This was a very difficult chapter to write, and it took me several rewrites before I was happy with it. For the most part, each chapter will deal with an episode, but I might merge several together if it suits my plots. On another note, I also have a little challenge if anyone is interested. I'm not sure if there are any stories with it already, so here's my idea. Another Halloween fic where Xander dresses as Alexander Anderson from Hellsing. I would like to see if anyone can make this idea work.
Chapter 2
"Emperor protect me!" Buffy screamed as she jumped out of her bed, soaked in sweat and heart racing like crazy.
Once the surprise and shock of their changes wore off, the nightmares began. Even Willow, whose added personality saw little combat spent mostly sleepless nights thanks to those memories.
The Inquisitor that possessed Buffy had almost two centuries fighting strong demons and the traitors and heretics that served them thanks to her great psychic ability and unwavering faith in the Emperor. In that time, she had seen horrors that would have driven a lesser man beyond insane.
Buffy's experiences left her woefully unprepared for the terrors of the 41 Millennium, but slowly, as the nights followed, she found the nightmares lessen in intensity and frequency.
It would be months, maybe even years before she managed to deal with the memories completely and accept the Inquisitor as a part of her, but she would manage. Giving up was not in Buffy's vocabulary.
Until that time, the nightmares would be a constant companion for the teen.
Willow coped by working for hours, writing down the blue prints and formulas for every shred of technology in her mind. This kept her mind focused and away from the terrors that now inhabited it, and also, let her accept that some good came out of the whole experience.
Xander was hit the hardest of the trio. He was a relaxed, happy go-lucky kind of guy that didn't care much about the harsh reality of the world.
The Grey Knight changed it all. He had moved out of his house and into an old warehouse after killing the small vampire group that had holed up in it. He was surprised how easy it was to dispatch them when before, he would have been dead against even one.
The vampires had been busy, and his new home already has electricity and a few beds, along with a small stash of cash. He used an old oil drum to make a crude heating stove for colder nights and managed to salvage a working gas stove for cooking. Getting it hooked up to the gas line took a little effort, but he managed to hook it up without any leaks.
Once he got the basics set, he spent his time training or meditating or on any menial, mindless task that kept him away from thinking about his life and the memories he gained. Eventually, the fatigue would grow too much, and he would have no choice but to sleep.
It was in these short hours of sleep that he compared himself to the Grey Knight and sought a way to process everything his visitor had left him in a way that wouldn't destroy whatever shred of sanity he managed to preserve.
Xander Harris was a young man who was, to be honest with himself, wasting his life without any goals or interests beyond finishing high school.
The Grey Knight was a warrior of the Imperium, with faith and devotion to the Emperor that was unmatched. He had stood against demons, heretics and aliens with the absolute certainty that despite their horrible power, they could not match the might of the Imperium, and Xander now found himself slowly accepting the same beliefs.
"Faith is my shield." This had become his mantra against the terrors in his mind. As he began to train his new body, he found himself unconsciously also spend time in prayer. The first few times, he broke it off, but as the days passed and the nightmares began to weigh on his mind, he found that the prayer and the recitation of holy litanies helped him cope with the memories.
"You don't look so good." Willow greeted Buffy with a yawn.
"Had trouble sleeping as usual. How are you holding up?" Buffy yawned as well.
"Same as you. I spend most of my nights drawing blueprints." Willow replied.
"Hey Buffy. Long time no see." Buffy turned around and gasped in surprise when she recognized the person that approached her.
"Ford?" She grinned and gave him a hug.
"Willow, this is Billy Fordham, an old friend of mine from L.A. Ford, Willow Rosenberg. So, what brings you here?" Buffy grinned at her old friend.
"My dad got transferred here." Ford shrugged as he examined Buffy. Her hair was no longer blond as she had returned it to her natural color, and her face showed signs of fatigue.
"Would you like to join us tonight? We're going to the Bronze." Buffy asked, and Ford nodded in confirmation.
