A Grey Warden & Slayer
Disclaimer: Don't own BTVS as they belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon and I certainly don't own Dragon Age Origins as it belongs to EA/Bioware. No Profit.
Chapter 1
Buffy scrambled to the top of the tower only a few moments after Spike, but both Slayer and vampire were too late. Buffy saw Spike rip the priest away from Dawn and throw him over the edge.
Buffy approached, she saw her sister, the key that Glory wanted desperately looking at her blood covered hands in horror.
A roar announced the dragon before it exited the portal and took to circling the scaffold letting loose a monstrous roar, its cold reptilian eyes blazing with anger at being in a whole new world.
"Its too late." She heard Dawn whisper as tears streaked down her cheeks. "It's the only way." She choked out as she bent down, and Buffy saw her retrieve the knife that had been used to cause her wounds to begin with. Doc who had been there helping Glory grabbed the knife and then Spike and heaved.
Spike was tossed away by the one called Doc, but as the vampire fell, he grabbed the man and pulled him after, the knife falling back onto the scaffold.
Behind her she could hear Xander rushing up the stairs. Xander, who had comforted her after Dawn had been taken.
(I will not think about that right now. I will not…) Buffy bundled her sister up in her jacket while her mind was working frantically. Underneath them in the air was the portal, growing larger with each passing moment.
(Oh god…what will come out? Will it swallow the world whole?) Buffy thought as she heard Xander reach the top, he was panting and she could see he was battered and bruised, she knew he had fought his way thru Glory's minions to reach her and Dawn.
Buffy's brain went into overdrive. She wasn't as dumb as she pretended, but she allowed everyone to think the bleach she used had soaked into her brain. (Blood. Its always about the blood.) She thought remembering Spike's talk several weeks back when a vampire had gotten lucky and Buffy had doubted herself.
Below she could hear over the roaring wind and the crackle of magical energy from the portal the sounds of some large hell beast looking to follow the dragon.
"Xander! Take her!" she ordered passing her sister to the man who not long ago had healed her with love, who finally won her heart.
"Get her down off the tower!" she ordered.
"Buff?" Xander said looking at her. "Your not thinking of doing anything heroically stupid now are you?" he asked. She saw the concern in his brown eyes, the scrapes on his cheek bleeding from some claw swipe.
She smiled at him. "Who me?"
"We don't have time, its too late, we've got to go!" Xander said. she could see the panic in his eyes. He knew.
Buffy shook her head. "There might be another way to close the portal." He said glancing down at the increasing pandemonium. "Xan…we don't have time for this! When the monks made Dawn, they used my blood, because they knew the Slayer line would protect her." Buffy looked at her sister…her daughter. "Keep our girl safe."
Understanding appeared on Xander's face. "She's made of me and you. I was the protection, the magical portion needed, but her human side, what makes her Dawn, came from you. But it always comes down to blood. Every damn thing in the magical world is always about blood." She was crying now.
"Take care of her. Tell her I love her. Make sure she knows it wasn't her fault in any way. Make sure…tell Giles, Willow and Tara I love them too."
Xander felt tears starting in his own eyes. "Buff…there's got to be another way." He felt himself choking.
"Take care of them all. Watch over them. They'll need you to be strong."
"I don't…I can't be strong without you. You're my hero." He said. Buffy leaned forward and kissed him. It was soft, tender, filled with unsaid words that they wouldn't get to use.
"I love you." She said stepping away, her hands caressing Dawn's cheek, and the man's cheek who she realized far too late that she loved.
She walked to the end of the platform.
"I know." She heard his heart-wrenching sob. "But once I wish we could be fucking selfish and let the damned powers do their own damned work."
Buffy saw him lifting Dawn up bridal style. Their eyes locked once more. "Don't mourn me…open your heart…" Buffy choked on her own words as Xander with Dawn started down the stairs. Knowing that he would mourn her and he wouldn't find another love for a long time if ever.
She turned for the end of the platform once more.
"Buffy!" she heard him call, his head still above the deck. "I…I wish…"
Buffy nodded, tears in both their eyes as she watched the man she finally let into her heart, the man that was her heart start down the stairs.
Buffy Anne Summers, the longest running Vampire Slayer, hero, sister, daughter, mother, friend, and lastly lover moved to the edge of the platform overlooking the growing portal…
And Jumped.
XX
Xander Harris watched as the one love of his life; his heart and soul leapt from the tower.
"XANDER!"
