Title: The Sword's Edge
Spoilers: Everything is fair game
Summary: The Keeper of Souls is in Sunnydale but will the gang have to sacrifice one of their own to stop it.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional story. Joss & ME own the characters, I own nothing and make nothing from this story. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.
Author note: This fic takes place between the fourth & fifth seasons.
Author note 2: Thoughts
~Chapter Two~
Xander had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered clearly was his friends being in danger and feeling the power flowing from the sword. The sword! Xander checked around but it was nowhere in sight.
Of course that's not the only thing that I don't see. Xander rubbed his eyes hoping to clear his vision but everything was covered in a hazy fog. "Guys? ... Buffy? ... Willow?"
No one answered.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Xander muttered.
"Who's Toto?"
Xander whipped around at the sound of a soft voice to find himself face to face with a little girl. "Who are you?"
The girl smiled widely. "My name is Crystal. What's yours?"
Xander figured the girl couldn't be more the six or seven years old. "Xander."
"Xander?" The little girl's face scrunched up in confusion. "What kind of name is that?"
"It's .. my .. name." Xander said slowly, not sure what to make of the young girl. She had long, jet black hair and deep violet eyes that made Xander nervous. This whole scene was making him nervous. "Where am I?"
"You .. are .. here." Crystal mimicked Xander's earlier tone then giggled. "So, who is Toto?"
"Toto?"
"Yes. Toto." She looked around Xander. "You were talking to Toto."
When she didn't get a answer from Xander, Crystal looked sad and a little frightened. "You're not gonna fade are you?"
"Fade?" Xander didn't think he could be more confused.
"Yeah." The little girl looked around them. "Everyone faded or became these horrible monsters that try to get you."
"Monsters?"
As if on cue, a load roar could be heard in the distance. "Oh no."
Xander could hear the girl's fear in her voice. He turned around to say something comforting to Crystal only to find her gone.
"Crystal!"
Nothing. Xander called out once more and was answered by more howling from within the fog. This time much closer.
He tried to find the girl but the fog was too thick. He couldn't see more than ten feet clearly in any direction. Beyond that everything became blurry shapes like the one that was growing larger.
Waitaminute! Xander's head snapped back to take another look when a large misshapen creature burst from the fog and knocked him to the ground. The four legged creature stood on it's hind legs and brought it's fore legs down on Xander's midsection, driving the air out of him. Then the creature lowered it's head and it's mouth opened to reveal large, sharp teeth.
"Let him up!" Several voices rang out.
The creature looked to it's right and then back to Xander. Very reluctantly, it moved off to the side of Xander as drool fell from it's mouth.
Xander slowly got to his feet. He was happy that he found some people but he only saw a faint outline of one person in the fog. Off to his left was the dog creature that jumped him. Xander slowly backed away and stopped only when he could see both the 'dog' and the stranger without turning his back on either.
"Who are you?"
"That does not concern you." A melodious voice came from the figure. "What should concern you is that you lost." The stranger stayed just within the fog, obscuring any detail Xander might have seen. Also the stranger's voice was weird. It sounded as if many people were saying the same thing at the same time but in sync. Well that explains why I thought I heard several voices.
"What are you talking about?" Xander demanded. "Lost what?"
"Your body."
"My body is right here."
"No, this," the figure pointed at Xander. "is your spirit. Your soul." Then the figure started to fade into the fog. "Your body is not in this place. It is..." The voice trailed off as it's owner disappeared completely.
Xander began running to where the person was, hoping to get some answers. Suddenly a loud screech sounded from all directions. He cupped his ears as the pain from the noise forced him to his knees. Xander heard a softer sound, as the darkness tried to claim him. A sound that pulled at his heart.
"Xander...."
Xander's eyes shot open and his hands fell to the ground in front of him. He could have swore he heard...
"Please Xander..."
Willow! He looked around but she was not there. "Willow!" His body tensed up suddenly locking his arms and legs in place. The only thing he could move was his fingers as he dug them into the grass and dirt under him. Sweat started to pour down his face as he struggled to breathe.
