For Him
pt 8
Dont own BTVS
AN. Okay I am not gonna write for every episode, just the ones I feel are important and when I want to include something. Other than that same old, same old.
"Whats wrong with Xander?" Buffy asked curiously, leaning over the busses seat to talk to her friend.
"Oh ah He's umm just a bit steamed.... you know, about what Kyle and his buds were doing to Lance" Willow gave Xander a nudge in the ribs, trying to get him to take up the conversation. Unfortunately he just turned and looked at her blankly.
Buffy was kinda oblivious.
"Well dont let it get you down Xan..." She gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder, "I'm sure you beat the crap out of them for it" Xander just turned and stared at her blankly. Willow lent over and almost silently whispered in his ear.
"Smirk and nod" Xander did as he was told, unfortunately he had yet to stop smirking and nodding after a few minutes. Buffy was giving him a rather queer look.
"Stop that" he did. Unfortunately he stopped everything and after a few minutes started to turn purple.
"Breath you idiot!"
"Okaay, and the weird award goes to..." Xander's behavior, while it being far from his fault, was really starting to get on Willows nerves, so it was with what seemed like no falsehood that she was able to tell Buffy..
"Dont worry, he's just doing it to annoy us. He's petty like that sometimes" She gave him a glare that would have set him alight if she had that gift.
"I always thought he was bigger than that... Oh well thats men for ya" Buffy stated, completely ignoring the fact that Xander was sitting right in front of her.
"Tell me about it, I mean come on the least they could do...." Willow began to lead Buffy off topic, letting Xander sit in his silence, staring out the window dumbly, silently gaining the nickname of window licker.
*******
Crytex watched silently, laughing on the inside as she heard a couple of the funnier comments being said about Xanders strange behavior. They were lucky Xander was like he was, he'd rip them a new one if he was around right know.
* Look what I found * Glyndaf stated rather smugly appearing next to Crytex. She glanced up to see what he was holding. It was a small brazen collar, sharp spikes around the outside, it's small latch undone. Glyndaf was smugly spinning it around his finger.
* You know those are useless without......Oh * Crytex had to stop when Glyndaf held up the crystal she was just about to mention.
* It's amazing what you can find floating around the Hellmouth * Glyndaf stated smugly.
* Are you sure Xanders up to it. He'll still have to fight it off *
* Dont worry I have full confidence in him, and if by some chance he doesn't manage to beat it back, than he's not really worth it, is he? *
* He wont be happy if you lose him, neither will Willow *
* He wouldn't be happy if we let a chance like this slip through our fingers, and Willow cant do anything about it *
* She can refuse to complete the spell *
* Thats why we wont be telling her about the spells risks will we?.......Will we? *
* Are you sure this is what Xander would have wanted? *
* You haven't been linked to him, haven't been around him long enough. You have no idea the way he craves power, the chances he is willing to take. We can thank his father for that. * Glyndaf explained * The only reason he hasn't been out there every night, with OR without the slayer, hunting the infected is her * Glyndaf nodded in Willows direction * If he didn't think how much it would hurt her if he failed, how much she needs him, how much it would affect her. He'd be out there *
* Dont worry, soon she will feel it and they may both go hunting *
* But until then, we do what we can *
Both paused in their conversation, and stared up at their two charges.
* They have great potential, dont they? * Crytex's question was more of a statement.
* Yes, and when they finish their training..... *
* IF they can survive their training * Crytex cut him off
* They will be unstoppable *
*******
By the time they reached her front door, Willow was probably only three hours away from having her own, personally programmed Xander bot. Of course her throat was rather sore due to the immeasurable amount of "IF, THEN, ELSE" and "CASEWHERE" statements she had been feeding him. But thanks to such statements he would survive the rest of the day.... His breathing on a repetitive 'In Out' loop, waste disposal and danger recognition was up and running.
Xander walked into her front door with a loud thump.
Ofcourse there were still a few bugs to be worked out.
She unlocked her front door and got Xander to follow her into the kitchen.
"Get the juice from the fridge and place it on the kitchen bench" she ordered as she herself went to the cupboard an retrieved three cups. She took the juice from the counter as Xander stood there, looking on like an idiot as Willow filled the three cups and than drunk hers. She stood there a moment, leaning against the bench top, glass held lazily in her hand as she just stared at the cups. Emotion filled her face so she didn't look like the idiot Xander was doing such a good impression of.
