Destini Comuni

Disclaimer: See first section
Author’s notes: See first section

Chapter Six: Wild Things

Two Years Prior: 1997

Amy leaned against the railing next to Buffy, her drink resting idly in her hand. Elephants frolicking in their play-area behind them. “The freaky foursome again?” She asked nonchalantly, referring to four kids in their grade, all with huge inferiority complexes.
Buffy nodded, turning around to lean her back against the railing. She spotted Willow and Xander running towards them from a good distance away. “What is their dysfunction anyways?”
Amy shrugged, she could never figure out the four of them. Always had that chip on their shoulders that no one could understand why it was there.
“Hey! Buffy! Amy!” Xander yelled out as he and Willow approached. The pair stopped right in front of them, almost hanging onto each other to catch their breath.
“You missed it!” Willow gushed, obviously excited to the point of near-hyperventilation.
Buffy raised and eyebrow and glanced a Amy who shrugged in response. “Missed what?” Amy glanced curiously at the pair, bringing her drink up to her violet colored lips to take a sip.
“We just saw the zebras mating!” Xander exclaimed and Amy gagged on her drink.
She sputtered incredulously. “Why the hell would you want to see that?” She asked.
“Very exciting…” Xander said, trying to be convincing. He nodded his thanks to Willow.
“It was like the Heimlich, with stripes!” Willow described. Amy shook her head to clear the imagery from her head.
“And I missed it…” Buffy said, feigning disappointment. She pushed off the fence and walked towards them. Amy did the same. “Yet somehow I’ll find the courage to live on. “ She said, sharing a sarcastic grin with Amy. The four of them started walking towards the signpost.
Amy looked up at the sky for the umpteenth time that afternoon, bored out of her mind. Also, she was trying to get a feel for where the mystical energy she was feeling was coming from.
“What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?” Willow asked, snapping Amy out of her reverie.
“Oh, playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse.” Xander replied sagely.
“What is it with those guys?” Buffy asked, really annoyed with the quartet of mischief.
“They’re obnoxious. Professionally.” Willow responded.
“Well, every school has ‘em. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some mean kids.” Xander said.
“Yeah, well, I’d better extract Lance before…” Buffy started, Amy nodded and the two of them headed to the roped off area.
Xander grabbed each girl by one of their shoulders. “I’ll handle it. This job doesn’t require actual slaying.” Before anyone could argue, Xander strode into the Hyena House.
“You don’t think we should follow?” Buffy asked
“Kyle and those guys are jerks, but they’re all talk. Mostly.” Willow said, nervous.
“Why don’t we…” Amy started glancing at the house suspiciously, the mystical aura radiating off the place.
“Yeah, why don’t we?” Willow added. The trio of girls ducked under the caution tape that roped off the House. However, their efforts remained in vain due to the untimely appearance of a Zookeeper.
He raced over to the entrance and caught Amy by the shoulder, pulling her back. She stumbled slightly but regained her footing. “Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak.” He explained.
Buffy fished for an excuse. “Oh, w-we were just gonna take—“
The Zookeeper cut her off. “You’re not going in there.” Amy glared at him behind his back. “Anyone that does is in a world of trouble.” Her glare turned into a look of worry for Xander that both Buffy and Willow caught.
“No, no one’s going in there.” Willow and Buffy ducked under the rope and came back out.
“Why is it off-limits?” Buffy asked.
“It’s a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out.” He looked each girl in the eyes. As he looked at Amy, she remembered she didn’t put her contacts in. He raised a brow curiously at her irises but dismissed it. “Even if they call your name.” He added.
“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked, all three confused.
“The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack devours them.” He explained, snapping his fingers in emphasis.
The Zookeeper walked away, glancing back at the girls. Willow looked worried to death for Xander. Amy took the redhead’s hand in hers. “I’m sure he’s going to be okay. Plus, if he’s not, he’ll scream like a girl and we’ll run in and save him in front of everyone.” Amy said, sharing a grin with Buffy.

