Graduation - Part 2
I own nothing.
Somewhere between Sunnydale and LA
The Trygon flew through the air looking down at the truck that it had followed just outside LA.
It swooped down, its eyes trained on the female lying on the top of the vehicle. It landed with a thud next to the brunette, and its green eyes appeared sad as it glowed white for a second before shrinking down to its human form: Xander LaVelle Harris.
He knelt down near Faith, a tear in his eye as he looked at the puddle of blood that formed beneath her.
"Faith?" he asked gently as he picked up her hand.
"Pathetic." A deep voice said behind Xander.
His head whipped around to see Faith's dagger, laying in a pool of blood on the truck behind him. "What the fuck!?"
The blood boiled as it began to take form around the blade. The form being that of a twelve foot tall skeletal dragon.
"Hello young Brood." The thing smiled, rotting yellow teeth showing. "Time to die!"
With a wave of its wings, the creature blew both Xander and the paling form of Faith off to the side of the truck.
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Sunnydale Hospital
Angel is crouched down next to the door to Buffy's room, his back against the wall. The door at the end of the hallway opens and, Giles, Willow, and Oz rushed in.
"How is she?" Giles asked a rising Angel.
"She's fine." Angel assured the Watcher. "She's asleep."
Oz frowned at the vampire in confusion. "Well, you seem all right, too."
Angel looks down and wraps his arms around himself. "Yeah."
"When we left her she was fine." Willow pointed out. "Did Faith..."
"Faith's out of the picture." Angel interrupted.
Giles looked at the ensouled demon, "And?"
Angel still would not meet their eyes. "Buffy cured me. - Made me..."
"You fed off her." Giles accused.
Angel looks up at him, takes a deep breath and nods his head once. "Yes."
"How much?" Giles asked sternly.
"She's gonna be fine." Angel assured.
"She won't be a vampire?" Willow asked.
Angel looking down again. "No. - She didn't feed off me."
Angel said nothing as the others looked at him.
"You better go, Angel." Giles ordered curtly. "We'll watch over her."
"I don't want to..." Angel began, shaking his head.
Giles interrupts in a hard voice. "The sun will be up soon."
Angel hesitated, reluctant to leave. He glanced up at Giles, swallowed hard, and nodded looking down, half looking towards Buffy's room, then slowly walked away.
"Let's go find out how Buffy's doing." Giles said to the group. They walk out of the picture as Angel leaves through the door at the end of the hallway.
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Side of Road
Xander crawled towards the body of Faith, ignoring whatever the hell that had been on the truck. He looked at the wound and knew that if given hospital care her Slayer healing might help her.
You and me
Meant to be
Immutable
Impossible
It's destiny
Pure lunacy
Incalculable
Insufferable
Xander called on the one gene he knew could save her : the Eldritch gene. It's healing abilities could save her.
The lightning came down in a fury, striking Xander and enveloping him in the familiar sphere of energy. It lasted for a few seconds, but when it cleared, there stood a foot tall green whelp, its purple horns glistened in the sun
But for the last time
You're everything that I want and ask for
You're all that I'd dreamed
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
Protected and the lover of
A pure soul and beautiful you
Xander looked at the body of the brunette Slayer and thought out the magic command. 'Restore'
Sparkling green and yellow lights surrounded Faith's body, dropping light onto her wounds, healing them instantly.
Don't understand
Don't feel me now
I will breathe
For the both of us
Xander reverted back to his human form in a bright flash of white light, just as Faith's eyes fluttered open.
"X...Xander?"
Travel the world
Traverse the skies
Your home is here
Within my heart
Xander knelt down before the slayer who his heart now belonged too. He raised her head and kissed her lightly.
And for the first time
I feel as though I am reborn
In my mind
Recast as child and mystic sage
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
They stayed like that for a while before breaking the kiss. Xander took a deep breath and looked at faith.
"I love you."
