Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction ❯ A Knight's Companion ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fyrloche 
Non Anime: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Occult | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.24.2008 | Updated On: 05.24.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 815 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Occult | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.24.2008 | Updated On: 05.24.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 815 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 3
A/N: *whistles softly* I never thought that this story would get as much attention as it has. I am very grateful to all who have reviewed and put this story on their favorites list. I hope that I don’t disappoint you. Now, as to the length between updates. *sighs* I will try to make them sooner, but life has a way of throwing things at you that interrupt things. (Sickness, tornadoes, overwork - take your pick!) Anyway, I don’t own Buffy or Valdemar.
Xander quickly discovered something. Riding bareback was not the best way to ride. ‘Of course, it would help if I knew how to ride!’ he thought desperately as he grabbed at Albriech’s mane. It didn’t help that Faith was clutching him for dear life to keep from sliding off the Companion’s rump. Albriech’s voice echoed in his mind. “If you allow, help I can.”
Xander clutched at the Companion’s mane tighter. “Yes! Help!” he yelled in desperation.
Albriech’s mind voice chuckled slightly as he reached into his chosen’s mind and gave him temporary knowledge of how to ride. As Xander shifted his weight to get a better seat on Albriech’s back, the companion hastened to explain that the knowledge was only temporary. “Not long will this last.” he cautioned. “Learn to ride you must.”
As Xander’s fear of falling off faded, he heaved a deep sigh. He reached to steady Faith as Albriech began to pick up speed. “Why can’t this stay in my head?” he complained.
“Not true knowledge, this is. Quick fix only. Body and mind must learn together for true knowledge.”
Xander glared at the back of his Companion’s head, the slacker in him disheartened, and groaned. “I don’t care what you say, Al, you still sound like Yoda.” Albriech replied with a hard, jolting trot that convinced Xander that it might be better for him to save his arguments with his new horse shaped friend for when he wasn’t on said friend’s back.
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When the trio arrived at the Sunnydale High School, Faith dropped off the back of Albriech and promptly fell to the ground while she tried to get feeling back into her legs. “Damn!” she groaned as she massaged her legs. “I ain’t doin’ that again anytime soon, Silver.”
Xander dropped to the ground next to her, his legs not quite as bad as hers since he had been helped by Albriech. He started rubbing the calve and thigh of the nearest leg. “I know what you mean, Faith. Looks like both of us are going to have to learn how to ride.”
“You looked like you were doin’ pretty good there, X.” Faith shot at him as she struggled to stand. Once she got to her feet, she did a couple of quick knee bends to help work the kinks out. “Why do you need to learn?” she ground out between gritted teeth as the knots in her thighs loosened.
Xander grimaced as he copied her with the deep knee bends. “It was a quick fix only. Al here,” he jerked his head irritably at the Companion who stood nearby, “said that he couldn’t make the knowledge permanent so I still have to learn to ride.”
“That bites.” commiserated Faith.
“Don’t it though.” sighed Xander. He straightened and looked at her. “You ready?” he asked as he looked her over.
“Born ready, Stud.” she answered.
“Good. Take Al and go to the library to help the gang with the VUB’s from hell while I go get O’Toole and his boys.” Xander turned from her to run into the building but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a protest from his Companion.
“No way, X!” Faith protested as she spun him to face her. “I’m not letting you face those undead freaks alone.”
“Indeed, Chosen. My duty is to help you.” Albriech shook his head, snorted and stomped to emphasis his point.
Xander looked into Faith’s eyes. “Thanks, Faith. I really appreciate that but I’m not the important one here. Keeping the Hellmouth closed is more important. I don’t know what those demon girls are up to, but Buffy and the others are going to need all the help they can get.” He grinned his lop-sided grin. “Besides, I can handle zombies easier than demons.” In his mind, he carried on a different conversation with his Companion. “Listen, Al. If you’ve peeked into my head at all, you know what my girls mean to me and you know that they will always come first.” His mind voice paused as he looked from Faith’s eyes to Albriech’s briefly. “Don’t fight me on this, Al. Please.”
The stallion reluctantly nodded his head. “As you wish, Alexander. Careful you must be.”
“Careful is my middle name.” Xander assured as he turned his back to the pair and ran into the school.
Faith cocked an eyebrow at Albriech. “Somehow, I don’t believe him.” she told the Companion.
Albriech responded with a snort and a nod of his head.
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“Hurry up and set the timer, you idiots!” O’Toole was in a hurry so he didn’t waste time with niceties. “I promised this town fireworks and I plan on delivering!” He laughed at what he considered a joke.
“Gotta tell ya’,” a voice said from the shadows, “as plans go, it sucks.”
