Disclaimer: Most of these characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Feedback: Please, sir, I want some more.
A/N: Sorry to any Wiccans who may be reading this and may get offended by my constant reference to animal parts being magical items. As can easily be told, I know close to nothing about magic so I'm mostly making it up. Enjoy!
****
The bar was quiet. And unusually empty for such a popular demon hangout. Only a few people milled about aimlessly, all females who looked dazed. And human. Willy looked equally dazed except for his jerky movements while cleaning some glasses, movements that showed his worry. When he saw Buffy and Riley approaching, his worry and fear increased to a suspicious amount.
"Hey, uh, if you're looking for a snitch, I don't got much to tell," Willy said nervously, his eyes flicking back and forth across the room.
"Willy, Willy, Willy. Maybe we're just here for a drink," Buffy said casually as she slipped into a stool.
"Well, you'd be the first in days. I haven't been gettin' much business lately meaning that I haven't heard much," he continued almost frantically cleaning the glass in his hand. A scuffling noise was heard from downstairs. The suddenly, a glass slipped out of his grip and shattered on the ground. Buffy and Riley jumped at the sudden noise but Willy remained calm. The people around them, on the other hand, clutched their ears violently. Ignoring the frightened females, Willy laughed nervously and said "Whoops."
"So you haven't heard much lately?" Riley continued the interrogation.
"No, I swear on the deed to my bar," Willy insisted again.
"Think he's telling the truth?" Riley asked casually.
"I don't know, I guess we'll have to make sure," Buffy replied as she grinned wickedly and cracked her knuckles.
****
"Or-or we could do this one," Anya suggested, pointing to a spell in the book as she walked beside Spike.
"Anya, you already pointed that one out. And again, turning the witches' fingers into snakes may be humorous but will ultimately only make them angrier," Spike explained patiently, a patience normally not seen in him.
"I'm not sure what to do. Giles does the research! I was just trying to be helpful. Didn't know it'd be so hard."
They turned the corner, keeping a quick pace to get to the Magic Box, Sunnydale's best place for evil demons to purchase items to terrorize the town with, at half the price of those chain stores!
"Yeah, it's hard being on the opposite of the moral continuum," Spike commented, taking the book from Anya's hands. "But we have to help Willow. I thought you said a binding or reversal spell might help."
"Under most circumstances, they would but these aren't most circumstances. The Sirenial Sisters have never escaped before. I don't know if normal spells will be able to defeat them when they're at full strength."
"When?"
"Well, I imagine they'll need time to collect their energies. They were in the prison for a long time."
The sound of a ringing bell announced Spike and Anya's presence in the Magic Box.
"We're here," Spike pointed out the obvious. "Without a spell."
"We can just buy everything that looks useful. You never know when sheep eyes may come in handy," Anya replied, perusing the shelves.
"This is the watcher's money. We can't just spend it all and-" Spike stopped and thought about what he just said. "Who am I kidding? We'll buy the whole shop. Something in here's gotta help."
Spike and Anya dispatched about the store and pulled anything that looked helpful off the shelves. They ended up, much to the store manager's delight, with their arms full of many different magical items. Items ranging from newt's tongue to rosemary leaves. Shifting the load back and forth between their arms, they look at each other nervously.
"One of these things better work," Spike snarled through the chicken's feet clinched in his teeth for lack of better places to put it.
"Giles will never need to visit the Magic Box again," Anya observed while attempting to balance the spell book on her head.
"And the store owner will never go hungry," Spike said as he unloaded his purchases onto the counter for the clerk to ring up.
"Yes and- oh!" Anya cried suddenly, dropping the items she was attempting to place on the counter.
Jars of snake skins, rodent noses, and other parts of animals smashed on the floor. A shriek was heard from the front of the shop where a blond girl had just entered.
"Sorry," Anya apologized as she knelt to pick up the shards of glass.
Spike stooped down beside her and helped pick up the pieces. "What happened?" He asked.
"You break it, you buy it," the store clerk informed them as he looked down in worry at the mess.
"That's fine," Anya replied. "We won't need much of the rest of this." She glanced quickly at Spike and then at the pile. Without explanation, she began picking through it, pulling out a few different items and pushed the rest aside. Then she leaned forward and whispered something into the clerk's ear. He nodded and pulled a spell book off a shelf and placed in on the counter. "That is all we need. And the broken items."
"Thank you," the clerk said as he rung up Anya's selection. Anya exchanged money for the bag and turned to leave.
"Watch where you're going," growled Spike, who wasn't in the mood for interruptions when the blond girl who'd shrieked, bumped into him.
The dazed girl didn't reply, instead she put some items on the counter without acknowledging the vampire.
"Bloody Americans, no manners," he commented bitterly.
" 'Watch where you're going' wasn't a polite thing to say," Anya observed in her blunt way.
