Sorry about the long wait between chapters, I have been busy at work. Trust me working at a Radio Station in the weeks leading up to a Pledge drive are the times in which become the basis for many a sitcom. But it is the creative Juices that spring from the hidden back room in the station the makes my writing so addictive to you all. So… For you all Please after you read this chapter and give me a review of what you think of the story so far.

Now excuse me… I now have to beat the BeJesus out of one of our on-air guest hosts for acting like a jerk. (Breaks out the plastic Nerf baseball bat and slowly walks over to them.)

Warning… There is a scene of dismemberment in this chapter… So for you all with weak constitutions… Please take the off ramp at this time.

If Not… Enjoy the chapter…


Part 16,
Kagura Mosumima of the Northern Wind Youkai tribe was having the greatest sex of her life... "Kogu..." she yelled out at the top of her lungs in the back Kogu's Cadillac Escalade as she felt the wave of passion echo through her body. That when a sonic boom was felt out from outside. "By the Gods... I felt the Earth move." She said as she collapsed on to her fellow Youkai lover.

"Yeah I did..." Kogu said as he pulled the cotton blanket up over their nude bodies. "You wind dancers know how to..." his conversation was cut off was Kagura kissed him and she grinned at him showing her cute adorable fangs.

"Be limber... according to legend... Wind Dancer sex runs a close second to having sex with a Slayer. But Slayers will kill you after the sex." Kagura said as she felt her pointed ear being traced by Kogu. "Earth... Wind... Fire... Sun... Moon... Air... Night... Ice... Water... various beasts... Why is it that the quite ones turn out to be the most wild?" Kogu said as he grinned.

"We need to be set free like the wind." Kagura said as she laid herself up to his chest and started to listen to his heartbeat. That was when the second boom was heard again this time the SUV's windows shook to the point where the glass cracked from the shockwave.

"Shit... did you feel that?" Kagura said as she shot up letting the blanket fall away from her body in shock. She was quickly followed by Kogu...

"Feel it... I heard it..." Kogu said looking around the tinted windows... That was when a rumbling was heard outside. Then a sonic boom was heard as a moment later an aircraft came burling down the highway by the Asian section of Los Angeles as it was doing a belly landing...concrete and asphalt were being spewed out in all directions from behind it. Kagura and Kogu looked through the front window to see all of this as the aircraft slowly came to a stop as sections of the bottom plating finally stripped off to anchor the craft to the ground. That was when five dozen police cars came streaking by on what was left of the highway as the craft came to a complete stop. Kagura felt scared as she reached for her blue and white blouse... and pulled it on.

"Kogu..." Kagura said as she leaned over to start padding for her underwear. "... Grab your clothes..."

"Kagura..." Kogu said as he reached down to find his underwear to slip it on... as he leaned backwards he let out a shout of pain.

"What is it?" Kagura said in shock as she finally found the undergarments she was looking for.

"Your Dance fan... I think I found it." Kogu said as he pulled out the large metal and fabric Asian fan that had jabbed him in the behind. Kagura looked at the fan and grinned.

"No silly... that is my war fan... remember... I have to use it for the upcoming festival of the summer solstice." Kagura said as she slipped on her denim skirt. Kogu just looked at her.

"Whatever... all the ceremony is the honoring of some late elders and some Slayer broad." Kogu said as he looked out the window as he pulled up his jeans skipping his undergarments. "Shit... I think every cop in the city is coming here." Kogu said getting worried as he pulled on his black Metallic t-shirt.

"Kogu... I heard... I heard that the police still don't know the friendly demons from the... the..." Kagura was getting scared. Kogu placed his hand on her shoulder to let her know that he was there.

"I know..." he said as he started to pull her hair down around her ears to cover the points of that went to the back of her head. So wolf like... and so soft and even with all the pierced earrings, she had in them. "Kagura... if anything happens... I love you." With that, he wrapped a bandanna over his head to cover his ears before he climbed into the front seat and put the keys into the ignition. That was when the flash of blue and red lights started to flash through the windows from behind and a short chirp of the siren said they had been found out.


Officer Reed walked out of his police car. This was a bloody mess. An airplane crash in the middle of the city... First monsters then this... the PD was just getting a work out from just carrying the paperwork from point at to point be. That was when he saw the commotion of where this high priced SUV was parked. Why would folks be doing out her in this part of town. This was a business district and it was night. Two things in every cops gut that scream either illicit meeting or... A couple having sex. He was just hoping that it was just a couple having sex. What was it with folks and having sex in public places?

"All units secure the area... Fire and Air rescue have been dispatched to your area. Please stand by for further information but get all civilians out of the way." The voice over the radio said as he reached down to his personal radio and called in a notice.

"Dispatch, this is Adam fifty-four twelve, I'm checking out a blue two-thousand and four Cadillac Escalade SUV in the vicinity of Luck's Supermarket that I discovered in the area of the plane crash. I'm going to run and ID on the vehicle." With that he typed in the license plate number and let the system crunch and the ID showed that the SUV was not on any hot sheets and had a legit owner so he got out of the squad car and proceeded with caution with his flashlight out and walked up to the driver side door.

"Evening officer." A youth in his early twenties said as he looked up to the officer. His tan skin and definite Asian features stuck out. The build of the youth was slender yet muscular. Probably an athlete, mostly a runner from the build of this kid. Then he turned his light towards the girl in the passenger seat. Almost the same build and ethnic group, she looked a little whiter but had a very decent figure on her, but it was her legs that screamed, dancer. Probably a couple of college kids out having a time on the town with one of their folk's cars. She looked scared. Given that an airplane just crashed a block or so from here and had probably, come across this place. She seemed a little shock up. That was when he caught the whiff of wet semen and given how the back looked from when he had shined his light into the back looked like lovers make out nest. Yeah... two kids out on the town...

"Evening Son... so... I see that the two of you have been having a little fun." The officer said grinning trying to calm these two's fears.

"Yeah... we were... me and Kagura here were..." there was a cough and a blink of the youths eyes. Yeah... Definite young lover sex.

"Doing the dirty deed away from your folks..." Reed said looking at the two youths. "Don't worry, I am not going to bust you on violating public ludeness policies. But I need to see your license and Registration and I'll let the two of you go." Reed said as he saw the girl staring to tremble.

"Okay officer." The youth said as he reached into his back pocket and slowly brought his wallet forth and pulled out his license. "Kagura... can you open the glove box and hand me the registration." The youth said as Reed took the kid's license and clipped it to his badge as he watched the girl with shaking hands pull out the registration.

"Ma'am..." Reed said looking at the girl. She looked like she was moments away from fainting. "Are you okay?" Reed said looking at the girl.

"No. It's just that..." the girl paused as she laid the registration down on the dashboard. "I'm just scared with the crash..." she was crying.

"Ma'am I understand. Now do you have any identification on you? Once I'm done here you and your boyfriend can be off and on your way." Reed said as he noticed the girl calm down considerably.

"Um... I don't have my license on me... does a University ID count..." the girl said as she rummaged through a fanny pack by her leg and pulled out a small day-planner and a overly stuffed wallet on the top sat her student ID.

"That will do." Reed said as she pulled it out and handed it to him. It took several moments looking at her black and white picture to see that the name Kagura Mosumima printed on the UCLA student ID along with several stickers on the front going back a few years staring with Fall of 02 and going through to that current summer. Would you give me a second to check these out and you two can be on the way. With that, Reed walked back towards his squad car and got in and typed in the information into his terminal. After several moments a address showed up on the screen. The kid was clean. But what about the girl? That was when he got on the horn.

"Dispatch..." Reed called over his radio. "I need a search on a UCLA student, a Kagura Mosumima. Last name spelled Michael Oleander Sigma Uruguay Michael Indigo Michael Alpha." Reed waited until the dispatcher called him back.

"I'm checking the current directory... Adam fifty-four twelve," The dispatcher's voice said over the radio. After several moments, there was a chirp back over the radio as he listened in to the activities happening down the street.

"This is Engine 25, dispatch we are currently reroute to the scene of the accident. Do you have any further updates on the situation?" The Firefighter's voice crackled over the radio.

"The craft looks like it has done a belly landing. It looks like there is no fuel leaking but there is an unusual odor coming from the ship. It Smells like well, it smells like burnt glass..." The voice said over the squawk box. After a few moments Reed heard back over the radio. "Adam fifty-four-Twelve, are you there?" The radio chirped.

"Yes I am here, go ahead." Reed said as he waited for he response back.

"The information that you sent was correct about Kagura Mosumima, she is currently a student down at UCLA."

"Thanks... I was just checking." Reed said as he got out of his cruiser and headed back to the Black SUV and walked up to the two kids.

