Joss Whedon created the Buffyverse. Not me. Don't sue!
Written for Multifandom1000 LJ community's challenge #40 of "The Seven Deadly Sins."
"Go a week. One week without magic."
The red-head ignored her lover's words as she set out to fix everything. She decided to do a spell where no one would have a problem with her use of magic. Then she could freely do the Tabula Rasa spell without any flack.
She had bought some black roses a few days before and hid them behind the wood in the fireplace. She took the bag out and placed it on the brick, pulling out one single rose for the spell.
She lit it with a match and recited the words.
"With this fire I char my sins, let no one see the magic within. When this rose burns into ashes, the spell will occur in seven flashes. These sins will flee from their eyes, and my power will be disguised."
Willow smiled and headed for the Magic Shop.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Scooby gang waited for her to arrive.
"I haven't seen her do any magic, Tara," said Xander. "I think she's actually doing it."
"We'll see," she answered, wishing she could believe he was right.
Giles followed an angry Buffy out of the back room.
"What's wrong?" asked Anya.
The Slayer glared at the ex-demon. "Absolutely nothing. Tell them, Giles. Tell them how everything's fine and dandy."
Everyone looked back and forth between Giles and Buffy. Before anyone could breathe the shop bell rang at Willow's entrance.
"Hey guys... why the glum faces?"
Dawn looked up from her school book. "It's called Sunnydale Drama. You know, we could probably sell our lives as a soap opera."
"Shut up, Dawn!" Buffy snapped.
Giles stared at her and spoke harshly. "Do not take your anger towards me and hurl it at Dawn."
"Fine, I won't," she replied bitterly. "But why don't you tell everyone why I'm angry, huh?"
"Would it be because we took you out of heaven?" Anya inquired.
"No!" both Watcher and Slayer screamed in her direction.
Everyone in the shop was silent. Giles took of his glasses and cleaned them with a sigh.
"I'm going back to England. Indefinitely." The room suddenly filled with voices in protest. "Please!" Giles yelled. "I have to. It was a hard decision, but I came to the conclusion that it was the logical thing to do."
Back at Buffy's house, where Willow had cast the spell, the fire spread to the other roses, black flames enveloping them. After a few minutes all that remained was a gray pile of ash.
Suddenly the Scoobies were met with a menacing light that fell on each person. Everyone blinked a few times and all Hell broke loose.
"What the heck was that?" Tara screamed, her eyes glowing red. "I don't appreciate being attacked!"
Giles sat in a chair and put his feet up on the table. "It... it seems to be gone. I say we need to kick back and rest a while. It's not like I'm leaving anytime soon."
Buffy sauntered seductively towards the Watcher. "Kick back is right. But we can rest later." She sat on his lap and began to lick his neck.
"Why does Buffy always get the guys?" Dawn shrieked to Anya, who was counting the money behind the cashier. "And why is she prettier than me?"
"Get away from my money. It's mine. All mine!"
Xander grabbed a candy bar and began to munch on it hungrily. "Is it just me, or is everyone going crazy?"
Willow nodded slowly, knowing she caused it all. "It... must be a demon of some kind. But I can fix it. I'm the best witch there is, and I just have to do a little spell..."
"No spells!" her lover shouted. "You lied to me! You said you wouldn't do magic for a week!"
"Tara, desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm the only one who can do this, and it's got to be done with magic. Everyone else is... well..."
She looked around the room. Giles was falling asleep with a sex-crazed Buffy on top of him. Xander was starting to eat his third candy bar. Dawn was talking to herself, something about "everyone is cooler than me." Anya was being protective of her money (as usual) and Tara... one very pissed-off witch.
Spike ran into the shop with a blanket over his head. He stared around at everyone. "Um... what's going on?"
Buffy gave up on the former librarian and made her way towards the vampire. "Hey Blondie. Wanna play?"
"What's that supposed to mean, Slayer?"
She got up close to him and whispered naughty thoughts before nibbling on his ear. Spike looked at Willow. "Did you do this, Witch?"
"Of course I did! It's a cool spell too, huh? It didn't turn out as planned but hey, it's me. All. Me."
Dawn stared at Spike. "You're a badass. You're so much cooler than me, with the bleached hair and the leather trench coat. And you're a vampire too. Why can't I be a vampire?"
