Note: This a side story from my original series. It takes place shortly after Dragon Flames. The usual disclaimers: I do not own either the Ronin warriors or Buffy the Vampire Slayers. DO NOT TRY TO SUE ME! Okay, now that we are done with that on with the story. Hehehe.

Another Note: Malaca's name is pronounced Mala-ka.

Demon Lord
Chapter 1
By: Malaca

The forest flashed by rapidly as the young girl ran. Blurring in and out, the forest smeared it's greenery. The girl panted heavily. She turned around to watch from behind.

'Did they follow me?'

The girl failed to notice the dark shadow blending in with the rest of the forest's shadows. A low, animal growl echoed in the forest only causing a prompt reaction by the girl. Faster and faster she ran. Hearing nothing from behind she stopped. She looked around cautiously and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm safe!" she exclaimed softly.

"Afraid not," the shadow said jumping down covering the girl.

And the girl screamed her last scream.

"New school, new schedule," Malaca groaned beneath her breath.

She glanced around at the surrounding bodies, ramming themselves in to the hallways of Sunnydale High. She groaned again.

"School," she muttered darkly, "who needs it?"

Malaca was dressed in dark blue, boot cut jeans and a white tank top. A couple of snobby girls passed by, sneering at her deeply. Malaca sighed and pushed her dark blonde hair out of her eyes.

"At least I know how to dress," she muttered.

'Popularity, who needs it?' she thought as she plowed her way through the crowd looking for her first period class, Algebra 2.

'Room 102, room 102?' she cursed underneath her breath, noticing that the hallway was becoming empty.

'Damn,' she thought, 'at this rate I'll be late for my first class!'

"Need some help?" a male voice questioned from behind.

Malaca whirled around, ready to attack if needed. The dark haired man jumped slightly. His dark eyes looked down at her questioning.

'How could I let a mortal sneak up on me like that!' she thought darkly.

The boy misinterpreted her look, "Hey, I'm sorry. I'll go now"

"102?" Malaca said simply.

The boy's eyes lit up, "So you have Mr. Kelwasky first too! Good I'm heading there myself. By the way, my name is Xander."

Malaca nodded stiffly and allowed the boy to lead her to the classroom. She ignored his attempts to start a conversation, fully living up the "foreigner". Malaca shook her head mentally, 'God knows that I've had enough practice. I wonder what the guys are doing now?'

"Here we are room 102," the boy, Xander?, said cheerfully.

Malaca raised her eyebrows and walked in. The teacher looked wickedly up at her. He reached out with a hand and shook hers'.

"I am-, Mr.-Kelwasky-. Well-come-, to- Sunny-dale, High- School," he said slowly.

Malaca looked at him stupidly. Xander raised his eyebrow as he went to the seat Willow and Buffy had saved for him.

"What's with Kelwasky?" Buffy asked him softly.

"New student," Xander answered.

"Ohhh-," Willow said in reply.

Mr. Kelwasky was still trying to communicate with Malaca. Malaca conveniently ignored him, letting her reputation as a class clown take over. The teacher threw up his arms apparently sick of communicating with her.

Malaca rolled her eyes, 'Damn I've forgotten how stupid American teachers can be,' she thought.

"This is Malaca?" the teacher said looking at her if the pronunciation was right.

Malaca was busy looking out the window. The teacher sighed before continuing.

"Anyways-, she is from Japan and apparently cannot speak English. Show her the same respect you'd show me."

"Which would be none," a brown haired girl said in the front of the classroom.

Kelwasky glared at her. The girl shrugged. Malaca taking her cue, walked slowly over to a vacant seat.

"Go home Jap!" a loud voice yelled at her.

Malaca's eyes narrowed, but the boy paid no notice.

"We cooked your ass' in the second World War, so why don't you leave now before we do it again?"

"That's enough!" Xander yelled at the unfairness of it all.

Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"This is none of your business Xander!" another voice bellowed.

Xander was about to reply, but was interrupted by Malaca speaking loud in clear in Japanese. The speech lasted several seconds before she stopped. A few began to laugh in the back. Malaca glared at them with pure hatred.

"For those of you that cannot understand Japanese I will clarify what I said in English. I don't appreciate people dising the Japanese. Some of them are the closest friends I will ever have. And to let you know, I'm not Japanese, regretfully. I'm a full blooded American from Miami, Florida. So I advise you to shut your GOD DAMNED MOUTH BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU! Got it? Good," Malaca said loudly and then with a flounce of her hair sat down leaving the class open mouthed.

