Neither Buffy nor Tara spoke another word until they reached the Summer's residence. Once inside they hurried into the living room. Buffy's head was still spinning from the events of earlier today, and it didn't help to be back in her dark abode.
"Tara, what's going on?"
Tara shook her head as she spoke, "To tell you the truth, I don't know. I just know that we're together in this." Buffy gave Tara an odd look. "I-I mean that everyone's changed except us, so we're kind of in the same boat you could say." Tara said explaining herself. Buffy let out a sigh. Tara was definitely right about everyone, or everything for that matter, changing. Even though strange occurrences like this were all too common to Buffy, it never meant that she got used to them.
"We have to retrace our steps. Maybe that way we can remember how this might have happened. What happened to you when you woke up this morning?"
"W-well, I woke up in my room. Just like normal, or so I thought. The first thing I noticed was how different the room looked. When I woke up Willow, I realized she was different too. I panicked and left without talking to her. I came to the Magic Box to look for Giles, but he was ... well you know. I hid in the back and waited. I had planned to sneak up to the books in the loft, but when you came in I realized that we were both having the same experience."
"Yeah, that's about what happened to me." Buffy paused a moment, her instinctive detective skills kicking in. "Do you think this could be some kind of spell?" Tara thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"There's no spell that could change reality for two people like this. If there were, it would need some serious power to back it." Buffy stood and began pacing the floor in thought.
"I think the best plan is the one you had. We need to sneak into the Magic Box and get to those books so we can find out what or who did this to us. For now, I think we should just wait here. There's no need to risk getting caught hanging around the Magic Box." Tara nodded in agreement as Buffy sat back down on the couch beside of her and flipped on the TV.
* * * * *
Buffy and Tara stood in the alley next to the door that led into the Magic Box. Buffy had the door cracked and her ear up against the cold steel of the door. She listened and waited for the one's inside to leave, which at midnight they had yet to do.
"...I'll just lock up then..." She heard Gile's say. Her heart raced as she heard Giles and the others stir inside the shop. Normally Giles always forgot to lock the back door, but she couldn't be sure about this Giles.
She let out a sigh of relief when she heard Giles finally leave out the front door and lock it. She quickly motioned Tara out from the shadows. When Tara was by her side, she opened the door quietly and hurried inside. The two stepped lightly as they made their way up to the latter that led to the loft. Buffy stood back, letting Tara do the main searching for books. Once Tara handed her a few copies to look through, she sat and both of them began to read.
After three shelves of books, Tara let out a triumphant "I found it!” Tara gave a radiant smile of achievement. "This explains it all. There's a potion that when drunk will awaken your Shadow." Buffy looked at Tara dumbfounded. Tara still smiling gladly explained.
"Everyone has a Shadow. It's a personal demon of sorts. All the things that we repress, bad thoughts and evil personality traits, make up our Shadow." Tara paused, then continued to speak as she read. "Each has their own realities, the person and their Shadow I mean. But the two can't exist in the same one together. When the potion is used, it sort of switches the person and their Shadow; they trade realities."
"So that's where we are? The Shadow dimension."
"That would make the most sense. Obviously someone slipped you and me the potion. What would be better for a big bad than to have an evil slayer in town. Although, I don't know why they would want me here."
A sudden light bulb went off in Buffy's head. "The guy in the hood!" She continued, despite Tara's look of confusion. "That night at the Bronze. The man I thought I saw. He's the one who spiked the drinks. But since all our cups looked the same, he must have had to put the potion in all of them. We both took a drink, and obviously Willow didn't. I can't believe I didn't remember until just now!" Buffy sounded shocked at her own self.
"Well all we have to do is make the potion again and it will send us back." Tara looked down at the book. "I think we can find most of the things here." As she spoke, she stood and walked towards the latter. Buffy followed behind her. She stood and watched as Tara scurried around the Magic Box in search of all the ingredients. As she found them, she would place the item on the table in the center of them room.
Buffy looked down at her watch. "I hope this won't take to long. It's 5:30 and Giles opens at 7:00 ... usually."
"It shouldn't." Tara said absentmindedly. "We just have to mix all these, then wait to let it boil. Once we've taken it, there's no telling when it might take effect or how will change us before it does."
Buffy stopped Tara before she could walk back from the table to get another ingredient. "Change us?"
"It says here that the more we repress our Shadows, the more violent the switch can be." Buffy instantly remembered Tara the night of their first switch. From what Willow had told her, there was a lot that Tara was repressing.
They were both silent as Buffy watched Tara measure and add the ingredients to the small black cauldron now located on the table as well. Buffy couldn't help but worry about what would happen if this didn't work. Like when a person about to die has their life flash before their eyes, Buffy thought of all the people and things from home she would miss. At least you’re not alone. Happy for that, Buffy sent Tara an encouraging smile.
Buffy sat patiently as Tara, now finished mixing the ingredients, spoke the final incantation. The liquid mixture began to bubble, and soon it was boiling.
"Ok..." Tara said lifting a turkey baster to the concoction. Buffy noted her concentrated look as she squeezed the top, sucking the potion into it. She then grabbed a vial and filled it with the potion from the baster. Buffy took the vial from Tara and examined the pure black substance inside as Tara made a vial for herself. She gave an "Yke" face as Tara sent her an "I know" look.
Suddenly Buffy heard a noise coming from the front door of the shop. It was the sound of a key unlocking the door. Tara looked terror stricken. Buffy gulped down her vial of potion and after cringing, encouraged Tara to do the same. She pulled Tara, as she gagged to the back door. They ran down the alley, away from the Magic Box. Once they had gotten a good distance, Buffy finally called them to a stop. Tara was knelt over, hands on legs, trying to catch her breath. Buffy waited patiently for Tara. When she was ready, the two left for Buffy's house once again.
They had walked only a few blocks when Tara bent over in pain as she had done the night at the Bronze. It's started, Buffy thought to herself as she went to Tara's side. She knew they had a good 15 minutes before the potion took full affect.
"We just need to get back to the house." Buffy said to Tara, though she doubted that Tara could hear her. With each block that they walked, her symptoms seemed to fluctuate. She would be fine and able to walk on her own. Then in the next second she was down again, grasping her stomach in pain. Buffy did her best to help as this happened over again until they reached her home.
When they were inside, Buffy rushed Tara to the couch. She sat by her side as Tara experienced more pain. She held Tara in her arms when it passed. Stroking her hair she whispered, "It's almost over." Buffy hated seeing Tara this way. In that moment, Buffy grew more close to Tara than she thought possible. She accepted her as one of her own.
Another wave of pain came; this one greater than all the rest, and Tara was knocked to the ground. Buffy rushed to help her, but Tara pushed her away. Buffy backed away, and looked horrified at Tara. Her eyes had gone black, and her face had taken a sinister look. Without speaking, Tara threw Buffy a blow that sent her flying across the room. She lay on the floor for a moment, shocked more than hurt. Buffy slowly rose and stood facing Tara. Tara smiled and sent a shock of dark energy at Buffy. She ducked out of its way, and made a run for the basement. Buffy grabbed a chain that lay on the floor. When Tara came down the stairs, Buffy roped it around her tightly. Tara let out a cry of anger and desperation, and fought the chains. She gave one final look towards Buffy and passed out.
"Thank God" Buffy whispered. She walked over to Tara and freed her from the chains. She propped her up against the stairwell and sat beside her, knowing that her time was coming. She sat waited, worried, and thought. Finally, she began to feel the familiar spinning. She shut her eyes again and rested her head on her knees. Then she fell again, into the darkness. Then there was nothing.
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