Karma: Visitor From Fiction
by Spellbound
“What we sow in this life, we reap in our future lives. This is our karma.” Xena: Warrior Princess.


In the Magic Box the Scoobies were sitting around the huge oak table and casually looking through books and magazines, vampire and demon activity had been at an all time low in the last week, so they were taking advantage of it. Anya was still thrilled at her new vocation, giving the Scoobies strange pieces of financial advice whether they wanted it or not. She was currently behind the counter serving a handsome young man. "Thank you for choosing the Magic Box. Have a nice day!" she called after him as he collected his purchases and headed towards the door. Her voice was somewhere between too perky and slightly menacing, leaving the customers unsure of whether they had just been given an order or we're being wished well. Buffy giggled into her magazine, now that she was used to Anya’s ways, she was finding them increasingly comical.
Willow and Tara emerged from the top of the shop, they had been studying crystals in, what Giles called 'the comfy area', Buffy pictured them snuggled up on a giant bean bag and felt a little envious, they had been through so much together and still they managed to hold their relationship together. Walking down the steps towards the others, their fingers entwined, they were happy, it was written all over their faces. "Are we Bronzing it tonight then, Buff?" Willow asked as she slid into the chair next to her friend. "I guess we could." Buffy answered, "There's that new film out this week that I want to see too." she continued. From across the table, Xander raised his head from his comic book, his characteristic grin spread across his face. "We could do both," his voice never seemed to lose its upbeat quality even in the worst of times, it was Xanders perpetual cheeriness that had often had Buffy falling over herself in tears of laughter. "Catch an early showing and then hit the Bronze!" his voice carried a note of finality and the others nodded in agreement.
"You really should patrol, Buffy." Giles added, "Just because things have been quiet of late is no reason to let your guard down." So far this week, Giles had fallen in with the others, making the most of the lack of evil and relaxing, but it seemed as if that was now over.
The Scoobies groaned in unison, and Giles couldn't help but smile, he knew he'd often given them a hard time over their mystical abilities and responsibilities and while they complained as regularly, they always took it well. "Yeah I know," Buffy said with a grin, "I'll do a quick sweep of the cemetery first, ok?" Giles nodded, knowing that this was as good as he'd get from Buffy at this time. Willow and Tara stood up, collecting their things, "So we'll meet at Buffy’s about 6 then?" she asked as she put her notebook into her bag. Buffy nodded and after saying their goodbyes, the women headed to the door. They hadn't even gotten to the steps when the ground beneath their feet started trembling and a strange smell filled the shop. They stopped and turned, their faces filled of confusion and the slightest hint of fear, the Scoobies all wore a similar look.

As the strange smell grew stronger it was accompanied by a swirling purple fog and as the fog grew thicker, the tremors stopped as quickly as they had begun. "Buffy?" Willow called into the now fog filled room, she could hear someone, probably Xander crashing into furniture and figured he was ok. "Will, you and Tara ok?" Buffy’s voice was shaking a little but she was still there. "Erm, yeah." Willow called back. Before she had a chance to call out to anyone else, Giles' voice broke through the fog, "I'm ok Buffy." he answered her question before it had even been posed, "Xander. Anya. Are you two alright?" A loud crash and a pained howl told him that while Xander was clumsy, he was more or less ok. "I'm guarding the money. It might be after my money!" Anya’s voice was panicked but she sounded fine despite that. The fog began swirling faster and faster around itself, becoming a mini cyclone, as more of the fog became engulfed in this, the room cleared enough for the group to see each other and they huddled together on the opposite side of the table, watching the spectacle unfold before them. With a huge thunder like rumbling and a blinding flash, the fog disappeared and in its place stood a wizard, at least seven feet tall with a long white beard and deep purple robes that stretched to the floor, a tall, pointed hat adorned his head and tufts of white hairs poked out from under it.

Buffy eyed him suspiciously, "You couldn't have used the door?" she asked him, indicating the door at the front of the shop. The wizard looked down at her from his great height and glared, "Are you aware of whom I am, miniscule Slayer?" he bellowed, his breath burning her cheeks. Buffy took an involuntary back step in to Giles who gulped, "I believe I do." he whispered, stepping in front of his charge. "If I'm not mistaken, you are the great Merlin!" he said, his voice still shaking slightly under the huge wizards stare. The wizard grinned, showing a set of perfect white teeth. "You are not." Merlin said, "I am indeed the great and powerful Merlin!!" Willow and Tara stared at each other, too dumbfounded to do anything but stare. Before anyone could say anything else, Merlin continued; "The forces of darkness are unhappy with you." he pointed at Buffy and she shrunk back a little further, there was something about him that filled her with terror. "You must work alone. That is the Slayer way!" his voice echoed in their ears and made them all jump. "You are meant to be a powerful Slayer, yet you are at the mercy of your friends." Everyone in the room watched Merlin as he strode around the shop before turning back to face Buffy. "We are a unit, we are forever!" Buffy told him, trying not to let the nervousness show in her voice. "You think you know your friends?" Merlin’s voice had an unnatural serenity to it now and the words became more dangerous. "I'd know my friends anytime, anyhow, anywhere!" Buffy was finding her strength and becoming angry at this strange line of questioning from their uninvited guest.
Merlin grinned at her and the entire group shuddered. "Anytime? Anyhow? Anywhere?" Merlin repeated her statement and Buffy knew this was going to land them all in trouble. "Good." he continued "I have a little challenge for you!" Merlin’s voice was soft and dangerous, almost dripping with venomous intent. The Scoobies, while filled with things to say, stood, unable to actualise the actions and words within them. "You have been ones to mess with cosmic forces, joining together your most powerful elements to create a superpower." he continued now pacing in front of them, his gowns billowing behind him like the were filled with an unfelt wind. "You must find each other, in another place, another time." Buffy grinned at the old wizard, she knew she could find her friends anywhere this was the 21st century after all. "That's a piece of cake, y'know, you should really learn about the time you're visiting before setting pointless challenges!" that she sounded so sure of herself enraged Merlin and he turned on her, his voice like thunder; "QUIET!!!" he bellowed, "You think my challenge is easy because you do not listen to its entirety!"

Giles put his hand lightly on Buffy’s shoulder and pulled her back to the relative safety of the group, they stared up at Merlin and from the back of the group Xander mumbled; "Nice one, Buff!" Merlin regarded each of the Scooby gang in turn, feeling each of them wither under his icy glare. "You must find your friends." Merlin repeated when he was sure he had everyone’s complete attention. "But it won't be 'a piece of cake' as you say. You must find them in another world, another time and in other bodies!!" He grinned wickedly as they gasped in unison, regarding him with shock. "You must rely on the knowledge you have of your friends and their essences. These things never change." In front of them, Merlin was crossing his hands and a bright glowing ball was forming between them, the faster the movement, the larger the orb was growing. Willow was the first to speak. "Mr. Merlin?" her voice was shaking and she couldn't believe she was speaking, "We have to find each other by our karma and souls?" Merlin looked at her intently, before slowly nodding, all the while his hands never stopped moving and the orb was now the size of a large watermelon and burning brighter than anything Willow had ever seen before.

For what seemed like an eternity, no one spoke. The Scoobies studied each other, trying to force as much information as they could about each other into the forefront of their minds. Then without warning Merlin began to mumble under his breath, the words were barely audible but had they been, they would have made no sense to any of them, even the multi-lingual Giles would have been confused at the master wizards spell. The orb he had created spun viciously and he yelled; "CALUNEE!" causing them all to jump before the orb made the short journey across the four feet between them and hitting the Scoobies like an express train, throwing each of them into a new and terrifying existence.


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