Disclaimer: I don't own the rights, characters, locations or plots from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Galaxy Rangers; they belong to their respective owners without whom this fan fiction would not have been possible. All reviews are welcome.
A/N: I've taken some liberties as far as Galaxy Rangers are concerned for the purposes of this fanfic. There was only the cartoon; the other stuff was just made for the story. Hope you guys enjoy. Cheers.
Ethan's Costume Shop, Sunnydale, CA; 2:00 pm.
Willow didn't want to do this at all; all she wanted to do was get the ghost costume that was lying on the rack on one side of the new costume store in town, Ethan's. Grumbling internally as she followed her best friend, Buffy Summers; Willow was being pulled to one corner of the shop where a grinning Buffy pointed at a costume that was just a tight fitting black body suit, that had a black eye mask, cat ears and a belt.
"Sexy catwoman?" asked Buffy as she grinned at the red faced redhead who was looking at her with her mouth wide open.
"No" she squeaked as she silently cursed Principal Snyder for forcing Buffy, herself, and Xander, as well as many other students for what was supposed to be a 'voluntary' program, to chaperone some children's trick or treat night. Willow then looked back at the last ghost costume, and then at the catwoman costume before she shook her head and rushed to get the last pack of the white sheet with two eye holes; with only the word 'Boo' written across it.
"Will" said Buffy as she rushed to her best friend who was holding the ghost costume close to her chest, "Xander's not gonna notice you if you wear that."
"I don't wanna be noticed" pouted Willow as Buffy raised an eyebrow at the redhead while people were browsing the costumes in the store.
"Will, what's the point of dressing up for Halloween?" asked Buffy as she leaned forward.
"Getting free, and nearly unlimited, candy?" grinned the redhead as Buffy shook her head.
"No" said Buffy as she gently poked her friend's arms, "this is the one single night that you let everything go. Come on, Will… do something adventurous, something sexy. Get wild… not too wild I mean.. that catwoman costume is purrrr-fect."
"Nice, but no" smirked Willow as Buffy smiled. She then looked behind Willow before turning around the redhead as Xander walked towards them just carrying a toy rifle.
"Xander" said Willow as her voice squeaked ever so slightly, "what'd you get?"
"This" he said as he picked up the toy rifle with the two young women just staring at it, and then at Xander with their eyebrows raised at the same time.
"What?" asked Xander.
"That's not a costume" said Willow pointing at the toy rifle.
"I got fatigues from an Army surplus at home" said Xander as he grinned while putting his arms up excitedly, "just call me the Two-Dollar costume king, baby!"
"Mr. Two Dollar Costume King" said Buffy as she gave Xander a small bow before motioning towards the redhead, "please convince Willow to at least get the catwoman costume or…."
"Buffy" said a surprised Willow as she looked at the blonde Slayer while Xander stepped back, rubbed his chin and looked at Willow, and then at the costume hanging in the back, and then at Willow again.
"Xander" said Willow as the young man gave a small laugh while the redhead stepped behind Buffy, "I'm not wearing that."
"Alright, Will" said Xander as he looked at the costume she was holding, "you've worn something like that last year. You always say you'll wear something different the next year."
"But…" said Willow.
"I have a rocker chick outfit at home" said Buffy as she looked at Willow, "I guarantee you'll have every guy turning their heads towards you."
"Yeah, Willow" said Xander, "that…"
"Don't you dare finish your sentence, Xander Harris" said Willow as she pointed her finger at Xander while narrowing her eyes, "or else….. I know all your dirty little stories… don't make me reveal them to the world."
"Easy, Willow" laughed Xander as he walked towards Willow and put his arm around her shoulders and pointed to a large metal bin in the corner. He told her that he got his rifle from there and that maybe she'll find something she likes too, "anything but the ghost costume, Will. For me? Please?"
"Fine" sighed Willow as she handed Xander the packed costume before she trudged along to the bin. She then looked over her shoulder and told Xander that if she didn't like anything there, then she's taking the ghost costume with her.
As Willow was walking away, Buffy looked and Xander and remembered how, early in the day, he was angry at her for preventing him getting beaten by Larry, a fellow student who was asking Xander if Buffy was available. She still couldn't believe that he was angry at her for not letting Larry pummel him; that he would now have the reputation of being a sissy.
