“Fire? You never said this thing breathed fire, Giles!”
Like a play with perfect timing, the small blue dragon hissed another scorch of flame, luckily missing the Scooby Gang by half a breathe, but leaving the foursome’s body temperatures at a sizzling boil.
“It’s not like I have any books on dragons at hand,” Giles replied from behind Buffy. The gang slowly and silently quaked away from the irate dragon further into the dark graveyard, as if the dragon would lose interest and fly away if they were quiet enough.
“Hey, guys?” Xander remarked in a low voice. “Can we possibly stop the chit chat for a second and oh say figure out a way to slay the man-eating dragon?”
The dragon was tiny, only a baby, but hell, it was a dragon. It looked ferocious enough, sans its stature, with two serrated teeth poking out of its ravenous mouth and small bone white spikes spaced across its sapphire scaly back and triangular head. It lingered a few steps closer, dark blue eyes focused on its next meal, head and wings lowered in a striking position.
“Giles?” Willow asked frightfully as she took another step back.
“I haven’t the slightest—”
“Spread out and circle it.” Buffy had an idea. “At the very least, it’ll focus on just one of us.”
Slowly, Giles, Xander, and Willow crept from behind Buffy and formed a small moving circle around the dragon as it continued to roam toward Buffy. She tried to throw the pointy end of a stake at it, but the wooden tip could not penetrate dragon’s strong skin and shattered into pieces.
“Guys, distract it by throwing something at it,” Buffy shouted.
Giles desperately searched the ground for something. “Buffy, I don’t see—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xander bravely threw a glass vase of flowers at the beast. The dragon immediately rotated its head to Xander, growled the poor boy into a white-knuckled quiver, and started to roam toward him.
Eyes wide with fear, Xander backed away one step before he tripped over a grave, falling onto the ground.
The dragon loomed over Xander and shrieked an ear-shattering roar, marking its prey. The head lowered, mouth agape, ready for the first bite of Xander meat.
In an all-out effort to stop the dragon, Buffy flew out of nowhere and jump kicked the fiend, making direct contact with its head. Buffy thought the blow wouldn’t be enough, and quickly got back into fighting stance and high kicked the dazed and confused dragon in the head a few more times.
As the dragon attempted to regain its equilibrium, it took one wayward glance at Buffy and tumbled unconscious to the ground.
“All breathe, no bite,” Buffy quipped as she dusted off her hands and helped Xander stand back up.
“Yes, well,” Giles was already alongside Buffy, carefully looking over the beast to make sure it wasn’t breathing, “it was only an infant. I assume a warlock conjured it up before becoming prey to the vampire nest. We should probably examine it closer, possibly let the council have a look at it. Dragons are very rare creatures, especially in this region of the world.”
“Are you sure it’s dead?” Xander asked. “I mean, a few blows to the head didn’t mean night night in Shrek.”
“Or Beowulf,” Willow added with a helpful look.
Buffy and Xander glared at Willow, a little peeved at the reminder of school starting back up.
“What?” Willow asked innocently. “It was on the Winter Reading List...”
“You do know you weren’t suppose to read every book on that list, right?” Xander asked playfully.
“Be that as it may,” Giles interrupted, taking a poke at the dragon with his foot, “we should really get this back to the library before anyone notices.”
Buffy started to drag the dragon away when she thought out loud. “We had a Winter Reading list?”
Buffy grumbled inwardly as she briskly walked to the library. Giles had called her at the crack of dawn, worry and fear in his voice, and demanded that Buffy meet him at the library immediately. Library? I haven’t even had breakfast yet and he already wants me to slay something. She knew, though, that Giles must have had a damn good reason for asking of her so early; he knew that cranky early morning Slayer was no fun for anyone.
As she pushed opened the double doors to the library, she instinctively noticed the problem.
Wow... what happened here?
The night before, she stashed the tiny dragon in a small cage in the library, with a white tablecloth deceptively placed on top of it so any wandering eyes, such as a certain snide principal, could not see the beast. But the cage...
Well, it wasn’t empty. Not exactly.
Instead of the dragon, a man clad in black with blonde hair, no older than Buffy, lay unconscious in the cage.
Oh boy...
Giles peered at Buffy. “You did remember to—”
“You were here, Giles,” Buffy interrupted in a serious tone. “I put it right in the cage.”
“Well, it’s certainly not here now.” Giles glanced at the man behind the bars. “It’s possible someone swapped him in with a teleportation spell. A warlock or something.”
Buffy cocked her head sideways at the blonde man. “Why don’t we ask?”
“Buffy—”
“What? He’s breathing. Maybe he knows something.”
Buffy stuck her hand in the cage and poked at the blonde haired man.
He was falling.
No, that wasn’t quite it.
He already fell. He fell on his head.
Yeah, that was it. That could be the only possible explanation for this agony in his head, like he just skydived headfirst into an icicle. Or maybe he wandered onto the streets after a hangover and a semi truck smashed smack dab into him, not noticing the illuminating blonde hair in the nighttime? He couldn’t really tell; he only knew that his head hurt.
