Chapter1:
I just needed to add that the ****** meant a change in place /or time and that the disclaimer is present in the prologue. I wish you a pleasant reading ^^.
I must say that I never really thought of my future before; for me it was foggy at most. My hope was to find someone to love and who would love me for myself and not an image; that would be able to see under the masks and understand me.
I would have never dared hope to find a family and found one I did…
The following day was warm and sunny. It would have been a really good day to go to the beach, but alas for some, it was going to be a fieldtrip to the zoo with their class. In any case for most of them it would be better than just staying all day in school.
Following their teacher, the group walked around the different pens listening to her explanations. As they were passing by the new hyena's pen, four of the students detached themselves from the group and bullied another one in its direction, searching for privacy. They knew that being quarantined, it would offer them the best opportunity.
As it was the dark hair boy from last night, saw what they where trying to do, and sighing, took after them. While they where pushing the poor kid further in the hyena House, he stopped them by grabbing the kid's arm. He was used to it, the kid, Lance; always managed to anger the gang though he didn't know why. Looking annoyed he placed himself between Lance and the leader in a move showing his habit in dealing with them.
"What are you trying to do Kyle? Still enjoying yourself in bullying the weaker than you?" asked the boy impassively.
"Why yes Xander! Did you want to join on the fun? Had I known, I would have invited you…" Kyle answered taunting him.
Xander watched him and smirked, he was going to say something else when he saw a pair of glowing green eyes fixing him. The others not getting any reaction from him, turned to watch what had caught his attention. They didn't have the time to blink as four pairs of green gleaming orbs where fixing them as well. As they watched their eyes glowed green in response, a smirk appeared on their faces and they began to laugh in a manner that would make any hyena proud.
Lance who saw his chance in the others distraction, rushed for the exit and reattached himself to the group.
A few instants later the spell broke, and the five regained their bearing. Confused the gang scanned their surroundings, seeing nothing out of place except for their victim's absence they went back to the exit.
As Xander was following them out, Kyle made a discreet node towards his feet and continued outside. Xander looked down and his eyes widened; on the ground was a drawn circle with runes and symbols. Taking a sheet of paper from his backpack, he copied the drawing for later reference. Now he knew he would have to do a research in rituals for what was going on.
It was strange; for once he didn't have the feeling that what ever happened to him was bad. He could feel another presence in his mind, but it wasn't in the least threatening. That was new even for him; he was so used to attract badass; that he didn't know how to react to this. He did sense the awakening of new instincts in him, but there was nothing dramatic. He knew one thing for sure; he could now understand Kyle's predatory behaviour. He could see the need for Kyle to show Lance his place, to show his strength to the pack, after all Lance wasn't one of his. He needed to be strong for the pack.
Well that one was different; for a solitary person, he was thinking more like a pack animal than anything else. That wasn't like him, but that wasn't bad either, he had always dreamed of a family to love and protect; and what was a pack if not a family?
Having finished his drawing, he casted one last look around and made his way back to the group. Once there the same two girls from last night came to him and the blond asked him "Xander, what were you doing? We saw you going after Kyle's gang to the hyena's pen. We followed you, but were stopped by the warden. Well he is really a strange one; he told us that the hyenas were quarantined and to not go in there. "
"Why do you care Buffy, it's not as if you have been worried about me." answered Xander.
"But it's true! We were worried about you, Xander!" added the red head one.
He gritted his teeth and really wanted to lash out at her, but calmly if not coolly said "Oh really Willow, you were worried now? Wasn't it just last night that you said to me not to bother you with my 'little' problems or what I was thinking? Because we all know that I'm just good enough to be your doughnut boy and that I don't do the thinking part, don't we? Didn't you tell me that I was too stupid to understand, that I wasn't really needed? Well excuse me for not believing you!!! No, what I think made you try to follow us was your curiosity, your need to know all at all time. You always had to know and control every thing! Too bad for you but that's not your business here!" responded Xander his anger escalating. "Xander!" was the only thing the girls could say in shock.
Not wanting to loose it anymore than he already had, he took his leave and went back to the head of the group with a smirk on his face. Normally he wouldn't have said what he was really thinking to Willow, but this time he didn't have the need to restrain himself. And it had been so wonderful.
There was something else different here, before; every time Willow used magic against him he never felt it. He was only made aware of it by his charms and amulet reactions; they always vibrated and changed colours according to the magic done on him. It has always protected him against evil magic and continued to do so now. In other word it has always protected him against Willow. But today the feeling was so intense it shocked him; he sensed the negative energies used and the dark intentions of the caster.
He instinctively knew that should he have forgotten his protections, the presence in his mind would have safe guarded him. He did felt the dark presence rise in him at the danger, well maybe it was dark, but it certainly wasn't evil. It really angered him that Willow would try forcing him to tell her what had happened; he had read on this spell, it was used for taking the free will of someone for a moment. She was manipulating him in telling her what he didn't want to reveal. He was used to it being around Willow for so long, but it didn't make it better. He had learned to dodge the impulses by telling white lies, and always being alert.
So either Willow was loosing her touch which he really doubted, or the entity he seemed to be hosting was something really, really powerful, which was more like it.
Well researches were going to be of actuality today as would be having a talk with Kyle.
The last bell of the day rang and most of the student's population rushed toward the exit. Avoiding the crowd, Xander went in the opposite direction and behind the school, where he knew Kyle would be. He was surprised to see him alone; usually there was always a member of his gang with him.
Kyle smirked and said "We need to talk".
Xander saw the confusion that he was trying to hide and his eyes softened. "Yes but not here, meet me at the park tonight. Hopefully I will have more information to share with you on what happened today." Kyle's smirk tentatively changed into a small smile and agreed. Xander lightly squeezed his shoulder and they departed.
