Chapter 24
Graduation Part Two

Author’s Note: Obviously this scene relies heavily on Graduation Day Part 2.

Spike waited in the shaded wing of the school, anxious to get to the fight and release the nervous energy that had built up. He smirked knowingly as Willow and Oz rushed in late for the ceremony and blushing as they took their respective seats. ‘Now why didn’t I think of that?’

The speech seemed to stretch out. Each of the fighters watching for signs of the eclipse and the changes that it would signal. Buffy, however, was lost in thought. Could she save some of the seniors if she had them take other positions in the fight? Would that compromise the fight? Would it save them, or would it sacrifice someone else in their place? She was frozen with indecision. As before, she had left the decisions up to Xander in hopes that they could distract or kill the mayor before he took a bite out of any of the students. Perhaps, if she positioned herself closer to the student body, she could deflect some of the blows….

Lost in thought, Buffy didn’t realize that the mayor had started to change into the giant snake-like demon until everyone surged to their feet. ‘It’s too late,’ was followed by a wail of anguish, ‘What have I done?’

Anger rose at the mayor, the situation, and for the decisions that had to be made. Her voice rang out steady and sure- “NOW!”

As one, the maroon graduation gowns came off, the tasseled caps fluttering to the ground. The clothing underneath was uniformly practical, and all of them fairly bristled with weapons of destruction. The determined seniors lifted their crosses, stakes, and holy water guns and rushed forward. Spike leapt into the fray, taking position against the Mayor.

Buffy’s voice continued to ring out with confidence. “Flame units!”

She watched as Larry led a determined team try to flay the mayor. Although she is hit hard with the memory of the boys funeral, she nods to Xander, encouraging him to take control of the senior class.

Xander nodded back and bellowed out, “First wave!”

At his command, Willow, Amy, and a large group of students aim their cross bows at the Mayor.

“Fire!”

The ascended mayor swayed back and forth in an effort to avoid the flying weapons and the flames that are spurting from the units. Spike danced around the huge snake-like creature, trying to keep him distracted and away from the students.

The snake bellowed and lunged towards the seniors, knocking Spike over in the process. The snake swallowed a student as Buffy stared in shock ‘Who did he just eat? Who had she just let die?’

Several of the students panicked. They broke formation and started to run away.

Buffy was dazed by the chaos around her. There would be more deaths, more people she failed to save, even with her knowledge. She quickly made her way over to Spike.

Oz watched the students who tried to run away quickly become dinner for the slowly advancing vampires. Helpless and angry, he called to Xander and nodded towards the approaching demons.

Xander’s voice rang out, “Arm bow men!”

Oz’s line of archers lit their arrows and carefully took aim.

“Fire!”

Flaming arrows flew through the air. Several found their targets and turned the vampires into flaming dust.

Xander’s attention was brought back to the front by another bellow from the snake.

Jonathon flew through the air and landed on a group of fleeing seniors. Andrew and Harmony rushed to his side, checking him for injuries.

“Fall back!” Buffy yelled out to the students. She turned to Spike. “I need you with the students.”

Spike started to refuse, but her anguished expression stopped him. “Please, Spike. Angel was here to help them last time. I need you there with them. I need to know they’re safe. I can’t fight this thing unless they’re safe.” Her green eyes brightened with tears even as she gripped her weapon harder.

Sighing, Spike nodded and headed into the crowd. He would see who he could save.

Before he got more than a few feet away, Buffy heard a loud clicking noise and she turned. Larry. Horrified, she watched the snake’s tail began to descend. Sprinting forward, she lunged at the football player and pushed him out of the way. The tail caught her instead and threw her into the air. She crashed hard into Spike, who had raced back to assist her.

“Thank you.” She let out a shaky breath and winced as he helped her to her feet. Spike glared at her and gave her a rough kiss before disappearing into the crowd once more.

Across the quad, several girls screamed as the Mayor swallowed Snyder in a single gulp.

“Fire!” Xander called out and another round of flaming arrows was launched. The vampires turned, looking to regroup, when they discovered a formable team of students behind them. Faith led the way with Wes and Percy flanking her. Both groups eyed each other. In an instant, Faith lunged forward at the nearest vampire and the battle was on.

“Xander, take them down,” Buffy’s voice rang out. She found Willow and nodded to her, then she turned to look for Harmony and found her still situated next to Andrew and Jonathon.

Xander watched as Spike entered the group of fighters and made eye contact with him. Pulling a stake out of his back pocket, he tossed it over to the vampire and then grabbed another one for himself. “Everyone, hand to hand!” he shouted. “Everyone, come on! Let’s go! Move! Move!

Faith pummeled the vampires. Fists were flying and her team, composed mainly of brawlers like herself, were holding their own with the confused vampires. They were driving them back up the steps when the lead vampire turned back.

“Get the kids!” he yelled.

The vampires, eager for a snack and a chance to regain their strength turned, only to meet an angry mob of teenagers armed with stakes, crosses, and baseball bats.

The crowd rushed forward. Jonathon leapt at a vampire and they tumbled down the steps. Andrew engaged a vampire in hand to hand, desperately trying to find an opening to stake him. Finally the vampire was dust. He turned in time to see Harmony dropped to the ground by an ugly vampire.

Xander barked out more orders. Looking around, he sighed in relief as he saw Anya and Amy fighting next to each other. More punches thrown and he lost track of everyone

A distraught Andrew rushed over to Harmony, not realizing that it is too late. He struggled to pick her body up, wiping the blood off of her. ‘God, it’s all over; her neck, her face, her clothes.’ He gathered her up and staggered off, thankfully unmolested by the attacking mob.

Anya turned and watched Amy go down; her neck snapped from the force of a vampire’s blow. She shuddered and pressed on.

The seniors were slowly gaining the upper hand. Surprise and sheer numbers seemed to be working. Cordelia staked a vamp, while Willow and Oz fought back to back. The crowd kept surging forward and the vampires began to disperse and flee.

Finally Buffy managed to get the mayor’s attention. Angry that she had ruined his big day and enraged at the revelations that the Deputy Mayor had been working with them, he took off after her fleeing figure. His pride would be his downfall.

A few quips later, Buffy was running down the main hallway of the school building with the serpentine Mayor in hot pursuit. She ran into the library and vaulted over the banister. Still running, she kept going until she crashed through the opposite window.

The mayor stopped, apparently confused for a moment. His, “oh, gosh” could be heard echoing through the library.

Giles pushed down on the trigger and a gigantic explosion ripped through the school.

The fight had been won.

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Buffy staggered up to the front of the school, staring at the dead bodies that littered the ground. She felt relief at the sight of Larry, who was alive. One less funeral for her to attend.

She stopped, her expression stricken at the sight before her. Andrew and Jonathon had dragged the newest members of the gang away from the others and were crying over them. Not only had she lost Harmony again, but she’d lost Amy, too. Amy, who was not suppose to be dead, who was suppose to have a second chance at life while studying with the coven and learning to overcome her addiction to darker magics. Amy, who went to the prom with Xander. Amy, who would have been alive- although perhaps a rat for a few years- but alive if it wasn’t for Buffy’s actions.

Andrew looked up, his expression accusing. “Did you know?”

Buffy tried to shake her head, to make a sound. Any sound. Horror and shock overwhelmed her. ‘All these deaths… this is all my fault. I should have prevented them, I should have stopped this… It is all my fault…’

Blackness rushed up to meet her and Spike barely caught her before she fell.

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