I began writing this story in 1998, right after the premiere of "Passion". It was the first time that I had ever tried to write a piece of fanfiction, and I received wonderful support for my first efforts from the Slayer's Fanfic Archive Posting Board community. One of the biggest fans of the early chapters was a sweet guy named Stone Cold. He gave me ideas for both future sections and for dialogue, which was - and still is - an area that I struggled in. So I asked him to be my co-author, and he accepted. As I slowly continued to write sections, other people helped, notably among them John the Flatulent Skunk and Gaius Petronius. Later came other Slayer's Hunter enthusiasts like Jai L. and Andra, not to mention lots of positive e-mail feedback (Mash and MMT, I'm looking at you here) and three awards.
However, in recent times it has been very hard for me to continue writing this story. A plotline that seemed so vibrant and important back in 1998 now just fails to excite me. Writing new chapters is something I do only when I can't put it off any longer. I created too large a canvas for myself when I set up the beginnings of the story, not to mention the fact that I used plot devices that have been truly done to death at this point. Even the few sections and ideas that I do enjoy are lost underneath the dregs of the parts that I hate.
If I ever do choose to finish The Slayer's Hunter, I'd first have to go back and completely rewrite the beginning - striking out quite a few characters in the process, not to mention the whole 'prophesy' bit.
For those of you who want some closure, and who doubt - rightly - that I will ever do such a rewrite, the following list is for you. It gives endings to the characters.
I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to Anya and Biohaz, who run the most extensive and amazing Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and now Angel: The Series) fanfiction site on the web. It was through their website that I first began writing. I'd also like to thank Karen from the SFA, who for years was the one who was stuck archiving my fanfiction. Other wonderful archivists I'd like to thank are Zak, Andra, Charity aka Taygeta, Ducks.
And finally, I'd like to thank Andra and Jai, who were helpful in so many ways - not in the least was supporting me in this decision.
Thank you,
Robyn the Snowshoe Hare
March 18, 2000
~~~~~
The Ending
~~~~~
Julia and Mary were vamped. Mary became a random lackey, and was staked by Hunter, but Julia wreaked utter havoc and destruction until she was finally killed by her best friend, Tobin.
Before she died, Julia killed Principal Snyder, thus ending his reign of terror over Sunnydale High.
Hunter ignored the fact that he was grounded, and snuck out with Trevor to meet Kari and Tobin at the Bronze that night.
At the Bronze, Hunter and Kari really hit it off and had a great time. Unfortunately, the forces of darkness chose to attack.
Before the forces of darkness attacked, Tobin had thrown her drink into Trevor's face. He purposely spilled his on her shirt, leaving a rather nasty stain. There was also an impressive display of verbal warfare.
Oz and Willow Seneca, along with their two sons Jesse and Asher, survived the story. None of them did very much, though, except for Jesse, who was nearly sacrificed. Oz and Asher actually spent the whole finale werewolfed and locked in the library book-cage.
Cordelia Chase-Mannix also did very little in the fight against the evil. She did, however, leave her abusive husband with a little spiritual boost from the ghost of Buffy Summers-Harris. She, her twin daughters, and Trevor lived at the Harris residence until the divorce came through and a restraining order was placed on Mark Mannix.
Mark Mannix moved to Siberia after a late-night visit from a mysterious and very threatening figure in black made an offer he couldn't refuse. Deciding that he liked keeping his spleen inside his body more than harassing his ex-wife, he left town quietly.
Hunter found out about his vampire heritage after he nearly bit Kari. This was understandably a rather large shock to him, though not even close to the shock he received on learning that Angel was his biological father. He didn't take the news very well. (on an epic scale)
On the suggestion of Sean Mona, Spike dispatched his minions and managed to capture everyone except for Hunter, Xander, Angel, and Giles. During the ensuing melee, though, Giles was injured and had to be hospitalized. This left our three main lads to ride to the rescue and not kill each other.
Not really thinking straight, they walked right into a trap. Spike got enough of each boy's blood to bring back Drusilla.
At the crucial moment, when Spike was about to kill Hunter, Buffy crossed over to the physical plane and stopped him. In doing so, she defied Heaven's mandate.
Everyone was pretty shocked by her appearance, and she had the upper hand long enough to restore Drusilla's soul to the newly-restored vampiress. (she was able to do this because the dead have some pretty swanky powers, and she figured that since she had defied one Heavenly mandate, she might as well defy them all.)
(for everyone who was wondering, the two dark-haired women who stand with Buffy in the whole heaven scene are Drusilla and Jenny Calendar)
Drusilla-with-a-soul then killed Spike. (how's *that* for irony?)
Sean Mona killed himself, unable to deal with his actions. Apart from having a few visions and a few drinks, he really did very little.
Before fading away, Buffy was able to embrace Xander and Hunter and tell them how much she loved them.
Angel was rather depressed after that truly inspired diss that Buffy's soul gave him, and started to turn away, determined to kill himself. He was stopped by Xander, who, living up to his previous words of 'when I hold my wife in my arms and hear her say that she loves me', forgave the vampire. (hey, yet more irony!)
Ensouled-Drusilla and Angel headed off to parts unknown to brood together in a purely platonic way.
Giles got out of hospital, with doctor's orders to try and avoid any more concussions. (yeah, right)
Hunter asked Kari to the Saturday dance (since everything was resolved on Friday night), and she accepted. Sadly, the dance was interrupted by a demonic rampage hosted by a pair of demons named Sam and Bill. But that's another story.
Cordelia and Xander decided to give things between them another shot, and they ended up getting married. Hunter and Trevor had the horror of becoming step-brothers.
After Tobin's parents get back, her brothers all scattered off again - being the useless plot devices that they were - leaving her to take morning showers in peace.
Kari's parents divorced, and she stayed in Sunnydale with her mom. Tensions at her house decreased to the point where she started eating breakfast in her own kitchen again.
Buffy returned to Heaven, where The Powers That Be decided that since she defied the mandate of Heaven out of compassion and love, they really can't hold that against her. Finally at peace, she contentedly moved on Paradise.
While in the hospital, Giles ran into an old friend by the name of Olivia. A year later, the eternal bachelor finally got married. (because everyone complains that I never let Giles be happy. So *hah*)
Janine Sebastian (the currant Slayer) and her long-suffering Watcher Adrian Castel showed up in Sunnydale and said, "So, anything happen while we were gone?"
In the final proof that the Hellmouth is evil, Tobin and Trevor tried going out on a date. It failed utterly.