FIC: Warrior... Slayer (5/?)

["Shadow" <Shadowlander1@xxxxxxx>]

Title: Warrior... Slayer (5/?)
Author: Shadowlander
Email: Shadowlander1@xxxxxxx
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with
Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Xena: Warrior Princess; they belong to others
and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Pairing: Faith/Willow; Xena/Gabrielle
Rating: NC-17
Archive: If you want to archive it, you can, just let me know where it is
going first, please.
Note: Melosa is still Queen of the Amazons and Phantes is still alive
too... no other spoilers for Xena that I can think of off hand. Which
places this in the later part of season one of Xena.

WARRIOR... SLAYER (5/?)

The Queen's Chambers -

Melosa watched her interesting quests fill the room, her dark eyes studying
the two young women that had appeared in a flash of light in the middle of
the village along with two very ugly and smelly beings. The later of which
were being destroyed in a large bonfire well down wind of the village, under
the watchful eyes of several of her finest warriors in case the bodies tried
to escape. That part troubled the Amazon Queen a bit; she didn't like the
thought of bodies being able to move around sans their heads or even beings
that could grow other body parts for that matter. When she cuts someone's
head off she expected it to stay cut off and dead... was that too much to
ask for? Pushing aside thoughts of creatures that could grow back missing
body parts, Melosa turned her attention to the two strangers in her village.

She wasn't used to visitors to her Nation arriving without her knowledge and
she sure wasn't used to them appearing in bright flashes of light. And yet
she now had two young women standing in her throne room that had did just
that. It was the smaller of the two that drew Melosa's attention the most,
the redhead looking around the throne room with open honest eyes, it
reminded the Queen of Gabrielle just a few moons ago inspecting her new
surroundings. Beside the redhead, stood a taller woman wearing what looked
to be shiny leggings of some kind, something about the way she held herself
bothered the Amazon Queen.

"Well this is fun.... why are we here Red?" Faith suddenly asked, having
grown bored with the strange little staring contest everyone seemed to have
fallen into, "you and tall and broody over there seem to know one another."
She added having formed an instant dislike for the tall warrior with sky
blue eyes, she seemed just a bit too friendly toward 'her' Red for the
Slayer's liking.

"Yeah... we met already," Willow replied blushing a bit as Xena arched an
eyebrow at the Slayer in annoyance.

"You know them, Xena?" Melosa asked turning to the Warrior Princess.

"I know Sito over there," Xena replied nodding to the redhead, "her...
'friend' I haven't met yet."

"Sito? As in Aphrodite and Hephaestus's daughter, that Sito??" Gabrielle
asked, with wide eyes remembering the old tale she had told Xena the night
before.

"So they tell me," Willow replied turning a deep shade of red as everyone
turned to look at her.

"I thought your 'rents names were Shelia and Ira?" Faith said making a face,
recalling the one time she actually met the two in question, it still amazed
her some vamp hadn't already ate those two.

"As if..... babe," another voice said as a blonde wearing just about nothing
appeared in the throne room, "My little girl gets her eyes and smarts from
my Hephie" Aphrodite continued ignoring everyone else in the room for the
more part, "Oh child that look... is so not in," she added giving Faith the
once over, "Artemis is going to have a kitten if she sees one of her Amazons
running around dressed like that." The smirk on her face clearly said she
couldn't wait to inform the goddess in question about the attire of one of
her chosen ones.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Faith demanded, looking down at her
tight fitting shiny leather pants, combats boots and sleeveless t-shirt,
before turning her attention to the scantily clad Goddess of Love before
her. "Listen..." the Slayer's words were cut off by Willow's hand over her
mouth.

"Will you shut up!" Willow hissed into Faith's ear, "Mom can read minds!"

"She called me 'Mom' been home for barely a candle mark and she's calling me
'mom' again," Aphrodite said with a big grin pulling Willow to her side.

"Aphrodite... why are you here?" Xena asked catching Willow's embarrassed
nearly panicked look.

"There some law that says I can't come and see my little girl?" the blonde
goddess asked with a smirk, "as it is.... I'm playing messenger... Artie
won't let Hermes deliver messages in Amazon territory, something about him
peeking into the bathing hut when he shouldn't," she went on with a
dismissive toss of her head, "so I got chosen."

"The message Aphrodite... the message," Xena reminded her before she could
go on anymore about Hermes and peeking into bathing huts.

"Oh yeah... Eon says she did her part... the seven are gathered, now find
that damn demon and kill it," the goddess replied, "Toodles all!"

"Oh yeah that was helpful," Faith said once Aphrodite had disappeared again,
"is all your family that ditzy Red?"

"I wouldn't know," Willow replied dryly wondering if there was a rock she
could crawl under.

"The seven are gathered," Gabrielle said thoughtfully, "what did Aphrodite
mean by that? And who is Eon?"

