Walking Shadows

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Anya shifted uncomfortably on the hard surface where she lay, her spinning head coming slowly back into focus. "Ow."

"Anya?" Xander shuffled around, struggling to see anything in the pitch blackness. "Anya are you OK?"

"Xander, I'm over here," she grumbled, rubbing the sore spots on her elbows and arms. "God, interdimensional travel isn't what it used to be." She moved her shoulder cautiously. One of her bones popped. "Where's Giles?"

They heard a muffled curse from somewhere in the blackness.

"I'm guessing somewhere over there." Xander said, inching his way along the wall towards the sound of her voice, feeling the sharpness of roughly cut stone jutting under his fingertips.

"What? Are you pointing? I can't see you." Anya complained.

"I'm here, Anya." Giles croaked. His breath still came in small gasps from the impact of hitting the cold floor.

Xander let out a sigh of relief. "OK, so we're all fine." He felt around, confused. "But if we're here, where's that demon guy who brought us?"

Anya snorted, indignant. "How do you know he's a demon?"

"Well, considering he brought us here with that harmless orb, I'm guessing he's not Big Bird." Xander snapped back.

Anya pondered this for a moment. "Big Bird could be a demon. He is fluffy."

Giles dragged himself up onto his elbows. "Well, whoever he is, he could also be human. Demonic magic is not the sole realm of demons of course."

"So why isn't he here, with us?" Anya demanded. "And where is here? I'm cold."

Xander inched his way slowly through the darkness, following the sound of Anya's voice. "Just keep on talking Ahn, I'm almost there."

"Well, we're not exactly expected guests." Giles said, picking himself up. He touched his forehead to make sure his glasses were still there, not that the darkness afforded them the chance to see anything anyway. "I'd say bringing us along for the ride was not really part of his plan."

Xander thumped the wall in frustration. "So what you're saying is, maybe he got the master bedroom and we're stuck in the cold, musty basement?"

Giles grunted. "Essentially, yes."

"Story of my life." Xander mumbled.

"So, let's find our way out and make him send us back!" Anya hauled herself up, finding her balance by clinging to the stone walls. "This doesn't feel like a basement, it feels like a dungeon. A really small dungeon that's getting smaller every minute."

"And, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if we're encased all around it's quite likely its an airtight dungeon." Giles added glumly.

Xander clutched his head. "I'm feeling dizzy. Was it the fall?"

"No, it's your oxygen running out." Anya answered, fear stretching her voice thin. "Mortals need air to breathe, and now we have none. He just said so."

"I could be wrong." Giles put in, optimistically.

"You're never wrong! You're always saying that. We're going to die!" She wailed. "Ow! Xander!" Xander accidentally gave Anya a kick in the side as he found her, tripping up and landing half on top of her. Relieved, he reached all the way down for a smothering hug.

"Just don't panic, you'll use up even more air." Giles snapped. "If it is airtight in here, we have to be sensible until we figure a way out."

Anya wrestled Xander away and clutched at her neck. "Panic? Who's panicking?" She tried desperately to see through the gloom. "My eyes have usually adjusted to darkness by now. I have great night vision."

Giles sniffed the air. "It doesn't smell stale. Perhaps there's an air hole." He grimaced. "Of course, there's always the chance that this particular part of this demon dimension was created as we arrived, specifically to contain us."

"And they might not have included life support." Xander felt around until he found one of Anya's hands, squeezing it for comfort. "Ok, this is really creeping me out. I'm sitting right in front of you and I still can't see you."

"I can't see my own hand." She replied. "It's like I've gone blind."

Giles began inching along the walls, checking for the telltale cracks that might indicate a doorway, even one that only opened from the outside. He felt cold, hard stone. "Try feeling around you, we need to find some kind of passageway out of here."

"We're doomed." Anya cried, clutching her sides. "What was some super-powerful dimensional orb doing with the paper weights anyway?"

"That's what I would dearly love to know." Giles replied, tersely. "I can't believe it was just a catalogue error. I put out that display myself."

She whimpered. "Yes well, some little crystal balls are perfectly harmless until the right demon touches them, then kaboom!, they open slippery slides into hell."

Xander rubbed his sore back, wincing as he touched a twinging nerve. "Hate to mess with your analogies, but that felt more like an inter-dimensional vacuum cleaner."

They continued their search in the darkness, hands finding nothing but stone, rocks and occasional pits of sand. There was no sound except their breathing, not even a hint of air moving through the small chamber.

After an hour Giles finally gave up, his hands raw from digging at cracks in the walls in vain. "Well, if we can't find a way out, someone else is going to have to find a way in. I only hope Willow has even the remotest clue as to where we are."

