Chronicles of a Fallen God-King

Book One: To be Blue.

Authors Note: Here it is, chapter one. This will hopefully be the first chapter in a series of Angel Continuation Fan Fictions, taking place in a slightly AU, and following what I believe should have happened had their been another season. I also decided to go along a different line, and have the story be told from Illyria's POV.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel, I just like stealing the characters and writing about them for awhile.

Prologue:

I ducked underneath another fist that flew towards me. As it moved past the top of my head, blowing my hair about my face and shoulders, I moved with lightning speed, grasping the arm in mid swing, and flipping the creature over my back and onto the pavement in front of me. My hands immediately flew forward to grasp at his head, and twisted quickly, snapping his neck instantly. The kill made me smile. I hadn't lost my touch since being defeated by that insolent immortal while I was supposed to be protecting Drogyn. Each kill made me feel a little closer to my old self.

Before dying, before trying to scrape my powers together, and finally claw myself out of the depths of death- and before being resurrected inside the shell known as Winifred Burkle- I had been more powerful then all of these creatures combined. And then my powers were reduced by the mortals to save me. Until now I had felt less then I used to be.

My skin was not my skin. My voice was not my own. My body was much smaller then it had been. My Qwa'ha Xahn had been murdered by Wesley as revenge for the death of Winifred. I was utterly alone and trapped with creatures that refused to bow in respect to me. Someday, I would make them pay for not recognizing me for who I was. Illyria; God-King of the Primordium. But for now, the fight was what fueled me. Watching Wesley nearly die after facing the Wizard had sparked something inside me. I had showed him Fred one last time, hoping to ease his time of passing, when a better idea had come to me.

Cyvus Vail has said something to me then, his words unimportant. I stood and faced him as Winifred, rage boiling inside the blood that was not my own. In an instant I was myself again, shedding away the husk that was the memory of Winifred, and had my hand around the creature's throat, holding him to myself. A look of unrestrained fear glared back at me from his yellowed eyes. I would not give up Wesley to the same fate that all mortals faced at some point or another. It was not his time. I- I was not ready to face the world without his guidance.

"You will save him." I commanded, my voice hard and threatening.

The red skinned creature chuckled, his voice raspy and desperate. "What makes you think I can?" He asked me. "The great Illyria, God-King, reduced to the protector of mortals! "

My hand closed tighter around his throat. "You will save him-" I repeated, clutching tighter still around my prize. I had no intention of letting him live even once Wesley was saved from death, but I would not let him die and risk being alone and without protection myself. I chose to ignore his other comment, about being a protector of mortals. It wasn't true of course, but even if it was, it was my business alone, not his.

It was then the magic began to swirl about the gasping form of Wesley, lights and color and noise coalescing into a healing mixture, seeping into the wound, closing it up slowly. The blood that had been spilt receded back into the wound, as if someone had turned time backwards. And finally, the wound was closed fully, and the body of Wesley lay silent on the floor. For a moment, I thought the Wizard had murdered him, and the place I assumed was my heart began to speed up. Until he coughed, and his eyes opened, to glance back up at me, holding his would-be murderer in my hands.

It was then I broke Vail's neck.

Next, Wesley and I had returned to the street outside of the Hyperion Hotel, as was the plan. We didn't speak as we made our way back, but I could tell from the way Wesley looked at me, that it was with new eyes. He must have been questioning my intentions. Of course I would never admit them to anyone- Including myself.

It was then we came to the chain link fence. Raindrops poured down on me, matting the things called hair to my face, which I brushed away, before looking at Wesley, and then back ahead of me. The Vampires had both survived, as well as the mortal- which was surprising, considering how Wesley had fared by himself. I could hear them on the other side of the fence, speaking of Wesley, and what his condition might be.

"I'm fine." Wesley called out, dropping down over the other side of the fence, having climbing up it by himself.

The group seemed to let out an intake of oxygen all at once, and laughed, welcoming him back into the group. It was then that I realized I would never really be accepted among these people. I guessed it was based mostly on the body I had been resurrected into. It had meant something to each of them, and they could never forgive me for taking it from them. Not that I wanted to be part of their group anyway.

I climbed the fence soundlessly, and with ease, dropping down behind Angel and crossing my arms over my chest. "Yes, I watched him fight." I said, with something close to pride inflecting in my voice. "He fought bravely, and murdered Cyvus Vail." I lied, not glancing at Wesley as I said it. I knew something of Pride, and I refused to take that from anyone. Not when it had been done to me.

It was then that we heard it, the many snarls and shouts of various demons, all recruited by Wolfram and Hart to end our lives. They began to enter the alleyway, one after another, each clutching a weapon of some sort. In my time, and in my own body, I would not have worried. These creatures were no more then humans- mayflies born only to breed and die at the end of it all. However, in this shell, with my new powers limited, something near to fear filled me. I did not wish to be destroyed so soon after being given new life.

