Title: Dark Becomes LightAuthor: White Werewolf
Chapter: 10
Rating: Nothing worse than the tv shows. Think people around the age of 15 are mature enough to read this. Just as the shows which tend to get dark at times,
this might get there too.
Category: Gabrielle/Xander
Spoilers: In Buffy, post: "Living Conditions," In Gargoyles: Post "Journey" If Greg isn't counting season 3 as canon, I'm not either. In Xena, post: "Key to the Kingdom"
Summery: Xander finds a mystical artifact. Demona calls upon it and takes Xander along for the ride. When there, he and a gargoyle meet. Together the two of them end up in Ancient Greece.
Disclaimer: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is owned by Whedon, Fox, and UPN. Gargoyles is owned by Bueana Vista and Disney. Xena: the Warrior Princess is owned by Renaissance Pictures, Tapert, and Raimi.
Author Notes: This fic is not BX. I love the ship, but I want to try something different. This is also a ship that isn't soley in the Buffyverse. So, many new things are with this fic.
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Gargoyles
Xena: Warrior Princess
Special Thanks:Nick, William, and Cyclone

A lone man circled around his newly acquired slave as he slept. The man sighed knowing that he paid an average wage for his shackled servant. He walked around his abandoned horse stable.

The stable was used as a housing solution to his slaves. They each had their own stall, and this young man was shackled around a post, so he couldn't move.

Xander woke to find a blinding pain on his forehead. Using his hand, he raised it to try and lessen the pain. "What hit me?"

Looking at his hand, he noticed a shackle wrapped around his wrist. "What's going on?"

"Good. You're up."

Xander confusingly looked up at the man in front of him. A smirk was plastered across his stone face. His blue eyes glared down at the shackled young man. "Took you long enough, boy."

"What happened?"

He grunted, "You were knocked out. I bought you the auction."

Xander uttered, "Auction?"

"You're my property, boy. My name's Doxin. I own this property and you're my slave."

He tried to take a step back, but couldn't when he noticed his ankles were shackled together too. Looking at him again, he suddenly remembered, "We were jumped. I was separated from my friends and taken for slavery by Talos. I'm a free man."

Doxin huffed, "Free man nothing. You're my property, boy." He pulled Xander up by the arm, and unshackled him. Going to a nearby shelf, he picked up a bowl with bread and fruit. Giving it to him, he said, "Eat. After that, you're going to learn the laws here, boy. You're going to be told what your jobs will be."

The slave owner then went to the door of the stall. "And don't try to escape. This door is going to be locked." Doxin smiled smugly as he opened the door. Closing it behind him, he said behind the door. "Enjoy your dinner, boy. I'll be back shortly."

Xander heard Doxin say his comment followed by footsteps that led away from him.

He sighed, "I'm a slave?"

Looking at the food in front of him, he picked up the piece of bread. "I fuckin hate my life sometimes."

Disgusted with himself, he placed the bread back in the bowl and back on the shelf. Looking around the stall, he noticed a barred window. The stall itself seemed to be made of strong wood, the ground covered in his hay.

His hand went down to his belt to try and take his sickle. "Dammit." He said realizing the truth, "Talos still has them."

He walked to the window and grabbed the bars. "What the hell am I going to do?" Sighing, he rested his forehead against the bars. Xander grinned, "I bet Cordelia would love to see me behind bars."

Mentioning his ex-girlfriend's name only made his insides ache. He promised himself not to bring up his Sunnydale life. It hurt too much to think about it, especially when he knew he was likely never going to get back to the future.

From talks with Brooklyn, he remembered him saying that the Phoenix Gate appeared and disappeared at random now. He was glad the gargoyle had their half on him. Xander didn't want to be responsible for losing it.

Walking back to the shelf, he took the bowl in one hand and grabbed the bread with the other. Taking a bite, he started to remember what happened this past week.

Since the first day of Brooklyn's bio-chronological change, they traveled a few days. They were closing to Delphi when they got attacked.

Xena, Gabrielle, Brooklyn, and him were ambushed at one point. The four of them fought with all they had when Xander saw two of them retreat. They were carrying Gabrielle's pack. He immediately ran after them.

He soon found himself in a fight for his life. Xander was still a novice when it came to human combat, but with Xena's help, he was becoming a fast better fighter. The problem though was that they were still too much for him. But, with his unbelievable high spirit, he was able to take them out.