"Xander!"
"Buffy?" Blinding light exploded in his mind as Xander succumbed to the pain and lost consciousness. "Buffy... Willow..."
*~*~*
Buffy couldn't believe the scene taking place in front of her. It was almost surreal.
Giles was on his hands and knees trying to regain his breath.
Breath that was forced out of him by a savage kick to his midsection.
A kick that was administrated not by the last bad guy standing but by a friend.
A friend that was currently holding their best friend by the neck.
"Xander..."
Xander was silent as he held Willow by the neck but was not choking her. He simply held her as he rested the sharp point of his weapon on her breastbone.
"Please Xander..." Willow pleaded as a tear fell down her face.
Buffy was in shock. Only a few short minutes ago, Xander had saved her from Ranier with the same sword that he was now using to threaten Willow.
It looked like they were going to win when Ranier said something to Xander.
~Flash~
"Tharillos"
That caused Xander to stop. Buffy was still too weak, from whatever Ranier did to her, to help her friend. Ranier only laughed and watched as Willow and Giles moved to help Xander. Then he said something like...
"Tharillos libero"
Buffy didn't understand but whatever it was that Ranier said sent Giles into motion. He jerked Xander away from Ranier and backed them both closer to Willow. "Watch out!" Giles said. "He is summoning a-"
Buffy tried to listen but Ranier's maniacal laughter drowned out what Giles was saying. Then Ranier posed dramatically with his arms wide at his sides. "Keeper of Souls!" he shouted "I, Ranier, call you forth."
Giles paled at the announcement. Willow and Tara's gaze shifted around the room, trying to locate this new threat.
"I, your master, command you. And I command you to incapacitate my enemies."
There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose.
Xander was standing between Giles and Willow. In one insane minute, Xander pivoted and kicked Giles in the gut. Then, without even stopping to witness the older man fall to the ground, Xander moved behind Willow and slammed his fist against the back of Tara's head, knocking her unconscious.
Before Willow realized it, Xander shoved her against the wall with one hand around her throat and the other held the sword, which was threatening to pin her to the wall, through her heart.
~Flash~
"Buffy!" Giles' harsh whisper broke through her shock. Turning slightly, she was startled to see how pale Giles was. "We have to get Willow and Tara out of here. Now!"
She shifted her attention back to her friends. Tara was lying on the floor unconscious. Xander was standing still, like a statue, as he continued to hold Willow against the wall, waiting for Ranier's next command.
A command that Ranier appeared to be in no hurry to give as he watched them all with a silly grin plastered on his face.
"But Xander-"
"Xander is gone." Giles voice cracked with emotion. "That is not Xander and what he is now, will kill us all."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ranier has just summoned a very powerful daemon. He used that sword as a medium to transport the daemon into Xander's body."
"But then we have to-"
"We do not have the time to argue."
Despite still feeling weak from Ranier's attack, Buffy quickly wrapped her arms around Xander. Ranier shook his head and chuckled as Buffy barely managed to pull Xander away from Willow, causing the redhead to drop to the floor. Ranier became serious and focused on young man in the Slayer's arms. "Kill her."
Xander's body turned within Buffy's grasp to face her. The movement alone startled her but she nearly screamed when she saw he eyes. Each one was completely black except one bright white spot where the iris would be in a normal eye.
Taking advantage of her distraction, he pushed her into Ranier's waiting arms and raised the sword, blade down in both of his hands over her.
Buffy could feel her life somehow being drained from her as she watched the blade begin it's descent. With the last of her strength, Buffy closed her eyes and screamed. "Xander!"
*~*~*
"Well now isn't this interesting?" Ranier said with his chin perched on her left shoulder. Buffy opened her eyes to find Xander standing before her with the tip of the sword just inches from her. Xander's whole body was trembling from the strain of not being able to bring the sword closer to Buffy.
"Tharillos, what are you doing?"
