Elemental: Seven Stories for Seven Days (a series)

[justin]

I''d fallen behind with my feedback giving, which is very bad

Gold: This is a very good story. I like the idea of Tara as a genie (so much better than Robin Williams). I like the way they're both able to help each other. Tara helps Willow rediscover the beauty in the world and herself, whilst Willow helps Tara discover herself.

Now I've just got to find me a gold mirror.

Earth: You weren't blowing smoke when you said this would be angsty to the max.

The thing which makes it so angsty is the way you managed to bring Willow's grief to life. You make it a palpable thing which it is very easy for us to feel.

I like the ending which leaves us with the hope of a W/T reunion.

I haven't read DOIR but this story makes me want to.

[terra21]

Ok Watty,

This story was soooo dark and depressing and angsty. I don't know how to deal with those things in a Willow and Tara world. I usually don't, but I am glad you went where most kittens don't dare go and brought us this fantastic fic.

I'm looking forward to the continuation!

t

[meretricious]

watson, i remember when you started developing this fic, and you were asking for input, and it took me forever to give you any. i kept getting sucked into the story and the pain and completely forgetting i was supposed to evaluate the writing. when i started to read the final version here, i thought it would be much easier, i'v'e already read and disected it before, and i thought i might have some angst immunity. silly me.
this is an incredible piece of writing. the rawness and immediacy of willow's pain that you've portrayed here brings me to my metaphorical knees every time, and also takes me places that really, i don't want to visit very often. as immensely as i've enjoyed every story in this series, i think earth has affected me more, personally. i also think i'll probably revisit it less, and i mean that in the best possible way. this isn't angst for angst's sake, or generic roadblocking before the inevitable happy ending. this is a meditation on grief, and really, on what makes us human. and there is hope, too, which makes things richer and yet still harder. to have hope is to be open to being hurt again. just beautifully done watty, maybe when you get going again on dair, i'll be ready to feel the pain here again ~mary

[tarawhipped]

Watty! What can I say about Earth? A gay romp! A laugh a minute farce of epic silliness! A timeless romantic adventure set in space! With dancing vampire cavemen!

Okay, so Earth was none of those things...but I don't care. I did not cry, but that could be because I didn't breathe most of the time. I avoided rereading this for the longest time, not because I didn't want to, but because I wanted to give it the full attention it deserves. This is not something I could read over lunch at work, or on the train. That said, I think I could read it over and over again and find something new to appreciate each time.

Common Areas proved you can write heartwrenching emotion as well as anyone, but you really raised the bar here. Psimetis' universe (or universes, I should say, since you reference blind Vamp Willow as well) are among my favorites, and you do a wonderful job of building on that but adapting it to make it your own here. Despite your different version of Willow and Tara meeting, everything else flows smoothly from her 'verse (dare I say...organically? ).

Your depiction of Willow is so rich, so heartbreaking. As much as I wanted to kick Giles (senior citizen or no) for assuming she'd go on a demonic rampage, I found myself almost hoping that she would. Angry, destructive vampires make sense...grief-stricken, emotionless ones don't, and it was so very painful to see her that way.

I like how you set most of the story within her sanctum, which Tara herself had imbued with the spirit of the Earth. It's fitting that Willow be physically inaccessible to the others, since she is emotionally inaccessible also. Except for Tara, of course, who apparently has an all-access Willowpass (mmmm...uhh...sorry...mind wandering). The dreams/memories flowed nicely from vague and terrifying, to the somewhat menacing courtship, to the excitement and reckless abandon of their romance, to the depth of emotion they feel toward each other. It's like each one digs a little deeper under the surface of what they were. Brilliant!

And the ending...thank goddess for 150 years later postscripts! I really like the fact that Angel and Harmony are still with Willow...Psimetis created possibly the only 'verse where Harm is one of my favorite characters, not just comic relief. I know you have a lot on your plate right now and it will be some time before Days of Innocence dawns (Ha!), but just knowing it's out there, swirling around in a small part of your lovely mind, makes me content.

-Cam

[GayNow]

Watty,

We've talked about this. I read it once -- when I beta read it for you. And I haven't read it again. I won't read it again until you have completed DoIR. But that doesn't mean that it's not worth reading. Far from it.

By the second paragraph, I was sniffling and crying a bit. By the second page, I was sobbing. After 26 pages, I was still sobbing. Twenty minutes after finishing my reading, I finally stopped crying. I won't read it again. Not until DoIR is complete. If I'm going to be a sobbing, slobbering mess, I'm going to do it all at once, not update after update. I know you understand. We've talked about this.

All of that being said, this is the most beautiful writing I've ever seen from you. And that's saying a lot. I've loved your writing from the first time I read Common Areas. I think that is why it touched me so profoundly -- you took your writing to a whole new level. Every keystroke you made for this story tightened the vice on my heart. It was painful in a way that I've never experienced pain. Simultaneously, it brought to mind every.single.painful.moment I've ever had. So it was all compounded. The pain was personal. And that's why I can't read it again. I can't take the pain anymore.

Thank you for agreeing to start this group with me. We've always joked that we share brain cells. I think this project proved that idea to be true. We pulled together a pretty impressive group. But even I didn't think that all of you would reach this level of writing. We done good, watty.

Much love and admiration,

Car

[Constantinversion]

Hi Watty,

Jess here (Car's Jess). It's been quite a while since I last visited the kitten, I know and it's good to be back. This is the first bit of feedback that I have written since my return and this story is very well deserving.

I cannot put into words the things that I felt while reading this but I will try. This story was so beautiful in absolutely every way. The real, almost touchable love and pain that you portrayed here touched me so very deeply.I was rendered speechless and that is an accomplishment all in its own.

Amazing...simply amazing.

Thank you, Watty.

[watty]

Thanks to everyone who read and gave feedback. I’m more than aware that this story, of the seven in our series, is the most controversial, so contentious is the nature of stories set in the Wishverse. Vamp stories are not everyone’s cup of tea. More so than Water, Earth touches on a subject area that is so emotionally intense that I’m not sure if all the angst warning in the world would have been sufficient.

Most VW/T stories focus on the beginning of their relationship. Usually of how VW met Tara and wanted to bite her, then the demon is tamed, and they fall in love (I’m generalizing of course). That in itself is powerful enough. But then what? They have the years in which the human is alive, but humans are mortal, what happens to the demon when her human lover dies?

I’d like to make a general announcement here. I mentioned that this is a prequel and that I have started writing the main story. It’s a big undertaking, I need to tap into a special place in my mind to write this, plus I have several projects in the pipeline which have higher priority. Rest assured that I will return to this story, but it may be a while before you see it posted.


[hr]


Sally

Am I trying to kill you all? Not intentionally, it’s a side effect. Understand that I had to go to a dark place myself to write this, allowing some of my own experiences and emotions to come to the surface … stuff that I’d rather stay buried and archived to the external hard disk of my mind. I get what you mean about sepia-colored, I visualize it myself in black and white and with no background music.

I suppose that grieving is also like being in a dream (or a nightmare) as it has an unreal quality to it.

Yes, it was surreal. Willow was on the verge of slipping into a vampire’s version of a coma, and her mind was spinning out of control which led to the blurring of the lines between dreams, flashbacks and perhaps even the future. There comes a point, just before losing consciousness, that everything is so utterly clear, I think Willow was getting close to that point.

I'm especially glad to know there's a sequel of sorts that is already written because at the end I desperately wanted to know what happened and how 150 years later Willow would react to Tara's return.

I will return to the main story. Eventually. There is a lot of story there – the prequel to this prequel, like how they met and the 15 years they were together; the main story itself about Tara’s return and how the world, and Willow, has changed since then. It’s a big project, and one I want to take my time writing. I hope I haven’t raised hopes too high, because I won’t be able to return to the story until at least the end of next year, it’s in the queue, but has 3 other projects ahead of it. I hope you’ll still be around when I start writing that one again.

who would normally be, um, allergic

Such attention to detail - the um, followed by allergic - I'm trying to put into words why I find this phrasing, sentence structure, this detail so charming. I guess it's because a little bit of Willow with her quirky way of putting things coming through.

That’s great praise indeed. I have this mental block when it comes to analyzing writing and styles and stuff like that. I don’t consciously go for a certain style, or way of writing, I just type. So for you to find something clever that I seemed to have done … heehee … I thank you.

Very well done, watty.

Thank you, my friend. Thank you for diligently reading and showing unfailing support for our series. You’re always one of the first to give feedback and I know that it’s not because you’ve figured out our posting schedule. In a way, I feel like you’re the #1 fan of Elemental. I should make you a badge or something.


*****

Missocki

HOLY SHAT!

that’s a new one. I’m keeping it.

I could feel the dirt in my hand as Willow kissed it goodbye, and even the tiny seed in her hand.

Thanks. The part where Willow lets the soil drop onto the coffin? I “saw” it in slow motion, from 2 different angles, believe me when I say it felt real, writing this story. I had to tap into some serious grief myself. Thanks for reading.


*****

cecile

Hi cecile! Thank you for the lovely, long and detailed fb. Your emails and fb always brighten up my day.

you wouldn't want to part with it, so you bring it with you when you sleep, pee, eat, go to work, and if anyone dared try to take it, you go all veiny and say, "I owe you pain!"

Despite the levity of your words, there is truth to this. Like I said to Sally, I had to take myself to a dark place to write this, there were some very real emotions from my own experience there.

