CH.37

Everyone went to Buffy's house and gathered supplies then headed out to hunt down the invading demon population. By morning, all the demons still alive in Sunnydale were assured of one thing.

The slayer was back and she was out for blood. They all crashed at her house and woke up later to deal with the coming day's problems. The wards picked up and ejected a demonic entity in the middle of the night and warned the occupants of Buffy's house.

Everyone woke up for a while and looked outside to see Spike being possessed by something. When they went outside to stop it, the ghostly being fled. Everyone headed to the magic box. Spike was forced to wait outside while they looked up what it could've been.

They eventually settled on thaumogenesis, when they realized that it wasn't fully corporeal and was able to possess and make copies of people. They found this out when Willow went outside to talk to Spike and Buffy came around the corner calling her a little bitch and asking if it felt good to pour the blood on her hands. It dissipated after the real Buffy came outside.

Willow and Tara did a spell to make it solid and Spike ripped its head off its shoulders. He left not long after that saying." I've got things to get ready before I go to LA and you lot need sleep."

They went home and crashed for the second time that night. The next day, everyone was busy moving their things out of the frat house and into their respective houses. Willow and Tara already lived in Joyce's old room since Buffy's death.

They had moved in to take care of Dawn. They moved Ryan and all their things into Buffy's basement. When Ryan was removed the Enochian sigils faded away.

Xander and Anya moved into his old house, he had rebuilt it with protection wards in the foundation. He even kept the jacuzzi.

Xander's business holdings went global with Anya's help. His construction company quickly became famous for its unique and quality buildings.

They had started putting wards on every building they made. Everything from nonviolence to the basic and all-encompassing evil repellent wards. The watcher's council started doing business directly through Giles for this.

Meanwhile, Buffy was visiting Ryan's body in her basement and telling him about all that he missed since his collapse. Even though she knew he couldn't hear a word she was saying it somehow made her feel better.

Over the months as time passed Willow and Tara had argued about Willow's liberal use of magic. Soon enough everyone was busy with work and school that they forgot about any plans that were made and focused on the future.

Time passed and things changed. The Hellmouth activity kept everyone on their toes. One day the scoobies found out that Jonathan and Andrew sold the houses and quit college. They hadn't been doing coven practices with Willow since before Ryan came back. Sure they made excuses at first but eventually, they stopped doing even that.

Time rolled on, months later on a particular day Warren showed up in Buffy's back yard and opened fire with a handgun he'd brought. Buffy was shot above her heart and a stray shot had missed and broke an upstairs window. Unbeknownst to most, This was a day of great change, all over the world, everyone with power felt a giant shift in the tides of magic.

Willow showed up at the magic box and emptied all of Its now considerable dark magic collection. Waves of power were rolling in. She went to the hospital and pulled the bullet from Buffy and forced them to search for Warren. When they refused she left in a storm of magic.

In the woods, she finally found Warren. After torturing him with a bullet slowly penetrating his boy, Buffy, Xander and Anya showed up, just in time to see her flay Warren alive. Buffy told her while trying to plea with her better angels. "Willow this isn't you, I'm sorry about Tara, but think about it! What's the one person who can make all this better? What would he say to what you're doing? You need to stop!"

Staring at Buffy she whispered." He took our memories and left her to die. You're right! He needs to pay!"

Willow felt her power draining some, so she headed to the place she knew had an adequately powerful warlock. She arrived a Rack's place and drained him of all his Magic's. When she was done, Dawn arrived. "Oh, Dawnie, he never told you, did he? He tried to hide it from me and Tara as well. You see Ryan knew what you were when you arrived here."

Dawn looked shocked and scared." What are you talking about? He treated me like he always did!"

Willow shook her finger, noticing Buffy's arrival." He kept it a secret all this time because he didn't want to be blamed you see. He knew what you were because he created you. You were his key to the barrier he put around this planet. And every time he looked at you he saw his own failure."

Dawn backed away, and Buffy stood next to her." Your lying, even if he did something like that he wouldn't have lied without a reason."

Willow smiled." You want a reason? Maybe it was to get in your good graces then! Think about it, he created her, then had some monks guard her till the hell bitch showed up. They put her in a meat suit and send her to you. He had sex with you and he wanted a younger version, meet little Buffy 2.0. All tight and new."

The room started spinning while they were talking. When Willow finished, they were all back in the magic box. " The trip can be a bit disorienting if you're well, not me!"

Buffy told her." You can't kill him, not even you are that strong."

Willow tilted her head and smiled." Well, not yet anyway, but after I drain every bit of magic in this place I will be."

Buffy tried to stand." I won't let you! He cared for us enough to sacrifice everything he was and now I can't let you take him away."

Willow smiled and waved a hand." You don't have a choice."

A binding spell took hold on the shop's inhabitants. She waved a hand and every magic book in the shop fell at her feet. She s put a foot on the pile and all the words from the books drained into her. When she was done she told them." Now I'm pretty sure I'm can kill a weakened Titan, and there's no one strong enough to stop me!"

"Vincere." A voice yelled as a green liquid hit her from behind. Giles walked in."I'd like to test that theory."

Buffy stumbled when the binding dropped."Giles! I thought you were still in Europe!"

