As Xander began his journey back to Sunnydayle he began to wonder at something that had been bugging him lately, like how exactly he had known how to enter Destiny's realm. Giles had been correct when he had said that there were no texts describing what he had just done and yet he had known exactly what to do. Also Destiny made it sound like he had done something important, just what had he done? For a few moments thoughts of being possessed once again raced through his mind as well as thoughts on being manipulated by some more powerful being. Even though these thoughts were unsettling to say the least Xander pushed them away as he continued towards his goal reasoning that he could work all the weirdness out after he got Buffy back.
When he returned home he was assaulted by questions from almost every member of the current Scooby gang. Every one wanted to know something different. Giles wanted to know if he reached Destiny's realm while Dawn wanted to know if he voted to bring Buffy back, only Spike and Tara were silent each for their own reasons. Eventually he answered them all, yes he did make it to Destiny's realm, yes Destiny did agree and they now had one vote to bring Buffy back. When asked what he would do next Xander simply responded "I'm going to kill two birds with one stone, I'm going to sleep and dream."
The first thing Xander noticed was that he was in a cloud, or perhaps a fog and he had no idea how he got there. Slowly Xander forced himself to remember where he was and as he remembered the fog lifted to reveal two houses.
'Okay,' Xander thought to himself, 'this is the Dreaming but I doubt either one of those houses is the home of Dream. Well technically I suppose they are sense Dream exists everywhere there are dreams. I could just call him and he would here me, better not, I know that I wouldn't want to be bossed around in my home so I'll just travel to his home the hard way. First I better ask for directions.' No sooner had these thoughts flashed through his mind then Xander began to head towards the house on the right.
Soon after knocking on the door Xander found himself facing a fat, odd looking man. "H-hello, w-would like to co-come in fo-for some tea?" Not wanting to be too rude Xander went in the house but politely refused the tea.
"I was wondering if I could get directions to the palace where Dream of the Endless lives." Xander said while looking around the living room. To say that the place was odd would be an understatement; there were things here that would look more at home in the dark ages then what you would find in a living area now.
"Wh-why do y-you want t-to g-go there?" asked the odd man while his eyes scanned the room looking for something specific, though what it was Xander had no idea.
"I want to get my friend back and if Dream agrees to bring her back then I just need to get three more votes and she will come back." By this time Xander was on full alert, his years on the Hellmouth making him take notice of his surroundings with no outward appearance of doing so.
"Th-that's nice, b-but you d-don't h-have to. Th-there are t-two Slayers to s-save the w-world." Before Xander could comment on the last statement a shout came from the rafters.
"Secret! You bumbling, blubbering, moron you told another secret!" The speaker was identified when he dropped from the rafters and started to stalk towards the man he had been talking to. What really shocked Xander was that for some reason the new arrival reminded Xander of the man he had been talking to even though they were nothing alike. The new arrival was tall, thin, clean shaven with reddish hair while the man he talked to was short, fat, and had a light beard and mustache with dark hair, though the biggest difference was that the new arrival moved like a predator while the other just fumbled around.
"I-it wasn't a b-big secret brother. W-we have a g-guest
please don't do a-anything."
By this point the new arrival was looming over the odd man and looked like he was about to kill him. Luckily for the odd man Xander had not been idol, while the new man had moved toward the odd man Xander had grabbed the poker from the fireplace and now had it inches from the back of the new mans head. "Back off or I'll run this through the back of your head," stated Xander.
The new arrival turned around with a look of confidence that irritated Xander. "You won't hurt me, you can't" stated the man.
"Oh, and just why can't I," asked Xander while thinking that this man was trying to bluff him. Even if the poker didn't work there were other things he could use, if living on the Hellmouth had taught Xander one lesson it was that anything could and would go down if it was hit hard enough.
Sensing that Xander would indeed hurt him with out a second thought the new man decided to take a different approach. "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, so to get back on the right one let me introduce my self and my brother. We are the duo of Cain and Abel, the tall one and the short one, victor and victim. We are one of the first stories created by the Lord of this realm. You are concerned that I would do permit damage to my brother correct?"