And to make matters worse, someone was poking at him.
He wearily opened his eyes, vision slightly blurred and scattered. At first all he could make out was bars – steel, cold bars – that scarred his every thought. A few seconds out of malaise, he noticed the person who was poking at him.
A pretty blonde girl, light as the sun. Her aura... this one’s powerful...
He cocked his head curiously at her. Am I dreaming? Sometimes I take this S&M thing a bit too far...
Sound warped back into him in a blink.
“Heeeeeello?” The girl said, prodding with another poke. “Anyone home?”
He shot up in a quick scuffle, only to hit his head on the cage’s roof.
“Oi!” He yelped. “Where the hell am I and who the bloody hell are you?”
Hostility works on occasion. Just not during my Yoga.
“We’re... um...” The girl looked at the Oxford-type beside her.
The older man looked puzzled, like he was trying to decide whether to keep a secret or not. “Well, you are in Sunnydale, California.” He went with the facts first. “I’m Rupert Giles and that’s Buffy Summers.” He pointed to the girl.
“Name’s Spike,” he replied automatically with a slight wave. He caught himself when he realization set in. “California? Soddin’ hell! You gonna teleport me back to England or am I gonna have to walk?”
“So you’re from England,” Buffy surmised matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, kitten, England. Meaning halfway ‘round the globe. Now if you don’t mind, could you unlock this cage so I can start the walk back? I was right in the middle of a quaint little hangover when I woke up here, of all soddin’ places.”
Buffy gave Giles a look. Giles thought for what felt like an hour before he signaled her to open the cage.
“That’s better,” Spike said, wiping some nonexistent dust off of his black duster as he exited the cage.
“You said teleport?” Giles started.
“Uh... yeah, pops. Witches and ‘locks do it all the time.”
The twosome glanced wide-eyed at him.
“Oh, sod...” Spike exclaimed. I really shouldn’ a said that. “You don’t know about demons and vampires and warlocks, do you? I woulda guessed otherwise with all that power I sense in the girl—”
“I’m the vampire slayer,” Buffy said bluntly, knowing it was time to reveal her super secret identity since he seemed to be adept on all things evil. “And Giles is my watcher.”
Well, well... didn’t think my senses fooled me.
Spike scratched his head. “Slayer? Thought enough with all that power I feel in you. So you know about things that go bump in the night; good for you. I’ll just be on my merry way then...”
He started to mosey off when a voice caught him offguard.
“Do you know anything about dragons, Spike?” Giles asked.
Spike stopped flat and turned his head toward them, looking at them like they were absolutely wacko. Are these loonies serious? “Yeah, pops, I’m a walking encyclopedia of dragon information. You’re soddin’ one stop shop—”
“We only asked because we left a dragon in the cage the night before,” Buffy interrupted bluntly.
“And what?” Spike snorted. “You think I’m a dragon? A rather handsome, dashing and shapeshifting...” he even had a difficult time saying it. “...dragon?”
But the watcher was already closely examining the new arrival. It looked like he saw something of interest and took a few steps toward Spike.
“Where did you get that?” Giles asked, pointing to the small emerald gem that Spike wore around his neck.
“Family heirloom,” Spike responded. He eyed the older man, who looked deep in thought. “I‘ve had it forever. Why?”
“J-just give me one second,” Giles stuttered, practically having a heart attack over what he just found. He lunged for the nearest set of books.
Spike shook his head at the man. “He always like this?”
“Oh, you should see him in the afternoon after he’s had his tea,” Buffy playfully replied.
Spike chuckled, focusing his gaze on Buffy now. She certainly didn’t look the part of the Slayer, with her dyed blonde hair, golden tanned skin, and bubblegum lips something more akin to a supermodel. But her eyes... her eyes to him held some sort of elusive wisdom-esque quality, the green depths piercing right through him and maybe even a little too pleasing for him to handle. Just the sight of her was a bleedin’ oasis of pleasure.
He felt unworthy. He didn’t like the unfamiliar feeling at all.
But even sexier than her eyes – to Spike anyway – was the overwhelming power that coursed off of her like an enrapturing wave that just completely enveloped the mind. The power blew his hair back, so to speak; she was, most certainly, the Slayer. Spike had a certain knack for sensing these things, something he must have acquired from years of being with those old stodgy monks in their boring retreat, and he knew power when he saw it. He could sense it. And this girl most definitely had it.
Maybe more types of power than she or even he realized.
Luckily, his daydream stare seemed to only match her own appreciative gaze, and together they cancelled each other out with bright red blushes after discovering their mutual admiration for each other’s appearances. Looks like we got ourselves a winner here, mate.
Giles returned in the prelude of a looming awkward silence, book in hand. “I’ve got it!”
“Bloody hell,” Spike sighed. “I’m not back to the future or anything, right, doc?”
Buffy giggled at the movie reference.
And what a joy to hear her laugh...
“Well, no.” Giles took the notion into consideration, of Spike being from the future, before he dismissed the idea for its silliness.
