Title: Grand Destinies and Big Ole Portals

Series: Winter Tidings

Author: Jmaria

Rating: PG

Pairing: FfA #800 Buffy/Dar (Beastmaster)

Grand Destinies and Big Ole Portals

She'd been walking through the graveyard, patrolling like it was any other normal night. Stake at the ready, and - a serious lack of vamps. Buffy sighed heavily. The one night she was ready to do battle with the undead, and all of them had gone into hibernation. Was that the right word? Did vamps hibernate? Probably not. She leaned on the nearest tombstone. It was a fresh grave, and most likely a new vamp.

"Destiny sucks." Buffy pouted. She could be at home watching a new episode of the Real World, but no, she was waiting for a stupid-maybe-vampire to get it's butt out of it's grave.

The ground started shaking as a crackle of energy and lighting struck the ground just above the grave. Buffy jumped back, prepared to fight whatever was out there. The air was charged with bright white humming energy. The light got brighter and brighter before exploding loudly. Buffy was thrown back by the blast, and crashed heavily through the door of a nearby mausoleum.

"Oh, I'm gonna feel that for days." She groaned, pushing herself up.

Buffy stood in the doorway, staring at the scorched ground. In a circle of green grass, lay the body of a young man. Wearing only a loincloth and boots. With two ferrets in a bag, and a white staff. Buffy walked towards him cautiously. She was only a foot or so away from him when he coughed, gasping in huge amounts of air.

"Tao? Tao!"

"He's not here. Who are you?" Buffy demanded, stake raised. Don't look at the chest. She told herself.

"Dar." He murmured, pushing himself up off the ground. "Where is he? What have you done to him?"

"Nothing! I don't even know what he looks like." Buffy cried.

"Do you work for King Zad?"

"King who?" Buffy frowned. "What kind of name is that?"

"Who are you?" Dar demanded, rising to his feet. "Where am I?"

"Buffy - wait a second. You fell through a portal. At least, I think you fell through a portal. I mean, look at what you're wearing. You must have fallen through from old-timey wherever and landed here. In Sunnydale. . . which is here."

"What?"

"Ok, um - you're not demon-y are you?"

"No. I'm the beastmaster."

"Oh, well, I'm the slayer. I'm guessing this Zad is of the bad?" Buffy paused. "I didn't mean for that to rhyme. Just sorta happened."

"You kill people?"

"No, just demons, vampires, oh, and a hell god once. . ." Buffy lowered her stake. "So you master beasts?"

"No, I communicate with them."

"Nifty skills you got there."

"They come in handy."

"We should get out of the cemetery." Buffy said, noticing the vampire rising from its grave. "Just gotta do my job. 'Scuse me."

The vamp was dust within a matter of seconds. She turned to Dar and smiled brightly.

"Right, we better get you off the streets before you're arrested for indecent exposure."