When satisfied, he took Gabrielle's pack and started back when he heard a sudden ruckus. Turning back, his eyes widened seeing six more people. Two were free, and four were chained. The two men jumped Xander forcing him to drop the pack. Tightening his grasp on his sickles, he retaliated fast. But they were too much for him. Seeing his weapons drop, the young man went for his crossbow. The tallest man whipped a roundhouse across Xander's face forcing him to the ground.

With another breath of urgency, Xander tried to fight back. A bald man with a scar over his right eye shackled him who was introduced as Talos. Talos hit Xander on the forehead knocking him out.

Now, he was owned by this Doxin character.

He didn't know what to expect. Was this going to be like 'Roots' or the 'Passover,' story Willow told him when they were younger?

Slumping to the ground, he took another bit of his bread. Did Brooklyn, Gabrielle, and Xena know where he was? Did they know he was taken?

All he knew is that Talos had his weapons, Brooklyn had the half of the Phoenix Gate, and he was stuck being someone's slave.

"How the hell am I going to get out of this?"

Outside of Delphi

Gabrielle sighed as she glanced forward the mid-afternoon sun. The heat still draping over her skin. "Where can he be, Xena?"

Xena started to kneel down when she already saw Brooklyn doing the same procedure. His talon glazed over the broken ground. Sniffing the air, he uttered, "There most definitely was a battle."

Xena nodded, "He's right. There's dry blood."

Gabrielle knelt beside her, "How old?"

The gargoyle sniffed again, "Three days." Brooklyn looked forward to the blond, "We'll find him."

She took out her staff and twirled it within her hands. "I just don't see him as the type of guy to go run off."

Brooklyn nodded, "He isn't." Glancing at Xena, he asked, "What type of things happen around Delphi?"

The Warrior Princess turned to him, "Judging by the slave pens we've seen around here, I'd say slavery isn't that bad of a guess."

The gargoyle asked, "Slavery?"

Gabrielle asked, "Slavery isn't around in your time?"

He shook his head, "No, it is in some parts of the world. But, thinking somebody we know in slavery is hard for me."

The blond pointed out, "We don't even know if he was enslaved."

Xena sighed, "But it is definitely a possibility."

Xander's Stall

He ate a date as he stared at the door. Xander was sitting down, back to the wall.

The door opened, and in walked Doxin. Carrying in a stood, he plopped it down on the hay. "Good. You ate your dinner."

He sighed, "It's not like I had a choice."

Doxin growled, "Boy, you better show me some respect. I did not pay eight silver pieces for some disrespectful snob."

Taking out a baton, he pointed it at him, "You're new here, boy. So, this is what's going to happen. Wake up is at sunrise. My wife, Verona, will come with breakfast. After that, chores will be handed out, fallowed by lunch, chores, dinner, chores, and bed. That's the cycle. Get used to it, boy.

"Disobey me once, you get a beating. Twice, you get an even more severe beating. Three times, you the Hallow."

Xander asked confusingly, "Hallow?"

Droxin replied, "It's a holding cell. Like all emptiness, it leaves a void, abscense, isolated feeling. The space is hallow—hence the name, boy . My slaves spend time there when they disobey me. The amount of days depends on the ordered crime. First time in the Hallow is two days, second time, three, third time, five. After the fifth crime, you get death."

He gulped, "Death?"

Doxin nodded, "You heard me, boy." Glaring at the young man, he asked, "What's your name, boy?"

"Xander…"

The slave owner shook his head, "Xander? Not a good name for you. You're name's Zed."

Xander glared at him, "But I'm Xander! I don't belong here!"

Doxin smacked him across the face, "Stop your whinnying, Zed. I don't care where you're from. You're my slave. That's all you need to know."

He grumbled his way to 'Zed.' Reaching him, he smacked his slave across the face, "Get some sleep, Zed. Verona will be here in the morning with breakfast."

Droxin went to the door and opened it. Glancing back at the servent, he uttered, "Give up your idea of 'freedom,' Zed. It's never going to happen."

The slave owner then chuckled lightly as he closed the door.

Outside of Delphi

"Take a look at this!"

Xena and Brooklyn turned after comparing some notes.