Amy looked back at the bar in the Bronze, waiting for Buffy and Willow to get back. She idly played with her hair but quickly ceased that lest she becomes her blonde friend. The two sat back down at their table, a worried expression on Willow’s face. “I thought Xander would be here by now.” She said.
Buffy passed Amy her Coke and smiled reassuringly at Willow. “Hmm…that’d make him on time. We couldn’t have that!”
“Did he seem upset at all on the bus back from the zoo?” Willow asked.
Amy looked at her curiously, taking a sip from her drink. “About what?” Buffy replied.
“I dunno. He was quiet.” Willow said.
“I didn’t notice anything.” Amy commented. “But then again, I’m not as hyperaware of him as, oh, say, for example, you.” She said, giving her trademark half-smirk.
Willow’s eyes went wide. “Hyperaware?”
“Well, I’m not constantly monitoring his health, his moods, his blood pressure… Amy trailed off.
“130 over 80!” Willow proclaimed, grinning.
Buffy looked truly amused. “You got it bad, girl!” She said.
“He makes my head go tingly. You know what I mean?”
“I dimly recall…” She replied bitterly.
“Well! Since this table has drifted to the land of romances that I truly despise…I shall take my leave and I will bid you wonderful ladies adieu.” Amy said, getting up and sliding her chair back into place. “I need to kill something anyway, pent up energy.”
“Be careful, okay?” Willow said, smiling softly up at her friend.
Amy nodded and gave a lopsided smirk. “Aren’t I always?” She replied cockily, walking off.
“No.” Both girls said in unison.
Amy downed the rest of her coke and put the bottle on the bar for the recycling program. She always said that she loved to help the human race and the environment, though they counteract each other. The sorceress walked towards the door when Xander walked in.
She smiled at him warmly, but continued to walk past him. However, he seemed to be roving over her body with hungry eyes. She looked at him curiously as he blatantly and confidently checked her out. He locked eyes with her and Amy saw something drastically different in there other than Xander.
He turned around and kept walking towards Buffy and Willow. Amy reached out with her senses and checked him over, something was up, but he wasn’t a vampire. The girl shrugged and walked out of the Bronze only to walk straight into a guy, knocking her on her ass. He apologized profusely to her and helped her up. She smiled at him, their eyes meeting. Once again, she mentally kicked herself for forgetting the contacts as he looked curiously at her irises.
He smiled at her and kept walking into the bar. Amy dusted herself off and started walking to the nearest graveyard. “Hello to you, too, Riley Finn…” she said to the air. The industrial landscape bled into the suburban and finally into the arboreal landscape. “And hello, graveyard.”

“Xander has been acting really weird…” Buffy whispered to Amy. The sorceress nodded, not looking at Buffy but listening. She kept her eyes trained on Coach Harrold as he explained that everyone was going to play dodge ball.
“Now, for those of you that may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge.” He said. The class nodded. Coach Harrold’s T.A. leaned up against the wall watching all over the. Him and Amy made eye contact briefly, a flicker of a smile passing between them. The T.A. was Riley.
The coach tossed a ball to Buffy and another to Amy, then two other kids on the opposite team. One of them Xander took the ball from rather aggressively. The coach blew his whistle and right off the bat Xander beamed a kid in the head. Amy nailed a kid lightly on the side, trying not to be mean. Buffy made a kid yelp.
The sides quickly started to empty out. Amy glanced to her right just in time to see Xander viciously nail Willow in the back with the ball. The three girls couldn’t believe it, most of all Willow. She walked off to the side, rubbing her back and looking very emotionally hurt.
While Willow and Xander took Amy’s attention, Heidi pegged her right in the face, causing her to fall over onto her back. The sorceress sat up slowly, just to see and hear the Pack laughing hysterically at her. One of her contact lenses drifted to the side of her eye and another had popped out and landed on her shirt from the force of the impact. Her nose bled lightly. Amy didn’t put it past her second-to-only-Cordelia rival to make a cheap shot like that. Nor did she put it past the rest of the Pack to laugh at her like that. The fact that stunned her was that Xander, her good friend of about four years, was laughing hysterically with that at her.
Buffy came over and helped Amy to get up slowly, checking to see if she was further injured. Riley pushed off from the wall and walked over to the Pack. “Alright! Game’s over, blatant violation of the rules and purposeful harmful actions.” He said forcefully, taking the balls away from them.
Kyle, Tor, Rhonda, and Xander glared at him. Heidi put her hands on her hips and straightened up. “I didn’t break any rules. In fact, she broke one. The only rule. Dodge. Guess she sucks at even that.” She said venomously.
Buffy glared at her. “Would you shut up for once? Cause whenever your mouth opens, all I hear is stupid come out!” She shot back in defense of Amy.
“God, this game is brutal. I love it!” The coach said.
Riley took Amy’s arm to walk her to the gym office to get the first aide kit. Amy rubbed the back of her head painfully from the impact on the hardwood floor. She put her contacts back into place. “Thanks…” She said softly, bringing a few slender fingers up to her nose to check for blood, which there was.
“No problem, those four are pricks anyways…” He said, handing her a cloth to hold to her nose, which she did. “But, what I don’t get is why your friend was acting like that.”
“Me neither…” Amy said bitterly, then a thought crossed her mind. “Is that all you do, watch us?” She asked, smirking slightly.
Riley stumbled for an answer to that. “Um…well, I watch the class, cause I’m the T.A…and I get bored…” He finished lamely. Amy laughed lightly at his struggle. He looked at her curiously. “What’s your name?”
Amy looked a bit caught off guard by that question. “Amy, Amy LeFey…” She said.
“Riley Finn.” He responded. They both smiled.