Sorry to make you cry, I wasn’t trying to manipulate emotions, I wrote what I felt. I smiled at your destroyed angst-o-meter, I hope the shoppe was able to fix it for ya. If not, tell them to search through the Yellow Pages and look for suppliers of Massively Thick Tissues.

Willow was at the edge of her grief, but you’re right, giving her a hug will remind her of her own frailty. Vamp Willow, especially a VW who is in love with Tara, is a creature of contrast. Here is a master vampire, there to wreck havoc on the human and demon population, manipulative and sadistic. Yet back home, she can show so much tenderness toward her love. This is why her pain is so palpable. A lesser vampire would shrug off the death of her lover (cos, to a vampire a lover is probably just a boink buddy), but not Willow, who has learnt / grown / retained so much of her humanity.

"Is it because I'm evil? Undeserving? That I don't even get 50 years?"

Listening to the slowing heartbeat that had been her rock for so many years, as it stuttered, and then there was silence.

these are just two of the passages in your story that really touched me and made me cry the hardest.

My favorite lines too, especially the second one. I know I wrote it and all, but there’s something so raw about these lines.

nice touch on the mention of all the other elements in your story!

Oh yes, that was deliberate. A few of us did that too.

watty the watsying watson

Cecile, thank you for your feedback. Even back when the days that you were a lurker, your enthusiasm and support always touched me deeply.


*****

Kaia

And let me say, btw, that the angst warning was nowhere near enough.

Thanks for that. I moved the warning and made it bold so it stood out. I knew always that it would be a difficult story to read, since it was so difficult to write, although it was something I had wanted to write in a while. I’m glad it made an impact. Thanks again.


*****

caz

Heh, I’m not sure if it’s a case of psimetis letting me borrow her universe as in “I wrote this story kinda set in your universe and here it is, please don’t sue me!” Seriously, she has been supportive of my venture into that world and for that I’m grateful.

I was almost in tears at the pain that Willow goes through.

I put Willow through a lot of pain, yes. She is a vampire, and by definition she is capable of more pain than humans. But, and this is a big but, most of that is physical pain. I always wondered about a vampire’s tolerance level for emotional distress, and I’ve come to the conclusion that they can’t take as much as humans, the demon inside them will surely fight against human emotions like love and compassion.

I wanted to show how different she is from other vampires, because of Tara. Not souled like Angel or chipped like Spike, she achieved the rare balance between the “weak” human side and the “evil” demon side. And it was all due to Tara. Now, being able to feel love means she is also able to feel grief, so when Tara goes, the amount of grief she feels is proportional to the amount of love she felt. And hey that was a long ramble, hope it made sense. Thanks for your support, as always.


*****


Tiggrscorpio

I understand your hesitation at the Vamp Willow storyline, it’s not for everyone. It’s a testament of how much VW is a part of “normal” Willow that we ended up with 2 out of 7 stories around her in our series.

In reading the list of elements, at the beginning, I thought Earth might be the most difficult to capture.

And did I let the others choose first? Did I? That I did. Oh, except Cam. There was Fire and Earth left and I said to Cam, “do you wanna take Fire? I’m taking Earth.” Car and I may post more details about the entire Elemental process, but initially my Earth was either one where W/T do gardening, or a general vampire rising from the earth story. I’m glad I found the inspiration to write this one.

I was touched at the idea that Tara would be revered by both humans and demons alike. It's so appropriate and I would like to believe it isn't just because of her relationship with Master Willow, but because of her own nature.

So true! I never pictured her as “pet” or “slave” because of her inner strength which Willow surely saw and appreciated. She may have to pretend to be the human pet in “polite” society for show. I can imagine that during the 15 years that she was with Master Will, she did many favors to the friendly demon population of Sunnydale that gradually they came to know her as Tara and not Master’s pet.

Thank you for the wonderful feedback.


*****


Elvis

Yes, I know you love this story. Thank you for your continued encouragement of my writing. Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful comments when you beta’ed it. And yes, I do consider Earth as having been beta’ed by Elvis. *proud.*

I feel like the progression is following a pattern of intensity. The first 2 have innocence and promise. The next two, promise but hints or direct perversity. The next 2, beautiful prose and depictions of two people who have completely given themselves over to the other.

You’re so right. It sounds like we did it on purpose. You’ve articulated what I guess I was doing subconsciously, that Willow and Tara did give themselves over to the other completely. A vampire Willow passionately in love with a human, and a human Tara overlooking the fact that Willow was a evil monster. There is something transcending about their relationship.

I remember you telling me that you had an intense reaction to the funeral scene. Hope you don’t mind me bringing this up, but I think you understand where I’m coming from – we both went through anniversaries of losing a loved one recently, and it was very high on my mind when I was writing this piece. Because I wasn’t “officially” in her family, I was thinking “what am I supposed to do?” during the funeral. I was there for the entire 2 days, but as a sort of meeter and greeter, not as part the mourning family.

It was just like Willow to dig the hole herself, and by hand. A powerful witch like her could have done it with a flick of her wrist, but it was her way of honoring her love. The sons making their father’s casket story so moving and poignant, to be given the opportunity to show their love for their father like that. It’s closure, like you said. What an apt word to describe it.

Like I mention to Missocki, the scene where the soil from the earth slipped through Willow’s fingers onto the top of the casket … I saw it in my mind, from two different angles, it was that real. I saw it from Willow’s pov, and I watched the particles slip out through the gaps in her fingers and in slow motion make their way down the black hole. I also saw it from the bottom of the hole, of being rained on by a shower of soil, and then a little bounce as the particles hit the hard wood surface.

Re: Giles and Willow. They would have known each other for many years by then, and would have come to an understanding. I also envisioned that Tara would have gone to him often, perhaps when the whole “sleeping with a demon” part got too much for her. Giles was always a pragmatic person, the Giles of the Wishverse much more so, he would have seen the value of having someone like Tara close to Master Willow. I’m not sure if Willow was reading directly from the journal, I think of it more as reading through and summarizing what Tara did each day of the week.

Re: Willow is a soul-less vampire and no life in the mansion. Yes, the passages that you picked out brings home the “un-“ part of unlife at the mansion. Willow the scheming Master would never have given up the challenge of finding a way to prolong the 50-60 years that she would have with Tara. She made a promise to never Turn Tara, but in her mind, she was always exploring other ways that would mean a still human Tara lived longer, to be at her side.

Tara nodded again. "Willow," she said, and Willow thought back to the day at the Bronze when she learnt Tara's name, and how she rolled it around her tongue in the same way. "Come, Willow."

I don’t know what to say about this line except that it’s absolutely perfect.

Thanks! There is something simple, yet subtle about how Tara said it. I like it too.

Re: Reunion and Visit. The third dream, of the theatre, golf course, role reversal, it was as a result of Willow’s plea, to give her one last dream, of all the different memories and scenarios she and Tara enjoyed. Could any of us live through Tara’s visit, and subsequent departure? I think we’ll have to be extremely strong, and have so much faith in our love’s promise, to get through that. The seed helped, and gave hope – this was one of the instances where Willow’s immortality would have helped, because she knew she could continue to keep an eye out on the tree.

The part about blind alternate universe Willow? That was Brave Eyes. And I did change it a little in the final posted version.

Re: watty styled smut. Thank you. And you know how I like your way of fading out, not writing the smut and picking up again when they’re both relaxed and snuggly in bed. And then there is Please … what diverse talent.

I’m proud to be associated with the project.

I’m proud to be associated with all the participants. We exceeded all expectations, but I shouldn’t be surprised with a group as awesome as this.

Thank you, I can say that you have been one of the most powerful influences of my short writing career, I won’t be here without my rocks and you’re one of them.


*****

Chris

*Hands Chris a big box of man-sized tissues.*

I was worried that coming after Gold, it’d be a shock to the system. While you bathed us all in a blanket of warm sunshine-y goldness, along I come and wreck it with something that tears people apart.

You summarized the salient points of the story so well, better that I could have. This Willow is on the outside a cruel, evil monster. But so much of her humanity is intact, whether or not it’s due to what Angel described as the personality flowing to the vampire, or whether it was due to Tara’s place in her heart, no one knows.

it was just about a woman who's seen her love get sick and fade away

Yes, and yes. Basically, yes. No one could have foreseen Tara falling ill. There was nothing solid that Willow could lash out against when it happened, and it was grossly unfair. How did Willow stand it? It was love, true love, and the promise that she made to Tara. The question is, how long can she keep that promise.

The moment with the seed, there was so much meaning to it. The theme of the earth keeping guard and nurturing their love. The promise of Tara’s return. The task that Tara had essentially given Willow. All that, in one little seed. And Willow was smart enough to realize that, I suppose her inner demon had been so subdued or changed by now, that it probably was able to think a little like a human.

I will return to the story eventually. While I have nowhere near your number of ideas and projects in various stages of development, I do have my own little queue. about vampires and space fleets and giant robots. I’ll leave that to my seniors in terms of those uber settings – so how’s about adding those to your “to write” list?

Incidentally, I'm going to blame you for the appalling level of flowery angst-free love-and-smut sappiness in the next chapter of Smut

You just want an excuse to let the inner sappiness come out. Feel free to blame me, especially if the next chapter appears on our screen in the near future.

Thanks for being such an integral part of the group. Your talent with the wallpapers, the graphics, the Trek talk, it made the project so much richer.


*****

taralicious

Wow. Stygian blackness eh? That’s dark and dank and deep. And yes, intended. Thanks for the words, I’ve never thought of myself as a crafter of stories, I just kinda write them.

read something light and frothy about Willow and Tara and a gallon of ice cream and why they got chocolate sauce all over Buffy's bed.

