Chapter 12

Surprise

Sweat poured down, Xander's forehead as he ducked under a rainbow kick by his adversary. He had been training under Trish's father for over a week now, but whoever he got to spar against him today was very skilled. In fact Thomas had taken it upon his own, to invite the whole Scooby Gang, even Deadboy, Giles, Jonathan, and Miss Calendar to train under him in his dojo.

Xander didn't however know who the mystery girl was though. She was dressed in a black ninja outfit, complete with mask, but her movements seemed so familiar. He decided to take it easy on her at first because it was a girl, but after the first few minutes of practice fighting, he had to take his skills up to the next level. He didn't use any of his demonic power, because he wanted a fair fight, but he had to admit that several times he was tempted to use them.

Ducking under another high kick, he was completely unprepared for when she dropped down on the floor and did a leg sweep on him, sending him sprawling to the floor. Before he could stand to his feet she positioned herself beside him and planted her foot firmly on his chest.

"Enough." Thomas said calmly as he walked up to them. The ninja then, took her foot off of Xander's chest and bowed to Thomas and then the, now standing form of Xander. "You did excellent." Thomas said to the ninja making her bow to him again.

"Who are you?" Xander asked as his friends, of whom were all wearing matching white training uniforms, came up behind him.

"Come on dweeb." the ninja said as she took off her mask. "I can't believe you couldn't figure out who I was."

"You've gotta be kidding me." Xander said in awe.

"Cordelia?" Buffy asked. "That was...unexpected."

"But when...how?" Xander started.

"Cordelia and my daughter have been getting close for almost a month now." Thomas started to explain. And Xander knew that. He knew that they would always go shopping together and hang out sometimes, but this. "Cordelia came to my home one day and saw me practicing, in aikido and the art of the ninja and she told me to train her."

"But this just doesn't make any sense." Giles interjected. "How could Cordelia learn those moves in such a short amount of time?"

"I wish, I could take credit for just being a good teacher, but Cordelia is a natural." Thomas said as he walked around Cordy and put his hand on her shoulder. "In all seriousness because of her training as a cheerleader, she would make an excellent ninja or an assassin. She already has the balance and the coordination, she just needed someone to bring out the natural warrior in her."

"And it seems as though you've succeeded." Giles said with a smile towards Cordelia. "Isn't that right, Xander?" he asked as he clapped his hand on Xander's aching shoulder, making him wince.

"Yeah." Xander said as he rubbed at his shoulder. And Xander should have known that it was Cordelia. When they had to battle with those symbiotes, he did see that Cordelia was fighting fairly well. She wasn't the strongest out of the group, but she did surprise him from time to time.

"Alright, Mr. Giles, you and Jonathan are up now. Then after you two are done I want to see, Buffy vs. Trish, Willow vs. Miss Calendar, Kendra vs. Angel, and then Oz vs. myself. And remember people this is just practice, so I can see what your natural fighting skills are, so we can work on them from there. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sensai." everyone seemed to say in unison. As Giles and Jonathan stepped up onto the mat, Xander pulled Cordelia, Miss Calendar, and Willow off to the side.

"Did you guys make the reservations at the Bronze for later on tonight?" he asked in a whisper.

"For the hundreth time, yes." Cordelia told him in annoyance. "Besides your mom and Buffy's mom are down there now, getting the decorations prepared."

"I'm sorry." Xander said as he walked past her to look at Kendra and Buffy, who were watching Jonathan get tossed around by Giles on the large blue mat. "I just want tonight to go perfectly for Buffy's and Kendra's surprise birthday party." he had found out from Giles, that the Council didn't have a sufficient amount of information on Kendra and a few other potentials. They did however find out that her birth date was some time in January.

After talking to Kendra, she told him that she never celebrated her birthday and didn't see it as important anyway. He knew in his heart that both girls believed that they wouldn't, live for long, and that thought broke his heart. But as he promised himself, he was going to make sure that they had a long and happy life and he was going to make sure that they enjoyed those days.

"We know how you feel Xander." Miss Calendar said as she put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "And believe me we all want the same thing for them."