"Well... everything checks out so you two better get out of here." Reed said as he noticed the girl's ear. It had a point and realized why she was so scared. He had heard about the Sub-T kid that had been shot by the cops a few weeks earlier. She was scared that he would shoot her. He understood, after the LA riots a few years back tensions had run high between the various ethnic groups and the police. "Um... Miss... Listen I have a niece about your age... and it would sure help calm them down if you gave them a call when you got the chance. At least they wouldn't worry about you as much." With that Kagura looked up at him and there was a sense of understanding that anyone with family understood. People worry about their members of their family when stuff goes down in the town in which they live.

"Okay... I will." The girl said back as she bit her lip revealing an extra long canine tooth.

"Now you two head along home." Reed said as he saw the youth behind the wheel start the engine as he gave the ids back. With that he headed back to his squad car.


As the police officer walked away, Kagura looked down into her wallet and pulled out a digital photo of her and her cousin having a good time in her room and she looked at it. "Mae... I hope that you are well." With that, Kagura slowly caressed the light skin of her cousin's face young face.
Nancy felt like crap, the impact was something she was not soon going to forget. Her leg hurt and she saw Harmony's leg laying across her stomach.

"Is everyone alive back there?" Eli called out from the cockpit.

"Yeah..." a few moaned out.

"Hey... get your hands off of my ass." Aoki called out in distress.

"Um sorry..." Shendell said removing her hands and shoving them deep into her lab coat jacket.

"So... I think we are going to be okay." Haviere said getting up and heading up the short ladder to see where they had crashed. Seeing the number a flashing red and blue lights screamed Police. But where they on Earth?

"I believe that the local constabulary knows that we are here." Eli said looking out the window to see several figures in black uniforms stepping out of Black and white ground vehicles.

"Let me take a look." Nick said getting up and looking out the cockpit window. After he got a good look at the number of police outside he sighed. "Well this is the first time in a long time that I am glad to have the police show up." Nick said hoping that he didn't get arrested for grand theft aircraft or in Eli's case illegal parking a wide load without a flag.

"Folks... I think we are back home." Nick said yelling down into the hold.

"Did you seen any of the police that turned out to be monkey's. Because if there are... I'm not going outside." Harmony said as she hobbled over to where Chou-Ann was standing, well more or less leaning against the wall.

"Well, they look human so..." Nick said as the sound of the speaker broke through but was muffled by the hull. It sounded more like an adult speaking in a Peanuts cartoon.

"I think that they want to know if we come in peace or not." Aoki said looking out the window.

"Um..." Harmony said looking outside. "I think we better find a way to open the hatch and get out of here." The sound of her voice showed that she was getting worried.

"Okay... well now is a good as a time as ever to get out of here." Nancy said limping over with the fresh wound on her leg.


Several Police officers noticed that a large figure was emerging from behind the ship. It looked like they had been through the fires of Hell as they stepped out of a hatch door.

"Don't shoot... we are coming out." A male voice said as several folks started coming out. "We have injured here." A voice said with a clear western twang to it. Then suddenly from a pile of wreckage a figure arose and started to march towards them. Between the mixture of metal and burnt flesh the form moved forward and started to lunge at several of the figures that had come out of the craft.

"Shit why didn't you die? We threw you out of this freaking aircraft, just so that we could get away." A woman with a very ample bosom cursed as the creature attempted to grab at her. But she ran through the figure like she was a ghost.

"Everyone get away from the wreckage." The Ghost girl said as she reached into long medical jacket to pull out two guns and opened fire.

"Kill... kill..." the monstrous figure said as he lunged after her. Several of the police officers realized that she was covering the injured people fleeing from the aircraft.

"Nancy..." An Asian woman called out as the group started to flee.

"Hamilton..." a very busty blond called out as she turned to see this creatures' once human face look at her.

"Harmony..." The creatures said as looked at the woman that had called his name. "Harmony... die now." The creatures said as he started to delve his attention towards the young woman. Quickly the group dove between the bits of wreckage that had fallen off the ship.


Kogu was lost. Between the number of recently set up road blocks he had been going around in circles. That was until a police car rolled like a barrel right in front of the SUV he was driving.

"Shit..." Suddenly he hit the breaks so that he could stop.

"I think we should have gone right instead of left at the last..." Kagura said as her nails dug into the leather dashboard.

"No Duh..." Kogu said as he put the engine in reverse and floored it backwards until they were far enough away from the tossed squad car to see the thing that had tossed it emerge from the hole through the building it had made. Suddenly the roar of gunfire was set loose on the large figure. Since the infamous LA shootout back in nineteen ninety-eight police, all police cruisers were equipped to carry a M-16 assault rifle in their trunk. This way if any criminals in the future carrying assault military style weaponry, the police would be able to handle them in a firefight. Right now those rifles were being put to use in dealing with this individual. Who after several rounds had not gone down.

"Shit we have civilians in the area..." An officer called out as he ran providing cover fire so that he could get to Kogu's SUV. "Kid... I suggest that you put this vehicle in reverse an get out of here!" The officer called out as Kogu got the point and floored the SUV backwards. Suddenly the Creature turned and started running toward Kogu. So he decided that spinning the SUV around would allow him to gain greater speed. With a quick turn of the wheel, he pulled hard and the wheels squealed as they lost and regained traction with the asphalt before Kogu slammed the gearshift into L2 and floored it. Kagura turned around to see that the creature was still following them, then a woman appeared in front of them Kogu did his best to avoid her but it looked she was gunning right for them. Kogu hit the breaks as she leapt into the air and hit the front grill. Instead of going kersplat she kept on moving on through the hood like a ghost. Then suddenly she was inside of the cabin.

"Coming on through..." She said as he got a good look at her chest. Then she arched herself and rolled into the back and came to a complete stop as she encountered the rear window. Quickly she pulled out a pair of very large fucking guns and started shooting through the window with a very thunderous recoil. It wasn't until the smell of the gunpowder hit his nose that he realized that she was some sort of supernatural creature like himself.

"Hey you upfront... keep this thing going in a straight line. I need to make these shots count." The woman called out as she set forth another series of round loose from her pistol. All Kogu could do was attempt to do what she said. Hell for all he knew she was pissing this thing off more. Then a very dinged up Squad car came up beside his SUV and out of the back was a police officer shooting out of a busted rear window with an assault rifle. Then two more Squad cars joined up with them with the same thing with assault rifles and twelve gauge shotguns. With the combined firepower, this running nightmare was slowly staring to slow down to the point where it seemed to be losing some juice. Then suddenly the flesh and metal creature leapt forward as if it had caught a second wind.

"Oh SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIITTTT." The woman called out as the creature landed on one of the squad cars impacting the trunk so hard that it folded the trunk and the rear end so hard that it deformed the wheels and made the vehicle come to a complete stop. With the police car disabled, the creature took several steps along the roof before taking another leap into the air and started flying again. Quickly changing gears from L2 to L1 Kogu gained a bit more speed. It wasn't enough for him to completely miss having this creature land on the back of his SUV, but it was enough that the creature was able to grab hold of the bumper before being dragged the rest of the way down the vacant night street.

"What the fuck..." The woman said as she looked out the window. Kagura slowly made her way over the consol and rolled into the back where the smell of sex and condoms was still prevalent.

"Do you think that it is dead?" Kagura said worried. Her hair had moved in such a way that she was forced to pull it behind her pointed ears. That was right before the rear door flung open and the creature was attempting to climb it's way into Kogu's SUV.

"Shit... Why doesn't he die?" The woman said as she started to empty rounds right into the creature's head at pointblank range. Suddenly Kagura grabbed her Metal war fan and flung it open.

"Try decapitation..." With that Kagura's eyes turned crimson red her fangs expanded to their full length and she slammed with all of her force that she could muster behind her fan right into the metallic neck of the creature. Between the blasts and the blade going into it's neck the creature finally came to a stop as the body fell out of the SUV and on to the street. "I think that he's dead." Kagura said as her eyes slowly returned to normal and she ran her teeth over her fangs to make sure that they were the proper length once again. Suddenly the woman got out of the back of the now torn up SUV and she marched over to where the body was now laying. Kneeling over to the body, she took out he gun and shoved the gun into the stump of the decapitated neck of this creature and emptied several round into the chest cavity until she was out of bullets.

"Now he is dead." The woman said as she collapsed to the ground as several police helicopters started hover above as floodlights shown down on the woman and the now dead corpse.


Angel watched the information play out on the Television. Reily was standing next to him as the images were displayed on the TV in Angel's office.

"Looks like we need to put a team together of folks that know Sub-T tech." Riley said looking at a listing of people that he knew that could handle tech like this.

"Yeah I know a few folks that might be able to handle this." With that Angel picked up the phone and he started dialing numbers. It was going to be a long few days. "Data... I need you to get on the phone with Willow and hae here come down here we have an aircraft." Angel said into the phone.

"Well, I have been wondering how much of Illyria has the knowledge of her and her host combined together. Because we need the Science Geek that I read Fred was if we get a hardcore access to the Ship that crashed." Data said back as the conversation went on what the next move was and which members of the Watcher/Slayer Council, the Initiative and any other folk that they knew of to work on the ship.