She suddenly looked up at Xander, a sparkle in her eye's.
"Oh this is too good an opportunity to pass up"
What followed was several rolls of film containing enough blackmail to cover the rest of Xanders life. Photo's of Xander in compromising dress(es), positions, poses and quite a few written documents with his signature on them, Oh and one blank check.
Willow didn't realize it, but she was acting out a living memory to her lost friend.
*******
* I'll tell him you know * Glyndaf told Willow. They were currently in her bedroom preparing for the spell that would save Xander.
"That's okay, I still have a few hiding spots Xander doesn't know about"
Glyndaf gave a knowing grin.
* Are you quite sure about that? * His grin faltered when Willow smiled back with a grin the equal of his own.
"Quite"
She looked back to what she was doing, lighting a few candles in specific places. Xander was sitting in the middle of an intricate pattern made in colored sand on the floor. The Collar and crystal were currently sitting in a plate of blood. Blood courtesy of the defrosting steaks in the sink.
Willow picked up the spell she had written down ten minutes ago. Basic animal depossesion spell Crytex had said. She had handily sounded the words out rather than spelled them, easier to know which way to pronounce them that way. She started to sound the words out in her head, trying to get the first few lines memorized.
"Alright, I think it's ready" she let out a heavy sigh "Here we go"
She reached over and grasped the collar, than held it over a circle of fat red candles.
"Buoondasa macaar lanorn" Her stomach did a little flip as she felt the spell start to work, the candle flames started to get brighter.
"Carlond oombasa olorn" She glanced down quickly at the spell, to get the next couple of words right in her head. The candle flames were white now.
Willow lent over and grasped the crystal.
"Cundow talgak semeer" she placed the crystal into a little recess in the collar. The flames from the candles were floating about a foot above their candles. Shining brightly like little bright white magnesium flares.
"Praduk nook raadak nulk nakaine!" even one as inexperienced as Willow with magic could feel the pull. As soon as she uttered the last word, the crystal created a magic vortex, albeit small, but still dangerous. Sucking swirling pulling all magic towards it. The flames dancing around her flew straight into it, and Willow could feel it pulling at her. She felt like she was being plucked at from every direction. It was pulling at her soul. Unraveling 'her'.
* Willow! Put it around Xanders neck NOW! * Willow didn't need prompting twice. She reached over and clasped the collar around his neck. She watched in brief amazement as the catch fastened itself than disappeared, smoothing over to become indistinguishable from the rest of the collar. Suddenly the sucking stopped. The vortex was gone?
* No, it is now stopped by our earlier spell * Crytex explained, doing the whole creepy reading her mind thing.
"What was that? It felt like it was pulling my soul into it" Willow rubbed her chest, just above her heart.
* That is the vortex thats gonna trap the animals spirit in the crystal *
"But what about the collar? How we gonna get it off Xander?" Willow questioned in a light voice. She was starting to feel very tired.
* We'll tell you after you've rested. You did very well today Willow, He's very impressed, You'll probably earn an increase in power after that. A small one but you'll feel it. Now lie down in bed and rest * Crytex told her in a proud, kind voice.
"What about *Yawn* Xander?" she asked collapsing into bed.
* We'll stick him in the guest room * Answered Glyndaf, knowing no one would care if Xander crashed there for a night.
"Kay, night" She was asleep in seconds.
Crytex and Glyndaf stared at each other than down at a blank Xander.
* How the heck are we gonna manage this? *
*******
Willow awoke with a yawn, eye's fluttering open. She stretched and sat up in bed and scratched her head. She looked around....something looked different to her. She couldn't pick what it was though it was subtle.
"Crytex? Why does my room look different ?"
* You just aint use to waking up at lunchtime on a school day *
"Ohhh nooo"
* It's just one day, it wont hurt *
"That's not the point. I was going for perfect attendance. And yes I know how nerdy that sounded"
* Oh well, at least we can finish the spell on Xander. You'll probably have time to meet Buffy at the end of school too *
"Yeah I guess. And I can finish all that extra credit stuff as well. Did my parents say anything?" questioned Willow.
* They thought you'd just left early *
"Oh....alright. I'll just clean up and we can finish up Xanders spell" There was no hiding the note of disappointment in her voice and for once, Crytex couldn't think of anything to say. She just gave Willow a supportive smile as the girl went off to shower.
"So how are we gonna get that collar off Xander once the spells done?" Willow called through her bathroom door.
