Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Legal Human Practice ❯ Changes ( Chapter 26 )

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Changes

calikocat

Word count: 2578

A/N: Warnings for Hyena Xander and a magical sex change.

XXX

Joyce had just answered the phone on her way to the kitchen when she heard the front door open. “Buffy?”

“Yeah Mom, it’s me, Willow too. Can she stay the night since it’s so late and all?”

“As long as Sheila knows.” Both girls entered the kitchen just as Joyce put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Joyce?”

“Hey Jonessa.”

“Is Xander there?”

Joyce frowned as she looked at Buffy and Willow. “No...But the girls just walked in, I can ask if they've seen him.”

“Please do.”

“Girls have you seen Xander? Jo is looking for him.”

Willow nodded. “He met us at the Bronze...but he left early.”

“He was acting kind of weird too.”

“Wait...” Willow looked worried suddenly. “Didn't he go home?”

Joyce didn't answer her as she focused on the phone. “Jo, the girls said he was at the Bronze but left before them.”

“Quick question,” Buffy stated. “Can't Aunt Jo just do that nifty tracking spell thing she did when we had to save him from the Giant Praying Mantis?”

“Good question, hang on Jo, I'm putting you on speaker.” She pushed a button on the cordless and Buffy spoke again.

“Can't you use the tracking spell?”

Jonessa's voice came over the speaker, more worried than Willow's eyes. “I tried Buffy. Something is interfering with it.”

“What could do that?” Willow asked.

“I have no idea, but I'm worried.”

Buffy reached for the phone and Joyce handed it to her. “Aunt Jo can we call you back? I want to call Giles.”

“Sure. I'll try the spell again, just in case.” There was a click and she was gone.

Buffy dialed and put it on speaker once more, it rang three times before Giles picked up. “Hello?”

“Giles we may have a problem.”

“A vampire problem?”

“No, Aunt Jo can't find Xander with her tracking spell, there's interference or something. What could do that?”

“I'd say the Hellmouth if she were trying to perform the spell outside of its influence and trying to find him inside it...hence why both your mother and Jonessa hid here. But as both Xander and his mother are here in town...if he's in town...the Hellmouth shouldn't be interfering.”

“We saw him at the Bronze, Giles.” Willow offered.

“So we'll assume he's still in town. Well...if he knew any magic I'd say he was blocking it with an anti-tracking spell. That, however, is very advanced.”

“Of course it is.” Joyce wanted to roll her eyes. “And among us I'm sure only you or Jo even knew such a thing existed.”

“Probably...there could be another way to hide him. If he weren't himself.”

“Like what Amy's mom did to her?” Buffy asked.

“Or something similar. I have no doubt there could be other magic users in Sunnydale. What with all the occult shops here.”

The three of them shared a look and Buffy sighed. “So what do we do?”

“I don't know of any way to counter it off hand, the interference that is. It would require some research. Once we find him we may well have an entirely new problem to deal with, depending on what exactly is blocking Jonessa's magic.”

“Maybe we could help?” Willow asked. “And Buffy could patrol?”

“I suppose.”

“Mom?”

Joyce couldn't say no given the situation. “I'll call Jo back, and see if she can meet us at Giles' place. After Willow calls her mother.”

Willow gave a small smile in return. “Thanks Aunt Joy.”

xxx

Xander would be glaring right now if he could, unfortunately that wasn't possible as he was a prisoner in his own body and couldn't move a muscle on his own. Whatever it was that was in the driver's seat, so to speak, was doing all the walking and talking. It was like being paralyzed, or what he imagined being paralyzed must be like. It had been in him since the zoo, when he stopped Kyle's gang from bullying Lance...and the hyena's eyes had glowed.

Oh...oh crap. There was a hyena in him, pretending to be him, and it was doing a poor job of it. It wasn't acting like him at all. If it kept that up the girls and his mom would figure everything out. Ha! He was practically saved already.

A sudden growl sent fear and worry through him. The growl came from his throat and it echoed in his head. Then the strangest thing happened, flashes of memories started floating through his head. Images of Willow, Buffy, his Mom, Joyce, and Giles. <i>Pack</i>. The word was said in a voice that was anything but human. <i>Slayer</i>. That word was said with recognition and respect. <i>Mother</i>. That one was said with yearning. And then Xander lost consciousness, his last panicked thought was that the hyena was researching a way to harm his family.

xxx

Jonessa ended up going on patrol with Buffy; she did, after all, have a wand and had excelled in Tactical Magic in high school. Joyce and Willow stayed with Giles as planned to research different ways a tracking spell could be blocked.