"Because it's a sin to be one, Nibblet. For you, anyway."
"Sin..." Willow said to herself, suddenly remembering the words in the incantation. "Oh my gosh... the seven sins! We've inherited the seven deadly sins!"
Tara was steaming. "Are you calling me a sinner? I'm not the one who's abusing magic!"
"Anger. You're Anger. And Dawn's Envy. And Buffy... um... well, you can figure that one out yourself."
"The seven deadly sins?" the vampire wondered as he looked at everyone. "How come Anya's not affected?"
"Because she's Greed."
"Makes sense," he nodded, trying to ignore the temptation of the Slayer.
Willow giggled. "Wow, I'm so great, I've got this all figured out! Giles is Sloth. I mean, he has to be. He's napping during a Scooby meeting! And Xander's Gluttony, because that has to be his twelfth Hershey bar. And then... what's the seventh one? I know I can figure it out, since I know a lot, but..."
Spike stifled a laugh. "It's you, Red. You've got a little Pride there."
"Pride! Oh yeah! Of course... oh... right..."
"So how come you cast the Deadly Sins spell? Usually demons are the ones who do it, so they can cause havoc."
"I am the only person capable of making the world a better place. But not even I could do that."
"Red? Why?"
She sighed. "So no one would have a problem with me doing magic. I mean, what's the harm?"
"Look around you," he replied. "This isn't all warm and fuzzy. Although..." Buffy was unzipping his pants slowly. He grabbed her and pushed her away. "Sod off. I'm not taking advantage of you."
"You know you want me," she said as she licked her lips. "Here, Spikey Spikey Spikey."
Willow began to panic, pride still intact. "I can do this, because I'm the best... think, Willow, think..."
"I know how to break the spell," the vampire said in a loud voice, hoping it would distract him from Buffy.
"How?"
"These are sins, right? What gets rid of sin?"
"Confession?" Willow squeaked.
He chuckled. "We don't have the time for that. Make them drink holy water."
The redhead smiled. "Where would you be without me?" Before he could say anything she was already in the back getting some bottles of holy water they kept at the shop. She then passed them around.
Xander took his without hesitation, and after he drank it a black cloud lifted from his body, sizzling into nothing.
"I ate too much," he whined, holding his stomach painfully.
"Anya," Willow said, "you'll get more money if you drink this."
"Hooray!" she exclaimed, drinking it down in one gulp. After the spell left her, she confusedly asked, "where is it?"
Dawn glared at the bottle Willow held in front of her. "It's not as clear as the other ones."
"Then which one do you want?"
"I don't know!" she yelled. "But Xander's was clearer, I know it."
"Just drink it," Willow growled, forcing it down Dawn's throat. A few seconds later the teenager blushed and excused herself to the bathroom.
Willow crept up behind Giles and shoved the water in his mouth. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off.
"Well... this was... uh... I'm going to go research, yes. That'll be good."
She thought it'd be best to do Buffy next since she was trying to do it with Spike, who she had trapped against the wall.
"Hey Buffy," the witch said nervously. "Want a drink?"
"I'm kind of busy here. You'll just have to wait your turn."
She began to lick Spike's neck, which he enjoyed. One could tell he was torn between doing the right thing and giving in.
"Buffy... this water... it's... it's an aphrodisiac!"
She turned around and giggled. "Why didn't you say so?" She turned back to Spike, jiggling the bottle. "Drinky drinky Mr. Kinky!"
Spike literally became pale, even for a vampire.
"I'm allergic. Please don't, Buffy!"
"Look, I'll taste test it for you." She put the bottle to her mouth and sipped it. Spike tipped the bottle further, causing her to drink more. The black cloud floated above her head and dissipated. She looked at Spike before running out of the shop.
"Two more left," she sighed. She drank her bottle first, deciding she wanted to be herself when she confronted angry Tara. But Tara had disappeared. "Oh no!" Willow worried. "She's gone on an anger rampage somewhere!"
"No I haven't," said a soft voice. Tara appeared from the back. "When I figured out how to stop the spell, I drank the holy water. I hated feeling so angry. It was eating me up inside."
"I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to..."
"I know. No one ever means to. But you broke your promise, Will."
The blonde-haired witch left the shop, leaving Willow alone with her tears.