••••

"I don't have the faintest idea where they are." Willow snapped the book shut in irritation, looking up at the clock. "I've been through like every book we have on mystical orbs, inter-dimensional portals, even strange, short, human-like demons with fuzzy hair." She stood, placing the last volumes she'd scanned back on the shelves. "They've been in there for hours. Wherever there is."

Tara came over, placing soft, sure hands on Willow's shoulders. She rubbed, trying to knead the tension from muscles abused from sitting over books. "We'll figure it out. Maybe we're just looking at this from the wrong angle?"

Willow relaxed a little into the touch, allowing the feel of gentle hands to help clear her mind. "OK, So we've researched the origin of the orb. No luck. We've checked the origin of that bizarro-guy. Zip." She sighed. "If only we knew what kind of book he tore that scrap of paper out of."

Tara mused for a second. "It wasn't paper. It was like a kind of material, like papyrus."

"Egyptian Gods? Old mummy curses?" Willow suggested.

Tara shook her head. "We went through that Egyptian volume, remember? Lots of spooky cats. Very few orbs."

"There has to be something!"

"It might have been like an old diary. Maybe something personal, that's why we can't find it." Tara stopped massaging Willow's shoulders for a second to rub the tiredness from her own eyes. "If only the orb hadn't smashed after they were sucked into it. That worries me. Even if we can figure out what it does, now that the orb is destroyed we don't have a conduit to pull them back out."

Willow froze. "That could be it."

"What?"

"Well, what do we usually do when we don't have something magical that we need?"

Tara considered this. "We make one."

"Exactly. We have the ingredients for an orb right here." She leaned over, her fingertip lightly brushing the wooden floor, coming away covered with a thin sheen of dust.

"It's dust Will, literally." Tara objected. "There aren't even any pieces to sweep up."

"Well…" Willow's mouth curled slightly, "that depends how good your broom is."

Tara looked doubtful. "I've seen some optimism in my time, but I think you're setting a new standard."

"Sure it'll be tricky, but together we can do it." She turned to Tara, eyes bright. "This is beneath us." She crept over to the shelves, scanning for the right spell book.

Tara quirked an eyebrow, amused at the old joke. "Oh, I believe you. You are very good with your hands after all." She teased.

Willow looked up momentarily from her hunt through the bookshelves, a blush settling over her features. "You know, it's funny you should say that. Our friends are probably stuck in some kind of alternate, demon dimension and my mind keeps wandering off to bathrooms, body wash and the things I can do with my hands. You're bad for my concentration."

Tara felt heat rush through her body. She knelt down beside Willow and started to help with going through the books. "Can we solve this crisis quickly? I can feel myself starting to hang out for the post-crisis celebration."

Willow gave a low chuckle. "Ah ha!" She reached over and pulled out a thick, leather bound volume, her hands expertly turning pages until she came across what she was looking for. "Look here, see? I was thinking we could attract all the pieces to us, like a magnet, then we just kinda bond them all together at the molecular level."

"Like magickal crazy glue?"

"Exactly."

"It's a long shot, Will. Here's hoping none of the dust particles have found their way outside." Tara read the page quickly, noting the details of the incantation. "But it doesn't look dangerous." She looked up at Willow, watching the magic practically glowing from her lover in anticipation. "You look amazing like that."

Willow cocked her head. "Like what?"

"When you get excited and you're gathering your power around you. It's almost like you have this glow…" She shook her head, unable to find the words.

Willow reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know what you mean. You have it too."

"Well," Tara grabbed the book and stood up, her mind already running through the list of things they'd need. "Let's do this thing."

••••

"Look, Xander, Giles, I think I found something!" Anya dug furiously at a loose rock underneath her foot, working away at the loosening soil with her fingertips. As she scratched, tendrils of light struggled through a gap that was unearthed, like light underneath a closed doorway.

"Hang on, here's some rock, we can dig with this." Xander muscled in and took over the digging, making solid inroads into the widening gap.

"Well, that's air, at the very least." Giles sat back with relief.

"And light. I can see my hands!" Anya cried, rubbing her blistered hands with joy.

They looked around, their night vision suddenly kicking in, as if just creating that small hole had cracked the seal on whatever power it was that had entombed them. The air got lighter and the darkness less cloying.

Xander put his mouth down near the opening. "Hello! Anyone out there?" His shouts echoed painfully through the chamber. "Hello!?"

"Oh, thank you so much." Giles complained, his ears ringing. "A little warning next time?"

Anya poked Xander in the back. "Are you crazy? Do you know what the odds are against being rescued by something pleasant in a demon dimension? I've been a demon. I know."

"About as good as the odds of surviving too long without food and water in a stone cave with no doors?" Xander retorted.

She frowned miserably. "Oh great, I just finish worrying about air and now you mention food?"

He pulled a squished package from his pocket. "I have a Twinkie. Do you want that?"

"I survive a portal to some hell dimension and you want to kill me with food additives?" She wailed.

