TITLE:
THE QUESTING 8
AUTHOR:
STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL:
sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK:
Sure.
DISTRIBUTION:
Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER:
All characters belong to Joss! He created everything! Set in season 6.Xander cannot stop blaming himself for Buffy's
death and has a death wish of his own. Return OF ANUBUS. Buffy
held out her hand to Xander/Alex and she scowled when he placed his arm around
Dawns shoulders." I like it here. You think you're this other world Slayer
then by all means leave." He looked into Dawns eyes and smiled." Me
I'm as happy as Larry just being here." Dawn asked him. " Alex do it
for me please? Just so we can show them and get on with our lives."
Alex/Xander shrugged and stood up." I don't give a damn but if it's what
my Dawn wants then." He held his hand out to Buffy." Lets go." Buffy held her hand out to him and as the
two palms drew together they all saw jagged bolts of energy spark between the
two. Xander's hand gripped Buffy's and they moved together as a blue glow
surrounded them." Buffy its really you?" He brushed a hand across
Buffy's face and Dawn blushed." Remind me to keep our Buffy far away from
Alex!"
She
grins." Are you ready to go home now Xander?" Xander turns to the
others." No offence but I can't wait to get back. I didn't like school the
first time I did it!" Buffy threads her arm through Xander's and holds him
tight." You're not getting away from me again Harris." She tapped the
watch four times and the room dissolved around them and she had this horrible
sensation of a third being in the fold with them until a room shimmered into
existence around them. Buffy looks at the room and can't remember anything
about it." Xander does this... Oh my God!" As she turned she noticed
two things .The first was Xander was still a sixteen-year-old boy and the
second thing was he had his body pushed against the door and looked in fear
behind Buffy. She turned and saw a porthole window was open admitting the smell
of the sea." We're on a boat?" Xander kept trying to get as far away from
the scent as he could. His eyes were white with fear." THE SEA! Get it
away from me!" Buffy walked up to him." Xander what's the matter with
you? You've been to the sea before." The door swinging open forced Xander
into Buffy's arms and she felt a strange tingle pass through her. His eyes
changed and his voice deep end." Get me away from this place NOW!" He
grabbed her hand and touched the watch face but nothing happened. Buffy tried
to force him away from her but she found her Slayer strength had abandoned her. Just then the occupants
of the cabin came all the way in and a young girl demanded of them. "
What's going on her? And just who the hell are you?" A much older man
moved her to one side and spoke in a refined English accent." My name is
Joseph Merrick and I demand you depart these quarters at once before I call the
purser!" The girl looked at Xander and whispered to Merrick." I sense
a great evil in the boy Master Merrick!" She moved between Merrick and the
travellers before telling Xander." Leave the lady alone strange one before
I force you to!" Xander grinned evilly as the creature began stripping his
mind in search of anything that would help him. Suddenly it came across
fragments of Hyena spirit and amplified these. Then it found several life times
worth of warrior memories and stored them for later use. Xander threw Buffy over to the girl child and
bared his teeth." I am known by many names my child. Before I was banished
from this world my name was feared by all who knew it." He stalked towards
her." Anubus Lord and master of the underworld! Destroyer of worlds since
time began! I will tare your soul apart...Slayer of this generation!"
Buffy stared at the girl and Merrick reached inside his coat pocket and threw
the contents of a bottle over Xander. The noise he made was like finger nails
down a chalkboard to their ears as he ran from the room slamming the door
behind him. Merrick quickly locked and barred the door
then turned on Buffy." Who are you?" Buffy hesitated then remembered
the man's last name." Merrick? I once had a watcher by that name." He
scoffed at her." I'm sorry my dear you'll have to do better than that
young lady! I am the only Merrick to have made it through Watcher training and
I certainly never trained you!" Buffy decides to tell them
everything." Not now but in 1991 my watcher came to me while I was at
Hemery high in Los Angeles..." She saw the way they looked at her."
What? Do I have something in my teeth?" The girl glared at her." 1991
you say? and Los Angeles.. In America?" Merrick raised his eyes at
her." You see my dear this is what we have to look forward to when we
arrive in New York. These people are notorious flim flamers. I doubt whether
they can lye straight in bed!" Buffy grabbed Merrick by his collar
and tried to lift him but couldn't" I don't know what's wrong with me but
I have to get this Anussbus out of Xander so we can return home to our
world." She told them all of what had happened. Merrick looked at
Roseanne, his Slayer, as she asked him." Anyanka? Have you ever heard of
this demon?" Merrick nods and tells them." Yes and this would be her
style. She was renowned for doing just this." He turned to Buffy." If
your friend is indeed possessed by Anubus then we have a hard job in front of
us." He thinks for a minute then asked Roseanne." Wasn't there an
Egyptologist on board?" " Yes we met him at the Captain's table last night when he
doubted we would regain the flag for the fastest crossing to New York."
Buffy looks for something to write all the information down on and she found it
in a writing cabinet. She looked for a biro and came across an ink well."
Giles has one of these antiques as well." She smiles at the memory of him
then her smile freezes as she reads the letterhead on the writing paper. She
turns to the others and begs." Please tell me we're on Cameron's mock
up!" In her hand was a sheet, the header read. With Compliments of the Blue
Star lines flagship the R.M.S. TITANIC. She saw the look of confusion as Merrick
asked." Cameron? Have the bloody yanks copied this ship as well?"
Buffy slumped in to a seat exclaiming." Oh Boy!" END OF 8