Lost in the Dark, Cleansed in the Flame

Chapter 15 - The Flaming Sword

After entering the final chamber, Spike laid Xander down gently at his
feet. Dropping to his knees he grabbed onto Xander's hand, a wail
forming in his throat.

"There it is, you bloody git!" Spike used his head to nod in the
direction of the sword. If Xander had been awake, alive, there was no
way he could have missed it. The sword burned bright, illuminating
the entire room.

Without warning the wail erupted from Spike's throat. The sound a
keening siren that bounced and echoed off the cavern walls. "You
promised, Xan. You said nothing would happen. You said we'd grab
the bloody thing and go home." Spike spouted angry accusations at
his dead love.

He didn't know how long he knelt there, sobbing out his anger.
Eventually he stood, approaching the sword, willing himself not to
smash it against the nearest wall. Xander wanted to save the world.
Xander *died* trying to save the world. And he wouldn't let that be for
nothing.

As he approached the sword, the wall behind the weapon suddenly lit
up, words appearing etched in the stone.

~~~
Once Called Upon to Guard the Way
The Light of my Flame Cast Out the Dark
Before the End I Will be Called Again
Not to Guard, but Defend

Two Heroes Immortal of Necessity
At the Crucial Time Will Wield
One of Light, One of Dark
None Will Defeat their Strength of Heart
~~~

Spike wanted to scream. Two heroes immortal? Fuck you! Xander
was dead. And if he had turned him and made him immortal he
certainly wouldn't have been 'of light' anymore. What the bloody hell
were these people playing at? Looking back over his shoulder his
anger mounted as his eyes lingered on the still form of his lover.

Spike turned back to study the sword, floating in midair before him.
The words etched in stone behind the mythic weapon were a
mockery to him, but he consigned them to memory in order to repeat
them to Giles later. Reaching up he grasped the hilt, and pulled. The
sword came away easily, the flame licking at his skin but not burning.

Still crying tears of anger, longing and hopelessness Spike began to
turn away bri bright glow halted him and he turned back. A bowl sat
just below where the sword had been hanging. Spike hadn't noticed it
before and would have passed it by had it not been for the glow.

Looking in he he saw one lone seed. He studied the wall again to
see if the words had changed but there was no difference. He
studied the bowl but found no markings on that either, and there was
no placard beside it. Was he supposed to take the seed as well?
Shrugging, he pocketed the seed. Might as well take every fucking
thing in the room after what it cost him, he thought bitterly. Then he
picked up Xander and walked out.

***

The girls were crying. He'd arrived back in Sunnydale several hours
ago and broken the news. They'd laid Xander out in Joyce's old
bedroom, the blood still staining his clothes. Spike wanted to go back
to their place and get him something to change into. Something to
make him look less...gone. But Giles wanted to go over it one more
time. He almost growled.

Not that Giles hadn't cared about his boy. The tears fell from the
Watcher's eyes even as he asked another question. But he was a
Watcher, and he was Giles. He did what he had to do.

"Tell me again what the etched words said?"

"Watcher, I already told you twice! Give me a bloody piece of paper
and I'll write the fuckioke oke down for you." He grabbed for a pen
and rewrote the words he'd memorized.

"Two heroes immortal?" Giles' brow scrunched together. "But Xan..."

Giles was cut off by a menacing growl. "Don't you think I've thought
of that? Travers must have sent the wrong Claimants, because we
obviously couldn't get the job done."

"But...*sniffle*...even if Xander hadn't...he still wasn't - " Willow began

"I *know*!" Spike shouted. "He wasn't immortal! Don't you think I
know how bloody fucking obvious that is!"

Willow started to cry harder and Spike found it in himself to be just a
little bit sorry. Willow had always been Xander's favorite. "I'm sorry,
luv," he muttered softly.

"Was this all you brought back with you?" Giles broke in.

"That and the seed," Spike answered, not looking up.

"Seed?" Giles looked around the room. "What seed?"

"Here, 's in my pocket. Forgot earlier." Spike handed over the tiny
black kernel.

"It's an apple seed," Giles said wonderingly. Then a look of
astonishment crossed his features. "Good God!"

Spike watched as Giles rushed outgrabgrab one of his back breaking
tomes. When he returned, Spike was surprised to see which tome
he'd retrieved.

"You've brought back *the* flaming sword." Giles' voice was excited.
Something that Spike resented seeing as how nothing should be
exciting anymore.

"Yeah, so?"

Then Giles began to read from the book.

"After he drove man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of
Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard
the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24, NIV)

"What? You think we brought back the sword that used to guard the
Garden of Eden?" Spike asked, incredulous.

"Not the Garden, Spike. It guarded the path to the tree of *life*. The
tree that gave immortality," Giles answered, holding up the seed.

"What are you saying? Is there a way to bring Xander back?" Spike
jumped to his feet to confront Giles.

"Yes, I believe there is," the Watcher answered calmly.

Spike sat back down so abruptly he almost fell off the couch onto the
floor. "How?"

"The seed is the key. Not only will it bring him back, but it will make
him immortal."

Eternity with Xander? Spike couldn't dare to hope, but his spirits rose
nonetheless. Then another thought occurred and his expression
darkened once more. "But Xander's a white hat." The other's
nodded, not understanding. "He's dead. He'll be in heaven. What
right do we have to pull him out and plunk him back down here
forever?"

"Yes, well, I'm afraid there's no way to ask his permission," Giles
answered. "But if bringing him back is the only way to save the world,
do you think he wouldn't do it?"

"I've got to think." Spike stood, strode through the living room and out
the back door. Spike strolled through the neighborhood, not really
paying much attention to what was going on around him. What would
Xander want? Oh God, to have him back again. Forever. That was
all Spike had ever wanted.

But would Xander resent him? Hate him? For bringing him back.
For taking him away from heaven and forcing him to live here on
earth, with a demon? Could Spike take it if he did?

Were they really the only hope of saving the world? Damn fucking
prophecies! If they were, Spike knew what Xander's answer would
be. He was and forever will be a white hat.

Spike started back toward the house. Entering the front door he saw
that everyone was still huddled in the living room. "Let's do it." The
three words were said in a monotone rush of sound. Then Spike
turned and went up the stairs to wait with his lover.