Part Six

Emily put on her prettiest dress and finished tying her hair in two braids. She would have smiled at her reflection, if she had one. Everything was perfect, down to the black, patent leather shoes on her small feet. She was the picture of innocence, and beauty, looking as though she was preparing to go to Sunday Mass. But finding religion, was the last thing this little demon wanted.

“Tell me, Edgar,” she smiled sweetly at her manservant, “do I look pretty?”

Edgar stared at the little girl for a moment and smiled, “You look very pretty, my sweet.” His smile turned to a frown, the moment she left her room.

Yes, she did indeed look pretty...pretty frightening.

He didn’t have to ask her why she had on her best dress, because he already knew. She was planning on meeting with the Slayers tonight, and wanted to look her very best. Edgar, sighed and followed her to the foyer, “Will you be needing me, further, miss?”

“No, I think I’ll be okay,” she said, placing her small hand in his, “Edgar...I just wanted to say that....when the end finally comes, I won’t forget you. You’ve been so loyal to me...to Emily...that you deserve something special. And don’t think I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done for us. After all, if you didn’t protect Emily, I would never have escaped from the void.”

Edgar knelt down and looked into her crystal blue eyes, “Are you sure you want to do this now? That Beastmaster fellow told you he hadn’t completed his task yet...perhaps you should wait...”

She let go of his hand and walked to the door. “I’m tired of waiting. I’ve been waiting for nearly four thousand years. Waiting in that...that Abyss! Besides, I have faith in our Beastmaster to carry out his part...have some faith in me. Those two Slayers will think they are dealing with just another vamp...boy, I can’t wait to see their faces when I tear them off.”

“I just worry about you.”

“I know,” she smiled, opening the heavy door, “but I’m not going alone.” Outside was all the help she needed...four very large, very nasty looking vampires, just ready for a fight.

As Emily/Callisto skipped off into the night, Edgar was left with his thoughts. And his thoughts were telling him that the time to act was now...

******

“How much longer are we going to have to wait?” Xander asked, pacing the Library floor.

“Xander,” Wesley sighed, “it hasn’t even been thirty minutes. You really must learn to have patience.”

“How can I have patience when my friends are being hunted, and the only other person that might know how to stop this, is missing along with the Slayer’s mother...”

At that moment Joyce and Amy barged into the Library, out of breath, and quite terrified, “Oh, thank goodness you two are here...”, she gasped.

“Mrs. Summers!” Wesley said with great relief, “Y-you’re alive! Thank god! Where’s Mr. Giles?”

“Mrs. S.” Xander said, practically hugging the woman, “We called and called, and no one was there, so we thought...oh, hi Amy....” Xander paused and did a double take, “Amy?! You look so....ah...so...human. I mean, you’re not Amy the Rat anymore. What happened?”

Amy shuddered and sat down, her legs giving out under the stress, “I-I was at Michael’s house, and he was trying to reverse the spell.”

“Well, it looks like he did to me.”

“It’s only temporary,” Amy explained, “You see, the spell wasn’t a true reversal spell, and it only lasts for twenty four hours. If I can’t cast the right spell before then...”

“Back to the Wheelie.” Xander offered.

“Back to eating cheese and running from the cat...yeah,” Amy nodded, “But, I need Willow. She has all of my notes and books locked up somewhere in her house. She kept them safe while I was...well...was a...”

“Rat.”

“Thank you for reminding me. I was on my way to her house, when this “thing’ jumped out and attacked me,” Amy said. She looked around and asked, “Where is Willow? I thought if you were here...”

Wesley sat down next to Amy and said, “We have quite a lot of catching up to do,” he then turned his attentions to Joyce, and added, “Starting with, what happened to Mr. Giles.”

“Great,” Amy nodded, not realizing that the last remark wasn’t for her. She looked up at Wesley Windham-Price and asked, “Who the Hell are you?”

“Quite a lot...”

******

Buffy was walking at a furious pace. Faith offered to “borrow” a neighbor’s car, but the Slayer was already halfway down the street, determined to find her mother at all costs.

“Buffy,” Angel called out to her, racing to keep up, “Hold on. You’re rushing off, not even knowing where you’re going.”

Buffy stopped and looked furiously at her lover, “I’m going to the library! Remember? We already went over this.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “But the library is in the other direction.”

“Oh.”

Angel gently touched her arm and turned her to face him, “Buffy, you’re not thinking clearly.”

Her defenses immediately went up, “Not thinking clearly?” she bit back sarcastically, “Um, let’s see...my best friend was electrocuted, we discover that demon dogs are running through Sunnydale, and...oh did I forget? My mother’s kitchen is a bloody mess! Did I leave anything out!?”