“Something’s wrong with Xander. I mean epically wrong.” Amy said, sporting a slight bruise on her nose, though the swelling went down due to the ice Riley gave her.
“I know...I just…” She sighed as they turned the corner, lost for words. They pair spotted Xander talking to Willow nearby. Amy noticed the rest of the Pack nearby. Buffy went to her locker, working the combination, Amy standing by, listening to what Xander was saying. So was Buffy, but neither was obvious about it.
“And, well, we’ve been friends for such a long time that I feel like I need to tell you something.” Xander said to Willow. She looked at him expectantly, a flash of hope in her eyes.
“I’ve, um… I’ve decided to drop geometry. So I won’t be need your math help anymore. Which means I won’t have to look at your pasty face again.” He said icily. He and the rest of Pack burst out laughing. Willow looked shattered, she turned and ran off quickly. Amy growled loudly, which Heidi heard and their eyes met dangerously.
Buffy slammed her locker and approached Xander menacingly, her arms crossed. He and the rest stopped laughing. “You gonna say something to me?” She asked angrily. All he did was stare at her then burst out laughing, quickly joined by the rest. Amy tugged on Buffy sleeve and they both head off after Willow quickly.

Willow wiped away the tears in her eyes, not notice Xander and the Pack on the first story below them via the balcony. Amy felt them down there but ignored them for now, Buffy also noticed. “I’ve known him my whole life, Buffy.” Willow said painfully. “Well, we haven’t always been close, but he’s never…” She sighed.
Amy held her hand in comfort. “I think something’s wrong with him.” Buffy said.
“I know something’s wrong with him.” Amy said.
“Or maybe there’s something wrong with me…” Willow said sadly.
“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked incredulously.
“C’mon. He’s not picking on you. He’s just sniffing you a lot. I don’t know, maybe I’ve just become an unwanted outlier…”
“You think this has something to do with me?” Buffy asked, still stunned.
“Of course.” Willow replied.
“No. That still doesn’t explain why he’s handing out with the dode patrol.” Amy said, hopping off the railing. “Something’s going on. Something weird.” She said, starting to walk away, Buffy following.
“What’re you two gonna do?” Willow asked.
“Talk to the expert on weird.” Buffy replied.