"I can not do as you instructed." The daemon in her friend answered.
"Why not?" Ranier's question almost sounded mocking.
"I do not know." The voice that came from the boy's mouth took on a frustrated tone. "This body will not let me kill her."
Ranier eyes shifted to the other occupants in the room. "Kill the one you knock out."
When the young man didn't move or even respond, Ranier threw Buffy to the ground. "So the great Keeper is not so great anymore. This is just too funny." He walked to the seemingly frozen form of Xander. "You can't even overcome this boy's soul."
"He is nothing." The demonic voice rasped. "The soul, like this body, is mine!"
Buffy watched as Xander's body began to shake badly as the daemon tried to exert it's will. Hope flared in her heart at the thought of Xander, their Xander, fighting for control of his body.
As if Giles had read her thoughts, Buffy heard him yell. "Fight it Xander! You can do it!"
"Oh no." Ranier turned and with a flick of his wrist, sent Giles flying into the far wall. "I think we should take this conversation someplace else where there are fewer distractions." Ranier put a hand on Xander's shoulder and a circle of green light formed on the floor under them. Ranier grinned and waved at Buffy as both he and Xander dropped from view, into the green light. Buffy tried to follow but the circle closed in on itself.
"Giles!" Buffy turned to see the man in question checking on the two witches. "Xander was-"
"I know." Giles picked up Tara. "Help Willow." He motioned to the redhead. She stared blankly at where their friend vanished. "We need to leave now."
"We've gotta save Xander." Buffy pointed out.
"And we will but if we do not regroup now, we lose any chance of getting Xander back." That was enough to motivate Buffy into action. Pulling Willow to her, the blonde whispered to her friend as she steered them both to the exit. Giles waited for Buffy to get Willow moving before he followed them out of the warehouse.
With Buffy and Willow desperately holding each other ahead of him, Giles muttered quietly to the darkness around them, "We will save you Xander." Giles couldn't bring himself to think about what Xander was going through. "But if the daemon Ranier summoned was really..." Giles trailed off as he prayed silently for Xander.
*~*~*
Spoilers: Everything is fair game
Summary: The Keeper of Souls is in Sunnydale but will the gang have to sacrifice one of their own to stop it.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional story. Joss & ME own the characters, I own nothing and make nothing from this story. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.
Author note: This fic takes place between the fourth & fifth seasons.
Author note 2: Thoughts
Xander had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered clearly was his friends being in danger and feeling the power flowing from the sword. The sword! Xander checked around but it was nowhere in sight.
Of course that's not the only thing that I don't see. Xander rubbed his eyes hoping to clear his vision but everything was covered in a hazy fog. "Guys? ... Buffy? ... Willow?"
No one answered.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Xander muttered.
"Who's Toto?"
Xander whipped around at the sound of a soft voice to find himself face to face with a little girl. "Who are you?"
The girl smiled widely. "My name is Crystal. What's yours?"
Xander figured the girl couldn't be more the six or seven years old. "Xander."
"Xander?" The little girl's face scrunched up in confusion. "What kind of name is that?"
"It's .. my .. name." Xander said slowly, not sure what to make of the young girl. She had long, jet black hair and deep violet eyes that made Xander nervous. This whole scene was making him nervous. "Where am I?"
"You .. are .. here." Crystal mimicked Xander's earlier tone then giggled. "So, who is Toto?"
"Toto?"
"Yes. Toto." She looked around Xander. "You were talking to Toto."
When she didn't get a answer from Xander, Crystal looked sad and a little frightened. "You're not gonna fade are you?"
"Fade?" Xander didn't think he could be more confused.
"Yeah." The little girl looked around them. "Everyone faded or became these horrible monsters that try to get you."
"Monsters?"
As if on cue, a load roar could be heard in the distance. "Oh no."
Xander could hear the girl's fear in her voice. He turned around to say something comforting to Crystal only to find her gone.
"Crystal!"
Nothing. Xander called out once more and was answered by more howling from within the fog. This time much closer.