O’Toole spun to face the voice. “Who the hell are you and what makes you think that my plan sucks? Come on out here, you coward, and I’ll show you how bad it sucks.” The other three zombies that made up O’Toole’s gang stepped up behind him and peered into the darkness with their leader, trying to catch a look at whoever was interrupting their fun.
Out of the shadows, several liquid filled balloons flew. They hit O’Toole and his gang and burst. The three zombies behind O’Toole looked blankly at each other for a second before their faces went slack and they slowly dropped to the ground. O’Toole watched in shock as his friends went back to their eternal sleep. “God damn you!” he shouted into the darkness. “What did you do to my friends?”
“I broke the spell holding them to this world.” The voice was calm as it came closer. A figure stepped from the shadows to reveal itself as Xander Harris. “Holy water and blessed salt can do wonders to the undead.” He cocked his head to the side as he looked at the fuming zombie. “Don’t know why you’re still standing, though.”
O’Toole reached into his shirt as he backed away from the dark headed young man. “My grand-daddy couldn’t stand the fact that I had died early, and since he is a voodoo priest, he brought me back.” He pulled out a necklace. “I’ll live as long as I wear this and it gives me the ability to bring others back.” Suddenly, he spun and slapped the activation switch on the timer. “Now, you got three minutes to clear out before this school goes sky high.”
Xander moved to stand between the zombie and the door leading out of the basement. “Not happening, Jack.” He pulled his knife. “I may not be able to kill you, but I can cut enough off of you to keep you from leaving.” Xander gestured towards the timer on the bomb. “Your only way out of here is to turn that thing off. You do that and I’ll let you go.”
O’Toole looked at the timer. It had counted down past two minutes. He knew that he could survive many things, but being blown apart wasn’t one of them. “How do I know you’ll let me go?”
“I’ve got too many other things to take care of right now.” Xander grimaced at the zombie. “I really don’t have time to chase you after you turn the bomb off.”
The zombie nodded as he came to a decision. He reached over and turned off the timer.
Xander heaved a sigh of relief and then stepped out of the doorway. He gestured impatiently. “Get the hell out of here before I change my mind.”
O’Toole trotted past him. After he had gone by, he paused at the top of the stairs to bluster at his enemy. “I’ll get you for this, Harris.” He turned and had taken about two steps when he was hit by a growling, furry missile. Werewolf Oz knocked him into a deserted classroom and began tearing the zombie apart.
Xander quickly sprinted up the stairs and peeked into the classroom where the carnage was taking place. He grimaced at the sight in front of him and made sure that the door was firmly locked before he turned back to the basement to disable the bomb. ‘Man,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’m glad zombies don’t bleed.’ Two steps toward the bomb, he stopped, realizing something. “Oz isn’t in his cage.” he said, speaking to himself. “That means….. Shit!” The expletive had not fully exited his mouth when he took off at a dead run towards the library.
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Buffy didn’t have time to think. It was all she could do to keep ahead of the Sisters of Jhe that were harassing her. The Sisters had attacked in force, splitting once they entered the library so that one force of them would keep the slayer and her allies busy while the other force worked on opening the Hellmouth. This tactic had worked and the Sisters had nearly succeeded in opening the Hellmouth. It didn’t help that during the fighting Oz’s cage had been broken open and the werewolf had escaped. At least he had accounted for one of the Sister’s before he darted out of the library even though that was more because she had gotten in his way than from conscious thought. She risked a quick glance at Willow and Giles to see how things were going on the mojo front. The red headed witch’s shield appeared to be holding up while the watcher was busy setting up the components for the ritual needed to stop the Sisterhood.
This glance cost her.
One of the Sisters got inside her guard and clocked her a good one to the side of the head that put Buffy into the nearest wall. Seeing stars and hearing bells, the slayer quickly got to her feet, shaking her head to clear it. The bright flashes dissipated, but the bells kept ringing … and were getting louder. She wasn’t the only one who was hearing it either. The Sisters that were attacking her paused and cocked their heads to the side, trying to zero in on the source of the rhythmic chiming. It sounded almost like … hoof beats?
Suddenly, the doors to the library were flung open and in ran Faith. Buffy barely had time to breath a sigh of relief at the appearance of her sister slayer when a loud whiney was heard from the hallway. The doors crashed inward to reveal a white stallion, his head thrown back in a wild neighing battle cry.
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Faith took advantage of the distraction offered by Albriech and quickly knifed the nearest VUB. She saw that this shook Queen B out of her stupor. The blonde slayer managed to get around behind one of the sisters and broke her neck before the demon could react. Then Albriech took the field.