Faith's eyes widened, then softened. "I love you, too."
For the first time
I'm telling you how much I need and bleed for
Your every move and waking sound
In my time
I'll wrap my wire around your heart and your mind
You're mine forever now
Who wouldn't be the one you love and live for
Who wouldn't stand inside your love and die for
Who wouldn't be the one you love
As they leaned in too kiss again, a cold hard voice sneered, " Well isn't this a lovely picture, a killer and a destroyer of worlds finding love in each other's arms."
Both turned to see the monster that had thrown them off the truck. It was a skeleton of a dragon, its eyes glowing a ghostly green. It reeked of death and had bits of rotten flesh hanging off of it.
"What the hell is that X?" Faith asked.
"Oh allow me to introduce myself." The creature said, in a sickly sweet voice. "I'm the Zombie dragon, and I have been hired to kill you."
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Library
Buffy is sitting on a chair with her back to the door, facing the others. Giles on the right side of the table, Willow and Oz on the left, Cordelia standing left of the steps, while Angel stood against the wall in the shadows.
"So, am I crazy?" Buffy asked after explaining her plan.
"Well, 'crazy' is such a strong word." Willow said.
"Let's not rule it out though." Giles said, chewing on his glasses.
"You don't think it can be done?" Buffy asked, a pleading look in her eyes.
"I didn't say that." Giles explained. " I might, - but not yet."
"I personally don't think it's impossible to come up with a crazier plan." Cordelia spoke up.
"We attack the Mayor with humus." Oz said out of no where.
Everyone looks at him oddly, finally Cordelia said, "I stand corrected."
"Just trying to keep things in perspective."
Cordelia snorted sarcastically. "Thank you. - My point however is, crazy or not, it's pretty much the only plan. - Besides, it's Buffy's, - and she's slay gal, - you know, Ms little Likes-to-fight. So.."
"Well, I'm going to need every single one of you on board." Buffy interrupted. "Especially now with Xander betraying us for Faith."
Willow snorted at the mention of the brunette Slayer.
"So any ideas on how to kill this baddie?" Cordelia asked.
"What about the rocket launcher?" Giles asked.
"Rocket launcher not going to get it done." Buffy said regretfully. "I mean, it took a volcano to kill one of these things last time."
"Um, Buffy," Giles began, walking towards her, "all of this is rather depended on your being able to control the Mayor."
"I just have to play on his human weaknesses." Buffy said confidently
"His weakness?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Right."
"Which are?"
"You know I do all this planing." Buffy pouted. "I'm in charge here, even though I am really not at my best"
"Well, let's lets...ah," Giles began, taking off his glasses, "let's think."
"Well, Angel," Oz called to the vampire, "you hung with him the most. Is there something that he's afraid of?"
"Well, he's not crazy about germs."
"Of course, that's it." Cordelia said sarcastically. "We attack him with germs!"
"Great!" Buffy shouted in agreement. "We'll corner him and then you can sneeze on him."
"No! No, we'll get a box with the Ebola virus and...," Cordelia gestured excitedly. " Or it doesn't even have to be real, we can just get a box that says Ebola on it and umm chase him with the box" She looked at the frowning faces, and decided to shut up.
"I'm starting to lean towards the humus offensive." Buffy replied.
"He'll never see it coming."
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Side of Road
"Kill us?" Xander asked confused.
"Oh how rude of me." The thing said with a hideous smile. "Forgot to deliver the message." Its eyes flared brightly, and something like a holograph appeared in front of them. It was the Mayor.
"Hiya, Faithie. Mr. Harris." The Mayor said with a smile on his face. His face took on a sad look. "Like I said Faith, I really hate looses ends, and you've got to be the biggest one of all. I knew you were 'sleeping with the enemy', and I must say that I am disappointed in you Faithie. That's why I gave the dagger to you, as a back-up plan in case you betrayed me."