"Xander?" said Buffy sweetly as she lay her chin on his shoulder and grinned, hoping that he would be able to forgive her for not letting him be beaten up, "about this morning, I'm really sorry."
"And here I was trying to repress" said Xander looking at the blonde Slayer.
"Ok, next time there's a pummeling situation… I won't interfere" said Buffy nodding her head, "I swear."
"Now that's what I've…" Xander was saying when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning towards what she saw, Buffy opened her eyes wide, and walked away, in the middle on what Xander wanted to say. She walked towards another corner near the door to the back office; there, she found a red, frilly, eighteenth century gown that was on a mannequin. While Xander was telong Buffy how he prefers his women in spandex, Willow was still going through the bin. She was about to give up after she had dug in deep into the various knick-knacks when she saw something in the corner, under some clothes that had the Ghostbusters patch on its sleeves. Reaching down, she put the clothes aside and found what looked like a badge that was attached to a white belt, complete with a holster which carried what looked like a toy shotgun. Willow frowned at in before she shook her head, and then threw it back into the bin and then turned around.
She then saw Buffy eyeing the red dress as she and Xander were talking to an older man who took the dress off the mannequin and put it around her front so that the Slayer could look at herself in the mirror. Willow saw how happy Buffy was as she looked at herself.
"I bet she's imagining showing that dress to Angel' thought Willow to herself as she gave Buffy the thumbs up sign after the blonde Slayer turned and grinned. Willow then saw the look that Xander was giving Buffy when the Slayer wasn't looking at him; it was then she looked at the ghost costume that Xander was holding on to for her. She took a few steps forwards before stopping. Willow saw that the store was getting more and more crowded as children were rushing in with their parents for last minute costume shopping. It was then she turned around again and looked at the badge that was attached to the white belt. Walking back to the bin, she picked it up again and looked closely at the badge which looked like something a sheriff in the old westerns she used to watch would wear.
'A five pointed star with a ring near the edges, and another star inside the ring' thought Willow to herself as she brushed her fingers on the faded metallic badge. She could see some wording on the ring and she brought the badge closer to her face as she tried to read it, 'I can just make out a 'G' and a 'L'… but the rest of the top part of the badge is faded, it's difficult to see and…'
"Hello Miss"
Willow turned around to find the older man that Buffy was talking to earlier standing behind her with his hands behind his back. She saw Buffy, who was grinning from ear to ear while carrying her dress, and Xander walking towards her.
"Hey, Will" said Xander when he saw what the redhead was holding, "very nifty, and new…. You gonna be a cowgirl?"
"You've got an outfit back home" said Buffy excitedly, "I mean, you have the jeans and… what do cowgirls wear now?"
"It's a unique piece of history that was never made that you are holding" said the older man as he pointed to the badge, belt and the toy shotgun, "it's the only prop from a live action series that they were planning on producing in the early eighties. It was going to be a space western, and they had all the characters, the scripts, the actors… everyone was ready. But the costs kept on skyrocketing and… well… it was never made. At least not the live action series; instead it was made into a cartoon that was released in 1986 if I'm not mistake. But either way, what you're holding there is special, I got it from someone who knew someone who made the props from the live action series. They sold off the various other plastic badges, but the ones made for the main actors were made with metal. They were supposed to have been melted but someone in the production crew kept one so that they could sell it off. The one you have actually glows when you press down on it."
"Cool, Will" said Xander looking at Willow, "I be the soldier, and you be the space cowgirl."
"How about I give you the same deal that I gave your friend" said the man as he nodded towards Buffy, "I can let you have that for twenty dollars, as long as you bring it back in the same condition that you'll be taking it. And before you say anything, don't worry… this is all well and proper. I am the owner of this fine establishment after all"
"Come on, Will" begged Xander, "if you ask me? When it comes down to a space cowgirl versus ghost costume…. I'd go for the space cowgirl."
"I think there's something missing though" said Buffy as she looked at Willow and the belt that was in her hand.
"Oh, I know" said Xander just before he ran through the store, and then ran back holding a cowboy hat which he then placed on Willow's head, "now the ensemble's complete."
