Summary: Whistler lets us in on some of the facts of existence. All existence.

Rating: PG

Characters: Angel, Buffy, Dawn, Spike, Whistler

Notes: This is written as a narrative as told by Whistler. This has been bouncing around inside my skull for a couple of weeks, so I finally gave in and started typing. This will wind up tying into some of my fics in the future, but I thought it worked as a stand alone too, so here it is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, no, I do own my truck. And my tv. My cd's too, I suppose. Ain't makin' any money on those things, either...

EXISTENCE

By screaminheathen69

So, here's the thing: We live in a universe of universes. A multi-verse, if you will. What's a multi-verse, you ask? Just what it sounds like, I answer. Many, many universes, nobody's sure how many, not even Him, all with their own batch of dimensions and timelines. There are many similarities throughout all the universes, and many differences as well. Some things are different through happenstance. Others, by Choice.

Oh, and isn't that just the almighty change-it-all factor of existence. Choice. Think about it. What if, say, in one timeline, you get out of bed and go straight to the bathroom and take care of business, but in another, you go grab a glass of OJ and read the morning paper instead. That one decision, that one seemingly infinitesimally small alteration becomes the difference between life going on normally, or your world ending in a deluge of chaos and blood. One simple little Choice.

Bummer, huh?

Now, every universe in the multi-verse is at least somewhat dependent on the other 'verses around it. But even amongst universes, there's an heirarchy. Most of the 'verses, for all their splendor and diversity, are considered to be Lesser Universes. The Higher Beings (gods, Elders, PTB's, ascended beings, whatever you wanna call 'em) do their best to keep an eye on as many of them as they can, but in the end, their's simply too many of 'em. Besides, most of their attention tends to be tied up with a select few.

You see, while there is a nearly infinite number of universes and realities out there, there are six, yes, just six that everything everywhere depends on.

Okay, so somewhere back there, wayyyy back there, it all started. And when I say it all started, I mean everything. Even the One Above All doesn't remember it too clearly. Seems a few billion years is enough to make even a god's memory a little fuzzy. Fact is (and He's a little sheepish about this when it comes up in conversation), He isn't exactly sure which came first; Him, or the Universe. Ooooh, the debate that little question has caused...

Where was I... Oh, right. The Six All Important Universes. In that first moment of creation, only one universe was born, with all its galaxies and stars, planets and moons, and of course all that wonderfully pesky life in all its diversity. (Please keep in mind, that on the universal level of thinking, a moment is roughly equivalent to a billion years or so. A lot can happen in a billion years. Or so I've heard...)

But then, in the second moment, something happened. Somewhere, somehow, something gave. One being's decision somehow splintered, nobody really knows how, and suddenly there were six universes.

Now, you can just imagine how shocked all those supposedly omnipotent Higher Beings were when that happened. Many a jaw on the floor that day, I can tell you.

And the changes didn't stop there. In each of those six 'verses, timelines started to diverge, creating alternate realities. Mutiple dimensions formed, most completely separated from the original, but some few overlapping, allowing beings from those other dimensions to cross over, eventually to become known as demons.

It was all very confusing.

The Higher Beings, not really caring much for the whole being confused thing, had themselves a sitdown to figure out just how to handle this mess. After much discussion (it only took a few million years), they decided that since they were omnipotent after all, well, maybe they oughta just fix it.

Hoo boy, was that a monumental screw-up!

They did their thing, as god-types are wont to do, and suddenly there was universe upon universe upon universe. Everywhere They looked, there were new ones popping into existence, each one branching off with yet another timeline. Every possible consequence stemming from every single decision made by every living being everywhere was suddenly able to be played out. Infinite possibilities.

It's been said that that was the day God decided He needed a vacation. A really loooonnnngggg vacation.

Anyway, after that little debacle, the Higher Beings decided that maybe Universal Repair was just a wee bit beyond them, and decided to simply let things play out. Except for in those first six. The All Important Six. They did learn a great many things from their mistake, one of the most important being that they had to be subtle. Big changes cause big problems. But small changes, subtle changes, the universe tends to smooth those over.

Now, here's the catch: All existence, everywhere, is dependent on those first six universes. All of those countless 'verses out there, they were spun off from the Six. If any one of the Five were to be destroyed, for instance, then all the universes spun from it would be destroyed too. But the real kicker, and the source of countless millenia of worry for those Higher Beings watching over us, is this: If the First Universe should be destroyed (and yes, boys and girls, there are ways of doing it), then it all ends.

All of it. Everywhere. Every single universe. Every speck of life in every possible reality will simply cease to exist.

Instantly.

Peachy thought, ain't it?

Oh, and the First Universe? The All-Important-'Cause-If-It-Ends-Then-So-Do-We-All-Universe? It's this one. The one you and I are currently having this little chat in. The decisions we make, the actions we take, every stupid little thing we do has a direct effect on every single universe there is, and on all those yet to be born.

Wigged yet?

Sure as Hell wigged my ass out when I learned about all of this. Damned scary to think about.

So, the Six tend to be favored heavily, with the First even more so. But subtly. The Powers That Be, or whatever else you care to refer to them as, they give a push here, a nudge there, or they plant prophecies (which are always just ever so popular), trying to put the right people in the right place at the right time. Which is why for as far back as can be remembered, there have been Champions.

And that's a good thing, since they've been very, very necessary over all the long years. And more so now than ever. Ya see, the Higher Beings, they're worried. Scared, even. Forces are aligning that could well mean the end. And I do mean, THE END.

But, you see, as worried as they are, they're also hopeful. The current batch of Champions have proven themselves time after time, against unbelievable odds, and it's pretty widely thought (or hoped) that these Champions should be able to handle the coming Darkness.

Although, sometimes, as they watch over Buffy and Dawn arguing about who's going to pay to have Buffy's favorite skirt (which Dawn borrowed without asking and then managed to stain) cleaned, or Angel and Spike bickering about the age old question of cave-men versus astronauts , they can't help but wonder if this group is ever gonna grow up.

It's enough to give even a God gray hairs, I tell ya.

Now, where'd that bottle of scotch go?

What'd ya think?

'To thee no star be dark...'