He tried to find the girl but the fog was too thick. He couldn't see more than ten feet clearly in any direction. Beyond that everything became blurry shapes like the one that was growing larger.
Waitaminute! Xander's head snapped back to take another look when a large misshapen creature burst from the fog and knocked him to the ground. The four legged creature stood on it's hind legs and brought it's fore legs down on Xander's midsection, driving the air out of him. Then the creature lowered it's head and it's mouth opened to reveal large, sharp teeth.
"Let him up!" Several voices rang out.
The creature looked to it's right and then back to Xander. Very reluctantly, it moved off to the side of Xander as drool fell from it's mouth.
Xander slowly got to his feet. He was happy that he found some people but he only saw a faint outline of one person in the fog. Off to his left was the dog creature that jumped him. Xander slowly backed away and stopped only when he could see both the 'dog' and the stranger without turning his back on either.
"Who are you?"
"That does not concern you." A melodious voice came from the figure. "What should concern you is that you lost." The stranger stayed just within the fog, obscuring any detail Xander might have seen. Also the stranger's voice was weird. It sounded as if many people were saying the same thing at the same time but in sync. Well that explains why I thought I heard several voices.
"What are you talking about?" Xander demanded. "Lost what?"
"Your body."
"My body is right here."
"No, this," the figure pointed at Xander. "is your spirit. Your soul." Then the figure started to fade into the fog. "Your body is not in this place. It is..." The voice trailed off as it's owner disappeared completely.
Xander began running to where the person was, hoping to get some answers. Suddenly a loud screech sounded from all directions. He cupped his ears as the pain from the noise forced him to his knees. Xander heard a softer sound, as the darkness tried to claim him. A sound that pulled at his heart.
"Xander...."
Xander's eyes shot open and his hands fell to the ground in front of him. He could have swore he heard...
"Please Xander..."
Willow! He looked around but she was not there. "Willow!" His body tensed up suddenly locking his arms and legs in place. The only thing he could move was his fingers as he dug them into the grass and dirt under him. Sweat started to pour down his face as he struggled to breathe.
"Xander!"
"Buffy?" Blinding light exploded in his mind as Xander succumbed to the pain and lost consciousness. "Buffy... Willow..."
Buffy couldn't believe the scene taking place in front of her. It was almost surreal.
Giles was on his hands and knees trying to regain his breath.
Breath that was forced out of him by a savage kick to his midsection.
A kick that was administrated not by the last bad guy standing but by a friend.
A friend that was currently holding their best friend by the neck.
"Xander..."
Xander was silent as he held Willow by the neck but was not choking her. He simply held her as he rested the sharp point of his weapon on her breastbone.
"Please Xander..." Willow pleaded as a tear fell down her face.
Buffy was in shock. Only a few short minutes ago, Xander had saved her from Ranier with the same sword that he was now using to threaten Willow.
It looked like they were going to win when Ranier said something to Xander.
"Tharillos"
That caused Xander to stop. Buffy was still too weak, from whatever Ranier did to her, to help her friend. Ranier only laughed and watched as Willow and Giles moved to help Xander. Then he said something like...
"Tharillos libero"
Buffy didn't understand but whatever it was that Ranier said sent Giles into motion. He jerked Xander away from Ranier and backed them both closer to Willow. "Watch out!" Giles said. "He is summoning a-"
Buffy tried to listen but Ranier's maniacal laughter drowned out what Giles was saying. Then Ranier posed dramatically with his arms wide at his sides. "Keeper of Souls!" he shouted "I, Ranier, call you forth."
Giles paled at the announcement. Willow and Tara's gaze shifted around the room, trying to locate this new threat.
"I, your master, command you. And I command you to incapacitate my enemies."
There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose.
Xander was standing between Giles and Willow. In one insane minute, Xander pivoted and kicked Giles in the gut. Then, without even stopping to witness the older man fall to the ground, Xander moved behind Willow and slammed his fist against the back of Tara's head, knocking her unconscious.
