Chapter Text
2013
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Prophecy Breaker
calikocat
word count: 1958
Disclaimer: All things Buffy are Joss things, all things YuYu are Togashi things. I own neither, and can only lay claim to my ideas. I’m merely a fan with far out and strange ideas who likes to mess with things and cross worlds over.
XXX
The house was quiet, with the exception of his Mom bustling about downstairs. He wasn’t sure what to think of this new side of her. Without Tony to hold her down Jessica Harris was a completely different person. She went out, she went shopping…she had fun. It was weird.
When she wasn’t having fun, she was working, with hardly any down time in-between. He was afraid she was going to crash. Like the reality that Tony wasn’t coming back hadn’t really sunk in and she was trying to live life to the fullest before he stumbled back into their lives.
He was afraid of that too, a little, but Jessica hadn’t seen the confrontation between Tony and Yusuke. Tony wasn’t coming back. He didn’t know where the old man had gone, and he didn’t care, but the fear on Tony’s face had been clear as day. Yusuke rocked!
Xander snuggled deeper into the covers, as there was no reason to get up. Buffy was in LA with her dad and Willow had gone to New York with her parents for some kind of smart people seminar. Which was okay, he’d be fine on his own. On his own…this would be the first summer without Jesse.
Xander gritted his teeth. He really didn’t want to think about that, it would lead to thoughts about all the things he and Jesse would never get to do ever again. Though he really couldn’t help but wonder…if things had happened differently…if Jesse had made it…How long would he have lasted? Jesse’s survival instincts had always been close to zilch. He wondered if Botan had escorted Jesse across the River Styx. Did Jesse like Heaven? Maybe Botan could tell him? Or was that even allowed?
He sighed heavily and flopped over on his back. Not thinking about anything was hard. His mind just wouldn’t be still, it kept rolling around and tossing memories back and forth. It was like a little kid full of sugar…kinda scary actually.
His thoughts bounced meaninglessly until his mind settled on prom night. The party at the Bronze had been fun; they had all partied till they couldn’t stand anymore, much less walk home. It was a good thing Giles and Ms. Calendar had cars, otherwise they would have ended up sleeping at the club. Buffy had danced, partied like everyone else…but she was different. Slightly detached, but it was understandable, what with the dying.
That had been a major suckfest. He still wasn’t sure what he had been thinking…going into a Vampire’s lair and forcing it to do something it didn’t want to do. There had only been a mantra of ‘gotta save Buffy, gotta save Buffy’ going on in his brain on the way to Angel’s. He had no idea what he would say until he got there.
~
“I know you can find this Master Guy, he’s underground right? Take me to him.”
“You’re way outta your league kid. The Master will kill you before you can even breathe; if you’re lucky. Big brother isn’t here to save you, by the time the Mazoku finds out you’re dead the Master will have opened the Hellmouth.” Angel had looked smug then however he took a step back when he saw the resolve in Xander’s eyes.
“How can I say this clearly?” Xander whipped the cross out; Angel flinched and took another step back. “I hate you; but at the end of the day what you are doesn’t matter. Human, demon, vampire, dog, coward, it doesn’t matter because Buffy has a great big ol’ yen for ya. And if you love her the way I do…you won’t sit here on your moldy vampire butt and do nothing.”
~
He still couldn’t believe that Angel hadn’t wanted to go…and what was with that whole ‘I have no breath’. Didn’t talking require air? And Angel definitely had talking down, so why couldn’t he do CPR? Was it just a weird vampire thing? Like an anti-handshake? Great, he wasn’t making sense in his own head again, he hated when that happened.
Still…he was glad he was able to save Buffy, even if she was a little freaked about the dying thing. It felt good that he was able to give her something most people never got. A second chance at life…most people did not include his brother who was currently enjoying his third chance.
A smile finally stole across his face and he wondered if he should give Yusuke a call. He wouldn’t mind if Xander came earlier than planned…would he? Did he really know his brother well enough to just invite himself? Yusuke said he would call…but well…it was boring with no Willow and no Buffy and no vamps...and no Jesse.
He slid the compact out from under his pillow; he kept it there at night right next to the dagger Giles had given him. He opened it and pushed the buttons for Botan’s code. Evidently his communicator could only contact Botan and Yusuke, which was fine. The small screen fizzled and suddenly Botan’s face appeared on it.
“Moshi moshi.”
“English Botan.”
“Xander! How have you been?”
“Not bad all things considered.”
“Which would be?”
He pouted at her, hoping the effect wasn’t lost due to the small screen. “Do you think Yusuke would mind if I came early?”
She smiled and giggled. “Of course not; I know for a fact that he can’t wait to show off his cute little brother.”
Xander groaned. “Geeze…he hasn’t been bragging has he? I really hope he hasn’t been bragging. Everyone will be so disappointed.”