Roger Burkle was getting out of pickup truck on his way to the supermarket. Roger had enjoyed his trip to Hawaii but hearing the news about what happened in L.A. was starting to worry him. It had been several weeks since Fred had called and he was getting a little worried. Fred had gotten into this habit of calling to let him know that she was okay. But given that she had spent five years in a Hell dimension, he knew that she could handle herself. that was when a figure walked up to him.

"Rodger Burkle..." the man called out, his short sleeve plaid shirt and dark pants looked like that they were drenched in sweat. Given the heat outside the soles of his shoes looked like they were smoking from the perspiration seeping out from his feet. The kid looked like he had probably spent a good couple of hours sitting inside of a car without good AC. "Are you Rodger Burkle?" The man called out again as he seemed out of breath.

"Yes I am..." Rodger said looking at the lad. "Son... you look like you are about to drop dead to the ground."

"Sorry Sir..." The lad said as he started to pant hard. "I have spent the last few hours tacking you down. All I have on you is a photo and address." the lad said as he moved over to lean against the burning hot side of the pickup truck.

"Son... can you walk over with me to the shade?" Rodger said giving the lad a hand.

"Yes... I think I can..." The lad was still sweating profusely.

"Okay..." Roger said reaching into his truck; he pulled out a bottle of water that he kept in the truck in case he came across someone who needed fluids from the Dry Texas heat. "Here... I want you to drink this slowly." He said as he opened the bottle and handed it to the lad who slowly drank the warm bottle of water a few sips at a time. It wasn't until the lad had emptied half of the twelve ounce bottle of water Roger spoke with the lad again. "Now son... Tell me who you are and why in Hell blazes did you have to wait out here in the burnin' sun for me to head into the supermarket to speak with me?" Rodger said as he took a little pity on this guy.

"My name is Brent Williams and I'm a reporter for the West Coast Sun..." The lad said as Rodger saw the lad still sweating. "I'm doing some research on the people in LA the helped fight those monster things that tried to invade..."

"So... how did my name come up?" Rodger said wondering how much he should tell this guy about Fred's other line of work she did.

"Well... given that... several eyewitnesses saw your daughter fighting the creatures. Even at a point boarding a News Helicopter so that she could command ground forces." Brent said as he leaned against the side Roger's truck looking like he was about to faint from Heat Stroke. "Gessh is it just me or it hotter than it says on the thermometer?" With that Roger decided to take this lad inside of the fifteen thousand feet Air conditioned building.

"Listen son why don't you come inside the Supermarket with me right after you show me your credentials." Roger said as the man pulled out an Associated Press pass that was one of those new types where the photo was scanned and printed right onto the plastic to prevent forgery. It listed everything ranging from the Paper the man worked for, Date of Birth, Expiration Date of the ID and a whole lot of other things Rodger didn't know about.

"Mr. Burkle..." Williams said as the cool air hit him and he started to feel better. "Since your daughter helped out the local law Enforcement and the military defend L.A. I have been some various digging around and have found a few things out. Up to several weeks ago her behavior was normal. That was up to two weeks prior to you leaving on your trip to Hawaii." Williams said as Roger was digesting this.

"Now that was around the time when an item that was stuck in customs gets released to Wolfram and Hart under the legal authority of one Charles Gunn Esquire: a lawyer at Wolfram and Hart. It is strange is that Mr. Gunn seems to have only been practicing law for one year and his legal skills would put one John Robert Cochran to shame. Irony is that he only has retaken the Bar exam or has taken it for the first time as of two weeks ago after being released from the Hospital." Roger looked at the guy as if he had grown another head and he hadn't noticed it.

"Yes, I know of Charles Gunn... I didn't know that he was a lawyer. But Fred did say on one of her calls that Charles had received some help and had gained the legal expertise so that he could help them on a legal case they were on." Rodger paused for a moment. "I thought it was mostly him preparing for the Bar exam?"

"Well it may have been. Some of the documents that I have uncovered point to the fact that they have been well forged, by a well trained professional to say the least. But the fact that he has never lost a case showed that he has at least studied the law even though he has not walked into a classroom."

"Well it has been a few years since I have seen Mr. Gunn, but I believe that once he puts his mind towards something; he gets it done." Rodger said proudly. Williams was taken back by this for a moment before he continued.

"Well getting back to your daughter." Williams said as he waited for the man to speak what he was going to speak. "Now your daughter has registered for Classes down at UCLA... now considering it is nothing new. But it is the fact that she registered under the name of Illyria Winifred Burkle using her old Social Security number." Rodger took this in slowly. "Now given that a one Nina Ash who also works down at the university as started to make several phone calls. Now from what I have been able to dig up about her is that she has been seeing one Gerardo Angel aka, Angel Jones, aka Liam Angel, aka Liam Angelus. Or as the LAPD calls him Angel." With that Rodger grinned. "Now given that she has been seeing him off an on surprisingly around the time there is a full moon."

"Full Moon Ya' say..." Rodger thought about this and about the work Fred did. "Nahh... it couldn't be... but given the line of work Fred is in, I wouldn't go past it." This was when he caught Williams attention.

"What was that?" Williams said as his views started taking a different direction.

"Oh... nothing... please continue on." Rodger beckoned on. With this Williams continued.

"Well it seems that the co-ed fraternity house she has moved into seems to have had several government agencies; one of which consisted of the military personnel that aided in the defense in LA. But every time folks have tried to dig into these kids pasts, I keep running into the fact that several family members had been killed by a serial murder home invasion nut jobs. The other thing that I have found is that not only has this fraternity she has come into contact with seem to have had the same incidents happen to them, but it is spread through a good chunk of the other chapters of this same Fraternity. Add to the fact that several of the originating members who created this Fraternity all happen to be former residents of Sunnydale California." Now this caught Rodger off guard.

"Sunnydale... as in..." Rodger was cut off before he could say any more.

"Yes... the same town the experienced a wave of violence before the town collapsed into a sinkhole." Williams said as Rodger started to get worried.

"So what you are saying is that my daughter has gotten involved with folks that I might be concerned about." Rodger said looking over at the man beside him.

"Might... considering that nearly accosted two photographers, who are very afraid to talk about what she threatened to do to them if they continued to follow her around after one of they made a remark about the blue hair dye job she had." Williams winced before he continued. "She mentioned about making them prison bunk buddies with someone called Flegellum. Now whomever this Flegellum is I don't want to encounter this guy, person or thing..." Rodger's jaw was on the floor before he closed it and stifled back a laugh.

"Ah... Flegellum... Yeah... Fred knew him when she was a kid... I think that she still keeps in contact with him." Rodger said as guy started to get worried.

"So... Flegellum happens to be..." Williams was fishing.

"No comment. But thanks for filling me on what has been happening with my daughter." Rodger said trying to give this guy the message that he would look into it.

"Listen here in one thing I want you to look at." Williams said as he pulled out a photo. In it was a woman with jeans, a very form fitting t-shirt, a red leather jacket. What caught Rodger was the fact that the woman had Blue streaks in her hair that progressed to her forehead and continued down the sides of her neck. But the nose, cheeks and most of the facial features mirrored his daughter. Then Williams handed a enlargement of the picture. The facial details were clearer and Rodger knew that this was it was his daughter.

"I took this picture a few days ago while she was walking around with One Charles Gunn and some other figure that goes by the name of Spike." The reporter said as Rodger took it in. "Thing is that they were coming from the botanical gardens at about seven o'clock at night."

"Now if you are her dad, I would suggest that you find out what your daughter has been up to because there are folks who might find things that you might not want to face." With that, the reporter headed on out the door. However, Rodger felt like he was playing into something else that he didn't want to get into. He felt that his Daughter's distance the last time that he had visited her had started to set in. What was going on that the rest of her family had to be kept out of the loop for? For better or for worse Rodger knew that Trish wouldn't like this. But heading out to L.A. to see their daughter would be the only way that they could get any answers. Also... why was she wearing Mel Gibson's war paint from Braveheart?


Illyria was packing various items into the satchel; human garments were such fragile things. But... A few of the items her shell... Fred... she had to remember to call it... her Fred... then pain ripped through her chest that felt like hooks that had been placed into her chest and were pulled at her heart... her human-demon heart. She started to feel the walls close in and she walked over to the window and opened it but before she reached there the false wind of the vent kicked in and her mind was calmed down and she started to breath easier. She stood there, closed her eyes, pictured one of the great plains of Fred's youth, and let the image of the rolling grass flow into her mind. She stood there as she let the smell of the plant in the corner bring her in. Then she looked down at the UCLA schedule on the bed. It was open to a page dealing with Astronomy and science. She needed to connect with Fred; the magic called science would be the key. The Science of how the stars worked and their place in the sky would help her and Fred understand each other. She had so much to learn to function in this world. Her most recent shift to Fred had shown some unsuspected results. She had been only able to do small changes. She was able to change her eyes and Stripes off of her body and make it human flesh toned but... she could not for all of her powers change her hair. the Blue stain remained.