Before Willow realized it, Xander shoved her against the wall with one hand around her throat and the other held the sword, which was threatening to pin her to the wall, through her heart.
"Buffy!" Giles' harsh whisper broke through her shock. Turning slightly, she was startled to see how pale Giles was. "We have to get Willow and Tara out of here. Now!"
She shifted her attention back to her friends. Tara was lying on the floor unconscious. Xander was standing still, like a statue, as he continued to hold Willow against the wall, waiting for Ranier's next command.
A command that Ranier appeared to be in no hurry to give as he watched them all with a silly grin plastered on his face.
"But Xander-"
"Xander is gone." Giles voice cracked with emotion. "That is not Xander and what he is now, will kill us all."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ranier has just summoned a very powerful daemon. He used that sword as a medium to transport the daemon into Xander's body."
"But then we have to-"
"We do not have the time to argue."
Despite still feeling weak from Ranier's attack, Buffy quickly wrapped her arms around Xander. Ranier shook his head and chuckled as Buffy barely managed to pull Xander away from Willow, causing the redhead to drop to the floor. Ranier became serious and focused on young man in the Slayer's arms. "Kill her."
Xander's body turned within Buffy's grasp to face her. The movement alone startled her but she nearly screamed when she saw he eyes. Each one was completely black except one bright white spot where the iris would be in a normal eye.
Taking advantage of her distraction, he pushed her into Ranier's waiting arms and raised the sword, blade down in both of his hands over her.
Buffy could feel her life somehow being drained from her as she watched the blade begin it's descent. With the last of her strength, Buffy closed her eyes and screamed. "Xander!"
"Well now isn't this interesting?" Ranier said with his chin perched on her left shoulder. Buffy opened her eyes to find Xander standing before her with the tip of the sword just inches from her. Xander's whole body was trembling from the strain of not being able to bring the sword closer to Buffy.
"Tharillos, what are you doing?"
"I can not do as you instructed." The daemon in her friend answered.
"Why not?" Ranier's question almost sounded mocking.
"I do not know." The voice that came from the boy's mouth took on a frustrated tone. "This body will not let me kill her."
Ranier eyes shifted to the other occupants in the room. "Kill the one you knock out."
When the young man didn't move or even respond, Ranier threw Buffy to the ground. "So the great Keeper is not so great anymore. This is just too funny." He walked to the seemingly frozen form of Xander. "You can't even overcome this boy's soul."
"He is nothing." The demonic voice rasped. "The soul, like this body, is mine!"
Buffy watched as Xander's body began to shake badly as the daemon tried to exert it's will. Hope flared in her heart at the thought of Xander, their Xander, fighting for control of his body.
As if Giles had read her thoughts, Buffy heard him yell. "Fight it Xander! You can do it!"
"Oh no." Ranier turned and with a flick of his wrist, sent Giles flying into the far wall. "I think we should take this conversation someplace else where there are fewer distractions." Ranier put a hand on Xander's shoulder and a circle of green light formed on the floor under them. Ranier grinned and waved at Buffy as both he and Xander dropped from view, into the green light. Buffy tried to follow but the circle closed in on itself.
"Giles!" Buffy turned to see the man in question checking on the two witches. "Xander was-"
"I know." Giles picked up Tara. "Help Willow." He motioned to the redhead. She stared blankly at where their friend vanished. "We need to leave now."
"We've gotta save Xander." Buffy pointed out.
"And we will but if we do not regroup now, we lose any chance of getting Xander back." That was enough to motivate Buffy into action. Pulling Willow to her, the blonde whispered to her friend as she steered them both to the exit. Giles waited for Buffy to get Willow moving before he followed them out of the warehouse.
With Buffy and Willow desperately holding each other ahead of him, Giles muttered quietly to the darkness around them, "We will save you Xander." Giles couldn't bring himself to think about what Xander was going through. "But if the daemon Ranier summoned was really..." Giles trailed off as he prayed silently for Xander.