Xander frowned. "A simple 'no thanks' would have been fine."

"Do you think we could save the histrionics until we figure out a way to escape from here?" Giles scolded, irritably. "Then you can both bicker to your hearts content."

Xander looked chastened. "Well, there's a hole. That's a start." He shrugged, helpless. "Now all we need is a mouse who knows sign language to crawl through and run for help."

Anya smiled. "Sweetie, I think there are some flaws in that plan."

They all looked at each other in the dimness. Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them. He put them back on. He took them off and cleaned them again.

"Oh God," Anya slipped to the ground. "I was right. We are doomed."

****

The air was perfectly still. Willow felt her hands and shoulders grow heavy, like they'd been cast in concrete. She felt Tara's steady presence at her back, soothing and supporting, her voice chanting in time with her own. Power flowed around them both, interweaving between their bodies, energising them. The light of the candles glowed bright white.

She held out a fist, her hand clenching some iron filings. She sprinkled the filings into a candle flame, watching the sparks as they flew upwards and around the circle. Slowly the sparks grew, becoming orbs of light, spinning, stretching out to all corners of the room.

The chant continued. Sweat beaded on their brows, the weight of the spell beginning to make their hands and legs tremble.

If we fall, the spell will break… must hold on…

In the haze of the spell Willow promised herself some much-needed trips to the gym in the future. She could feel her stamina waning, the crushing weight bearing down suddenly too much for her already aching muscles. Tara staggered behind her, obviously having an equally hard time holding up the weight.

She could feel that the mass was being distributed between them and breathed a sigh of relief that Tara was there to bear some of the burden. With four witches the spell would have been a breeze. With just herself it would have been impossible. As it was she could feel her whole body beginning to shake from the pressure.

After what seemed an eternity the air began to move, a whirling sensation that she felt easing a little of the tension from her legs. Each of the floating lights began to gather up the magickal dust. The minuscule remains of the original orb glowed ominously green under the effects of the spell, scattered all over the shop floor, under furniture, even on their clothing.

She felt breath being pulled from her body, particles of the orb breathed in over hours of standing in the room. As each particle was found it was sucked up by the spinning orbs of light, each a magnet for the enchanted particles on the floor and in the air.

Tara's breath came out in a gasp, like she'd been holding it for a long while. Willow looked around in concern and nearly lost her hold on the spell. Her lover's face had drained of colour, her hair was tangled and drenched with sweat. The effort to hold up the weight dragged her shoulders downwards.

Willow reached down inside herself, drawing on more energy, draining the last of her reserves. She felt a transference of weight as more of the burden shifted to her shoulders. She groaned, her knees almost buckling, but somehow holding fast.

Tara's face showed immediate signs of relief. Willow tried to smile, sweat pouring down her face. The orbs continued to spin, gathering dust and shards efficiently.

But not fast enough! God, only a few more minutes, please… The spell was nearing completion, the air smelt suddenly cleaner, like a gulp of fresh mountain air. Behind her she could feel that Tara's breathing had almost returned to normal, her body not struggling to stand any more. The weight still sat heavily upon them both, but she could move her feet again with effort.

The spinning lights finished their work and gathered together in the air, awaiting the next commands. Willow spread her arms wide, gathering tendrils of smoke from the candles into a glowing sphere, sucking the lights and their precious dust inside.

"What say we put a coating on you that's a little more durable this time, huh?" She mumbled under her breath. We might need this orb more than once, can't have it shattering every time someone hitches a ride…

As she took over the weaving of the orb Willow released Tara from the working. Tara broke free from the circle, her body shuddering. "Oh my God, that book didn't say anything about carrying blocks of stone on our backs." She panted. "With a full coven maybe, but with just two?" She shook her head in exhaustion. "Never again."

"Wait. We still need to pull all these strands together." Willow's face twisted in concentration. "Almost got it…"

The balls of light spun faster, weaving themselves into one crystal pattern. At the end, when the crystal seemed almost completely formed, there was a sharp burst of light. Tara shielded her face wearily. When she opened her eyes again she saw dancing lights and a smiling, triumphant Willow holding a small, crystal orb.

"We did it." Willow said, proud but exhausted. She rolled the orb gently around in her palm. "It worked." Holding it up to the light she looked deep inside the ball, a flicker of light fluttered inside it. "Is that the soul?"

Tara nodded. "I remember seeing it in the picture. I wonder why Giles didn't see it in this crystal before?"

"Maybe it was sleeping. It needed to be woken up." Willow shrugged. "But now it's awake, how do we make it work?"

The bell on the front door jangled loudly as a figure stepped into the shop.

Tara looked around in panic. "I can't believe we forgot to lock the door!"

"Hello?" A familiar voice called. "Willow? I am injured. I need assistance."

