The usual disclaimers apply here.

I have no idea why I felt like I had to post this but...well, as you know, Angel has ended and so will the Angel Board on WB.com in a few days. My screen name there has become practically a character in itself. I decided to move on by giving my screen name, also a character, a hell of a send-off. Still, I'm pretty proud of how this story has come out. To me, it may well be one of the better stories I've written. Let me know what you think of this story--not as critique of a fanfiction but as critique of one's writing ability--mine.

Read on...

Smartnprettyboy...The King of Deviants...Gareli...stands on a tall building's ledge, his hair rippling in gentle waves. He is looking down on the tiny ants hurrying past each other on the streets. No. Not tiny ants. Tiny humans.

Gareli's mind briefly flickers back to the moment his journey began...the moment when he became immortal. That was quite an exciting day for him. He knew his destiny was to become the greatest demon lord ever to have lived. He had waited a long time before he could undergo the Ascension but the wait was well worth it. He smiles at the memory; the demon he had become was indeed a thing of great beauty. He looked like a terrible winged Greek god. Tall, alabaster skin, silver eyes, waist-length silver hair, full red lips, and wings sprouting from both sides of his temples and from his back. He was truly a beautiful sight and a terrible demon to anyone who crossed paths with him.

Then there was that accursed mirror... Gareli sadly shakes his head; ashamed at himself for letting his vanity get the best of him. When the freestanding mirror clad in oak first appeared in Jack's Caritas, Gareli's curiosity was piqued. Ever the narcissist, he proceeded to study his own beauty in the mirror. What he didn't know was that the mirror was actually a magical object designed to draw a person or demon's essence out of his or her body. Gareli spent several days trapped in a mirror dimension. However, his time was not wasted. Gareli discovered that he could travel to other mirror dimensions. He met many demons this way. Soon, the demons he met lay slain by him and their powers stolen.

Gareli returned to the world outside the cursed mirror through a body of an unfortunate young man who bore a striking resemblance to Jordan Levin, the head deadhead of the WB network, but better looking of course. Gareli wouldn't have it any other way.

Now... The surrounding atmosphere has changed and Gareli could feel it. Something is coming and it doesn't look good. Every nerve ending in his body pricked with anticipation and fear of this...something. And it is here.

"Gareli, the King of Deviants, the Demon Lord, your reign here is over," a male voice murmurs softly behind Gareli. Gareli's head slightly turns to the man, looking at the man out of the corner of his eye. Giles. The man is Rupert Giles. Gareli smiles to himself. So, it happens now. How exciting... Turning around, Gareli squares his shoulders and looks straight at the British man. He notices for the first time a red-haired woman is standing next to Giles...what was her name...Willow. Willow frowns slightly, her brow crinkled.

"I'm sorry...but it's our duty as guardians of all that are good and pure to..." Willow stammers, searching for better words to finish her sentence.

"Defeat me?" Gareli prods gently, a sad smile on his handsome face.

Willow only nods. Giles bows his head sadly, perhaps out of respect for him?

"Well, there's no sense in wasting time. Let us begin now. Of course, I won't hold back," Gareli sweeps the offending hair away from his eyes, tossing his head back.

And they begin to...fight.

Gareli leaps high into the air, delivering an energy blast from his hand to the duo. They jump away from the blast, the white-hot energy barely singeing fine hair on their arms and faces. Giles returns the favour with a green energy projectile. Gareli easily dodges the incoming projectile, hovering in the air. Willow launches a surprise attack by hitting the flying demon in the back with an energy ball. Surprised, Gareli falls to the ceiling of the building. He lets out a sardonic chuckle, surprised at himself for falling to such an obvious tactic. "Holdus!" Giles barks out, waving a hand at him. Gareli snarls, again surprised. He struggles to escape his magical binds, sweat glistening on his body.

He notices Willow making eye contact with Giles and they both nod at same time. What are they doing? Gareli barely had the time to ponder the question before he sees what they were planning on doing to him. Walking around him, Willow arrives at Giles's side and they begin to chant something together. The air crackles with electricity. Every hair on Gareli's body pricks to the strange power rising in air. He once again struggles to free himself and he succeeds.