*looks up* -- perhaps Chris’ next Smut Bunnies installment?

Thanks again, Blayne, you’ve consistently stopped by and given much appreciated feedback for the series. Thanks for your support.


*****

Grace

LOL about the Kleenex. No I don’t have a contract, but I may be looking for one?

Good point about it being a movie that the viewer would want to turn away from. But to your point that who wants to watch that kind of horror, people go to theatres to be tortured that way, heehee.

Re: Giles. He is the father figure, especially this version of Giles in the Wishverse. Just as Master Willow controlled the demon population, Giles was the head of the White Hats after all, and would have explained to them the meaning of not coming into conflict with the master. I mean, a master who was willing to keep the peace? We’ll take that any time over a master who wanted to take over Sunnydale.

"Tell me my name.”

"Tara." Willow whispered so softly she didn't know if it carried the distance.

Tara nodded. "Now tell me your name.”

"Willow.”

Tara nodded again. "Willow," she said, and Willow thought back to the day at the Bronze when she learnt Tara's name, and how she rolled it around her tongue in the same way. "Come, Willow."

is just absolutely perfect. I don’t know what else to say about it.

Like I said to Debra (hey, you quoted the same passage, did you two collude or something?), it’s something uniquely Tara, that she can say something so simple, yet with so much meaning.

The seed carries the hope and the promise

That it does. Thank you.


*****

Cyd

I want to quote your entire post, cos you write even feedback beautifully. It’s better written than the story, IMHO anyway.

No, not gratuitous writing, is it much more? Now you’ve made me think, I have to search deep inside myself and admit yes. It was a way to tame some of my own demons, and get stuff out of my system.

It is a beautifully dark tale of lost love, decayed in the physical, but never in the emotional or spiritual. Only then to be reborn again, back to that physical world.

Can I use this as the summary next time? It summarizes the entire story so well, you took something that was in my mind and twirled it around yours and it’s so beautiful.

The first scene, I think several people have comment on it. It is intense. And the isolation that you caught.

There is only Willow. Alone. Without.

So true. She is a unique creature in this world, who can understand her? The face of a 17 year old. Thrown into unspeakably horrid dimensions for 19 years. Evil overlord of Sunnydale. Yet love of a human mortal. It’s almost contradictory. She has around her Giles, Angel, Harmony – who can she go to, to brawl her eyes out at the loss of her love? No one. And that is one of the saddest outcome of this.

This is a very difficult topic to write without falling into traps that make it feel contrived. You, of course, are beyond that. You have taken something very dark and shined a light on it that makes it very touching to read.

I’m quoting you again. I keep repeating myself, that it was very difficult to write. There was a lot of personal experience in there and I’m glad it didn’t come across as heavy handed. I also had a good team around me that kept me grounded. So my sincere thanks to you too, your vivid imagination and quietly brilliant nature rubbed off and I am definitely glad to be associated with you. Thanks dear.


*****

Mary

OK, that was just me, Mary, posing as a business executive! Didja buy it? Huh?

LOL about the tissue sales, Therapist Mary. Are you trying to collect as many nicknames as possible and you’re now [insert name of famous woman CEO]?

I'm not always terribly enamored of W/T-as-vampire stories. It often feels hard to wrest a believable love story out of it. I think what helped make this work is that Willow did hold onto a sense of her humanity.

Agreed on all points. Vamped stories are at best an acquired taste and I know many people don’t read them. Did Willow hold onto her humanity deliberately? I doubt it. I strongly believe that Tara was the one who kept the humanity in Willow, as it would have been hard for a soul-less demon to love and cherish a human Tara, just as a human would not have been able to bear the burden of being with someone completely evil.

Re: Dru weeping for Tara. I sent you an email about the backstory. Dru was Willow’s Sire, so Tara was to all intents and purposes her daughter-in-law, though it didn’t exactly worked that way in that household.

Re: Truce. Both sides benefit from this, and I’ve seen several fics venture into this area. A peaceful Sunnydale means a prosperous Sunnydale. The demons are free to kill each other, so long as they don’t kill humans. And who’s to say that the vampires don’t drink off the occasional human victim? As long as they don’t kill them. It also allowed Tara to gather up the courage to confront Willow outside the Bronze. Unlike, say, Sidestep, Tara wasn’t a maverick witch able to hold her own against the vampire, she was smart enough to know that with the truce in place, she had protection in case the vampire attacked her. Of course she would have felt something too while being stalked, some attraction that must have scared the daylights out of her. I haven’t even begun to consider that part of the story.

Re: constance, commitment and promises. This is the human side of Willow coming through. Though initially it must have merely been infatuation, real love between them was established quickly. And it was a constant internal battle, for Willow to keep such promises to Tara. More in the prequel to this prequel that hadn’t been written yet.

the moment when Tara asks if Willow will wait for her. As loaded questions go, this one has all chambers filled: a vampire waiting forever means...forever. 150 years, for example. Tara knew this when asking; Willow knew it when answering.

Very powerful yes. I mentioned this already, Master Will is a rare and unique creature, one who married the violence needed to run Sunnydale with love for Tara. She probably didn’t expect Tara to take 150 years to return, and in what form. That, again, is something I will return to.

The sex was sexy and sexacious and sexifull and sexfulacious.

Thanks HoMary.

Mary, you are one of the greatest writers on Pens. I will freely admit that if Kittens were asked to vote to which 7 writers would write this series (wouldn’t that have been fun), yours would be one of the first to be on the list, you are that influential. It was a matter of timing … if you had returned to a few weeks earlier. Thanks for becoming part of the group, your wit and insight (and craziness ) is a rare gem.


*****

binky

I really don’t mind that Buffy’s Willow is long gone from this story. I like Tara’s Willow, humanized monster and all.

So true. There is a distinction between fluffy Willow and this Willow, as shown by how Brave Eyes Buffy went crazy when she was confronted with that image. How much of canon Willow is this Willow? Or should I say, how much of canon VW is this version? I think the answer is very different and this is because of Tara. Though certainly it started off as an infatuation probably of a bored vampire, not allowed to kill humans because of the truce negotiations, I’d like to think that during the course of their “courtship” they fell so much in love that it probably surprised them.

Stalking someone good to eat – This Tara isn’t canon Tara, either. Nor is she Brave Eyes or Master Willow Tara. I like your confident Tara a lot.

I think she started off as canon Tara, but Willow stalking her would have first scared her, and then there may have been a spark of interest, and then ... teehee, I’m writing the story already.

The exposition was spot on in establishing the basics of this world and this story. Didn’t overpower us with the fact that this is a new universe we’re learning about.

Thank you. I have a lot of this story and this universe in my mind, it’s a story that needs to be told. But it certainly helped when writing, because I have so much background information in my head already.

the idea that a vampire would rather live in that dream world, to the neglect of her demon and the decay of her otherwise immortal body—so poignant.

Yes. You’ve articulated what I was trying to show but wasn’t truly able to, thank you. The idea is that someone in this amount of pain and grief, when given some form of hope, would not hesitate to abandon their currently pointless life and seek to permanently live in the better dream world. And the sex leading to the production of the seed. Wow. I never thought of that, you’re making me sound cleverer than I really was.

Was erotica a required part of the project challenge to the 7 authors? It’s been so naturally grafted into all the story plots in all the fictions in this series.

I haven’t forgotten when you asked (i think it was after Fire) to have more details about how this project came about and how it was conducted. More and more I think our readers may be interested, and it’ll be good to document. I will go into more after terra posts Sun. Suffice it to say that the series began life as seven smuttastic stories, that the stories have become more than smut (though we retained the smut requirements) is all due to the brilliance of the team.

Thank you for reading. Want more? It will come.

*****


anna

Angst, angst, angst … this is all about angst. Yes.

Despite how tragic and hard to read this story was, it was so beautifully written.

*sniff* Thanks Anna. As I said in a couple of the replies above, it took a lot out of me to write, and if it affected me that much, it’ll have similar effects on the readers. 150 years of mourning would have been hard – Tara never promised a date, so Willow would have been beside herself the first few years, plus of course the vampires = immortal factor, who knew how many years she had to wait?



*****


Emmy

Hey, Emmy! Don’t worry about feedback not leaving, I know you’re here, your bright moods is a constant reminder of why I’m so luck to be a member of the team.

Your writing has captured something that cannot even be put into words. It's painful and heartbreaking, it made my throat burn and my eyes sting in the way that precedes tears.

Wow. Thank you. From one of the best descriptive writers I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. I know from reading all the feedback I’ve gotten how it affected the readers. I feel stories that are soaked in the writer’s own tears (figuratively, not literally!) have that effect, that the readers can feel the writer’s emotions when they read. And this one did. It had the tears that I hadn’t shed for people who meant a great deal to me all over it, and I think it overflowed.

This story began in death but ended in life.

My first idea was to do a simple, perhaps canon, piece on gardening. That fit the earth theme well. Then I started getting ideas about vampires rising from the earth, something we are all familiar with. Then this came to my mind. How much life there is buried in the earth that we tread on, but on the other hand, we bury our dead in the earth. The cyclic patterns of life and death came to mind.

Thanks for your words, Emmy. Can you imagine it’s been 6 weeks since Moon? How far we’ve come since then? Thank you so much for being part of the team and for setting the ambience for the series. I thought I’d change wallpapers on my laptop every week, but it’s stayed at Moon all through. I love the atmosphere. Sorry to the other guys, heehee.