"I'm concerned that you are about to kill your brother," stated Xander
"You are quite right, I was about to kill him still planning to as a matter of fact." A look appeared on Xanders face that promised a painful death if he didn't come up with something quick. Being the smart man he believed he was Cain hastened to comply. "He wouldn't stay dead for long. You see our contracts state that I can kill him as many times as I want and he will always come back to life, he doesn't really mind me killing him."
"H-he's right. I d-don't m-mind, he's f-family a-and he l-loves m-me, a-after all," said Abel.
"You mean to tell me that you don't mind getting killed by this guy because he's your brother?" At Abel's nod Xander muttered, "And I thought I had family issues."
As soon as Xander lowered his guard Cain broke Abeles neck and Xander could hear him mutter "It's so nice to get back to the basics now and then."
As soon as he turned around Cain found himself at the pointed end of the poker and facing a very angry Xander. "I'll give him five minutes to revive, if he isn't back in that time I'm shoving this through your eye and into your brain."
The complete lack of any emotion in Xanders voice caused Cain, the first man to commit murder, to break out in a cold sweat. Gathering all of his courage Cain retorted "If you harm me in any way you will have the wrath of God come down on your head."
"Doesn't matter," Xander said with out hesitation and in that same emotionless voice. "If he doesn't come back you join him simple as that, because there is no way that I'm going to let you live and do this to someone else later when I can stop you now."
The seconds ticked by each one seeming like and eternity to Cain as he stared into the eyes of what he was beginning to think of as a force of nature. Just as the time ran out and Cain thought he was about to reach the end of his existence Abel let out a long groan. In a moment Xander was by his side helping him up and asking him if he was all right.
"I-I'm fine d-don't w-worry about m-me. A-are y-you still planning t-to g-go t-to Dreams castle?"
"Yeah Abel I'm still going to go, I can't pass up a chance to save my friend," stated Xander as he began to head towards the door.
"It's about time to," said an odd, new voice from the window but when Xander looked all he saw was a raven grooming its self. "Great," muttered Xander while looking at the bird, "I'm loosing my mind, and I was hoping to meet the youngest Endless last."
"You aren't loosing your marbles," said the raven. "Listen my names Mathew, the big guy sent me here to help guide you to the castle."
"A talking raven, guess I shouldn't be too surprised, this is a dream after all," said a wide eyed Xander.
"Yeah, it's a dream, but that doesn't make it any less real," said Mathew. "Listen can you hurry this up the boss man may be mellower but it still isn't a good idea to keep him waiting for too long."
"Okay Mathew, lead the way," said Xander as he tried to identify what was odd about Mathews voice. 'If it just sounded like a man talking like a raven I would understand, but it isn't like that. I guess its more like a raven talking like a man. This is one cool world.'
After walking for a while Xander glanced over his shoulder and saw that the path disappeared about a yard behind him. "Hay Mathew, what's up with the path?"
"The path is a one time deal," explained Mathew. "This path is more of a warning beacon to any passing nightmare telling them not to mess with us. Because the path crosses so much of the dreaming the boss is uncreating it as soon as we pass over it, that way the rest of the Dreaming doesn't get interrupted while we head to the castle."
"Nightmares? Mathew I fight vampires on a daily biases, been possessed by a hyena and a soldier, and almost been mutated into a fish monster. This doesn't even include my dating life. Trust me when I say that I've been living with nightmares for the better part of five years now, I honestly don't think I need to be protected from them," Xander said with a little bit of annoyance, if there was one thing he hated more than vampires it was being 'protected.'
Mathew simply snorted at Xanders little outburst, which was interesting because Xander didn't think that birds could snort. "Listen if you had met the really bad nightmares you would be lucky to be sane, some people don't even survive their encounter with them. Luckily those are rare so we probably wouldn't run into them even without the path. But you do need to be protected from the every day nightmares because at the moment you are a lucid dreamer, in fact you are probably the most aware dreamer in the Dreaming at the moment and that's dangerous. It's like in the Matrix, this is so real to you that if you die in here you die in your world."
Xander was absorbing this information, trying to find a flaw in what Mathew said when he stopped in his tracks. Looking around Xander saw that they had wandered into a desolate place that just seemed wrong, not because it was desolate but because it felt so dead.
"What is this place," asked Xander as he tried to figure out why it was so wrong for this place to feel this way.