"Hey Illyria." Nina called out from the door. "You ready to head over to Amazon central?" Illyria turned as she reached over and put Flagellum the bunny into the satchel. Nina's jokes and comments to break the tension were a welcome reprieve from her fears.

"Yes... But calling the Slayers... Amazons would be seen as an insult to their honor." Illyria said as she let the Fred in her take charge of her mannerism.

"Oh... Well I see that you are packed." Nina said moving over and reached over to pick up one of the bags, but Illyria snatched it out of her hand and pulled it close to her body.

"Please..." Illyria looked at Nina with worry. "I need to carry these bags... they have a few of Wesley's texts in them about me." It took Nina a moment to catch on.

"Oh..." she looked down at the bag. "Well you better grab your schedule, now... a friend of mind down at admissions was able to help clear up some of the paperwork that you needed to have filled out so..." Nina saw that she was losing Illyria with her conversation about mundane tasks.

"Nina... your..." Illyria tensed up some before continuing. "Friends have been a great help. I am glad even with the financial help they have given so that I can take this course." Nina looked at her.

"Illyria... you seem like this class is some sort of challenge you are not planning to return from." Nina said as she watched Illyria carry the multiple bags out of the door with her.

"I wish to discovery and rediscover the things that have not changed in my life." Illyria said as Nina reached over and placed a baseball cap on the blue and brown hair on her head.

"Now... you look like a college student." Nina said with a grin. Illyria moved through the door as she had to angle herself through.

"Thus I look human?" Illyria said looking at Nina.

"Well, human by their standards... Trust me after the last few days at the Hyperion I have seen folks that make some of the Students in the Campus Union Building look extreme and you look normal." Nina said as she guided her friend through the door and towards the recently repaired elevator at the end of the hallway before they spent the next hour in traffic heading toward the UCLA campus.


Nina was looking through several old boxes of stuff she had found in one of the rooms. Most of it looked like it had belonged to a woman. Another ruffle. A woman with good taste in clothing and. Good God... a woman who knew shoes... Monloa Bloncs... This was turning into one of those Sex and the City moments... There was a scent about them... Human... mostly... with a little demon... All of this stuff smelled like this. Nina moved over and put the shoes down on the bed. Several pictures... Mostly of the same woman standing with friends... Fred and her... Boy whoever this woman was, she had some cleavage on her. She seemed to highlight it with a pendant necklace in every picture that had a low neckline. However, there was air about her in the pictures that showed a real compassion. Then there was the semi-burnt diploma from Sunnydale High School. Graduated 1998 for Cordila Chase. Another set of pictures was found. Angel was in them along with... Ms. Italy... Eye patch guy with two eyes... Faith... with a thin face... wait... this was taken several years ago when she saw the same woman with less cleavage. These pictures were taken several years ago... She looked through more stuff until she found a book.

"For Cordy from Dennis... The only man "ghost" that will not leave you alone at night."

"Cordila... wait... this stuff is..." Nina got up and sniffed more of the stuff until she found a box of medical supplies and a diary and flipped through it until she found a reference in it.

"Dear Diary... the visions hurt like hell until my past birthday... This becoming half demon thing I'm still getting used to it. Visions without pain. A Major plus... I wonder what Groo is up to in Pylea... I know for a knight and now leader, I hope he makes the right choices there." Nina flipped ahead. This was Angel's late seer friend Cordy's stuff. That is why he had placed flowers on that woman's grave after the funeral.

"Well... the floatyness is still there. It would not have been so bad, but having visions while holding Connor not something, I want to do again. Angel would have freaked seeing me levitate several feet off of the floor with his son. But, I feel normal... Now I need to find Mr. Right... I wonder if I could pass off Krom-shucking as being a part of the karma Sutra." With that, Nina put the book down and slowly backed away.

"Okay... a bit too much for me to know about her." With that, Nina found a photo album, picked it up along with the shoes, and left the room. "I need to talk with Angel about some of his past." Nina said to herself as she felt a presence following her. Not so much angry but more curious about her. Nina knew that she would have to ask Angel about this but she felt that if she let it alone she might learn about it as well one of the bonuses of being part monster.


Summer River looked at her opponent as she stood on the wooden sparing arena. She had to keep her moves smooth. With a lash of her hand she grabbed the shoulder of her opponent and slammed them into the padded matt.

"Your skills have improved." A voice called out from behind her. Summer turned to see Illyria standing in the doorway.

"Hi... Illyria..." Summer said as she helped her opponent up. "...So what' brings you back here?" Summer said as her black tank top t-shirt and extremely short white running shorts clung to every curve of her body with every drop of sweat her body produced in the summer heat.

"I have come back here to learn more of your ways... also..." Illyria said pulling out a sheet of paper and handing to the half Polish born Slayer. "I have registered for classes at this institution." Summer looked at the class Illyria had taken.

"Introduction to Astronomy." Summer said looking at the class. "You know that part of the lab will be at night when we will be out patrolling."

"Yes I know... but the folks will be relived knowing no foul smelling hell spawn shall be disturbing their learning of the universe's wonders." Summer looked away for a moment then realized that as she realized that Illyria had made a joke.

"So... taking classes and wanting to learn the ways of the Slayers..." Summer said as she pulled back her long black hair and grinned. Her Grandmother had been a prima Ballerina. According to a story that she had been told by her mother... She had fallen in love with one of the stagehands. She had always told the story about how the owner happened to be a sorcerer who had trapped her in a moment of time, forcing her to replay the same Ballet over and over again, until a man came and rescued her by telling her to change the scene, which she did. With this done and the sorcerer had become distracted by the new routine, the man was able to take him on and defeat him in his private opera box thus being able to return to her own time.

From the moment Summer had found out that she was a Slayer; the killer of monsters she knew that it was her part of her destiny to become like the man who had saved her grandmother. To become a protector. Now looking at this demon woman, she knew that she was on the same path.

"Okay... Listen Illyria why don't you unpack in one of the rooms. I mean a few of the other students have gone home for the summer, but there should be some free space." Summer said as she walked on into the house. "Misao..." the turned back to her opponent. "... You have to lean more into side kicks."

"Okay... Misao said as she smoothed her blue sparing doogie with her hands." With that, the other Slayer started to practice on her kicks. Illyria watched the girl as her long braided hair swung like a tail with every kick she did.

"She has much potential... I wish to help train her..." Illyria said as she went inside with Summer.

"I've heard about your fighting style... I don't think Misao would like to be a bloodlust killer like you." Summer said as the coolness of the house looped around their bodies.

"I do not seek bloodlust... I just wish my enemy to stay down when I fight them. It is not my fault that they lack the intelligence of a fly after it has been struck down." Illyria said as she listened to the song of the green from the plant by the window.

"Yeah... well let's get you orientated with the campus and the house rules okay..." Summer said as she pulled out a stool from under the kitchen counter. With that she started to discuss the rules which Illyria would be living under for the next three months while in the co-ed Fraternity house.


Angel was working on a piece of hardware. Nina was right... Fixing this place up was doing wonders for their relationship. She was actually grinning at him again and the sex... Well, he was toping the Immortal in the long-term relationship department. Between having, some of the more legitimate small businesses that were connected with the Watcher/Slayer Council, Rondell's private Security co-op, and Gunn starting up a small Law Practice, and Angel Investigations all sharing office space. The city was giving them a break on some of the legal funds but they were still under the restore and buy contract Angel had entered into five years earlier. Nevertheless, him wearing a Necrotemp fiber jumpsuit and hood so that he could work outside during the day was getting interesting for the staff. But most folks outside thought that he was just doing Asbestos removal... Just a bit more on the placement of the talismans on the outside and the security system would be set up. Illyria had given him several pages of material on the creatures that her people had used on the ancestors of the Werewolves including some of the protection spells used to not for a better word, to kennel them in their transformed state. However, it was the non-violence spell that he was putting on the entire place that was the kicker. Coming the next full moon, if Nina was late getting into her cage, well there wouldn't be another transformation or infection of an innocent if she was out. Barrier spells and so forth would keep the wolf from harming people and Nina would start to learn to domesticate her altered form.

"Hey Angel." Gunn said as he limped over on a pair of crutches.

"Hey Gunn... So how is the law office coming?" Angel said seeing how some of the basic repairs being done to bring the place up to code.

"Not bad... Annetta's folks just needed some legal help." Gunn said looking at the security system being set up. "Her old man should be out of jail later tonight. Given the evidence that the police found, his name should be cleared. That and giving some testimony of some stuff he had heard in jail pertaining to missing person's case things should be going well and fine for that family..." Gunn said looking at Angel. "But I got a few more cases, mostly housing and tenant agreements and noisy neighbor stuff. But it feels good to taking cases that don't involve in the selling of your first born, your soul, or something or another." Gunn said as he leaned against the counter.

"Yeah..." Angel said looking at a picture of him and Nina going to museum. "It feels good, not perfect... But hey after Jasmine... this feels right, even with the small zit on the chin."

