Balancing Spell - The Zeppo (Thread Finished)

Note: This story takes place around the episode "The Zeppo". It will, hopefully, be a user involved story where suggestions can be made in the comments. The plan is to continue it through the end of season 3.

This concept is also a Work in Process. There are some "rules" that I am holding myself to in writing, but I'm also working on what those rules ought to be. Portions you've read may be edited to change the wording as I work through what I want this to look like.

“Willow, is this such a good idea?” Xander asked nervously.

“You said you wanted to help.”

“I did. I do. But,” Xander paused as he gestured at the symbols on the floor and the candles around the room, “this seems like a pretty big step.”

“We’re dealing with an Apocalypse. The Sisters of Jhe are a match for Buffy and Faith. Once they awaken the Hellmouth there is no way we’ll be able to stop both.”

“Right, right,” Xander said. “It’s just, what did Giles say?”

Willow bit her lip as she focused on the spell.

“You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“He’s really busy right now. Trying to contact the spirit realm for advice. If he can do that, why can’t I cast a balancing spell?”

A lot of reasons why ran through Xander’s head, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. “Why me?”

“The spell is very specific. The person who makes the changes has to be non-magical. Not a witch, not a Slayer, not a werewolf. So that leaves you...or Cordelia. Kind of an easy choice there.”

Xander sighed. He couldn’t believe he was the one standing up against the crazy plan. If the world wasn’t in such peril he might actually walk away. He really should have just gone and borrowed his Uncle Rory’s car as a way of finding his thing. Magic test experiment was apparently his thing now. “Let’s go through it one more time.”

“This is the Normality Spell. It is a version of what is called a Thy Will be Done. It allows you to speak things and for them to become normal. Like everyone will accept it as always being true.”

“And you told me I can’t just say, ‘there are no more evil things’.”

“Right. That’s the mistake a lot of new witches make. If you push magic too far it breaks. Or worse, backlashes on you. There needs to be a balance,” Willow said as she pulled out a small scale and set it down. “We’re invoking this as a balance spell. You say some things that benefit you, and to balance it out you say some things that hurt you.”

“And if I just said ‘the Hellmouth doesn’t exist anymore’...”

“Then to keep it in balance you’d have to say you don’t exist anymore...or maybe even worse. Like if you didn’t balance it maybe the Hellmouth wouldn’t exist anymore because it had swallowed the entire world,” Willow said as she took a few deep breaths. “Which is what is going to happen if we don’t do something.”

Xander moved over to the center of the spell. “All right. Let’s do it. What’s the worst that could happen?”

-

Xander never knew what to expect from magic. Sometimes it was flashy, sometimes it just happened. He’d never seen everything just freeze before.

He stood up and Willow didn’t react. Her mouth was open and she was just ending the incantation. He thought about walking over to her, but then remembered her warnings about leaving the circle.

“Well, this is interesting.”

Xander turned around to see a woman he didn’t know. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

She seemed unconcerned with his trouble. “Changing the fabric of reality. Ambitious. Hmm, what to do? I can’t just let you do this without any consequence, that would set a very bad precedent. Though an Apocalypse also would not be a good outcome. Okay, let’s see what happens.”