"Oh that... that is just the seven warriors that were supposed to kill this
demon that wanted to take over Zeus' job... only someone didn't want that
happening so they started messing with time... which apparently is a big
no-no, which got Eon who IS the guardian of time and well space, involved.
Because she's mad her wards have been messed with... but that's an even
longer story... anyway Eon wants the problem fixed which is why Faith and I
are here. Oh and I'm Willow by the way," Willow replied her mind working
over the problem as well.

"I thought you were Sito?" Gabrielle said, having followed everything the
redhead had just said.

"That is what everyone keeps telling me," Willow replied, "I just know that
Hephaestus and I have the same coloured eyes... and he's a pretty neat guy."

Xena's loud whistle brought the two back to the rest of the group, "Sito...
Willow," she corrected sensing that the redhead preferred that name, "you
said the seven were here... I only count four."

"Oh yeah you weren't there for that part," Willow said sheepishly, "right
before you showed up throwing that Lawless guy around, Eon said that there
was supposed to be seven warriors most of them Amazons that stopped the
demon from invading. So I figure the other three have to be here as well...
maybe in this room, I know Faith for sure she has the strength and abilities
for these sorts of things."

"Oh no... look Red its bad enough the tweed wearers screwed me over with the
Chosen One bull... you're not dragging me into another holy cause." Faith
growled hating the feeling of not being in control of a situation.

"That's because you're not remembering right," Willow replied losing her
patience with the Slayer, "this isn't about who can be the bad ass Chosen
One Vampire Slayer... this is about our lives... yours and mine.... the
lives some little two-bit demon with delusions of godhood has screwed with.
So shut up... or Amazon or not I will kick your butt all over this village."
She growled poking Faith in the chest as she advanced on her.

"Amazon?" Ephiny questioned arching her eyebrows in disbelief, "that's an
Amazon?"

"In the proper time line, before the demon started messing with things....
yes," Willow replied trying to get a hold of her temper, "Eon said most of
the seven were Amazons, that has to include Faith." She added with an absent
shake of her head. "We got to find that demon."

"But we need to know who the other three are first," Gabrielle pointed out.

"That's easy... who wants to go demon hunting?" Xena replied her eyes taking
on a strange light for a moment, as her face broke out into an evil little
grin.

"We can't do it that way Warlord," Faith suddenly said with a slight sneer,
"it would be better to take our heavy hitters... Ep, Pony and Solari... and
how the hell did I know THAT!" she said confusion clear in her voice and
face.

"You're memories are coming back... this is our proper time," Willow
replied, "I'm not sure how it works... but the longer we're here the more
we'll remember... pay attention will you?"

"Oh sure... its easier for you... you're a god," Faith shot back.

"Its got to be a slayer trait... bull headedness," Willow said more to
herself, "I'm not a god... I haven't earned it yet... so move on already."

"I'm getting a headache," Faith said rubbing her temples with one hand, "I
know those three," she continued, indicating Ephiny. Solari and Eponin, with
a wave of her other hand, "I know I grew up with them... in this village...
I got kicked out of this throne room more then once... I don't know how I
know this but I do." She spoke slowly her eyes closed as strange memories
run through her mind. "I would almost say this was too hellmouthy even for
us... but we're not in Sunnyhell anymore." She added with a nervous laugh,
"Red please tell me this is some kind of bizarre practical joke of the
Xand-man's?"

"Wish is was," Willow said, remembering Eon's comment about Faith not being
the same in this time, "we got to fix this Faith... get the bastard that did
this to us and make sure he can't do it ever again... you're the Slayer you
can do anything." She added with a lopsided grin, hating the tune of Faith's
voice, she had never heard the dark Slayer sound anything but cocky before.

"What exactly is a slayer?" the question causing Willow and Faith to jump,
the two having forgotten they were not alone in the room.

"Go ahead Red... tell them... you're the book expert," Faith said with a
shake grin, looking around the room once more, 'I know these women... all of
them,' a little voice was saying in the back of her mind, 'this is home.'

"The Slayer is the Chosen One... the gods created her as the champion of
humanity... she was supposed to protect the innocent, but over time her true
calling got a bit twisted around to where she's only slaying... well
vampires," Willow replied without giving it too much thought, "since they
tend to prey upon humans the most... but in reality the Slayer is suppose to
fight evil."

"That's not the speech G-man gave me," Faith said wondering what the redhead
was talking about.

"The Watchers came after the Slayers... they only know part of what a slayer
can really do," Willow replied, "from the dawn of man there has always been
a Slayer... it's the way Zeus and all the others wanted it... a champion for
humanity. All the gods have their own champions in one form or another...
the Slayer is for humanity."

"What's a vampire?" Gabrielle asked.

"Kind of like a Bacchea... only undead... but I doubt you'll ever run into
one, Bacchus doesn't let them in his territory," Willow replied without
thinking, "okay this is getting way too wiggy." She said shaking her head,
wanting the memory thing to correct itself so she would quick saying strange
things.

"How can something be undead?" Eponin asked sharing a confused look with
Solari who only shrugged in return.

