Karma: Good Ole Sunnydale
by Spellbound
Willow, Tara and Giles rushed back to Giles' apartment, jumping a couple of stop signs on the way and receiving a speeding ticket which hindered their journey, although not by much. They burst through the door, filling the room with sunlight and causing Buffy to leap from the chair, screaming and smouldering. "Sorry Buffy." Giles said, "We got it. We're going home!!!" Still patting frantically at the smoke coming from her, Buffy looked up at Giles, "Really?" she asked, "It was that easy?" The others nodded and Buffy joined in with their funny little dances, "Although I wouldn't say it was easy but we got it done!" Willow said and Giles slapped her on the back, knocking her forwards. "All thanks to Willow." he added, smiling apologetically as she turned and semi-glared at him. Tara meanwhile had been busying herself clearing the table and preparing the candles and herbs they had purchased in the magic shop, the others collected themselves and gathered around the table, with Willow at its head picking up the parchment that had the spell on. In her head she read through it a couple of times before regarding the others, "It looks fairly straight forward." She told them all and a sigh of relief went through the group. She looked around the table and checked all of the components were all present and arranged correctly before lighting her candle, passing the lighter to Tara she smiled and took one last look around her. So much had happened in this apartment in the few days she had been here and what she thought had been here life had all ended the day that Giles had arrived but she still felt somehow attached to this world.
Before she had time to really start reminiscing about her other life, all the candles were lit and the time had come to begin the spell.

"By Hecate and the powers of change,
The time has come to turn the page.
Back in time, to lands we know,
To Sunnydale by winds that blow."

A strong wind was gathering and causing the candles to flicker and the parchment to flap wildly in her hand. Willow threw onto the fire in the bowl in from of her, lethes bramble and what she could only think was ground bone and returned her gaze to the page.

"Buffy and Tara, the first to go,
With guiding hands to help and show.
Returned to where it is they came,
Banished here on wizards claim."

She threw more ingredients into the fire and it crackled loudly before the flame turned a menacing purple and rising 4 feet into the air. Both Buffy and Tara were surrounded by a thick purple smoke and once it had cleared, they were gone.

"Xander and Anya, must follow home,
Their whereabouts as yet, unknown.
Find them here and take them there,
By dragon’s scale and phoenix hair."

On speaking the last line, Willow threw a large orange scale into the flame and a handful of thick reddish hair, the fire consuming them immediately and creating a cloud of orange smoke that went to Giles and then Willow before heading for the open window to Giles' left, off in search of its intended target.

"Rupert and Willow, the last to go,
From this place in universal flow.
Once these words of power are spoken,
Let Merlin’s karma spell be broken."

Willow threw the remaining ingredients into the fire and it crackled loudly before making an ear-splitting bang and plunging them into total darkness.


Xander and Anya crashed loudly to the floor behind the counter of the Magic Box, knocking over many jars and bottles on their unceremonious landing. "Ahn? You ok?" Xander asked into the darkness. Somewhere to his left, he heard a disgruntled moan and began making his way in the direction of the sound, his arms outstretched in front of him. Stumbling through the room, his foot hit something soft and he tripped, clearing a shelf as he fell, "Owww!! Watch where you're walking!!" Anya said as he hit the ground next to her. He mumbled an apology as he sat up and brushed off his shirt. "I'm sorry. It's dark!" Xander said, "You ok?" Both their eyes were becoming accustomed to the gloom and he saw her nod. "No thanks to you." Anya said sharply and Xander couldn't blame her for being mad, he had given her quite a kick. They embraced suddenly, feeling as though it had been months since they had last seen one another, pulling away from the hug marginally, Xander leant in and kissed Anya softly. "Wanna go......" Anya began before a door burst open, making them both jump and cling onto each other. After everything that had happened in the past few days, they didn't have the first clue who was in the room with them, how they had gotten there or even where it was that they were. Instinctively, they had known without question that they were together but anything else was a complete mystery to them at this point.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Came the familiar voice from the other side of the room, followed by a loud crash as the person walked into something wooden that scraped across the floor and put Xanders teeth on edge. "That sounds like Buffy." Xander whispered to Anya, "Buff?" He called out before she'd had a chance to answer. "That you?" He heard her take a few more steps before crashing into something else and falling hard onto the floor. "Xander? Where are you?" Buffy called back, her voice sounding a lot closer this time, maybe it was because she was on the floor or maybe she was actually nearer, Xander couldn't decide.
"We're over here." he said, realising that, in the dark, 'here' could be anywhere. Buffy giggled and opened her mouth to speak when all the lights burst back on, blowing a couple of bulbs as they did. Buffy, Xander and Anya all covered their eyes from the brightness and peeked out between their fingers slowly.
In the section containing the books that were most dangerous came a soft groan and Tara’s head appeared over the edge, "Wow." she said, looking around at the carnage spread out before her.