"I'm a vampire. I have an excuse," he glanced briefly back to glare at the girl who waited as if in a trance for her purchase to be rung up.
"I h-have to get back soon," she was saying. "I don't want them to get angry at me."
Turning back to her, Spike noticed that Anya, too, was looking at the girl.
"She's very strange," Anya said as she pushed open the door.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, following her lead. "So what was with the freak out in the store?"
"I thought of a spell to help your girlfriend," She replied simply. She dug through the bags in her hand and pulled out the book she'd purchased. "Demon Binding Spell. It puts demons back in their former dimensions, if they have one. It takes a lot of power, though, more depending on how powerful the demons are." She continued, pointing to a page.
"Think Willow can handle it?" Spike asked seriously.
"In her weakened state, performing a complex spell like this will be difficult but we might as well try."
****
"Willow," Xander implored softly.
The weak girl turned her friend who was kneeling beside the couch.
"Mm?" She mumbled.
There was a sudden sound of falling from the floor above them followed by Giles shouting, "I'm alright!"
"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. You know, about your choice of men," Xander apologized.
"It's okay," Willow replied softly.
"Well, it's just that, I feel protective of you sometimes," Xander continued on despite Willow's acceptance of his apology. "Especially recently with all the stuff that's been happening."
"Do you mean with the spells and stuff?"
"No, before that. When you were hurting after... I just wanted to make sure you weren't making a mistake because of your grief."
Willow softly placed her hand on Xander's.
"I'm happy," she said. "Well, I was happy then all of this happened."
"Yeah, you have been getting pretty rotten breaks lately."
"Mostly," Willow whispered and smiled at her best friend.
As if on cue, Buffy and Riley burst in the door to break the tender moment.
"Anything new?" Xander questioned them.
"Nah, Willy's was a bust. We went by the Initiative after but nothing there's changed," Riley informed them.
"How are things here?" Buffy asked as she took the spot vacated by Xander during her entrance.
"Not much; Anya and Spike are at the Magic Box getting supplies for a spell," Xander said. "And Giles is upstairs looking for a book or something."
"The Magic Box is open this late?" Riley asked and looked to a clock. It was about 9:00, only hours ago, all this began.
Xander shrugged. "Night is a lively time for Sunnydale, why not?"
Just then, Giles made his way downstairs to join the others.
"Buffy, Riley, any news?" He asked.
"Nothing," Buffy said flatly.
"Well, whenever Anya and Spike return we can try the spell they picked out and hope it works."
Feedback: Please, sir, I want some more.
A/N: Sorry to any Wiccans who may be reading this and may get offended by my constant reference to animal parts being magical items. As can easily be told, I know close to nothing about magic so I'm mostly making it up. Enjoy!
****
The bar was quiet. And unusually empty for such a popular demon hangout. Only a few people milled about aimlessly, all females who looked dazed. And human. Willy looked equally dazed except for his jerky movements while cleaning some glasses, movements that showed his worry. When he saw Buffy and Riley approaching, his worry and fear increased to a suspicious amount.
"Hey, uh, if you're looking for a snitch, I don't got much to tell," Willy said nervously, his eyes flicking back and forth across the room.
"Willy, Willy, Willy. Maybe we're just here for a drink," Buffy said casually as she slipped into a stool.
"Well, you'd be the first in days. I haven't been gettin' much business lately meaning that I haven't heard much," he continued almost frantically cleaning the glass in his hand. A scuffling noise was heard from downstairs. The suddenly, a glass slipped out of his grip and shattered on the ground. Buffy and Riley jumped at the sudden noise but Willy remained calm. The people around them, on the other hand, clutched their ears violently. Ignoring the frightened females, Willy laughed nervously and said "Whoops."
"So you haven't heard much lately?" Riley continued the interrogation.
"No, I swear on the deed to my bar," Willy insisted again.
"Think he's telling the truth?" Riley asked casually.
"I don't know, I guess we'll have to make sure," Buffy replied as she grinned wickedly and cracked her knuckles.
****
"Or-or we could do this one," Anya suggested, pointing to a spell in the book as she walked beside Spike.
"Anya, you already pointed that one out. And again, turning the witches' fingers into snakes may be humorous but will ultimately only make them angrier," Spike explained patiently, a patience normally not seen in him.
"I'm not sure what to do. Giles does the research! I was just trying to be helpful. Didn't know it'd be so hard."
They turned the corner, keeping a quick pace to get to the Magic Box, Sunnydale's best place for evil demons to purchase items to terrorize the town with, at half the price of those chain stores!
"Yeah, it's hard being on the opposite of the moral continuum," Spike commented, taking the book from Anya's hands. "But we have to help Willow. I thought you said a binding or reversal spell might help."
"Under most circumstances, they would but these aren't most circumstances. The Sirenial Sisters have never escaped before. I don't know if normal spells will be able to defeat them when they're at full strength."