"That's a really long story," Willow answered, "I didn't believe it myself
until one tired to make a happy meal out of me... big scare that was... all
the fangs and growling and Darla was this one really bitchy vamp...."

Faith stopped her babbling with a hand over Willow's mouth, "I know how to
kill them... its no big deal... if it has a ridged face, yellow eyes and
fangs shove a sharp pointed piece of wood in its heart.... that will kill
it."

"Hold!" Melosa said getting everyone's attention once more, "let's get back
to the point of this meeting... I recognize you now, you are an Amazon and a
member of this village. But you were taken from us." The queen said slowly
her own memories returning. "I remember you... you had great promise... I
want to know what was done to you and to your friend."

"All I know is what Eon told me," Willow began, "someone wants Zeus' throne
and was using this demon that we were supposed to slay to get it."

"The demon was a diversion while the real attack was the throne of Olympus
itself," Xena commented her mind already working the problem, "we had to be
taken out or the coupe wasn't going to happen."

"But to do that... someone had to have known the outcome of the battle,"
Willow replied, "they would have had to have seen the future... but time
travel is a big taboo."

"For the throne of Olympus it's a risk worth taking," Xena countered, "we
have to figure out who would be willing to take that risk then we have our
demon and the person messing with our lives."

"Ares?" Gabrielle guessed.

"Nah... too easy and he's not stupid," Willow corrected, "as a member of the
pantheon he's a well established and very powerful god... and more
importantly he would know Eon."

"What does this Eon person have to do with anything Red?"

"Eon is the guardian of time... she doesn't interact with mortals or many of
the lesser gods for that matter, its not a part of her job," Willow
explained.

"And Ares would know the penalty for breaking the time barriers and more
importantly who would be coming after him," Xena agreed.

"Which would be Eon not Zeus," Ephiny said making sure she was following the
conversation. "It has to be one of the lesser gods... because they won't
know who would be coming after them... but who would be that reckless?"

"Strife?"

"Discord?"

"No... it all goes back to Ares," Xena replied dismissing both names, "he
keeps them too busy stirring up trouble for him."

"As long as my palace," Willow mumbled to herself recalling Eon's words, "we
could be here for days trying to identify the culprit... Xena is right the
throne is too tempting of a prize."

"And we don't know how long we have before the demon is supposed to make his
attack," Ephiny commented feeling a bit frustrated.

"Oh we do have time to prepare... Eon wants this done right... my guess is
she brought Faith and I back ahead of schedule to allow for our memories to
sort themselves out and plan our attack." Willow said, "Why else send us
here, where all of us are gathered and send my mother to tell us?"

"And if the big bad finds out that we are here and pushes up his schedule?"
Faith asked.

"Then we'll have him," Xena replied, "Something this big has to be well
planned moving up the timetable will be just the mistake we need to destroy
him."

"So we wait," Ephiny agreed, thoughtfully.

************************
Several candle marks later -

"Er... Red?" Faith said as she was stripping off her clothes preparing for
bed, while they were staying with the Amazons they would be sharing a hut
together.

"Yeah Faith?" Willow sleepily replied, already under her covers and lying on
her side facing the wall.

Stopping to regard the redhead's back for a moment, "When all of this is
sorted out... you know with the demon and our heads," she begin wondering
why she was even having this conversation in the first place. She tended to
avoid the redhead, preferring to hang with B, but here she was trying to
make small talk while standing naked in the same room with the shorter girl
the two getting ready for bed. Granted it was in two different beds but
they were in the same room and Faith was naked, 'Now if we can just get Red
naked too,' an annoying little voice added in the back of her mind.

"Yeah?" Willow questioned again, rolling over in bed and freezing her eyes
widening as she got a good look at the naked Slayer, "y... you were saying?"
she finally said trying to appear calm and collected.

"I was saying... that we got to talk... about things," Faith said after a
long pause, seeing something in Willow's eyes she hadn't expected... desire.
"Night Red." She added with a cocky smile a naughty little idea forming in
her head as she crawled under the covers.

"Night Faith," Willow finally said in a small voice blushing a deep red as
she buried her head under a pillow. 'Gods I can't believe I was staring at
Faith like that,' she groaned into her pillow certain she was never going to
be able to live it down, not if Faith had anything to say about it.

Blowing out the candle by the bed, Faith grinned into the darkness a new
little plan forming in her head about seducing herself a redhead.

End Part Five.



Shadow --
Dir. of Pub. Safety of the SECoLGA and Chief Dungeon Keeper. Vampire Teddy
Bear and Flying Fox {Fruit Bat} of the Woods Outback. The Big Bad and
Little Comma. Mistress of Mischief, corruptor of the innocent, tormentor of
Quindolyn. Founding Member of the Get Willow and Buffy Naked Society.
{GWBN -- Hey, its a way of life.} Dark Mistress of Weirdness. Yang to
Alex's Yin. Charter Member of the Hand of Chaos, member of the Order of the
Silver Claw of the Highland Werewolves of Gaia. :[

AIM Screen Name: ShadowDrake
Yahoo Name: drakesshadow
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