“Buffy...”

“Ah, guys,” Faith said, driving a convertible up, “I got wheels.”

“This is becoming a running gag with you, isn’t it?” Buffy said, shaking her head.

“You want to get the library fast, don’tcha?” Faith argued, “Besides, if you’re so worried about the car...I’ll return it when we’re done.”

“I’m not going in a stolen car,” Buffy stood, planting her feet firmly.

“You did, when we were trying to save Giles’ life last time,” she pointed out, “So, what makes this different?”

“Because...” Buffy watched in horror as Angel climbed into the passenger seat, “Angel, what are you doing? Don’t you think Faith and I have done enough of the Bad Girl routine for one week? Why are you encouraging her?”

Angel offered his hand to her, “We have to get to the library, and we’re running out of time. Walking’s not the fasted way, you know.”

Buffy shook her head and climbed into the back seat, “I can’t believe I’m doing this...again.” Then turning to Faith, she added, “Just go, before I change my mind.”

******

As the convertible pulled up to the school, Buffy leaped out before the car had a chance to stop. At this point, she was on the verge of panic. She needed to know if what she saw in her kitchen was real or just some cruel joke, fate had played on her. Either way...waiting around was killing her.

She started to run to the back entrance of the library, when she stopped. Something was wrong. Something was outside...watching her. By the time Faith and Angel caught up, Buffy was on full alert, scanning the dark court for signs of movement. “Something’s out here,” she whispered to Angel.

“I think you’re right,” Angel said, taking up a defensive posture next to Buffy.

They waited several minutes in silence, wondering when the attack would come. They couldn’t see it, but they all knew it was there, somewhere. Then, out of the shadows, four large vampires leaped out at the trio.

“Just when I thought this night couldn’t get anymore interesting,” Faith quipped, connecting with the nearest foe.

“You know,” Buffy said, dodging a blow, “I’m getting really tired of this. Why is it every time we try to do something, we get interrupted?” She kicked him squarely in the chest, sending her attacker flying back. She then turned to Angel, who was wrestling with a vampire of his own, and asked, “Who are* these guys?”

“I have no idea,” Angel said, finally plunging a stake into the vampire, “Just because I’m a vampire, doesn’t make me the Encyclopedia Demonica.”

“Ooo, someone’s been getting sarcasm lessons,” Faith smiled, throwing her vampire against the wall, and punching another attacker in the face.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Buffy said, driving her stake into the demon she was fighting, “This is too easy. What gives?”

At that moment, the two remaining vampires backed off, making way for a little girl in a pretty blue and white dress. Her long brown hair was tied in two braids, and on her feet were little paten leather shoes. The only thing that gave away her true identity was her pale white face, and cold predator eyes. “Easy huh?” The little girl smiled, taking a position between the two larger vampires, “So, you guys are you just warming up? Cool. I could use a good fight.”

Both Slayers stood in shock, but it was Buffy who first spoke, “Emily.” She whispered.

“That’s not Emily,” Angel said, his eyes narrowed, as he watched the girl closely.

“Yeah, we know,” Faith said, “She’s a vampire now. We got that info, last fall.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Angel said, shaking his head, “She’s not a vampire.”

“Pale face...sharp teeth...likes blood,” Faith argued, “If it looks like a vampire...smells like a vampire....then it must be a vampire.”

Now it was Emily’s turn to speak. She turned to Angel and smiled, “You’re very perceptive. Of course that doesn’t mean you’ll live through this...but I gotta give you credit for your brains.”

Then Angel realized exactly who they were dealing with, “Callisto.”

Emily/Callisto clapped her hands together with a child’s glee, “Ooo, wow...give that boy a gold star! Now that you know...I don’t feel so bad killing you.”

With that the little demon waved her hands sending an invisible force out at them. The shock wave threw them back six feet, in three separate directions, tumbling head over heals. The two large vampires stepped aside, letting Callisto have her “fun”.

“Ow,” Buffy groaned, standing up on shaky feet, “That was a new experience.” Then turning to Callisto she added, “So, do you do the ‘bending spoon trick’ too?”

“Buffy,” Angel warned, “now’s not the time to joke.”

“Listen to your boyfriend,” Callisto said, looking up at a large maple tree, by the Slayer, “It might keep you alive...for at least a few extra minutes.”

Buffy heard the loud snapping of wood, and instinctively rolled out from under the tree. A large limb came crashing down on the very spot she was standing. This was not good! She could fight vampires. She could fight demons. But how the hell do you fight Darth Vader?!