* Well we dont really. Well at least Xander wont want to *
"Huh?"
* The spell we cast trapped the beast in that collar. Giving Xander control again. But as long as he wears the collar, the beasts magic, it's spirit, is under his control. It will help him. Strengthen him, increase his senses. That sought of thing. Though the help is a shell of a thing *
"Well I can see why Xander may want to keep it on, but whats the shell thing about?" Crytex could hear the shower turned on.
* Well, once this beasts magic strengthens him, he wont grow any stronger. Well not till he actually reaches that point in strength himself. Put it this way. Xanders strength and speed and all that is.... water in a tube. His peak, a float at the top of that water. As Xander gets stronger the water rises and so his peak rises as well. But what the collar will do is raise the float, raise his peak mark off the water to maybe a foot higher. He will eventually get stronger but not until the water below the float rises to meet it. Without the collar, his peak will go down to what ever his natural strength is at the time. *
"Oh OK" she heard Willow shout over the sound of the water. Crytex left her to her shower.
*******
"Ok this is it." Willow let go of her anti-magic spell, mentally cutting the magic strings that supported it.
The effect was immediate. Xander groaned and arched his back off the bed he was lying on. Willow could literally see the sweat bead on him. His breaths came in desperate snatches and she could see his neck muscles go taught as he tensed up.
"Whats happening?" Willow was frantic. This wasn't supposed to happen.
* Xander has to fight the beast off. The spell can't to do all of it. He has to finish it *
*******
Xander felt life snap back into his body.
'Damn that was freaky' he thought just before he felt the beast assault his mind.
Xander tensed instantly, throwing up mental walls around his consciousness. The beast smashed through his first walls easily and Xander felt himself giving ground. He threw up tougher, larger walls, and they slowed the beast down but didn't stop it. His moment of laxness when reawakening had cost him. He was constantly on the back foot. He felt himself being bullied out of his consciousness. Further and further down, and suddenly everything was a swirling sucking vortex. Sucking him back quicker. He grasped for anything that could halt the beast. Memories flashed through his mind. But they held no help. Xander knew he was losing. Soon it would be all over. Resignation. No life. No Willow. No Glyndaf. No Him.
Black anger flooded through him. This thing was gonna deprive him of all those things. He'd be damned if he let it finish him off without him at least causing a little heart burn. He abandoned all attempts at defense and felt himself start sliding all the quicker. He felt where ever he was going approaching and knew the end was near. He built up his mental strength, which he still didn't get how he did. It was like gathering something to himself. He felt it build up, higher and higher. It'd never been this easy before. The hyena spirit broke through his last wall, and he just released it all at once. He didn't even bother to form it.
It was at this point in time that the age old saying 'The best type of defense is a good offence' came into play.
The Hyena, hunter by nature wasn't used to being whacked around. Xanders attack sent it sprawling. Xander surged forward, surprised by his success. The pulling stopped and he found solid purchase in his consciousness. He quickly threw up some walls which he knew would hold, and began to expel the other mind once again. Slowly moving forward. First inching, then by feet than metres (All mental frames of reference ofcourse). He felt it start to back away easier, and easier. He realized that it was know caught in the vortex. He felt it fling one last desperate attack at his wall. Hoping to catch Xander the way he did it. And then it was gone. All of it. Xander couldn't feel the magic around him anymore.
He relaxed and sighed in relief before opening eye's he hadn't realized he'd closed.
*******
Willow watched Xander thrash around, from his initial arch off the bed he had rolled onto the floor, knocked the bed from place and pushed over a small cabinet. But he seemed to be calming down. He was thrashing and twitching less now.
She bent down to steady him. Xanders eye's began to glow a dull yellow.
"No..NO!" Suddenly his eye's slammed shut again and he thrashed about again, harder then the first time. He knocked Willow sprawling, her head hitting the wall. She lay there dazed for a moment, before looking at Xander as he seemed to have a fit.
"No...." tears were in her eye's.
The fit was slowly winding down but Willow wasn't going near him again. Not after what had just happened. She curled up against the wall and gripped her throbbing head. She had failed. Her best friend was possessed by an animal. She lost another friend. Tears began to stream down her face, she couldn't take it. She was all alone, and that thing in her friends body was going to waking up. She began to shake, deathly afraid.
Slowly the crystal in the collar began to glow yellow, it stayed like that for a few moments until it suddenly flashed. The white crystal was now a golden yellow. And Xander was stilled.