“Jesus!” Faith breathed as she watched this immense creature move with all the grace of a dancer. Albriech appeared to be prancing as he stepped in, mindful of his footing on the hard floor. He reared and lashed out with his fore hooves, smashing the nearest demon in the chest, sending her screaming to the floor. Her scream was short lived as he brought both hooves down on her face. Without pausing, he pivoted and kicked out with his rear hooves, catching another of the Sisters in the head, crushing her skull and killing her instantly. All hooves were on the floor for only an instant before he reared, gave another bellowing equine war cry, and launched himself at the next knot of Sisters.
Faith shook off her momentary paralysis and rushed over to guard her equine friend’s side. She saw Buffy following her lead, but with some obvious caution since Albriech was an unknown factor to her. Faith smirked at the idea that Queen B was having to depend on her to get her queues during a fight. ‘Might even do the bottle blond some good to follow orders instead of give ‘em for a change.’ “Yo, B!” she called out as she ducked a wild swing by a VUB. “Whatcha think of Silver?”
Buffy completed a roundhouse kick to the side of the Sisters head that was attacking her. “Not bad. He’s beautiful and he knows how to fight. Where’s the Lone Ranger?”
“He had to take care of something.” Faith paused as she managed to get a knife into another of the VUB. “He’ll be here soon.”
Buffy punched another Sister. “I was kidding, Faith.” She panted for a second while watching the white horse demolish another demon. “So, who does he belong to? And can I get one?”
Before Faith could answer, a rumbling began to reverberate through the room. The Sisters of Jhe begun to crow in triumph as the floor cracked open and began to spread.
“They have completed the ritual!” yelled Giles, getting their attention. “Keep them off of Willow and myself for a few moments while we reverse it!”
Smoke and a nauseating smell began to roil out of the chasm in the floor. Suddenly a clawed hand appeared through the smoke to grab the edge. Albriech’s head was bobbing rapidly and he was snorting his displeasure. Another hand appeared to grab the other side of the gapping hole. Muscles could be seen flexing in the backs of the hands as a head raised from the depths. It blinked against the light that it had climbed into before focusing on those who would oppose it. It roared out a challenge. Albriech answered with a challenge of his own and then charged the massive demon!
“Albriech! No!” was all Faith had time to shout before he reached the demon. His teeth scored on the beast, drawing first blood. But for all his speed, the demon was quicker. It lashed out and caught Albriech in the side, scoring his flank deeply and causing him to scream in pain as he was thrown across the room.
“NOOOO!” Everyone stopped at the power of the scream. Xander stood in the doorway, staring at his fallen friend. Pain gave way to anger; anger gave way to rage; rage gave way to white, hot fury. The Sisters decided to make a move. Not a good idea. Xander’s head snapped around to gaze at them. His eyes flashed green, and then red. A trigger had been tripped inside the young man, one that channeled his rage into a weapon. The Sisters exploded into flame. Their shrieks drew an answering bellow from their god. And that bellow drew Xander’s attention.
He turned his head and began walking toward the demon. “You hurt my friend.” The fire burned inside of him, seething like lava, waiting to explode. His voice was calm, running counter to the emotions inside of him. “Burn.” he ordered, instinctively knowing that his rage would follow his will. Flames rose from the body of the demon god. Its roars of rage and challenge soon became shrieks of pain as its body was slowly consumed. It lost its grip on the edge of the abyss and fell backwards.
The gang stared at their comrade in shock at what he had just done. Giles snapped out of his awe induced stupor and called to Willow. “Willow!” He reached out and touched her arm. She shook herself and looked at the librarian. “We must complete the ritual before something else decides to try to come through!” She nodded, shakily, and taking a last look at her childhood friend, began the final parts of the ritual that would close the chasm.
Unnoticed by all, dark clouds gathered above the building.
With a final gesture, Willow completed the closing spell. The clouds took this moment to strike. A blinding flash of lightning lit the room as it crashed through the skylight and into the closing portal. It fragmented, rebounding from the Hellmouth and striking Xander square in the chest! He screamed in agony as his mind felt seared by an white hot iron before he collapsed to the floor to spasm for a moment before falling still. On the far side of the room, Albriech came awake with a scream of sympathetic pain and rage as his chosen fell.
Faith was the first to reach the side of the fallen Xander. She collapsed next to him and pulled his head into her lap. This couldn‘t be happening to her. She was just starting to like the idea of a friend. “Come on, Xander.” she urged the unconscious young man, unconsciously dropping her habit to nickname in her distress. “Don’t you dare die on me now! I still haven’t thanked you for saving my ass earlier.”
Unnoticed by her, Albriech had limped up to stand beside his chosen. He whinnied gently as he nuzzled him. “Alive he still is.” he informed Faith. “But his mind is injured. Healing he must have, and soon, or lose him we will.”
Faith quickly looked around at the others who had gathered around them. Willow was weeping, thinking the worst and Giles was having to support her. They were in no position to help. Buffy looked stricken and angry. “B, we’ve gotta get an ambulance here and get him to the hospital.”