Giles opened the book and read quickly and rather anxiously, like a little boy on Christmas peeing his pants over the latest action figure. “It’s written here that an ancient race of people who had the ability to transform themselves into dragons lived many centuries ago. This dragon clan, called ‘The Brood,’ were hunted down to extinction after being demonized by humans for their gift.”
Now Giles had both Buffy and Spike’s full attention. Well, he had Spike’s attention, but also his doubt. What the soddin’ hell does this have to do with me being a bleedin’ dragon?
“Are they evil?” Buffy asked in a way that made it sound like she didn’t want to know the answer.
“On the contrary,” Giles continued, “they were just normal people with unique powers and mostly fought for the good. Some had superhuman senses, but most of the dragon clan lived in harmony with other people, most of them oblivious to their gift.”
“Yeah, I’d say oblivious is right,” Spike finally interrupted the history lesson. “And exactly how do we know that I’m a dragon? Of all soddin’ things on this planet?”
Giles closed the book and a wry, almost eerie smile formed on his lips. “Your dragon gem.”
“What? This old thing?” He pointed to the necklace gem. “Just something I’ve always had, pops.” Spike touched the emerald gem that lay hanging just below his neckline with his fingers, grasping the small sphere.
And that’s when it happened.
The gem started to glow. Dim, at first, but the light quickly grew and soon Spike’s whole face was lit up by the radiating green gem.
Spike looked somewhere between mystified and stupefied. “It never did that before,” he said sheepishly. Oh soddin’ hell...
“And that’s what the book said, too.” Giles loved the feeling of success after his recent failure with Eyghon and subsequently Miss Calendar’s affections. “That a dragon gem would glow when one of the dragon clan touched it.”
Giles and Buffy looked coaxingly at Spike.
“Hey, don’t look at me! I’m just in the dark as you bloody wankers,” Spike said. “Just a boy raised by monks who currently wastes most of his time getting pissed and hung over.”
Buffy’s eyebrows knitted. “...pissed?”
“Drunk, pet,” Spike responded dully. He found the confusion plastered on her face adorable.
“Monks... hmm...” Giles stroked his chin. “Well, I suppose The Watcher’s Council could answer our questions, mostly as to why an extinct human race is still in existence. Only some awakening of some awesome power could incite such a change, possibly a vortex, a shift of some sort, a tear in time and universe and reality itself and that can only mean...”
Both of his blonde comrades looked lost.
Giles laughed. “Yes, well, the council will arrive later today.” He addressed Spike directly now. “In the meantime, I suggest you wait here. At the very least, the council will get you a plane ticket back to your home.”
Spike shrugged. “Fine by me. Not like my life was a roller coaster ride back home or anything.” And not like I had the gorgeous innocent lasses lined up, either. Tainted lasses, maybe, but none bleedin’ pure innocence like her. Those types tended to stay away from him.
Out of the blue, the library doors barged open.
It was Principal Snyder. Spike knew it was at least an authoritative figure by the suit the man was wearing. And his composure. His eyes were full of abusive authority, expression fiery rage. It looked like he had been snooping for quite some time.
“Well what do we have here?” Snyder said, looking Spike over with contempt. “Being the principal here I know all of the students at Sunnydale High School, and I can say that he isn’t one of them. And without properly checking in as a guest, I might have to call the police and tell them we have an intruder...”
Spike went wide eyed. Giles babbled uselessly.
Buffy gawked something intangible out. “Oh... well... n-no...”
Giles tried anything. “You see, he’s really...”
Among the tomfoolery, Spike thought up something brilliant. He grinned from ear to ear as he took a glance at Giles. Sod it.
“I’m Spike, good ol’ Rupes’ nephew, the foreign exchange student from England.” He put an arm around the fellow Englishman, trying for an air of familiarity. Giles’ expression moved from shocked to bad-actor-trying-to-act after a nudge from Spike.
Snyder stood there, looking like he wasn’t going to buy it or even the fifty cent house.
“You just caught me on a...” Spike tersely examined Giles, looking for something to reinforce his statement.
“Tweed-less day,” Buffy finished for him.
Spike chuckled, trying his best to lighten the situation with a laugh. “Yeah, that’s it.”
Snyder stood perfectly still for an instant, assessing the situation to his fullest, and finally quelling his sadistic nature.
Snyder nodded approvingly. “I definitely see the family resemblance.” He took a hard look at Spike. “I’ll be seeing you in class.”
It took all of the threesome’s will not to burst out laughing as Snyder marched out of the library.
“We better get you signed up for class, or else Snyder will get suspicious,” Buffy already had Spike’s arm in her clutches, dragging him away. “And you’ll have to meet the gang. You’ll love it here in Sunnydale.”
True to his nature, Spike allowed the beautiful girl to drag him off. He kept wondering the entire way to the receptionist’s office how he got himself into this whole dilemma.
Should I continue or toss? Hopefully I’ve piqued your interest enough to at least leave a review... =]