Slowly, she saw him begin to relax. He laid himself out flat, arms sprawled out around him. He let out a breath he had been holding in a loud sigh and his eye's fluttered open. His normal brown eye's with black and red circles.
His head lolled to one side tiredly and he stared right at Willow, a worry creased his face as he noticed she was curled up against the wall, head in hands.
He tiredly rolled onto his side and crawled over to her. He reached out a hand to touch her on the shoulder, but she flinched away.
"Please dont hurt me" she pitifully spoke from behind her upraised arms.
"Will? Whats wrong? It's me!" Xander spoke softly, trying to reassure her. She hopefully peaked out from behind her arms. Before shaking her head. She'd seen his eye's glow yellow. It wasn't him. She flinched back as he raised his hand again.
* It's him Willow, I can feel him * Spoke Glyndaf, frowning slightly at Willows weakness.
Willow looked at him hopefully, before looking at Xander again. His hand was slowly descending upon hers. She let it touch this time.
*******
Xander didn't know what to do. His friend was terrified of him. And to think he'd almost given up. Let that beast win. With his friend sitting there curled up. He hated himself for his weakness. He'd make it up to her. He'd show her it was him. Show her everything.
He reached out towards her and this time she didn't flinch back. He gently laid his hand on hers, and he linked his mind with hers. It was a form of mental attack, the linking, something Glyndaf had taught him, but he instead of attacking her psyche, he flowed into her mind and touched their thoughts. He felt her instant awareness, and gently he stumbled through sending his thoughts to her.
~ It's me Will. It really is. ~ And he opened himself to her. Let her see everything that he is. Let her know everything he felt, how he felt... about her, himself.
*******
Willow gasped as she felt Xander open himself up to her. And she knew him intimately. She felt the complete sorrow he had for letting her feel like she was, the deep hatred he had for his moment of weakness, but most of all she felt the love he had for her, and only her. He was laying his deepest darkest secrets out for her, to see if she wanted. He gave his trust to her completely.
She sensed the complete happiness he emitted when she flung her arms around him, and cried her happiness into his shoulder.
There were no two closer people on earth at that moment.
*******
pt 8
Dont own BTVS
AN. Okay I am not gonna write for every episode, just the ones I feel are important and when I want to include something. Other than that same old, same old.
"Whats wrong with Xander?" Buffy asked curiously, leaning over the busses seat to talk to her friend.
"Oh ah He's umm just a bit steamed.... you know, about what Kyle and his buds were doing to Lance" Willow gave Xander a nudge in the ribs, trying to get him to take up the conversation. Unfortunately he just turned and looked at her blankly.
Buffy was kinda oblivious.
"Well dont let it get you down Xan..." She gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder, "I'm sure you beat the crap out of them for it" Xander just turned and stared at her blankly. Willow lent over and almost silently whispered in his ear.
"Smirk and nod" Xander did as he was told, unfortunately he had yet to stop smirking and nodding after a few minutes. Buffy was giving him a rather queer look.
"Stop that" he did. Unfortunately he stopped everything and after a few minutes started to turn purple.
"Breath you idiot!"
"Okaay, and the weird award goes to..." Xander's behavior, while it being far from his fault, was really starting to get on Willows nerves, so it was with what seemed like no falsehood that she was able to tell Buffy..
"Dont worry, he's just doing it to annoy us. He's petty like that sometimes" She gave him a glare that would have set him alight if she had that gift.
"I always thought he was bigger than that... Oh well thats men for ya" Buffy stated, completely ignoring the fact that Xander was sitting right in front of her.
"Tell me about it, I mean come on the least they could do...." Willow began to lead Buffy off topic, letting Xander sit in his silence, staring out the window dumbly, silently gaining the nickname of window licker.
*******
Crytex watched silently, laughing on the inside as she heard a couple of the funnier comments being said about Xanders strange behavior. They were lucky Xander was like he was, he'd rip them a new one if he was around right know.
* Look what I found * Glyndaf stated rather smugly appearing next to Crytex. She glanced up to see what he was holding. It was a small brazen collar, sharp spikes around the outside, it's small latch undone. Glyndaf was smugly spinning it around his finger.
* You know those are useless without......Oh * Crytex had to stop when Glyndaf held up the crystal she was just about to mention.
* It's amazing what you can find floating around the Hellmouth * Glyndaf stated smugly.
