Dragon's Blood
Chapter 1: Wake in Fright
A loud bang woke Angel from his deep slumber and he found himself staring at his worse nightmare, Spike making kissy faces.
Spike appeared to be in the middle of an erotic dream he kept squirming about murmuring something about luvy, or luffy, no wait it was Buffy.
Angel gave him a sharp kick to wake him up; it just seemed like the right thing to do.
"What the hell" Spike groaned "that bloody well hurt".
"Ssh, we've got visitors." Angel whispered "I heard a noise down stairs."
"And you figure it's more of our friends from last night" yawned Spike "you really have a way of pissing people off you know."
"Okay I'll go get Gunn, you go wake Wesley and Illyria."
"If I'm lucky" he muttered under his breath "You'll piss her off and she'll put your head through the door."
They gathered at the lift door, a jumble of sounds drifted up from below and Charles pushed the button.
"So what's the plan" he hissed as they waited for the doors to open.
"We go down, we kill the invaders and then we get breakfast" replied Illyria.
"Works for me" said Wesley, Angel and Spike nodded in unison as they all climbed aboard.
With a creak and a groan the elevator slowly lowered the Fang Gang into the unknown.
When doors slide open, Illyria went to pounce at the nearest intruder but the rest of the gang wrestled her to the floor first shouting "Wait they're friends".
Buffy looked down at the tangled mess of arms and legs that had fallen out of the elevator.
"Long time, no see Spike" she said recognizing a familiar bleach blonde hair do "I think you've got some explaining to do.
Chapter 2: Spike explains it all
Spike was in his element; a gaggle of love struck slayers sat at his feet in the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel listening in awe to very word he spoke. Some had been there for the final battle in Sunnydale but most had only heard stories of him. Stories of his century long doomed romance with Drusilla, how when he fell in love with the slayer, he fought to regain his soul to show his devotion only to valiantly sacrifice himself to save his beloved and the world. In their hearts and minds he was the embodiment of romance, a heady combination of Captain Jack Sparrow, Jack Dawson and Aragorn.
"So there we woz" he started "stuck in a dank little alley behind the remains of the Wolfram and Hart building".
"Just me, Little Girl Blue, the Pounce and young Gunn here, with half his guts hanging out"
"We had just taken down the Circle of the Black Thorn the most diabolically evil organization in the entire world."
"All we wanted to do was to catch our breath, those of us that breathed and lick our wounds in peace."
"But no the Dark Powers were not happy at what we had done, not happy at all and they had other plans."
"Plans that included ripping open the gates of Hell and unleashing a demon army headed by a fire-breathing dragon on upon us."
"Outnumbered a thousand to one all seem lost when I turned to."
"Actually we were only outnumbered 166.5 to 1 by demons" interjected Illyria "or 190.28 to 1 if you take in account that Charles was almost dead".
"Listen Baby Blue who's telling this story" snapped Spike "you may know a dozen ways to kill a G'kral, but you know bugger all about story telling".
"People expect you to exaggerate" he explained "it makes things more interesting and exciting, now where was I".
"You were being attacked by hordes of demons" piped up one of his admirers.
"Thank you my little nibblet" he reply risking a furious glare from Dawn for using her pet name on somebody else.
"Then I turned to his Nibs," he said pointing to Angel
"And say "What now?"
"And he goes "I've always wanted to kill a dragon" like he's bloody St. George or something."
"Well he didn't have long to wait because the monstrous beast spread its leathery wings and rose high into the night spraying flame everywhere."
Spike demonstrated this with his now rather tatty black leather coat.
"It hovered for a moment blocking out the stars, just enough time to get a fix on us and then it swooped down for the kill."
Chapter 3: Puff the Tragic Dragon
Spike paused for effect before continuing; "You know there is something they forget to tell you in all them fairytales about dragons."
"Oh they mention the scary teeth, the sharp claws, the wings, the scales and the breathing fire bit."
"But what they forget to say is that dragons are stupid, very, very stupid probably why you don't see too many around anymore."
"You see we're in this alley with barely enough room for the four of us to stand a breast and this beastie has the wing span of the bloody Concord."
"But its got just one thing on it little pea brain kill, kill, kill."