"When?"
"Well, I imagine they'll need time to collect their energies. They were in the prison for a long time."
The sound of a ringing bell announced Spike and Anya's presence in the Magic Box.
"We're here," Spike pointed out the obvious. "Without a spell."
"We can just buy everything that looks useful. You never know when sheep eyes may come in handy," Anya replied, perusing the shelves.
"This is the watcher's money. We can't just spend it all and-" Spike stopped and thought about what he just said. "Who am I kidding? We'll buy the whole shop. Something in here's gotta help."
Spike and Anya dispatched about the store and pulled anything that looked helpful off the shelves. They ended up, much to the store manager's delight, with their arms full of many different magical items. Items ranging from newt's tongue to rosemary leaves. Shifting the load back and forth between their arms, they look at each other nervously.
"One of these things better work," Spike snarled through the chicken's feet clinched in his teeth for lack of better places to put it.
"Giles will never need to visit the Magic Box again," Anya observed while attempting to balance the spell book on her head.
"And the store owner will never go hungry," Spike said as he unloaded his purchases onto the counter for the clerk to ring up.
"Yes and- oh!" Anya cried suddenly, dropping the items she was attempting to place on the counter.
Jars of snake skins, rodent noses, and other parts of animals smashed on the floor. A shriek was heard from the front of the shop where a blond girl had just entered.
"Sorry," Anya apologized as she knelt to pick up the shards of glass.
Spike stooped down beside her and helped pick up the pieces. "What happened?" He asked.
"You break it, you buy it," the store clerk informed them as he looked down in worry at the mess.
"That's fine," Anya replied. "We won't need much of the rest of this." She glanced quickly at Spike and then at the pile. Without explanation, she began picking through it, pulling out a few different items and pushed the rest aside. Then she leaned forward and whispered something into the clerk's ear. He nodded and pulled a spell book off a shelf and placed in on the counter. "That is all we need. And the broken items."
"Thank you," the clerk said as he rung up Anya's selection. Anya exchanged money for the bag and turned to leave.
"Watch where you're going," growled Spike, who wasn't in the mood for interruptions when the blond girl who'd shrieked, bumped into him.
The dazed girl didn't reply, instead she put some items on the counter without acknowledging the vampire.
"Bloody Americans, no manners," he commented bitterly.
" 'Watch where you're going' wasn't a polite thing to say," Anya observed in her blunt way.
"I'm a vampire. I have an excuse," he glanced briefly back to glare at the girl who waited as if in a trance for her purchase to be rung up.
"I h-have to get back soon," she was saying. "I don't want them to get angry at me."
Turning back to her, Spike noticed that Anya, too, was looking at the girl.
"She's very strange," Anya said as she pushed open the door.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, following her lead. "So what was with the freak out in the store?"
"I thought of a spell to help your girlfriend," She replied simply. She dug through the bags in her hand and pulled out the book she'd purchased. "Demon Binding Spell. It puts demons back in their former dimensions, if they have one. It takes a lot of power, though, more depending on how powerful the demons are." She continued, pointing to a page.
"Think Willow can handle it?" Spike asked seriously.
"In her weakened state, performing a complex spell like this will be difficult but we might as well try."
****
"Willow," Xander implored softly.
The weak girl turned her friend who was kneeling beside the couch.
"Mm?" She mumbled.
There was a sudden sound of falling from the floor above them followed by Giles shouting, "I'm alright!"
"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. You know, about your choice of men," Xander apologized.
"It's okay," Willow replied softly.
"Well, it's just that, I feel protective of you sometimes," Xander continued on despite Willow's acceptance of his apology. "Especially recently with all the stuff that's been happening."
"Do you mean with the spells and stuff?"
"No, before that. When you were hurting after... I just wanted to make sure you weren't making a mistake because of your grief."
Willow softly placed her hand on Xander's.
"I'm happy," she said. "Well, I was happy then all of this happened."
"Yeah, you have been getting pretty rotten breaks lately."
"Mostly," Willow whispered and smiled at her best friend.
As if on cue, Buffy and Riley burst in the door to break the tender moment.
"Anything new?" Xander questioned them.
"Nah, Willy's was a bust. We went by the Initiative after but nothing there's changed," Riley informed them.
"How are things here?" Buffy asked as she took the spot vacated by Xander during her entrance.
"Not much; Anya and Spike are at the Magic Box getting supplies for a spell," Xander said. "And Giles is upstairs looking for a book or something."
"The Magic Box is open this late?" Riley asked and looked to a clock. It was about 9:00, only hours ago, all this began.
Xander shrugged. "Night is a lively time for Sunnydale, why not?"
Just then, Giles made his way downstairs to join the others.
"Buffy, Riley, any news?" He asked.
"Nothing," Buffy said flatly.
"Well, whenever Anya and Spike return we can try the spell they picked out and hope it works."