"Xander," Faith whispered.
She was shocked at his appearance. She'd expected a monster, not the Vampire Xander had become. He looked like the same Xander she knew. It was his eyes that had changed. They were now a deep violet. When he smiled she saw the teeth that marked him as one of them. How could she fight him? How could she kill him? She knew he was a vampire and a monster and to blame for all the destruction around them, but he looked so innocent and so like the boy she knew. She watched as he walked up behind Mara, as she now called herself and wrapped his arms around her. She had to hold Culromen back. She could feel the anger surging through the Elf and knew it was killing him that his sister was no more. That she was now a demon and also responsible for the death around them. The death throughout all of Middle Earth.
"Its not your sister," she whispered to the Elf.
"But...?"
"She is dead. Thats just some monster, some evil creature wearing her face. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can kill it."
Culromen looked helplessly at his sister. He could still he as the child she had been. So sweet and innocent. She had had so much to live for. She'd always been the one bright spot in his life before his Vorhrivëwen. Now he was torn. How could he kill her?
Faith watched as Xander licked Mara's neck. She heard the sharp intake of breath from Culromen. It was almost as if they were flaunting themselves in front of the two, trying for any kind of reaction. Culromen held back as best he could under the circumstances. She knew he wanted nothing more than to kill Xander for what he had done to his sister.
Faith looked nervously around. The other Vampires seemed to be in some sort of holding pattern around them. She knew it would only take one word from Xander to make them attack. But she also knew Xander well enough to know that he would want to do the job himself. Their past history more than told her that, as did the look in those violet eyes of his. He still lusted after her. She recognised the signs well. Living with her mother and her various assortment of 'boyfriends' had taught her that well. Only, she wasn't her mother. Her mother was an Elf. This was going to take some getting used to.
"What do you reckon Faith?" Xander smiled. "Wanna see if you can take me?"
"Bring it on X," she said as she let go of Culromen's arm and reached for her stake.
Xander moved away from Mara and slowly walked towards the dark Slayer. His smile grew as he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He knew she was doubting her ability to slay him. After all, they had sort of been friends. Ok, she'd tried to kill him several times, but she'd never actually succeeded. Now it was his turn to kill her. He'd heard the blood of a Slayer was the most powerful thing a Vampire could experience. It was time to see if the stories he'd heard were true. He felt nothing but contempt for Faith now. Whatever feelings human Xander had had for her were long gone. Now she was just another meal, but a meal with a difference. She'd fight back. Well he was beginning to like building up an appetite before he ate. Made it all the more enjoyable. He circled her, watching her every movement as she also sized him up.
Faith knew he would be one of her hardest kills. Not only because of the relationship they had had, but because he was the first Vampire ever. That fact alone made her nervous.
He struck first, knocking her to the ground, but she didn't stay down for long. She quickly jumped up and returned the blow. It seemed to have little effect on him. He laughed. That only made her angrier. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him back a few paces.
"No Mara," he yelled as she stepped forward, longing to join the fight. "This one is mine. When she's out of the way, he can be all yours."
Mara smiled as she looked at the one who had once been her brother. Vampires did retain certain memories of who or what they had been before after all, and Mara retained all the resentment she had held for Culromen. Killing him was going to be fun.
Faith took advantage of Mara's distraction of Xander. She punched him hard, knocking him down.
"You bitch," he spat as he stood up only to be knocked down again.
"Aww hunny," she purred. "Say it and mean it."
"Oh I meant it," Xander replied as he stood back up and lashed out at her.
His fist connected with her jaw sending her flying into Culromen.
"Let me help you," he pleaded.
"No, he's mine."
Faith got back up and pushed Culromen away. She quickly threw punch after punch at Xander, but they only made him laugh.
"Some Slayer you are," he taunted.
That just made her angrier. She lashed out, hitting him over and over. He only laughed harder. She felt her body betraying her. She was tiring fast whereas Xander had hardly expended any energy at all. She grasped her stake tight and made her move. But Xander was ready for her. He knocked it from her hand and pinned her arms at her side. Slowly he licked her neck causing her to moan at first before she remembered what was happening. Culromen could only watch helplessly as Faith's struggles weakened. He raced forward to help only to be grabbed and held back by two of Xander's newest Vampires.
"You'll like this Elf," Xander chuckled as he watched Culromen's futile efforts to free himself.
"Let her go," Culromen yelled, but it was in vain.
Xander just laughed and turned his attention back to Faith. He dragged his tongue slowly across her ear. She felt its coldness and shivered.
"We could have been so good together," he softly whispered in her ear. "You and me and the world as our plaything. But you had to get your conscience back and ruin it all. In the end Faith my love, you are always only second best."
"Go to hell," she spat.
"In time," Xander whispered. "All in good time. Be sure to save me a seat."
