Author: Lochar

Disclaimer: If you've seen it before, I don't own it. Even if you haven't seen it, it's probably not mine anyways. On the off chance that it IS mine though, cool.

Crossover: X-Men Evolution/BtVS

A/N: Alan, Iceman Xan if ya would.

"Speech"

/Thoughts/

Reading

Xander flopped down in the chair, looking around the library. Willow was sitting at another table, eyes closed and a pencil levitating in front of her. Giles was sitting across from her, watching and trying to coach her in the magic. Xander grinned at that. Looking past Willow, he saw Faith and Buffy sparring. He watched the poetry in motion for a few minutes. /Sweaty Slayers, gotta love it./

He just sat back for a few minutes, watching it all, glad that there wasn't some big nasty demon they were researching how to destroy for once. Xander knocked on the wooden desk quietly. /No love for you, Mr. Murphy./

After watching Willow working on her magic and then the Slayers working out for a while, Xander sighed.

/I am not taunting Murphy; I am not saying I'm bored./

Resolving to try to fix his own boredom without the Hellmouth getting itself involved, Xander sighed and grabbed a book off the top of one of the ubiquitous stacks of books in the library.

/Don't know the language, and I'm not going to go find a translation book. G-man would expect me to actually do this stuff all the time, instead of just at Apocalypse time./ Dropping the book on a different stack, he pulled another one.

There was no title on the cover though. Opening it, he looked over the first few words. /Hey, I can actually read this one… Kinda./

I am Marcellus, High Priest of the Lord God of Magic, Marduk. These pages shall contain my observations about the children that wish to serve in this temple to learn of magic. Most of my students shall not need close observation, but there are a number of them who have their own unique gifts that seem to interfere with their ability to serve their God.

"Weird dates. Wonder what they mean in English?" Xander wondered to himself. Shrugging, he continued reading.

Four calendar days later

I must admit, I find myself intrigued by the abilities of one of the children. A boy of no more than ten years, yet his gift seems to mean that no spoken word within hundreds of steps away from him go unheard. Indeed, I find that if he focuses on me, he can hear whatever I say across the whole temple. An interesting ability, but it has stymied his connection to our God Marduk. I will continue to work with him though, and see if there is not a way for him to call for Marduk's favor even with what is turning into both a blessing and a curse to him.

Xander continued to read the book throughout the afternoon, through the time when Faith and Buffy went out on patrol and came back. Giles made no mention to him about reading the book, most likely enjoying the respite that it gave him without Xander's jokes.

Once the Slayers came back and reported that they had dusted several vampires, they left. Willow tapped Xander the shoulder.

He looked up. "Hmm? Hey Wills, what's up?" He grinned at her.

"It's way past dark, and Buffy and Faith are ready to leave. Come on, unless you want to spend all night here." Willow grinned back at him, knowing his answer.

Xander closed the book quickly and stood. "Nuh uh, no way no how. Let's go." He looked over at Giles, who was putting away a few books. "Hey G-man, mind if I borrow this?"

Giles sighed as he turned around. "Borrow what, Xander? And please, do refrain from using that nickname." He looked at the book Xander was holding, then took it and opened it. After reading the first few lines, he shrugged. "I see no problem. It's not a spellbook, or anything dark. Enjoy yourself, just bring it back in one piece, would you?"

Xander nodded.

The next morning, Xander jerked awake to the sound of his alarm, the book lying open on his bed where he'd fallen asleep reading it. Apparently he'd fallen asleep reading it, but it was cool reading about whatever those kids were actually.

He closed the book, sliding a piece of paper into it to mark his place as he made his way out and towards the school. The book stayed in his backpack all day, and when he beat feet to the library, he immediately reopened it and continued to read.

An hour passed before Willow, who was working with Giles on her spells, looked over at him again. Then she looked to Giles. "Giles, there isn't anything bad about that book, is there?"

Giles shook his head. "No, it's just the diary of an antediluvian priest of Marduk. It's been checked for any spells or anything like that. Why do you think something may be wrong with it?"

Willow shrugged. "Xander doesn't normally read very much, except for comics. Guess I shouldn't complain though, huh?"

Giles nodded.

Xander had missed the whole by-play, as the part of the book he was reading now seemed to have been penned very quickly.

Amazing. After so many failures of any of the children being able to call upon Marduk for even the slightest ability, I despaired. Risking Marduk's wrath myself, I called upon him directly to bless one of the students with his gifts. As his High Priest, I wouldn't think he would smite me down, and he did not. What happened though, amazed me to no end. Marduk's voice was heard through the whole city. I write it down here, now, for those that might read this later for his words are carved into my very soul.

