Disclaimer: Not mine... and do I really have to tell you guys that? I own my phone, my laptop, tv and clothes...that's it. Do you think I own Buffy? If so, I fear for your sanity.

Friends in High Places

Prologue: You're not the Bosses of me

**BtVS**

It was ridiculous!

They were the higher beings closest to mortals. Tasked with their protection and the selection of mortal champions...yet they sat on their asses and let this reality become what it was about to...

A world without magic.

A world where their greatest warriors would be lost and alone...cut off from their guidance...not that they were doing such a great job with the guiding...if they allowed this to happen.

Thousands of potential slayers gone, replaced with "defective Slayer copies" The slayer line stuck with no place to go. The Last of the Chosen destined to take the Line to the grave with her...a dark future of returning demons and the Power's attempt to recreate the Line that died with Faith.

Melaka...poor Melaka all alone, no watcher, no true knowledge of the Slayer...and power that did not compare to the real thing...not even the dreams meant to aid her she kept.

All because They left their champions on their own, fighting their inner demons with no help...or help in the form of cryptic messages no one understood until it was too late.

God! Even she could not understand most of them and she was a Higher Being! Higher than the "Powers" even.

So Champions were left feeling like glorified tools most of the time, while They sat on their behinds doing nothing as the enemy slowly filled with darkness the hearts and souls of this world's protectors.

They claimed interfering would damage the balance. But, what kind of balance was THIS? When the enemy actively corrupted or destroyed the elements of good around the world and the side of good barely moved a finger?

"Balance, my ass!" Such words coming from a Higher Being, had everyone present gasp...or the equivalent for those lacking vocal chords...or mouths. What you thought the "Powers" looked Human or something?

"What do you intent to do then? We have seen already what our interfering can do!" Said one of the Powers. "Were the thousands who perished because of U-" But "he" was interrupted by the first voice.

"First of all...don't bother with the name. You know well it's not just humans who can't pronounce it." Said the voice. "Second. I am not Janice. I believe the protection of that world rests on its Champions shoulders. But you choose them and then expect them to know what to do. You give them cryptic words or images, and call them lower beings when they seek you out, but then complain that they sometimes can't carry the weight. YOU call THEM lower beings and yet you forget that as MORTALS they are flawed!" The frustration in the word was beginning to be felt by the other beings present. Reminding them that this one in front of them was not someone to defy.

She could feel it. And it made her smile inside. Intimidation worked best on them.

"You forget that even though they were given such responsibility, they are still as mortal as those they are supposed to protect. That they are just as capable of evil as they are of good...just like any other MORTAL .. or inmortal in some cases...but hey! They are still lower beings as far as you are concerned, no matter how hard they fight for their world. You ignore the fact that while they have the potential to be a great force of good, they can be corrupted by the Darkness that fills the world! A Darkness that sometimes is the only thing they can see! No wonder they fall, if they feel like their efforts are worth nothing!"

Anger now instead of frustration. The Powers began to fear for their continued existence.

"Evil is not going to stand and wait for our Champions to reach their potential! NO! It will seek to either destroy them or turn them to its side!" The voice paused and the Powers that Be dared not move or say a word. "No...Evil does not stand waiting...but it seems YOU do..."

WELL NOT ANYMORE!

She did not say it. But they could feel it pouring from her.

"There is the proof of your failure..." She said pointing to the image of the blonde Slayer a second away from destroying the Seed. "You let this happen. You knew the Twilight prophecy was not absolute...you knew. And yet it seems like every action you took since Angelus was given a soul led to this. You showed Angel the Slayer when you knew she was not the one he was meant to help. But you did not tell him that, did you?"

"His presence was needed for the boy to reach the Slayer in time! There would not have been two if-

"Shut up!" It's mouth-yes this one had a mouth- snapped shut.

"If you had bothered to guide him properly. He would have known She was not his! That she was meant for his charge. A charge, he as a mortal had loved and protected once. He would have left the Hellmouth as soon as the new Slayer was activated in search of HER!"

They could not move...could not defend themselves, They couldn't even speak.

"And lets NOT FORGET! That he was supposed to be guided to the right person LONG before the seed of Darkness was planted in HER. But NO! You left a child...an innocent you knew was meant for greatness... meant to be our Champion... not just a Champion but THE CHAMPION. You let evil corrupt those around her...those meant to LOVE her, protect her! AND YOU DID NOTHING!"

Once more gasps could be heard. Fear seemed to be the only thing They were capable of, as they felt Her power.

"If anything...you did EVERYTHING to make sure She fell! Every single action you took, when you decided to do something that is, did nothing but push her further away from our side! It says a lot about our Champions the He eventually helped Her and that She let Herself be helped. She came back to us...but she still has to fight the Darkness and pain everyday. A pain that will eventually make her let a demon suck her emotions, her morals, everything she fought for, just to stop the hurt. But it's not just her. There are hundreds of our warriors walking a similar path while you ignore your SACRED duty! The duty HE GAVE YOU!"

She paused. And suddenly They KNEW that whatever she said next would affect them for the rest of their existence.

"From this moment on... You are no longer to have ANY contact with any world...or any warrior, Slayer, messenger, balance demon or conduit. You will not interfere AT ALL. You will be bound to this plane, powerless...and wait for judgment..." She said smiling.

"Which, by the way, will not happen till the End of Days! And wow...it's a long wait isn't it? Because by the time that happens I can't even count how much time will have passed here. I hope you enjoy your stay. Oh and don't worry about your jobs! Me and my kind, will take care of your duties from now on... while you all rot here..." Her gloating was interrupted by a cough.

"Oh, right. All of you except for Miss Chase. As the only one actually doing her job, we felt she deserved to be rewarded."

A beautiful (and once again Holy) brunette stepped away from the other Powers and smiled at them in full Queen C mode. "Have fun! Oh and don't come back! I don't want to be seen with the likes of you...it would be Horrible for my reputation...worse than the whole dating Xander Harris phase." With that she waved at them as both her and her companion slowly faded from that plane.

Some of the Powers attempted to stop them. "You cannot do THIS! We-

"You gonna what?" Said the Higher Being next to Cordelia. "I don't know if you remember, but you're not the bosses of me!"

And the last thing the "Powers" heard was Queen C laughing at them, as the two disappeared.

Once back on Earth Cordy turned to her companion. "So now what?"

The Blond being next to her smiled. "Now, my Boss is gonna have a little talk with them. You know to scare them into sitting on their behinds for the rest of their existence...pretty sure they won't try to argue with HIM."

Cordy raised an eyebrow. "Shame I don't get to see that...I kinda wanted an autograph too."

"Oh he doesn't give them without an appointment...he's kinda busy all the time. " She laughed. "But I'll see if I can get you one...shouldn't be that hard, He's a sucker for a Pretty face."

The being winked at Cordelia. "But, to answer your REAL question." She said looking at the Golden Slayer moving in slow motion about to destroy the Source of magic in this world. "We'll have to fix their mess...Oh and you're going back to High School!"

"WHAT!"

Was Cordelia's horrified scream as time stopped completely just before the Scythe touched the Seed...

... And then rewound.