Faith moved around the other side of Callisto, hoping to jump her from the side, but was tackled by one of the vampires. She rolled on the ground, trying to get out of the grasp of the large demon, while avoiding his hungry fangs. She was strong...after all, she was a Slayer...but this guy was huge! And he was pissed! She wriggled and squirmed, unable to get out from underneath him, and unable to see what was going on around her.

Angel’s mind was racing. He only knew of Callisto from the legends and stories he heard, but he did know that she was a powerful demon, who could easily kill them where they stood. So, why was she just playing with them? And, how did she manage to escape the void?

He didn’t have much time to contemplate this, when he was hit by another energy wave. This one tossed him further back, into back door of the Library. It seemed to him that she was trying to separate the three...but had no intentions of killing the vampire. Why? It wasn’t as though he was going to join her side if Buffy and Faith where killed. Unless, it wasn’t Angel, she was interested in, but Angelus. Angelus would make a very powerful ally indeed, and the pint size demon knew that.

And that gave him the leverage he needed.

He got up and rubbed his sore shoulder. The impact with the wooden door did little damage to him, but it did hurt. Angel looked at Buffy who was trying to dodge flying debris, with little success. Every time she managed to avoid one projectile, another one would strike her from behind. But even this, was only for the purpose of toying with the Slayer. So, Callisto wanted to drag out their deaths.

“Trick!” Angel shouted. That was it! Faith had staked Emily’s “Father”. And in doing so, she killed the one who was behind Callisto’s release. The demon was many things, but unloyal was not among them. Callisto was also intelligent enough to know that allies were the key to success in battle. Which was why, she was doing everything she could to separate them.

Callisto turned around to face the vampire, “What about him? He’s dead! No thanks to your whore and her slut friend!”

“My, what a mouth on someone so young,” Buffy added, seeing a chance to distract her, “What would your daddy say...oh, I forgot...he’s dust.”

“Shut up!” she growled, knocking Buffy back into the trunk of a neighboring tree, “I had plans for him...and you wreaked them!” she regained her composure and smiled, “But, it doesn’t really matter, I have others who’ll help me. And you aint one of them!”

“Aw, gee,” Faith said, wiping the dust off of her clothes, “and I was hoping we could hang.” It might have taken a little time, but the vampire she was wrestling with, ended up meeting the sharp end of her stake. Now, with only one vampire left, and a very angry little girl, it looked as though the odds might have changed.

It might have...if they were dealing with a little angry girl.

Callisto, with a single thought, broke off a large twig from the fallen branch and hurled it at Angel. It happened so fast that the vampire had no time to react, other than a quick side step. The twig imbedded itself into Angel’s shoulder, missing his heart by mere inches. He fell back into the wall of the building with a groan, as Buffy tried to race to his rescue. She got halfway, when both her and Faith were, once again, thrown back away from Angel.

“Don’t go against me Angelus,” Callisto said menacingly, “You could have a very powerful position at my side, if you don’t fuck it up.”

“You know,” Angel groaned, as he yanked the painful piece of wood out, “Buffy’s right...you do have a bad mouth.”

“And, you’re gonna die.” She replied, inching closer to her fallen prey, “I didn’t want it to be like this, but you don’t give me a choice. Look at you,” she sneered, “You’re so whipped. Taking orders from a human...and a Slayer no less. You’re a real disgrace to our kind. Oh, well,” she added, in almost an after thought, “time to die now.”

At that moment, the door to the library flew open, revealing much needed help. Wesley, bounded out, holding a crossbow. His hands were shaking, but he was determined not to miss. Next, Cordelia and Amy ran out, holding two large crosses in their hands like shields. Finally, Joyce followed the two girls, pointing a water gun, filled with holy water, at the demon.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her mother, “Mom! Oh thank god!” Then smiling at the small demon, she said, “I guess the Calvary just arrived. You want to try and take us all on? You might get some of us...but the big question is...can you do it before the sun rises, in...how long?” She looked at Angel.

“About twenty minutes.” He supplied.

“So, how about it? You want to try?”

Callisto looked around at the situation and sighed. Edgar was right, she should have waited until the Beastmaster was finished with her friends before she tried to take the Slayers on. Well, live and learn. Or was it learn and live? She gave a quick smile and said, “This is far from over Slayer. By tomorrow night, as you watch your friends die one by one...you’ll wish I killed you now.”

With that, she flashed her arms out, sending all those in it’s way careening backwards, giving her the time needed to make her escape. She would kill them, that much was certain. She just needed to wait a little while longer. And if Callisto learned anything in her four thousand years of exile...it was patience.