With the lights now back on and their eyes adjusting, the Scoobies looked around. Books, papers, chairs and stock were flung around the room, the only evidence of Merlin’s visit to the Magic Box was the destruction he'd left behind him.
Xander and Anya were standing behind the counter, its glass smashed and scattered. "Wow!" Buffy echoed Tara as she surveyed the mess surrounding her. No one else could manage words, the Magic Box had been trashed before but this was something else, nothing was in its rightful place and anything with glass in it was broken, the sight was too much for Anya and she hid her face in Xanders chest, crying quietly, the only sign being the powerful shaking of her shoulders.

For ten minutes no one moved or spoke, the room was silent as if in mourning for something. A piece of paper broke the silence as an unfelt wind gently twisted it on the floor. Buffy looked at it hard, sure that she was seeing things. It moved again but this time it didn't stop, Buffy signalled Xander and pointed towards the now circling sheet. Tara, who had also seen the paper begin its dance, was climbing down the ladder quickly coming to stand next to Buffy. The paper had now added hops to its routine although it remained in one spot, spinning and occasionally lifting clear off the ground.
Xander and Anya, still watching the paper, had come out from behind the counter and were also standing behind the slayer, Buffy put her hands out and started backing away as the page gained speed, the others, following her example turned and ran for the training room, by the time Buffy had reached its door, the paper was spinning wildly in the air and had been joined by other sheets that were rapidly becoming a mini tornado. She slammed the door and leant back against it. "Is everyone alright?" she asked, and off their looks rephrased her question; "Is anyone hurt?" Each one took a moment to listen to their bodies and one by one shook their heads.
Outside the door, they could hear the wind screaming and throwing the stock around the room, some of it hitting the door. They all huddled in the furthest corner and waited, helpless against whatever was creating the wind and strangely unwilling to find out what it was. Suddenly everything went silent, the wind died and an eerie hush filled the training room.

Willow brushed her hair back behind her ears and looked around the room. She was back in the Magic Box, that was for certain but there was no sign of the other Scoobies. “Oooohh!” A muffled moan came from the top of the store. “Giles?” she called out as she walked through the chaos in the room and up the two steps into the top of the shop. She looked to her left and giggled at the sight before her. Giles was upside down, his legs spread up the wall, a large, plush pillow resting on his stomach, and his glasses sitting haphazardly on his face. “You alright?” she asked the dishevelled Watcher with a giggle.
Straightening his glasses, Giles drew his legs back down the wall and sat cross-legged amidst the cushions. He took a moment to mentally assess himself before answering. “A little sore from the landing, but I’m alright.” he answered eventually. “Are the others here?” he asked as he rose to his feet. Willow shook her head sadly, “I’ve not seen them.” she told him as she looked back over her shoulder into the empty store.

In the training room, the Scoobies heard the mini tornado disperse and they looked at each other with concern. “Best take a look.” Buffy said. The group took a collective deep breathe and Buffy pulled the door open making Willow jump and spin at the top of the shop. She grinned at the sight of her friends and turned back to Giles, “They’re here!!!” she said joyfully and he returned her grin, breathing a sigh of relief as he polished his glasses.
Buffy ran across the sparse room and wrapped Willow in a huge hug, lifted her clear off her feet and spinning her jubilantly, the oxygen being forced from her lungs under the Slayers grip and making speech impossible. Willow tapped her friend on the back causing Buffy to pull back slightly and regard her quizzically. “Oxygen.” Willow croaked, “Becoming an issue!” Buffy let her go and smiled an apology before rushing past her to Giles who received the same treatment.

Willow hugged Xander quickly and smiled fondly at Anya before rushing into the awaiting arms of her girlfriend. “I missed you!” she whispered, as Tara’s arms found their way around her waist. “I missed you more!” Tara replied before kissing her girlfriend softly.
As Giles and Buffy joined the others in the centre of the destroyed shop, they all smiled at each other, words seeming hard for all of them.

Buffy finally broke the silence. “Wow!” she breathed as she surveyed the damage around her. “Gonna take more than some pledge to get this back in shape!!” The Scoobies laughed heartily, tears rolling do the cheeks of her friends as they leant on each other for support.
Xanders arms around the waists of both Anya and Willow. Willow wrapped around Tara and Tara holding Buffy who, in turn supported Giles.
“Let’s get coffee.” Buffy said once her laughter had subsided a little.

Arm in arm, the Scoobies stepped out into the main street of Sunnydale, each one grinning and happy to be home.

TBC..................................

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