Faith looked at the image of the Mayor, the father she had always wanted, in disbelief. He would really have her killed for finding someone who loved her. An anger filled her but before she could voice it the image continued.
"Now I must get going, can't keep my Ascension waiting, now can I?" The image flickered an then disappeared.
The Zombie dragon looked around before smiling at the couple. "Now let's have some fun." He took in a deep breath and then shouted, "Rotten Breath!"
A cloud of green smoke came flying out of his mouth straight at Xander and Faith.
Both jumped to the sides to avoid the gas.
Faith ran to the side of the monster and delivered a kick to it's side that would have taken down a vampire. But this was no vampire.
The zombie shook off the hit and swiped at Faith with its tail, barely missing her as she ducked underneath it.
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Xander calmed himself down and called on the power from within. He decided to go with his favorite, the Trygon.
As he chose the element genes, he couldn't help but notice that the gene he used to heal Faith, the Eldritch gene was shining brightly. 'What the!?' Xander thought before the Eldritch gene seemed to explode in his head.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Xander screamed out as he felt the lightning hit, and the sphere of energy cover him. He began to transform once again into the Eldritch dragon.
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Faith turned to see the sphere vanish and in Xander's place was a foot tall baby dragon with green skin and purple horns. It chirped loudly in frustration. She looked confused at it, knowing it was Xander, but wondering why he chose that form.
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Xander looked from the confused face of Faith to the Zombie Dragon. Xander's whelp eyes opened a little wide as he saw the gigantic dragon looking at him in fear.
"Not again, dammit, not again." It yelled.
Xander looked confused, the though of this form abilities. Snap, Whelp breath, Remedy, Restore, and Vitalize. All were weak abilities, except that three were used for healing...
A smile came to Xander's dragon face as he looked at the dead dragon, remembering the ability he had used on Faith. "Restore!" He chirped out.
The green and yellow lights surrounded the Zombie, trying to heal what could not be healed. They ended up damaging him, causing him o be weakened.
Seeing this, Faith ran at hi again and jumped kicked him in the chest, cracking the bones that were now weakened.
Xander sucked in a deep breath and the let loose a stream of fire known as Whelp breath. The flames licked at the bones of the Zombie dragon, melting him down to almost nothing.
"N...nooo." the dragon gurgled out as it finally melted. The Shadow Dagger was left floating in the air for a second before crumbling into dust.
Xander reverted back to human form and looked at the dead creature. He looked over at Faith who was staring at something in the creature's remains.
He moved over and watched as a dark sphere hovered above the remains before flying at Xander, melting into his skin. Inside his head a new gene joined the others. It was a black globe that gleamed occasionally.
"I believe that's the Shadow gene" a friendly voice said from behind them. Both turned once again to see a man that looked startling like Xander. He had the same blue hair as Xander but instead of green eyes, his were blue. He wore odd clothing and had a large sword strapped to his back. Behind him a rippling portal shimmered. "I see you got Nina's eyes."
"Who are you?" Xander asked, not the least bit afraid of the man in front of him.
"In a sense, I guess I could be called your father." The man said, "But you can call me Ryu."
'Ryu?' Xander thought, before it finally came to him. "You mean...The Ryu?"
Ryu nodded. "I'm the one who helped to defeat that false dragon. I showed you the gene you needed to defeat him."
"Why are you here?" Faith, who had been silent in amazement up till now, finally spoke.
"To give my...son, a gift for his upcoming battles."
"What kind of gift?" Xander asked.
"The full power of the Brood, and the magic of the Windians, your mother's people."
"My...mother?" Xander stuttered out. As he id an image of a beautiful blonde with his green eyes came to mind.
"Nina." Ryu supplied. "Give me your hand now my son, and you shall receive the gifts which you lack."
"You think you can trust him, Xan?" Faith asked from Xander's side.
Xander looked at his offered hand and then at the man. He knew that everything Ryu said was true. He took his 'father's' hand and felt the rush of power that went through their joined hands.