The rest of school passed quickly, and soon enough, Buffy and Willow were at the Bronze. Ford arrived a few minutes after them, and they soon took a table where Ford amused Willow by telling embarrassing stories about Buffy.
"Excuse me for a moment." Buffy had caught sight of Angel. The cursed vampire had been scarce since Halloween, and this was the first time she had seen him since.
"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while." Buffy greeted him.
"I heard what happened on Halloween. I thought I'd give you some time alone." Angel replied softly.
Buffy was conflicted about the admission. On one hand, she could have used his support, but on the other, her conflicting emotions and complications about having a relationship with a vampire would have only compounded on her mental troubles.
"Thanks. What have you been up to since Halloween?" Buffy asked.
"Not much. Things have been pretty quiet lately." Angel shrugged.
"I've been thinking a bit these past few days, and I think we shouldn't move past friendship between us." Buffy blurted out suddenly.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Angel was both confused and relieved. After all, Buffy had been chasing him pretty hard.
"Halloween changed me, big time. I can no longer pretend you're not what you are." Buffy sighed.
"That's alright. It's probably better this way." Angel sighed.
"Thanks. Oh, before I forget, could you get this and bring it to Xander?" She pulled out a list of groceries and a wad of bills.
"Sure. See you around, Buffy." Angel gave her a small smile and walked out of the club.
"Xander, you here?" Angel called out as he walked in the warehouse, carrying two large paper bags.
"Over here." Xander called him over to his living area.
"Thanks man, I've been running a bit low on food. You met with Buffy then?" Xander turned as the vampire was putting the bags on his table.
"Yeah. She told me she was giving up me. I am relieved, but…" Angel sighed.
"A part of you wonders if it would have worked out somehow." Xander finished the unspoken part. "Don't beat yourself up with what-ifs. Hey, do you mind helping me with something?"
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"Follow me." Xander led him out of his living area and around a pile of old crates.
"Tell me, does that affect you in any way?" Xander pointed to the large image of a two-headed eagle painted on one of the walls.
Angel took a single look at the image and turned away with a hiss, his face changing to his demonic form.
"It feels like a damn cross, only worse. What is it?" Angel asked once they were back to the living area and Xander was busy putting his groceries in the small fridge and the few cupboards he had.
"The Imperial Aquila. The guy that possessed me on Halloween also served as a Chaplain for a time, so I know all the rituals and ceremonies. Consecrating an image of the Aquila was easy enough." Xander grinned.
"That explains it, then. It is a blessed image of a faith." Angel nodded. While crosses were the most used, that didn't mean that only crosses affected vampires. Almost any religious symbol could repel them, provided a person's faith in the image was strong enough. Blessing the image only added to its power.
"Yeah. I thought to myself, vampires have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, so why are they only affected by a religious image that is only two thousand years old?" Xander sat down across from the vampire and offered him a beer.
"Any icon can repel a vampire, but you have to believe in it to work." Angel replied as he took a sip from the can.
"It's all a matter of faith. I thought that might be the case. Well, that's good to know. So, have you heard anything about your old friend Spike?" Xander asked.
"Not much. Word on the street is he's looking for something, but I don't know what exactly." Angel shrugged.
"I was planning on going on patrol tonight to give Buffy a little extra sleep tonight. You want to join me?" Xander asked.
"Sure. I could use a little action." Angel grinned.
The pair didn't meet anything more exciting than a few young vampires, who were dispatched quickly, and around dawn, they parted ways, each returning to their own abode for some rest.
It seemed that Spike was definitely planning something, as Giles told them that someone had broken into the library and made off with several books. Fortunately, Giles kept a detailed record and could easily identify what was stolen, but finding out why those books were stolen would take time as he had to order replacements for them, and they were not easy to come by.
"So, tell me about this old friend that showed up." Xander asked as he patrolled with Buffy the following night.
"We've been going to school together in L.A. for seven years. We were good friends back then; I even had a crush on him for a while." Buffy shrugged.