"This was Gilbert, or Fiddlers Green depending on if he was a person or a place," replied Mathew, a sad tone in his voice. "He was a good place, and for a while a good person, in fact he was so good that Dream made him a heart of the Dreaming. He was one of the people killed when the Furies attacked the Dreaming, it wasn't a pretty sight. When the big fight with the Furies was over the boss brought back the others but for some reason Gilbert didn't want to be brought back. Dream took it hard but respected Gilberts wishes, even though he could had made it so Gilbert wanted to be brought back."
"Why didn't Gilbert want to be brought back," asked Xander. Even as he spoke those words he began to feel something build inside of him, something that he couldn't explain.
"From what I was told he thought that if he was brought back his death would have no real meaning," Mathew refrained from saying more as he turned to Xander, feeling the power radiating from him.
"A heart should never be empty," said Xander in an almost trance like tone, as he released a wave of energy that washed over the landscape and rose into the sky changing the train before one very astonished raven.
With a sound that was somewhere between a death rattle and a cry of a new born child the ground rent its self forming a chasm larger and deeper than any in the waking world. Slowly the larger portion of the land that Mathew was very grateful that he and Xander were not on began to sink until there was nothing but blackness stretching onward as far as could be seen.
By this time Xander had began to sweet but he knew he couldn't leave this place as he had found it. Forcing himself to go on Xander focused on his task. Off in the distance Mathew began to hear a low rumble that grew constantly louder until he could hear nothing else. On the horizon a glimmer of blue appeared reflecting light and growing with the rumbling that had by this time become a great roar.
When the water hit the wall the ground shook almost as if some vengeful god had decided to smite the beings standing on it. As the foundations of this realm began to tremble Xander stood still with his hands outstretched almost as if he was calling the waves to come more often and with more power each time. In places the cliff walls began to crumble and erode forming under sea caverns and beaches. With the water on his side Xander accomplished in moments what would take eons in the real world, but he wasn't finished yet.
Hand on the ground and drenched in sweat Xander continued his task, after all the sea is very much alive beneath the waves, he thought. With that thought the sea began to glow gold as life began to form. First he created the sea animals he knew existed the fish, dolphins, sharks and so fourth. Surprisingly he felt knowledge flowing into him urging him to create every kind of fish mammal or other kind of creature that man knows roams the sea. Then he moved on to the species that may very well only be real in our hearts.
Beneath the waves merpeople began to swim along with leviathans. Soon every creature that man had dreamed existed with room to spare, after all in a dream you could fit an entire mountain on the head of a pin, so why not fin an ocean into a valley.
Xander slowly turned around facing the area that was still parched waist land. Placing his hands upon the earth he began the final stages of the change. Soon parts of the land along the shore began to crumble turning into fine sand, while the rocks that were left began to look more natural instead of reminders of a nuclear explosion. Past the shore line tropical trees began to grow giving shade to any who would want it. Soon the entire land had been transformed in this manner except for one small patch of land. This land was untouched by the changes and like a scar blemishing otherwise unmarked beauty, by this hideous cropping was a sign that simply said 'So those that came before are never completely forgotten.'
Mathew silently flew over and landed beside the now kneeling Xander. "Well," he began in his rough raven voice, "have you given any thought as to what you are going to call it?"
Xander sat and thought for a few minutes before answering, "How about 'Sailors Secret.'"
"I like it," said a new voice from behind Xander and his black feathered companion.
Quickly turning around the duo were greeted by the sight of a beautiful woman, one who Xander immediately recognized, or more accurately he recognized parts of her. She had Cordelias body, Willows auburn hair, Buffy's face and smile except for the scar on her left cheek, Jenny Calendars eyes, and her voice sounded like his mothers before she crawled into the bottle with his father.
Recovering from the shock of seeing parts of every girl that has a place in his heart combined into one being Xander finally was able to get enough brain cells working to ask her who she was. Smiling the woman responded, "I'm Sailors Secret, as you so aptly named me, but when I'm like this you can call me Steph."
At this news Xander turned toward Mathew and asked "Can all of the places turn into people here?"
"Don't ask me about this, you're the one that created her" was Mathew's eloquent response.