Buffy’s fear for Xander translated into anger and she started ranting. “I knew this would happen! I told him to stay out of it for his own good, but does he listen? Nooo! All Mr. Macho, I don’t need no stinkin’ powers, I’ll do this if I want to! And now he could be dieing, and for what? I had the situation under control! I didn’t need his help!”
Faith had heard enough. So had Albriech. Before she could move to backhand her sister slayer, the Companion …. Growled? Faith, Buffy, Giles, and Willow looked at him in shock. No horse had ever made a sound like that, but then Albriech wasn’t a horse. In a scathing tone, he broadcast his next thoughts to Faith. “Ungrateful bitch! Great was Alexander’s courage! Saved her life he did. Dishonor him she does, and well without such friends as her he is.” He laid back his ears and snorted, before turning his back to them, interposing his body between Buffy, Giles, and Willow and his chosen and Faith. He knelt next to Xander, shocking Giles even more.
‘This creature is intelligent!’ he thought. ‘It is acting to insure the welfare of Xander without being ordered.’ He immediately became worried. “This is no ordinary horse.” the Watcher stated. “What is he?”
“No shit, Sherlock!” Faith answered in a biting tone. She paused and shared a look with Albriech as he mind spoke her, asking her to help get Xander on his back. She moved over to Xander and gently began to drape him over the kneeling Companion’s back. “Al here is special. He calls himself a Companion and he is X’s friend.” She stopped and looked at Albriech for a second before blushing slightly. “He says he’s my friend, too.” She held Xander steady as Albriech slowly clambered to his feet, ignoring the torrent of questions and accusations that were being sent towards her and the Companion. She swung up behind the unconscious young man and held him in place. Albriech began moving toward the door when a small blond slayer moved to block him.
“I don’t know were you are taking him, but you and this demon horse aren’t leaving here with Xander.”
“I’m taking him to a hospital, you idiot! Now move out of our way!” Albriech laid back his ears and squealed a warning at her when she stood her ground with a determined look on her face. “B, I’d really take my advice and move if I were you.” Faith’s voice held some concern for her sister slayer, afraid of what would happen if she continued to act like an idiot. “He’s pretty pissed at you, right now, and I don’t know if he will hold back just because Xander likes you.”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed. She knelt to the side and grabbed a sword that had been dropped to the floor earlier in the fight. Taking a two handed grip on the pommel, she stood before the white demon horse that was trying to take her friend away. “Take one step toward that door and I’ll cut your legs out from under you. I don‘t trust you to take Xander. We’ll take care of him.”
Albriech looked at her with contempt. With a sudden move, he reared slightly and lashed out with one of his fore hooves faster than her eyes could follow, catching her in the back of one of her hands with a silver hoof. Bones crunched and Buffy screamed in pain as she dropped the sword, clutching her wounded hand.
“I warned you, B. He doesn’t like you very much right now for the way you’ve been treating the X-man here.” She paused as she checked her grip on Xander, making sure that he was steady and that Al’s sudden movement hadn’t distressed him. “By the way, he says that you hold your sword like a child.”
Buffy scowled through her tears. “How can you trust him? He could be a demon! And how come he just talks to you? And just how would he know how to hold a sword? He’s a freaking horse, for God’s sake!”
Faith cocked her head, listening to her silver friend and then smirked at Buffy. “He says, and I quote, ‘Like you I do, Faith. Talk to you I will. She I do not like. Deserving of my words, she is not. As for holding a sword, weapons master I was before this life for over 40 years. More skill had my yearling students than you.’ And I trust him because Xan does.”
“That’s a great reason!” Buffy exclaimed, in exasperation. “After all, we know what great instincts he has a trusting people and choosing friends.” she bit out with deep sarcasm.
“You got that right, B.” Faith said, agreeing with the blonde slayer much to her surprise. Her surprise and feeling of righteousness were quickly deflated when the Dark Slayer continued. “After all, he picked you and Red to be his best friends, didn’t he?” Faith turned away from the stricken look on the faces of the two young women. “We’re going to the hospital now. Maybe, when you get your heads out of your asses, you can follow and see how Xan is doin’.” She nodded to Albriech. “Let’s go, Silver.” Albriech whinnied in agreement and set off as fast as he could without dislodging Faith or Xander, leaving behind two silently crying women and a man who was asking himself if he should have done more.
A/N: I was beginning to wonder if I was going to finish this chapter. My muse deserted me for a while. I knew what I wanted to write, but I kept having problems getting it into the right words. I’ve rewritten this chapter 3 times! But, I think that things are getting back to normal. I feel the words flowing, now. I’ve got some other writing to do, but the next chapter should be up sooner than this one. We are about to explore Xander’s family a bit. Or, more appropriately, Buffy is going to explore it. She’s not going to like what she finds.