"Yeah man... I hear you." Gunn said as extremely loud swearing could be heard in Russian in the distance.

"You piece of shit... You called that an order..." More Russian followed. "My Grandmother, God Rest her soul..." More Russian... followed by Shouting Russian... Followed by some words that Gunn did not want to know the translation to. "Now... Tell your client that we will be filing a counter motion later today. We are getting that damn sperm and putting it into that foresaid egg so our client can have her baby." Katia screamed.

"What was that about?" Angel said looking at Gunn.

"Oh, one of my clients happens to be a lesbian. Her biological clock went off, her lover got a donor for the egg, but given a messy break up that happened. The lover has the sperm and is holding it hostage and the donor just recently died... so to make a long story short. Girlfriend "A" wants to have baby with dead guy's sperm, and leave the lover out while Girlfriend "B" wants them to get back together and have baby." Gunn said shaking his head. "I'm just glad that Katia, my assistant used to work at a fertility clinic, the medical legalese is just hard enough to make you want to scream."

"Back stabbing slut of a..." Katia said with a stream of fluid Russian under her breath as she walked out of Gunn's office and headed over to Gunn. "Charles... the bitch isn't going to cough up the sperm, worse is she isn't going to let the doctor use it without a written legal order." Katia said as she paced around with a hand massaging her forehead. Her jeans and tight t-shirt clung to her body wrought with wrinkles like the stress she had. Gunn hopped over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay... I mean we just have to get the parties into the room to talk this out." Gunn said as Katia let her shoulders fall.

"I know but..." Katia said looking flustered.

"But... what. You have put the heat on... now it just a waiting game to see who moves first." Gunn said talking to her. "I wouldn't have made it this far without your help... I mean you know the ins and outs of this area much more better than I do... you know who to smooze, bribe, blackmail, and head butt to the information you need." Katia let out a small grin. "I do see a grin forming. now listen, I'll see what I can dig up on the legal rights of the fertility terms of sperm and egg donations. There could be another sample from the dude I can find to break this stalemate." Gunn said, as Katia knew where he was going.

"I see, if there is more than one donated sample then..." Katia knew where he was going with that she rushed back in to the office. "Thanks Gunn." Charles looked at the speed marks she had left on the floor. All Gunn could do was stand there grinning.

"Now if you could excuse me Angel... I have to tell one of the parties that I have found a loophole that we can use to exploit to end this stalemate." Gunn said as he hobbled back to his office on his crutches. All Angel could do was almost envy the guy but thought against it as he thought about his lost Sanshu and Nina's biological clock.


The Groosalug was looking at the damage of the village he was moving through. This was the third village that had bee found like this. As his Princess would call it Thrashed. Next to him stood Landok of the Deathwok Clan a Anagogic Demon who had sided with the humans during the revolt against the old government moved with him. The two had started working together since Groo came back from L.A. Landok had the respect of the demons while Groo with what respect he had been able to salvage had the respect of the humans. Between the two of them they had broken up a ring of demons that were feeding off of "the cows young." Several of the children, some of which were part demon like himself had been returned to their parents. That was when Groo was stopped in his tracks when he saw one of the bodies. The holes that went through the demon's body were too fine... to round. He took out a dagger and cut into the wound and reached in and pulled out a conceal piece of metal. "Landok... look at this." Groo said as he held the metal object in his fingers. "I believe that this is what was used to kill these people." Groo said as he handed the projectile to Landok. Landok looked at the object as he felt it's still warm blood covered surface.

"This seems to look like a head of an arrow but with out the stem." Landok said eyeing the strange object.

"It is called a bullet... it is from Earth..." After getting a blank stare from Landok he added "L.A."

"Ah... Angel's territory. A great warrior... a Champion... a..." There was a snap as Groo stood up and looked around.

"Yes... he is, but I believe that we are being watched." Groo said as he pulled out his sword.

"Yes... I read them as well... I sense fear." Landok said scanning the area. "What sort of creature would do this type of damage." He said as he saw another body that looked like it had been cut up into sections.

"It looks like they sprayed the area with bullets to take everyone down." Groo said looking at the holes and the directions, they had originated from.

"What sort of creature sprays metal must be a great foe." Landok said seeing the different colors of blood start to mix together.

"I do not know but if they are using a gun to spray the bullets, then this person or being must either have been from Angel's world or gotten the weapon there." Landok looked at Groo.

"Then this was done by a weapon from Angel's homeland?" The two of them started to keep all six of their senses open and alert for anything to come at them. Then an item fell to the ground and a figure sprinted away from it. Quickly Groo and Landok ran after the person. Diving into a back alleyway through several lines of hanging laundry and fresh urine. That was when several more figures sprinted around them. Quickly Landok swung a leg out and tripped one of the figures up and placed his foot onto the person as he sliced through one of the drying pieces of linen. What he saw the very scared face of a young human child as a demon child rushed over to kick him in the leg.

"Groosalug... they are children." Quickly Groo lowered his weapon.

"Children... we are not here to harm you." Groo called out as a blade came out through the sheets.

"We are not buying your lies..." A older voice called out as the long bladed spear made another jab at him. Quickly Groo grabbed the spear and pulled the figure through the sheets towards him and punched them in the face. When they wouldn't fall down or let go of the spear he pulled the spear towards him again and twisted the staff so that he could slam the person into the side of the ally wall. With the sheets hanging all around a few had gotten tangled into this move and now covered the figure.

"Mina..." one of the children called out as several rushed over to where the figure lay. A few had knives, daggers, and a small cooking fork. Even a young demon boy held a cooking ladle and held it like a mace. Groo and Landok looked around to see that all of their attackers had been children... Some of which were covered in blood that looked to be their parents. They all looked scared and terrified at the two champions.

"Mina... don't die..." a young demon girl cried out and she pulled at the cloth with her pudgy blue hands. Several of the children surrounded them to act as protectors wielding what they could to protect their guardian.

"Children... I will not harm you." Groo said as he leaned over to the covered figure and pulled the urine-cleaned sheet from Mina's face. What he saw was a human girl no older than fifteen with brown hair. She bore no bruise of where he had hit her in the face. "Are you ready to be strong... strong..." the girl said in a daze. "Potential to be ... strong" she stuttered the last word out. That was when her eyes shot open and her hands went for his throat dragging a shackled chain with them, which she forced under his throat.

"Harm these children and you will die." The coldness in this girls voice screamed of her willingness to protect those whom she had taken under her care. Groo reached up and slowly too the chain away from his neck with his hand.

"We have been sent by the council to learn of who has been attacking villages." Groo said with a cough at the end. Then the girl released her hold on the shackles around her wrist and let the chain go limp so that she could pull one of her arms back to cross it with one of her arms so she could snake her elbow over Groo's head to hug him tight as she cried. A wave of raw emotion flooded through her body as Groo held the girl.

"It is going to be okay little one... It is going to be okay." Groo said as Landok looked at each one of the children's faces taking in the pain each had seen and felt. This new foe spore no one in its delivery of scars... even towards the children.


Illyria was wearing Slayer Warrior Vestments... although the simple cloth against her body felt like it belonged on a lackey... She felt more comfortable... At ease among these warriors.

"Illyria..." Vi yelled out as she handed Illyria a pressure formed sawdust composite blade. "Here... Me and the other girls know that you like blades so we created a custom Mr. Pointy for you." Vi said as Illyria examined the blade... it was a close replica of her own mini blades... the blades... the blades that she had used during the battle with the forces of the Wolf, Ram and Hart. Illyria slowly let the blade spin as she felt the balance to it before she let it dance in her palm, flip over the back of her hand, slide under her wrist before she made it do a somersault with a flick of her wrist and catching it with her other hand.

"This weapon is well foraged..." Illyria said impressed. "... Even my weapons masters in my kingdom would have hard pressed to make this blade." Illyria said looking up at Vi.

"So... you like... Wow..." Vi said impressed at Illyria reaction.

"Yes... the weapon feels like it has a respect for me." Illyria said as she looked at the blade.

"Well considering it only took three tries for us to get the blade right." Vi said as she brought out her own weapon. "So what are you going to name it." Illyria turned her attention to Vi.

"Name... But you called the Weapon Mr. Pointy..." Illyria pondered as Vi pulled out her on weapon.

"Mr. pointy is the nickname that Buffy gave to her stake. It is kind of her way to make her weapon stand out. But hey I named my weapon Cherry." Vi said as she looked her own weapon.

"You named your weapon... out of honor for its creator or for the wood it was forged from? Or is it something else?" Illyria said, as she looked her weapon with curiosity.

"Well actually I named it after one of the Slayers that died in the Battle against the first. Cariadad. I called her Cherry as a sort of nickname... When she died I decided to name my stake after her so that I wouldn't forget the cost it took for me to become a Slayer." Vi said as she slowly scratched at her cast.