"Geez, I like her attitude!" Buffy said to her friends.

They nodded, still in shock. Kelwasky had other plans.

"Young lady, will you please inform me why you did not tell me that you could speak English!" his fury ignited on the young girl.

The class turned and looked at her for her answer.

Malaca looked up from her seat and said simply, "That's easy, you didn't ask."

Malaca groaned for like the hundredth time that day.

'Three more periods to go, lunch is next. Lunch, why lunch? School food, yuck! I'd rather eat Rowen's cooking!' she thought.

At the mention of her friends name, Malaca smiled.

'Where would Rowen go instead of lunch?' she thought, and then smiled, 'I guess that's a stupid question, the library of course!'

"Now which way to the library?" she muttered going the opposite way the rest of the student body was heading.

She received several pushes and rude remarks. Malaca smiled grimly, not noticing or caring that someone who hated her followed close behind. Malaca's eyes darted around until she recognized a sign that read Library on it. She ducked in to the large room and darted behind some of the large book cases to mediate behind a book. Maybe I can contact Sage and the others from here! She skipped the last steps merrily.

A hand shot out and grabbed her roughly. Voices echoed in the front of the library. Dragging her up stairs out of the way of the voices, he attempted to rape her. Malaca was infuriated. The stranger had been the one accusing her of being a Jap. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know about her superior strength. Kicking him hard in the gut she flung him over the balcony of the library's second story.

Buffy looked up, surprised to see a man fall from the library's second story. Xander recognized the man to be the one from first period, Kenith.

"Well, it's just raining idiots today ain't it," he said cynically.

"And if you ever, fucking try to touch me again, I'll be much more rough!" an infuriated voice said.

Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked up to see a very angry Malaca. The body laughed.

"Next time I'll make sure to finish it!" Kenith said standing up.

"You basterd! I should come down there and teach you a lesson!"

"Why don't you?"

Buffy growled low in her throat. Kenith was taking advantage of the new girl. She didn't know that Kenith was one of the best wrestlers in the school.

"I think I will!" Malaca said haughtily.

With that she disappeared from view.

"Where did you go coward!"

"Right here!" Malaca yelled as she jumped the rail neatly, twisting in the air upside down.

She landed neatly on her feet, bending her knees to take the impact. Her eyes were ablaze in fury.

"A good thing you showed up Jap, or should I say slut?" Kenith remarked charging forward with his fist cocked.

Malaca dodged easily. He followed up with several punches and Malaca blocked with her arms. She never attacked, letting Kenith wear himself down. Kenith was using his so called superior strength to overwhelm her. Again, he didn't realize that Malaca was stronger than she seemed. He became sloppy and began to leave openings, Malaca ignored most of them. Finally, she saw something that appealed to her. Taking a deep breath she swept him of his feet neatly.

"Never, ever, fucking touch me again, you fucking basterd!" Malaca said calmly walking away, allowing her adversary to pick his stinking carcass off the floor.

Buffy watched her with knowing eyes, "She's good."

"That's what you would call, moping the floor with him," Xander added.

Giles rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Malaca!" Xander yelled at her before she left the library.

She turned and recognizing Xander, smiled, "Hey, Xander. What's up?"

"Do you want to stay with us for a while? We'll just be staying in here for lunch."

Malaca looked him over and nodded, "I would like that."

Giles mumbled to himself, 'How were they going to discuss the new evil with her here?'

Buffy smiled brightly up at her watcher, "Don't worry Giles, there's always after school!"

Xander led Malaca over to meet his friends.

"My name is Giles, and young lady you should be more careful. Principal Snyder would see that as explosion" the old librarian said as he held out his hand.

Malaca mentally frowned as she felt a power surge come from the man. He did the same.

'I could swear there is magick in that one,' Malaca thought.

Malaca met the rest of the gang and silently listened to their gossip. Malaca yawned, thoroughly bored. She switched to her mental vision and gasped silently. 'They all have strong aura's. But they were centered with the blonde, what was her name?, Buffy? Hmm- I'll have to think about this. Maybe Mia could help me with it. God knows that I'm confused enough!'

Giles thought to himself, 'Something is different about this one. She seems to have some strange power. I just wish that she would leave.'

As if she heard his thoughts, Malaca politely excused herself and walked away from Xander and his friends.

"Now that's a nice girl," Xander said absently.

