The Archer

Giles stammered, "How-how do you-u k-know t-t-that?"

"I read a lot," said Xander, "On the eighteenth birthday, correct?"

"…Yes, on Buffy's and Faith's."

"Hmm…you're not doing it, you know that, right?"

"Xander, it is the will of the Council. I'll hate doing it, but I have no choice. If I don't, then they can have me killed…along with the rest of you."

"Then you won't do it alone. I have a game face and I can confuse people's vision, wish myself away. I guarantee that in two weeks, I'll know how to make myself dust."

"We'll have to let Buffy in on this. If she isn't aware, then she might end up killing you beforehand."

"She'll be made aware, Giles. I can see it already."

When Xander entered the little club known as the Bronze, the first thing he searched for was Faith. He felt her the second he walked inside, and he was pleased with what he felt. She had meditated all day, and she was relaxed, almost as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

The second thing he noticed was her clothing. She was dressed in brown pants and a plain, black shirt that showed off her curves without being offensive to those stuffy ones…like Giles. Speaking of, Giles was behind him, looking lost…which he truly was.

"Where is she, Xander," asked the British man.

"Right there," said Xander as he pointed at the table she was sitting at.

"What," asked Giles, "That's not her! She's too…wait."

"Come on, Giles," said Xander.

Xander lead Giles through the crowd to Faith's table. When she saw, or felt him, if her training was going well, she stood up and hugged him. He knew it was nothing more than that, but Giles didn't.

"Xander," he said, "I thought you were merely her trainer."

"He is," said Faith, the normal sneer away from her voice, "And it needs to remain that way."

Giles stared at her for a moment, then sat down next to the two teenagers.

"So," said Xander, "Is everything going well?"

"Righter than rain," said Faith, "I feel so…calm. By the way, I thought you weren't going to tell him?"

"I wasn't," answered Xander, "Then I read a little bit from one of the Watcher's journals. And speaking of, Giles…"

"Yes," said Giles, "Speaking of…Faith, are you aware of what is supposed to happen on your eighteenth birthday?"

"Yeah," she answered, "It's not right to do that, the Council, but I still got a year left. But, I feel sorry for B. She's got to go through that in, what, a little under a month, right?"

"Yes," answered Xander, "But Giles and I have a plan to make it towards where she knows about the test…and has an edge."

Faith and Xander were walking through the park that evening. They weren't speaking, weren't even thinking, just moving. Their spirits seemed to cast a light to each other. One said, 'Fear Nothing,' the other said, 'Fear All.' As the two walked, the sounds of a fight could be heard a little ways away. Neither did anything about it, for they both knew that Buffy was handling it. She needed no help. It was when they heard a voice around the playground that they felt help was needed. They shared a quick nod, then took off running.

When they arrived at the playground, the first thing they saw was Mrs. Summers. She was staring down at the bodies of two…children? Xander and Faith scowled at the bodies. They both sensed that something was off with them. Xander crouched down over the body of the blond boy. He stretched out with his senses and felt…fear, anger, and hatred, but none of it was coming off the body. It was all coming to the body. All four parts of his soul were screaming that this is wrong.

Xander stood and drew an arrow from his quiver and loaded it into his longbow. He ignored Joyce's protests and took aim at the boy's heart. He drew it back and waited for a second. Then, the bodies opened their eyes. They stood and looked at him with hatred. Then, they looked to Joyce.

"Save us from the bad girls and boys," they said as one.

Xander stretched out and used the ice crystal to freeze the two to the ground. They tried to move, but found that they couldn't. Xander drew back his arrow and let it sing. Immediately, the two disappeared and then reappeared after the arrow flew past them, embedding itself into a tree. He stopped the flames before they could do harm. The two then glared at him, then turned to each other. They hugged and then seemed to mold into each other. They grew and shook and became jelly. Then, they stood up. Whatever it was, it was huge, ugly, and had fangs and a mere loin cloth covering itself up. Xander didn't turn to Faith, Mrs. Summers, or Buffy who had just joined the battle.