"Then KA THUMP it hits seven stories of bricks and mortar reality."
"Sure we had to dodge a bit falling concrete but it was damn worth it to see the Lizard King do a Bowie and fall to earth."
"Old Puff comes crashing down into the pavement with both wings shattered and then the side of the building falls on him."
"Oh, but he's still alive waving his head out of a pile of rubble to spit fire at yours truly."
"Not only that but the hordes of Hell are clambering over him, they just can't wait to try out their shiny new slice and dice equipment on the Fang Gang."
"Well, we battle back and forth, up and down that alley until we woz knee deep in blood, an gore and body parts"
"Yet still they came, pushing us back to the very mouth of the alley."
"Then Gunn goes down, the bugger had put up a great fight, Illyria goes ballistic, charging in on her own and ends up under a pile of demons."
"Things were looking pretty grime when Captain Broody here grabs a fallen broad sword yells out "Wagner" and charges towards the dragons head."
"I think this is some new war cry so I scream "Beethoven" and follow him in."
"Good thing too, because one of the dead bodies he's stomping over isn't quite dead and jumps up."
"Mr Playing Possum is just about to skewer our great hero when yours truly separates his skull from his shoulder blades."
Chapter 4: Chop, Chop, Fizz, Fizz
"Hey, I could have killed him before he even had a chance to throw that spear" protested a grumpy Angel, only to find him-self being shushed at by the slayers.
"That's right quiet in the cheap seats or we'll have you tossed out " retorted Spike.
"But it's my hotel" pouted Angel before going back to giving dark and broody looks at Nina.
Spike continued, "Angel then turns and goes "Remember Siegfried" and I goes "he the one eaten by the tiger."
"But before he had a chance to reply the bleeding dragon spits a jet of flame that sets his hair gel alight and melts his pretty boy face."
"Right gruesome he was too, made Freddy Kruger look like Freddy Prinz."
"Well, nobody messes with the big fellow's hair, and he's pissed off, slashing and hacking with his sword until he final decapitates the critter."
"Anyway there's this big fountain of blood squirting out of what's left of the dragons neck and Angel's just staying getting soaked in it and laughing."
"I figured losing his looks had finally made him go all loopy then I see his face is back to its normal poxy self and all his wounds are all healed."
"Well Spike, I say to myself it looks like it is shower time and I leap into the spray."
"Sure enough, as soon as I'm covered in dragons' blood my wounds close up and I'm brimming with energy, ready to take on the foe."
"It was just like old times me and Angel side by side, covered in blood throwing demons into walls, smashing their skulls in, ripping off limbs and tearing out their guts."
"Ah such happy memories" said Spike with an air of wistfulness.
"Soon we had dragged all the demons off Illyria and slaughtered them."
"There she was lying half dead, battered and blue, well bluer then she normally is."
"I grab her and Angel picks up Charlie who is still hanging in there just and we give them that special magic blood bath."
"Soaked in the dragon's blood, we're all back in the game, over its putrid carcase we clamber and take the battle to the doors of Hell."
Chapter 5: Is nothing new?
"It was amazing, they'd stick a blade in me and I would pull it out and stick right back in them."
"The buggers didn't stand a chance, we were invincible, you ain't seen nothing like it."
"Actual" interrupted Wesley "it sounds a lot like the mayor before his Ascension."
"Yea" said Xander "it was so cool, the G-man stuck a sword right through him and he just pull it out, cool but very scary."
"Hey!" Growled Spike "Enough with the interruptions you weren't there Cyclopes and you were dead four eyes."
'So if Wes was dead, how come he's here now?" asked Oz.
"I was just getting to that part, if people would stop with the interruptions."
"Okay when you can't die and the other side can, things change fairly quickly, soon it had gone from a 100 on 1, to 20 on 1, to one on one."
"Now Illyria's last man standing was this hulking great ogre armed with a huge battle axe."
"He makes a run towards her before throwing himself completely at her clutching it"
"She holds up a hand in front and suddenly he stops, suspended in mid air, she wrenches the weapon from his grasp and chops his head off."
"Then she bolts back to the dragons body, cracks opens it ribs, tosses the axe aside, reaches in, rips out its heart, shoves it under her arm like a bleedin rugby ball and dashes off into the night"
"Leaving us three blokes are left to finish the job off, just in time for the heavens to open up."