Amy sighed and run her fingers through her hair. “I can’t believe he’s possessed by a hyena…” She said softly, watching a pack of hyenas feeding on a zebra on the computer screen. Willow nodded, stunned.
The video remained in a constant loop, the same five-minute clip repeated over and over. Willow couldn’t stop staring at it because her crush and oldest friend had become one of them.
Amy watched the canines like a hunter, watching for weaknesses, behavioral tics and the lot. “I mean…” she said vacantly, “I like dogs, I love dogs…and I like Xander, I love Xander,” she glanced at Willow quickly, “as a brother way. But…I really don’t like the two mixing like this…”
Willow nodded in agreement. She opened her mouth to say something but the door banged open and they both turned to look. Buffy dragged Xander in by the shirt collar. “Hurry up. We gotta get him locked up somehow before he comes to,” she said.
Amy rushed over and helped Buffy pick him up by hands and ankles. Willow put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God, Xander! What happened?” She said as she rushed over to open the cage door.
“I hit him,” she said simply, a slight smirk on her face when she looked at Amy. The two carried him into the cage, dropping him unceremoniously.
“With what?” Amy asked, curious about the huge bruise on his forehead.
“A desk.” Both the other girls quirked a brow up curiously at Buffy. “He tried his hand at felony sexual assault.”
“Oh, Buffy, the hyena in him didn’t…“ Willow started, unable to say the rest.
“No.” Buffy said, the two girls stepped out of the cage, Amy nearly tripping on Xander’s prone form. “No, but it’s safe to say that in his animal state, his idea of wooing doesn’t involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti.”
Amy rolled her eyes, locking the cage. “There, that oughtta hold him.”
“Where’s Giles?” Buffy asked.
“He got called to some teacher’s meeting. What are we gonna do? I mean… how do we get Xander back?” Willow asked, really concerned.
Giles walked back into the library, his demeanor slow and upset. “Right now I’m a little more worried about what the rest of the Pack is up to.” Buffy said.
“The rest of the Pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot’s cage. They were sent to the Principal’s office.” Giles explained, cleaning his glasses. Amy instantly new something was wrong, he wouldn’t act like this over good news.
“Good! That’ll show ‘em.” Willow said triumphantly. Amy laid her hand on Willow’s arm. The redhead noticed Giles silence and Amy’s gesture. “Did it show ‘em?” She asked cautiously.
Giles exhaled, unable to speak. “They didn’t hurt him, did they?” Buffy asked.
“They, uh… ate him.” He responded finally. Amy leaned back against the cage, stunned. Willow sat down on the ground at Amy’s feet and Buffy leaned against the table. All three unable to speak at this.
“They ate Principal Flutie?” Buffy asked, unsure if that was what Giles’ actually said.
“I liked him…” Amy muttered to herself, no one commented on that though.
“The, uh, official theory is that wild dogs got into his office somehow. There was no one at the scene.” Giles said, cleaning his glasses.
“But Xander didn’t…” Willow looked towards Buffy. “He, he was with you.”
Giles noticed Xander in the cage. “Oh! Uh, well, that’s a small mercy…”
“Giles, how do we stop this?” Buffy asked. She was about to speak again but Amy cut her off.
“I’ll kill them all.” She said simply, stepping away from the cage and heading towards the door, materializing a dagger in her hand.
“Amy!” Giles called out at her. “They’re just kids!”
“Not anymore Giles…they’re animals, and I’m going to put them down as such.”
“But there has to be another way!” He said, desperate to rationalize her. Her hate was the obvious driving forces behind this action, hence his attempts to stabilize her. Amy walked out the door, on the hunt.

The sorceress patrolled the hallways, listening closely for any sign of the pack. Nothing came to her until she heard Willow scream in terror. Amy took off at full speed around the corner and through the double doors. She saw Heidi on top of Willow, ready to kill.
Amy tackled Heidi to the ground, knocking her away from Willow. “Run!” She screamed at the redhead. Willow took off running with Buffy, the blonde looking behind her for Xander.
The blonde hyena threw Amy off her and then tackled her through the nearby door. Both girls jumped up and squared off and circled each other, Amy noticing they were in the Chemistry room. Heidi grabbed a beaker off the lab table and threw it at Amy’s face. It shattered and the contents burned Amy’s face slightly. The sorceress screamed in pain and her eyes flashed violet as she got rid of the chemicals.
Heidi dived in between lab stations to hide from the infuriated sorceress. Amy looked around and noticed everything was slightly blurry. She was able to easily pick out Heidi’s form and tackled the blonde to the ground. Amy grabbed Heidi’s face and slammed the back of her head into the tile hard.
Heidi feigned unconsciousness which Amy fell for. The blonde hyena leaned up and bit Amy hard on the neck, causing her to scream in pain. Amy elbowed her in the jaw and forced herself away from Heidi, blood streaming from the wound. Heidi cackled in glee but growled lowly when Amy’s eyes flashed green.
Amy snarled at her, the look in her eyes feral. The strawberry-haired girl lunged at Heidi, knocking her down to the ground. The blonde flung Amy off her to the side. Amy landed on her feet, crouched and ready to attack. Heidi approached her slowly, snarling. Amy lunged at her and knocked her to the ground. With a quick smack, Amy pushed Heidi’s neck to the side and in an instant had her fangs at the blonde’s throat.