Gareli roars and the power of his voice sent a sonic boom within the vicinity of Giles and Willow. Startled from their chanting, the duo had no time to avoid the sonic boom. Giles and Willow kneel to ground, clutching their stomachs. Breathing heavily, Giles mentally brushes aside the cobwebs deep inside his mind and searches for a spell to hold the demon at bay. "Exterm Holdus!" Willow joins in, adding her power to the spell. Silver-white ropelike energy suddenly appears out of nowhere and it speeds to its target. Gareli couldn't avoid the incoming rope and it wraps itself around Gareli's body, glowing brighter than before for a moment. Gareli struggles for a few seconds then he gives up; sensing the energy that binds him is stronger than the last one.

Giles nods to Willow and she nods back. Holding hands once again, they begin to chant. The spell they are chanting... It has such power that the atmosphere around them begins to crackle. Gareli could have sworn he saw the air colour to an eerie shade of green. He was not incorrect. The air around Gareli and the spellcasting duo did indeed colour, in response to the rising power of the spell.

Gareli's eyes widen upon hearing the rising volume in Giles and Willow's voices. He knew whatever was to happen, it is close. He once again struggles against his binds but its is futile. Giles and Willow's chanting abruptly stops. A long silence pervades the atmosphere, Gareli staring at the duo expectantly. What is going to happen now? He briefly wonders, his body relaxing in his prison. Suddenly, the energy binding him begins to loosen and he is released. Dropping to ground, he supports his body by placing one arm on the ground and other holding his stomach. He glares at Giles and Willow; puzzlement is evident on his face. "Did...your spell fail?" Giles and Willow don't answer him, standing several feet away from him and looking at him.

Suddenly, Gareli quickly gets to his feet and stands, his back ramrod straight. Something was changing...inside him. He could feel it. "What have you done?" he demands from the duo, clenching his teeth. Giles's head cocks slightly to one side, still staring at him. Willow bows her head, her red hair falling into her face. She knows what's going to happen. But what? Gareli rubs his chin, his stance relaxing. Suddenly he screams as if he is in agony. Sharp pain shoots through his body, forcing him to his knees. He forces him back on his feet. He will not allow Giles and Willow see him in this...weakened state. His skin begins to crack, beginning with his face. Black light shines through the cracks. Slowly he realizes what to happen to him and it's happening now. He lets out a mirthless laughter, his shoulders harshly rocking.

"So...your spell didn't fail."

"No, it didn't," Giles murmurs in agreement. Willow sharply turns around, not wanting to see the inevitable scene.

"Memories." Gareli's torso begins to crack. "Memories are all we ever had to begin with." Another crack. "Memories...are who we are." Crack.

Giles does not say anything; he takes off his glasses and begins to clean them. He turns around and he places an arm around a crying Willow's shoulders and begins to walk away. "Good-bye, Gareli."

"I...will...not...fade...a...way..." Gareli softly calls out, determination is heard in every word.

More black-coloured lights shine through the cracks in the dying demon lord's body and eyes. The cracking of his skin stopped and nothing more happened. Then the King of Deviants...the Demon Lord...Smartnprettyboy...explodes in a brilliance of black-coloured fireworks.

Outsides the city limits of Los Angeles...

"You ready, Garrett?" a male voice inquires. The red-haired young man with blue eyes and lean build turns around from his backpack to the speaker and smiles. "Yeah, Angel," he says with a nod, slinging the backpack on his shoulder. "I'm ready." Angel smiles and puts an arm across Garrett's shoulders and led the way to the motorcycle in front of them. Angel first swings a leg over the motorcycle's side and he moves onto the front seat. Garrett follows not too long after, climbing into the rear seat and wrapping his arms around Angel's torso. Angel started the motorcycle's ignition and it roars to life. "Don't forget your helmet!" Angel shouts over the noise. Garrett smiles and puts on the pink helmet on his head. Within seconds, they rode away into the setting sun, the sun colouring the sky orange-red.