Fine. You want more. Here.
I don't own anything from the Buffy-verse. Anything else I may have thought up, I might want to use somehow later. So I tentatively claim it now.
---Snip here to detach actual pre-story and story parts.---
Meeting, A Spirit Story
Sally was still trying to come to grips with the events of the past few moments.
She had been facing certain death at the hands of genuine monsters, when something had offered to help her, then it had entered her. Suddenly she found she was stronger, faster, more coordinated, and just, more, alive. She felt wonderful.
Her hand didn't even hurt anymore.
She raised it and looked at it, seeing clearly despite the surrounding darkness. Using her other hand, she gently scraped the dirt and dried blood off her palm, revealing smooth, unblemished skin beneath.
She blinked at that, opening and closing her hand, marveling at how in mere moments the abrasions and bruises she was sure had been caused by her impact with the branch had vanished, their only evidence the now removed blood which had flowed from the now missing wounds.
"I healed it" the voice in her head said softly, so as not to startle her.
"Looking around once more to see she was alone, she asked out loud, "Who are you? Where are you? And what are you, for that matter?"
There was a soft laugh in her mind, "All good questions. Questions I was recently asking myself. Going backwards, I am a spirit. Of that much I am sure. At present, I am in you, and we are in a cemetery in San Francisco. As for who I am, I suppose I need a name. Call me, Xan. It's not the name a part of me once had, but it is a part of it, so it feels right that a part of his name become my own."
Sally stopped walking, "His? You mean I'm being possessed by a guy's ghost?"
The soft laughter returned, "I'm not his ghost. He is gone, sacrificed to allow my creation. But he is not, and will not be forgotten. I am Xan, not Xander. But I am a protector, just as he was. In fact, I like that better than Slayer. She, who is also a part of me, was the Slayer Spirit. I will be the Protector Spirit."
Sally resumed making her way to her house, wondering if she had truly lost her mind earlier that evening. Voices in her head and all, what else could she think. "So what is a Slayer Spirit, or a Protector Spirit?"
The voice seemed to consider. "This world is far older than you ever realized. It began, not as an Eden, but as a Hell. Monsters and demons roamed the world, wreaking terror and devastation in their paths. Then something happened. I don't know what, and if the Slayer Spirit remembered, that memory was not a part of what she left me. But somehow the Demons were pushed off this world. All that remained behind were mongrels and half-breeds, demons which had in one way or another been tainted with humanity. But, as legends tell it, as the last true demon was being pushed out, he bit a human, and mixed in his blood, and that human became the first Vampire. And it bit another, and the curse spread. The vampires were unchecked, spreading their numbers, so a predator was needed to control them. Some mages formed a council, and together they took the essence from several demons, and forced it into the body of an innocent young girl, and she became the first Slayer. She, and she alone, had children, and from those children were born the potentials. Daughters of her blood with whom her spirit could interact. When she died, her soul, being bound eternally with the demonic essence sought out one of her daughters and empowered her as had been her mother. Thus it came to be that into each generation a Slayer was born. One girl in all the world to stand against the darkness, to prevent the spread of the Vampires."
Sally looked back over her shoulder to where the two creatures attacking her earlier had met their ends, "Sounds like a stupid plan. I mean, the world is huge. How could one person ever hope to even make a difference in such a situation?"
"Well, it worked in the beginning. Sort of. The Slayer stood against the spread of darkness, and in all that time, despite several attempts to destroy it, the world has survived. But you are right, one person by herself, no matter how strong she is could hope to fight all the evils in the world. Over time there have always been hunters, champions, and others who fought back on their own, each contributing a bit in the war against evil. Xander was one of those."
Sally shrugged, "So, what happened? You referred to the Slayer Spirit in the past tense?"
"Oh, she still exists. In fact, soon, she should be back to normal, for her, but the damage is already done. Several years ago, the world faced certain destruction. And a spell was cast. This spell tore the Slayer Spirit to shreds, scattering a piece of her to every one of her potential slayers, activating that potential, and making them Slayers. Suddenly instead of 'One girl', there were hundreds. All over the world. Most of them didn't even have a chance. Evil creatures can detect a Slayer. And most of these didn't know what they were, they just suddenly found themselves stronger, and faster, and getting creepy feelings from some people around them. Unfortunately while they didn't understand the meaning of the creepy feelings they were getting, the demons did, and in many cases acted to kill the new slayers before they could become a threat. What's more, it was later learned that a Slayer can't get pregnant. Only a Potential."
Sally stopped again, "And since all the potentials had become Slayers."
"Yes. There will be no more Potentials." Xan said sadly.
"So when the Slayer Spirit recovers, there won't be anyone for her to empower. After all this time of trying to protect us, she will fail." Sally realized.
Xan agreed, "That was the situation. But then apparently an option was identified. There was a possibility for a replacement to the Slayer Spirit. A possible successor. Me."
"So what, a bunch of mages got together and shoved demons into this Xander guy, and I'm one of his missing love-children?" Sally snarked.
"No. My origin is somewhat different. Xander, as I said was one of those who stood beside the Slayer, aiding her in her fight. At one time he was, possessed, by the spirit of a Hyena Primal named Alpha. The spirit moved into his body and took it over, shoving him to the back of his mind where he was no more than a passenger in his own head."