Ahriman's Mansion

Demons of all shapes, colors, and sizes walked into a large dimly lit room, all carrying wooden boxes. Dumping them at the foot of a throne the demons dissappeared, in a cloud of black smoke.

"And just why is it, that they're bringing those boxes in here?" Buffy/First asked as she looked back and forth from her brother Ahriman and then at the demons laying the boxes down on the floor.

"It was going to be a surprise, but since you want to know..." he replied, leaning against a wall, as one of the little shadow cat demons walked up to him and handed him a box. "this is for you." he said as he opened the box.

"You really know what to get a girl, bro." Buffy/First said with a roll of her eyes. "A big funky blue arm. Yeah that's what every girl in California really wants."

"How little you seem to remember." Ahriman said as he opened the box further. "Take a closer look."

"It's...you didn't." Buffy/First said as her eyes widened. "Where did you get all of the pieces from?"

"All over the world." he said as he closed the box. "You see, I've figured out a ritual to make you corporeal again."

"How the hell does the Judge figure into all of that?" she asked in awe over her older sibling.

"Do you remember the legend about him?" Ahriman asked as he closed the box.

"Yeah, he convicts the righteous and burns the humanity out of them."

"Exactly, you see when someone good and pure dies there's a shift in the reality that you're in and you become corporeal for a millisecond."

"Yeah, so." Buffy/First said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So what I have planned is to, have the Judge burn everyone that's righteous and good in Sunnydale to give you that one second and then I'm going to take their souls. The balance of good and evil will then shift. And when that happens..." he started as he sat the box down on the floor and sat at his throne. "I'm going to do a ritual and put those souls into the counter dimension that you're in and that..."

"Will make me corporeal." she finished for him.

"Exactly. I sent some of your bringers and some vampires out to retrieve the last box and the book we'll need for the ritual. I would have just opened up a portal and sent them here, but relics like that are highly dangerous. They could have been destroyed on the transport."

"If it wasn't for the fact that I hate you, I'm incorporeal, and that you're my brother, I would kiss you." The First said with a grin.

"Well then get prepared to pucker-up baby." Ahriman said with a smile. "Because you're gonna be a real girl soon."

Later that night

Sunnydale High

The door to the library swung open and a very confused looking Buffy walked in and spotted Kendra sitting at a table.

"Did, Giles call you here too?" Buffy asked as she walked fully into the room and sat next to her.

"Yes, with a cryptic message." Kendra informed her.

"That's so not like Giles."

"Buffy." a voice called out behind them, making both of them jump.

"Oh, my God," Buffy said startled. "I didn't see you there."

"Sorry." Miss Calendar said with a smile. "Um, Giles wanted me to tell you that there's been a change of plans. Uh, he wants you two to meet him someplace near his house 'cause he had to run home and get a book or something."

" 'Cause heaven knows there aren't enough books in the library." Buffy quipped.

"Uh, he's... very thorough." Jenny added.

"Oh, which is not to bag. It's kind of manly in an obsessive- compulsive kind of way, don't you think?" she asked Kendra, who just nodded her head.

"Mm-hm. Um, you know, my car's here. Why don't I drive you two?"

"Okay." Buffy replied as she and Kendra stood and walked to the door. Jenny watched them go a few steps and then followed.

Minutes later

"Are we goin' to the Bronze?" Buffy asked as she took in her surroundings from Jenny's Beetle.

"I'm not sure." Jenny replied casually. "Giles gave me an address. I'm just following his directions." she said as they rounded a corner. Peering out the window Buffy saw something going on up ahead. Something just didn't feel right, and looking over at her sister Slayer, she knew that she felt it too.

"This looks funky. Stop for a sec." Buffy said as she saw a truck parked in an adjacent loading area. A Bringer jumped off of the truck bed while another walked across the loading dock.

"No, Buffy, maybe you shouldn't." Jenny said as she stopped the car anyway.

"Sorry. Sacred duty, yada yada yada." She said as she and Kendra got out of the car to investigate.

"What is this?" Jenny asked herself with a sigh, as she leaned her head on her hand. As she looked out of her car window she saw Buffy walk up and stop by the cab.