Willow breathed out quickly. "It's just the Buffy-Bot." She looked around at the circle of candles and other strewn spell ingredients and snickered. "I suppose we could have pretended we were holding a book club meeting?"

Tara snorted. "Yeah, nothing like reading the classics by candlelight."

Willow stepped out of the circle, feeling residual magic crawling up and down her spine. She shivered. "Hi Buffy."

The Buffy-Bot walked over, holding out an arm. "Willow, I've been scratched." An exposed wire poked through otherwise human-like skin.

Willow felt that familiar hollow feeling in her stomach as she took the Bot's arm and studied the damage. She poked at the hole, feeling for other broken parts under the skin. "Vampires? But it's daytime."

Buffy-Bot looked confused. "It's eight o'clock."

Tara and Willow stared at each other, astonishement creeping over their faces. "We were under that weight for hours? No wonder I'm pooped." Tara flopped into the nearest chair. She looked around her, puzzled. "I didn't even notice how dark it had gotten."

Willow handed Buffy-Bot the orb. "Hold this. Be careful! I need both hands." She poked around in the arm, tinkering with wires. "Damn, I need tools to fix this, and I don't have any here. It's a long walk back to the house and we don't have that kind of time."

The Buffy-Bot looked curiously into the orb. "Maybe Spike has some."

Willow felt like she'd been hit by a bus. The air around her changed and she gasped, feeling her whole body sucked into a whirlwind. The shop, Tara, everything around her spun out of control. She grabbed hold of the Buffy-Bot in desperation, feeling nauseous as the ground slipped away from them. "Tara!" She screamed desperately. Her head ached as she felt her feet leave the ground, her limbs useless against the onslaught of ripping winds.

"Willow!" Tara rushed towards the whirling winds, clutching the air where Willow had stood. But it was too late. The portal disappeared as quickly as it came, the howling winds abating. As the last remnants of the portal collapsed upon itself the crystal dropped out, falling loudly to the floor and rolling away.

Tara stood and stared numbly. She watched as the precious orb rolled underneath a nearby shelf, too shocked to move and rescue it.

••••

"Oof!" Willow felt the air rush from her body as she slammed into something hard. Then she heard a crash as something fell out of the air behind her, rolling away and echoing her less-than-graceful landing on the other side of the room.

"Bloody hell!" A blonde head poked up from behind a large wooden coffin, bug-eyed. "Can't a guy enjoy his own crypt with a bit of peace and quiet?"

"Spike?" Willow groaned, clutching her head miserably. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" He stood up, waving a wooden stake around as he spoke. "This is my bloody home. What are you two doing here?"

"Your home?" She struggled to her feet, muscles protesting as she tested each limb carefully. "We're not in some strange demon dimension?"

"Spike?" The Buffy-Bot hopped up cheerfully, brushing the remains of what used to be a wooden chair from her skirt. "What a coincidence!"

He looked her over dubiously. "Yeah. Coincidence. That's what this is." He turned back to Willow. "Can you tell me what's going on? Most people crash through the front door when they're trying to kill me."

"I don't understand, we were standing fixing her arm, and she was holding the orb, and then she said something about you, and then…" Her eyes went wide.

"Hello?" He waved a hand in front of her face. "Care to share your little revelation?"

"The orb. It takes you to someone you love. When you say their name! That demon guy must have been saying the name of someone he loved. That's where Giles and the others are!" Willow babbled deliriously.

"I think I just came in at the end of the book somewhere." He replied, confused. "What's love got to do with it?"

"Tina Turner." Buffy-Bot spoke up, helpfully. "Pop hit from the eighties. Helped her come back after…"

"It's a long story." Willow cut her off. "I have to get back to the Magic Box. Tara is probably going out of her mind worrying. She probably thinks I'm in some hell dimension somewhere." She furiously began searching her pockets but came up empty-handed. "Damn. You should never get sucked into a dimensional portal without your cell phone." She looked up expectantly.

"Don't look at me!" Spike shook his head. "There's a payphone on the corner by the east gate of the cemetary. But I still don't get it."

"No time to explain. All I can say is, thank God I still haven't gotten Buffy-Bot's programming right yet. She came right to you when she said your name." Willow grabbed Buffy-Bot's hand. "We have to go. Sorry to…ummm… orb and run." She shrugged, heading quickly for the door.

Spike scratched his head absently with the wooden stake and watched them go. "Bloody women."

A few seconds passed as he stood there, watching the door the girls had disappeared through. He went to sit down, then reconsidered, staring at the door again. Curiousity itched at the back of his skull. "Oh, sod it all. Willow? Wait, I'm coming! You'll probably get yourself jumped by some pissed-off slime demon on the way back." He grabbed his leather jacket off a nearby chair and ran to catch up.

Onwards and upwards.. to Chapter 4