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by Chris Kenworthy (scoobyhq@fcmail.com)
Disclaimer: Do I even need to say it? I DON'T OWN THEM, and you know who I'm talking about.
"Hey!" Oz called out. "What's that up ahead?"
Phoebe slowed down a little as they drove through. First, to the right, a yellow Citroen stood by the side of the road, facing inwards, its front fender looking quite bashed in. "Giles'," someone muttered. Just a little further on, Trick's black viper was halfway into the woods to the side of the road, with collision marks on the near side and a mangled hood from the tree it had run into.
"Faith's work?" Buffy muttered to herself. "Keep following the compass, Phoebe."
"You got it."
Phoebe drove them into the interior of town, and followed the compass to an unremarkable residential block. As the parked and got ready to continue the search on foot, Cordelia's phone rang again.
"Halliwell van, Xander Harris speaking," Xander said into it. His face fell slightly after a moment and he handed the phone over to Buffy. "It's for you."
Buffy took the phone and listened into it. "Hello?"
"Hey, B? It's Faith."
Buffy smiled in spite of herself. "I figured. Was the car crash out on route six your work?"
"Hey, I had to slow him down. Speaking of, Trick headed into this tunnel a few minutes ago. The entrance is at the southwest corner of the Peacepines cemetary."
"Just two blocks away," Buffy figured. "We'll be there ASAP."
(At the Peacepines cemetary.)
"This is it?" Buffy asked Faith unneccesarily. She was standing right next to a strange-looking hole in the hillside, after all. The dark-haired Slayer nodded.
"Okay," Buffy decided. "Willow, Xander, Oz... high-tail it over to the library." Xander opened his mouth to object, and Buffy held up a forestalling hand. "No arguments. Go now." Reluctantly, the three teenagers headed off.
Breathing a sigh of relief that they would hopefully be safe, Buffy turned to the Halliwell sisters. "How're you doing, Piper?"
"Better," she said. "Being closer... helps, somehow."
"Okay," Prue said. "You two lead the way, and we'll follow you."
(Down that dark tunnel a ways.)
"Here you go," Trick muttered, passing the talisman over to Komiara. "One magic amulet filled with the blood of a witch."
"Good," Komiara boomed. "Leave now."
"What?" Trick muttered in spite of himself. "Without even a thank you, brother?"
With a single glance from Komiara, Trick vanished in a dim flash of red light. Komiara focused on the talisman almost hidden within his massive hand, and began chanting in some strange and old language...
"Ah!" Piper cried out as the sisters headed into the mouth of the tunnel.
"What is it Piper?" Phoebe asked her.
"The attack. It's starting." Piper moaned in agony, bent over almost double.
"We've got to do something," Phoebe thought aloud.
"But what?" Prue asked bitterly. "We don't exactly have healing powers, or the Book..."
"Then it'll have to be the 'power of three' chant," Phoebe decided arbitrarily.
"What?" Prue was astounded. "That's not all-powerful, Phoebe. I really don't think it'll destroy this demon like it did Jeremy..."
"Not to attack," Phoebe explained. "To protect, to defend Piper from this magic. We have to try it." She took a deep breath and began. "The power of three will set you free."
"The power of three will set you free," Prue repeated in unison as Phoebe said it the second time.
"The power of three will set you free. You gotta say it too, Piper," Phoebe added. "The power of three will set you free."
"The power of three will set me free," Piper croaked, but it seemed as if she had a little bit less weakness after it.
"The power of three will set US free," Phoebe continued. It seemed more natural that way, and as she thought about it she realized it was true. This demon, whoever it was, wasn't just attacking Phoebe. Because their strength was in their unity, and threat to one was a threat to them all.
"The power of three will set us free..." Piper repeated. "Yeah!" she continued, surprising the others.
"What happened?" Prue asked. "Did we beat it?"
But Piper was shaking her head. "The attack was broken off. I guess the Slayers are counter-attacking."
"Then let's get moving," Phoebe said.
(Back in Komiara's lair.)
"Take that!" Faith cried, throwing a wicked body-block into Komiara's midsection. But it was hardly enough to budge the demon's great mass, and it reached down to take the Slayer's shoulders, gazed at her face, and suddenly Faith was as motionless as a statue.
"No!" Buffy called out, but she realized it was foolhardy to attack this demon barehanded as Faith had. She might even hurt Faith... she couldn't tell what the fiend had done to her. She looked frantically around the cave for possible weapons that would work on such a demon.
"Fool," the demon spat at her. "I'll crush you and your meddling friend."
Buffy saw something that might be usable over halfway around the demon's lair - a huge sharp metal plane that had been bended up out of the way. But it was far too large to wield... she'd have to open it out and force the demon back into it... and he was much to large for her to push...
Buffy cartwheeled out in that direction anyways, surprising the demon, and spun around to face the fiend as it turned to watch her. "Enough games," the demon rumbled, and waved a hand at her. Buffy felt cold enveloping her body, and frost starting to bite...
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