The truck's engine suddenly started, making Buffy reach for the door handle. With the book of lost souls in hand, the bringers made a hasty escape. With a nod to Buffy, Kendra went to follow them. As Buffy watched Kendra sprint off, the truck door swung open and a vampire kicked out at her, hitting her on the arm, but not hard. She grabbed for him and pulled him out of the cab and onto the ground.

The vampire got up from the pavement, and Buffy punched him, knocking him back down again. Backing up toward the truck to get around him, a third vampire standing in the bed grabbed her by the jacket and lifted her up, putting her in a full Nelson hold. Tapping into her Slayer strength she pushed him back into a large box, stunning him and making him let go of his hold. Snapping her head back, she head-butted him hard, just as the other vampire climbed onto the truck bed. She punched him, turned and punched the one behind her, turned and punched the other one again, then kicked him in the chest, making him fall and roll over a crate. She blocked a swing from the one behind her, grabbed his arm and shoved his head into the crate.

Meanwhile inside the Bronze.

Angel peeked out from behind a pillar and looked around. "Where are they?" he asked as the others peek out from behind the pool table and look up at him.

"Shhh!" Willow glared at him. "I think I hear them coming."


Buffy punched one of the wooden bed retainers and broke off a piece. She jammed it into one of the vampires' chests, and he burst into ashes. The other grabbed her from behind, lifted her up and carried her onto the loading dock. He threw her hard at a door and she hit it and rolled away.


The gang now heard the fighting going on outside and looked toward a window, just as Buffy and the vampire come crashing through and hit the floor. Everyone gets up to look, as Buffy scrambled to her feet and kicked the vampire as he came for her. He stumbled back a few steps, as the others come closer to see. Looking for a weapon Buffy grabbed a drumstick from a drum set, spun around with it, and thrust it into the vampire's chest making it explode into ashes.

Cordelia suddenly jumped up from behind the pool table with her arms raised high. "Surprise!" she yelled out, making everybody look at her funny.

With a wince, Buffy jumped down off of the stage, as the others ran up to her.

"Buffy are you alright?" Joyce and Angel asked at the same time, making Joyce eye him suspiciously.

"Yeah, I'm fine... there were some..." she stopped as she looked around and saw the decorations, food, and cake. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, um..it's a surprise party for you and Kendra." Giles answered as he blew a party favor.

"Speaking of Kendra where is she?" Miss Harris asked.

"I'm right here." Kendra said as she walked through the door, carrying a heavy box with Miss Calendar right behind her carrying an almost equally heavy book.

"Hey can somebody give me a hand here." Jenny asked. Angel and Giles then took the book from her, as Xander and Oz grabbed the box from Kendra and layed it on the table.

" 'The Book of Lost Souls." Giles read the title of the book out loud. "If this is what I think it is, then I must inform the Council immediately of it's existance."

"I'm more worried about this." Buffy indicated the box. "What is it?"

"I have no idea." Giles said as he put the book down. "Can, can it be opened?"

"Yeah." Buffy said looking the box over. "This looks like a release right here." She said while working the latch and opening the box. Inside of it was an arm clad in armor. Buffy looked over at Giles in disgust, just as the arm raised up, grabbed Buffy by the throat and began choking her.

Buffy struggled with the arm and with quick action Angel tried to help pull it off of her. Between them they got it off, and Angel stuffed it back into the box while Buffy stepped back and tried to catch her breath. Giles slammed the lid shut, as Angel helped the coughing Buffy to the side.

"Well, clearly the Hellmouth's answer to 'what do you get the Slayer who has everything?'" Xander joked as everyone glared at him.

"Good heavens. Buffy, are you all right?" Giles asked as he and Joyce approached her.

"Man, that thing had major grip." Buffy wheezed out.

"W-what was that?" Joyce asked nervously.

"It-it's a legend..." Angel spoke up. "way before my time... of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity... separate the righteous from the wicked... and to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge."

"The Judge?" Giles asked. "This is he?"

"Not all of him." Angel replied with another look towards the box.

"Um, still needing backstory here." Buffy said as she raised her hand.