He looked to see Spike looking like hell staggering up the stairs. Xander had to admit that the vampire took one hell of a beating trying to rescue Dawn.
"She jumped." Xander said, his eyes going back to the portal.
The structure was shaking and the dragon that had escaped from the portal circled the tower slapping it with its tail.
Xander was losing his balance and did the only thing he could think of. He shoved the still dazed Dawn into Spike. "Watch out for her, keep her safe. Tell her we love her." He said before he fell off the platform, entering the portal as the dragon did and with a blast of magical energy it snapped shut.
Spike had gotten Dawn from the tower just as it collapsed.
"Spike?" Giles staggered towards them, the Watchers shirt was torn and there were bloodstains and claw marks. "Where are Buffy and Xander?"
The blond vampire cried, not regular tears but tears of blood.
Giles saw this and dropped to his knees knowing what blood tears from a vampire meant. Two of his children were gone and removing Glory and her host had been pointless now in his opinion. (The cost was too bloody high!) he silently raged and vowed to visit the Watchers council who could have prevented this but chose not to.
"Mom…Dad." Dawn's whispered words reached the Watcher. He may have lost his children, but Dawn had discovered and lost her parents in the span of moments, moments that would never be repeated again.
Off to the side Willow cried. She'd just gotten Tara back but she lost her brother and sister in all but blood. Tara held her as her own tears slipped at the loss of friends her body trembling in anguish at the loss.
Anya off to the side turned and walked away. She had lost the battle for Xander's love but had gained a friend and now her one human friend was gone, she was going back to what she knew so well. (Vengeance. But I will watch over them Xander. I promise.) she knew Buffy and Xander loved each other and she knew that she had been a fleeting moment, but she a vengeance demon had fallen for the goofy boy whose heart and soul belonged to the blond haired slayer. She had envied Buffy since she was made human, but she couldn't hate her or Xander. She in her own way had loved them and looking after their extended family she would be her own amends for her own misdeeds against them and for keeping them apart for as long as she had.
XX
(Ferelden)
Morrigan watched as her mother tended to the two strangers she'd found in the Korcari Wilds. The girl was short and Morrigan nearly mistook her for Elven kind until she saw her ears were normal. The girls' hair was a dirty blond after it had been washed of blood and dirt. The clothes were strange and the girl had wounds that were healing quickly before her very eyes.
The young man sported wounds and while he was tall he wasn't built like a warrior, but he had scars that spoke otherwise. Morrigan studied him, he had nice features she had to admit, that his dark brown hair was shaggy. And like the girl he was dressed in strange clothes.
While helping her mother tend their wounds they pulled several weapons if you could call them that.
(Strange knives, both of them carrying wooden stakes. The boy had an axe strapped to his back and the girl had a short sword.) Morrigan was puzzled as none of the weapons would do well against armor, even the sword and axe would shatter on some of the armor Darkspawn wore.
"What do you think girl?" the aged voice of her mother asked as she entered the hut.
Morrigan looked at her mother, the grey hair, the craggy features. Flemeth wasn't beautiful, but in the dark eyes you could see knowledge and power and something else.
"I don't see why all the fuss." Morrigan said, her golden eyes left the pair.
Flemeth laughed. "And you won't for some time."
Morrigan never knew what her mother was thinking.
"Now then, go for you walk, I'll keep an eye on them until you return."
Morrigan looked like she was going to protest, but she had been itching to get out of the hut since her mothers return with the strangers. "Very well. Perhaps when I come back you'll have eaten them and we won't be wasting any more time on picking up helpless strays."
Flemeth's laughter followed her out of the hut and she could still hear it crossing the small land bridge between the swamp waters that surrounded the small island the hut rested on.
In the hut Flemeth cocked her head to the side. "You may open your eyes Slayer, my daughter is gone and we need to speak before you and the boy leave my care."
Buffy Summers opened her eyes and after looking around her eyes landed on the former of Xander and a tear slipped from her eyes. "Oh, Xan you don't belong here."
"And neither do you and yet here you are."
Buffy looked at the old woman and her slayer senses were screaming at her. "But yet here you are." The old woman continued.
"Who are you? What are you? Where are we?" Buffy asked forcing herself to relax, knowing that if this woman meant her harm she would not have woken up.
"All interesting questions and only a few answers that will lead to more questions." The old woman said.
"You may call me Flemeth. I know the name means little to you but then again you are not from this world and we do not have much time."