*****


justin

Max angsty, yes. I guess no amount of angst warning could have been enough.

You make it a palpable thing which it is very easy for us to feel.

It’s hard to write feelings. How are you supposed to fully describe that sinking feeling when your world has just opened up a hole and you’re falling through it?

Re: ending. I wasn’t going to include the 150 years later part, in my mind the story ends with Willow planting the seed. But that would have been too painful to bear. Even though I will return to write the main story, it’s probably too long to wait.

Thanks for reading, pal.


p.s. on a totally unrelated topic, my sis’ parents-in-law are in town and they gave me a small box of Thorntons Winter Choccies. Yum.


*****


terra

It’s hard to deal with death and dark and depressing and angsty, especially in this world, especially in the sanctuary that we have here. But it was a piece that needed to be written, even though it was hard on me and harder on the readers.

I'm looking forward to the continuation!

I’m looking forward to Sun!


*****

maru

First, thanks for the big dissection. It was fantastically helpful. I’ve never had multiple reviewers before (I think it’s the first for all of the team) and it made the story even better and tighter.

I was told when we started that making you cry was a big honor. Not because you’re unemotional or anything like that. So the fact that I touched you, I feel like I should pat myself on the back and think of what I wrote as something impactful.

takes me places that really, i don't want to visit very often. as immensely as i've enjoyed every story in this series, i think earth has affected me more, personally. i also think i'll probably revisit it less, and i mean that in the best possible way.

I know exactly what you mean. It affects me a great deal personally too, it tapped into emotions I had buried, or never allowed myself to feel, about losses in my life. Most of the emotions at the funeral were real, and hence, raw. I haven’t been able to read it from beginning to end again myself since I finished, so I do know where you’re coming from.

a meditation on grief

Beautifully put. I should borrow it together with Cyd's and use it as a summary.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for your friendship and thanks for all our little talks. I miss it now that you don’t bring your iBook to work. But if things work out in RL, who knows?


*****


Cam

A gay romp! A laugh a minute farce of epic silliness! A timeless romantic adventure set in space! With dancing vampire cavemen!

when are you writing these uber fics then?

I did not cry, but that could be because I didn't breathe most of the time. I avoided rereading this for the longest time

*hurriedly finds oxygen tank before Cam turns blue*

I needed that little joviality, thanks for that.

Joking aside, I really appreciate your support. It’s been almost a year since I made an appearance on this board and you’ve been one of the most welcoming people around and continually make me feel part of a community.

Sickly mutual ego-stroking aside. I was lucky that I had a rich universe (or like you say, universes) to build on. The building blocks were already there – Willow the Master, the Truce, 19 years away, and a strong Tara. Organically grown from psi’s universes … yes.

Angry, destructive vampires make sense...grief-stricken, emotionless ones don't, and it was so very painful to see her that way.

Very very good point. Love your ability to think outside the box and from another angle. One of the things people say to grieving relatives / spouses / friends is to let the emotions out. That after you’ve cried and wailed and smashed your head against the wall you feel better and in a better position to move on. You never forget the ones who are gone, but you can face the real world again. I find that very difficult personally, I didn’t cry at my grandmother’s funeral, or when my gf’s sister died, and that was the aftermath of that event that is the catalyst for all these buried emotions inside me to enable me to write this piece. Perhaps if Willow had gone on a rampage, smashed up the mansion, threw spells left right and center, she could have felt less pain. But she didn’t. And I do intend to come back to this when I write the main story, about how she carried the grief with her all these years until Tara comes back.

Re: Willow’s sanctum. It was natural that she shut herself up there. In her own words, the sanctum was where she and Tara could be just them. No outside pressures, no politics, no difference between their status or who they were. Tara’s all-access Willowpass … that’s so fitting. That even in the sanctity of the sanctum and in her dreams, Tara was there, Tara could penetrate the barriers and walls – physically of the sanctum and emotionally of Willow not feeling – and be there for her. The sequence of the nightmare and dreams was deliberate. The dark nightmare disoriented her and then the three dreams reminded her of the progression of their relationship. And the Visit (™Debra) was the culmination of those dreams, perhaps they were placed there by TPTB to test her, to see if the demon hadn’t taken over.

Re: Angel and Harmony. I agree with you about Harm transcending from comic relief to solid secondary character. Because the main story is set 150 years later, all the human players would have gone and we’re left with the vampires and the demons (and Dennis – I’m spoiling it but Dennis is there too) to act as the familiar characters in that story.

thank goddess for 150 years later postscripts!

You know that I didn’t want to include it at all. But I’m glad I did now, I think it would have made the story impossible to read if there weren’t a glimmer of hope at the end. I would have kittens at my doorstep ready to lynch me.

Yes, I will return to the story. And I hope that you’re still around when I come to write it. Thanks my friend.


*****

Car

What can I say? I said to Debra that she is one of my rocks in my writing. But you? you are the rock. It’s a fact and there is absolutely no question about it.

We talked about this many times and I know the extent of your feelings. And you said here

it brought to mind every.single.painful.moment I've ever had. So it was all compounded. The pain was personal.

Strange that it may appear, you saying that you’re not reading the story again until I’ve finished all of it, may seem to other people like a brush off, or “that’s an extreme reaction” – I get it. You know I get it. And I know you know I get it. We talked right after you finishing beta-ing and I could tell how much it had affected you, even through our little YM window I felt the emotions falling off you in waves. I felt bad for subjecting you to it, but I also knew that if I’d kept it from you and not let you read it, you’d kick my “cute-as-buttons” ass.

All of that being said, this is the most beautiful writing I've ever seen from you. And that's saying a lot.

I’ll keep this simple. It does say a lot.

Car, we talk a lot. We joke a lot. I laugh uncontrollably when we touch on something hilarious. I worry about you about all the RL crap you have to deal with. You tolerate me and my anal ways. But for some reason, we understand each other in a way that was unexpected (in a good way) and odd (in a comforting way). It’s friendship that is rare and precious. Again, I’ll put this simply. There is no watty without Car. I would have been a different writer, a different person, and this watty persona won’t have evolved from [insert watty’s real name here] without you. Now look what you’ve unleashed onto the world.

We done good, watty.

We did. We truly did.


*****

Jess

Welcome back to the KB. And boy what a welcome, eh? Thank you for the comments. I am in danger of repeating myself but it was a story that meant a lot to me. Though it seems that it was more impactful and brought forth more emotions in the readers that I thought it ever would, I am glad that it managed to touch people. The

real, almost touchable love and pain that you portrayed here

was something I wrenched from somewhere deep inside that I don’t normally venture into.

Thank you.


*****

[br]

[GayNow]

Car, we talk a lot. We joke a lot. I laugh uncontrollably when we touch on something hilarious. I worry about you about all the RL crap you have to deal with. You tolerate me and my anal ways. But for some reason, we understand each other in a way that was unexpected (in a good way) and odd (in a comforting way). It’s friendship that is rare and precious. Again, I’ll put this simply. There is no watty without Car. I would have been a different writer, a different person, and this watty persona won’t have evolved from [insert watty’s real name here] without you.

Dammit, watty...you made me cry again.

[terra21]

[center][/center]

Title – Sun
Author – terra21
Pairing – W/T
Feedback – Please.
Spoilers – None
Rating – NC-17
Disclaimer – Willow, Tara, and BtVS are the property of Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy. I borrowed them to help fulfill my own plot.
Note 1 – The Pyramid of the Sun is an actual place in Teotihuacon, Mexico. Some of the history I’ve included about the pyramids and Mayan Indians is true, while I have adapted other parts for the basis of this story. These are some of the websites I used during my research:
http://www.crystalinks.com/mexico.html
http://archaeology.la.asu.edu/teo/intro/sun.htm
http://www.pbase.com/dserebrisky/image/37838390
Note 2 – I really enjoyed this writers-workshop-type-project. It was mucho fun collaborating with these authors. They are truly a talented group and I am honored for them to let lil’ ol’ inexperienced me participate in Elemental. Also, thank you very much to Mary and Car for the mistake finding, I mean betaing -That goes for the authors who beta’d as well. Thank you again to Mary for all the brain stimulation, uh, yeah. Finally, I’d like to thank the Academy…oops, nevermind, that’s another dream.
Note 3 – Thanks Chris aka Artemis for the fabulous graphics.



[center]SUN[/center]


Relatively speaking, in the grand scheme of life, every day is the same. The sun comes up and the sun goes down. It is constant and inevitable.

The loud beeping of an alarm disturbed Tara from her deep slumber. As she slapped a hand on the irritating clock she cracked her eyelids open to find a little redhead lying halfway atop her. She turned her head slightly, placing her nose in Willow’s red locks and took a slow deep breath. A tender kiss along her wife’s hairline grew into a warm smile. Tara thought to herself, “This is the way I want to wake up every day for the rest of my life.”

Some would call theirs the easy life; yet to others it might seem boring or mundane. After many years spent fighting evil on the hellmouth, Tara welcomed the calm stability of their life together in their beachfront home.

Gently prying herself from Willow’s embrace, Tara slid out of their comfy king size bed, but not before planting another kiss on her lover’s forehead and tucking the girl back in. It was Saturday morning and Willow would sleep, if undisturbed, until at least 9 a.m.