Amy lay curled up at Willow’s feet, her head on her arm. The sorceress’ eyes flittering back and forth occasionally. Though she looked relaxed, her muscles remained taught as she was hyper-protective of the redhead.
“So…we have nothing to worry about with Amy?” Buffy asked, glancing Willow, Giles and then the sorceress in question.
“It appears not…she seems to be on our side and more specifically, Willow’s.” Giles said.
Willow stroked Amy’s head gently, right behind her ear. Amy relaxed a bit more and eased into her touch. “She doesn’t seem hyena like at all…more…wolf like actually.”
“I’ve got a theory,” said Giles. “She’s the sorceress, a supernatural being in and of herself, and add to that a mystical attack, say, a possessed canine. Her body, being mystical, warps and twists the attack into something helpful. Hyenas are evil canines and wolves are good canines. The magic transmuted itself from an evil effect to a good effect. Meaning she turned into a wolf, mentally at least. And, well, partially physically from the fangs…”
Willow nodded in agreement. Buffy stood up. “Then lets find them before they snack on anyone.”

Amy growled lowly in her throat and inhaled deeply. Willow ran her hand over Amy’s back softly. “That way?” She asked quietly. Amy nodded, continuing forward till they saw the Pack sans Heidi attacking a family in a jeep.
Buffy dashed forward, Amy hot on her heels. The Slayer leapt up onto the roof and kicked Kyle off. Amy tackled Rhonda off the hood of the car. They landed on the ground with a loud smack and Rhonda flung Amy off of her. The sorceress snarled at Rhonda, who snarled back. The two circled each other menacingly, trying to get the other to back down through intimidation.
Buffy whistled loudly, which caused all the canines in the area to look at her abruptly. “Didn’t your mom teach you? Don’t play with your food,” she quipped. The Pack growled and surrounded her on the ground, though she was still on the roof. Buffy straightened up and put her hands on her hips, staring down each one. Amy returned to Willow’s side, crouching down to her haunches in a ready position.
“C’mon. You know what you want.” She said darkly. Buffy leapt off the car and took off running down the street. The Pack gave chase immediately.

Amy, Giles and Willow arrived at the Hyena House in a run. Amy started panting, trying to calm her breathing. Once again, Willow stroked Amy’s back lightly, as if she was a faithful pet. “The pathway to the Hyena House. Where’s the zookeeper?”
“Uh, he must be inside. I-I’ll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching.” Giles said before running into the Hyena house. Willow sat down on the ground up against the building itself, Amy at her side. The redhead calmly stroked Amy’s cheek. “You’re really in there, aren’t you…” She said, looking into Amy’s violet eyes. Amy leaned into the touch, her eyes never leaving Willow’s, and the intelligence in the gaze proving Willow right.
“Yeah…you’re in there…” Willow said, a small smile on her face. Amy leaned in and licked Willow’s cheek affectionately. The redhead giggled and held Amy against her in a hug.
Amy’s muscles tensed and she growled lowly. The sounds of the Pack and Buffy approaching rapidly met her ears before Willow. Amy pulled away and looked in the direction. Willow stood up quickly. “Stall them for me, I’ll go alert Giles.” Willow said. Amy nodded and the redhead took off into the Hyena House.

