Meztli’s Bright Smile

We had been ambushed, the moment we walked through the door, before our eyes had even adjusted to the dim lights, and we had been attacked. I fought them off, killed a few, but the moment I saw one hold a dagger to Xander’s throat, I stopped fighting, as did the others.

Where the hell is Ana? We could really use her now, but noooo, her little ‘thing’ was sooo much more important than saving Spike and helping us out. Little ingrate. I thought bitterly to myself. We all stood around, the others were held captive by vampires while I was left free to make the call that if I attacked some, if not all, of my friends would be killed, and so we waited.

Soon though, a set of double doors opened and a parade of robed vampires emerged, making way for a crowned and bejeweled woman dressed in an elegant gown from a time long since forgotten by the world. Her clothes dated her, but her looks did not; as she walked into the room Xander, Willow and Giles were shoved to the floor with their heads bowed by their captors, while I was told to do the same.

“All hail our beautiful Mistress.” The vampires echoed as the female vampire sat on a large and ornate throne of sorts. She looked at us all, and smiled at me sinisterly.

“So glad you could come Slayer. You humans are so predictable with your sappy emotions. Take a friend and the others are sure to come for it, but I should be thanking you, because if you hadn’t come the ceremony would not have been complete.”

“And what ceremony would that be?” I asked as around me hooded vampires began lighting candles and incense and began chanting as well.

“Why the one that will make me truly immortal, indestructible to sunlight, fire, stakes, and crosses. And without you here it would have been impossible to perform. You see, I needed this night of the full moon in this year, the blood of an active Slayer, and that of a vampire with a soul.” And as she said that, she snapped her fingers. Another door opened and out came a smaller group of vampires carting a very badly beaten Spike with them; he hung on their shoulders limply, like a rag doll. He looked up and around, taking in the scene before him and he locked eyes with me.

“Where is she? Did they harm her? Is she okay?” He asked, his eyes and voice full of love-driven concern. I didn’t know how to respond, so I just looked at him helplessly and lifted my hands in an unsure gesture; it pained me to see his eyes fill with sorrow.

Damn Ana, she should be here to help and she isn’t, she ran and skipped out just when we… HE needed her most. I thought bitterly to myself. It seemed that he lost his will to fight now that he knew she didn’t care enough to even come and find him. The vampire drones ripped off his shirt as the chanting continued and the female vampire arose with a nasty looking blade in her hands and walked towards him, she lifted the knife and prepared to cut into Spike, when there was a loud thud that echoed through the building. She paused, the knife poised just above his chest, and there was another thud, everyone looked confused.

“What is that noise?” she demanded of her minions, but they didn’t know either. It continued twice more, and the female grew impatient. “Ignore it and continue the ritual.” She commanded as she slashed the blade across Spike’s chest. Just as the first thin line of crimson blood appeared on his alabaster skin, there was a louder thud and then the sound of shattering glass. Everyone turned towards where the sound had come from and there came out from the darkness an extremely large black panther that leaped and fell upon the shrieking female vampire.

“Save her you fools! Protect our beloved Queen!” one of the minions shouted, the ones who had been holding Xander and Willow released them to go help their Mistress. That was all the freedom I needed, I jumped to action with the others and weapons were flying alongside the dust of the slayed.

The panther had paused just long enough to deftly kill with its deadly sharp claws the two vampires who had been holding Spike, which, had I not been busy killing all the others, I would have noticed. What did draw my attention back to the battle between the Mistress and the panther was when a loud and pain-filled roar emanated and shook the building to its core. The last of the minions being dusted, I turned around and stared at scene along with everyone else, the female vampire and the panther were circling one another and there was blood on both of them, the vampire no longer had her knife though which made the battle more even; both creatures had to rely on their natural defense mechanisms. A low growl came from the panther as it launched itself at the vampire and the two ensued in a fight of fangs and nails, it didn’t last long though before the panther swiped out with its claws and gashed open the vampire’s gut. Her loud piercing scream as she fell to the ground was silenced as the feline snarled and attacked her throat, ripping through it and effectively beheading her.