“Any luck?” Giles asked, barely glancing up at his guests.

“I'm learning a lot...” Willow replied. “...but nothing that helps us with this crisis.”

“Same here. I'm amazed I'm recognizing so much though.” Joyce added.

“Oh?”

“I went to a regular school but I did read the magical textbooks my sisters brought home.”

He offered her a smile. “I still have my old school books if you want to read through them sometime.”

“You sure?” She smiled back. “The sales clerk at the Atrium didn't seem impressed with Magical Britain.”

Willow looked up. “Why not? And what sales clerk?”

“The one who helped me pick out Lila.”

“Oh! Your post duck!” Willow's smile faltered. “I’ve asked Mom about getting a bird but she said no. Since I don’t have anyone to write to.”

“That may change, and until you wear her down you can borrow Lila.” Joyce told her.

“Or Daisy.” The Watcher added.

“And I'm sure Xander and Jo wouldn't mind if you borrowed Buddy or Quasi.”

Willow beamed. “Oh! I found some of Mom's old school books in the attic...do you think there might be something in them?”

Giles considered it. “It’s worth a shot...we're not having much luck here, I'll keep at it though.”

Joyce stood; car keys in her hand. “Let us know if you find anything? I'll have my beeper on me.” She paused to jot down the number on a scrap of paper and handed it to him.

“Do be careful.”

xxx

He sat up, heart racing, wondering how the heck he'd ended up in a crypt. Did a vampire grab him and bring him here for a late night snack?

<i>Safe.</i>

The word echoed in his head as he calmed down and took a few deep breaths. Safe? Hardly.

<i>Safe.</i> It was said with a growl, not human, and memories of the day came rushing back. Whoa. The hyena was speaking to him. <i>Yes.</i> He looked around and realized he was moving on his own, under his own power. Then he tried for the door. <i>No.</i> He couldn't move that much apparently. <i>Safe.</i>

“We're in a crypt.” At least it was going to let him talk. “It’s creepy.”

<i>Safe.</i>

“Okay, I'll grant you that. You've got the door barricaded with that nice concrete slab...how did you move that by the way?” His hands moved up to where he could see them in the bit of moonlight coming through a metal grate. They were ruff and scraped. “You moved it with my hands? You're that strong?” The things he could do with strength like that. Buffy would have decent backup...

<i>Yes. Stay?</i>

“Here? I guess that's okay until daylight...but everyone is gonna freak out and think something ate me.”

<i>No...I stay...can I stay?</i>

He blinked. “In me?”

<i>Yes.</i>

“Why would you want to?”

A new rush of images filled his head. A ghostly green form running on the wind; hunting with a pack of hyenas. The spirit possessed one or another to help with a particularly difficult hunt. Then came men. And pain. And magic. She and others like her were trapped in the hyenas they possessed, shot with darts, and captured. Xander frowned at the memory that wasn't his.

“Wouldn't you rather have your freedom? Why do you want to stay with me?”

He saw images of Willow, Buffy, his mom, Aunt Joyce, and Giles flutter through his mind. <i>Pack. Protect.</i> Then there was an image of Jesse. <i>Never lose again.</i>

“What would you get?”

<i>Pack. Family. Mother.</i>

“Would I still be me?”

<i>Stay?</i>

“Only if you don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve to be hurt...and I can be myself. I'm in control.”

<i>Yes.</i>

“Then let me drive so we can let my mom know I'm okay.”

<i>Others.</i>

“What?”

<i>Others.</i>

“Are Kyle and his gang possessed too?”

<i>Yes.</i>

“But they're like you though.”

<i>No.</i>

“Why not?”

<i>I'm...Alpha.</i>

“So you're what...top dog?”

He was definitely sensing amusement from his guest. <i>Yes.</i>

“So? What are the others gonna do?”

<i>No control.</i>

Oh... “That isn't good huh.”

<i>No.</i>

And then he passed out again.

 

When Xander woke up again he was sore, possibly concussion-y...and he was curled up on the counter in the library. “Better than a crypt I guess.” He sat up slowly, rubbing his head. “What the heck?”

<i>They fought.</i>

“Huh?”

<i>They fought.</i> The hyena growled at him a second time, it sounded tired, even as it forced him to look at the cage across from him. Inside Kyle and his friends were tied up and unconscious.

“Oh...okay. Now what?”

