Dreaming of an Emperor Xander

Author: Alex Evans (Chaos_eternus) <ankhmorporkwatch[at]yahoo.co.uk>

This is unofficial or AU Journeyverse, posted with permission from Tenhawk.

Of course, reviews are very much welcomed.

The Xander in question is from Emperor Xander, http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2411615/1/ or http://www.chaoseternus.co.uk which is mine.

Elan, Xander, the concept of the dreaming are very much the property of Tenhawk.


"Stars shining bright above me, night breezes seem to whisper I love me, birds singing in the sycamore trees, dream a little dream of me"

"Alexander!" Elan shouted, exasperated, "must you find some infernal song to sing every time we do this?"

Grinning innocently, Xander replied, "Yes"

Elan growled in frustration, but continued, "Every star above you represents…"

"Me," Xander interrupted, "or at least, me as I exist in other universe and on other planes of existence. You stated this the first time and every time since, remember, before we met the me with your Ex's empowerment"

She grimaced, "we are not going back there and I am not letting you meet him, understood?"

"Of course," Elan hated that tone, which tone stated all too clearly by itself that Xander had no intention of giving up on the issue. Not that she could comment too much…, "still, all this fails to answer one simple question"

Elan glanced down from the stars, one eyebrow raised enquiring, was Xander about to ask some deep profound question. Or, she thought more cynically, was the morning star about to repent? That was after all, somewhat more likely then her charge being profound.

"If stars represent versions of me… then how does" he pointed towards a relatively quiet section of the sky, but one which had an interesting feature, "a binary form?"

Elan followed the direction Xander was pointing, her gaze swiftly finding the indicated formation, it wasn't, she noted, a particularly profound question, but it certainly was a meaningful one.

"Many ways, the worst is a true multiple-personality disorder," Xander glanced at Elan pointedly, and she nodded, conceding the point, "if a soul powerful enough is wrapped around your own, then yes, you can occasionally appear as a binary. There are also the True-souls and they are vanishingly rare"

"True souls?"

Elan shrugged, "when most people truly fall in love, then their hearts match, but hearts change over the years. If your soul matches however… I have only seen it twice in all my years and both couples could talk to each other instantly despite being worlds apart, just through their minds. If one half dies…"

Xander grimaced; he didn't need Elan to finish that sentence, "Well, since I am apparently here to practise in the Dreamworld, why don't we practise our way over to my binary self?"

Elan nodded, and the two rose up, swiftly breaking the barrier between Xanders own mind into the larger dreamworld.

Xander blinked, his eyebrows almost rising into his hairline, "well this is new"

Elan nodded, "Fifteen versions of you we have seen so far. Each and everyone has had the Hyena spirit inside them, but not one, till now, has actually killed it, then hung the skin out to cure"

"Its one way to solve a problem I suppose" Xander shrugged.

"Prehaps," his companion replied, "but whilst I know you would kill the hyena spirit inside you if it became necessary I doubt you would want to wear its hide afterword"

"Any why not? Should a warrior not display the trophies of his victories?" the voice was deep, commanding and firm. It spoke of the sheer assurance that comes only of centuries, millennia commanding troops on the battlefield and of winning. Beneath it was the subtle harsh edge of the betrayed.

Somewhat warily, Xander and Elan turned around to face the speaker and froze, Elans eyebrows almost vanishing into her hairline.

He wasn't Xander; that they could see clearly. He was tall, his manner screaming power, majesty. There was a scar marking his left cheek, and his armour was thick, heavy, marked with aquilas, deaths heads, all darkly malevolent compared to the shining white and gold trim of the armour itself. All over it were studded precious jewels but despite the sheer wealth displayed on the armour, it was clearly and tool of war and had just as clearly been used as such.

"I know who you are child, you are a Xander not of this place, but you girl I do not know"

Elan saluted, "Elanthielle of Atlantis"

"Atlantis…" the man chuckled dryly, "the child in whom I am trapped knows of that legend, a city that sank beneath the waves, but it was unknown in my time"

Xander and Elan exchanged surprised glances, "you are not of this time?"