"He sounds like an alright guy." Xander commented.
"Yeah, he's alright. I wouldn't want to involve him in all this, but he's alright." Buffy grinned. She was glad she could pretend to be normal with her friend for a change.
"By the way, I made a great discovery yesterday with Angel's help. I consecrated an image of the Aquila and Angel confirmed it had the same effect as a blessed cross." Xander grinned.
"That's good to know. It will be useful to put our newfound faith to good use." Buffy grinned.
"Faith in the Emperor is its own reward." Xander muttered absently as he scanned the cemetery before them for undead.
"That it is. I don't sense anything around here. You?" Buffy turned to her friend. Their psyker senses could easily detect anything sentient around them, and they could easily differentiate between humans, demons or vampires.
"Nothing. Should we split up?" He asked.
"We'll work faster that way. I'll take this side." Buffy nodded and walked away.
"You can give me the Slayer, you say?" Spike looked at the human before him with contempt. He was far too annoying for his taste, but the offer he made was too good to pass up.
"That's right. All you'll have to do is show up and take her down." Ford nodded.
"No way, mate. The only way I'm getting within fifty feet of her if she's knocked out and tied with nice, thick chains. Do that and we have a deal, alright?" Spike grinned. If the idiot managed it, he'd be rid of a major annoyance for himself. If he failed, then the Slayer would destroy him. Either way, he benefited from it.
"Hey Buffy, you got a minute?" The next day at school, Ford approached Buffy.
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Buffy gave him a smile as he stopped before her.
"Would you like to hang out tonight?" Ford asked. Buffy opened her mouth, but suddenly, a vision entered her mind. She saw an underground club, and in it, she saw Ford, standing next to Spike above her. She was unconscious and tied with chains.
"Sure. What time should we meet?" Buffy's face showed no change as the vision passed.
"Come to this address around nine." Ford gave her a piece of paper with an address and walked away.
'What are you doing, Ford?' Buffy sighed. Sometimes she felt like the Slayer powers came with a curse.
Instead of waiting until tonight, she decided to keep an eye on Ford using her mental power, and when he headed towards the address he gave her, she followed him, entering the underground club only minutes after him.
"This is a strange place, Ford." Ford turned, surprised Buffy was there, but a quick signal had the door locked.
"The sun will set soon, and our friends will arrive." Ford declared loudly as the gathered teens around them cheered.
"You betrayed our friendship and sold me out for what? Becoming a vampire?" Buffy spat at Ford's feet.
"I have brain cancer. I only have a few months left to live. Between that and vampirism, I choose vampirism." Ford said calmly.
"I will not let you do this Ford." Buffy replied and easily dodged to the side as one of the people tried to hit her from behind with a crowbar.
"Just give in, Buffy. It will be easier on all of us." Ford spoke up as she dodged the next two swings as well.
"I will never surrender while the enemies of humanity still draw breath." She growled as her eyes lit up with eldritch fire. A moment later, everyone around her was flung off their feet.
"In honor of our friendship, I'll make it quick." Buffy whispered as she raised Ford and quickly snapped his neck. "I'm sorry things ended this way."
This was the moment the door opened, and the first thing Spike saw was the Slayer standing over the body of her friend. The vampire closed the door immediately and jumped to the side, which turned out to be a good idea as the steel door was blasted clear off its hinges and took two of his escorts with it as it sailed across the entry hallway.
"Why did I even listen to that brat?" Spike rushed to get away before Buffy could come out and get him.
Her friends had met her just outside the club and noticed her solemn expression.
"Are you alright, Buffy?" Willow asked.
"No, Willow. I will be, though. All I need is time." She smiled sadly.
"You can count on us to have your back, Buffy." Xander said firmly.
"Always. Come on, I want to show you some of the plans I've come up with. You'll love them." Willow changed the subject, and Buffy grinned in gratitude.
Even in the blackest day, one could hope for a brighter tomorrow, and for the trio, this hope appeared to be just what they needed to overcome their troubles.