"What did you find, Gabrielle?" Xena asked her best friend.

She walked over to them carrying something, "It's my pack. Xander must've dropped it." She opened it and looked inside, "Nothing seems to be missing."

Brooklyn grinned slightly, "Good." Remembering his just recent conversation with the Warrior Princess, he added, "Xena said she knew some of the people around here. Maybe, they knew what happened to Xander."

The tall woman nodded, "Rufus works at a local bakery. He hears a lot about what happens around Delphi. I'm hoping he heard something about Xander. The bakery also has an Inn attached. We could use it to spend the night."

Gabrielle asked, "How far is this place anyway?"

Xena replied, "Just down the road. We'll reach it by nightfall."

Brooklyn asked, "You think I can find a space to turn to stone during the night?"

The Amphipilis Native answered, "You can roust outside the Inn. Rufus is a good friend of mine, he wouldn't mind if you stayed in the garden. People will just think you're a new sculpture he bought."

He grinned, "Good. Let's get going."

That being said, the three of them headed down the road.

Rufus' Bakery/Inn
Short Time Later

"Alright, Clevus…you better go. This is a dry place. No alcohol allowed here."

The man looked at him strangely, "Can't I just spend the night? This is also an Inn, y'know?"

Rufus replied, "I know, Clevus. But this is a family place. What happens if a child walks down the hall when your in your drunken state? What happens if you do something that you later regret? I'll tell you what would happen, the child's family wouldn't be happy. Then they'd tell their friends not to come here anymore, and I'd lose business."

Clevus sighed, "The chances of that aren't high?"

He rolled his eyes, "Sure." Holding up his hand, the Inn Keeper asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?" He held up three.

"Uh…," the drunk stammered, "Five?"

Rufus let out a breath he was holding in, "Close, but not right. You better get going."

The man soon felt two hands clamp down on his shoulders, "You better listen to the man, Clevus."

Clevus turned around to see a tall woman with dark hair, "You want to go see my guitar, Little Lady? Ever hear of Hendrus? I taught him myself."

Xena brought his arm upright fast, and twisted him around. Holding his hands behind his back, she said with a heated voice, "Listen, Clevus. I'm not really in the mood for some cheesy come-ons. You better leave before I really get anxious." She then shoved him forward just a few feet.

He turned around and was about to say something when Gabrielle shook her head, "I better go, Clevus. Xena isn't really in the mood for this right now."

Using what was remaining of his better judgment, he left.

Watching the man leave the bakery, Rufus grinned, "Sorry about that, Xena. Clevus came in looking for a place to spend the night. I didn't want anyone drunk here tonight."

She smiled, "That's quite alright."

Gabrielle asked, "Isn't Hendrus the person who burns his lyre at the end of his concerts?"

Satisfied with her response, he asked, "What can I do for you tonight?"

She responded, "Hopefully, a couple things. What we really need to know is some information."

He asked, "What kind of information?"

"Before we get into that, I was hoping we could resolve something."

The three of them turned to the door as a gargoyle entered the Inn.

Before Rufus could say something, Brooklyn began, "My name's Brooklyn and I was hoping I could find a place to roust for the night."

Rufus showed a confused look, "Why's a gargoyle moving around the day anyway?"

Gabrielle explained, "By magic."

"Magic?"

Xena elaborated, "Brooklyn wears the Midnight Amulet. It's an amulet fordged by Hepheastus that allows him to move during the day and sleep at night."

He looked at his friend, "Xena, this is a family place. Gargoyles go after children. I can't have him here."

She nodded, "Normally, you're right. But Brooklyn is our friend. He needs a place to sleep and I was hoping he could stay in the garden. People would just think he's a regular statue."

Rufus smiled, "Seeing as he's a friend of yours Xena, I'll allow it."

Brooklyn grinned, "Thank you." In his mind though, he thought (What do gargoyles have to do with children?) He'd ask about it now, but the problem is the moon was about to rise. He needed to get going. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

He turned around and headed out the door.

"You're letting a gargoyle hang around with you, Xena?" Rufus asked.

She nodded, "I know I usually don't socialize with gargoyles, but Brooklyn's different."

Gabrielle agreed, "He's a good friend to have. But, we were wondering if you heard anything about a recent slave auction."

He asked, "You two interested in buying a slave?"

TBC