The final genes joined the collection in his head. The Fusion gene, a green, oval-shaped gem with a pair of connected stick figures within it. The Radiance gene, an orange globe with a fiery yellow star within. The Gross gene, a light purple diamond-shaped gem with a small yellow arrow pointing up. The Trance gene, a green, teardrop-shaped gem with a fiery eye within. And finally the Infinity gene, A deep blue globe with swirling "comets" within.
Next, came the other abilities of the Brood, including increased senses, strength, speed, intelligence, and magical attack and defense.
Finally, came the magic of both the Brood and Windians. It felt as if parts that he had been missing were finally found and put back into him. When it was finally over he collapsed to his knees, gasping.
Faith was at his side in a flash. "You all right, boy-toy?"
"I'm fine, Faith." Xander said as he climbed to his feet. "Hey, Ryu..." he began before realizing that the legendary Brood was gone, as was the remains of the Zombie dragon. However, at the spot that Ryu had stood, was a three foot long box. Xander reached for it and opened it.
Inside was a beautifully crafted sword with a dragon hilt, a black trenchcoat with a scabbard for the sword, and a pair of black fingerless gloves. On top of it all was a note, that read:
Xander,
This equipment is enchanted to be almost indestructible. The sword is called the Dragon Blade. It is the most powerful weapon of the Brood and should suit you well. Good luck on all your journeys my son.
Ryu
"Damn, nice threads X." Faith said with a smile, which quickly faded. "What do we do now?"
Xander looked at Faith. "We gotta go back and help Buffy."
"But how, the Mayor is probably ascended by now, there's no way we can beat him."
Inside his head the Infinity, Radiance, and the Trance genes glowed. "I think there is a way. But first we have to get there." He reached down and picked out the items from the box, putting them on.
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Sunnydale Quad
Angel sent a vampire flying, then turned to take care of two others only to receive a pipe to the face. As he fell to the floor, he looked up to see three vampires standing above.
"Traitor." One growled as he raised the pipe to strike again. The descent was stopped by a slim hand grabbing his arm.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Fangy."
The vamps turned only to have two of their numbers dusted on the spot. The remaining one gawked at the new arrival. "You're supposed to be dead."
"I don't die easily." Faith said as she slammed a stake home, dusting the vamp. She looked down at the souled vampire. "Hey Deadboy, where's B?"
"Why are you here Faith, and where's Xander?" Angel asked.
"Me and Xan flew back to help kill the back-stabbing sonofabitch Wilkin's." Faith explained. "Right now Xand is probably going all scaly, to get rid of the Mayor."
"But...How?" Angel asked, bewildered. "None of his genes are strong enough to kill a full demon."
"I don't know, okay." Faith answered. "He said something about Kaiser or something and told me to come help the students." She took off into the fighting crowd leaving Angel in a stupor.
"Did she say Kaiser?"
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On top of Sunnydale High School
Xander looked at his target: The Mayor. He was now a giant snake, extremely tough looking brown skin, and large teeth and pincers.
"Well, here goes nothing." Xander sighed. He brought his hands together and though of one of his newly acquired spells. "Magic Ball!"
A giant purple and blue sphere of pure magic flew across the sky, striking the Mayor across the back of his neck. As the smoke cleared, the Mayor's head appeared, the back slightly burned. His head tuned o look at Xander, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"That's right, now just get your snake ass over here." Xander mumbled.
With a roar, the demon Mayor slithered after his new pray: Xander Harris.
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"Hey!" Buffy yelled after the retreating form of the Mayor. "Get back here."
It was then that she noticed the blue haired man on top of the school roof.
"Xander?!"
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Xander smiled as he saw Buffy waving her arms at him or the Mayor, maybe both. He watched as the mayor was now below him and knew that it was time.
Closing his eyes, Xander called on the Infinity, Trance and Radiance genes. The lightning came down harder and more fiercely than ever before, and the sphere of energy enclosed, glowing brightly with more power than had been seen in a long time.