Amy stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the inside of the House. Willow in the grasp of Zookeeper and a knife to her throat.
“It’s a trap!” Willow screamed at Buffy and Amy. Buffy tried to run at the Zookeeper but the Pack swarmed her.
Amy dashed at the zookeeper, but everything felt like it was in slow motion. “Yu ba ya sa na!” The Zookeeper bellowed. The sorceress’ eyes flashed green momentarily before flashing violet. Amy’s howl of anger turned into a scream of rage as she tackled him to the ground. He snarled at her and she punched him in the face. The Masai clad man grabbed her wrist and leaned into bite her. Amy growled and her teeth shifted to fangs again as she hit him again hard. The feral look back in her eyes. Her body shifted entirely into a canine form, a wolf snarling at him.
“AMY!” Willow screamed at her. The wolf spun around and ran to Willow, standing in front of her protectively, noticing the Pack scurrying away, sans Xander.
The Zookeeper rushed at Amy and Willow, murder in his eyes. Amy snarled and coiled up, ready to lunge. “Willow!” Xander yelled out, knocking him away. The zookeeper punched Xander to the ground and went in for the kill. Buffy kicked him hard enough to flip him over the railing and into the hyena pen.

“I heard the vice-principal’s taking over till they can find a replacement.” Willow said, walking hand in hand with Amy and Buffy on each side.
“It shouldn’t be too hard to find a new principal. Unless they ask what happened to the last one.” Buffy said.
Xander looked worry and stopped them before the stairs. Willow dropped both girl’s hands and looked at Xander curiously. “Okay, but I had nothing to do with that, right?”
The girls nodded. “Right.” Buffy confirmed.
“You only ate the pig.” Willow stated.
“I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon or…” he trailed off, unable to voice it.. Buffy and Willow shook there heads. Amy, however, remained studying Xander’s behavior, she had a funny feeling he was faking amnesia. “Oh, my God!” Xander exclaimed, covering his face. “I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!” He exclaimed.
“Well, it wasn’t really you…” Buffy said, trying to console him as the four of them ascended the stairs.
“Well, I remember I was goin’ on the field trip, and then goin’ down to the Hyena Houe, and next thing some guy’s holding Willow and he’s got a knife. Then Amy turns into a wolf and tackles him. Next he’s trying to get the both of you.” He said.
“You saved my life.” Willow said.
“Hey! Nobody messes with my Willow.” Xander said, hugging her. Amy suppressed a growl, though she didn’t know why it arose.
Buffy watched the two and smiled. Willow smiled as well. “This is definitely the superior Xander. Accept no substitutes.” Buffy said.
“I didn’t do anything else, did I, around you guys or anything embarrassing?” He asked.
Willow and Buffy smiled, though the brief look of explaining what happened crossed Buffy’s features. Buffy shook her head. “Nah!”
“Not at all.” Willow said.
“C’mon. We’re gonna be late.” Buffy told Willow, taking her hand and leading her away.
“See you at lunch.” Willow said to Xander.
“Cool! Oh, hey, goin’ vegetarian! Huh?” He said, giving them two thumbs-up. Willow turned to him and smiled widely as did Buffy.
Amy and Xander turn the other way and head to their class. The sorceress rubbed her eyes again, the blurriness not leaving. The fight with Heidi permanently damaged her vision.
“Just get prescription contacts, Amy.” Xander said. Amy shook her head at him, refusing the appropriate advice.
“It’ll go away, just give it time and I’ll see perfectly fine again,” Amy gave him a sidelong glance as he ran his fingers through his hair in an exasperated manner. “Y’know, Xan, I’ve been reading up on animal possession cause of my own bit. Since I am able to shift fully at will, which is awesome.” Xander nodded, smirking. “But here’s he weird part, man. I can’t find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards.” She said, a highly un-amused look on her face.
Xander suddenly got three-fold as nervous. “You…er…did you tell them that?” He asked.
Amy shook her head and took him into a one armed hug. “Your secret dies with me.” She said seriously. “Plus, I would like them to believe I can’t remember tearing Heidi’s throat out with my fangs and reveling in the feeling of her blood leaving her under my lips.” She shuddered the thought. Xander looked at her awkwardly. “Hey, she had it coming. You want to remember slaughtering and eating a helpless pig?”
Xander shook his head and groaned, leaning his head back in shame. “Shoot me, stuff me, mount me.” He exclaimed. The two exhaled deeply and looked at each other sheepishly, letting out a nervous chuckle.