Tara shuffled down the dark hallway to the kitchen and flipped on the incandescent range light to begin her daily ritual of making coffee. The low gurgle of the coffee maker in the early morning hours was like music to her ears. She stood at the granite counter in the open-air kitchen facing the wall of glass that gave way to extraordinary panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Marveling at the beauty of the sky evolving before her, Tara silently recited her daily prayer to the goddesses for blessing her with this life and this new day.

After the hellmouth imploded, the lovers finished their studies at UCLA. As expected, Willow took a job with a software company in Los Angeles under the condition that she would work from a virtual office. Tara pursued an artistic career. Several showcased exhibitions led to commissioned works throughout college, and recently she was asked to provide a collection, topic of her choice, for a gallery in Santa Monica.

Their home sat upon the craggy cliffs overlooking the beaches of the California coast on a peninsula that jutted southward out into a bay. It provided spectacular views of the sun at both dawn and dusk. This stirring landscape was the inspiration for the series that Tara had chosen to paint, “Sunrises and Sunsets.” It was the perfect place. It took little effort for Tara to shift her easel from east to west on the covered deck.

The sun had not yet broken the horizon, but deep orange hues indicated its imminent arrival. Tara padded barefoot to the glass door, stepped onto the deck, and placed a new canvas onto her easel. She readied her paint by squeezing dollops of different colors onto her pallet. Shifting her gaze back to the sky, she immersed herself for several moments in the sunrise surfacing before her. She soaked in every detail, forming a picture in her mind. Her breathing increased, this could be the day, the day she produced a masterpiece.

Painting was Tara’s passion; it excited her. The thoughts and visions were liberating, transporting her into another world, a world all of her own. Creativity flowed through her with powerful intensity on certain days, and today felt like one of those days. She embraced what she hoped would be the end to a recent creative block.

She watched engrossed as the Sun emerged from what seemed like the depths of the ocean. It was time. She grabbed a hair tie and pulled her blonde tresses up loosely before taking a paint brush from one of the cans on the table. Looking at the horizon then back to her pallet several times, she finally chose a color and dipped the bristles into it. The artist took the brush to the canvas and calculatingly applied several broad strokes.

Willow watched from the doorway as her wife transitioned into deep artistic concentration. She loved to watch Tara work. Something about the focus in her lover’s deep blue eyes made Willow shiver to the core. She sighed heavily in relief knowing that Tara’s imagination must have been stirred this morning. Willow knew her wife had been having a hard time with painting recently. Tara hadn’t said much about it, but Willow knew that the artist was blocked. She had watched Tara take canvas after canvas to the dumpster over the past month, “They just aren’t good enough,” Tara explained.

Willow propped a bare shoulder against the doorframe and brought her cup of coffee to her lips. She blew steadily over the rim to cool the contents then sipped off the top. She too studied the sunrise for a bit but quickly lost interest, opting to stare at her lover instead. She was captivated by the sunlight that danced off Tara’s blonde hair as the cool morning breeze came in off the water to gently whip the locks. She watched as the tones of the sunrise changed in her lover’s flawless face. Dropping her eyes lower, Willow noticed that Tara had not even changed clothes; she had gone straight to her studio in her boxers and white tank top. “All the sexier,” Willow thought as she made note of the way Tara sat Indian style in the chair. If it weren’t for the fact that Tara was so caught up in painting Willow would have gone to her wife then and ravished her on their deck in the early morning light.

Willow held her breath when the brush strokes stopped and Tara sat back in her chair to study the sky. She saw the wavering in Tara’s deep blue eyes. Oh please baby, stay focused. She wanted to help Tara, but if it wasn’t a series of 1’s and 0’s or a computer language she had no advice to offer. She suddenly realized she needed to divert Tara’s attention immediately. She strode to the coffee pot and poured a cup of the hot beverage. When she arrived back at the doorway the sun had finally lifted free of the horizon, and Tara had put her paintbrush away.

Willow couldn’t let this go on any longer. She had an idea.

Tara crooked her head to the doorway when she heard Willow come out onto the deck. She flashed a defeated half grin as Willow bent down and gave her a kiss, followed by a cup of coffee.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning to you,” Tara replied before sipping her drink, “ummm, thank you baby.”

Willow smiled lovingly and pulled up a lounge chair. “You’re welcome.” She took Tara’s hand and held it lightly on the armrest of her chair. She wasn’t going to pry or talk about painting. Silence fell between them as they looked back to the sunrise. They sat for several minutes like that, sipping coffee and taking in the dawning of a new day.

“Baby?” Willow broke the silence.

Tara rolled her head against the back of her chair towards her lover, “Yes?” The bright morning sunlight made her face glow.

Willow took a sharp breath, amazed at how her lover’s beauty was still able to stun her. “I was thinking about a road trip today. Are you up for it?”

“Where to?” Tara’s brow furrowed.

Willow perked one eyebrow, “It’s a surprise.”

“I dunno, Will, I need to paint,” Tara sighed.

That’s exactly why we need to go. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back in plenty of time,” Willow assured her. She knew the artist would worry about painting the sunset all day long if she weren’t distracted.

“Well.” Tara saw Willow’s bottom lip start to protrude, “Oh, ok.” Willow’s green eyes sparkled when Tara agreed.

~

A little over and hour later Willow threw a backpack into the back of her SUV with one hand and held a cell phone to her ear with the other synching up plans for the road trip. She had filled the bag with a change of clothes for both of them without telling Tara. Willow closed the hatch and covered the phone’s mouthpiece as Tara trotted down the steps with a small bag slung over her shoulder, “Make sure you have your passport,” Willow called to her.

Tara paused and lifted her dark sunglasses. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely.”

Tara put her hands on her hips. “I thought we’d be back before sunset?”

Willow replied to the party on the other end of the phone, “Thanks,” then slapped the phone shut. She shot a playful look back up the steps at her lover. “We will.”

Tara raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but still returned to the house for her passport.

“Sunset tomorrow,” Willow mumbled under her breath as she settled behind the steering wheel.

~

“I thought this was a road trip?” Tara asked as Willow pulled into the airport.

“That’s just an expression.” Willow commented as she wheeled into short term parking and gave her love a please-forgive-me look.

She shuffled Tara to the ticket counter hastily, trying to avoid any other questions. “I have two tickets reserved,” she said while handing over her ID to the woman behind the counter. She kept glancing over at her lover and smiling mischievously throughout the ticket counter interaction. Tara would answer Willow’s impish grins with a perturbed squint.

“Passports?” The clerk asked as she pecked at the keyboard. Willow and Tara produced their passports as directed. The woman asked a series of questions about their baggage and then handed over their tickets and boarding passes along with their passports, “Enjoy your trip.”

Willow took the tickets and passports, then grabbed her wife by the hand and headed towards the departure gate.

“Where are we going?” Tara finally asked.

A high-pitched male voice came over the intercom, “Flight 23 to Mexico City, now boarding at Gate 7.”

“That’s us,” Willow replied.

“We’re not gonna be back by sunset, are we?”

Willow shook her head.

~

After stuffing their bags into the overhead compartments, Willow withdrew a few folded pieces of paper from her back pocket and handed them to Tara. She sat down beside her lover and watched closely as Tara began to read.

“I thought it could be a source of inspiration or enlightenment,” Willow said. “Plus, learning about the ancient Indians and their sacred knowledge, bonus!”

Tara looked in disbelief at her wife, “You’re taking me to the Pyramid of the Sun?”

“Yep.”

Tara almost leapt out of her seat to hug Willow. “Baby, this is so sweet!”

Willow’s chest puffed out. “I know that you’ve been having trouble with painting, and that you’d never say anything about it because you’re just that way about your painting. Not that you’re all secretive and want to keep me out of the part of your life, but more like that it’s something that you’d deal with on your own and not bother me with it. Which by the way it totally wouldn’t bother me, you could never bother me. What I’m really trying to say is that maybe a day away will do you some good and going to a sacred place could possibly stir your imagination. And maybe you could even absorb some of the energy from the temples. See look,” Willow pointed to one of the papers. “It says here that the Toltec Indians are believed to have had direct communication with the gods of the sun, moon and stars.”

Tara scanned Willow’s face with her deep blue eyes as she listened to her lover ramble.

Willow paused. “What?”

Tara leaned over and kissed Willow softly on the lips. “I love you.”

A small giggle bubbled from Willow as she ducked her head in excitement mixed with a twinge of embarrassment. “I love you too.”


*


“Please stay with the group at all times,” the dark-complexioned tour guide said as he recited a seemingly well-worn speech at the base of a huge pyramid. “This is the last tour of the day and if one of you gets lost you’ll be locked up until Monday because this place is closed on Sundays.” A low rumble of laughter rolled across the group. He continued, “If your flashlight battery begins to die, there will be guides at the front and the rear of the group with extra ones: myself and Ana.” He nodded then pointed to a younger girl with long flowing dark hair dressed in the traditional tour guide garb of khaki shorts and a golf shirt.

“Cute,” Willow blurted.

“Really?” Tara asked skeptically, with a raised brow.

“In a teenage-y, jailbait kinda way.” The redhead backpedaled.

“Any other questions before we begin?” The tour guide scanned the group quickly, “Ok, follow me.”

Willow moved forward hastily to join the other tourists as the guide returned to his bland monologue, “We will begin our tour by climbing the steps to the peak of the Pyramid of the Sun. Later we will enter one of the excavated tunnels bored into the center of the structure. From the Sun Pyramid we will journey over to the Pyramid of the Moon to conclude our tour. I hope you all wore your walking shoes.” Another reverberation of laughter emitted from the group.