"I am not of this boy's universe, but I was summoned into being here by chaos magic" the man spat the word chaos, like it was foul, slimy, evil.

Xander winced, "Ethan Rayne?"

The man nodded, paying the boy complete attention, "I got a soldier. If you do not mind me asking, what did your Xander chose to dress as?"

He chuckled, dryly, a glint of genuine amusement in his eyes, "You ask me what I am child?"

Xander grimaced, he was getting annoyed by all this child business, this man said it all the time, at least Elan just said it when he had annoyed her… he paused, which actually meant she said it all the time as well, he just hadn't noticed, he was used to it, from her at least.

"I am the God Emperor of Mankind," he nodded at the startled, then warily calculating looks that spread across the faces of the interlopers, "I reformed the Empire, starting with earth itself and conquering every world that had fallen astray, bringing them back to the bosom of the Empire. My armies stretched across the galaxy, my Loyal Space Marines, the Imperial Guard and the Navy at my side… then, my right hand, the Warmaster Horus fell to the worship of Chaos and betrayed me.

Then, the galaxy burned. I remember this, I remember tens of thousands of years trapped inside the Golden Throne, unable to move physically but able to walk the entire length of the galaxy in my mind. I remember the wars, the traitors, the heroes…. And all I remember is naught, I was called into being by the magic's that chaos mage brought forth.

I knew that the instant the magic's were ended so would I, and so would my companions, two of my loyal Battlesisters would vanish into the abyss with me. Like all I fear death, and though I could not see it at the time it was easy for me to find an excuse to continue to be, to continue to exist. The child lived on the mouth of hell; he would need my tutelage if he were to survive. The Battlesisters remained merely because I asked, residing in the minds of his companions, Buffy and Willow, but I was the one who made the choice.

Because of that choice, the dangers on the mouth of hell have grown so much greater and yet… and yet, the boy is gathering together a light army that may end the war here for thousands of years"

Xander smiled, "so, this one too gathers his armies, interesting"

Elan was frowning though, "we have been in the minds of fifteen different Xanders so far and the difference around each all seem to rest upon that Halloween. If you do not mind me asking do you know why your Xander chose you as his costume?"

"Yes," the GEoM smiled, his armour whirring as he found himself a suitable rock to sit upon, "I do know why"

Elan frowned, waiting patiently for the GEoM to continue, but he didn't. Xander chuckled, as Elan finally, with a sigh, got the point.

"Could you tell me why please?"

"She does that to me all the time," Xander grinned, "nice to see the foot on the other shoe for once"

Laughing, he man spoke, "he did not choice, the girls choose for him. Buffy, she wished to wear a costume that would impress the dead one she was with but Xander saved her from that disaster, from the costume of a old French Lady, a class this Angel did not like. In thanks, they chose costumes that would mark Xander as a vital member of their team, yet costumes that showed the strength of the girls, and there are none stronger then the Sisters of Battle"

The man frowned suddenly, "I hear the warp calling you back, you are needed back in your bodies. But…"

The mans tone changed, becoming hard, "whilst you are free to return, do not ever come with hostile intentions for I will sense it and I can" Xander dropped to the ground, wincing as his vision turned red, pain tearing at his mind. Beside him, Elan grunted, pained, dropping to one foot, "deal with you in this place"

The pain vanished, and wearily, the man continued, "I had to say that, give that warning. I ask you to return, I have no-one to speak too here, for I am a creature of a world darkened to the point where all is absolutes. This Xander in this place needs the greys not the absolutes so I must keep a certain distance, it means he knows not that I am here and I am lonely for conversation. Even as I walked the stars I could talk to those that were willing to listen, here I must not, least I infect the child with the darkness of my world, my mind"

Xander exchanged a questioning look with Elan, and she nodded, slightly.

"We will return, but I can not say when. Time is often at a premium for us these days" Xander shrugged, then froze, "oh ye gods, I am getting infected with Giles speak. I blame this all on you Elan!"

Laughing, the GEoM waved the two Kine Goodbye, and still arguing, Elan and Xander made their way swiftly back to their own place and their friends who even now were calling upon them.

The End

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