It wasn't long before the two started to notice that the sky was beginning to darken and the sound of distant thunder. Turning around they were able to see and equally dark look on Stephs face. "You know it's rude to talk about someone as if they aren't there." Having lived around strong women for years now Xander did the only thing a man can do in that position, he began to apologize again and again until the clouds began to dissipate and Steph started smiling again.
After soothing Stephs ire and bidding a fond farewell with promises to come back and visit Xander turned to Mathew and asked him what was next on the agenda.
"Well we were supposed to just stay on the path and go straight on to the castle. Unfortunately someone decided to break up the landscape and dump an ocean on top of it. So unless you feel like taking a swim we are going to have to take a longer and more dangerous rout." Mathew's voice was full of sarcasm something Xander would have taken note of if he wasn't so preoccupied with his own thoughts. He didn't know how much time he had before he woke up and if he didn't see Dream before then he would have to go through all of this again. That is assuming Dream was willing to see him another time.
Deciding that maybe a swim wouldn't be so bad Xander followed the golden path to the shore and into the water. With each step the water rose higher and higher until it was up to Xanders mouth. Keeping his breathing even he took the last step and got a lung full of salt water. Xanders body told him to rise up, that he couldn't breathe water, but he forced another lungful of water in and out while his mind told his body that he could breathe water here if he wanted to. Soon enough his body caught up with his mind and realized that it wasn't drowning.
As Xander walked along the path that was now at the bottom of an ocean he took a bit of time to look at the scenery. He wasn't fooled for a moment to believe that it was safe, a fact that was driven home when a shark swam along the path for a while. This world may be beautiful but it could also be deadly. Xander smirked when he realized that the same could be said about the women in his life.
Without Mathew to talk to Xanders thoughts began to wonder from the scenery to other things, like how he would convince Dream to bring back Buffy. Dream wouldn't be as easy as Destiny. While Destiny would go along just because his book said he would, Dream would probably need more of a reason. The trouble is that Xander couldn't think of something that he could give Dream. Maybe he could get lucky, after all Dreams have become much kinder after that incident with the Kindly Ones.
This brought Xanders thoughts into a disturbing path. He could see the Endless, he knew things about them that weren't in any book, and he just created a new heart for the Dreaming. These weren't normal, even by his standards; the question now became it this dangerous.
So far he had benefited from the knowledge and abilities he had exhibited so far but how long would that last? Nothing, good or evil, ever comes without a price the question was could he pay it. Yes. If it didn't cause the others anything he would pay any price to bring back Buffy.
Xander emerged from the salt water to see a strange site, even for a dream. Standing before him dressed in loose work cloths and smoking a hand rolled cigarette was a moving scarecrow with a Halloween pumpkin for the head.
"So, you the one decided to put an ocean on the path?" Spoke the creature in a low class accent.
"Yah, I am," replied Xander. "Sorry if I caused you any trouble." Xander couldn't say why he apologized to this being but somehow it felt appropriate.
The scarecrow creature seemed to consider for a moment wisps of smoke trailing out of its carved triangle eyes. "Naw ain't that much trouble really. You dreamers come and make some changes then you leave, n' the changes just fade. Gota hand it to you though, you do some nice work. Maybe I can convince the Boss ta let you stick around, help with the work. Nothing big at first, you start at the bottom just like everyone else."
"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Xander said with a smile. He couldn't help it there was just something about this particular dream creature that struck a cord in him. "Names Xander by the way."
"So you're the big guy that's causing all the fuss. Got to say after what you did to the boss's big brother it's a slightly frightening honor to meet you."
"Thanks, I think. Listen I didn't do anything to Destiny, I just explained some things and asked him to bring my friend back. The only reason that I went to see him at all is that Death said that I had to convince five of her brothers and sisters to bring back my friend."
The scarecrow gave him an odd look, an impressive feat considering he changed the carved shapes on his head without any noticeable muscles. "Hey, Mathew this guy stupid or something? I mean how he could not know what he did; its all anyone is talking about on either side of the mortal plane."
After landing on Xanders shoulders Mathew just cocked his head to the side, "Don't know about stupid, but he may nuts. I found him threatening Cain, you got to be nuts to do something like that."