We all looked on speechless as the body slowly became dust, and there was nothing left except a panting and bloody black panther that looked at each of us in turn. When it saw Spike, who was slumped against the wall watching it, the cat grunted and limped over to him before stopping and standing over him. Spike, for all he was injured and had seen what this thing had done to the other vampires, didn’t flinch or appear scared at all. But rather than killing him, the cat chuffed softly and nudged its head against his, Spike smiled a bit and the panther lied down beside him on the floor, placing its head in his lap and chuffing occasionally. Spike just softly stroked its head and looked at us, just as bewildered as we all were; Willow left out a small cry and we all turned to look at her wondering what had caused her outcry.

“It’s dying.” She said as she lifted her hand to her mouth and with the other pointed to the cat. Sure enough, there was a large dark pool of blood forming around the Spike and the panther and as we watched helplessly, the cat’s breathing slowed becoming more labored, and as its golden eyes closed, just stopped all together.

Every last one of us got chocked up, we didn’t know how or why or even where this cat had come from, but we all knew that had it not been for its entrance and help we would all probably be dead. Spike slowly slipped its head from his lap and I went over to help him up, we all stood around the cat’s body and bowed our heads, silently giving it our heartfelt thanks.

“C’mon guys, let’s go home.” I said softly.

“Another prophecy averted and the day has been saved again.” Xander sarcastically said as we made our way to the exit.

“Yes it is.” Giles said sadly.

“Poor thing.” Willow mumbled, and we all silently agreed with her.

“Yeah I mean, where in the world did a panth- holy shit!” Xander exclaimed, looking back into the room. I turned around with Spike leaning on my shoulders and looked back as well; what I saw I could hardly believe with my own eyes. There, on the ground, the panther’s body was beginning to contort and move, and slowly it elongated and changed, becoming a creature I could hardly recognize.

“That’s the thing that attacked me at Willie’s!” Spike said surprised. “Why is it…?” but he stopped talking as the body began changing once again.

I squinted my eyes to try and see more clearly, and I was the first to see what the end product was. I guess she did come for him after all. I thought sadly as I swallowed the lump in my throat. Spike was next in his recognition of the body.

“Oh God! No! NO!” he cried out, choking on the tears that began forming in his eyes. He shoved off of me and stumbled over to the body, cradling the lifeless form in his arms and rocking back and forth on the blood covered ground.

“Ana… oh bloody hell! No… no… please… please….” He sobbed as he stroked her bloodied ebony hair and kissed her inert copper skin. “Baby, wake up… please don’t be dead.” He pleaded as he put pressure on the deep and large stab wound on her stomach. I looked over and saw Willow, Giles and Xander leaning on one another, the guys were stoic in their sorrow while Willow cried openly. I silently wiped away the tears on my face and walked over to Spike, gently touching his shoulder; he looked up at me with a tear-stained face. “Buffy, please help her. Go get help, a-a doctor o-o-or something.” He begged me. I looked down at him, then at the Ana’s dead body, and forced myself to say what I knew he didn’t want to hear.

“Spike, it’s too late, Ana’s dead.”

“NO!” he yelled at me, jerking away from my hand. “She can’t be dead… she just can’t be… I love her.” The last bit came out just barely above a whisper, and he looked back at her body, softly stroking her cheeks. “She’s cold Buffy… she was never cold before. She was always so hot to the touch, I-I-I have to make her warm again.” He said as he picked up her nude form and proceeded to walk away, back into the room he had originally been brought from.

I turned around to the others. “You guys go on back, we’ll catch up later. I’ll make sure he’s okay.” They nodded and left quietly, all of them grieving in their own way. I walked over to the room and looked in, Spike had gotten his leather duster and laid Ana’s body in it, wrapping her up before lifting her back into his arms. He was covered in her blood along with his own, but he seemed to forget his injuries, all he cared about was Ana. “Spike,” I began as he approached me.

“Don’t Summers, just…don’t. Give me the privacy and solitude I bloody well need right now.” He said as he brushed past me, limping his way out of the hotel doors.
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