Buffy swallowed, her head was killing her.
"As to your other questions, what I am is short of patience. I saved you and the boy after you jumped and he fell. You were not the Key nor were you Glorificus and yet you both passed thru the portal. How?"
Buffy knew that lying to this strange old woman would not be helpful. "There was a group of monks they…they bound the Key into the body of a girl. They used myself and Xander to anchor and protect her."
Flemeth stroked her chin in thought. "Hmm. Foolish yet at the same time wiser than many have ever done." She shook her head. "By doing what they did they have altered the Key in that it can never return here and thus closing all of Thedas."
Buffy didn't understand but Flemeth didn't give her much time.
"You and the boy are now stuck here for without the Key there is no way to find your home dimension."
"His name is Xander." Buffy said hardening her voice.
Flemeth chuckled. "Protective of him are you? Hm, and I don't doubt that he would be just as defensive of you." She looked between the two. "You'll do."
"Do? Do what?" Buffy asked.
Flemeth didn't answer as she walked closer. "But first you need to be made aware and I don't have the time to waste in a long lecture."
Before Buffy could react Flemeth's hands snaked out incredibly fast and grabbed her head, her fingers on her temple and she saw Flemeth had the same grip on Xander.
"You'll thank me later girl. And sorry for the headache." Flemeth said.
"What headache?" Buffy managed to ask before Flemeth uttered a word and Buffy felt like her head was going to explode as Flemeth's hand was engulfed in a reddish-white energy.
"Sleep for now Slayer. Your journey is about to begin." She heard Flemeth say as she was released and collapsed over the slumbering Xander. Flemeth looked at the sleeping pair and knew she had cheated by giving them a lot of information, but when she had found them she had a sudden and wild idea. She saw all the signs and knew that the Blight would force her hand in more ways than one.
(Blasted Blight. I only needed a few more years and this happens. Well never let it be said that I never did my part, even if it was a selfish part to save the world.)
XX
"Awaken." An annoyed female voice growled.
Buffy's eyes snapped open and she found herself snuggled against Xander, during their rest his arm had wrapped around her and held her close.
"Turn off the sun." she heard him mutter and fought not to laugh.
"Will you two wake up already." The impatient voice said and Buffy turned her head to see Morrigan had returned and was standing at the foot of the bed her golden eyes looking at them annoyed.
"You need to get up and get dressed. Mother is sending you with the Wardens." Morrigan said.
"Wardens?" Xander asked in his sleepy voice.
Buffy was going to ask what a Warden was when her mind supplied the answer. "How do I know this?" she whispered the same time as Xander asked it aloud.
"How the hell do I know what a Grey Warden is?"
Morrigan huffed in annoyance. "Most likely because Mother gave you the information while you slept. Now get up. Mother has clothes and equipment ready for you at the end of the bed." And with that Morrigan walked away muttering to herself.
Buffy looked from the strange woman's back to where Xander was laying, his brown eyes blinking. "Okay, this is freaky and not in a good way."
"So of the freak." Buffy agreed. She rose from the bed realizing she was naked and looked at the end of the bed. "These aren't our clothes." She called out.
"Don't be silly girl. The rags you and the boy were wearing wouldn't stand up to the rigors you'll be sure to face." Flemeth said entering the room. "Morrigan, go watch the Warden's progress. Bring them here when they reach the ruins looking for their treaties."
Morrigan huffed and as she walked out the main door she grabbed her staff not even pausing to see the naked Buffy and the bed sheet gripping Xander as he realized he was just as nude.
"Now grab the small clothes and then get dressed. I'll answer what I can."
Xander waited and Flemeth looked like she had no interest in moving.
"Well get a move on boy. You've got nothing ol'Flemeth hasn't seen before." Here she chuckles. "Although a bit on the larger side. Tell me girl is he a good lover?"
While Xander blushes Buffy answers with "The best." Before she herself blushes. She tosses the small clothes that pass for underwear to Xander who makes a face. "A thong?"
"Nah, think of the speedo." Buffy said as she slipped into her own. The bra was more sturdy then what she normally wore and smiled as she saw Xander looking at her.
Xander slipped his on under the blanket and shot Flemeth a look. "Silly. I was the one who stripped you both and dealt with your wounds."
Buffy slipped on a pair of breeches. Flemeth began passing her leather armor and saw her do the same with Xander.
"Now we don't have much time." Flemeth said. "I planted a lot of information into your heads. It'll take a day or two, but you should have enough to get by for now."
