A/N Normally I wouldn't do this, start another story when I haven't finished the one I'm working on. But the Shadows au is a bit depressing and it's Christmas, so I decided to write a short YAHF that I might expand on later. A couple of reviewers have given me different ideas and while I intend to write full length stories exploring those ideas, I thought I'd also write this short one combining the two ideas

Idea one, Ethan's Halloween spell gets out of hand when it requires the creation of something more powerful than he anticipated and he ends up drawing power from more then one source.

Idea two, Xander finds a way to destroy all the vampires and uses it.

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"So, Xander, any thoughts on what you're going to go as for Halloween?" Willow Rosenberg asked her not so secret crush, Alexander Harris, known as Xander to his friends. The two sixteen, almost seventeen year old Juniors were heading to the Scooby Gang Headquarters, also known as the Sunnydale High School Library, to meet up with their friend Buffy, a mystical superhero known as the Slayer. For a comic book fan like Xander, knowing a real life superhero and getting to help her fight vampires, undead creatures that preyed on humans, was a dream come true, given he hated the damn things after they'd killed his best friend. He was getting over his own crush on the petite blond.

"Well, I got a few extra dollars to spend this Halloween thanks to a very clumsy vampire so I'm hoping to get an actual costume instead of having to improvise." The dark haired boy informed his friend.

"A clumsy vampire?! When did you run into a vampire and why didn't you say anything before?!" His redheaded friend demanded to know.

"Relax, Willow. The idiot probably fed on a drunk, he literally tripped over his own feet, which made staking him really easy since he just laid there and drooled on himself. When the dust settled I found a few twenties had dropped out of his pocket, though what he was doing with money I can only guess at."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Nope, but I did get a splinter from the stake." Xander grinned. "So, you going as your usual ghost?"

"Of course I am, what else would I go as?"

"Considering you've gone as a ghost every year since we were five, off the top of my head I'd say a ghost." Xander smirked and Willow huffed.

"There's Buffy." Willow changed the subject and direction to meet up with their friend. "Hi, Buffy." She greeted the shorter girl with a smile, one Buffy didn't return. "What's wrong?"

"Giles said Halloween was dead for the undead, so I thought I'd get the night off, but Snyder just cornered me and made me sign up for kiddie escort duty. Watch out, he's heading this way."

Before Xander and Willow could duck into the Library to avoid the malicious Vice Principal he was shoving a clipboard in their faces and demanding they sign up too. With a sigh and an internal 'up yours, Troll!' they did so, before finally managing to get to the Library.

"So, any thoughts on what you're going to dress as for Halloween, Buff?" Xander asked, taking a seat at the Library table and pulling out a book.

"Something that impresses Angel." Buffy answered with a dreamy smile as she thought about her vampire with a soul boyfriend, making Xander roll his eyes. Was he jealous? Not really, yes he wanted Buffy's attention, but he also thought it was gross that she was interested in a vampire. A dead body with a demon in it, regardless of the soul he was cursed with, it didn't change the facts and he knew it wasn't going to end well when Buffy finally saw past the weird tragic romance she had going on.

"There's a new costume shop I saw advertised on my way home last night." Xander said, instead of offering an opinion neither of the girls wanted to hear about Buffy's dating choices. "We could go over after school and see what's available. It looks like they have a pretty good selection, everything from superheroes to monsters to princesses."

"Sure, I'm willing." Buffy agreed, taking a seat herself and pulling out her own book. Willow followed suit and the three friends sat in companionable silence until their free period was up. After classes let out for the day they headed over to the costume shop, called Ethan's and Xander split off from the girls to find his own costume, not wanting to hear them gush over whether Angel would like this or that.

He walked through the aisles checking over the selection, even with the extra money a lot of it was still out of his price range. And then he saw it, something within his price range and it was a costume for a great, if lesser known, superhero. A blue, red trimmed suit and red cloak, complete with black boots and belt. A superhero with a brain and power. Okay, so he was arrogant, but he could kick butt with both martial arts and Magic. It was perfect and Xander didn't waste any time grabbing it and heading to the counter to pay for it.

"It comes with some accessories." The clerk told him. "They're in the back, I'll go get them." He returned and handed the teen a package, inside Xander found a miniature version of the hero's home and his most famous magical artifact and a book.

"That's great, thanks." Xander left the girls gushing over a princess gown and went home to get ready for kiddie escort duty. He could hardly wait until tonight.