"You do it to honor your dead... an act of remembrance of how you came into your destiny." Illyria said as she touched the edge of blade in her hand. "The person that put you on your path... " Illyria continued as she started to think about her past. The image of her sitting in Subterranean Spike's dwelling and staring at the screen that projected the images of the XBox... Drogyn... Drogyn was with her...

"Why do you Stay Old One..." His words stuck in her ears... Images... of not of what he had said... But she started to think about the reasons of why she stayed... World gone. Existence... confounding... Her of being alone... Taking what wasn't hers... Fred's life... would she have... "Mom... Mommy I'm scared of the dark..." Fred's voice came through... "Tall Handsome Man Saved me from the monsters..."

"Old one why do you stay..."

"I feel compelled to stay on..." Illyria said as she looked at the screen... Was this the other half of what Drogyn was attempting to say before Hamilton barged in?

"I wish to name my weapon Drogyn." Illyria said to Vi as she looked up at the young Slayer.

"Drogyn?" Vi said with her accent leaking through.

"He was... he was a close Ally... He made me think of why I stayed in this realm..." Illyria said as she shifted around.

"Oh..." Vi said as Illyria started to pull at her shirt. "Clothes uncomfortable?" Vi queried.

"Some... I am... not used to these garments... they itch like maggot larva marching against my skin." Illyria said wishing to tear the garments from her body.

"Oh... " Vi said understanding... "Have you tried something else to wear?" Illyria looked at Vi as her head tilted.

"You wish me to change garments?" Illyria said.

"Well find something you are comfortable in... Just as long as it is not that leather catsuit." Vi said looking at Illyria with a little distaste in her mouth.

"You find my vestments distasteful... They are functional..."

"And they scream demon babe here... come and hump my brains out." Vi said as Illyria's jaw hit the floor.

"My vestments state that... I wish not to be lusted after... I wish them to know my power... to fear my presence..." Illyria said as the fire forged in her eyes.

"Hey if that garment was a jacket or a top... it would work... but a full suit... Illyria... it is overkill." Vi said as Illyria marched into the room she was staying in. With a ruffle that sounded like furniture being thrown around. Illyria reemerged a moment later with different clothes on starting with a pair of blue jeans.

"I like the feel of the denim fabric against my flesh's legs." but the cotton shirt she had on was now covered in feau form of her vestments and a red leather jacket that she had transformed from her warrior vestments.

"Is that your..." Vi said looking at Illyria's jacket.

"My vestments... I reforged them." Illyria said as she rolled a creak out of her neck. "I now wish to go on patrol with you. I need something to pummel."

"Okay... but word of advice..." Vi said turning to leave with Illyria. "...No ripping apart of vamps like you did with Chloe... she's still getting vamp paste out of her clothes."

"I was angry..." Illyria said as she headed out of the door.

"Oh..." Vi said looking at her encased arm... "This is going to be a long patrol."


The small vampire was running for her life... the elderly couple would have been easy pickings... But a Slayer... She ran faster... college students... schools... Chuck E. Cheese... those were easier places... then the wall exploded before her... Standing right before her was the Slayer with the Bad dye job...

"Halfbreed... you soiled my garments..." the Slayer said as she walked through the hole she had made like the freaking Terminator. With that the young vampire started to skoot backwards away from the Slayer...

"Will you get the fuck away from you bitch..." the Vampire yelled out as she rolled to get some traction the ground and started to run on all fours.

"Your spine will be in my trophy case... or I will make a necklace of it." The Slayer said as she reached over and grabbed the Vampire's leg and started to drag her backwards. "Now... where is your master?" The Slayer said with ice coming out of her cold blue eyes.

"Fuck you lady..." The Vampire said as started to kick the Slayer in the face. It wasn't until the third blow that Slayer caught her free foot with her viselike grip and proceeded to snap the leg off just below her knee. She let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain ripped through her body as she hung upside-down by her remaining leg.

"Where is your Master Half-Breed." The Slayer said as she proceeded to hold the now helpless Vampire and started to emphasize her point with the size three tennis shoe in her hand.

"YOU BROKE OFF MY FUCKING LEG LADY... I WON'T TELL YOU A FUCKING THING." the Vampire let out her rage at the Slayer...

"I wonder how many limbs I must remove before you start talking. Shall I take your hands... Arms... your toes... Before I work my way to your head." The Slayer said as she methodically calculated the amount of pain she was going to dish out on this young Child Vampire. Sensing fear of being dismembered the Vampire started beg.

"I don't know who sired me lady..." the vampire pleaded.

"Then I shall start tearing you limb from..."

"I said I don't know who sired me... okay... listen... the vampire in the area... The one I work for... She goes by the name of Dominique..." Suddenly the vampires shoe was pulled off and torn a ripped off sock fell to the ground. Suddenly the Slayer shoved her fingers between her toes and started to break them sideways. The Vampire screamed again...

"Shit... I told you who my master..." Another crunch...

"No..." The Slayer said as she traced a finger across the young Vampire's foot. "... Your master... I wish to speak with the Demon..." The Slayer said as another toe went before she crushed the vampire's foot.

"FUUUUUCCKKKKKK!" The Vampire screamed out... as tears started to run down the once human girl's face.

"Now young one..." The Slayer said as she spun the Vampire upwards so that she was now facing the Slayer. "... Your master... The demon... where is it?" The Slayer commanded with a coldness that would have made the head of a Glacier look like the burning fires of the sun.

"I... I don't know... Dom... Dominique... She's a subcontractor... she..." another pop as a ear got pulled off and a scream. "Shit... Okay... Recently she has been taking orders from this... Guy... A human... I think... He smell of magic... shit loads of it... tons of demons... he has the nickname the..." a yank... a section of scalp came off... "Lady... I'm telling you... he goes by the nickname of the Cowboy... he is a demon parts dealer... trans-dimensional... he is... he is looking for magic crap... has these cyborg demon guys that work with him..." an eye got plucked out...

"More..." the Slayer said...

"He said... he would need help to move stuff out of some place some deep Well..." The vampire said as the Slayer Stopped in her tracks.

"The Deeper Well?" The Slayer was caught off guard... it was as if she knew this place as she stopped the dismemberment.

"Yeah... that is what he called it..." the Vampire said coughing up blood... "Please just stake me now..." The Vampire pleaded.

"Where..."

"I don't know... he flies in with some funky jet down at an abandoned airport... My boss throws parties down there... Humans demons, the entire lot goes down there..." The now severely wounded and partially dismembered Vampire said desperately praying to be staked.

"Good... I wish you to deliver a message." The Slayer/demon hell bitch said. The vampire was begging at this time.

"Whatever it is, I'll tell her... I'll beg of her to leave whomever she fucked with alone... I'll even nibble on her ankles." The vampire said as a blood curdling rip occurred from her chest. And right before her remaining eye was her dried up weathered heart.

"You are the message, half-breed." The TermaSlayer said as a small shimmer as strange words or sounds came from her throat as she walked through it.

"Oh... Fuck..." were the last words the Vampire said, as she was dragged entrails and all through the portal.


Gloria paced around her office. Slayer... Family... Buffy... What was wrong... Would the Slayer kill her for being in contact with another Slayer... would she be blamed for this one's loss of memory... Gloria was scared... Even more than she had been when she had been tortured by The First. All Gloria could do was amend for the sins she had done... With that, she watched the sleeping Slayer before her... So many sins... so many wrongs... So many lives lost... "Old Ones... give me strength to endure..." Gloria said in her native tongue. She watched the sleeping Slayer have dreams and visions of what would come... or was it of her past? She just watched in fear.
Iria was getting worried... the three times she attempted to contact Dana had not gotten Dana telling her... to leave... then the other two were scary... one a petite Russian who was nude... all she did was foam and extrude water from her mouth... The third was just a girl who was curled up with a baseball bat that had been sharpened at the end. She was just as confused as Iria was... Mostly what the girl said was that she was taking a nap in her room. That was new... that meant that she wasn't the only one whose powers had kicked in. After talking with the girl... it was like feeling that she wasn't alone... The girl didn't feel like a freak although when Iria said that the entire telepathy thing was new to her too things settled down. The two of them talked for a time as Iria told the girl some of what she knew about being a Slayer... Superhero... Yeah... She left off the part about Clem being a demon... a nice one but Iria thought that she wasn't ready for the bump in the night stuff yet. The two parted ways as Iria woke up and got out of bed.

"So have a good nap?" Gloria said to Iria...

"Yeah I did... I think I'm mastering this Slayer Telepathy thing... I mean I ran into Dana... but she said go away, it was like I was hurting her. I told her more about where I was and a little about the people I know here. But I ran into this girl who was in Little League. We chatted some, I think this was the first time she had experienced something like that, but I think I got her interested in digging up more about our people." Iria said as she started to stretch... "So how long was I out?" The young Slayer said as she started to sniff the air.

"About two hours..." Gloria said as she started to settle down. However, it wasn't until she saw the crunched paper bag on the table that Iria started to turn her attention towards Gloria.