* Are you sure Xanders up to it. He'll still have to fight it off *
* Dont worry I have full confidence in him, and if by some chance he doesn't manage to beat it back, than he's not really worth it, is he? *
* He wont be happy if you lose him, neither will Willow *
* He wouldn't be happy if we let a chance like this slip through our fingers, and Willow cant do anything about it *
* She can refuse to complete the spell *
* Thats why we wont be telling her about the spells risks will we?.......Will we? *
* Are you sure this is what Xander would have wanted? *
* You haven't been linked to him, haven't been around him long enough. You have no idea the way he craves power, the chances he is willing to take. We can thank his father for that. * Glyndaf explained * The only reason he hasn't been out there every night, with OR without the slayer, hunting the infected is her * Glyndaf nodded in Willows direction * If he didn't think how much it would hurt her if he failed, how much she needs him, how much it would affect her. He'd be out there *
* Dont worry, soon she will feel it and they may both go hunting *
* But until then, we do what we can *
Both paused in their conversation, and stared up at their two charges.
* They have great potential, dont they? * Crytex's question was more of a statement.
* Yes, and when they finish their training..... *
* IF they can survive their training * Crytex cut him off
* They will be unstoppable *
*******
By the time they reached her front door, Willow was probably only three hours away from having her own, personally programmed Xander bot. Of course her throat was rather sore due to the immeasurable amount of "IF, THEN, ELSE" and "CASEWHERE" statements she had been feeding him. But thanks to such statements he would survive the rest of the day.... His breathing on a repetitive 'In Out' loop, waste disposal and danger recognition was up and running.
Xander walked into her front door with a loud thump.
Ofcourse there were still a few bugs to be worked out.
She unlocked her front door and got Xander to follow her into the kitchen.
"Get the juice from the fridge and place it on the kitchen bench" she ordered as she herself went to the cupboard an retrieved three cups. She took the juice from the counter as Xander stood there, looking on like an idiot as Willow filled the three cups and than drunk hers. She stood there a moment, leaning against the bench top, glass held lazily in her hand as she just stared at the cups. Emotion filled her face so she didn't look like the idiot Xander was doing such a good impression of.
She suddenly looked up at Xander, a sparkle in her eye's.
"Oh this is too good an opportunity to pass up"
What followed was several rolls of film containing enough blackmail to cover the rest of Xanders life. Photo's of Xander in compromising dress(es), positions, poses and quite a few written documents with his signature on them, Oh and one blank check.
Willow didn't realize it, but she was acting out a living memory to her lost friend.
*******
* I'll tell him you know * Glyndaf told Willow. They were currently in her bedroom preparing for the spell that would save Xander.
"That's okay, I still have a few hiding spots Xander doesn't know about"
Glyndaf gave a knowing grin.
* Are you quite sure about that? * His grin faltered when Willow smiled back with a grin the equal of his own.
"Quite"
She looked back to what she was doing, lighting a few candles in specific places. Xander was sitting in the middle of an intricate pattern made in colored sand on the floor. The Collar and crystal were currently sitting in a plate of blood. Blood courtesy of the defrosting steaks in the sink.
Willow picked up the spell she had written down ten minutes ago. Basic animal depossesion spell Crytex had said. She had handily sounded the words out rather than spelled them, easier to know which way to pronounce them that way. She started to sound the words out in her head, trying to get the first few lines memorized.
"Alright, I think it's ready" she let out a heavy sigh "Here we go"
She reached over and grasped the collar, than held it over a circle of fat red candles.
"Buoondasa macaar lanorn" Her stomach did a little flip as she felt the spell start to work, the candle flames started to get brighter.
"Carlond oombasa olorn" She glanced down quickly at the spell, to get the next couple of words right in her head. The candle flames were white now.
Willow lent over and grasped the crystal.
"Cundow talgak semeer" she placed the crystal into a little recess in the collar. The flames from the candles were floating about a foot above their candles. Shining brightly like little bright white magnesium flares.
"Praduk nook raadak nulk nakaine!" even one as inexperienced as Willow with magic could feel the pull. As soon as she uttered the last word, the crystal created a magic vortex, albeit small, but still dangerous. Sucking swirling pulling all magic towards it. The flames dancing around her flew straight into it, and Willow could feel it pulling at her. She felt like she was being plucked at from every direction. It was pulling at her soul. Unraveling 'her'.