The twenty-five or so tourists trudged the steps carrying backpacks and water bottles. Most listened intently as the guide recalled the history of the Mayan civilization and the construction of the Pyramids by the Toltec people. “The Mayan Indians are most renowned for developing the calendars we use today. They also developed a writing system and mapped the stars in the heavens. They were a highly advanced culture for that time. They mastered weaving, pottery, farming, and mathematics. This city, Teotihuacon, was the center of learning and culture for over a thousand years before its demise.”

Reaching the summit, Willow and Tara turned in circles observing the amazing views of the mountains and jungle surrounding the ancient city. The number of buildings and pyramids in the city was clearer now than it had been when they stood on the ground. It was obvious from the order that the city had been planned carefully.

“It’s so…magical,” Tara murmured.

Ana, took over the narration: “There are close to 600 pyramids and edifices in this complex, which was referred to as ‘The City of the Gods’ by the Mayan Indians. Impressively, all of the structures are aligned with certain stars and exact points in that mountain range.” She pointed across the landscape. “The Toltec people were advanced in the area of astronomy as well.”

Part of the group snapped pictures of scenery while others gazed at the beauty of the land. Willow and Tara held hands near the edge of the monument, letting the wind blow against them in silence. The mid-afternoon sun warmed their faces as they tilted them towards the heavens.

“Now let’s move on to the tunnel,” Ana directed. She continued her historical account of the pyramids. “You may find it interesting that The Pyramid of the Sun was built over a system of caves, most of which have not been explored or excavated yet. We will now venture into one of those caves, so please ready your flashlights. You may not need them in the tunnel, but once we get into the main chamber you will.” The group moved back down the steps to the second level and filed into a doorway of sorts.

Willow stepped into the cave and immediately felt the temperature drop at least 15 degrees. The cool air was moist and musty smelling. Looking around, she gauged the height of the opening to be about 10 ft and the diameter about 6 ft. There was a single strand of lights running along the top of the cave that illuminating the area enough to render flashlights unnecessary. The guide spoke softly and warned the rest of the group to keep noise at a minimum because of echoing, until they reached the inner cavity.

Tara tottered on the uneven floor along with the others until she felt a hand slip into hers and pull back gently. She looked at Willow only to see the girl motioning towards the wall. Squinting, Tara focused on the pictures etched into the stone. The rest of the group filtered around and moved past them as the girls remained behind inspecting their discovery.

“Wow, I’ve never seen hieroglyphs in person, just in the texts at the magic shop,” Willow admitted.

Tara responded in a whisper, “Me either. They’re beautiful.”

Willow raked her fingers across the graphics, “I remember this from researching. The symbols represent syllables in the Mayan language.”

Tara touched the wall. “Do you know what it says?”

“I’m not sure,” Willow replied. “On, tra,” she spoke aloud as she tried to understand the pictures.

Tara continued to run her fingers along the carvings as Willow tried to decipher the code. “Look, it’s a handprint,” She pressed her hand into the indention.

“On, tray,” Willow sounded out the syllables, “Ontra…Ontray… Entre! Entre!” she exclaimed.

No sooner did the Spanish word ‘Entre’ leave Willow’s mouth than the cave wall gave way under the pressure of Tara’s hand. Stone grated against stone as part of the wall and floor spun around slinging the lovers into a chamber on the opposite side. Dazed and confused the girls sat on the floor scanning the room they had ‘found.’

Beams of light cut through the darkness, each focused on a different hieroglyph embedded into the walls around the room. The only other light was a single glowing ball hovering in the center of the room. Willow and Tara rose together, gravitating towards the radiating sphere. The lovers walked steadily, guided by some unseen force, until they reached the outer edge of the shimmering globe. They stood motionless as the orb’s warm glow slowly expanded to envelop them, drawing them into its weightless core. Neither felt they were in danger; however, they were uncomfortable with the surreal nature of the situation.

Tara felt like she was in a dream. Her surroundings were sometimes clear and at other times dull to her senses. She found herself questioning time and if she were still on her own plane.

Willow was the first to make contact; she took Tara’s hands into her own. “I’ve got you.” She wanted to make sure this was real and touching Tara always made her feel grounded.

“I know,” Tara replied with a smile. She looked down at her feet, which were no longer touching the floor, and then to her wife. “We’re floating.”

Willow nodded; her emerald green eyes sparkled, reflecting the radiance of the sphere. Her breathing increased, as did Tara’s. Both girls felt the need to touch one another more intimately, yet were unable to do so. The same unseen force that pulled them into the orb now held them apart. The only body parts that touched were their joined hands, yet even those were unmoving.

At that moment, all of the shafts of light in the room extinguished save one; it was illuminating one of the ancient pictures on the wall. The orb shifted slowly until the girls faced the primitive writings. Someone or something wanted the lover’s attention on the half moon that was imprinted into the stone. Tara continued to hold Willow’s hand tightly while suspended in the shimmering bubble.

The edges of the moon began to gleam and light shot out from the cracks as the glyph morphed into a moving scene. Willow and Tara gasped in unison at what they saw when the vision became clear. Indisputably, it was them. In another life? On another plane? In a demon world? The visualization was so life-like; the moon shown down on them on a winter night. They were in the snowy mountains and it was blistering cold, but they were in love, new love. The feelings of first falling in love with each other inundated their beings and infused them with desire. Their bodies heated quickly and sweat began to bead on their skin. As they wrestled with their desires the image of the moon faded quickly.

The first beam extinguished then another ray lit a second glyph, one of blazing flames springing from the grate of an iron stove. Glimpses of the red, roaring fire were seen through the legs of their alter-selves as they danced an unfamiliar dance. The girls were dressed in seafaring uniforms. Willow extended a sword defending blow after blow from Tara’s blade as they playfully cantered about a nautically adorned room.

Not only were Willow and Tara experiencing these events emotionally, they were physically feeling the affects as they floated in the glowing orb. Just as Tara had shivered in the cold moonlight, Willow had grinned mischievously while swinging her sword. They were channeling their own beings in these visions.

The next illustration came to life out of a picture of a flowing waterfall. A dark sexual aura suddenly loomed around them. Willow knew that she was viewing her evil incarnation. She recognized the feeling of immorality as it crackled off her fingertips. Sweat dotted Tara’s forehead when she saw Willow with her back arched off of a cot in the throes of ecstasy. Tara was standing over Willow in some god-forsaken dungeon, watching her lover writhe with desire. Willow’s mouth was as dry as that of her animated self. Ironically the water that could quench her thirst was what robbed her of it in the first place.

Tara tried to grasp what was happening. She wondered why she and Willow were being shown these scenes. Were they some kind of omen? Were they pictures from the past or future? Were the goddesses trying to tell them something? Contentment filled her when it dawned on her that the elements of nature had trapped the two of them together in other times and places. It was if they were meant to be together no matter when or where. Tara’s heart swelled at the thought of the love she and Willow shared, spanning time, places, and possibly even dimensions.

Anxious and increasingly aroused, the two girls were shown an image of a wooden cage. This time, Tara was horrified at the sight of Willow, dirty and scared. Her lover was skittish and weak; she looked as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Hot tears streamed down Tara’s face as she thought about her baby being in pain. Then she saw herself kneeling at the entrance of Willow’s confine. Her hand extended towards her lover; she was there to help.

I love you.

Tara didn’t hear those words, she felt them being conveyed into her mind from the woman floating beside her. Even though they were held in place and couldn’t embrace, she smiled knowing that Willow could still reach her. Willow would always find a way to her.

Flecks of gold sparkled in a drawing of wings in the subsequent hieroglyph. The air rushed from Willow’s lungs when she saw a radiant Tara hovering above her own thin body lying in a bed. Golden wings gently stroked the air to keep the angelic form afloat. Willow watched as her winged lover kissed the forehead of the alter-Willow’s sleeping figure. A lump formed in her throat when she thought about how much she loved this ‘angel’ from the heavens.

The room went dark again for a moment before another beam illuminated the last hieroglyph in the series. Soil filtered through the nimble fingers of a woman. A wider picture gave way to headstones in a graveyard. Tara heard her heart begin to pound in her ears when she read the stone that Willow stood before. This time it was Willow’s eyes shedding hot tears. At that moment Willow gave thanks to the gods and goddesses that the lover at her side was here and in her life, the life that was real.

As the last glyph disappeared, Willow and Tara found that they were finally free to move and reached to embrace one other. The only light left emitting in the room was the glowing orb that contained the two hovering lovers.

Their emotions overwhelmed them; they needed one another…desperately. Their hands were all over each other’s bodies. Their lips met, but kisses were not enough. They began to make love--passionate, raw, and weightless--as if it were a statement to the goddesses of the elements to show them that they were thankful to be together in this life. Declarations of ‘I love you’ were whispered over and over between kisses and nips. Willow moved to strip Tara of her starched white button down. Heavy lidded blue eyes met with Willow’s emerald green ones. If ever there was a time that Willow thought Tara couldn’t be more beautiful, she was wrong. Here in this temple, in this shimmering orb, Tara was at her most stunning. Willow felt she should be worshipping her radiant lover. Unbuttoning and peeling the shirt back from Tara’s chest, Willow kissed gently down her neck and across her pale shoulders.

Tara shivered at the soft caresses her lover delivered, and began to undress Willow as well. She unbuckled Willow’s belt and eased her hands under the waistband and around to cup her lover’s cheeks. Her eyes rolled back into her head when Willow’s lips touched her nipple. Tara abandoned the task of removing Willow’s shorts to bury her fingers in the redhead’s fiery locks; a loud unbridled moan erupted from deep within her, “Ohhhhhh, Willow.”