Flemeth poked Xander as she readjusted the straps on his armor. "I'll be sending you off with the Grey Wardens. Present this to their commander once you return to Ostagar."
Flemeth handed Buffy a letter before nodding in satisfaction that the Slayer had managed to dress herself in mismatched armor.
"Weapons." Flemeth said gesturing to a crate and it took Xander a moment to understand that the old woman wanted him to pick it up and place it on the nearby table.
"The pitiful things you had might do well for slaying the creatures of your world but against armor and the thicker skinned monsters here you would do more damage swearing at them." Again Flemeth laughs.
Opening the crate Xander gives a low whistle and smiles at the look in Buffy's eyes.
"Its no rocket launcher, but I hope you like it Buff." He says bulling out a slender blade. He passes her the long sword. Buffy straps it to her waist and accepts the bow and quiver of arrows.
"Oh, this is more my speed." Xander says and Buffy watches as he pulls out a wicked looking axe.
"Take the daggers as well." Flemeth says.
Buffy's eyes light up as Xander pulls out a quartet of daggers, passing her two as he hooks the other two to his lower back.
"You can use this shield as well boy." Flemeth said and Buffy scowled. "His name is Xander." She growled for a second time and Flemeth looked at her before laughing. "Keep an eye on your man Slayer. He is a true find." Flemeth laughed again as she pushed a sack at Xander and her opened it and pulled out a metal shield.
"Why are you doing this? How do you know what I am?" Buffy asked.
"You and Xander are here and unfortunately its time of the Blight." Flemeth said and she waited while the memories assaulted the pair. "As to how I know what you are, you are not the first Slayer I've met, but due to the actions of the monks you mentioned, you will be the last."
The silence was broken by voices outside. "Ah, guests. Finish getting ready, you will be leaving."
The pair watched the old woman slip outside. "Welcome to Wonderland Alice." Xander muttered.
"That make you the Cheshire cat or the Mad Hatter?" Buffy asked.
Xander grinned. "The March Hare." Xander said as he adjusted the shield. "Well, what do you think?"
Buffy licked her lips. "When we have more time, I'll show you."
Xander gave her his boyish grin as he looked her up and down. "We never get enough time."
Flemeth returned and went to a trunk muttering. "Come on." She said pulling out a roll of papers. "And mind your manners."
Buffy and Xander rolled their eyes but followed her outside to meet the Wardens.
XX
(Ostagar)
"Hm, never have I been offered recruits in this fashion." Duncan said as he read the letter the blond had presented to him upon the others return to Ostagar from the Wilds.
"But I must accept it as it is signed by King Meric decades ago."
Buffy and Xander stood before him along with Ser Jory, Alistair, Daveth and the young, red haired elf that brought a pang to them when she told them her name was Willow.
"What?" Jory exclaimed. "That's not fair!"
Daveth off to the side was sharpening a dagger and laughed. "They did a run around and got in via a royal letter. Have to say its an interesting way to do it."
Alistair shook his head. "We'll have to go back out. We didn't get enough blood…"
Xander held up two vials. "Already did that." Truthfully Flemeth had given Xander the vials before they left the hut, and at the time he wasn't sure what she meant when she told him that they'd be needed.
Alistair looked surprised.
"Looks like we're in." Buffy said.
Willow the elf smiled as the three men looked upset.
Duncan scanned the letter again and nodded. "Once you agree to this, there is no backing out."
Xander shrugged. The axe and shield strapped to his back still felt weird to him. Buffy gave a nod. "We have no where else to be."
Jory still didn't look happy as Duncan spoke "The mages are preparing the Joining Ritual as we speak. Alistair will bring you."
Duncan paused and looked at the newest editions the questions in his eyes evident.
Alistair was not as restrained. "So, what were the two of you doing with a pair of apostate mages?"
"What?" Xander asked giving the blond man an innocent look.
Willow spoke up, the elf the learned was a mage and it made them miss their Willow even more. "What the Warden and the whining knight want to know is where you're from."
Jory looked offended but the mage gave him not thought. Alistair shrugged as it was true, the pair were very different and their mannerism and some of their words confused him.
Buffy smiled at the elf. "We're from a small town called Sunnydale."
"Where's that? I've never heard of it." Jory cut in and Buffy gave him a hard look. "There are a great many things I'm sure you've never heard of sir knight, most of them are in things called books filled with words and very few pictures."