<i>Call pack.</i>

He reached for the phone. “I can do that.”

xxx

After a brief scramble and some phone tag they all managed to meet in the High School parking lot. They were all armed when they entered the building, ready for anything. They weren't, however, expecting to see Xander looking tired, a little beaten, and sitting on the counter. Jonessa started to go to him but Buffy held her back.

“Wait.” She pointed at the book cage; four teens were inside, out cold and trussed up. “What's going on Xander?”

“A weird thing happened at the zoo. Let us explain before you get all slay happy.”

“Us?” Giles asked.

Xander nodded. “Me...and the hyena in my head.”

xxx

It all seemed a little too easy, even with the unexpected death of Dr. Weirick. Xander didn't really feel bad about the crazy man's death. He had, after all, tricked them by trying to take all the hyena spirits for himself. But his hyena wasn't fooled; besides the two of them had made a deal, and that superseded the magic the crazed Primal wannabe had called up.

He got the other spirits though; they had rushed out of the teens and knocked the guy into the hyena pen. Then Xander did as his spirit told him and took the power of the circle into himself. The other four spirits were released and Xander hoped they were running on the wind the way they were meant to.

His hyena, however, seemed content to stay with him.

<i>Not easy. More to come.</i>

Well...didn't that sound ominous.

 

The moment he felt fur under his fingers he figured he was dreaming. The hyena was beside him when he sat up; they were side by side under a tree. All around them though was never-ending grassland.

“So...more to come? Is this the more part?”

<i>Stay?</i>

“We agreed that you could.”

<i>Change.</i>

“Who? What?”

<i>You.</i>

He frowned at it. “Why?”

<i>Not the Same. Too different.</i>

Well that made a lot of sense that didn't. “So...I have to be more like you? Otherwise no power?”

<i>Some power.</i>

“But not all the power.”

<i>No.</i>

Hmm. “What needs to change?”

<i>You.</i>

He held back the urge to throttle the hyena; it did after all have very sharp teeth. “I got that already.”

<i>Female.</i>

Xander blinked. “I'm a guy.”

The hyena huffed out a sigh. <i>Need female. Like me.</i>

He stared at the hyena. “You're a girl?”

It...She rolled her eyes at him. <i>Alpha always female.</i>

“You want me to be a girl?” It wasn't his fault if his voice ended on a high note.

<i>For power.</i>

“But why?”

<i>Can't merge. Male. Female. Too different.</i>

“But I'll still be me...just...as a girl?”

<i>Yes.</i>

“That will definitely be a change.” He looked away and gazed at the grasslands. Was it worth it? Maybe. Maybe not. Then again...would he ever get another offer like this? A chance to be strong. To protect everyone the way he couldn't protect Jesse.

Possibly not. God he missed Jesse.

He looked at her again. “Okay...how do we do this?”

<i>Magic we took.</i>

“I was wondering what we were going to do with that.”

<i>Hold.</i>

“Hold what?”

<i>Hold me.</i>

Xander leaned close and put his arms around her, her fur was thick and coarse against his cheek. “Goodbye boy parts.” There was a green glow that blinded him...and then nothing.

xxx

“Xander! Get up or you'll be late for school!”

Xander was so startled by his mother's voice that he jumped out of bed, somehow landing on his feet. Then he promptly lost his balance and fell on his ass. “What the heck?” Wait...was that his voice? That was a girl's voice! Oh...oh crap.

He raised his hands to his chest, it squished a bit but was rather firm, each breast was enough to fill his hands...which were smaller than he remembered. Wait...breasts? Xander peeked into his shirt. Yep. Those were definitely breasts.

“That was all real,” he muttered.

<i>Yes it was.</i>

“Hyena?”

<i>I'm here.</i>

“You're talking better.”

<i>Because we've merged, now that you're female we're compatible.</i>

“Oh. Well...at least our conversations will be a lot more fluid.”

“Xander!” His mom was right outside his door.

“Uh...I don't think I should go to school today Mom!”

“Was that a girl's voice...” The door opened and his mom stuck her head in and stared at him open mouthed. He gave her a little wave. “What the hell?”

“I'm a girl now...and apparently I'm not familiar enough with my body to even walk yet.”

She was still staring at him. “How?”

“Hyena and I made a deal.”

“A deal? Xander is it still in you?”

“Yep. She got to stay...and I got an upgrade...”

“I can't believe I didn't see this coming.” His mom grumbled. “You're right; you're not going to school.” She sighed. “How on Earth are we going to explain an overnight sex change?”

He...she blinked. “Uh...”

Then, his mom did the unexpected; she smirked at him and leaned against the door frame. “Didn't think of that, did you?”

“Oops.”

XXX