'Marcellus, you have called upon me to bless one that knows not my ways. And yet, this child has a power all of his own, a child of the change. I shall grant him my blessing, and any others you shall ask for. But only you or your chosen successor shall be granted this boon. Treat this with great caution, for any harm that they may do with my blessing will reflect directly unto you."

The boy that I had asked Marduk to bless was surrounded by the energy of Marduk, and even the neonates could feel the power that was infused into him. Afterwards, the boy showed no more signs of being able to use magic than previously, yet Lord Marduk's blessing has shown itself in a different way. He has been able to manipulate the energy of magic directly. Knowing now what power has been bestowed on the child, I dare not ask of Marduk's blessing on any other children until we know how he shall react.

Xander blinked. A kid that could directly use magic? That's was really, really big.

He quickly read through the next few entries, seeing they were related to how the kid was able to use his new powers. /Hmm, he can't actually cast spells. And it's limited to a certain amount of power. Not as good as it looked in the first place, but still./ He kept reading through.

"Holy…" Xander whispered, stunned by the words on the page.

Marduk's blessing on the child has been more odd than any of us had thought. He is not able to cast any magic at all directly, yet the energy of magic he summons can be set to be destructive or healing, up to the most power Marduk granted him. Amazing. Truly amazing.

This is something that should not be lost, as properly trained the children will grow into powerful protectors for our city. Should I die before I am able to train my successor, I leave the blessing used to call upon Marduk for the children.

Marduk, Lord of the Gods and of Magic

I call upon you, to view the one in front of me.

They stand before me, willing to stand before you,

to receive your blessing and to know you as their own.

Marduk, I ask you to bless the one before me, in your name.

Xander whispered the words aloud, grinning. /Heh, maybe Marduk would bless me. Then I'd have a power too, so I could help./

Willow looked up along with Giles, frowning as they both felt something slight, shift.

Xander focused, like how they had trained the kid in the diary, but nothing happened. /Oh well, not like I expected anything to happen anyways./ He turned back to the page, continuing on. And then groaned.

Should the unthinkable happen, and our faith is destroyed, then I beg of the one reading this to remember Marduk's children of the change. Allow them to explore their power. In this, I name the person that knows the blessing and this book the charge of being my successor.

/Great/ Xander just laughed quietly to himself. /I voided myself, if the book's right. I made myself his successor./ Xander laughed again. /Can't we have the disclaimer BEFORE I end up excluding myself/

"Xan, watch out. I lost it!" Willow screamed.

Xander looked up, to see a small fireball racing towards him. He flinched, holding his arms, and subsequently the book, up to block it. The small fire impacted on the book, quickly catching it on fire. He dropped the book on the table, yelling. "Crap, crap, crap." He looked around, seeing Giles come up with a fire extinguisher. Giles put it out, but the book was ruined. "Oh come on, first book in ages I actually wanted to read, and you burned it Willow."

Willow blushed.

The library doors burst open, Buffy and Faith quickly dropping into a combat pose before a non-descript woman walked through them, looking around then at Giles. "Rupert, interesting place."

Giles stared. "Raven?"

Faith grinned. "Interesting name." Raven stared at her, but Faith just smiled impudently back.

Raven just slowly smiled as well. "You'll just have to take it on faith that it's my real name."

Faith did a double take, then nodded.

Raven turned to Giles again. "I want my books back, Rupert."

Giles nodded. "It will take a couple of days to separate them from the Watcher's collection, you know?"

She shrugged. "At least give me Marcellus's Diary back then. I have an urgent need for that."

"Uh, sorry about that. That was the book I was reading, and Willow just fried it. You missed it by, oh, a minute or so." Xander said, as he pointed to the charred remains of the book lying on the table.

Raven stared at the ruined book. "No." she whispered, then looked at Xander. "You read it then? Did you speak the blessing?"

Xander frowned. "Uh, yeah. Right before it got fried actually. How'd you know about the blessing?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Then you're coming with me, successor. I've a few people that would like to receive that power." With that, she shifted into a blue skinned, red haired demonic looking version of herself.

"Demon!" Buffy and Faith both shouted, as they ran to attack.

OK, so not what most of you were expecting from me. But hey! This actually woke up my muse. Hopefully I can bang out more of what I'm supposed to be working on now. Read and review anyways!