Work Text:
Consequences
by Caliadragon
Xander, Willow, Spike, Dawn, Tara, and Giles sat quietly in the sitting room. Xander had his eyes closed and was trying to get rid of the headache that was plaguing him. He knew it was futile, he had the headache since the night Anya and Buffy died, three weeks prior.
When Doc cut Dawn and opened the portals worlds began to merge and stick together. When Buffy jumped she saved the world, but her death did not separate the worlds that had begun to merge with their reality. Because Buffy was inherently good, despite her flaws, and her sacrifice a pure one, the demon dimensions went back to where they belonged. However, several dimensions stayed, the physics and magick experts hypothesized that the reason these worlds stayed is that they had several of the same aspects that the hellmouth world had, and there were no duplicates of any living or unliving creature in these worlds.
The government and vigilante groups converged on Sunnydale when they realized that it was the point of mystical convergence. What they found was a nearly deserted town, and a group of grieving and government wary people. The Scoobies had known they would come. They patrolled at night and ran the peaceful demons out, not wanting them to suffer in the crossfire when the government arrived; none of them had any hope that those that arrived would be different from the Initiative.
The Scoobies were both right and wrong to worry. The government had no dark plans for them, but they were gathered and taken to New York where they would speak before the new UN, the questioning televised to the worlds and the people. Xander knew that everyone had the impression that the Scoobies somehow caused the convergence. Xander had decided that he would be the spokesperson for the group. Willow and Dawn were near catatonic with grief, Tara was still recovering from her mind being scrambled, Giles and Spike were to upset and frustrated and Xander, well Xander was just too pissed off to care anymore.
"Mr. Harris, they are ready for you." The guard said quietly. Dillon Maxwell was in his fifteenth year in the military, but this group unnerved him; they reminded him of soldiers to close to the edge and of some of the rebels, he had met in various places. They looked harmless, but could probably rip your arm off and laugh about it.
Xander calmly walked through the door indicated and went to the podium/desk the man leading him indicated. When he sat he looked around him impassively, they turned his attention back to the people waiting to question him.
"Mr. Harris thank you for coming we only have a few questions, first could you please explain what happened in Sunnydale, and your part in the convergence." The Speaker asked.
"A Hell goddess came to town, she wanted to go home, she thought we had her Key, she attacked my group, and then used the blood of one of my friends to open the portal that would take her home. My friend knew that her blood would also close the portal so she jumped in and sealed away the demon dimensions. My part was fighting off the demons that worked for her and watching the woman I loved and my best friend die. We had nothing to do with the convergence other than trying to stop it." Xander answered shortly.
This caused a murmur to break out in the room and on the streets and in homes people looked at one another in surprise. Demons and other supernatural creatures nodded, they had felt the Dark Goddess' rise and most had hid, fearing that their world would end soon. Instead, other worlds
had merged with theirs. Some of the worse and most dangerous demons found themselves ripped from the Hellmouth world and returned to their original dimensions. The vampires and those creatures that were native to the Hellmouth world did not disappear. Dean, John, and Sam Winchester knew that closing the portal ripped the demon after their family from this realm and finally freed them of a long life of struggle. They owned the young man and his friends a great deal.
"Are you telling us that demons and Hell God's exist?" One man asked scornfully.
"You are sitting by someone from another dimension what do you think? The world is older than you know, contrary to popular belief it was not a paradise, in fact it was hell's playground. Finally, humans came to the world; we evolved and went from dinner theater to rebellious meals. Then a group of old farts got together and created the slayer, she kicked ass and drove the demons from this dimension, however, some stayed, and some continued to come through. Therefore, the Slayer continued, one after another they were born and died. There is a group that watched them, but they lost their way and turned the slayers into tools, so more died than should have and mostly they died alone and friendless. Skip forward several centuries and you get to the Slayer who sacrificed herself, she died, but she had friends and family. I met her before my fifteenth birthday and I helped her save the world. I knew someday she would die, I just hoped it would be when she was in old age. I can tell you stories of courage, fear, and shame. I can tell you about demons and rogue military organizations. It won't matter though, what matters are that two women died the night our worlds collided, they were beautiful, kind, courageous, outrageous, and flawed, and I loved them." Xander paused to glare at the assembly, he was tired, and he was angry. He had no time or inclination to suffer fools.