"We staggered out from that a cursed alley, brothers in arms, baptised in blood, washed clean by the rain and there, coming towards us was Wes and Illyria."
"Turns out she had realised her old powers were coming back, then used them to resurrect Wesley and fix him up with the blood of the dragons heart"
"With the fighting all done and the blood washed off, we woz buggered so we headed back to the Hyperion to crash for the night." He finished.
Chapter 6: It's a weird world
"Wow, I could do with some of this dragons blood" exclaimed Xander as he lift his patch, popped out his glass eye, polished it and put it back in.
"You said you liked the eye I gave you" pouted Willow.
"The eye's great Will, it's just the seeing the evil that lurks in the hearts of men part that takes a little getting use to" replied Xander "I know you meant well doing your mojo on it but it's still freaky"
"Say what is it with the whiter then white aura you two dead boys now have and how come smurfette's aura keeps flashing?" asked Xander.
"My name is Illyria" she said menacingly "and there were some side effects caused to us by the blood."
"Um" said Giles "could one be so bold as to ask what these side effects were?"
"I can answer that" said Angel glad to get the spotlight "It seems that both Spike and I are now human."
"What!" exclaimed Spike "how do you know that?"
"Well" Angel calmly explained "There's the whole reflection thing, plus you were so taken by the sound of you own voice you didn't notice you've been standing it direct sunlight for the last ten minutes."
"I'm not sure why I am human as I did kind of sign away my soul to join the Circle of the Black Thorn."
"Ah but the contract you signed gave your soul to the Circle, but now as the only surviving member of the circle you have control all of its assets, one which is your soul" said Gunn.
"Wow, it seems I still know all this legal mumbo jumbo if anyone needs a lawyer"
"How does that explain Illyria's changing aura" queried Wesley.
"When I called back your soul I also dragged back another." she said "that of the one you call Fred now also inhabits this body!"
"She fights me for control of it even now."
"Show me her now" demanded Wesley his voice tinged with angry.
The familiar blue of Illyria faded away to reveal Fred who fell into Wesley's arms.
"Wow Wesley" Faith said with a grin "You're dating twins, kind of, I didn't know you had it in you big fellow."
Chapter 7: Splitting hers
The reunion was shot lived as Illyria attempted to regain control of the body, but Fred fought back. For several minutes those in the room witnessed the human form switch back and forth from Fred to Illyria getting ever more rapid in the change. Finally it was just flickered like an old TV, their physical being could not take the strain and collapsed to the floor.
"No" cried Wesley cradling the limp body in his arms "you have to stop this or you will kill yourself".
"I think I may have a solution" piped up Willow rummaging in her bag. "Here we are" she said as she produced a strange glowing pink crystal on a chain "it's called a soul stone" "Got it from a shaman in Brazil you use it to see the soul of the recently deceased, but I think can tweek a bit"."Charza borkdhea spiroci"
The crystal turned a deep red, she draped the necklace around Illyria/Freds neck, the air shimmered and two split.
Fred blinked and opened her eyes Illyria did the same "What's going on?" they both asked.
"The stones power gives the spirit a visual form so while one of you is corporeal the other can still be seen and heard you can then both turns with the body."
"Wow a timeshare body whatever next" said Dawn
'Well I would like to know why everyone suddenly turned up here at the Hyperion?" quizzed a puzzled Angel.
"We got a drunken message on the answering machine from someone spouting poetry and a coming apocalypse" said Buffy.
"Oz is my sponsor at Werewolves Anonymous so I had to tell him I was planning to leave town shrugged" Nina protested.
"I just rang Faith in Cleveland and asked her to keep Anne and the street kids honest she must have guessed something big was up" replied Gunn
Illyria was next "It was not was to go into battle without back up and knew from the memories of Fred of a powerful witch so sent her a message in her dreams."
"Wesley's father contacted me, said he had a strange call from him and asked if I knew what he was up to" Giles informed them.
"Doesn't anyone who works for me know how to keep a secret" exclaimed Angel
"Hey Dead Boy" said Xander "who got Harmony to fedexed their last Will and Testament to me in Africa?"