A bodiless head turned up in the dark void, which had grown to the size of a full grown man by now. The red headed girl's head seemed worried.

"What's taking you so long?" it asked, looking at Buffy.

"Willow!" Buffy sighed. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"Something's wrong?" Willow's head looked down at Giles, and then at the boy who had turned silent at her appearance. After a few seconds, he continued with his chanting. "Who's that?" she asked with a shy smile.

"That is the idiot who's stealing my powers right as we speak!" Buffy said.

"… agus in ainm na déithe Fado ..."

"He's stealing your powers?"

"Yes. That's a bad thing", Buffy said. "Stop with the drooling." She turned her head at the boy. "He's not even that hot."

"No?" Willow bit her lip. "I think he's kinda cute …"

Buffy laughed. "It's just because you haven't seen the prince yet. Yum-mie. Wait a second." She shook her head. "We really don't have time to discuss guys. Do something! Stop him!"

"Oh, right!" Willow nodded, but then got a puzzled look. "Do you know what language he's using?"

"No, 'cause my name's Buffy, not Giles. Just stop him!"

"Right." She nodded again. "Um, okay … Bloc ei gyfnod a'i dychwelyd at." Willow's eyes turned black, and it was as if though she was radiant. "Y rhyfelwr hyn sy'n hi hawl!" She raised her voice. "Erbyn y Duwiau o Tynged!"

Willow closed her eyes and Buffy felt a tingling go through her veins.

"Anything?" her friend asked her. Buffy tried to give the boy a push. He barely noticed. His eyes looked like they were on fire, and it was hard to speak through his chanting.

"No, nothing", she said. "Try again!"

"Oh, okay." Willow turned silent, and then her eyes were changing again. "Deis fatis! Audi! Reverta suus vox!" She took a breath. "Now?"

Buffy couldn't feel any difference. "No!"

Willow tugged on her lips. "Maybe we should just ask Giles?"

"He doesn't even recognize me!" Buffy yelled.

"You sure?" A hand and an arm reached out from the black hole and gently shook Giles's shoulder. "Hey, Giles! Time to wake up!"

Her watcher knocked the crown of his head as he rubbed his eyes. It clanked when it hit the floor.

"My god, what a headache", he said. "Oh, hi, Willow." The man smiled at the floating head.

"Oh, so you he recognizes", Buffy grunted.

"Um, Buffy's in a little bit of trouble", Willow said, but her voice was drenched in the shout of the boy.

"Your majesty!" He stopped his mantra and ran over the man on the floor.

Giles waved his hand at the boy. "I'm alright, Merlin, I'm fine."

A high shriek nearly deafened them all. "Merlin!" Willow's face was accompanied by her neck and her torso, and soon her whole body was there with them. "You're … you're Merlin?" she asked the black haired boy.

"Yes?" he said. "Do I know you?"

Willow giggled. "No, but I've read everything about you! You're my hero!"

"What?" Merlin looked at Giles. "What's she talking about, your majesty? Why do they act like they know you? And me?"

Giles looked at them both, first Willow, then Merlin. "Oh", he said. He took at glance at Buffy. "Oh. Oh!" He crawled up into a standing position. "Um, I'm afraid there's been a little misunderstanding. A mix up, if you will." Giles raised a hand to his head, as if he were to adjust his glasses, only, he wasn't wearing any. "I am very, very sorry."

"A mix up?" Merlin looked at him like he'd been talking about singing aliens.

"Yes. You see, I'm not king Uther. Or, actually, in this universe I am, or I should be if I belonged here, but …" He lowered his voice, like he was talking to himself. "Not that it matters, because they won't remember it anyway …"

"You're not well, your majesty", Merlin said. "Maybe you should sit down."

Giles touched the bump on his head. "Oh, this? I've lived through worse, trust me. But now, it would be very kind of you, if you would give Buffy her powers back."

"Return the powers to the witch?" Merlin took a step back. "You really aren't King Uther, are you?"

"My name is Rupert Giles", Giles said with an awkward smile.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Einstein", Buffy said. "Would you just give me my powers back now?"

"He thinks you're the witch?" Willow said with a hurt tone, but no one listened.

"Why should I?" Merlin wanted to know.

"If you do, everything will turn back to normal", Giles promised. "You can trust me."

The boy looked at them, trying to decide what to do.

"What about the real king? What happened to him?"

"He will return as soon as we're gone", Giles said. "It's quite interesting, actually. It's a matter of physics and magic, working together, creating an alternate universe, or dimension if you will, where one or several people has been replaced, and …"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure everyone's taking notes", Buffy interrupted. "Can we get back to the whole returning of power-thingy now?"

"Of course, of course", Giles said and tried to adjust his non-existing glasses again. "Merlin, if you please?"

"As you wish", he sighed. His eyes shimmered. "Cur isteach!"

Buffy felt how the strength returned to her, felt it fill her body and muscles, felt how she became whole again. "Thank you", she said sarcastically.

"And now, let's return before our way back disappears", Giles said with a smile.

"One little problem, Giles", Willow said.

"What?" They all turned to look the direction Willow was pointing her finger. As they stopped their swirl, the hole made a "pop" sound, and vanished right in front of them.