Botan giggled. “I doubt that, you really are special Xander. Everyone can’t wait to meet you…well I’m not sure about Hiei. He’s the hardest to read. For a long time no one thought he even liked Kuwabara…” She looked thoughtful. “But these days they’re practically glued at the hip and happily mated.”
“Right…so I should call Yusuke and ask him myself.”
“If you want, but don’t you want to spend some time with your friends?”
Xander shrugged. “They’re kinda not in town and hanging out with Giles always ends up with me working with musty old books. I do that enough when the world is ending.”
She gave him a serious look then, as if she were about to ask him about the recent almost apocalypse. Instead she shook her head and smiled. “So give Yusuke a call and I’ll clear my schedule. How about the day after tomorrow? I’m not doing much then.”
“Sure, I can be packed by then. If Yusuke is okay with it…but there is something I’m worried about.”
Botan blinked at him. “What would that be?”
“I can’t speak Japanese.”
Botan laughed. “That’s not a problem. We have a nifty little gadget that fits inside the ear and presto, you can understand and speak any language.”
It was Xander’s turn to blink. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Why do you think Yusuke’s English was so good?”
“…I hadn’t really thought about it…that’s kinda creepy.”
“No worries, it’s harmless.”
“Somehow I don’t feel a bit comforted.”
Botan laughed again and waved him off. “Give Yusuke a call and get back to me.”
Xander’s eyes widened. “Geeze, what time is it there anyway?”
“Ah well…I’m not actually in the human realm right now. But it’s around eleven pm where Yusuke is. He should still be awake.”
“Thanks Botan.”
“See you soon.”
He smiled and ended the call. It was another minute before he dug up the courage to call his brother…but boredom won out and he punched in the code. The screen fizzled like it had the first time and then Yusuke appeared.
“Nani?”
Xander did a double take. “Uh…hi?”
“Xander!” Yusuke exclaimed before disappearing from the screen. Xander heard some rustling around and saw a room whiz by on the small monitor before he reappeared and poked something into his ear. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t wearing that language thing Botan gave me.”
“Yeah, she told me about those.”
“It came in handy while I was stateside. So what’s up?”
“I don’t wanna push or be a burden, and I know I can be annoying sometimes. But can I come over early? It’s just that Willow is in New York and Buffy is in LA and there is NOTHING to do here. And Mom is so chipper that it’s getting creepy. AndImlonelyandwannahangoutwithyoubeforethebigday.”
“Did you breathe at all when you said that?”
“It’s a rare Sunnydale talent. You should hear Willow in babble mode. She is the babble master.”
“I think I’ll pass on that.” Yusuke chuckled and gave Xander a thumbs up. “If you don’t mind working part time you can come hang out.”
“Work? You mean that thing that makes all adults cranky?”
Yusuke rolled his eyes. “I help Keiko and her parents in their shop…you’d call it a diner or restaurant.”
“You won’t make me cook right? I can make sandwiches and instant noodles, and that is the extent of my culinary skills.”
“We’ll start off small, you can wash dishes, and it won’t be all the time. We have to have time off for the wedding and we’ll need to get you fitted.”
“Fitted? Does that mean like traditional robes?”
Yusuke laughed. “Only Keiko, our mothers’ and I will be wearing traditional clothes and that’s only for the ceremony and family dinner. I’ll change into a suit for the reception. Guests and family get to wear regular formal clothes.”
“So I have to wear a suit. I guess I can live with that.” Xander grinned. “So Botan told me she could come get me the day after tomorrow; that good for you?”
“Sure, I’ll air out the guest room in Mom’s apartment. We’ll stay there for now.”
“What about the Honeymoon?”
“One thing at a time kid; we’ll figure it out.”
“Not a kid.”
“Right.” Yusuke laughed. “See you in a couple of days Xander.”
“Later.” Xander grinned like the excited teenager he was and called Botan back.
She flickered on the screen, her face was in profile and she was making a face at someone off screen and sticking her tongue out at them.
“Uh…Botan?”
She faced the screen and grinned. “Sorry, I was preoccupied.” There was a murmur off screen, it was Japanese so Xander had no idea what was being said. Botan laughed and waved the person off. “I’m not talking to cute human boys to make you jealous, honest. It’s Yusuke’s younger brother, he wants to come to Japan early to get to know everyone before the wedding.”
“I’m right here.”
Botan’s attention returned to him. “Sorry about that. Mukuro was only teasing.”
“Right…so Yusuke said it’s cool if I come early.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be there at three in the morning on Monday.”
Xander stared at her. “Why?”
Botan giggled. “There’s a fifteen hour time difference Xander. Even though it will be three in Sunnydale it will be six at night in Tokyo.”
“Time differences are evil.”
She giggled again and waved. “See you later Xander.” Her image fizzled out and the screen went blank.
“Geeze…” He lay there for a few minutes before flinging the covers to the floor. “I gotta pack…” Xander looked around his room in dismay before going to the door and stepping into the hallway. “Mom! Have you seen my suitcase?”
XXX