Willow giggled, not in the least bit jealous. After all she did have Oz. A sappy look crossed her face. Buffy hid a smile. She new that Willow only got that look when she thought of Oz.

"Guys-, we have trouble," Giles stated in his British accent.

"Besides the, what did you call it, Demon Lord?" Buffy asked.

This snapped Xander and Willow back to the present.

"What do you mean, Giles?" Willow answered confused.

"I mean that the girl that Xander brought her, she seems to have a strange aura. I tried to read her, but I was blocked by something."

"Strange aura in a bad way or a good way, Giles?" Buffy asked cynically.

"I don't know. I do know that it is very different from what we have faced before."

"Ahh-, so it's a feeling," Xander said slowly.

Giles glared at the boy, "Yes, and I won't know more until I research deeper."

"Does anyone else think it's strange to research a feeling?" Xander asked.

Buffy hit him hard over the head, hoping that it would bring some sense back to his small brain.

"Oww, what did you do that for?"

Buffy shrugged and picked up her bag as the bell rang. Her friends followed suit, leaving Giles to his "researching".

"Oh, Buffy?" Giles called out.

Buffy's head appeared around the door, "Yesss?"

"Come back here before rounds; I'll be researching with Willow," he stated pushing his glasses farther up on his nose.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "No, Giles. I wouldn't think of trying to ditch out of work to have some fun!"

"Well, yes-, see you later then."

Buffy rolled her eyes again muttering to herself, "He can't even recognize simple sarcasm."

"Hmm-I wonder what Revenge is doing?" Malaca asked herself as the final bell rang.

She walked quickly over to her locker and pulled out some books she would need later for homework. Malaca noticed a note on the interior of the locker's door. It was a reminder to herself to stop by the grocery store and pick up some food. Malaca sighed again. It was just another thing to get in the way.

"Well, I know Revenge will be very angry at me if I don't get him something to eat."

Her stomach growled softly and Malaca giggled.

'I guess my stomach will be mad too!' she thought.

A tap on her shoulder caused her to jump. She whirled around to stare in to Buffy's large eyes.

'This one looks like a predator to me,' Malaca thought to herself.

Buffy looked at her strangely before saying, "Hey, Malaca, what's up?"

"Nothin' much, you?"

"Same."

Malaca nodded and started walking out the door. Buffy followed.

"So, where exactly in Japan did you come from?"

"Toyoma," Malaca answered not sure where she was coming from.

"Ohhh-, and where did you live?"

"With a women named Mia Koji and her room mates."

"Who were her room mates?"

Malaca sighed and rolled her eyes. She stopped and looked directly at Buffy.

"I realize you don't trust me. I get that perfectly. So just leave me out of your interrogations," Malaca told her angrily.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "Do you know what you are talking about?"

"Not really, but I guessed that there is something different about you."

Buffy nodded, noting that for later, "Anyways, now that's over with, Xander wanted me to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he wanted to know if you would join us at the Bronze to tomorrow night. It's a local club the students at school go to Friday nights."

"Oh-, I wish I could. But, I still have to unpack."

"Understood, it was nice to meet you, Malaca," Buffy said shaking her hand.

"The pleasure was all mine," Malaca answered, mentally wincing at the flow of supernatural power radiating from her aura.

Buffy smiled and walked away towards her friend Willow. Malaca took a couple of deep breaths and shook her head to clear it. Sighing she trudged up to the car Mia had loaned her. She jumped in to the drivers seat and examined herself in the mirror before turning the keys in the ignition. She caught sight of a piece of paper folded underneath her gas pedal. Frowning she reached down and picked it up. White lined paper was folded neatly into fourths. On one side it had her name simple scrawled out, no more. Frowning in concentration she opened it up and gasped and she realized it was in Ryo's handwriting.

'Hey Malaca-
I hope you are reading this otherwise it would be stupid of me to talk to nobody. You haven't left yet but I'm already dreading it. I know that your the only one that could pass as an American over there, after all you are one, at least physically. Mia knew this when she discovered an uprising in demon activity over there. That's why we reluctantly agreed to let you go and investigate. I just wish we could have come too! We are just a phone call away, so don't try to handle this alone! We want some action as well. Have fun in your native country and hurry back.
Ryo

Hello Malaca-
Ryo insisted that each of us wish you well and demand that you come back soon, even though you haven't even left yet. Mia has given each of us the address of the house you are staying at, so you'll be sure to get a lot of letters from all of us. I heard that there are some really cool fish life near the area you are staying in. Don't forget to visit the beach and say hi to some of the fishes! Hope you are adjusting well in California!
Sai