A/N: *whistles softly* I never thought that this story would get as much attention as it has. I am very grateful to all who have reviewed and put this story on their favorites list. I hope that I don’t disappoint you. Now, as to the length between updates. *sighs* I will try to make them sooner, but life has a way of throwing things at you that interrupt things. (Sickness, tornadoes, overwork - take your pick!) Anyway, I don’t own Buffy or Valdemar.
Xander quickly discovered something. Riding bareback was not the best way to ride. ‘Of course, it would help if I knew how to ride!’ he thought desperately as he grabbed at Albriech’s mane. It didn’t help that Faith was clutching him for dear life to keep from sliding off the Companion’s rump. Albriech’s voice echoed in his mind. “If you allow, help I can.”
Xander clutched at the Companion’s mane tighter. “Yes! Help!” he yelled in desperation.
Albriech’s mind voice chuckled slightly as he reached into his chosen’s mind and gave him temporary knowledge of how to ride. As Xander shifted his weight to get a better seat on Albriech’s back, the companion hastened to explain that the knowledge was only temporary. “Not long will this last.” he cautioned. “Learn to ride you must.”
As Xander’s fear of falling off faded, he heaved a deep sigh. He reached to steady Faith as Albriech began to pick up speed. “Why can’t this stay in my head?” he complained.
“Not true knowledge, this is. Quick fix only. Body and mind must learn together for true knowledge.”
Xander glared at the back of his Companion’s head, the slacker in him disheartened, and groaned. “I don’t care what you say, Al, you still sound like Yoda.” Albriech replied with a hard, jolting trot that convinced Xander that it might be better for him to save his arguments with his new horse shaped friend for when he wasn’t on said friend’s back.
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When the trio arrived at the Sunnydale High School, Faith dropped off the back of Albriech and promptly fell to the ground while she tried to get feeling back into her legs. “Damn!” she groaned as she massaged her legs. “I ain’t doin’ that again anytime soon, Silver.”
Xander dropped to the ground next to her, his legs not quite as bad as hers since he had been helped by Albriech. He started rubbing the calve and thigh of the nearest leg. “I know what you mean, Faith. Looks like both of us are going to have to learn how to ride.”
“You looked like you were doin’ pretty good there, X.” Faith shot at him as she struggled to stand. Once she got to her feet, she did a couple of quick knee bends to help work the kinks out. “Why do you need to learn?” she ground out between gritted teeth as the knots in her thighs loosened.
Xander grimaced as he copied her with the deep knee bends. “It was a quick fix only. Al here,” he jerked his head irritably at the Companion who stood nearby, “said that he couldn’t make the knowledge permanent so I still have to learn to ride.”
“That bites.” commiserated Faith.
“Don’t it though.” sighed Xander. He straightened and looked at her. “You ready?” he asked as he looked her over.
“Born ready, Stud.” she answered.
“Good. Take Al and go to the library to help the gang with the VUB’s from hell while I go get O’Toole and his boys.” Xander turned from her to run into the building but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a protest from his Companion.
“No way, X!” Faith protested as she spun him to face her. “I’m not letting you face those undead freaks alone.”
“Indeed, Chosen. My duty is to help you.” Albriech shook his head, snorted and stomped to emphasis his point.
Xander looked into Faith’s eyes. “Thanks, Faith. I really appreciate that but I’m not the important one here. Keeping the Hellmouth closed is more important. I don’t know what those demon girls are up to, but Buffy and the others are going to need all the help they can get.” He grinned his lop-sided grin. “Besides, I can handle zombies easier than demons.” In his mind, he carried on a different conversation with his Companion. “Listen, Al. If you’ve peeked into my head at all, you know what my girls mean to me and you know that they will always come first.” His mind voice paused as he looked from Faith’s eyes to Albriech’s briefly. “Don’t fight me on this, Al. Please.”
The stallion reluctantly nodded his head. “As you wish, Alexander. Careful you must be.”
“Careful is my middle name.” Xander assured as he turned his back to the pair and ran into the school.
Faith cocked an eyebrow at Albriech. “Somehow, I don’t believe him.” she told the Companion.
Albriech responded with a snort and a nod of his head.
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“Hurry up and set the timer, you idiots!” O’Toole was in a hurry so he didn’t waste time with niceties. “I promised this town fireworks and I plan on delivering!” He laughed at what he considered a joke.
“Gotta tell ya’,” a voice said from the shadows, “as plans go, it sucks.”
O’Toole spun to face the voice. “Who the hell are you and what makes you think that my plan sucks? Come on out here, you coward, and I’ll show you how bad it sucks.” The other three zombies that made up O’Toole’s gang stepped up behind him and peered into the darkness with their leader, trying to catch a look at whoever was interrupting their fun.