"You take the 30,000 on the left." The one called Gunn spoke, sarcasm rolling weakly from his tongue. I turned to him, my eyes locking onto his wounds, the worst of which was pressed against the palm of his hand. His other hand was gripped around an axe, clutching it as tightly as he could in his weakened state. The memories that were Winifred Burkle's told me to feel emotion for him, which I suppressed with intent.

"You're fading." I told him confident, sure of my diagnosis after only examining him with my eyes. By his slumped posture, and the amounts of blood that covered his hand and shirt, I could not think anything else. It did not please me to have to tell him of his future demise, but I would not prolong his hope for life any longer either. "You will not last ten minutes." I told him, to which he only smiled as best he could and replied about 'making them memorable.' This confused me. I was unsure of how the passing of one set of moments to another could be more important then any other. I chose only to cock my head in his direction and remained silent.

Beside me, the two Vampires and Wesley continued to formulate a plan, while I observed the demons that rounded the corner of the alley, and began to make their way towards us. A dragon soared overhead and for the very first time since I had returned to this plan of life, I was reminded of my previous existence. In my time, creatures larger then Dragons had flown in the skies, and swam in the oceans. We hunted them for fun, keeping their bones and scales as trophies. The more trophies we claimed, the more respected we became. I had been very well respected. I would relish in the kill once more.

"I kind of want to slay the dragon." I heard Angel speak beside me. Had I been human, I would have frowned. However, I did not give up that easily. I would just have to beat him to it. For the meantime, I turned my eyes to the creatures that were nearly upon us. Angel swung his sword at the closest one, his blade slicing through muscle and scarred flesh, loping the demon's head off in one clean swing.

That was the start. Demons rushed upon us. We went our separate ways, throwing punches and receiving them. It was then that I got turned around, nearly losing myself in the battle, getting lost in it all. The demon tried to punch me, but I ducked underneath his reach, and grabbed his forearm as it flew over my head. I pulled him over me quickly, and after his body had hit the pavement was when I snapped his neck. Probably for the first time; I smiled.

It was then that another pair of arms suddenly slammed over my shoulders. I pulled my arms up and in between the muscular gray-scaled arms and my neck, keeping the demon from cutting off my oxygen supply. I could feel the creature's saliva falling down upon my hair and his hot breath poured out upon the flesh of my neck. His weight was pushing me downwards. I let him take me, bending my knees and submitting to him, for the time. Two other demons began to rush atop me, helping to end me. It was then I gathered my strength and pushed upwards under their weight, throwing all three of them off of me, and away into crowd, knocking other demons over as they went. I was in my own place now- as close as I had come to my former self since my powers had been depleted.

In fact, I hardly noticed that I was very near to being a mortal anymore. The fight seemed to do that to me each time- I felt free. I could feel untapped powers rising to the surface and gaining in intensity as I fought. My eyes fell upon Gunn, who was barely maintaining himself as he swung at the demons, his axe swinging and missing each time, but managing to keep the demons at bay for the meantime. It would only be a matter of moments before one of them wizened and tried throwing their own weapon.

I made my way towards him, knocking demons down as I went. Occasionally, I punched hard enough to break through their hides and break something that was important enough to sustain life, and they fell instantly, lifeless before me. "Illyria what are you doing?" Gunn asked in wonderment, not stopping the swinging motions with the axe.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and replied in between a kick to one demon, and a punch to another. "I am saving your life." I replied, wondering what else he figured I might have been doing. I neglected to ask. I was barely there as I fought, my fists flying nearly of their own free will, my feet of their own accord. The hair flying into my eyes was of no problem anymore, and I found I could tell were the demons were, just by the noises they made as they moved. I didn't have to see them to hurt them.

Even though I was faring better then I had supposed before the battle had actually begun, I could not help but wonder how any of us were to last during the next few hours. Wave after wave of demons entered the alley, and I knew we would not be able to defeat them all. We needed an escape route.

As if answering my thoughts, lightning crackled in the sky, and silent thunder boomed above our heads. The crowd went silent as a shockwave of pain rolled over the creatures. The decibel of sound far too low or high for our ears to hear. They clutched at their eyes and began screeching and snarling, hoping for the pain to stop. In front of me, reality began to bend. Another bolt of lightning flared; this time directly in front of me. The light seemed to stay in place though, instead of disappear like it had before. The blue light spun in mid air, around in circles until the center seemed to pull inwards, forming a portal leading to some unseen place.

"I'm guessing you did that?" Gunn asked behind me, chuckling nervously and stumbling up to stand beside me. "You… You did do that, right?" He asked again, now standing directly to my right.

"I am not sure." I admitted, daring to take a step forward. "Go." I told him. In my own time, I would not have been so lenient to a mortal. But times had changed me. This mortal was the only one, (save Wesley) remaining on the planet that understood exactly who I was and even though he did not say it- I knew that he respected my power. I could end his life just as quickly as I could save it. I chose today to save it.

Gunn's eyes widened as he gaped at me. "What?" He asked incredulously.