"There are still demons out there that will be coming after us and for our town there will be battles and confusion. I know everyone is afraid and confused, but that's okay. Our world isn't perfect, in fact, it's pretty fucked up, but then what else is new? You want to go on and pretend demons and gods don't exist go ahead, I have to live in reality and I have to take care of my family." Xander's voice was quiet and harsh, his face held grief and exhaustion.
*~@~@~@~@~@~*
To those watching he was a mystery, except for the underground that whispered of the Slayer's Loyal Knight and wondered what these changes would bring to their world and to their lives.
Angel and his crew watched in horrified wonder as Xander told off some of the most important political leaders. They had returned from Pylea as the worlds merged. The moment that they crossed the barrier back into their world Cordelia was assaulted by a bright light and then where she stood alone another figure stood, seconds later it disappeared and another figure appeared, this one was a bit shaken, but achingly familiar.
The Powers returned Doyle and Cordelia was back to normal human standards. She was still a Seer, the seer gift she was born with. A demon bound her powers at her birth at the orders of a minion for the Dark Powers. Now, the vile intrusion set to take place in her body would never happen.
Buffy's death sealed away Jasmine for good; she would never have access to their realm again. The First was also thwarted for another 50,000 years, went to the hell Doc occupied so that it could torture him for this.
Angel was pleased by the return of his friend and Seer, but shattered by the death of his lover and first true friend in centuries. He was unsure what to do with himself now that she was gone and now that Wolfram and Hart had returned to the hell dimension, of which it had begun.
Faith watched from her jail cell and wept for the loss of her sister Slayer and for the pain that Xander was suffering. Imprisonment had changed their relationship and had made them closer. She wished that she could go to him, that she could be there to help him in his struggles. Nearby an invisible demon granted that wish. D'Hoffryn's minions were among the demons not pulled from this world, after all over half of them started as humans and turned into demons, Hallie among them.
Giles did not question Faith's sudden appearance; he merely pulled her down onto the chair beside him and waited for Xander to return to them so that they could return home to mourn their dead in peace. He trusted Xander to protect Dawn and the rest of them.
The leaders looked at the young man and saw that he seriously did not care whether they believed him or not. He knew the truth; he knew that it was futile to rage against fate and unseen forces. Several powerful psychics collapsed under the strain of trying to read his mind and the minds of his friends. Anya was dead and gone, but her legacy of protection lived on. No one would be able to read, control, or destroy the minds of her friends, her family, ever again. It was her last wish as a human and being that she was once demonic, it was the most powerful wish made by any before her, or any that would come after.
In Washington DC, Miami, Vegas, New York, London, all around the world people waited, watched, and looked to their new allies and world mates. Demons were real, this scared many, but it also made them think, what else was real? What was waiting to show itself? If demons were real, was magick? Did elves and fairy's exist; did unicorns and dragons hide somewhere waiting to be seen?
For several hours, they watched as Xander told them of his life once Buffy came into it. He talked of what he had seen, what they had battled, what they had lost. There were no lies in his words, he was stark in his truths and in his words, and the watchers heard honest affection and open disdain. They saw the lives of those Xander knew and they all shuddered, thinking of how children had fought to save the original world and of how close they had come several times to losing.
There were those that wanted to help, that made plans to go to Sunnydale and offer their assistance. There were those that watched and were angered that Xander would dare speak of them. That night Xander made both allies and enemies. The Watcher's council declared him rogue and put a cleaning crew on his case, they would eliminate the threat he posed. Another group, who knew of the watchers, placed Xander on a protection detail. They would protect the boy who dared to speak against those that did wrong and would use a child as a tool.
No one watching could say what would come next, but the people also knew that they would have to grow and adapt to the changes of their realms. Demons were real and not all of them were evil. For now the political powers of the world were united and working together. For now, religious leaders were careful to look at those around them and not speak out to loudly for fear of what their words would ignite. Worlds and people united, the question was, what were they united for?
The End for Now
If you would like to add to this universe or story you are welcome. Please let me know you are writing.
Feedback: Caliadragon@gmail.com