Here's the second chapter of my new Buffy/Yu-Gi-Oh crossover story. As this is AU, Xander never went on his road trip, meaning his car never breaks down at Oxford — thus there is no washing dishes at the "fabulous Ladies Night club", heading back home and then having to sleep in his parents' basement and pay the rent. Instead, he chose to enroll in college with Buffy and the gang. Plus, Buffy's line "we were all caught off-guard when Ethan turned everyone into their costumes" is from Fear, Itself, and this takes place after that episode.

Previously...

"Well," said Yami, "it looks like everything is back to normal — at least as it can ever be in the town that's situated on top of a ‛Boca del Infierno', of course."

Upon seeing their puzzled looks, he said, "Well, that's what they called the Hellmouth back then."

" ‛They'?" asked Amy.

"The Spanish settlers." He grinned, showing off his brilliant, white teeth. "I've been brushing up on the history of the United States. Fascinating, the history in the place you mortals call the ‛library', what with all those books."

"Did you hear what he called us?" Buffy whispered to Xander, Amy and Willow. " He called us ‛mortals', like he wasn't even human himself."

"I heard you, Buffy."

They almost jumped upon hearing Yami's baritone voice. "And it is true that most men never called me a human, and some would say a demon — which I am not."

"I see," said Xander. "So, Yami, what was that spell you used to do what it was you did to Amy's mother?"

"Yeah. For one thing, it wasn't in Latin," said Amy, and Willow nodded in agreement.

Yami replied, "That spell I used is one that burns an evil person to ashes. It's an ancient spell I've learned a long time ago — long before you guys were even born. Luckily, I can use it over and over if I want, so it's unlimited. I have a good supply of magics I can use.

"And as for the language it was in, that was the language from my homeland — Egypt," he added as an afterthought.

"Egypt?" Xander, Willow, Buffy and Amy said as one in surprise.

"The land of the Pharaohs?" said Buffy. Yami nodded.

"Yes, Buffy," he replied. "You could call it that."

Well, I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob'ly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities

All my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity

Educated in a small town
Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town
Used to daydream in that small town
Another foreign romantic, that's me

But I've seen it all in a small town,
Had myself a ball in a small town
Married an L.A. doll and brought her to this small town
Now she's small town just like me

No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be

Got nothing against a big town
Still hayseed enough to say
Look who's in the big town
But my bed is in a small town
Oh, and that's good enough for me

Well, I was born in a small town
And I can breathe in a small town
Gonna die in this small town
And that's probably where they'll bury me
~John Mellencamp, Small Town

The year was now 2000. It was September, and Buffy and her friends, along with Yami, were in college at UC Sunnydale. Sunnydale High School had been blown up. But the real event happened when, much to the shock of Mayor Richard Wilkins' vampire minions, as well as Richard himself, Yami sent him to the Shadow Realm (which was also called the "Realm of Eternal Darkness") before he could Ascend into the demon Olvikan. Then, Giles had taken that as his cue and blown up the school. The fact that the vampires knew what the Shadow Realm was — and feared it as well — made Yami smile.

"Wow, Yami," said Buffy. "It sounds like you've been everywhere — to so many exciting places and seen so many things."

Oz just nodded and said, "Hmm… that is quite something."

"Yeah," said Willow. "You see, in college, there's so much knowledge to soak up in a sponge-like fashion, whereas in high school, knowledge was pretty much frowned upon. But now, I can flourish in this environment, especially since — since I know I am a genius, and college does accept people with genius-level intellects."

Yami smiled at the redhead. He knew she would definitely be a great genius.

But then, he stopped, his crimson eyes narrowed and his mind focused as he sensed something — something that was not quite right.

"Yami?"

Yami turned to Buffy and placed a finger to her lips. "Shh, Buffy. I sense something — something ancient... and evil."

" ‛Something ancient and evil', really?" asked Xander, now curious. "What is it, Yami?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure, but I do know this. Apparently whatever it is, it doesn't want to go after Buffy."

"It doesn't?" asked Amy.

"No," Yami replied. "In actuality, it wants to go after... me."

He paused to take in the reactions of Buffy and her friends. Oz was impassive, Buffy looked surprised, Xander blinked, Willow looked shocked, and Amy was puzzled.

OK, not quite the reactions I was hoping for...

"Well, I'm sure that whatever it is, Yami, we know that you can take care of it. After all, you sent Amy's mom to a place she deserved to be while burning her body to ashes with a spell, and you did send the Mayor directly to the Shadow Realm before he had a chance to Ascend. So at least we got to see the kind of powers you definitely have," said Xander.

Yami grinned confidently. "Thank you, Alexander. I'll be sure to fight like a soldier, just as you did when you got turned into your soldier costume that one Halloween."

Seeing them exchange puzzled looks, Yami then shook his head and smiled as Xander turned back to him and said, "You actually called me Alexander, which is the full version of my first name. And you remember the events of that fateful Halloween two years ago, too."

Oz remarked, "I agree."

"Yeah," said Buffy. "But how did you — I mean, you were there that fateful night, as we can too readily testify. But why weren't you affected by that spell? I mean, we were all caught off-guard when Ethan turned everyone into their costumes. Why weren't you?"

Yami replied, "Because I have the one kind of magic that Ethan was never told about, and that is Shadow magic. It's very powerful, and it protects the user — me, in this case — from being affected by any other magic that would normally harm another person."

"Wow," remarked Buffy.

"Shadow magic?" said Willow.

"How extraordinary, even for you, Yami," Xander said.

"Indeed, it is," Amy nodded.

"I agree," said Oz. "Apparently, Yami, you have this power deep inside of you that you know how to use. And, I think that's pretty awesome, too."

It was then that Xander, Buffy, Amy and Willow looked at Oz in total surprise, while Yami just smiled. Usually, Oz was kind of impassive, and if there ever was such a person that was the epitome of the well-known expression "Still waters run deep", they knew Oz would be that person.

The next day was Saturday. Xander, Willow, Oz, Amy and Buffy were sitting at a table in the Bronze, discussing what had happened after Yami dispatched the ancient evil while the gang, including Buffy, looked on with surprise, while Yami listened, intrigued.

Then, when the Scoobies turned to him and listened, Yami said, "So much has changed. And yet, there is still darkness and evil in the world. There are so many enemies to defeat, so many battles to plan, and…," here he paused and, while the Scoobies looked on, fascinated, pulled out a wooden stake and twirled it, reminding Buffy of how she had done the same thing before she dusted the vampire Sunday quite some time ago, "...so many games to play."

None of the Scoobies knew what to say to that. They just turned and looked at each other, surprised. Sure there were enemies to defeat, and battles to plan. But... games being played? They weren't sure about that last part, or if it was true or not.

But one thing they did know — Yami had a point. There were battles to be planned and enemies to be fought and conquered...

But games to be played? That was a whole different story altogether.

But they knew that no matter what life threw at them, they would always stick together...