"Um... He, he, he couldn't be killed, yes?" Giles asked with a glance towards Angel. "Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died... but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but, uh... not kill him."

"The pieces were scattered... buried in every corner of the Earth." Angel continued.

"So all these parts are being brought here." Jenny reasoned.

"By Spike." Buffy informed them. " The vamps outside were Spike's men and plus those creepy monks were there too. This must be why he hasn't been around."

"No he's just not crazy enough to do it." Angel told him. And he would know because he had trained him personally. Maybe his alter-ego Angelus or Drusilla would want to do something like that but not Spike. He enjoyed life or his unlife to much.

"Do what, reassemble de Judge?" Kendra asked.

"And bring forth Armageddon."

"Is anybody else gonna have cake?" Cordelia asked as she and Jonathan walked over to the pool table.

"We need to get this out of town." Giles said, ignoring Cordelia.

"Angel." Miss Calendar whispered as she looked over at him. It was now or never to try to split them up.

"What?" Buffy asked as she looked between them.

"You have to do it. You're the only one that can protect this thing."

"What about me?" Buffy asked worriedly at what Miss Calendar was saying.

"What, you're just gonna skip town for a few months?" Jenny asked.

" 'Months'?" Buffy asked with raised eyebrows.

"She's right." Angel agreed. "I gotta get this to the remotest region possible."

"But that's not months."

"I gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal..."

"You know, those newfangled flying machines really are much safer than they used to be." Buffy interrupted.

"I can't fly. There's no sure way to guard against the daylight. I-I-I don't like this any more than you do, Buffy. But there's no other choice." Angel said defeated.

"When?" Buffy asked with a tear in her eye.

"Tonight. As soon as possible."

"But it's my birthday."

"Come on, I'll drive you two to the docks." Joyce said getting their attention. She really wanted to know how close Buffy and Angel were now, because she wanted to put an end to it. According to Giles, Angel was a vampire and a very old one at that.

"I feel sad for dem." Kendra whispered to Xander as she watched Buffy, Joyce, and Angel walk out of the door.

"Don't be." Xander said shocked to hear Kendra say that. She had come a long way from hating Angel, much like he still did. To be honest he never liked Angel, but he made Buffy happy. "Now come on birthday girl." he said grabbing her hand. "Let's open up some of your presents."

"Me birthday?" Kendra asked giving him a look. "You did all dis for me?"

"And for Buffy." Xander clarified. "I had Giles to look into your file and see when your birthday was. They didn't have the actual date, but only the month."

"Open my present first." Cordelia said as she presented Kendra with a huge pink box. Kendra smiled to herself as she read the tag 'Kendra Harris' before she tore into the box.


Ahriman paced in the living room area of his mansion, with a permenate scowl on his face. He had waited for a very long time for his plans to come together, but being on earth again made him very impatient. Everything moved fast and time seemed as though it were nothing.

"You know if you keep pacing like that, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor." Buffy/First observed as she watched her brother walk back and forth.

"They're late." he grumbled as he stopped pacing and put his hand behind his back.

"You really care about me don't you?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"When I... Mundus..." he corrected himself. "takes over this world, I want you at my side. It'll be just like the good old days."

"Boss! Boss!" one of Spike's vampires screamed as he ran into the room. "I was spying on the Slayers like you asked me too. They have the book and the box."

"What!" Ahriman growled.

"I also heard that they're gonna ship, the box out of the country. They should be at the docks now."

"Alright, sister send your Harbringers to the docks." Ahriman said as he walked to the door. "I'm going to retrieve the book."

"Ahriman, don't kill any of them." Buffy/First called after her brother. "You know that they are vital to our plan."

"I know." he grumbled as he walked out of the door.


Kendra was very pleased with all of the gifts that she had recieved so far. She got a makeup kit from Cordelia, a book of poetry from the gift Angel had left, a Babylon 5 boxset from Jonathan, some jewelry and perfume from Jenny, Joyce, and Jessica, some cd's of boy bands that she started to like from Willow and Oz, and a book of english literature from Giles.

