The moment word reached Scotland of what was ginvg on in LA, of what Angel had done, they all raced around preparing as Willow prepared to open a portal across an ocean. Not an easy feat even for her but Xander trusted that she could d o it. Xander prepared himself and his girls for the coming battle while they waited in the courtyard. He was unsurprised when Dana came over to his side and practically glued herself to him. She didn't like to be parted from him for long and never during a battle. though since losing Renee there hadn't been any battles before this.. This Xander could not miss. It was to dangerous after all. A demonic army was entering LA, putting millions in danger. Xander would not let that happen.
SO Xander prepared to enter the battle against evil again for the first time in months.
Giles approached Xander."Perhaps you should stay here and command as you normally do."
"I'm fine,G-mAn. I can handle this."
"You haven't really...been out on the field since Renee's death."
"I can handle it." Xander stormed away from Giles and went over to where Buffy was. "Perhaps we should tell everyone soon...Its beginning to feel like I'm betraying Renee by letting others thinking I'm not going out to fight because of grief."
"If you truly want to, we'll do it after this but,...Wont you stay here...I have a bad feeling."
Xander lightly caressed Buffy's cheek. "I wouldn't send you out to fight Wolf, Ram and Hart without me...We will fight together as we have for years. it will be fine...and if it isn't, then know its my choice and we shall both keep our vow."
Xander and Buffy spoke as one:" Given a righteous death, let no one disturb their slumber and eternal peace. Death is the end and shall not be disturbed."
Xander squeezed Buffy's hand and was about to say more when suddenly Willow had opened the portal and it was time. Xander moved to go through when Buffy suddenly handed him the Scythe. Surprised he looked at her.
"Just extra insurance...Keep it until you can return it to me here." Then she jumped through the portal. Xander looked down at the Scythe, wondering just what she was feeling. What had sacred her so much. Dana lightly touched his back, nodding at the portal and Xander shook the thought from his head and moved toward it. One moment he was in Scotland and the next he was in LA. Xander looked around at the chaos that was engulfing the downtown streets of LA and wondered if this would be the thing that would finally reveal the demonic-magical world to the world. If this would be the one that people could not forget.
At the moment though it didn't truly matter so Xander focused on locating Buffy and Willow. He moved to their side the moment he did, being careful not to separate from Dana. She had clung to him the moment that Andrew had brought her to them. The best Giles and Willow could figure, he was in her Slayer dreams as a dominantly good person so she trusted him. Needed him even. He was the only male she tolerated anywhere near her. Even Giles made her violent and defensive most times though she was getting better. In truth, she reminded Xander of River from the TV show Firefly. Dana was mad but it was a functioning mad which made it somewhat okay. And outside of Buffy there was no one else Xander trusted more to fight beside him.
"So what's the stitch?"
Willow sighed. " The stitch is that Angel has angered Wolf, Ram and Hart so they have sent the Circle of Black Thorn after all of Angel's people. They've unleashed an army into LA and hundreds have already died."
Xander saw something in the air and it took him but a moment to realize what it was. A dragon. A very big and very beautiful dragon. Xander breathed out in excitement and Buffy heard and looked for what had his attention and rolled her eyes. Men.
"Yes, Xander, you can try to kill a dragon. The four of us will kill it before it can leave this area and burn LA to the ground." Xander smiled in pure delight and practically began skipping after the dragon.
To say that the four of them were surprised when the dragon seemed to zero in on Xander and grabbed him would be an understatement. When it shut into the air with Xander in its clawed 'hand' Buffy yelled, Willow screamed and Dana chased after it. Managed to jump onto the tail before it left the ground. Then Illyria was appearing on the dragon as well. Willow began to do spell after spell, placing protection after protection on Xander while trying to force the dragon to land when suddenly another portal was opening. The dragon headed straight for it and then...Then Xander was gone. The dragon was gone, Dana was gone. Illyria was gone...Xander was gone. ,..Xander was gone...Xander was gone.
XANDERWAS WAS GONE. . XANDERWASGONE. XANDERWASGONE. XANDERWASGONE. XANDERWASGONE. XANDERWASGONE. XANDERWASGONE.
That was screaming in both Buddy and Willow's heads. Though they reacted differently. Buffy had fallen to her knees in shock while Willow. Willow screamed out as her hair, eyes and veins bleed black. Willow's scream held pure power and it annihilated all of the demons in front of her and as Willow began to stalk the streets, she blasted everything she came across that wasn't entirely human. Hours later there wasn't any unclean thing left in LA. Willow had destroyed everything in her grief though this time everything had only been all that was not human in LA. Keeping her promise to Xander as best she could.
Buffy had stayed on the ground for minutes when she was suddenly jerked up
"Buffy, where are you hurt?"
Buffy was able to focus for the first time since she had seen Xander be taken from her. Angel was in front of her. Angel... the man responsible for this battle, the man responsible for Xander... For Xander being taken from her. Xander...Buffy pulled back from Angel then with one push sent him flying almost a hundred feet. Then she was on him in a flash and just started to hit him over again while screaming and crying. Not noticing that Angel wasn't doing anything to stop her as she pounded on him. Not stopping until Faith was suddenly yanking her off and some of the other Slayers were holding her back.
"Buffy, What the Hell?"
"Xander is dead...Because of him." Faith jerked.
"WHAT!"
"A dragon...Portal..." Buffy couldn't focus enough to explain and just collapsed as heart wrenching sobs began to pour out of her. Faith didn't want to believe what Buffy had just said but looking down as Buffy seemed to be sobbing out her very soul, Faith knew that Xander was dead.
Meanwhile, a dragon was flying over a very different city in a very different world.
