| 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. * * * * * The following day they resumed their talk about magic. Buffy had started to be genuinely interested in the subject and Willow enjoyed her girlfriend�s interest in her witchcraft. �So, how do you make a spell happen?� �Well there are hundreds of different rituals that can do it. There are some spell books where you have to write out your own copy; you can�t use anybody else's. That gives it power. Mostly it�s dependant on mental discipline. You know when Giles says that a spell needs someone with more power than he has?� �Yeah.� �That�s because it takes someone who is more used to forcing reality to conform to their will.� �So anyone could learn to do it?� �Oh yes. I could teach you a basic spell right now.� Buffy clearly didn�t believe her so Willow took out a pad and a pencil. �OK. Tell me something you want?� �Anything?� Buffy was definitely incredulous but willing to play along. �Anything at all.� �OK. I want to stay in this room with you forever.� Willow smiled and then leaned over. She kissed Buffy slowly and sweetly and then with a sly smile pulled back just as Buffy really getting into it. Anyone who said Willow didn�t have an evil streak didn�t know how much she loved to tease. "Something that can actually happen.� �I hope I get an A in the next history test?� �I think you could anyway but it�s a good example. First you take out all the vowels and repeated letters in that phrase.� There was a short pause as Buffy took the pad and worked this out. �Ok that would make it h, p, g, t, n, x, s, r and y." �Great so now you take those letters and make them into a sigil.� �I thought a sigil was a kind of bug.� �No; it�s just a symbol. Just put the letters together in a way that looks right to you.� Buffy frowned and concentrated on the pad. After a few minutes of scribbling and rubbing out she had a symbol that looked vaguely magical. �Does this look right?� �The important thing is if it looks right to you.� Buffy looked deeply dubious but put on an expression of hopefulness. �I think so.� �OK. The next step is to energise the symbol. You have to kind of slip it into your head while you�re not looking.� �That sounds easy.� Buffy�s sarcastic tone made Willow frown at her disapprovingly. �Sorry. Please, tell me how.� Willow�s frown disappeared to be replaced by a look of embarrassment. �Erm, well. There are lots of ways. You have to concentrate on the sigil while your mind is in an extreme state like intense fear, pain.� �This doesn�t sound very fun yet.� �Or meditation or arousal. Any extreme state really.� �So how did you do it? You didn�t hurt yourself, did you?� The concern was such in Buffy�s voice that Willow suppressed her embarrassment to tell her the truth. �Actually, what I did was concentrate on the sigils I made while I masturbated.� Willow was blushing so much she thought her skin would burn off and Buffy�s surprised look didn�t help. �You really did magic by...� �Yes.� �How often?� �Not many times. I really just did it when I was starting out before I learned more specific spells.� The phone rang and Buffy went over to answer it. Willow watched her lover as she walked. For a moment she remembered the exact sigil that she had made up from the phrase �Buffy wants Willow.� She felt a momentary flash of the deep guilt that she felt from using magic to make her friend love her, but then Buffy looked over at her from the phone and smiled at her so happily; her eyes so full of love that Willow couldn�t regret it. Buffy was happy with her. Happier than she had been with Angel or Riley. Buffy was happy and content. Surely that was all that mattered. The guilt was still there, but then Buffy came back to the bed and soon Willow was only thinking happy thoughts. Fanfic Home |