"This is from me." Trish said as she handed her a pink box. "And this is from my father." she said as she handed her a rather large gift rapped in a brown tarp. Looking from gift to gift, Kendra settled with Trish's gift first. Opening it she saw that it was an outfit that she had been eyeing when the two went shopping together.

"Tank you." Kendra said as the two shared a quick hug.

"I'm glad you like it, now open my fathers present." Trish said excitedly. She knew that she was going to love this. After giving her a surprised look, Kendra did as she asked and opened the gift from Thomas Stone, and what she saw inside blew her breath away.

It was a silver sword almost identical to Rebellion, except that it had a smaller blade and had a red ruby embedded in the center of the hilt of it.

"Whoa." Xander said once he saw it. Everybody else seemed to share the same sentiment.

"It's..it's beautiful." Kendra stammered as she held the sword closer to herself and closed her eyes. She could feel so much power radiating off of it that it was overwhelming.

"My dad told me to tell you that he's sorry he couldn't make it." Trish told her bestfriend. "But he gave me the info on the sword, it's called..."

"Gemina." Kendra cut her off as she opened her eyes.

"Yeah." Trish replied as she gave her a stunned look." How did you know that?"

"Because it spoke to me." Kendra said as she started to twirl the sword around.

"Gemina...I believe that...that's greek for twin, am I correct?" he asked Trish.

"Yeah, it's a sword that my father had especially made for Ken. He said that it's a sister sword to Rebellion."

"Now that makes my gift look, like nothing." Xander muttered under his breath. Kendra heard his muttering and gave him a look.

"Whatever you have to give me, I'll love." Kendra told him once she pulled him off to the side. Giving her a smile, he took her by the hand.

"Alright, your present is outside in our moms car." he said as the both of the walked outside to the bronze. Walking up to the car he popped the trunk open and handed her a black box.

"I hope you like it." he said as she opened up her present. What she saw inside made a tear come to her eye. It was a golden framed picture of Buffy, Willow, himself, Trish, and Kendra. Everyone was smiling and it looked like they had a good time.

'And it was a good time.' Kendra thought to herself. It was a few weeks after Kendra had stayed with Xander and his...her mother. Just like Xander had promised he and the rest of the gang were at the park and he had taught her how to ride a bike. After she had learned how to do it, they had all posed for a picture. The rest of the day they had spent together playing games, getting Kendra caught up on the times, and watching old movies. It was one of the best days of Kendra's life.

"I don't like it." Kendra said, hot tears flowing down her cheeks. " I love it." she said as she dropped her sword and threw herself on him in a huge bear hug.

"I'm glad, but that's not all." Xander said as he reached into his pocket and handed her a beautiful silver locket. Opening it up, she saw a picture of herself on one side and a picture of him on the other. On the outside of it, it read in latin 'My sister's keeper.'

What Kendra didn't know was that he had it specially made for her. He went to several priests and even some mages, to put their blessings on it so it would protect her against powerful dark magics and curses. He had also had a similar one made for Buffy.

"Will you put it on me?" Kendra asked as she handed it to him and turned around. Working the clasp Xander put it on her, just as his cellphone started to ring. Letting Kendra collect her gifts he moved to the side and answered it, and immediately went pale.

"What is it?" Kendra asked as she saw the look on his face.

"It looks like you're gonna have to break in your sword tonight." Xander said as he hung up his mobile. "That was Buffy. Her and Angel were attacked and those creepy monks have the box."

"Do you tink, dey'll come after de book?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah." Xander said as he reached into the trunk again and pulled out his duster and Rebellion. "Now come on, let's tell Giles." swinging Rebellion on his back, the two ran back into the club.

"Giles, we have trouble." Xander yelled out to the man, who was in the middle of eating cake.

"You can say that again." a voice said behind them. Turning the gang saw a man that looked to be in his mid- twenties, wearing all black and a duster, with shoulder length raven hair. But just one look in his eyes and Xander knew exactly who it was.

"Lord Ahriman." Xander whispered as he reached behind him for Rebellion.

"In the flesh." Ahriman said with a slight bow. "Now I've come about a book."

TBC...

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