to the ground, only to be silenced seconds later.
//Are you drowning or waving
I just want you to save me
Should we try to get along
Just try to get along...//
Xander closed his eyes, blinking away tears, as he saw who fell.
*Willow...*
With that one moment, yet another piece of the wall that held Xander's sanity in check chipped away and crumbled.
*I'm losing them... one by one... and I can do nothing.*
He jumped and then kicked out, knocking another of the vile creatures to the ground, momentarily seeing a break in the swarm. Xander could see Buffy, Faith and Dawn gathered together. The three Slayers... or almost three... but it was something to see. They moved in sync, killing then shifting position, then killing again... but it wasn't enough. Xander could see that their movements, and his own, were failing. He looked back at the ones around him and decided it was time to pull out all the stops.
//So we move
We change by the speed of the choices that we make
And the barriers are all self-made
That's so retrograde...//
Xander swung his sword, not caring what was in his way, using all his strength. He was fighting with an almost berserker frenzy now, not even feeling the blows that rained against his body. All that was on his mind was trying to get back to the girls.
*It's my job... I have to be with them... no matter the cost...*
As he moved closer, inching his way toward them, he watched and screamed inside as another of them fell.
*Dawn... no!*
//Are you drowning or waving
I just want you to save me
Should we try to get along
Just try to get along...//
Xander paused and felt something stab him in the back, just under his lungs. He looked down and saw a jagged piece of metal sticking out of his chest. A bubbly gasp escaped his lips and he looked up to catch the eyes of Buffy and Faith. The looks of their faces was a mixture of shock and agony. They were losing yet another one.
//I am alive
I am awake to the trials and confusion, we create
There are times I feel we're about to break
When there's too much to say...//
Xander fell forward, catching himself with his sword before he hit the ground.
*No... I can't stop... I.. have.. to... go... on...*
Xander pushed himself back to his feet and moved onward toward them, crying out as something else exploded out of his body. He looked down and saw a spear shaft extending out of his stomach.
*I... can't... give... up...*
Xander, determined to help his girls... his Slayers... the only ones left he loved, crawled forward - inching his way toward them - until something heavy landed on him and everything went gray. As Xander's mind began to shut down, he mentally screamed for something... for someone... to do something.
//We are home now
Out of our heads
Out of our minds
Out of this world
Out of this time...//
Xander watched as the swarm of Turok Han fell upon him and as everything started to go black... it all stopped.
//Out of this time...//
Xander blinked as everything snapped back into focus.
//Out of this time...//
Xander felt the weight on his back lessen and rolled over to look up into the face of a Demon. Xander jerked back and noticed that the stuff sticking out of his body was gone.
"You ok in there, Xander?"
Xander blinked and stared up at the Demon; surrounded by frozen Turok Han.
"Wha... what happened?"
The Demon smiled and reached out a hand to pull Xander to his feet.
"You ascended."
Xander got to his feet and looked down at his body. He was completely healed and dressed in this strange white medieval suit. He looked around and saw Buffy and Faith, frozen in place with the dust of hundreds of Turok Han at their feet. He continued too look around and there were only a few dozen left to fight. This fact alone shocked him more than anything so far... until the Demon's words sunk in.
"Ascended?"
The Demon nodded.
"Yup... you're a Higher Being now. Sheesh, what is it with you people from this town. First the supermodel, now you."
Xander shook his head.
"Ascended... what the hell do you mean by that?"
The Demon sighed and shook his head.
"You impressed them. You finally got of their shit list with what you just did. You were dying... yet you fought on to get to the Slayers here. You used your last ounce of strength to be by their side. That level of devotion, of love, of courage... well, they think highly of that up there. You've ascended to being a Higher Being. They want you up there now... so someone can watch over them once this is all over."
Xander looked over at the Slayers and blinked.
"They... they're going to make it?"
The Demon nodded.
"Yup.. them and that Pre-Slayer... um.. damn, what was her name... Amanda maybe... tall, skinny, kinda shy... you know who I mean probably."
Xander nodded, understanding.
"So they live... good... then it's ok... I..."
The Demon nodded.
"You meant something... that's what you were going to say, right?"
Xander nodded.
"Yeah... I meant something."
He looked down at himself and noticed the spear, metal, and his sword were all stuck into the ground where he had fallen... along with a Xander-shaped pool of blood.
*I was there... but then... is this my body or my soul...*
He looked up at the Demon and swallowed.
"What do I do now?"
The Demon smiled and laughed.
"You say goodbye. We don't normally let you do this... but I like you, kid. Go on over. Tell them goodbye. They might remember this... even though they're frozen."
Xander nodded and walked over to the girls, weaving his way in and out of the Turok Han till he was next to Buffy and Faith. He moved to Faith, brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes then kissed her lips.
"Goodbye Faith. I forgive you for everything you did. I know you will be better... now. I just want you to remember that someone loves you..."
He moved over to Buffy and stared into her frozen eyes.
"Buffy... my Buffy. You've been the one in my heart for close to seven years now. Different women have done nothing to change my feelings..."
Xander leaned in and kissed her lips... kissing her goodbye.
"... I'll love you forever."
He reached a hand up to his face to brush away a tear then turned back to the Demon.
"We have to go now?"
The Demon nodded.
"Yes."
Xander nodded and walked over.
"Do you have a name?"
The Demon smiled and nodded.
"I'm Skip."
Xander smiled.
"Hi Skip."
He took one last look around then sighed.
"So... what's it like up there? Anyone waiting for me I might know?"
Skip laughed and nodded.
"You'll see... let's go."
Xander nodded and then vanished in a flash of white light. Within a second, everything started up again. Buffy and Faith jerked in surprise as the place where Xander had been emptied... and memories formed in their minds.
*He's... he's gone.*
Faith blinked away tears and quickly ripped apart two Turok Han in front of her as Buffy gasped out a single soft sob.
*He... he still loved me...*
Buffy locked eyes with Faith and nodded. They both had memories of Xander talking to them... confessing feelings... telling them things... talking to them when it was impossible for it to have happen.. but yet it did. A smile crossed their faces as a new surge of strength rushed through them... as if being touched by someone who loved them and they dove into the fight and managed to kill off the remaining Turok Han.
Once the school was clear, they looked around for survivors and discovered Amanda lying inside a bush... alive but hurt badly. As they carried her away, they looked back at the aftermath and shed a single tear... for the one who gave up everything to give them a chance to live.
High above them... a new Guardian Angel was watching over his girls... a smile on his face, knowing that everything... now... was finally going to be ok.