Willow searched for Tara’s skirt hem and slowly dragged it up her lover’s milky white legs. Tara shuddered as Willow’s nails dug into her with raw desire. Because of their weightlessness the girls were able to wind their exposed limbs around one another’s. Searching for friction, Willow wrapped a leg around Tara’s thigh and began to grind. Their hands continued to pull and grope, removing the obstructive clothing. Willow thought that the temperature must have jumped 30 degrees in the room.

The ceiling above the women slowly started to shift. A single slab of stone grated and began to slide open, revealing a passageway that lead to the top of the pyramid. As the massive stone gradually moved, the sun above beamed down onto the lovers in the sphere while they made love. Willow and Tara remained oblivious to the stone’s movement, as they were too lost in one another.

Finally, stripping themselves free of clothing they molded their unencumbered bodies together. Hot and sweaty, they moved their naked bodies in rhythm, seeking climax from the growing eruption inside. Willow left Tara’s breasts and began the journey down her lover’s body. She placed her hands on either side of Tara’s waist and moved the girl effortlessly higher and higher. She trailed kisses across her wife’s abdomen and then dropped her face to Tara’s mound and inhaled deeply. The smell of her lover’s arousal provoked Willow to press her lips into her curls and place a gentle kiss. Enjoying Willow’s touches thoroughly, Tara sought a deeper connection by throwing her legs over Willow’s shoulders. Willow paused momentarily, drinking in the sight that was Tara’s glistening folds while she maneuvered into place. The river that ran between her lover’s thighs made Willow’s mouth water in anticipation of Tara’s familiar feminine taste. Unable to wait any longer, Willow licked her lips and descended upon Tara’s center. The sweet taste of Tara’s juices passed Willow’s lips and danced on her tongue as she sucked her lover into her mouth, relishing every drop. Tara moaned loudly and leaned back, displaying her bare breasts to the heavens.

Minutes, hours, or even days could have passed but the lovers would have never noticed. They were a sight to behold, hovering, loving, in the orb that was now illuminated even more by the sun above. Tara’s back arched, her blonde hair flowed out, Willow’s fiery red head was buried between her thighs; it was a beautiful expression of unrestrained love making. As if in tune with the lovers’ culminating rapture, the glowing sphere began to rise up through the passageway. Conversely, the sun was sinking.

~

As the early morning sun broke over the mountains on a serene Sunday morning in Teotihuacon, Mexico, its first rays struck the Pyramid of the Sun. Atop the vast structure sat a stone altar commonly used in ancient times for rituals to praise the goddess of the sun. On this particular morning, two bodies lay upon the altar entwined and spent from a long night of love making.

The bright beams from the sun penetrated Willow’s eyelids as she lay with her head on Tara’s shoulder. She let her eyes barely open. As her senses adjusted to environment, squinted emerald green eyes grew wide in shock. She looked down at her and Tara’s naked bodies then around the peak of the pyramid and further out to the ground far below. “What the frilly heck?” Realizing their predicament and not sure if it was a dream, she shook her lover, “Tara wake up, we’re naked, on top of a pyramid in Mexico.”

“It’s ok baby, go back to sleep. I’ll take care of that frog in a little bit.” Tara mumbled.

“Tara! Wake up! You are naked and outside!”

Tara’s blue eyes flew open. The cool morning air along with Willow’s shouts finally broke through her sleepy state. She shot straight up on the stone altar and gaped, “Oh my goddess!”

“Yeah, me too. Did what I think happened, really happen, or was it a dream?”

Tara shook her head, “I don’t know. Where are my clothes?”

Willow searched around and found her backpack placed at the base of the altar. She leaned over and snatched the bag up, pulling out the clothes she found in it. She and Tara scrambled to their feet and grabbed the clothes to cover themselves. Willow froze when she saw an unfamiliar mark on Tara’s lower back. “Baby, I think that what I think happened, did happen.”

Tara yanked her pants on and turned to her lover, “Do you think we had sex in a glowing ball of sunshine like I do?”

“Yes,” Willow affirmed with a smirk. “Do I have a tattoo on my back?” She asked turning her back to Tara while continuing to pull a shirt over her head, stopping the garment on her shoulders as Tara inspected her. A sunburst-like tattoo was emblazoned on Willow’s lower back and matched Tara’s exactly.

Tara touched the mark gently with her fingers, “Oh my, Willow, this is the mark of the Sun Goddess. I think we’ve been blessed.”


*


Willow stood at the sliding glass door of their beach house wrapped in a terrycloth robe watching Tara paint. As soon as they pulled into the drive, the artist had raced to her studio and readied her painting materials for the Sunday sunset. Willow had smiled broadly and let her be. After unloading their sparse luggage and showering, Willow came back to find a stunning work produced by her lover. Tara was placing the final touches on what was a truly inspired piece of art.

Intense emotions coursed through Willow as she watched Tara paint. The trip to Mexico had proven to be a blessing, literally. After being shown the paths that their lives could have taken, she was thankful for the one she was living. Not that being with Tara in any time or dimension would be bad, she was just grateful to have her here and now. She moved onto the balcony/studio to stand behind Tara. She gazed at the sunset and then back to Tara’s painting. It wasn’t a replica; it was a mixture of the sunset and the roaring emotions of the artist. It was magnificent.

“What do you think?” Tara spoke without turning to her lover.

“It’s brilliant.” Willow said breathlessly.

Tara smiled shyly and dipped her head to one side, “Thank you.”

Willow slowly positioned herself in front of Tara, straddling her wife’s legs while sitting down in her lap. Tara stared deep into her lover’s green eyes silently affirming the weekend’s events before drawing Willow in for a long deep kiss. When they broke Tara tenderly whispered “I love you,” into her lover’s mouth.

Willow spoke softly as she caressed Tara’s face with her eyes, “I will love you for as long as the sun continues to rise in the morning and set in the evening. I will be your constant.”


THE END


[hr][br]
Coming soon ... a Holiday treat from the group that brought you Elemental. Now with more writer-y goodness.[br]
[center][/center][br]

[The Rose24]

Wow! This is the best one yet, and I wanted more.

Outstanding job.

[russ]

Thanks to all the writers who participated in this project, and apologies for not leaving individual feedback. They have all been marvellous stories, covering a wide range of settings and emotions: adventure and domestic tranquility, darkness and light, joy and sorrow, love and, well, love is the constant, isn't it? "Sun" brings them all together, showing the basic unity of all the stories. If anyone asked what the Pens board is all about, this is where I'd send them.

I'm very much looking forward to the "holiday treat."

Thanks again,
Russ

[caz]

What can I say - yet another brilliant story to add to this series.

Willow and Tara living the life they so richly deserve.

Gotta say that I love how you've mentioned all the other story's - a stroke of genius.

Thank you terra21.

Caz


To all the writers of this wonderful series I give thanks. Reading all of your work has given me so much pleasure. A for all of you, you've earned it!

I can't wait to read the "Holiday Treat"

Caz

[FineyMcFine]

terra, BRAVO! Not only was Sun wonderful in terms of incorporating your element and letting the sun shine through in many various places in the story (like the other stories, I felt like all the scenes I was visualizing were taking place in warm rays of sunshine here), the views of Tara and Willow in each of the previous stories while they were in the sunshine was truly inspired. Did you plan that all along or did you decide to add it at another time?

A blessing from the Goddess of the Sun - inspired! And also inspired after the hot-n-heavy and ultra-sweet-sexy sex scene was the catharsis of what Willow said upon waking up:

“Tara wake up, we’re naked, on top of a pyramid in Mexico.”

It really is the perfect thing to have Willow say to bring the reader back down to earth. And also it's very Willow-y.

To you, and to all the writers of Elemental, (that's seven, one for everyone). And two for the betas!

[tarebear]

wow terra! that was simply amazing! you did a great job with sun! you were able to tie up the different elements and the past six stories nicely.

there are many parts in this story that i just loved, but i can't all write them down... better leave some space for other people but i just had to mention this though:

After being shown the paths that their lives could have taken, she was thankful for the one she was living. Not that being with Tara in any time or dimension would be bad, she was just grateful to have her here and now.

i'm really not eloquent in words and sometimes words that i use fall short of the real emotions that is stirring within me, but i really did love this story... you are a very talented writer and i'm glad you were able to share your talent with us... especially in this series.

If anyone asked what the Pens board is all about, this is where I'd send them.

i totally agree with russ on this! i'm really happy you guys brought something like this to us...

thank you terra and all the extraordinary writers of this wonderful series! stories like yours keep the fire of their love burning persistently within me... their happy ending bathing me like the glow of moon at night and sweet waters from up above... stories that make me feel grounded to the earth yet able to touch the heavens made brilliant by the sheer magnificence of the sun.... these stories i shall treasure as precious as gold and ones i will forever keep safe in a wooden box handcrafted with love... *i think i'm gonna keep my dayjob and leave the eloquent writing to you guys*

again, good job to everyone who collaborated to bring something like this into a reality... much love!

[AntigoneUnbound]

Ah, Terra...What a wonderful climax.

Ahem.

You wove us such an evocative scene, Terra! Ironically, as I read this the sun was flowing over my shoulder and onto the monitor, seemingly as entranced as I was. This was just incredibly descriptive and actually piqued my interest in the area. I've never been there, and you proved to be a wonderful advertisement! Now, if I could just be sure that I'd have sex in a glowing sphere with Willow, Tara, or both.