* Willow! Put it around Xanders neck NOW! * Willow didn't need prompting twice. She reached over and clasped the collar around his neck. She watched in brief amazement as the catch fastened itself than disappeared, smoothing over to become indistinguishable from the rest of the collar. Suddenly the sucking stopped. The vortex was gone?
* No, it is now stopped by our earlier spell * Crytex explained, doing the whole creepy reading her mind thing.
"What was that? It felt like it was pulling my soul into it" Willow rubbed her chest, just above her heart.
* That is the vortex thats gonna trap the animals spirit in the crystal *
"But what about the collar? How we gonna get it off Xander?" Willow questioned in a light voice. She was starting to feel very tired.
* We'll tell you after you've rested. You did very well today Willow, He's very impressed, You'll probably earn an increase in power after that. A small one but you'll feel it. Now lie down in bed and rest * Crytex told her in a proud, kind voice.
"What about *Yawn* Xander?" she asked collapsing into bed.
* We'll stick him in the guest room * Answered Glyndaf, knowing no one would care if Xander crashed there for a night.
"Kay, night" She was asleep in seconds.
Crytex and Glyndaf stared at each other than down at a blank Xander.
* How the heck are we gonna manage this? *
*******
Willow awoke with a yawn, eye's fluttering open. She stretched and sat up in bed and scratched her head. She looked around....something looked different to her. She couldn't pick what it was though it was subtle.
"Crytex? Why does my room look different ?"
* You just aint use to waking up at lunchtime on a school day *
"Ohhh nooo"
* It's just one day, it wont hurt *
"That's not the point. I was going for perfect attendance. And yes I know how nerdy that sounded"
* Oh well, at least we can finish the spell on Xander. You'll probably have time to meet Buffy at the end of school too *
"Yeah I guess. And I can finish all that extra credit stuff as well. Did my parents say anything?" questioned Willow.
* They thought you'd just left early *
"Oh....alright. I'll just clean up and we can finish up Xanders spell" There was no hiding the note of disappointment in her voice and for once, Crytex couldn't think of anything to say. She just gave Willow a supportive smile as the girl went off to shower.
"So how are we gonna get that collar off Xander once the spells done?" Willow called through her bathroom door.
* Well we dont really. Well at least Xander wont want to *
"Huh?"
* The spell we cast trapped the beast in that collar. Giving Xander control again. But as long as he wears the collar, the beasts magic, it's spirit, is under his control. It will help him. Strengthen him, increase his senses. That sought of thing. Though the help is a shell of a thing *
"Well I can see why Xander may want to keep it on, but whats the shell thing about?" Crytex could hear the shower turned on.
* Well, once this beasts magic strengthens him, he wont grow any stronger. Well not till he actually reaches that point in strength himself. Put it this way. Xanders strength and speed and all that is.... water in a tube. His peak, a float at the top of that water. As Xander gets stronger the water rises and so his peak rises as well. But what the collar will do is raise the float, raise his peak mark off the water to maybe a foot higher. He will eventually get stronger but not until the water below the float rises to meet it. Without the collar, his peak will go down to what ever his natural strength is at the time. *
"Oh OK" she heard Willow shout over the sound of the water. Crytex left her to her shower.
*******
"Ok this is it." Willow let go of her anti-magic spell, mentally cutting the magic strings that supported it.
The effect was immediate. Xander groaned and arched his back off the bed he was lying on. Willow could literally see the sweat bead on him. His breaths came in desperate snatches and she could see his neck muscles go taught as he tensed up.
"Whats happening?" Willow was frantic. This wasn't supposed to happen.
* Xander has to fight the beast off. The spell can't to do all of it. He has to finish it *
*******
Xander felt life snap back into his body.
'Damn that was freaky' he thought just before he felt the beast assault his mind.
Xander tensed instantly, throwing up mental walls around his consciousness. The beast smashed through his first walls easily and Xander felt himself giving ground. He threw up tougher, larger walls, and they slowed the beast down but didn't stop it. His moment of laxness when reawakening had cost him. He was constantly on the back foot. He felt himself being bullied out of his consciousness. Further and further down, and suddenly everything was a swirling sucking vortex. Sucking him back quicker. He grasped for anything that could halt the beast. Memories flashed through his mind. But they held no help. Xander knew he was losing. Soon it would be all over. Resignation. No life. No Willow. No Glyndaf. No Him.