The effect of the silent thunder on the demons seemed to be wearing off, and I could tell we were running out of time. Off in the distance, I could see Spike and Angel, each clutching at their ears, trying to fight back the pain that was affecting them also, trying to make their way through the crowd and back to us. I could not find Wesley. "You must go. I will follow, it is our only chance at survival." I said, grabbing the man by his shirt collar. "You do not have a choice." I told him as he tried to resist, and I pushed him forward suddenly, in through the gaping mouth of the portal.

A flash of light was emitted from the portal, and it expanded before me. I was almost drawn in against my own will, but I fought the pull of the portal, and jumped backwards, before it was able to draw me in. I would not leave Wesley to die here, not after what he had done for me in the little time I had spent here.

Angel and Spike were near me now- and they did not look happy. "What the bloody hell did you throw the suit into?" I heard Spike ask me, his hands still clamped over his ears, as if trying to clamp out the noise I could not hear. Why couldn't I hear that noise? I had to wonder over it. I assumed that it was because of the fact that I had been the one to conjure the portal, that I also must have been immune to its drawbacks.

I looked to the pair of Vampires without responding for a moment, when I spotted him. My eyes snapped to Wesley, just in the crowd past Angel's shoulder. He was struggling to push through the writing crowd of monstrosities, without being murdered as he made his way through. I set out to get to him, pushing past Angel, who grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. "I think I heard the man ask you a question." He said to me, looking down on me once more. I urged to leave him here, to fight out the rest of the battle for better or worse on this vile planet by himself. If he survived or not was of no concern for me.

"I saved him." I replied, wrenching my arm away. "Should you choose to follow him- I think it would be wise to do so now- before the portal closes." I glanced back towards the portal once more to see it's light dimming. If we were going to go, it had to be soon or our time would expire. Without another glance back, I pushed my way through the crowd, snapping necks of demons and knocking others off their feet as I went. I was not one to 'kick the enemy while he was down' but this was different.

Finally I had made it to Wesley, who only gazed from me, towards the portal, and back to me again. I followed his eyes, and was surprised to find that the portal had once again grown larger- nearly swallowing the building it had materialized beside. Demons were being drawn in now, dead and alive, helpless to fight it's pull. With each soul it consumed, I watched the portal grow once again in size, seeking to find and pull in its creator. It longed for me. I was not sure how I knew it, but before the portal disappeared for good, it would do anything to have me. "We must go." I said to Wesley, who only nodded and started the long trek back with me.

The demons furthest down the alley were no longer waiting for their turn to attack. They were fleeing for their own half-lives. They no longer cared that we were moving through the group, and instead struggled to break past us. The thought of losing Wesley in the chaos crossed my mind briefly, before I decided that I would not let that happen. I pushed him in front of me, and ran along behind him, keeping him in my line of sight at all times. And suddenly, we had broken through the half circle that fought to move away from the ever-growing portal. The blue light emanating from it was weaker still, and its draw a little less powerful.

Angel and Spike were nowhere to be seen, and I could only assume that they had taken my word, and followed their companion into the portal. "Is it safe?" Wesley asked me, knowing full well that I had been the one to create the portal. He still did not trust my motives; I knew that from the way he had addressed me, his voice full of concern for his more trusted companions that had already made their way through. "Illyria, where did you send them?" He shouted over the din to me.

"I do not know." I answered truthfully, and grabbing his arm, I walked him into the portal beside me. Time and reality seemed to bend around us as we entered, and I watched the scene of the battle being replayed a thousand times with different possibilities for each outcome. A thousand bolts of thunder flashed in the sky and the silent thunder rolled and shook the fabric of reality. I felt the pain then, and screamed out loud, clutching my hands to my ears and releasing Wesley, who I watched slip away into a blue abyss without me.

I was left alone, to slide through light and time and space. And suddenly I found myself staring into my own blue eyes. A copy of myself stood in front of me, her own head cocked to the side as she stared back at me, as I did so often. Her body began to convulse before my eyes. I was shocked. Was this some sadistic foretelling of what lay in my future? Her eyes changed from ice blue and back to brown, all traces of myself disappeared. It was Winifred Burkle who now stared at me. It was then I realized I had seen her death, and my rebirth played in reverse.

This was meant to show me something. What it was, I could not have been sure- nor did I have time to dwell over it, when reality suddenly slammed back into place, and tossed me out of my own portal, onto grassy turf. I stayed conscious just long enough to see Wesley, lying face down in the grass beside me, before I too was lost to the world.

Authors Note: Well, there we have it. The story has effectively started. Sorry if any of you think I've ruined the character of Illyria by giving her a personality. I just thought that this was something new and different, writing in her POV, and took it as my chance to really give her more of a personality and become more then just a character to remember the old days with.

Anyway, where did that portal come from?

What happened to Wesley, Angel, Spike and Gunn?

Where did everyone end up?

All these questions will be answered next chapter!