Giles stepped forward." I was until a coven of witches in Devon contacted me! Another of my plans was revealed to me! This is the final part we're in. If we are successful, he'll wake up and deal with Willow himself! If we fail, we lose everything and the world ends!"

Dawn stepped forward." Is it true?"

Giles looked at her and sighed." Yes and no. He created the barrier between this world and the next. And he shaped the key that unlocks it. But you aren't his power! He shaped the key but it was his childhood friend Semeria's essence that you were made from. He pulled it from the earth over the course of millions of years. You are in essence a titan The was put into human form by those monks. If he was at full power and had control of his thoughts he would have killed Glory and made sure no one died. But to save the world we all made the decision to go the harder route. If you want to blame someone, it was me who made these plans."

Turning to Willow he said." She waiting for you! All you have to do now is complete the promise."

Willows eyes shot open, her hair was black and her skin a pale white. Her eyes though, were a sharp green. She nodded and he released the spell.

He stepped forward." All you seek is within your grasp. Take it and let us be done here."

Willow stuck, her hand glowing and penetrating his chest, drawing the rest of the power she needed to end this. When he collapsed she turned and told them." I must go now, he won't wake up until I'm done."

She vanished, teleporting to an underground basement. Walking over to the box where he lay, she reached inside and stuck her hand in his head, reminiscent of Glory's feeding habits. After several minutes, she pulled a glowing ball out and whispered to it. Creating a jar with her other hand, she put it in.

Teleporting to the morgue, she found what she was looking for. She put her hand on the cold dead body of Tara and whispered." We're almost done here, lovers. Almost done."

Waving her hand she healed Tara's body, prepaid for the next step. She carefully placed the glowing ball of white energy in Tara's head. When it was over she removed her hand and helped jumpstart her heart. Soon enough an audible breath was sucked into Tara's lungs.

Tara shot upright, into a sitting position. "Willow? Is that you?"

Willows hair lightened to her usual red." It's me, baby. I got you out and healed your body."

Tara hopped off the table, ignoring her state of undress." We need to get to Ryan right now! It's time to stabilize ourselves and wake him up. He's suffered enough now!"

Looking a little confused she followed Tara as she teleported. Back in the basement, Buffy and the rest of the group were waiting. When both girls arrived they looked stunned. Tara told them." Wait until he's awake and all our memories are returned. There's no need for questions."

Both girls went over to the body and put their hands on the side of his head. After a long while, Tara whispered." There you are."

The ground shook valiantly as Ryan's body trembled. The box they stored him in, broke apart at the seams. His eyes opened and he took his first breath since his fight with Glory.

He sat then stood up, his body uncoiled. "Did it work? Did we avoid it?"

Tara looked to Giles then when he nodded she looked back to Ryan smiling. "Yes, we avoided the prophecy. The world won't end by yours our Willows hands, but we need to hurry, she's very unstable right now. So much power in the body of a mortal can be deadly to itself."

Nodding he reached into the void and pulled out a box. Lifting the lid he told them each flask is labeled. Just open and inhale for your memories back."

They all took their own and followed the instructions. After it was done, clarity and understanding, took hold of each of their minds.

Flashback

Giles and Jenny met Ryan and Tara in the basement of the frat house. Giles asked. " So what's this about?"

Tara began." A long time ago, when Ryan first arrived, Willow had already tasted dark magic. He tried his best to steer her to nature magic and lighter things. But it was too late. After her first fast she became addicted after he was sent away, she had basically free reign and started on the harder stuff. When he came back, it was too far deep in her. All his work was undone and her thirst grew to the point he wasn't sure if it was possible to fix. He looked and looked until one day, after the ritual we did, I did a reading of Willow's future. I came to him immediately, because I knew it was the only answer. I read that I would die and Willow, in her grief would channel his power into the effigy of proserpexa, and end the world."

Suddenly Ryan paled." She knows, she's coming here."

Willow showed up with the rest of the scoobies in tow several minutes later. " I wouldn't end the world!"

Xander spoke up." Of course, you wouldn't Will. No one's saying that, wait are you saying that?"

Giles filled the group in and after everyone settled down Ryan told them. " I know a friend who can help us figure a way around it. Prophesy can be beaten when it's worked the right way. I'll portal him to here and all you have to do is sing for him."

With that, he waved a hand and a portal to Caritas opened up. Ryan stepped through and grabbed Lorne saying."I need your help to avoid destroying the world and saving my loved ones."

Lorne told him." I charge extra for interdimensional home visits."

Ryan smirked." I'll pay the price and more I'm sure."

With that, they arrived in Ryan's basement. Everyone took turns singing for him until Giles came up with a plan. " Ryan, what are the limits of your body?"

Ryan told them everything about himself, even going so far as his relationship to the key and how he did it. He shared every little detail down to how his people came to be.

In the end, Giles told them his insane plan and how it would work. Riley bulked at Buffy's role and had his mind wiped of everything. Buffy volunteered to do it. They actually broke up that night but couldn't remember it.

Lorne told them he would help as much as possible on his end. Then he went and raided the wine cellar and liquor crates as payment. All in all, he took a little over a million in booze, but it was a small price to pay for saving the world and his friends.

With everyone's agreement, they started erasing and programming everyone.