Dragon of Knowledge

Main Points:
Buffy/Yakuza AU, follow-up to Finding Their Feet (because really, the order after the introduction doesn't matter as much)
Chapter Summary: Xander can't bring himself to fire Dawn.
Word Count: 260
Rating: Teen

        Dawn takes the…weird way into joining the ashigaru.  She just shows up one day with a tattoo.  (She still mostly works with the Council, but her only fieldwork is with the ashigaru and like her sister she gets antsy if she’s been sitting around too long with no violence.)  She’s definitely gone elaborate, a dark purple dignified Western dragon sitting on a heap of gold and jewels and books, claw tracing glowing blue writing in the air just like several of the books (“it’s a protection symbol, since I need those,” she explains).  Otousan’s Vampyr book is among the ones on the shelf.  She finished it off with a green key on her shoulder (that might be a little too on point, but it’s probably done now?  He’s not sure how magic works really, after the prohibition on reading the books out loud).
        “Tell her no.  Let her retire,” Buffy insists, and it actually physically pains him to say no.
        “Stunt like this, she’s made up her mind.  If we stop her, she’ll just do it, only she’ll do it alone.  Better she’s got backup,” he explains.
        Buffy sighs.  “I hate it when you’re right.”
        “You’re not the only one,” he agrees, and she hangs up.

        She’d apparently stolen the spell from Willow’s room.

        She ends up as their background magic-user, and gets a lot of training from Sears and Oliver and Lochley, and the entire ashigaru treat her as their niece.  It helps that after a few missions, she’ll just come to hang out, which is a lot better.