"Gloria..." Iria said looking at the empty bag. "...What happened while I was out?"

"Well Mae was chatting on the internet with her fellow Youkai demons." Gloria was avoiding something... Something was scaring the demon woman.

"You okay?" Iria said as Gloria just stopped as if she was a deer stuck between a pair of headlight of an oncoming semi-truck.

"Was it something I did while I was out?" Iria said getting scared.

"No... Its ... its just that... Iria... I don't have such a good track record with Slayers..." Gloria said as she sat down in a chair. "I did some bad things and... To make a long story short... I threatened the family of a Slayer and I had the snot beat out of me..." Gloria said as she looked at the young Slayer. "... I wanted to get back home to my home realm... However, in doing so, I would have to tear apart reality... Bringing death to this plain of existence..." Iria was awe struck when Gloria said this. "... The Slayer... Buffy... she and her friends stopped me... I don't remember much of what happened afterwards but the First found me and it... Let's just say... I get the more subtle things it did to me as nightmares of the torture it did to me." Gloria was crying... "Iria... I'm sorry about..." Iria moved to just hug the woman.

"I... I didn't know... that..."

"That I was a lop sided slut that attempted to perform a human sacrifice... kill an Innocent girl... that should have cut her losses and left..." Gloria's fingers were holding onto Iria like she as more precious than life itself.

"No you are not a Slut... you are just... Just trying to figure out... Wait you tried to kill a Innocent girl?" Iria said as she pulled back from Gloria. Gloria looked at with fear as tears tore down her face. It wasn't until the urine-started soil Gloria's jeans that Iria knew that it had something to do with her origins.

"Does this have to do with me being a Slayer?" Iria said as she bit the bottom of her mouth worried. All Gloria could do was shake in fear after Iria said that. "Wait... you're scared that when my people find me that... that they are going to kill you?" All Gloria could do was nod her response. Iria looked at the adult before her. "If you could get home... I mean without ungluing all of existence... would you now?" Iria said as she knelt down by Gloria.

"No... About a month ago... Illyria... one from... one of my people from my home dimension said that... Iria... I don't have a home to go back to." Gloria said as she broke down.

"Well you have people that care about you here... I mean I heard that home is where the heart is." Iria said as she took her hand to wipe away tears from Gloria's face. "You have people here who care about you... who call you friend... heck even that dragon lady... wants you to be the godmother to her baby. I mean if that isn't trust and friendship... then I don't know what else it could be." Iria said as she moved to kiss Gloria on her forehead.

"Then... if... Listen... did you swear to stay away from that particular Slayer's sister?" Iria said looking at Gloria.

"Yes... I believe I did..." Gloria said looking at Iria.

"Okay... here is the deal... I'll tell the Slayers that you are sorry and if all else fails I'll get down on the ground next to you and start groveling like mad." Iria said as she grinned. Gloria looked up in shock...

"You would do... that..." Gloria squeaked out.

"Yeah..." Iria said. "I mean... come on... It ain't like every Slayer on the planet has you on their hit list."

"I hope not..."

"Come on... it as if you decided to eat their Queen's baby sister in front of her..." Iria said jokingly.

"I wish it wasn't." Gloria said as the blood further drained from her face.

"Well come on, I'll help you get cleaned up..." Iria said as she leaned over to give Gloria a hug.

"Iria. You said you would grovel on the ground next to me..." Gloria said a bit worried.

"Yeah I did..." Iria said as a questioning look started to form on her face.

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing... just..." there was a long pause from Gloria before she continued. "... Thanks..."

"Okay... lets get you cleaned up." Iria said as she grabbed a handful of paper towels from the rack before heading back to where Gloria was sitting.


Mae entered the room. She had changed from her normal street clothes of Jeans, a black and red blouse and had changed into her people's native blue kimono. This garment felt weird but of the two types of kimono her people used, the long dress she liked to wear for ceremonies felt nice. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time for casualty and niceties so she had changed into her battle kimono that consisted of a Gi jacket and a pair of shorts. Though an even older uniform was used by her people... the Kurin...a simple chest plate that was covered with cloth and a fur or a cloth skirt. Between these three garments, Mae wanted to let her Slayer friend Iria that if there was an heritage you belonged to, then you should show it. Booting up her computer, Mae got on the Internet and did an Internet search for Slayers. What she found wasn't promising... Most of the stuff she had found consisted of Slayer kill this... Slayer killed my friend... Beware the Blue haired Slayer in L.A. ... The Blair Slayer Project... Slayer population explosion in Cleveland... Slayer doing the nasty with Angelus... The last one was several years old... and was something she didn't want to go into. With each search she either hit an dead end or stuff that just were rumors... then she hit on the idea that if Clem had known one... then what if other demons had befriended the Slayer... Quickly doing an Internet search Mae did a search on Demons + Slayers + Allies. Suddenly Blogs started to show up on her screen.

A Slayer was at my sister Anya's wedding. One Blog said... Slayer community known to be tolerant to Human Friendly Demons... yes... she had hit the jackpot... Slayer community was part of group that defended L.A. from Demon Legions that threatened to destroy city... Demonicus involved with Slayer Alliance.

"Mae... Iria's here." Mae's mother called out.

"Mom..." Mae called out to her. "Give me a sec."

"Are you wearing that dress? I told you if you are not it I'm..."

"Mom... I'm wearing the freaking dress... Come on... I know that when I turn seventeen, I have to walk around in this thing for three nights because of some coming of age ritual." Mae called out to her mom.

"Hey Mae..." Iria said as she poked her head in.

"Oh, Hi Iria..." Mae said as she got up from her computer.

"Stay there..." Iria said looking at her friend. "Wow... is that... is that what you're people wear?" Iria said moving over to look at the kimono.

"Well it is kinda of a ceremonial thing... My folks want me to get use to wearing it." Mae said as Iria moved to touch the fabric.

"Wow..." Iria said as she stepped back to look at her friend. "... You look beautiful." Mae Blushed at her friend.

"Thanks..." Mae said as she looked at Iria... "Um... listen I was doing an Internet search and was looking up stuff on Slayers." Mae said sitting down again.

"What did you find?" Iria said as she moved over by the computer.

"Well... a lot... but most of it is rehashing of what Clem had said." Mae said as Iria started to take notice of the various Youkai cultural items that littered her room. "A few pertain to Slayers not being completely anti-demon or vampire, but actually they patrol to protect life. You know... you do harm or eat someone... you tend to wind up dead by the Slayer." Mae said as she shifted in the chair as she scratched her back against the back of the chair.

"Oh... So... I'm a type of warrior..." Iria said as looked at her friend. "Mae... listen... thanks for doing this search for me." Mae shifted in the chair...

"Are you shifting because I am a Slayer?" Iria said getting worried. "Because I found out that... Gloria had a bad experience with a Slayer..." Iria shifted to the point.

"What..." Mae said as sheer ears pulled back in shock.

"Yeah... Gloria threatened the family of a Slayer... and the Slayer beat her within an inch of her life just for threatening her family. I think that... she thinks that I'm going to kill her for those actions... I made a deal that I would protect her from the others of my people if she apologizes whenever we run into another Slayer." Iria said to Mae. "Listen... would you feel comfortable if I... If I dressed like your people... I mean there are more..."

"Youkai..." Mae said cutting off Iria. "My people are called Youkai."

"Youkai?" Iria said looking at Mae...

"Youkai... It means demon or more accurately people of the wolfwind." Mae said as she turned away from the computer.

"Oh... Listen... are you wearing that... Bikini bottom that I made for you?" Mae said getting up out of the chair and heading to the closet.

"Yes I am..." Iria said getting a little concerned.

"Well... how about you wear one of my ceremonial garments..." Mae said digging out the warrior garments and the Kurin and laying them on her bed. Iria moved over to look at the clothes on the bed as Mae started to lay out of belts and ribbons that held the clothes together.

"Mae... these look..." Iria couldn't put her finger one the word.

"Strange... Ugly... freaky..." Mae said a bit worried.

"No... noo.. Just very Asian." Iria said as she felt the soft silken fabric of the Gi before touching the silk and leather female breastplate of the Kurin. "Mae... could you tell me about these garments?"

"Well the breastplate that you are touching is called the Kurin... it was used by warriors out in the mountains during feudal times in Asia... It is reinforces so that you are guarded against physical blows. The other one the Gi... the Silk jacket was used about three hundred years ago up to about the turn of the last century." Mae said as she looked at the garments...

"And what you have on?" Iria said looking at her friend.

"Oh... My Kimono... yeah... My mom wants me to learn to wear this thing. Mostly it is for festivals and the lot... but this one is for my right of passage ceremony. I like it but the shoulders tend to itch at times." Mae said as she reached over her shoulder to scratch her back.

"Hey do you mind that I try one of these on?" Iria said as she started to feel a connection to something familiar.

"Um... Okay... Listen be careful... Some of these I inherited from my mom." Mae said as Iria picked up the Kurin chest plate.