Black anger flooded through him. This thing was gonna deprive him of all those things. He'd be damned if he let it finish him off without him at least causing a little heart burn. He abandoned all attempts at defense and felt himself start sliding all the quicker. He felt where ever he was going approaching and knew the end was near. He built up his mental strength, which he still didn't get how he did. It was like gathering something to himself. He felt it build up, higher and higher. It'd never been this easy before. The hyena spirit broke through his last wall, and he just released it all at once. He didn't even bother to form it.
It was at this point in time that the age old saying 'The best type of defense is a good offence' came into play.
The Hyena, hunter by nature wasn't used to being whacked around. Xanders attack sent it sprawling. Xander surged forward, surprised by his success. The pulling stopped and he found solid purchase in his consciousness. He quickly threw up some walls which he knew would hold, and began to expel the other mind once again. Slowly moving forward. First inching, then by feet than metres (All mental frames of reference ofcourse). He felt it start to back away easier, and easier. He realized that it was know caught in the vortex. He felt it fling one last desperate attack at his wall. Hoping to catch Xander the way he did it. And then it was gone. All of it. Xander couldn't feel the magic around him anymore.
He relaxed and sighed in relief before opening eye's he hadn't realized he'd closed.
*******
Willow watched Xander thrash around, from his initial arch off the bed he had rolled onto the floor, knocked the bed from place and pushed over a small cabinet. But he seemed to be calming down. He was thrashing and twitching less now.
She bent down to steady him. Xanders eye's began to glow a dull yellow.
"No..NO!" Suddenly his eye's slammed shut again and he thrashed about again, harder then the first time. He knocked Willow sprawling, her head hitting the wall. She lay there dazed for a moment, before looking at Xander as he seemed to have a fit.
"No...." tears were in her eye's.
The fit was slowly winding down but Willow wasn't going near him again. Not after what had just happened. She curled up against the wall and gripped her throbbing head. She had failed. Her best friend was possessed by an animal. She lost another friend. Tears began to stream down her face, she couldn't take it. She was all alone, and that thing in her friends body was going to waking up. She began to shake, deathly afraid.
Slowly the crystal in the collar began to glow yellow, it stayed like that for a few moments until it suddenly flashed. The white crystal was now a golden yellow. And Xander was stilled.
Slowly, she saw him begin to relax. He laid himself out flat, arms sprawled out around him. He let out a breath he had been holding in a loud sigh and his eye's fluttered open. His normal brown eye's with black and red circles.
His head lolled to one side tiredly and he stared right at Willow, a worry creased his face as he noticed she was curled up against the wall, head in hands.
He tiredly rolled onto his side and crawled over to her. He reached out a hand to touch her on the shoulder, but she flinched away.
"Please dont hurt me" she pitifully spoke from behind her upraised arms.
"Will? Whats wrong? It's me!" Xander spoke softly, trying to reassure her. She hopefully peaked out from behind her arms. Before shaking her head. She'd seen his eye's glow yellow. It wasn't him. She flinched back as he raised his hand again.
* It's him Willow, I can feel him * Spoke Glyndaf, frowning slightly at Willows weakness.
Willow looked at him hopefully, before looking at Xander again. His hand was slowly descending upon hers. She let it touch this time.
*******
Xander didn't know what to do. His friend was terrified of him. And to think he'd almost given up. Let that beast win. With his friend sitting there curled up. He hated himself for his weakness. He'd make it up to her. He'd show her it was him. Show her everything.
He reached out towards her and this time she didn't flinch back. He gently laid his hand on hers, and he linked his mind with hers. It was a form of mental attack, the linking, something Glyndaf had taught him, but he instead of attacking her psyche, he flowed into her mind and touched their thoughts. He felt her instant awareness, and gently he stumbled through sending his thoughts to her.
~ It's me Will. It really is. ~ And he opened himself to her. Let her see everything that he is. Let her know everything he felt, how he felt... about her, himself.
*******
Willow gasped as she felt Xander open himself up to her. And she knew him intimately. She felt the complete sorrow he had for letting her feel like she was, the deep hatred he had for his moment of weakness, but most of all she felt the love he had for her, and only her. He was laying his deepest darkest secrets out for her, to see if she wanted. He gave his trust to her completely.
She sensed the complete happiness he emitted when she flung her arms around him, and cried her happiness into his shoulder.
There were no two closer people on earth at that moment.
*******