"Xander. Willow." I smiled as they walked into the magic shop. "Girl I dont know." I continued as Tara followed them inside.
"Buffy said you were back." Xander said "Didn't really believe it though..."
I shook my head "Got lucky. And who is this?" I asked as I eyed Tara.
"I-I'm Tara Maclay." The blond girl answered "Willow said you got her into magic?"
"She's my girlfriend." Willow blurted out and smiled happily.
I gave her a smile back "Glad to meet you Tara, As you know, name is Winter. As for getting Willow into magic, that was more Willow being curious then anything else." I then eyed the girls "You two look good together. Congratulations."
I then turned to Xander "Been keeping up with your training?" He nodded.
"Yep. Buffy still kicks my ass though." he said and I snorted.
"She can kick everyone's ass. You would likely beat me now though, I've been slacking off on the physical stuff." I said before looking around, doing a quick count "Are we waiting for somebody else?" I asked and Buffy nodded.
"Yeah. She should be here at any mome..." She said, though that was as far as she got before the door opened to let a redhead in.
She moved like Buffy.
"Hey guys." She said "What's going on? I got the batsignal, something about some guy named Winter?"
"Winter, this is Tanya. She is Kendra's..." Buffy said and stopped as I nodded, eyeing the new slayer.
No Faith then.
The new girl was short, about Buffy's size but a bit more... talented in the chest region. As she was a slayer she also was a complete knockout. Shoulder length red hair, nice green eyes. She was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
"Hello, Tanya. I'm Winter." I said, shaking her hand before I looked between the rest.
Tanya walked and sat down as Buffy leaned back against the counter "Everyone's here. So what's up?"
I paused for a moment, looking around the store. It was like I remember from the show, different from the place I bought my first magic book. Someone renovated.
Wonder what happened with the old man?
I shook my head before I started "I don't really know where to start."
"The beginning is usually a good place." Giles said and I nodded.
"Very well. As you all know, well other than maybe Tara and Tanya, is that I am from another reality. I ended up here by accident, and I left the same way. When my life was in imminent danger, I jumped to another reality. What I did not know at the time was that the first time I jumped, or Walked as it is called, I ceased to be completely human."
"How do you mean?" Buffy asked as Tanya shifted in her seat, her hand resting close to her boot. Likely a hidden dagger. Good girl.
"On my world there was a... well, call it a legend. One in a million people have this thing called The Spark." I said and looked between them "Think of it as... Well, think of it as being a potential Slayer." I said, giving the two slayers in the room a nod.
"One in a million of those potential Sparks can Ignite, causing the being to ascend. This can be caused by several things; violent death, reaching enlightenment, delving deep into the mystical arts. In my case it was a train to the face." I continued.
"Ascend to what?" Giles asked and I gave him a nod.
"To become a Planeswalker. A being with the ability to walk between worlds, to survive in the space 'Outside'. To travel through the Blind Eternities."
The group switched their looks from me to Giles who frowned before he shook his head.
"Never read about anything like it. There are demons able to travel between dimensions and rituals for it but I have never heard of a being able to do it at will." He said and I smiled slightly.
"I'm likely the first one to come to this Plane. My kind tend to... leave an impression on the locals." I sand and Tara gave me a wary look.
"How so?" She asked and I sighed as I shook my head.
"Has anyone ever heard of Land magic?" I asked, switching my look between Giles, Willow and Tara.
The two witches shook their heads and Giles frowned "Not exactly like that, but the old druids were said to gain their power from the land. Wiccans pull their power from the earth as well." he said and Willow shook her head.
"Not from the Earth, from nature. There is a difference."
I nodded "Well, powers derived from Land are called Mana. Each type of mana has different properties, and there are five kinds of mana I have been able to identify so far Let's use Red as an example here real quick. It is the color of destruction, of emotions, of pure unlimited power. Of fire and lightening. It will not be contained, will not be limited. It is very good for direct damage spells like fireballs. With me so far?"
Nods of understanding came the entire group.
"Good. Now the other colors beyond Red are White, Black, Green, and Blue. Each of them can be used for different kind of spells and come from different lands. White mana comes from plains and is associated with angels and healing, black mana comes from swamps and is associated with death and decay, green mana comes from forests and is associated with nature and growth, blue mana comes from islands and water and is tied to knowledge and manipulation, and red which I explained comes from mountains. Anything like that sound familiar?" I asked and got answers of "No" and head shakes in return.
Giles frowned "That kind of power is never free." he said and I couldn't help but nod.
"First law of magic. Nothing is EVER free." I said before I shook my head "The price is simple. It messes with your head. No, it's not mind control, nothing that... simple. It changes you on a fundamental level. Using Red for example, makes you much more likely to act rashly, lash out, follow your emotions. To not think things through."
"And you use this power?" Giles asked rhetorically before saying "That is a steep price to pay... and a dangerous one." Willow frowned as if she was contemplating something.
"What kinds of Mana do you use?" She asked and I smiled.
"I am slightly heavy on White, but other than that I have one of each." I answered. I picked up another White mana while I waited for the muskets to finish. I hated to bring myself off balance again, but I needed the healing power. I'll pick up new of the other colors as they come available. I just need to watch myself until then. "I try to keep a balance between them to keep their affect on my mind minimal. The extra white was due to... necessity."
Willow slowly nodded and I continued "This mana balance is part of why I am back... I need help."
"With what?" Buffy asked and I frowned.
"I have been in several worlds since I left here. The last one was a more medieval setting. Since I arrived here... I have fought in wars, helped a species not die out, fought demons and vampires as well as servants of giant space cyborg cuttlefish." I said before glancing at them and shook my head "Don't ask." I said and then I continued.
"I arrived on this Plane. The people were simple folk and I took up residency in a local Inn in a small town. I just wanted to get away from the fighting. Relax."
I played with a pen I picked up from the counter "It didn't last. A few days later a stranger came to the village...a woman, looking about twenty. Beautiful. She healed people and it did not take long before I realized she was like me. A Planeswalker."
"What happened?" Willow asked and I gave her a small smile.
"I didn't agree with her plan to purge all undesirables from the world so she tried to kill me." I answered and they stared at me so I shook my head.
"Her name is Mary... and from what I have been able to tell, She has only White mana."
Tara frowned "But White magic is supposed to be good." and I smiled sadly.
"Seen from its best side, it is. White mana is the color of compassion, of civilization. Humans are White color creatures. But white is also completely rigid, white is Law. White is Order."
I shook my head "White is the book 1984. White is Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Mary's head is so twisted by the White Mana she uses that she is unable to see anyone that is not on her side as anything but pure evil."
"You said you were heavy on white as well?" Giles injected and I nodded.
"Yes, but only by one land. I have others to counteract it and it takes time for mana to work its 'mind mojo' on a person. I just need to find some time in a Swamp and I will be able to counteract it completely. Black counters White and the other way around."
Tanya looked at me "You want us to help fight her." she stated and I sighed.
"Not exactly... and Yes. You see, there is something else you can do with Mana that is not just a spell. You can also..." and that was as far as I got when the door shattered to splinters, revealing a curly haired blond chick in a red dress and high heels.
The Hellgoddess Glorificus walked inside with a sneer on her lips "Ok, I have had it. You will tell me where The Key is! NOW!"
AN// Big thanks to hance1986 for betaing this.