Amateur Magic: Part 4
by Virtual Void
TITLE: Amateur Magic [Part 4/9]
AUTHOR: Virtual Void
GENRE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
RATING: PG-13 for non-graphic violence, mild language, and adult situations.
SUMMARY: Buffy needs Spike’s and Dawn’s help to save the world--she just doesn’t know it.
SETTING: Season Seven-ish
PAIRINGS: Spike/Dawn
DISCLAIMER: Some of the characters and ideas in this story were taken directly from the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (BTVS), which is owned, copyrighted and trademarked by Twentieth Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB Television Network, and/or their related entities. No profit is being made from this story, and no copyright infringement is intended. The copyright owners of BTVS have not endorsed or authorized this story, and the author of this story is not affiliated with the copyright owners of BTVS. This story itself is copyright 2003 by Virtual Void. All rights reserved. Enjoy.
ARCHIVE: Please ask first.
FEEDBACK: Feedback, criticism, and MiSTing are welcome. “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich staerker.“

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After a 30-minute walk through the cemetery, complicated by a few small bands of hell creatures, Buffy and Giles arrived at the crypt Spike had named.

"These things always look so small from the outside," Buffy said.

"Yes, well, let's not prejudge. I'll open the door slowly."

After straining at the stone portal for a few seconds, Giles stood back, red-faced, and nodded to Buffy.

"Right," Buffy said. "I'll open the door slowly."

Using Slayer strength, Buffy pushed the heavy door aside. She shined a flashlight inside and saw that the crypt was not really a crypt at all-- it was the entrance to a cave. She and Giles crept forward, following the stone-stepped path that curved gently left and down. Covering the flashlight with her palm for a moment, Buffy saw that there was a yellowish glow ahead, just around the corner.

"Yuck," Buffy said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't you smell that?"

Giles sniffed at the air. "I suppose there is a bit of something. Reminds me of scorched coffee, I believe."

"Coffee? No, that's not it at all. It's kind of foody, but not hungry-foody. Kind of like... lemon curry."

Giles wrinkled his brow. "Lemon curry?"

Buffy started to move forward, but Giles put a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy, this confusion of scents may be part of the Marmus' magic. I can't advise you not to breathe, but if we feel it's affecting us, we should fall back to review our plan. The Marmus is an extremely powerful demon. We must be prepared for anything."

"Nasty is nasty," Buffy said. "Let's just kill it."

After extinguishing the flashlight and getting a good, two-handed grip on her axe, Buffy crept forward with Giles close behind. The passage soon opened into a large chamber.

The floor of the chamber was alive with milling creatures about two feet tall. Concealing herself as much as possible, Buffy let her eyes grow accustomed to the dimness. The small creatures' skin glistened wetly. They looked like amphibians of some sort, but they were walking on their hind legs.

Near the far wall, seated in a chair on a dais, was the creature that Buffy assumed was the Marmus. To its left and right were staves topped with faintly glowing spheres-- the only source of light in the room.

Buffy was surprised at the demon's relatively natty appearance. He wore a white sweater with maroon edging and loose khaki slacks. Except for the turtle shell forehead and the amber eyeballs, he looked like someone you could bring home to meet the folks.

"That's him, right?" she whispered to Giles. This turned out to be a mistake.

Every one of the hundreds of frog creatures turned its pair of green marble eyes to Buffy and Giles. They waddled toward them, looking too much like an unwelcome serving of green, bubbly gelatin.

"Oops," said Buffy. "We've got toadies."

The creatures, rather than attacking, ushered Buffy and Giles into the room with nudges that were unpleasantly cold and mushy. They seemed fascinated by Buffy's weapons-- one went so far as to polish the blade of her knife with frog spit and a rag. She saw one toady wrapped around Giles leg, fitfully attempting to shine the shoe of his other foot. Buffy felt the creep factor rise to goose bump level, but she moved along with the scrum toward the patiently waiting Marmus.

"Buffy Summers," he said in a pleasant baritone. "I assume you're here to destroy me."

"It's what I do."

A number of toadies jerked the axe from Buffy's hands and passed it away on their up-stretched arms. Letting it go, Buffy drew her knife and gripped it firmly. The toadies pressed her forward until she was only a couple feet away from the Marmus. At this distance, she could smell the queerly sweet breath emanating from his smile.

"You're not entirely sure that you can destroy me, are you?" the Marmus said, tenting his fingers. "Maybe it's not even what you want."

"Oh, I want," Buffy said, but she was disappointed that her voice lacked the steel edge she'd intended. "This is my world you're invading. Go get your own."

"God, I love humans. You think you're tough as jawbreakers, but you're really soft as overcooked fettuccine."

Buffy pushed up to him and held the knife to his throat. "Actually, we're sharp as tacks. And I'm here to nail you."

The Marmus opened his mouth and chuckled. The smell of his breath hit Buffy like a wave of home-cooked psychedelia. For a moment, she lost all sense of place, but she struggled to focus on the relaxed features of the Marmus' face.

"I think you need to reassess your priorities," he said. "There's someone in this room who's much more deserving of death than I." He turned Buffy away from him. The sea of toadies parted, and there was Giles in the middle of the room, confused and disheveled.

The Marmus whispered into Buffy's ear, "Think 'Band Candy', my dear."

The memory of Giles' bizarre seduction of Buffy's now-deceased mother replayed itself in her mind. The fact that the event had been just one aspect of an entire town under the influence of cursed candy seemed unimportant. What did matter to Buffy was the image of Giles, all tee-shirty and skiffle boy, bending over Joyce for a kiss.

Eyes ablaze and knife held high, Buffy bolted towards Giles.

He was able to avoid the thrust and even knocked Buffy off balance. Buffy blamed all those training sessions with her Watcher: Giles knew her moves too well. When Buffy looked up, Giles was scrabbling up the steps and out of the room. She sprinted after him.

The Marmus laughed and clapped at the display. Hesitantly at first, but then with more enthusiasm, the toadies applauded as well. Their little, wet paws sounded like popping bubble wrap.

Giles had not gotten far when Buffy emerged from the crypt. With no good prospect of escape, Giles backed away from Buffy, trying to stall her with logic.

"Think about what you're doing, Buffy. You're being influenced by the Marmus. Take a deep breath and try to calm down."

Buffy took her time closing in on Giles. She knew he was no match for her, and in the open like this, there wouldn't be much opportunity for trickery. The night air did smell clean and good after the clingy aroma of the cave.

Her mind was clear by the time she got to Giles. Buffy realized she'd been only a few seconds away from killing him. She dropped the knife and fell into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's quite all right," Giles told her. "This has actually been a very productive bit of reconnaissance."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, sniffling.

"Shh." Giles patted her back. "It's all right."

The two started back for Spike's crypt.


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