He gave himself a last once over, satisfied with the effect his costume created. Xander was happy. At first the thought of dressing up and guiding a group of squealing kids through a demoninfesteed town hadn't been that appealing, specially since he hadn't had the money for a good costume, but then, when he had seen IT, hanging on a rack in Ethan's Costume Shoppe, his mood had spectacularly improved. No one would dress up in the same costume, he was sure of it. Not like the dime a dozen soldier costume he'd thought of first. And best of it, he'd managed to rope Dawn into going with him. As he closed the door on his way to pick up Buffy and the others, he wondered what Buffy would say about her sisters choice of costume.
When Buffy opened the door, she needed several moments to recognise the stranger standing before her.
Black was the theme of his clothes, black jeans, shirt and boots and a black leather trenchcoat completing the ensemble. His hair was wild and unruly and black and his eyes electric blue, contrasting strongly with the pale, oh so pale skin. Around his neck hung a chain with a big red stone and secured to his belt was a small leather pouch. Xander's transformation was startling.
"Lady Buffy," he bowed courtly, "I have come for my sister."
Sister?
"I am ready, brother." Dawn's voice came from behind her.
She turned around and for the first time, saw the costume her sister had chosen.
Dawn looked like a Goth girl, dressed in black with black and white make-up and a big silver ankh on a simple necklace. Her hair was thankfully not dyed like Xanders, but hidden under a black wig.
"Brother Dream," she greeted Xander.
"Sister Death," he returned the greeting. Then he grinned widely, destroying the serious image of his costume. "You look good, Dawn-patrol."
"You too, Xander."
"Well, ready to scare the living daylights out of some kids?"
"Always, brother Dream. Always."
An Endless is an Endless is an Endless.
And just because there were no human manifestation of them, it didn't mean that they were not there.
But when two of the seven found human vessels primed for them, they didn't debated for long, but reached out to them, infusing them, merging with and into them.
And when the spell ended they didn't change back, because they were Endless.
And an Endless is an Endless.
"Dream," Death greeted her brother as she met him in his palace, right in the middle of the Dreaming. "I have wondered if you have found vessels for our brothers and sisters yet."
"Two, Death. A female vampire, who will carry the mantle of Delirium and a human male, which will become the carrier of Destiny. And when Destiny is with us, it will be no problem to find the right vessels for Destruction, Desire and Despair."
"And the chaos mage?"
"He is no problem," Xander grinned toothily and his pupil-less blue eyes flickered with glee, "even Ethan Rayne sleeps and dreams, just like any other human and let's just say that his dreams are rather 'vivid' right now."
Xander = Dream of the Endless
Dawn = Death of the Endless