Dear Malaca:
As you can guess by the greeting, this is Rowen. And as the others will tell you, Ryo is forcing us to write to you before you leave so that you may have something to greet you in America. How was your first day at school? I wish I could have joined you. I miss talking to someone who understands my theories! If you ever need help, I'm just a teleport away. Watch your back in the dark. You never know what is going to be there. Practice your archery! Be careful my sister! Good luck.
Rowen

Hey Sweetchicks!
I already wish I can see your smiling face. There is no other beauty in the world quite like yours. I know that you haven't fallen for me like most girls, but that's okay, for now. When you get back, expect everyone to pounce on you in attempt to take you over. I'm sure everyone will realize the difference you have had in our life. I know Kento will, I've never seen him so upset that he was stuffed full of food! Hurry back! Maybe we'll be able to contact you telepathically that far. I know that Rowen is excited about using that as an experiment, so BEWARE!
Sage

Malaca-
Everyone insisted that I write this stupid letter so I agreed. Don't get any thoughts about this, we are still not friends even though you saved my life that one time. Good luck in California and save me some food over there. Maybe one of your friends could send some of your leftovers over to me? Just a thought. You better bring Sai something from that aquarium down there; he already is getting a little anxious about that. Don't forget to call us if you have any difficulties with those demons.
Your Not Friend-
Kento

Malaca-
This is Ulie. How are you? I am fine. I wish you were back here, even though you haven't even left.
Ulie

Hello Malaca-
Don't grimace, I know how much you hate letters, but I was feeling bored today. (And so were the boys apparently) I have to admit, this is one of Ryo's better ideas. How is the house and land? I rented it without seeing it, so I hope it is as good as the retailer said it was. Don't forget to check in on Thursday after you do rounds. Maybe together, we could figure out what exactly is going on over there. I'm sorry about you having to go alone, but remember to ask us for help. Don't try to destroy this evil by yourself if it becomes to strong. Kento, Sage, Sai, and Rowen are trying to teach Ryo, Ulie, and me how to speak English, so we will be ready to come over there and help. Did you know that Kento knows English? I didn't. Oh well, I guess I will never learn not to underestimate these boys. Check in when you get back from your first day of school on Thursday. We'll be waiting for your message that late, so don't worry about waking us up! They don't have school for a couple of months because of vacation so call in after your rounds also, say around 2:oo am your time. See you later, (or should I say talk to you later?) Bye
Mia

P.S- When I asked the warlords to write something down for you, they just looked at me strangely. I think they preferred the computer to the "old fashioned way of doing it". I never thought I hear that from them.

And that was the end of the letter. Malaca smiled vaguely, she hadn't even noticed them passing around this note. Shrugging she tucked it in to her pocket and put the silver SUV in to gear. Malaca backed the nice vehicle out of the school parking lot and drove off towards her home and of course, the grocery store.

"Were is she going in such a rush?" a dark voice asked in the shadows.

"Who knows, humans are strange in that way," another voice answered.

"Hmmm-, there is something familiar about that girl," a third voice mused.

"What's wrong Dracon? Afraid of a human child?" the second voice mocked.

"Yeah, Dracon, she isn't one of the fur and claw; she cannot get in the way of Destiones' plan!" the first one voiced.

"I never said I was afraid! It's just that she seems different that the others," the third remarked.

"What ever you say Dracon," the first and second exclaimed, mockingly bowing to the other shadow.

Darcon snorted and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The other shadows huffed.

"I don't know why the master Destione chose him to be the successor of his kingdom," the second snarled.

"Don't question his decision, Arcan. You'll end up being destroyed!" another voice intercepted.

"This is none of your business, Malek. See your way out of it," the first squealed.

"I'm here only to inform you that Destione wishes all of his shadow knights to meet in the hall of pain, NOW!" the one named Malek declared.

The other two shadows mumbled before disappearing to see their master. Malek didn't join them. He stood sneering at the human children running around in their foolish lives.

"Soon," he sneered, "we will rule all of the realms. No one can stop us, not even the Slayer!"

Malaca here-

I'm officially bored. Since I can't really write because of my stupid wrist, so I am posting this story that actually comes after Out of Character and Dragon Flames. I never intended for this story to be seen until I finished Dragon Flames, but hey what can I say? Things change.