by Rob Sorenson

Spent. They were spent. Willow could think of no more appropriate word than that. What remained of the Scooby Militia (as Xander called it) was down to 6. The SIT's had all perished fairly early on in this climactic battle, but they had contributed. She would attempt to comfort Buffy with that knowledge once she found the strength to speak.

The final 6 were held in magical shackles that held their arms over their heads in yet another nondescript cave in Miller's Woods. How they'd arrived there Willow could not remember. Her last memory was that of impending death, and a prayer that she'd be with Tara again somehow. The next thing she knew she was here, next to 5 other powerful people who'd managed to survive as long as she had. She had to admit she was a bit surprised by one of them. Buffy, Faith, Angel and Spike were powerful, and she felt proud to be here with them. Cordy, however, was a bit of a shock to her. <She's grown so much. I never would've expected her to become this capable. You just never know>.

She'd watched Anya die. The look was a haunting combination of pain and relief, one that Willow could well understand. She was certain she had the same look when the Ubervamp had his hands around her own throat. <How many did I kill?> She didn't think she'd be able to come up with an exact number, but her Herculean brain worked for her even when her concentration was directed elsewhere. <568. I killed 568 of them myself. They just kept coming.> She didn't have as accurate an estimate of what the others had tallied, but she figured they'd killed over 1000 as a group. <They just kept coming.... and coming.> At last, her humanity betrayed her, and the Magick quickly weakened. In the end she had a sword in her hand, knowing she stood less of a chance without her powers than Xander if he'd been here <Xander. My Xander.> Tears formed in her eyes over the way things had ended between them. <It had to be done, and you know it. We saved him again, whether he wants to admit it or not. This was not a place for him. If he lives a little longer, it'll be worth it.> She looked to her left, and saw Buffy beginning to stir from her state of unconsciousness.

Turning her head to her right Buffy began to make out the images of an unconscious Cordy and a staring Willow. To her left she could see nothing since that eye was swollen shut, but she sensed Spike, Angel and Faith. Two lovers and her sister Slayer didn't have to be seen. She could feel them. Trying to focus, she croaked out "Will?"

"Buffy, are you ok?"

"That'd be a stretch, but I'm not dead so I guess I should try to see the glass half full. I'm tired Will....so tired."

"I know", Willow replied, "do you have any idea how we got here?"

"I was about to get my sodding neck broken, and then I ended up here," came a faint, yet firm British accent. Tears formed in Buffy's open eye.

"Spike?"

"Yeah, Luv. You all right?"

"I am if you are," Buffy replied in a cracked voice.

"No worries here pet. At least I have some company in this damn cave now. Of course on the other hand, you can't very well rescue me if you're here too, can you? Hold on...I think Angel's waking up. Brood Brother, you with us?"

Angel's fist mumbled word was "Cordy?"

"Angel?" Cordy whispered in return. "Angel, thank God you're awake." Buffy hadn't known how to react to the closeness between Angel and Cordy when they came from LA to help out, and for no decent reason she could think of it bothered her a little. Not enough to cause problems between them, but...a little piece of her heart would always be with Angel. The first love is so powerful because it usually is accompanied by the first heartbreak. That exquisite pain outdistanced any physical injuries she'd had to deal with. Slayer healing doesn't apply to the emotions, and everyone loses a little bit of themselves the first time through.

Still, it made her feel good that he had moved on, because she had. Spike's redemption was a long time coming, but she knew he felt redeemed by the Slayer's love for him, and that filled her in a way she could not explain.

"Hey, Red?" Faith's voice broke Buffy's reverie. "It sounds like these other 4 have paired off. If you're not doing anything else right now, I'd be willing to give you the night of your life if we get outta this. Maybe even a long weekend. Whattaya say?"

"I say shut up, Faith," Willow replied, drawing a giggle, then a groan of pain from the brunette Slayer.

"Ok," Buffy broke in. "Clearly we should be dead and we're not. The First brought us here, and I doubt it was for a spelunking expedition."

"What the bloody Hell is spelunking. Some kinda demon?" Willow sighed.

"No, Spike, it's cave exploring. Buffy was listening in geology class that day, I guess." The two best friends shared a weak grin. "I guess we'll get an answer soon enough. Unless the First thinks starving is more painful than being drained or broken in half."

Angel spoke up. "If the First means to torture us by leaving an animal to observe while we're starving, it could've chosen a better one than this. Faith, do you see that?"

"Yeah, soul man, I see it. I just don't get it." Buffy tried to turn her head enough to get a glimpse at what they'd seen, but eventually it walked into her line of vision.

"A sheep?"

"Actually Buff, it's a goat," Willow corrected. "It appears you skipped Biology class." This earned her a squint of Buffy's one good eye.

"Umm, I have a question," Cordy said. "Does anyone have a clue why we got drawn into this huge battle with thousands of Ubervamps, only to be tied up in a cave with a friggin' GOAT? What was the point of what we just did? We were all going to die. Isn't that enough?"

"Apparently not," replied Willow. "I don't understand it either. Buffy? You've got that faraway look when you're trying to remember something." Buffy was indeed staring off into space, trying to remember...<Man and Goat. A joining between Man and Goat, and evil will rise. Where did I read that? Something with Giles. God, Giles, I miss you.> Tears again began to form in Buffy's eyes over the loss of her Watcher, the closest thing to a father she ever truly knew. <No time for this now. Man and Goat....Man and Goat>

"Ok, I seem to remember something I read about a joining of Man and Goat, and then something really majorly evil would happen that would swallow up the earth or something."

"Ewww, Man and Goat mating in front of us? This IS worse than getting my blood sucked out," Faith said.

Willow snickered. "So we've finally found something you're not into? The world MUST be ending."

"If we get out of this Red, you and me are going round and round. You know that, right?"

"Hey, Faith, just bring it."

"Put a sock in it already, both of you," said Spike. "I don't get it. Why are we supposed to watch this joining, or whatever?"

Buffy pondered this. "What I read seemed very gender-specific. It differentiated between man and woman in the text, so...it can't be any of us." She looked toward her lover and her ex apologetically. "You understand what I mean?"

"We get it Buffy," Angel replied, exchanging a slightly pained glance with Spike. "We're not men by the strictest sense of the word." "So, not to repeat Spike's question, why are we here? What man does the First want us to witness joining with a goat to destroy the world?"

"Clearly it wants to torture us by making us watch. Who would be...oh no. Oh, God, no," Buffy moaned.

Willow got a confused look. "What is it, Buffy? What's wron......oh God....it wouldn't." Buffy looked down at her feet.

"It would. It's the only answer."

Cordy looked puzzled. "Helooo, throw some of the ESP over here please. What living male would the First want to make...us...watch...oh no."

- End Chapter One -