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The vampires and students stopped their fighting to look at the sphere of energy that seemed to grow with each passing second.
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Inside the sphere, Xander's body began growing to a size that rivaled the Mayor's.
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Giles looked up from his position by the plunger and stood gawking at what he thought to only be a legend. "Kaiser. It's actually real."
Another thought came to his head. "If that bumbling fool of a watcher told the Council, who knows what the bloody wankers will do to Xander."
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Large, gold wing stems extended from Xander's shoulder blades, and then seemed to bloom multicolored feathers. Xander watched as his skin took on the same gold color, and his mouth and nose blended into a bird-like beak.
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Angel and Faith stood side by side watching as the shadows played behind the sphere of energy.
"Wow!" Faith said in awe.
Angel could only nod.
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Xander's arms and legs grew more muscle as his pants, shirt, gloves, and trenchcoat melding into his skin. Large sharp claws extended from his hands and feet, and a large tail shot out from his spine. Red spikes sprouted from the top of his head all the way down his spine, to the tip of his tail.
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Buffy stood gaping as the sphere of energy began to dissipate, and the giant gold dragon was revealed to all. It's eyes opened to reveal a bright green.
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Xander looked at the world around him, feeling the power that came off him in waves. He looked down at the Mayor, a smile coming to his lips as he watched the Mayor look at him with a little trepidation.
He leaped down from the building and landed, shaking the ground. He looked at the Mayor and charged. Snake demon met Kaiser dragon, as the two titans battled against each other.
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Jonathan and Cordelia stood with a group of students watching the fight.
"This is just like a Godzilla movie!" Jonathan squealed as he watched the fight continue.
Cordelia rolled her eyes and warched as her ex-boyfriend threw the Mayor to the ground.
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Xander looked down at the Mayor, and thought, 'Bonebreak!' as he threw a punch. As the fist made contact, explosions appeared all over the Mayor's body.
With a roar, the Mayor lunged at Xander, biting down hard on the side of his neck. Xander screamed in pain, both outside and inside his had.
'You can't win.' The Mayor's voice said in his head. 'You haven't mastered this form, making it weak.'
'No' Xander moaned back weakly, feeling the blood coming from his neck and his eyes beginning to close.
'You know after you, I think I'll eat your little friends, starting with that traitor, Faith.'
Xander's eyes opened up at that, and a low rumble began in his throat until it was a full on roar. With a quick jerk, Xander pulled his neck away from the Mayor and swiped at him with his tail, sending the snake crashing into the side of the school.
Xander sucked in a deep breath, and used the best attack that the Kaiser had. 'Kaiser Breath!'
A beam of golden light shot out of Xander's mouth hitting the Mayor and the school. The explosion was like a small nuclear blast, destroying the Mayor and Sunnydale high in a matter of seconds.
The Kaiser looked back at the students, who now looked at him in fear and admiration, flapped its wings, and flew away.
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Police cars and fire trucks were parked in front of the school, the dark and smoky air hiding most of the damage.
Buffy watches as Giles walks away, and turns to go, but then stopped. Turning back she sees Angel, Faith and Xander standing beside a fire truck. Buth groups look to see what will happen.
Buffy looks at Faith and Xander, and then nods, turning and walking back towards the Scoobies.
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"So...LA, huh?" Xander asked as he, Angel, and Faith drove in Angel's borrowed car. "Sounds cool."
"Yeah." Angel said looking at the couple in the back. "Anywhere I can drop you to off?"
"Nah," Faith grinned, "we figured we'd go with you. Who else could we annoy."
Angel looked up at the sky and muttered, "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Do you really want me to answer that, Captain Hairgel?" Xander asked.
'This is going to be a long drive.' Angel thought.
The End
I would like to thank all those who reviewed this story. I had fun writing this and hope to later make a sequel after my other stories are finished.