"Faith," said Xander, "Hold her back."

He could see, just out the corner of his eye, Faith struggling to keep Buffy away. Joyce, or Mrs. Summers as he should call her, was backing away back to her daughter. Xander let his game face come out. He could sense Buffy stop, and then feel her dismay, fear, and anger at what she thought he was. He drew another arrow and loaded it into his longbow, took aim, then let it sing…straight into the heart of the demon that was charging at him. Another lullaby for his heart, ending with a grunt. The fire and flame from his arrow consumed the creature, sending it into the fires which had created it.

He walked over to the tree and pulled his arrow out, then retrieved the other arrow from the ashes of the demon. He turned to the three women and stared at the two blondes. Buffy wasn't doing anything, but Joyce, or Mrs. Summers (Just pick a name, he thought), was saying something to him.

"Oh My God," she said, "It's…Xander!"

"Faith," screamed Buffy, "Let me go! I have to kill him before he kills someone else!"

"Let her go, Faith," said Xander.

Faith did as he asked, but hung close by just in case. Buffy charged forward with her stake well in hand, then proceeded to drive it to his chest. Before she slammed it through his heart, Xander caught her arm and picked her up over his head. She struggled to get loose, but found his grip too powerful. He sat her down on the swings and froze her to the spot. She struggled and shivered against her icy bonds, but found them too strong. When she quit, she looked him straight in the eye.

"Xander," she whispered, "I'm sorry. Who did this to you?"

Xander remained silent, but let his game face slip off. He wordlessly took his quiver, bow, swords, and stakes off, then set them all in a pile. He shared a look with Faith, and she came over to him.

"Now we tell her," she whispered.

"Yes," he answered.

Xander and Faith took a seat on the grass in front of Buffy, with…Mrs. Summers leaning on the monkey bars for support.

"What are you doing, Faith," said Buffy, "Kill him!"

"Why," asked Faith, "You didn't kill Angel."

"That was different," she said.

"How," asked Faith, "Angel was evil and a vampire. Xander's supposedly evil and a vampire. What's the difference?"

"Angel's different," Buffy exclaimed, "I loved him."

"Don't you love me," asked Xander.

"…Yes," she answered, "But not in the same way."

"So," said Faith, "The rules change for those you feel are your lover, but they stay the same for your friends."

"…"

"Enough," said Xander, "I'm sick of this conversation. I hold no animosity towards Angel, I can see the difference now. Buffy, I want you to stretch out with your senses, then tell me what you feel."

Buffy glared at him but, seeing as how she was trapped, did as she was told. She sensed her mother, Faith, and…Xander's soul was different. He seemed like he was part him, part vampire, part animalistic, and part…something, something that felt familiar, but she couldn't distinguish. She looked him in the eye as the answer came to her.

"You're possessed," she said, "Don't worry, Xander. We'll help you. We'll find a way to save you."

Xander smiled an evil smile at her. He turned to Faith and held out his hand. She grimaced slightly, but handed over a twenty.

"Remind me to get my money from Giles," he said.

"What," asked Buffy.

"He knows what I am," he said, "I bet both him and Faith that you would think I was possessed and would try to rid me of my spirits."

"If Giles knows, why didn't he do it in the first place?"

"Because," said Faith, "He could tell that Xander, while there was still more of him, was still Xander."

"That's just idiotic," said Buffy, "He's not Xander! How could he be?"

"Because," said Xander, "I'm not just Xander. I'm also part vampire," he said as he flipped into game face, "part hyena," he let his hyena part show in his eyes, "part soldier," he glared at her, a glare that only a soldier could give, " and part Xander," he said as he softened up.

"…How," she asked, bewildered.

"That is some story," said Xander, "But, before I start it, why don't we go see Giles?"

A/N: During the part about Faith and Xander walking through the woods, I mentioned the light they gave off. One said 'Fear Nothing,' the other said 'Fear All.' Which one of the two fears everything? Which one of the two fears nothing? I already know. What's your opinion?