Xander laughed and was joined by a chuckling Daveth and Willow.
"That's not fair." Jory whined.
"That's life. You want fair…" Buffy rounded on the knight but Xander put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy Buff." He said in a low voice.
"But Jory is right, I've never heard of a Sunnydale before. Its not in Ferelden." Alistair said.
"No. California. Its…it's a long ways from here." Xander said.
"Alright you sots, leave them alone." Willow said. "Or I'll turn you all into toads."
Alistair stood. "Well, why don't you all get a meal and I'll be back to get you for the joining."
They watched him walked off. Daveth said he was going to get some food and convinced Jory to go with him.
"They mean well." Willow said. "I think I'll see the quartermaster. Turn in some of the junk we collected."
They watched the elf mage wander away. Xander was leaning against the pillar near the fire and Buffy was in his arms. "I miss them Xan."
He stroked her hair. "I know."
"Do…do you think Dawn is okay?"
"She's tough. And Spike will look after her as will Wills, Tara and Giles." Xander said and the Slayer nodded, knowing their friends would do just that.
"Do you think she hates us?"
"Nah." Xander said. "She'll rant and rave then cry and then she'll buck up and get through it."
"When did you get so wise?" Buffy asked.
"When you told me you loved me." Xander said.
Buffy looked up at him and kissed him lightly. "I've been lucky ever since the day you ran into me on my first day in Sunnydale."
They didn't talk about Glory or anything else, they sat watching the fire until Alistair came to collect them for the Joining ritual.
XX
"So we have to drink the blood?" Daveth asked.
Buffy and Xander exchanged looks.
"Its been laced with lyrium and…" Alistair was explaining.
"But its Darkspawn blood!" Jory whined.
Willow rolled her eyes and looked at Buffy and Xander. "You'd think they'd listen. Duncan warned them that there was no going back."
Buffy whispered to Xander. "Its always about the blood."
The lone male Scooby held her as Duncan spoke and then Alistair lowered his head and spoke with reverence. "Join us brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows as we stand vigil, join us with the duty that is forsworn. And know that should you perish know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day we shall join you."
With the oath finished Duncan turned his back on the recruits and picked up the silver chalice. Xander whispered to Buffy "Doesn't that sound ominous."
She nodded as Duncan faced them. He held it up. "Daveth, step forward."
The man who had made Buffy think of Xander in some ways took the chalice and took a gulp. Duncan took the chalice back as Daveth began choking and his eyes became white and he choked harder and he fell forward to the ground.
"I'm sorry Daveth." Duncan said when it was obvious the former pickpocket was dead.
"Jory step forward."
The knight was backing up and shaking his head. He reached for his great sword. "No, you ask too much. I have a wife and a child. There is no glory in this."
Buffy and Xander exchanged looks as they saw Duncan draw his dagger and face the terrified man. Both wanted to protest, but the memories Flemeth had given them had prepared them for this and it wasn't a shock to them and they knew what the Wardens would do to protect their secrets.
"There is no turning back." Duncan said. The fight was short. Duncan parried the great sword with ease and stepped in close and slamming his dagger into Jory's gut. "I am sorry Jory, but the Joining is not yet complete."
Buffy felt Xander gripping her wrist as the life slowly slipped away from the knight.
She looked on as Duncan stepped forward and presented the chalice to Xander and her mind was screaming at her to knock it away, but she held her place. Xander drank from the chalice she watched he staggered around and as his eyes turned white. She watched as he fell backwards and she was beaten by Alistair who caught him. "He lives."
She felt the knot that had formed in her gut release. Duncan was before her. "You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good. From this moment on, you are a Grey Warden."
Knowing she didn't have to say anything she took a gulp of the altered blood. The iron taste of it made her want to spit it out, but she managed to swallow it and pass the cup back to Duncan. For a moment she felt nothing and wondered if her Slayerness was preventing it when the pain hit. That last thing she remembers seeing is Duncan and Alistair catching her as she falls backwards and then blackness.
Duncan looked at Alistair. "Two out of four. Thus far. They looked over towards the elf mage who quirked her eye. "My turn?" Willow asks and accepts the chalice.
AN: I used the beginning from Ninja Slayer added some to it and came up with this. Yes Buffy still has her Slayer abilities. Her and Xander are an item if you can't read between the lines. Willow the elf I think I'll pair with Leliana. I might do an interlude or two back in Sunnydale. Next time we'll see how this goes.