No Hero

Author's Notes: Thanks, Albie, Neo, and Mole!

Emptiness

Buffy flung the manuscript she had been looking over across the table with a frustrated shout.

“Guess you didn’t like that one, huh?” Xander quipped with his trademark sarcastic grin.

“There’s nothing in there, Xand,” Willow said, understanding of Buffy’s disappointment. “There’s stuff about forgetting spells that make you forget everything –”

“As was the case with your spell,” Giles commented gently, remembering the spell Willow had performed to make them all forget their pains, which had inadvertently erased their memories.

Without warning, Buffy giggled aloud, and three pair of eyes turned to look at her with concern. Immediately, she amended, “I was just thinking of Dawn and her necklace… Umad… and Spike’s ridiculous brown suit.”

“R-randy!” Xander burst into a fit of laughter and adopted a horrid English accent. “‘Randy Giles? You might as well have named me Horny Giles, or Desperate-For-A-Shag Giles!’”

“‘I knew there was a reason I hated you,’” Willow added with a laugh, and at last, even Giles chuckled at the memory. Soon, the group was gasping for breath and clutching their sides as they recalled various moments from that night – and many others.

“D-do you remember the time Anya and Dawn were bickering about whether or not Spider-man got paid for saving people?” Xander questioned between laughs.

“And you said that action was his reward?”

“And then you said that Anya was like, ‘You never take my side!’ and it was almost World War Three?”

“That’s the time!”

“And do you remember when –”

“A-as enjoyable and… and comforting as this may be,” Giles interrupted, “we’ve found nothing of value yet.”

“There’s nothing here, Giles,” Willow protested when the Englishman passed her a book to read through. “There are only spells like the one I did, complete memory wipes where you can’t remember anything at all, and spells that apply to certain memories, like o-of a place or an event.”

“This applies to certain memories,” said Buffy firmly. “This applies to the memories of the people we love most.”

Exasperated, Xander retorted, “Yeah, but there’s nothing on record about that!”

“Then it… it could be a new spell, or something,” offered the witch. “Or even a new use for an old spell?”

“I think we all agree that we’ll find nothing in these books,” said Giles. “I can’t believe I actually said that… I suppose now we must ask ourselves ‘why?’”

“That’s what I want to know,” Buffy agreed, her tone fierce with anger. “It’s bad enough that he… that they’re all gone, but now we’re losing memories, too?”

“I know that no one wants to hear this, but isn’t it possible that we’re all just forgetting stuff?” Xander inquired. “Does there always have to be a Big Bad involved?”

“Th-that was the first thing I thought,” Willow said gently, “and I don’t feel any magic, but Xander, we can’t all forget the same sort of thing just… just boom, can we?”

“Willow is right,” Giles conferred. “Much as I would like to believe that there is nothing more sinister at work than the fallibility of the human mind, I think… I feel that something is wrong.”

“So do I, and I have Spidey sense.”

With a pained smile, Xander nodded his agreement and said, “Actually, I’m kinda glad everyone agrees that it’s a spell, because that way…”

“Our memories can be put back?”

“Yeah.”

“Willow, will you try again?” Giles asked, turning to study the witch. “Not now, of course, I assume that you are even more exhausted than the rest of us.”

“No,” the redhead replied as she lit a circle of candles and placed them in the center of the group. “I’ll try now. Everyone join hands.” As she spoke the words, Willow’s eyes took on the uncanny shade of black that signified the use of powerful magic.

“Is this where we sing songs about flowers and love?” Xander teased as he took Willow’s hand in one of his, Giles’ in the other.

“Oh, dear Lord…” the Englishman muttered under his breath, linking his hand with the tiny golden one of his slayer’s.

Buffy, in turn, grasped Willow’s free hand, and the group simultaneously closed their eyes without Willow’s instruction to do so.

“Mnemosyne, Titan of memory, mother of the Muses,” Willow began in a voice so fierce that those gathered had no doubt that all creatures of both Heaven and Earth would hear her. “Here we sit, your servants, Children of Light and Protection. We call upon you to guide us. Show us the cause for our loss.”

At the witch’s nod, the company leaned forward and extinguished the candles with a simultaneous exhalation.

The plumes of smoke danced momentarily before taking the form of a woman, and Willow, acting as their leader, bowed her head in respect.

“You called upon me, Witch,” said the disembodied Titan in a voice that was kinder and softer than what was expected.

“Yes. We’re in need of aide and knew that we had to turn to you,” the redhead stated confidently.

“It is Themis you seek,” Mnemosyne replied, “not I.”

“T-this has to do with our memories,” Buffy added quietly.

“It is not memory that ails you, Slayer. This is a matter of justice, not forgetfulness.”

“But…” Willow protested.

“Seek Themis in two days’ time,” answered the Titan. “She will know the answer to your questions. I am sorry I cannot help you.” The smoke swirled around the candles until they were relit, and then evaporated, leaving the quartet frustrated yet heartened.

“Yes, well… At least now we have something to go on,” said Giles encouragingly.

As the black receded from Willow’s eyes, she nodded her agreement. “Yeah… Now we have something to go on.”

“What if we forget more by then?” Xander asked the question no one else dared voice. “What if we forget everything?”

“We’ll figure something out, Xan.” Buffy offered a reassuring smile and leaned over the candles to hug him. “I promise.”