Culromen watched in horror as Xander threw back his head then bit those evil teeth deep down into Faith's helpless neck. He watched the girl struggle to free herself but it was useless. Her moans slowly growing weaker as Xander drained the life from her veins. Then the light left her eyes and Culromen knew she was dead.
"Well that was most enjoyable," Xander growled as he dropped Faith's lifeless body.
He nodded and the vampires holding Culromen let him go. He ran to Faith's body and cradled it in his arms.
"My. Whatever would dear sweet Vorhrivëwen say about this touching scene?" Mara giggled.
Culromen looked up the demon wearing his sister's face and for once saw it for what it trully was. It was a creature that meant nothing to him. He could kill it. Gently he laid Faith down and ran at Mara.
"Come on brother," she chuckled. "Show me what you have got."
A flash of light blinded him and caused several of the Vampires to burst into flames. When it cleared, Galadriel was kneeling beside Faith's body, tears streaming down her cheeks. She whispered softly to her, her hands brushing the hair away from her face. When she stood, her eyes glowed with fury. She pointed her finger out towards Xander, words flying from her lips. An aura of light grew up around him, hiding him from the eyes of the others. Galadriel slowly spun around, her finger shooting fire out at the remaining Vampires. They screamed as they too burst into flames and then dust. Soon only Mara remained.
"Out of respect for your family I will not harm you," Galadriel said. "You will be dealt with when the time is right. Until then, you will be gone from here."
Mara screamed as an orb of light sprung up around her and before Culromen could move, she was gone.
Slowly the aura around Xander dissipated. He fell to the ground and lay motionless for several minutes.
"What happened?" he asked as he slowly sat up.
He looked around and saw Faith lying dead not far from him.
"Oh god," he groaned. "Not Faith."
Culromen and Galadriel watched as he crawled over to her and took her body in his arms.
"Who did this to her?" he sobbed.
"You did monster," Culromen spat.
Xander turned his tearful eyes to the Elf who stood looking at him with nothing but hatred and contempt in his eyes.
"I did?" Xander whispered.
Galadriel slowly walked back to where her daughter lay dead. She looked down at the sobbing Vampire.
"You took my daughter from me," she said slowly. "But I have given you something. I have given you back the one thing that will keep you in torment for as long as you plague this world with your existance. I have given you back...your soul. No loopholes, no strings attached. Now you will suffer as I suffer, as we all suffer."
She was shocked at his appearance. She'd expected a monster, not the Vampire Xander had become. He looked like the same Xander she knew. It was his eyes that had changed. They were now a deep violet. When he smiled she saw the teeth that marked him as one of them. How could she fight him? How could she kill him? She knew he was a vampire and a monster and to blame for all the destruction around them, but he looked so innocent and so like the boy she knew. She watched as he walked up behind Mara, as she now called herself and wrapped his arms around her. She had to hold Culromen back. She could feel the anger surging through the Elf and knew it was killing him that his sister was no more. That she was now a demon and also responsible for the death around them. The death throughout all of Middle Earth.
"Its not your sister," she whispered to the Elf.
"But...?"
"She is dead. Thats just some monster, some evil creature wearing her face. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can kill it."
Culromen looked helplessly at his sister. He could still he as the child she had been. So sweet and innocent. She had had so much to live for. She'd always been the one bright spot in his life before his Vorhrivëwen. Now he was torn. How could he kill her?
Faith watched as Xander licked Mara's neck. She heard the sharp intake of breath from Culromen. It was almost as if they were flaunting themselves in front of the two, trying for any kind of reaction. Culromen held back as best he could under the circumstances. She knew he wanted nothing more than to kill Xander for what he had done to his sister.
Faith looked nervously around. The other Vampires seemed to be in some sort of holding pattern around them. She knew it would only take one word from Xander to make them attack. But she also knew Xander well enough to know that he would want to do the job himself. Their past history more than told her that, as did the look in those violet eyes of his. He still lusted after her. She recognised the signs well. Living with her mother and her various assortment of 'boyfriends' had taught her that well. Only, she wasn't her mother. Her mother was an Elf. This was going to take some getting used to.
"What do you reckon Faith?" Xander smiled. "Wanna see if you can take me?"
"Bring it on X," she said as she let go of Culromen's arm and reached for her stake.
Xander moved away from Mara and slowly walked towards the dark Slayer. His smile grew as he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He knew she was doubting her ability to slay him. After all, they had sort of been friends. Ok, she'd tried to kill him several times, but she'd never actually succeeded. Now it was his turn to kill her. He'd heard the blood of a Slayer was the most powerful thing a Vampire could experience. It was time to see if the stories he'd heard were true. He felt nothing but contempt for Faith now. Whatever feelings human Xander had had for her were long gone. Now she was just another meal, but a meal with a difference. She'd fight back. Well he was beginning to like building up an appetite before he ate. Made it all the more enjoyable. He circled her, watching her every movement as she also sized him up.