Out of the shadows, several liquid filled balloons flew. They hit O’Toole and his gang and burst. The three zombies behind O’Toole looked blankly at each other for a second before their faces went slack and they slowly dropped to the ground. O’Toole watched in shock as his friends went back to their eternal sleep. “God damn you!” he shouted into the darkness. “What did you do to my friends?”
“I broke the spell holding them to this world.” The voice was calm as it came closer. A figure stepped from the shadows to reveal itself as Xander Harris. “Holy water and blessed salt can do wonders to the undead.” He cocked his head to the side as he looked at the fuming zombie. “Don’t know why you’re still standing, though.”
O’Toole reached into his shirt as he backed away from the dark headed young man. “My grand-daddy couldn’t stand the fact that I had died early, and since he is a voodoo priest, he brought me back.” He pulled out a necklace. “I’ll live as long as I wear this and it gives me the ability to bring others back.” Suddenly, he spun and slapped the activation switch on the timer. “Now, you got three minutes to clear out before this school goes sky high.”
Xander moved to stand between the zombie and the door leading out of the basement. “Not happening, Jack.” He pulled his knife. “I may not be able to kill you, but I can cut enough off of you to keep you from leaving.” Xander gestured towards the timer on the bomb. “Your only way out of here is to turn that thing off. You do that and I’ll let you go.”
O’Toole looked at the timer. It had counted down past two minutes. He knew that he could survive many things, but being blown apart wasn’t one of them. “How do I know you’ll let me go?”
“I’ve got too many other things to take care of right now.” Xander grimaced at the zombie. “I really don’t have time to chase you after you turn the bomb off.”
The zombie nodded as he came to a decision. He reached over and turned off the timer.
Xander heaved a sigh of relief and then stepped out of the doorway. He gestured impatiently. “Get the hell out of here before I change my mind.”
O’Toole trotted past him. After he had gone by, he paused at the top of the stairs to bluster at his enemy. “I’ll get you for this, Harris.” He turned and had taken about two steps when he was hit by a growling, furry missile. Werewolf Oz knocked him into a deserted classroom and began tearing the zombie apart.
Xander quickly sprinted up the stairs and peeked into the classroom where the carnage was taking place. He grimaced at the sight in front of him and made sure that the door was firmly locked before he turned back to the basement to disable the bomb. ‘Man,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’m glad zombies don’t bleed.’ Two steps toward the bomb, he stopped, realizing something. “Oz isn’t in his cage.” he said, speaking to himself. “That means….. Shit!” The expletive had not fully exited his mouth when he took off at a dead run towards the library.
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Buffy didn’t have time to think. It was all she could do to keep ahead of the Sisters of Jhe that were harassing her. The Sisters had attacked in force, splitting once they entered the library so that one force of them would keep the slayer and her allies busy while the other force worked on opening the Hellmouth. This tactic had worked and the Sisters had nearly succeeded in opening the Hellmouth. It didn’t help that during the fighting Oz’s cage had been broken open and the werewolf had escaped. At least he had accounted for one of the Sister’s before he darted out of the library even though that was more because she had gotten in his way than from conscious thought. She risked a quick glance at Willow and Giles to see how things were going on the mojo front. The red headed witch’s shield appeared to be holding up while the watcher was busy setting up the components for the ritual needed to stop the Sisterhood.
This glance cost her.
One of the Sisters got inside her guard and clocked her a good one to the side of the head that put Buffy into the nearest wall. Seeing stars and hearing bells, the slayer quickly got to her feet, shaking her head to clear it. The bright flashes dissipated, but the bells kept ringing … and were getting louder. She wasn’t the only one who was hearing it either. The Sisters that were attacking her paused and cocked their heads to the side, trying to zero in on the source of the rhythmic chiming. It sounded almost like … hoof beats?
Suddenly, the doors to the library were flung open and in ran Faith. Buffy barely had time to breath a sigh of relief at the appearance of her sister slayer when a loud whiney was heard from the hallway. The doors crashed inward to reveal a white stallion, his head thrown back in a wild neighing battle cry.
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Faith took advantage of the distraction offered by Albriech and quickly knifed the nearest VUB. She saw that this shook Queen B out of her stupor. The blonde slayer managed to get around behind one of the sisters and broke her neck before the demon could react. Then Albriech took the field.
“Jesus!” Faith breathed as she watched this immense creature move with all the grace of a dancer. Albriech appeared to be prancing as he stepped in, mindful of his footing on the hard floor. He reared and lashed out with his fore hooves, smashing the nearest demon in the chest, sending her screaming to the floor. Her scream was short lived as he brought both hooves down on her face. Without pausing, he pivoted and kicked out with his rear hooves, catching another of the Sisters in the head, crushing her skull and killing her instantly. All hooves were on the floor for only an instant before he reared, gave another bellowing equine war cry, and launched himself at the next knot of Sisters.