"Fine" said Willow as Xander and Buffy grinned, "I'll take it. I'll take of it… I promise."
"Good" said the older man as he walked away after signaling to the Scoobies that they should follow him.
"By the way" said Willow as they walked towards the cash register, "what was the show called?"
"Not many people know about it now" said the man as he rang up everyone's purchases while glancing at Willow, "it's called Galaxy Rangers."
"Eh" said Buffy frowning at the name, "maybe it wasn't because of the sky high costs of making that show which made it fail."
Putting their purchase in bags, the older man then handed the bags to the three young people and then watched as they left his shop.
"Tonight's going to be so much fun" he said smiling as another three customers came to the cash register.
Sunnydale, CA, 5:45 hours.
With the sky already dark over Sunnydale, Willow was already at their second to last house with the children who were placed under her charge. She smiled as they went to the door of the house; some dressed as movie vampires, mummies, while the others put a demonic mask over their faces as soon as the door opened and an older woman stepped out complimenting them on their costumes. It was then that she saw Willow in her costume; she was wearing a pair of jeans, some boots, a frilly shirt that she found at a second hand shop just before they headed home from Ethan's early that day, and her white hat; the badge on the belt that was around her waist, as well as the holstered toy weapon that was lying on the left side of her waist.
"My, my, my" said the older woman with a smile as she looked at the redhead who tipped her hat while grinning, "Texas Ranger?"
"Well…" said Willow, "technically I'm…"
"Whatever it is" said the old woman as she handed a handful of chocolates into Willow's hands, "it's a very nice costume."
"Thanks" grinned Willow as she saw the chocolates in her hand when she suddenly felt a cold breeze, followed by a chill up her spine. Turning around, she looked into the distance while the older woman was giving more candy to her charges.. she could see the other kids knocking on the other houses, as well as their chaperones who were following them under the street lights.
Willow turned to face her kids and smiled at how much fun they were having, as was she. Willow recalled dressing up in her costume at Buffy's house hours ago; it was the first time they saw each other in costume. Buffy told Willow that she looked very 'galactically cowgirlish'.
"I don't even know what that means" laughed Buffy while Willow giggled.
"You gonna wear that to see Angel?" asked Willow as she nudged her best friend's arm after pointing at the dress that the blonde Slayer was wearing.
"I asked him to come visit" said Buffy, "mom's in Santa Barbara checking on some art stuff and… and well… nothing's funny gonna happen before Angel and me."
"Oh?" asked Willow with an eyebrow raised as Buffy stuck her tongue out at the redhead.
It was a few minutes later, after Xander had come to the Summers house and Buffy walked down the stairs after Willow insisted, the redhead heard Xander's reaction to Buffy's costume.
The Slayer then called for her best friend. As Willow walked down the stairs in her full cowgirl costume, both Buffy and Xander were grinning… with Xander telling the redhead that any guy would want to get arrested by her.
Back in the present, Willow looked at the kids when she grabbed onto the railing on the porch when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her head. With the excruciating pain forcing her on her knees, and blood dripping from her nose… the redhead brought her hands to her head as she gritted her teeth. Willow could feel the pain as it tore through her head while tears fell from her eyes before she closed them and gave a soft scream. She felt as if someone was shoving knives into her head.
However, before she closed her eyes, she saw the kids attacking the older woman who screamed and then entered her house and closed the door. Opening her eyes again, Willow saw through tear filled eyes as the masks that the kids were wearing were not masks anymore; they had morphed into their faces. The redhead saw that they were walking towards her… she could already sense evil from the children as she tried to run away. But all that her actions did was cause even more agony as searing hot pain travelled from her head through to the rest of her body. Willow screamed out loud as she grabbed both sides of her head with her hands before she fell on both knees again.
Willow felt as if she was going to faint as she looked behind her and saw the former children running towards her.
"N… no" said Willow while she, as if by instinct, pressed the badge on her belt. She then felt a burning sensation in her head before she felt a rush of power; she then just thought about it and mentally pushed the transformed demons, who were sent flying away, to the porch on the next house. With the power soon replaced with pain again, Willow saw the demons run away before she collapsed onto the floor of the porch.
"That… that…. That was nifty" mumbled Willow before she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.
TBC.