Xander didn't even think of the possibility of making a detour to the library; he knew he wouldn't find what he was looking for there, so he went directly back to his 'home'. Trying to be as silent as possible, he opened the door and avoided the two persons who were making themselves pass as his parents, without them noticing him. He wasn't fooled, they weren't his birth parents, he didn't know what they were playing at, but for the moment he would continue the charade. Seeing the number of empty beer bottles on the kitchen table, and his parents already drunk out of their mind, he relaxed and continued his path to the door of the basement, to his room.
Some would be horrified to live in the basement, but for him it was heaven, he didn't have his 'parents' on his back. They were always spying on him, trying to see what he was doing…
They only knew him as a goofy boy and he was making all he could, to keep it that way. That's why he had never talk of his family situation to anyone, only Willow knew some of it, and it was because she was an annoying pest who must knew everything. He never invited her, she did it all by herself, she was the first and last person to come to his house, that day had been a nightmare.
Shaking his head and returning his thoughts to the present, Xander went under his bed to take a small box which he had hidden under his mattress. Saying a word under his breath the box enlarged to its original size, he opened it, and it was filled to the brim with books. Taking out the book he was searching for, Xander closed the box, saying another word to shrink it back to its first size.
He never liked to reveal his hidden books, they could be really dangerous in the wrong hands, and Willow was a good example of it. He was sure that she had stolen one from him, when she had invited herself. He had been surprised and hadn't had the time to hide his study at the time. She had been very curious, so he had try to cover it by making himself looked embarrassed, and explaining to her that it was a fictional book for children, but he had known it was too late when he had seen the glean in her eyes as she looked at it. When she had gone back to her home he couldn't find the book anywhere, and the following day he didn't even remember about it.
It did take him two years to saw that a book was missing, only because he had inventoried them. What was strange was the fact that he didn't seemed able to recall which book, yet he knew all of them by heart. The only solution possible was that the book was on mind magic, and if he was right Willow wasn't what she was trying to make herself be, and was older than she appeared. To be able to master this sort of magic you needed the experience coming with years of practice.
That was another problem, but for now he returned to his book, reading the title "Ritual, spirit and possession", he was sure he would found his answers in there.
He took out of his bag the drawing he made of the ritual they found in the hyena pen and began to search for the right one. It took a moment but he finally fond it out, it was an African ritual and as he read about it, he found out that the one who did it didn't have all the information. That one couldn't have known that a predatory act would have been necessary. Now he understood why they were the recipients of the hyenas, Kyle threatening Lance made it possible, the violence of the action was enough to make it a predatory act. Even though the possession appeared to be an accident Xander couldn't help but think it was meant to be.
After reading all there was on the ritual, he tried to communicate with his spirit; all he had to do was meditate and find his hyena, then he would be able to speak with her.
It was easier said than done; succeeding after more attempts than he was willing to count, he found himself in a place that wasn't reproducing his soul but the hyena's. It consisted of wild and open grassland spaced with lots of trees, which if he wasn't mistaking were acacias. So if he was right his spirit came from an African savannah, it was like a mix between a forest and a prairie. He had never seen a place so peaceful and wild; he had never had a place to call home but if he had he was sure this place would feel like it.
As he was taking in all he could saw from his surroundings, a pair of wild glowing green eyes was watching him. Feeling the stare Xander turned around and with a smile said; "Ah! Here you are! I was looking for you. I would really like to have the chance to talk to you."
With a nod of acceptance the hyena went to sit just before him. Sitting himself too, he looked at her in awe. "I'm sorry for the accident, I know you wouldn't have wanted me as a host for the possession, but I'm sure we could make a great team given the chance. It felt like it was the right thing to happen, like you were the one meant to enhance my skills and strength as my majority will come to pass as a luenor. But I don't want you to feel obliged to all this." He said sheepishly.
"I know child and I am honoured to be your essence, I have been waiting you for a long time and now that I have found you, you wont ever be alone, in more ways than you would think." She answered him.
"You are a lot more than you think pup don't let someone told you anything else. You are far better than the red head witch and blond killer put together. Believe me, I won't let them hurt you while I'm with you, I will protect you. You are my pup now."
Xander was so awed and thankful he couldn't say anything more. He has always been alone except for Jesse and Kyle, but even they didn't know the real Xander. But now it would change, Kyle would have the chance to really know him tonight.
We decided to make plans after our meeting with Kyle and her beta; they would depend of Kyle's reaction to the possession. So we talked about ourselves. She presented herself as the queen Mayaeb, one of the oldest hyena's spirits on earth. She was a spotted hyena though her materialisation was a lot bigger than the ones who were living in Africa. Like them she was a warrior, a pack hunter or you could say a predator, but she was also a protector and she explained that all those features would be passing on to Xander and that is behaviour would be different.
It was good to talk to someone without the masks on; she was living in his head so he didn't have any secret for her. He was humble by Mayaeb, she had a grace and power within herself that radiated within his own soul. She was a force of nature and he was grateful to have her by his side.
Xander and Mayaeb's conversation coming to an end, Xander got up from the ground and gently put his hand on her head and began stroking her fur. He was showing her, his affection but also his acceptance of her being. She licked his hand in a sign of acceptance too and returned to wherever she had made her home in his soul.
He watched her disappear from his sight with a warm feeling in his belly and a smile on his face, happy for once of the direction that his life was taking.
Returning his attention to the outside of his soul, Xander opened his eyes to see that it was already dark, so he took his backpack putting the drawing and book in it and left in a rush to join Kyle at the park.