NOTE: This chapter is rated FR15

Chapter 3: Ardeth and AC

Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be.
Title: Friends
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: N/A
Summary: Xander makes a friend while on a six month mission from Giles (Set while the girls are in college, Giles gives Xander an adventure all his own and he makes a very strong ally.
Notes: For Peja's Improv Challenge.
Notes 2: Dawn is here early because I need her there for the explanation about the blond. There is a second crossover dealing with him. His name is Arthur Curry. The Comic buffs or Smallville fans who saw Aqua and Justice should get who he is.
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After Spike nearly stroked out hearing how high up Ardeth was, He and Xander continued on their way to the Magic Box to see everyone and see what was on the menu for the meeting tonight. They'd just passed the entrance to a storefront that never stayed open for long, it was Ethan's store and it was like it was waiting for him to come back to it and he'd said maybe, but no more damned costumes, when a group of rat like minions attacked them.

"For Great Glorificus!" they screamed, running at them. And then the knights got involved, attacking the rat minions and then turning on Xander and Spike.

"Surrender the Key!" The lead knight yelled.

"Hell no," Xander fired back, "Even if I knew what the hell you were talking about."

"Then die!" he yelled, swinging his sword. Xander cringed because he couldn't get his up but then the sword was blocked by another.

"I think not," a familiar and very welcome voice spoke.

And then Xander watched as Ardeth faced off against the group of knights, swords clashing but Ardeth won. Most of the knights were dead by the time he finished, the only one still alive was the leader and he paled seeing the marks on Ardeth's face.

"Medjai!" he hissed.

"Coward," Ardeth returned, "Attacking children who don't even know what you're looking for."

"How can they not know?"

"Magic is funny that way," Ardeth told him while blocking another of his swings.

"It must be destroyed!"

"No," Ardeth told him, "You must be." He and the knight had been fighting so hard and they had somehow gotten to the outside of the Magic Box and Buffy and the others had come out to watch.

"This will not end with me, Medjai!" The knight screamed.

"It never does," Ardeth replied, "Now be a good little zealot and die!"

A cut down his arm made the knight drop his sword and then a sharp one across his neck and he was on the ground, dead.

"That was . . . easy," Ardeth remarked. Then he looked at Xander and smiled, "You have been a terrible influence on my vocabulary. Hello, my friend."

"Hey, why are you here?" Xander asked.

"The Medjai thought I could use a vacation so they sent me here to visit you."

"This is a vacation spot to you?" Xander asked.

"You 'have' seen what I guard and fight, Xander, what do you think?"

"I think this is Disney Land to you," Xander muttered with a grin.

"Disney . . . Land?"

"We'll go if we get time, promise," Xander told him, "Oh, now what?"

"Why are they back?" Buffy muttered at the sea monster type people running at them. Ardeth and Xander both pulled their swords in preparation for a fight but it turned out to be unnecessary. The creatures were a breath away from Buffy when a voice bellowed from the end of the street.

"STOP!!!" It commanded. And Buffy stared as they did. She turned and faced the direction of the voice and grinned.

"AC!" She squealed and ran to him.

"Hey, baby-doll," he said, catching her in a hug and spinning her around, "Return to the waters or I swear by Poseidon I will kill you all, do you understand?"

They all stared as the sea monsters obeyed. Then, he set Buffy down and kissed her forehead.

"Hello, little sister," he told her, "Now it's safe."