Title: The Powers That Be Must Be Crazy
Summary: Ever wonder how Spike went from lovesick poet to ruthless killer? Neither did the Scooby Gang, that is, until one of them says something they're all likely to regret for the rest of their lives.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours... unless you're Joss.
Feedback: It gives me a happy.
Author's Note: I thought to myself 'Could and would the Powers That Be allow any form of time alteration?' With that reckoning in mind, this chapter was born. And, I know it doesn't seem obvious now, but this is an Angel crossover fiction. I'm just going about it in my own zany way.
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Chapter Three: Ain't Nothing but Time
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In a perfect universe, time, space, life and death are matters that should be tampered with in any way, shape or form. In this universe, the not-so-perfect one, there is and always will be some greedy fool who loves to cause chaos for chaos' sake or disrupts the ever-delicate balance for personal or spiritual gain.
Things like these that angered Chrona, Defender of Time and the other fancy titles the Powers had given her when she was "blessed," to a point where she thought destroying the whole lot of them would do some good for a change. Unfortunately, The Powers That Be, the all-knowing, all-seeing beings in the Universe, forbid such events from happening.
The Powers. Chrona sometimes wondered if the basis of their "almighty decisions" was for the continuity of Balance ("Good can't survive without an evil to counteract it, vice versa..." Chrona had heard it a billion times before) or simply so they could have a good laugh when they were feeling a bit down.
Standing outside the Head Chambers' main doorway, Chrona had an ominous feeling that the Powers didn't invite her for a little chat over a cup of ambrosia. When you call the Defender of Time, something has got to be up. Or very, very down.
Before eerie thoughts crept into her mind, Chrona heard a booming voice in her head. The Powers believed that they were so celestial that they didn't need any other form of communication other than that of telepathy.
*We are honored by your presence Chronacia, Defender of the River of Time and Protector of Past and Future Events. Please... enter our Chambers.*
The tremendous luminescent doors dramatically opened inward to reveal the awe-inspiring corridor that was the Head Chambers in the Plane of the Powers That Be (let it be noted that everything in this dimension had to have really long-winded titles that took forever to say, which also got on Chrona's nerves).
This was only the second time Chrona had ever been allowed within these halls (the first time being when she was called upon to take the roll of Defender) and the sights inside still amazed her. It was truly a Chamber that would rival the Greek Gods and Titans themselves. The mortal or non-champion eye would only see an infinite blinding white light and three indecipherable glimmering gold lights where the three main Powers would be. But if you were a soldier/champion/worker for the Powers, or were of the walking undead, you would get quite a different sight all together.
Fountains, made from the same "much holier-than-marble" marble, were lined up on either side of the hall as far as the eye could see spewing gallons upon gallons of gold-tinted water. Pillars carved from the marble stretched eye-length, but Chrona wasn't sure why. When one looked up, there was no roof to see; just miles upon miles of that blinding white light with no solid structure formed. Birds of an ethereal nature flew freely among the ivy plants that lined the unstructured white walls. Just before Chrona could take in all the sights the Chamber had to offer young eyes, she was standing before those who had summoned her.
When it came to the visibility of the Powers themselves, not much was different between the mortal and immortal eye. Though an immortal could see all that a mortal could, the Powers still appeared before Chrona as gleaming gold specks of light.
*Chronacia,* the light in the middle, the Head Power, spoke in its own psychological way. *We are honored to have you in this time of crisis.*
Chrona, ceremoniously kneeling before the three beings, rolled her eyes and sighed. "This had better be important," the fair silver-haired Defender grumbled. Chrona wasn't one for talking telepathically and all that other extrasensory gibberish that the Powers had become so keen on doing. She figured that she had been in the mortal world too long to pick up the mind talk now. "I have a River of Time to Defend, you know."
*We are aware of your duties, Chronacia. But your presence before us is much more important at this juncture.*
"Pray tell."