Sally felt a sudden flash of fear wash over her. "You aren't going to do that to me, are you?"
"No. But I think I could, if I had to. But to steal your body would be wrong, so I wouldn't. Anyhow, the possession was eventually ended, and the Hyena Primal was literally torn out of his body and sent away. But in the act of tearing Alpha out, some of her was left behind. Not enough to effect the boy in any way, but still enough."
"So this Xander guy had a bit of a girl in his head. Did it help him make out with the ladies?"
Xan laughed, "No. But he had plenty of women problems over his life. However there is more to the story. Later, the current Slayer was killed. She was in a cave which was a mystical prison, so the Slayer Spirit could not get out after it had left the body of it's last host. Xander was there, however, and even though he wasn't of her line, or even female, because of the remnants of Alpha, she was able to attach herself to him, or rather to the remnants of Alpha, so as to get out of the cave. And when she left, a bit of herself was left behind as well, merged with the remnants of Alpha. And the two parts mixed, and merged, and started to grow."
"So now he had 2 women in his head. Or if they merged, was it still just one?"
"I suppose it would only count as one, but she wasn't really aware. In retrospect there may have been some seepage however, he was always being treated as 'one of the girls' by his best friends, both of which were women. But back to the story, later he was possessed by a costume on Halloween."
"Guy seems like a revolving door for spirits." Sally joked.
"Well, at least this was the last time, and the possessor this time wasn't real, it was just a pseudo spirit created by a spell. But when the spell ended, the pseudo spirit was absorbed by the other spirit growing in him, and it nourished it. Later, he participated in another spell, one which merged his essence with that of his two female friends, and an older male mentor, and from that I have all their memories as well. And perhaps some of their talents for magic. Xander and magic never did well together, but in retrospect I think he had a lot of untapped potential. I may have that potential now."
"So what happened?" Sally was intrigued.
"Xander died. Or rather, he was dying. And his surviving friend, a witch named Willow, came to him and told him about the potential for me. All he had to do was die."
"He was dying anyhow, you said."
"No, not physically. He had to die. Forever. Give up his very soul. You see, the spirit within him had been slowly growing and strengthening over the years, but it was not strong enough to survive on their own, they lacked the spark of sentience which the two spirits which had helped create it had had, self awareness. But by merging Xander's awareness with the spirits, Willow was able to do essentially what the mages had done millennia ago, only without the blood line restrictions. So I was born. And I chose you as my first host. If I seem kinda new at this, well, it's because I'm new at this. New at everything actually."
"So, I'm now one of these Slayer chicks? Are the monsters going to try and kill me as well?" Sally asked.
"I warned you that my help would come at a price. Yeah, you are like the Slayers. I don't know if the Big Bads can sense you or not, but you are now drafted into the war against Evil."
"What if I don't want to fight against evil? What if I want to live a normal life, one without monsters?" Sally moaned.
"What if I hadn't helped you? How much of a normal life would you have lived with your throat torn out and your life's blood either spilled on the ground, or resting in those two creatures stomachs?"
Sally stopped walking to consider that, "So what, because you saved me, now my life is yours? Do I look like some eastern peasant who believes in a life debt?"
Xan sighed in her mind, "I don't know. I could try to leave. Alpha could have left. The Slayer Spirit couldn't. But regardless, I've been here. You've been touched, and likely changed. When Buffy died, and the Slayer Sprit left her, and rested in Xander, he brought her back to life with CPR. And while I know the Slayer Spirit ha left her by then, she was still a Slayer. And the vampires and demons still sensed her and tried to kill her."
Sally considered this, "Well, I don't know that I want a life of fighting demons. I mean, I still haven't chosen my major yet, and now you want me to dedicate my life to fighting things that shouldn't exist?"
Sally could feel the sadness radiating from Xan as the voice replied, "I don't want you to do anything, Sally. But I will try to leave if you want me to."
"You don't have to do anything yet. Look, for all I know I suffered a nervous breakdown on my way home and am experiencing delusions of talking to a voice in my head. That is actually a more rational explanation than vampires and demons and slayers and spirits and witches. If you start in on werewolves and flying monkeys, I'll know I've lost it."
"I have no memories dealing with flying monkeys, if that helps." Xan replied.
Sally had finally made it to her home, and opening the door she said softly, "Look, I'm going to just sleep on it. If I still believe you exist in the morning, I'll make a decision then, ok?"
Xan seemed to nod in her mind, although how that was possible Sally didn't know, "Ok, Sally. It can wait 'till morning. Hopefully you won't suffer Slayer Dreams tonight. The Slayer Spirit herself never knew where those came from, so I have no idea if you will get them as well. We'll just have to wait and see."
With that, Xan retreated to a recess of Sally's mind in order to give her at least a semblance of privacy.
The End.
---Snip here to detach actual story and story notes.---
Ok, Yeah, now I know I will have to continue.
Sorry this is so repetitive, going over the same stuff over and over from story to story. But heh, unless they have to explain it to someone new, at least this should be the last reacap.
Dana...