"Hey, right here you know!" exploded Xander. "And just for future reference, don't like being called nuts or stupid, especially by people that haven't even told me their names yet."
"Jeez, sorry bout that kid. You know I didn't mean anything by it, right? It's just a couple of guys talking is all. Names Mervyn Pumpkinhead, the dreamed spirit of the average working man, but you can call me Merv everyone else does."
"Thanks Merv, and sorry for snapping back there I just don't like it when people talk like I'm not even there."
"No one does kid. Listen I was heading back to the castle anyway so why don't I just walk with the two of you. That way I can give you a bit of a tour to make up for being rude earlier."
Xander smiled imagining just what kind of tour Merv would give him. Thinking that back in the waking work it would include the better strip clubs in the area Xander just smiled and said, "It's always nice to have more friends along for a trip."
After a while Xander began to tune out Merv. It wasn't that Merv was being boring it was the fact he was telling such tall tales Xander was trying hard not to roll his eyes. Soon Xander began to hear two voices screaming for help, two voices that Xander knew very well.
"Buffy, Willow," muttered Xander as he began to walk off the path, only to be stopped by Merv.
"Kid you really are nuts! You step off this path and every nightmare in the Dreaming will be after you. Now stop struggling and stay still!"
"But they need my help; I can't just stand by while they need me!"
"Those aren't your friends calling for you Xander," said Mathew as he circled above the air. Soon Mathew called out to something waiting beyond the path, "You better come out before I call Dream. You know he will be upset about the way you are treating Xander."
Soon a human looking creature appeared. It was male, about the same height and apparent age as Xander but that is were the similarities ended. Its hair was a shocking white, its facial features slightly distorted by cruelty. The most stunning feature would be the fact that it had mouths full of sharp jagged teeth, where its eyes should be.
"Now Mathew you know as well as I do that Dream won't punish me for being too cruel, after all my predecessor was destroyed because he wasn't cruel enough," said the creature with its normal mouth. "Besides the child is pretty enough to provide us with entertainment for the night," said the right mouth eye. "And his eyes look especially delicious," the left mouth eye finished the explanation.
"I will go now," said all three mouths together. "Not out of fear, but it would be rude to keep you from Dream any longer." With those words the creature left to visit the dreams of some poor unfortunate dreamer.
"What was that thing?" asked Xander as soon as he regained enough composure to do so. It wasn't the creatures' physical experience that had shaken him but the fact that it seemed to be some kind of twisted mirror that showed the very worst of humanity all at once. An experience like that would shake even the most hardened of men.
"That would be the Corinthian, as far as nightmares go he is the worst," said Mathew as he once again settled down on Xanders shoulder.
"Suddenly I have a new respect for the bright and shiny path that keeps them away," said Xander as he silently vowed not to leave the path even if he saw Buffy or Willow out there, it was just too dangerous.
"Always nice to talk with someone who appreciates good work when they see it," said Mervyn.
The small group walked in science until they approached a castle guarded by a Griffin, a Dragon, and a Winged Hoarse. These weren't the cute and fluffy ones you would find on a kids show though, each one looked fierce enough to wipe out an army on its own, and all three together were awe inspiring.
Luckily a tall man with glasses that reminded Xander of Giles for some reason met them at the door, so they weren't challenged.
"Greetings Xander," said the tall man. "My name is Lucien; I'm the librarian for this realm. Dream has asked me to escort you to your audience."
A librarian that explained the Giles vibe thought Xander before he spoke aloud. "Thanks, I would have probably gotten lost looking for the right place."
"Indeed you would have, and that is why I was sent to escort you," said Lucien in a slightly stuffy tone of voice.
After a while of silence Xander asked just what kind of books were in the library.
"All of them," replied Lucien. "Every story, poem and song, written or unwritten resides in my library. After all they were all dreamed long before being put in writing. To prepare for your visit I even went over your works before meeting you."
"Hate to break it to you Lucien, but I have never in my life written anything, except an occasional note to Willow during Math. I don't have a section, you got me confused with some one else," said Xander.
"I could quote the lyrics to 'The Song that Will Make Buffy Dump that Looser Angel' if you wish. The title could use some work but the words create an interesting image. Perhaps you would prefer if I described scenes from the video section, you had this scene in 'Slayers Gone Wild' that is most memorable."