*A wish will soon be made of the utmost importance and your roll in it is key.*
Chrona clenched her jaw. Those cursed vengeance demons had tried and tried again to grant wishes that involved time travel and the changing of past events and, no matter how many times she told D'Hoffryn that such wishes were forbidden by the Code of the Powers, they still tried. But how important could her role be just preventing...?
"You guys have got to be kidding me! You're not actually going to allow one of those wishes to be granted, are you?"
The Powers didn't respond immediately, but Chrona took that as a resounding "yes."
"You three must be crazy."
*Our judgement should not be questioned, Chronacia. Let the wish be granted.*
"I can't!" Chrona protested vehemently. Her knuckles were turning bleached bone white as she tried not to throw her staff at the lights before her. "It goes against the beliefs that I have created for myself. Hell, it goes against the rules you yourselves created for the Universe! Does 'Under no circumstances may past, present or future events be altered in any way' sound familiar?"
*Do not question our judgement...*
"Because it's been so perfect in the past, right? Time alteration can and will create a chaos that cannot be stopped..."
*Not allowing this wish to be granted, Chronacia, will only create further chaos than that of which you speak.*
Chrona furrowed her brow, trying to figure out what the Head Power was implying. "What do you mean?"
The Powers floated in a state of silent contemplation. This annoyed Chrona; it was as if they were planning on not telling her at all.
"What do you mean? Hey! I'm talking to you three! What do you mean?!"
*You know of whom we speak, Chronacia.*
At first, Chrona had no idea who could be so significant, so crucial that the Powers would abandon the rules they had set. Who in the known Universe could affect a decision so severely that the creeds of Time, Space and Continuity would be thrown to the wind by those who had created them?
Then, like a punch to the stomach, it hit her. The being should have been obvious to her, considering it was the one being she was supposed to protect the River of Time from.
"That's impossible! I thought he was never to be released from the Hell Dimensions!"
*He was not released. He escaped.*
"But how?!"
*We believe he had spent so much of his punishment and torment trying to figure out a possible way of breaking from his chains that he found a weakness in Hadeacal's design.*
"Why didn't I hear of this sooner?! I'm the Defender of Time, I should know of these things before they even happen so I can be prepared!"
*We know that you and Hadeacal are close colleagues.*
Chrona's heart fell to her feet and feeling of rising bile formed in her throat. "No..." she managed to choke. "Not..."
*She will be all right. The injuries she sustained were harmful, but not fatal. We did not want you to worry about her welfare.*
While the knowledge that her friend was going to survive was comforting to Chrona, the idea that her arch-nemesis was free from his prison was most certainly not.
"Is he already... somewhere...?"
She could feel the Powers nod even though she couldn't see it. *Unfortunately, he has already made it to three areas in my Memory.*
Somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that this invasion of past events had somehow been her fault. Just several hours before she had been called before the Powers, Chrona had let three beings cross, thinking that they were fellow Defenders, not... "I didn't know... It's all my fault he's creating chaos in your Memory..."
*The being which you refer to can take many shapes and forms, Chronacia. You did not know it was him.*
"I should have."
*Do not blame yourself. If you allow the wish to be granted, he can be stopped.*
Chrona closed her eyes and sighed. She pulled her Staff of Defense closer to her chest. "I understand."
*It puzzles us why he has chosen these three time periods to alter.*
The Defender opened her eyes in surprise. "Why?"
*The Being seems hellbent on one particular individual.*
"Who?"
*The Bloody.*
"Why?" she inquired once more.
*We cannot see. But if the wish is not granted, his existence will cease and Time as we know it will never be the same.*
Ten minutes ago, Chrona would have flat out refused to do such a thing and walked away without another word on the subject. Now, she knew it was the right thing to do.
"Whom should I let sail the River of Time?"
Without hesitation, the Powers replied, *The Slayer, her White Knight, the Wiccan, and the Key.*