Faith knew he would be one of her hardest kills. Not only because of the relationship they had had, but because he was the first Vampire ever. That fact alone made her nervous.
He struck first, knocking her to the ground, but she didn't stay down for long. She quickly jumped up and returned the blow. It seemed to have little effect on him. He laughed. That only made her angrier. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him back a few paces.
"No Mara," he yelled as she stepped forward, longing to join the fight. "This one is mine. When she's out of the way, he can be all yours."
Mara smiled as she looked at the one who had once been her brother. Vampires did retain certain memories of who or what they had been before after all, and Mara retained all the resentment she had held for Culromen. Killing him was going to be fun.
Faith took advantage of Mara's distraction of Xander. She punched him hard, knocking him down.
"You bitch," he spat as he stood up only to be knocked down again.
"Aww hunny," she purred. "Say it and mean it."
"Oh I meant it," Xander replied as he stood back up and lashed out at her.
His fist connected with her jaw sending her flying into Culromen.
"Let me help you," he pleaded.
"No, he's mine."
Faith got back up and pushed Culromen away. She quickly threw punch after punch at Xander, but they only made him laugh.
"Some Slayer you are," he taunted.
That just made her angrier. She lashed out, hitting him over and over. He only laughed harder. She felt her body betraying her. She was tiring fast whereas Xander had hardly expended any energy at all. She grasped her stake tight and made her move. But Xander was ready for her. He knocked it from her hand and pinned her arms at her side. Slowly he licked her neck causing her to moan at first before she remembered what was happening. Culromen could only watch helplessly as Faith's struggles weakened. He raced forward to help only to be grabbed and held back by two of Xander's newest Vampires.
"You'll like this Elf," Xander chuckled as he watched Culromen's futile efforts to free himself.
"Let her go," Culromen yelled, but it was in vain.
Xander just laughed and turned his attention back to Faith. He dragged his tongue slowly across her ear. She felt its coldness and shivered.
"We could have been so good together," he softly whispered in her ear. "You and me and the world as our plaything. But you had to get your conscience back and ruin it all. In the end Faith my love, you are always only second best."
"Go to hell," she spat.
"In time," Xander whispered. "All in good time. Be sure to save me a seat."
Culromen watched in horror as Xander threw back his head then bit those evil teeth deep down into Faith's helpless neck. He watched the girl struggle to free herself but it was useless. Her moans slowly growing weaker as Xander drained the life from her veins. Then the light left her eyes and Culromen knew she was dead.
"Well that was most enjoyable," Xander growled as he dropped Faith's lifeless body.
He nodded and the vampires holding Culromen let him go. He ran to Faith's body and cradled it in his arms.
"My. Whatever would dear sweet Vorhrivëwen say about this touching scene?" Mara giggled.
Culromen looked up the demon wearing his sister's face and for once saw it for what it trully was. It was a creature that meant nothing to him. He could kill it. Gently he laid Faith down and ran at Mara.
"Come on brother," she chuckled. "Show me what you have got."
A flash of light blinded him and caused several of the Vampires to burst into flames. When it cleared, Galadriel was kneeling beside Faith's body, tears streaming down her cheeks. She whispered softly to her, her hands brushing the hair away from her face. When she stood, her eyes glowed with fury. She pointed her finger out towards Xander, words flying from her lips. An aura of light grew up around him, hiding him from the eyes of the others. Galadriel slowly spun around, her finger shooting fire out at the remaining Vampires. They screamed as they too burst into flames and then dust. Soon only Mara remained.
"Out of respect for your family I will not harm you," Galadriel said. "You will be dealt with when the time is right. Until then, you will be gone from here."
Mara screamed as an orb of light sprung up around her and before Culromen could move, she was gone.
Slowly the aura around Xander dissipated. He fell to the ground and lay motionless for several minutes.
"What happened?" he asked as he slowly sat up.
He looked around and saw Faith lying dead not far from him.
"Oh god," he groaned. "Not Faith."
Culromen and Galadriel watched as he crawled over to her and took her body in his arms.
"Who did this to her?" he sobbed.
"You did monster," Culromen spat.
Xander turned his tearful eyes to the Elf who stood looking at him with nothing but hatred and contempt in his eyes.
"I did?" Xander whispered.
Galadriel slowly walked back to where her daughter lay dead. She looked down at the sobbing Vampire.
"You took my daughter from me," she said slowly. "But I have given you something. I have given you back the one thing that will keep you in torment for as long as you plague this world with your existance. I have given you back...your soul. No loopholes, no strings attached. Now you will suffer as I suffer, as we all suffer."