Faith shook off her momentary paralysis and rushed over to guard her equine friend’s side. She saw Buffy following her lead, but with some obvious caution since Albriech was an unknown factor to her. Faith smirked at the idea that Queen B was having to depend on her to get her queues during a fight. ‘Might even do the bottle blond some good to follow orders instead of give ‘em for a change.’ “Yo, B!” she called out as she ducked a wild swing by a VUB. “Whatcha think of Silver?”
Buffy completed a roundhouse kick to the side of the Sisters head that was attacking her. “Not bad. He’s beautiful and he knows how to fight. Where’s the Lone Ranger?”
“He had to take care of something.” Faith paused as she managed to get a knife into another of the VUB. “He’ll be here soon.”
Buffy punched another Sister. “I was kidding, Faith.” She panted for a second while watching the white horse demolish another demon. “So, who does he belong to? And can I get one?”
Before Faith could answer, a rumbling began to reverberate through the room. The Sisters of Jhe begun to crow in triumph as the floor cracked open and began to spread.
“They have completed the ritual!” yelled Giles, getting their attention. “Keep them off of Willow and myself for a few moments while we reverse it!”
Smoke and a nauseating smell began to roil out of the chasm in the floor. Suddenly a clawed hand appeared through the smoke to grab the edge. Albriech’s head was bobbing rapidly and he was snorting his displeasure. Another hand appeared to grab the other side of the gapping hole. Muscles could be seen flexing in the backs of the hands as a head raised from the depths. It blinked against the light that it had climbed into before focusing on those who would oppose it. It roared out a challenge. Albriech answered with a challenge of his own and then charged the massive demon!
“Albriech! No!” was all Faith had time to shout before he reached the demon. His teeth scored on the beast, drawing first blood. But for all his speed, the demon was quicker. It lashed out and caught Albriech in the side, scoring his flank deeply and causing him to scream in pain as he was thrown across the room.
“NOOOO!” Everyone stopped at the power of the scream. Xander stood in the doorway, staring at his fallen friend. Pain gave way to anger; anger gave way to rage; rage gave way to white, hot fury. The Sisters decided to make a move. Not a good idea. Xander’s head snapped around to gaze at them. His eyes flashed green, and then red. A trigger had been tripped inside the young man, one that channeled his rage into a weapon. The Sisters exploded into flame. Their shrieks drew an answering bellow from their god. And that bellow drew Xander’s attention.
He turned his head and began walking toward the demon. “You hurt my friend.” The fire burned inside of him, seething like lava, waiting to explode. His voice was calm, running counter to the emotions inside of him. “Burn.” he ordered, instinctively knowing that his rage would follow his will. Flames rose from the body of the demon god. Its roars of rage and challenge soon became shrieks of pain as its body was slowly consumed. It lost its grip on the edge of the abyss and fell backwards.
The gang stared at their comrade in shock at what he had just done. Giles snapped out of his awe induced stupor and called to Willow. “Willow!” He reached out and touched her arm. She shook herself and looked at the librarian. “We must complete the ritual before something else decides to try to come through!” She nodded, shakily, and taking a last look at her childhood friend, began the final parts of the ritual that would close the chasm.
Unnoticed by all, dark clouds gathered above the building.
With a final gesture, Willow completed the closing spell. The clouds took this moment to strike. A blinding flash of lightning lit the room as it crashed through the skylight and into the closing portal. It fragmented, rebounding from the Hellmouth and striking Xander square in the chest! He screamed in agony as his mind felt seared by an white hot iron before he collapsed to the floor to spasm for a moment before falling still. On the far side of the room, Albriech came awake with a scream of sympathetic pain and rage as his chosen fell.
Faith was the first to reach the side of the fallen Xander. She collapsed next to him and pulled his head into her lap. This couldn‘t be happening to her. She was just starting to like the idea of a friend. “Come on, Xander.” she urged the unconscious young man, unconsciously dropping her habit to nickname in her distress. “Don’t you dare die on me now! I still haven’t thanked you for saving my ass earlier.”
Unnoticed by her, Albriech had limped up to stand beside his chosen. He whinnied gently as he nuzzled him. “Alive he still is.” he informed Faith. “But his mind is injured. Healing he must have, and soon, or lose him we will.”
Faith quickly looked around at the others who had gathered around them. Willow was weeping, thinking the worst and Giles was having to support her. They were in no position to help. Buffy looked stricken and angry. “B, we’ve gotta get an ambulance here and get him to the hospital.”