"Enough already, I believe you! Man how did you get those, they are just some stupid daydreams that I had when I was a hormonal teenager."
"Exactly they were dreams concerning writing, and filming, there for it became my duty to archive them. It doesn't matter if you are awake or asleep when you dream them, if you dream them I will archive them and they will remain there until the last species in the universe stops thinking of anything other than the here and now, the moment where all dreams have finally died."
"Okay I can respect that," said an embarrassed Xander. "Could you do me a favor though? If any of my friends come here could you not tell them about the imagined videos, I really don't feel like living out the rest of my natural life in a coma."
Lucien gave a small smile at the pleading tone in Xanders voice. "Fear not, if your friends should ever come I will endeavor to direct their inquiries else where."
"Thanks I appreciate it," said Xander as he stopped by a large set of doors.
Lucien simply continued to smile, "Well I've taken you as far as I can. Those doors will lead you to the throne room. It will be up to you to convince Dream to bring back your friend and you alone. Good luck."
With that Lucien began to walk back down the corridor, leaving Xander to face the monarch of this strange realm. For a moment Xander felt fear, standing before those great doors, Anya's voice ringing in his head, telling him that his mission will kill him, and for a fraction of the moment Xander wondered if it was too late to turn back. Then the moment had passed and Xander opened the doors and walked into the throne room.
When he entered the throne room, Xander was almost overwhelmed by how vast it was. There sitting in a throne fit for a king in the middle of the room was a being that could only be Dream of the Endless, though not the Dream Xander was expecting.
The Dream that sat before Xander had some things in common with the Dream that was featured in the tomes that Xander had read. This Dream still appeared to be tall and young, about Xanders own age and only had softly glowing lights set in pools of black instead of eyes, a precious stone hung around his neck, but that was where the similarities ended. The Dream in the tomes was dark and brooding draping himself with black. This Dream was dressed in white and serenity came off him in waves, a stark contrast to what he was before.
"Greetings Xander, it is nice that you have finally arrived," said Dream as he rose from his throne.
"Hi," said Xander. "I had heard that you had changed after you died but I must admit this wasn't what I was expecting."
"Perhaps I was more in keeping with your conceptions boy?" said a voice directly behind Xander.
Xander spun around to face Dream as he appeared in every tome that has ever been written about him. His dark hair and clothes a sharp contrast against his marble white skin. His face appeared to be chiseled in a permanent frown, and Xander wondered if a smile had ever crossed that face in the billon trillion that had passed after the big bang.
"Two of you? But I... How can… I never… And once again I say huh?"
The Dream in white simply smiled and said, "Fear not I am the only true Dream here. This simply shows me as I was before I died. People still remember me this way and so they dream of me this way. In time those that remember will pass to my sisters realm or they will begin forget what I once was. As it stands it will only be a few short millennia before what I was completely dies."
"Okay, that makes sense, I think," said Xander after he recovered enough to talk. "I suppose that you know why I came here?"
"Yes," replied Dream. "It is a great thing you ask for. Everything passes from this plan to the next. Even we that call ourselves the Endless will someday feel the embrace of our sister, so tell me why I should give your friend more than her allotted time? What argument could you make what gift could you give me to do this thing."
Xander though long and hard about his answer before going with the strange knowledge that has guided him to this point, "A name."
"I have no need for names Xander. I am Dream, that is enough."
"But that wasn't always the case, was it Daniel?"
Dream raised an eyebrow and the lights in the dark pits that should be eyes shone brighter. "While I would be interested to know how you knew that name, the name its self is useless. All that was mortal was burned out of me."
Xander simply gave a lopsided smirk and said, "You are the combination of the dreams of everything in the universe, you will always be part mortal because we are mortal. My advice is to stop being Dream every now and then and just be Daniel.
"After all we mortals have dreams to escape into so we can recharge ourselves. You can't do that so just be what you were when you need to escape. It will help you stay on the right track in the long run."
"Once I gave an emperor of your world much the same advice you have given me. It served him well and I believe that it will serve me well. For giving me this you may have my vote to bring back your friend. Now continue on your journey, with my blessings and my thanks."
And with those words, Xander woke up.
