| Title - Magic Author - Don't make eye contact E-mail - [email protected] Disclaimer - These characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. I have simply used the characters for fun. Pairing - Buffy/Willow Spoilers - No Summary - Willow teaches Buffy about magic. Magic �Tell me about magic.� Willow was surprised by the question. She and Buffy were lying in bed, making out after patrol. Normally, Buffy wasn�t really interested in magic - unless she wanted to get something specific - but the Wiccan could tell that Buffy was sincere. �I thought that kind of thing bored you a bit?� Buffy smiled wryly. �Well, I figure I should know a few basics, and I�d rather hear you tell me than Giles. I like hearing you talk.� Buffy put on her best adoring gaze and Willow blushed a pretty colour. �Well, OK, since you put it like that. What do you want to know?� She saw a more confused look pass across the Slayer�s face. �I don�t know. Couldn�t you just give me the basics?� �Well, Alistair Crowley said there was a joke which explained everything you need to know about magic.� �A joke? I can remember a joke. But wasn�t Crowley kind of evil?� Willow forcibly restrained herself from giving too many details. She had when she first started teaching; the hardest thing was not bombarding people with inconsequential information that made her look smart, but didn�t help anyone to learn. �Well, he did call himself the demon king, but he knew a lot about magic.� �So what�s this joke?� �Well there were these two guys traveling on a train. They weren�t together; they just happened to be in the same carriage. The older one there is carrying on his lap a cardboard box with air holes cut into it.� �What�s in the box?� Willow rolled her eyes. She was no good at telling jokes, but Buffy was worse at listening to them. �That�s kind of the point of the joke, Buffy.� �Oh. Sorry.� �Anyway, the younger guy is curious too. He tries to restrain his curiosity but eventually he asks the other guy what�s in the box. The other man is a little taken aback.� �Why?� �I don�t know. I think it was bad manners or something to pry. So the older guy says, �I can see that you are exceedingly curious so I will reveal to you that in this box is a mongoose.�� �It�s funny when you do that posh deep voice.� �Funny ha ha or funny peculiar?� �Funny sweet.� �Oh.� Willow paused for a moment, wondering if she was being made fun of, but Buffy�s face was a picture of innocence. �The younger guy is really surprised by this anyway. He splutters, �A mongoose? I had imagined that it would be a rabbit or a ferret, but a mongoose is a rather unusual animal.� The older man sighs and explains: �Well, this is a rather personal matter, but I believe I can trust to your discretion.�� Willow paused as Buffy tried to suppress a laugh at her put-on voice but then continued. �So this guy says, �I have a brother who is somewhat the black sheep of the family. He indulges in a variety of vices of which - not the least - is a fondness for strong liquor. He has now entered the advanced stages of delirium tremens. My brother now sees serpents everywhere and I am taking this mongoose to him to deliver him from them.� The older man settles back in his seat but the younger man is more confused than ever. �Surely a mongoose wouldn�t help since these are just imaginary serpents that your brother sees.� �Ah, yes, but you see...� and here the older man taps the box significantly, �...in here I have an imaginary mongoose.�� Willow paused for laughter but Buffy just groaned. �So what does that say about magic? That it�s just imaginary?� �No, we both know that it is real. What it means is that magic is all based on symbols and belief. It�s like a cross affecting a vampire. Two pieces of wood shouldn�t hurt a vamp but it�s because of their belief in it that it does.� �Wait - that doesn�t work. I�ve seen vampires who are really surprised that the cross hurts them.� Willow smiled. She liked it when Buffy actually started to debate with her. �In that case: it is the belief of the person holding the cross.� �So that�s all magic is. Someone believes something will happen so it does.� Willow shook her head. �No, it�s more like an act of will. It doesn�t work if just you believe it. You have to make reality believe it. That�s why a cross will always work. So many people and vampires throughout the world and all across history have believed that a cross will burn and frighten a vampire. With the more complicated spells you have to go through some process to put the power into it.� Willow stopped as she saw Buffy wasn�t paying attention, but realised it was because she was running her hand up the slayer�s side almost without thinking. She savoured the feel of Buffy�s skin for a moment and then withdrew her hand. Buffy pouted and snuggled closer to Willow. The Wiccan tried to keep her mind on magic, but Buffy was very good at capturing her attention, and soon she was only thinking about her lover. * * * * * Part 2 |