Buffy’s fear for Xander translated into anger and she started ranting. “I knew this would happen! I told him to stay out of it for his own good, but does he listen? Nooo! All Mr. Macho, I don’t need no stinkin’ powers, I’ll do this if I want to! And now he could be dieing, and for what? I had the situation under control! I didn’t need his help!”
Faith had heard enough. So had Albriech. Before she could move to backhand her sister slayer, the Companion …. Growled? Faith, Buffy, Giles, and Willow looked at him in shock. No horse had ever made a sound like that, but then Albriech wasn’t a horse. In a scathing tone, he broadcast his next thoughts to Faith. “Ungrateful bitch! Great was Alexander’s courage! Saved her life he did. Dishonor him she does, and well without such friends as her he is.” He laid back his ears and snorted, before turning his back to them, interposing his body between Buffy, Giles, and Willow and his chosen and Faith. He knelt next to Xander, shocking Giles even more.
‘This creature is intelligent!’ he thought. ‘It is acting to insure the welfare of Xander without being ordered.’ He immediately became worried. “This is no ordinary horse.” the Watcher stated. “What is he?”
“No shit, Sherlock!” Faith answered in a biting tone. She paused and shared a look with Albriech as he mind spoke her, asking her to help get Xander on his back. She moved over to Xander and gently began to drape him over the kneeling Companion’s back. “Al here is special. He calls himself a Companion and he is X’s friend.” She stopped and looked at Albriech for a second before blushing slightly. “He says he’s my friend, too.” She held Xander steady as Albriech slowly clambered to his feet, ignoring the torrent of questions and accusations that were being sent towards her and the Companion. She swung up behind the unconscious young man and held him in place. Albriech began moving toward the door when a small blond slayer moved to block him.
“I don’t know were you are taking him, but you and this demon horse aren’t leaving here with Xander.”
“I’m taking him to a hospital, you idiot! Now move out of our way!” Albriech laid back his ears and squealed a warning at her when she stood her ground with a determined look on her face. “B, I’d really take my advice and move if I were you.” Faith’s voice held some concern for her sister slayer, afraid of what would happen if she continued to act like an idiot. “He’s pretty pissed at you, right now, and I don’t know if he will hold back just because Xander likes you.”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed. She knelt to the side and grabbed a sword that had been dropped to the floor earlier in the fight. Taking a two handed grip on the pommel, she stood before the white demon horse that was trying to take her friend away. “Take one step toward that door and I’ll cut your legs out from under you. I don‘t trust you to take Xander. We’ll take care of him.”
Albriech looked at her with contempt. With a sudden move, he reared slightly and lashed out with one of his fore hooves faster than her eyes could follow, catching her in the back of one of her hands with a silver hoof. Bones crunched and Buffy screamed in pain as she dropped the sword, clutching her wounded hand.
“I warned you, B. He doesn’t like you very much right now for the way you’ve been treating the X-man here.” She paused as she checked her grip on Xander, making sure that he was steady and that Al’s sudden movement hadn’t distressed him. “By the way, he says that you hold your sword like a child.”
Buffy scowled through her tears. “How can you trust him? He could be a demon! And how come he just talks to you? And just how would he know how to hold a sword? He’s a freaking horse, for God’s sake!”
Faith cocked her head, listening to her silver friend and then smirked at Buffy. “He says, and I quote, ‘Like you I do, Faith. Talk to you I will. She I do not like. Deserving of my words, she is not. As for holding a sword, weapons master I was before this life for over 40 years. More skill had my yearling students than you.’ And I trust him because Xan does.”
“That’s a great reason!” Buffy exclaimed, in exasperation. “After all, we know what great instincts he has a trusting people and choosing friends.” she bit out with deep sarcasm.
“You got that right, B.” Faith said, agreeing with the blonde slayer much to her surprise. Her surprise and feeling of righteousness were quickly deflated when the Dark Slayer continued. “After all, he picked you and Red to be his best friends, didn’t he?” Faith turned away from the stricken look on the faces of the two young women. “We’re going to the hospital now. Maybe, when you get your heads out of your asses, you can follow and see how Xan is doin’.” She nodded to Albriech. “Let’s go, Silver.” Albriech whinnied in agreement and set off as fast as he could without dislodging Faith or Xander, leaving behind two silently crying women and a man who was asking himself if he should have done more.
A/N: I was beginning to wonder if I was going to finish this chapter. My muse deserted me for a while. I knew what I wanted to write, but I kept having problems getting it into the right words. I’ve rewritten this chapter 3 times! But, I think that things are getting back to normal. I feel the words flowing, now. I’ve got some other writing to do, but the next chapter should be up sooner than this one. We are about to explore Xander’s family a bit. Or, more appropriately, Buffy is going to explore it. She’s not going to like what she finds.