"How about I try this one on... it feels like... I don't know like it is familiar." Iria said as she felt the leather.

"You are getting a memory back?" Mae said looking at her friend.

"I don't know..." Iria said looking the armor. "Listen... I might remember more if I wear it." She turned toward Mae who started to understand.

"Okay... listen you might need to take your sweat shirt off and your t-shirt." Mae said to Iria.

"I feel like... I might be afraid if I damage it..." Iria said as she felt the silk strap in her hand.

"Iria... if it brings back a memory... it probably would be worth it." Mae said as she took the armor from Iria's hands. "I'll hold this okay..."

"Okay..." Iria said as she unzipped her sweatshirt and hung it over Mae's bedpost.

"Listen you are not still upset about me discovering my telepathy..." Iria said looking at Mae before she started on her t-shirt.

"Not really... it was scary but... Listen... it's like we are learning more about what you are at the same time you are... wait that didn't come out as clearly as it should. I mean..."

"I don't know what powers I have and you don't either... Trust me... I feel a little better knowing that I am not alone... in learning what my powers are." Iria said as she pulled off her shirt and rumpled it up into a ball while she brought it with her arms to cover her chest.

"It's okay... I mean if this works... you might remember something of your folks..." Mae said grinning.

"I hope so..." Iria said... "So how do you... you know... put the armor on." Feeling unsure how to proceed.

"Um... since we are both girls I think it is okay that I see your boobs... so just raise your arms so I can slip this over your head, I can adjust the straps in the back after it is on." Mae said showing the back of the armor to Iria...

"Okay..." Iria said as she tossed her t-shirt on the bed and let Mae slip the armor over her head. The leather smell of the armor made Mae think about the leather jacket she had gotten when she was six years old. It wasn't until the armor rested fully on Iria's chest that Mae realized that Iria had some serious cleavage on her as it hung on her body.

"Getting any memories now?" Mae said as Iria moved the armor around until it felt comfortable on her. "Not really but... do you smell wet wood?" Iria said as she sensed the memory...

"No.. I don't smell wet wood... wait... is there any other images that come to mind..." Mae said as she watched Iria close her eyes...

"I'm running... the armor feels... Mae... could you strap up the armor... I'm remembering something..." Mae quickly reached for the straps on the back of the armor and started to synch them up.

"Let me know if they get too tight." Mae said could see that Iria was breathing like she was running. Also Mae noticed that Iria had several moles on her back, not fat nasty things she had seen on some humans but... well that they were just natural...

"I'm in a forest..." Iria said as her eyes closed... "I have a spear in my hands... Screams... a village... a village is under attack by these... yuck... okay... birds with major wings... Spears flying... Bodies falling... "

"Do you see where it is?" Mae said getting worried.

"Wait... I think it is in a valley... Oh... God... an arrow just went into my side." Iria stammered as she leaned against Mae... She was panting. I see a girl running... she is about to be speared... I throw mine and take down the bird..." Iria fell to the floor... right at this time Mae's mother rushed in...

"Mae... what are you doing..." Mae's mother said as she looked at Iria nearly going into shock...

"Iria... said that she sense something like a memory punching through... I was trying to help her..."

"A figure is dragging me... I don't see them... Oh... God I hurt... the bodies... they are both human and demon..." Iria called out... "Wait... I hear them calling my name... I can't make out what they are saying... it's a demon... so is the girl... I'm not the only one injured... they are tending to my wounds... The people... they are Youkai" With that Iria shot up.

"Iria..." Mae said as she looked around the room... "Are you okay?" Mae moved to touch Iria...

"Mrs... Mae's mother..." Iria said looking around... "I think I got the wrong memory..."

"What do you mean... you said it was a joint Human and Demon village... there were bodies..." Mae said looking at her in fear.

"I think it was the past and it wasn't me... I was remembering... I think it was one of my ancestors..." Iria looked at Mae... "It felt so real..." Iria said looking at her hands that were now shaking... "Mrs... Mae's mom... is there... is there a story or some history about a Slayer being among your..."

"I think I remember something from a book my great grandmother gave me when I was a child." The elder Youkai said as she got up and headed out of the room and a moment later Mae's mother returned. "Here..." the Youkai said as she opened up a book and flipped through several pages until an image of a Japanese style print was shown covering two pages. The scene was scary for Mae as she watched Iria take the book into her hands...

"It was called the battle of the Graff." The images of human and Youkai fighting a large figure in the picture... The multi-limbed creatures were showed chewing body parts. "They went through many villages both human and demon before they were defeated. A group of Youkai led by the leader of the Wolfwind clan and a small band of humans led by a female warrior called Yoshama the Slayer defeated the creatures." Mae looked at the images as her imagination took off as she could hear the roars of the creatures and the clang of metal weapons and the whoosh of arrows flying through he air.

"Mom... you mean... that our clan worked beside a Slayer... one of Iria's people..." Mae said as Iria kept tracing a lone female figure welding a wooden stake and a sword.

"Yes Mae... our clan did..." The elder Youkai said as Iria looked up at Mae's mother.

"Mrs.. Mae's."

"Call me Mrs. Kaede." She said.

"Um... Mrs. Kaede... your not weirded out by me having these... visions." Iria said a little scared.

"Not really Iria... From what I have heard, the Slayers were forged from the heart of the Demon to protect life. So being able to see the lives of your ancestors must be your people's way to remember your people's past." Mrs. Kaede said as Iria turned to look at the book in her hands.

"It felt so... Real... I could smell the dirt and the blood in the air." Iria said as she shook from what she had experienced. "I wonder what happened to the people she encountered? I mean... did she ever fall in love... have a family... brothers or sisters... any kin..." Iria looked at the warrior on the page. "Yoshama... what was your life like after the battle?" Iria said as she started to put her finger in the old book and started to flip through the pages. Many images and characters that looked like a cross between Chinese and Japanese appeared before her as she looked at the demons and humans on the page. Great battles and Romances... Journeys and travels were shown including a picture of two bathing maidens having some girl time with each other. Iria soon realized that some of these images where of Mae'e heritage... Being Dawn back to the page she had booked marked with her finger, Iria turned back to the page but she stopped short. On a fully page was a creature that was only lightly inked in the form of a bird. It was done like a silhouettes. Iria recognized it from her dream.

"Mrs. Kaede... this image here..." Iria pointed to the picture... "I've seen it before... I saw it in my first Slayer dream... vision... whatever you want to call it... Does this creature have a name." It took a moment for Mae's mother to walk over to where Iria was pointing and look at the text by the picture.

"The text says... bird of evil also known as the Spirit of evil." Mae's mother said looking back at her for a moment before looking at her worried. "Wait you saw this in your vision... that is something I wish you never have to run into. It was the creature that had its minions devour those human and demon villages so it could feast on the suffering of the souls of their victims." Mrs. Kaede said getting worried. "It took an army to halt it's feasting. Yeah, I mean you would have to have an army of Slayers to..." Mrs. Kaede looked at Iria getting very concerned. "Mae... you and I are going to start teaching Iria here how to speak and read Youkai." Mae was surprised when she heard her mother say that.

"Mom..." Mae said concerned. "You want her to... learn Youkai... as in conversational Youkai, you mean I will have someone to speak with other than on the Internet and the local Youkai." Mae said switching back to English. Iria just looked at her a bit confused.

"Yes... and read as well." Mae's mother stated to lean against Mae and give her a hug. "Iria... there might be some more history of your people... I know that you are a little uncertain about what you are... I hope that this text helps you out in discovering who you are." Kaede said as Iria looked up at her and got up.

"Thank you Mrs. Kaede." That was when Iria caught a whiff of what Mae's mother was cooking.

"What is that smell?" Iria said as she looked around. "It smells great."

"It is chicken Stir fry." Mae's mother said as Iria's eyes grew distant and she closed her eyes...

"I'm coming to dinner mom... just wait up..." Iria said as she focused. "My face... I see me..." Iria's eyes shot open... "That was a memory... my memory..." Iria was crying with joy as she rushed over and hugged the adult Youkai...

"Iria..." Mae said moving over to her friend. "You okay..." as she touched her friend on her shoulder.

"Yes..." Iria's was smiling... "I just remembered my mother's voice... I was doing homework."

"Well that's good..." Mae's mother said to Iria as she stroked the girl's dark hair... "Do you want to stay for dinner... I mean I made a lot... so..."

"That sounds good..." Iria said as she got up. "Mae... mind that I take this armor off... I don't want to spill anything on it." Iria said looking at her friend.

"Yeah... that would be wise and I need to change too as well." Mae said as she moved over. "Listen... could you pull the ribbon loose on the back of this... I can't seem to get my hand back there." She said struggling to reach the middle of her back.

"Okay... so what is the Youkai word for back?"


TBC

Slayers, LA, Burkles… What is Iria going to learn about her destiny? Will Harmony encounter Illyria. What was the secret that the Big Bad was alluding to… Stay Tuned…

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