Aside from the pure enjoyment of Willow watching Tara paint (or try to paint), there was a really nice symmetry to that scene. Each was observing a source of great power in her life, trying to do it justice. Really well done, Terra!

The humorous touches were just spot-on, to borrow the phrase. Willow mumbling "Sunset tomorrow" was classic, and may I just say that we should all be so lucky as to hear the words:

“...wake up, we’re naked, on top of a pyramid in Mexico"

at some point in our lives.

The scenes within the sphere...I was just captivated. You took us from one to another and then another, and each one was so intriguing by itself. The gestalt, though, was incredible.

You make an excellent anchor leg, Terra! Thanks for sharing this!

Mary

[spells42]

Thanks to all the writers contributing in this series, and apologies for not fb for each. We're privileged to have such a standard of writing available to us, and I think the collaboration added an extra shine.

Each week I eagerly awaited the posting and read each one with great enjoyment. The continuing theme of linking each story to an element provided an interesting connection. It was fascinating to see the different response to the task from each writer - the individual styles and imagination showing through - and the way each writer lifted their game. Collaboration or competition, or a little of both, it obviously suited you.

I also liked that the last story was used to draw all the elements together, showing small excerpts from each story in the series, and providing a finale for the whole.

Kudos to Chris for the artwork also.

Naturally, I'm agog (love that word) with anticipation of the Christmas treat.

Thanks to all the writers, betas and supporters for this great series.

Anne

[Tiggrscorpio]

Terra21, your story is an excellent conclusion to this wonderful series. As I finished reading it, I felt like Sun had brought us full circle in this collection. The first story began with Willow and Tara being introduced to each other. Yours gives us a glimpse of their lives after they've been together for some time. How wonderful that Willow knows exactly what Tara needs to get her inspired.

I really liked your first line. If I knew how to do the quote thing I would. I thought it tied in wonderfully with you walking us through a brief summary of the other stories - or the other directions Willow and Tara's life could have taken. The sun rising and setting is really the only constant. Everything in between can be altered based on the choices we make, day in and day out. That's a powerful statement and you stated it so simply. Very impressive. Then you end it with a feeling to leave us all warmed by the rays of the sun in knowing that Willow and Tara's love for each other is as constant as the sunrise and sunset.

Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing this!

[Artemis]

I know I've said it before (at least, I hope I have), but 'Sun' is a lovely finale for the series. There's warmth and love, and most importantly, maturity and deep understanding between Willow and Tara. This is well after the first rush of love, the initial hormonal lust... this is a relationship that works, that's faced its tests and flourished, and is a rare and beautiful thing now in full bloom. Willow knows what Tara needs to inspire her, and Tara trusts Willow to lead her by the hand, even when she comes up with wacky ideas like 'road trips' to other countries The sense of a working, loving, solidly-grounded relationship is pervasive, and forms a wonderful note to take our bows on.

Also, the opening and closing lines were just beautiful. And so profound, especially in light of all the stories here - these have been just seven days, and there's so many more still to come. Thanks for a great story, and for wrapping up the others and tying a bow around them so lovingly.

[irishgrl3]

terra21,
What a fantastic finale! Your story was so vivid and colorful. So much warmth! Willow and Tara lives together seemed so perfect and their house sounds just beautiful. (I love the Pacific Coast)

I too enjoyed your references to the other stories. So very clever.

Wonderful job and I can't wait for the next project!
-anna

[hermitfish]

Hi-ya t

I really enjoyed Sun. How fitting for the finale that it didn’t take vampires or pirates or mystical beings or other worldy anx to convey this story (though mystical Sun Goddess blessed lovin’ is fantastic). Instead it was a delightfully constructed tale of two very real people who have such a strong level of peace and understanding of each other that nothing will truly pull them apart. It fits in well with how this project began…going from a first meeting piece to a story that has such a permanent and unwavering relationship feel. Well done.

~Cyd

[JustSkipIt]

Terra,
The thing that strikes me most strongly about this story is the way it seems to be the perfect wrap-up for the series. The beginning section seems to show that they’ve “made it through.” They are committed to each other in every way, still madly in love, and living in a beautiful home on the beach. The exposition is wonderful for the reader.

Willow is so sweet to take Tara on this type of trip and yet it’s very believable. Often in fics, we see Willow doing things like buying Tara a house without asking and without batting an eye at the expense. But this seems eminently feasible and reasonable.

Your depiction of their adventure inside the pyramids, the summarized scene of each prior story is fantastic. I particularly love this line:

Contentment filled her when it dawned on her that the elements of nature had trapped the two of them together in other times and places. It was if they were meant to be together no matter when or where.

It seems to say it all.

The sex is beautiful and so purely connecting. Wonderful. I love that they have the magical tattoo to prove their love and their experience. I really love the way you wrap it all up at the end with the trip breaking Tara’s block. So well done!

[SithLordWiccan]

Can't wait to see what the holiday surprise is.

[Fleiss]

that was awesome!!
i loved all of the stories!!
cant wait to see what this holiday thingy is either!!!

[taralicious]

Terra,
and both from it being the encapsulation of all that Willow and Tara stand for but sad that as with all good things, it is a finite experience and has run its course.

]Painting was Tara’s passion; it excited her. The thoughts and visions were liberating, transporting her into another world, a world all of her own. Creativity flowed through her with powerful intensity on certain days, and today felt like one of those days. She embraced what she hoped would be the end to a recent creative block.

This is exactly how I feel about writing. Words are my passion and it is liberating to express feelings and ideas through their expressive nature in the same way as Tara can capture the glory of a sunset through her colors. Especially in these troubled times, it is particularly of importance to have an escape route where one is in control and where one can be at peace and be one with the creative process.

The scene with Willow and Tara in the antechamber where Tara puts her hand in the indentation and Willow speaks the Spanish word entre reminded me of the scene in "The Fellowship of the Ring" where Gandalf is puzzling over how to open the door to the Mines of Moria and Frodo reads the inscription of "Speak friend and enter" and asks Gandalf what the Elvish word for 'friend' is and then the door opens at this simple linguistical conundrum.

As Willow and Tara hung suspended in mid-air viewing the infinite variation of identities they were living out across the multiverse, following an infinite number of different paths, proving that in an infinite number of universes there were an infinite number of choices so free will wasn't an illusion after all, it gave me hope that their union was indeed larger than any cosmic enitity could contain.
It reinforced my theory that circumstances will always adapt, shift, and change to allow Willow and Tara the choice to find each other and to again reignite the sparkage recognition factor and dance the merry dance they have time and again throughout the multiverse and across the very length and breadth of time and space itself.
This series of stories has shown that neither the ascendant plane of Heaven nor the bottomless abyss of Hell can deny them thieir union.
As the last line of the story says, "I will be your constant.", the blessed union of Willow and Tara is a constant upon which we, those who have remained loyal, can take refuge in and cloak ourselves in the warm comforting security of its embrace much in the same way as Chris wrote in Gold.
I salute all seven of the writers of this project and thank you for allowing us to share in the vicarious pleasure of Willow and Tara's union as the ambient radiance from their combined essence makes us all aspire to be better friends, lovers, family members, and human beings.
And oh, Holiday goodness is afoot to alleviate my despair over this being the end of the Elemental roundtable. Can there be candy canes in nice places involved? Tara wrapped in a bow and Willow gets to unwrap only one present and gets something extra special in her stocking?

[watty]

*Big sigh.* We’re done. I’m so happy at what we achieved and how we did it. There’s a part of me that is sad that it’s the end, but on the other hand I’m so proud to be a member of this team and to have gone through this experience with you all. Well done.

Couldn’t have asked for a better finish than Sun. You did great, T. Underneath all your talk about boobies and stuff, you’re a big ol’ romantic sap at heart, aren’t ya? I feel like it’s like at the end of the day, I’d sit at my deck, similar to the one W and T had, and watch the beautiful sunset, just like W and T did. The atmosphere and mood that you painted and gifted us was so fitting for the occasion, and shepherded us to a warm, satisfying end of the series.

Throughout the story, I felt like I was witnessing their love, one that was covered in warmth and sunshine. From the first moment, when Tara climbed out of bed ... your description of their house, the short exposition to set the scene, watching the sunrise ... I felt at peace. Even when Tara was frustrated at her lack of inspiration, I knew that Willow would come to her rescue.

“I dunno, Will, I need to paint,” Tara sighed.

That’s exactly why we need to go.

See how well Willow understood her love? Whisking her off to a road trip to Mexico was sooooo romantic. *swoon.* I smiled at the small subterfuge, and could imagine Tara’s amusement. Not to mention hos she trusts that Willow would take care of her.

I love the idea of tying the series up by showing them scenes of lives they could have had. That, my friend, was a stroke of genius. Thank you. The message was simple – these were fancy, or mystical, or dark versions of their AU lives, but what they had now was real, and they were blessed by the goddess. Plus which, sex while free floating in a shiny golden orb? Who wouldn’t feel blessed?

Others have commented on how in character Willow’s exclamation when they woke up the next morning.

“Tara wake up, we’re naked, on top of a pyramid in Mexico.”

“It’s ok baby, go back to sleep. I’ll take care of that frog in a little bit.” Tara mumbled.

But to me, it was Tara’s response that showed how deeply connected they were.

“I will love you for as long as the sun continues to rise in the morning and set in the evening. I will be your constant.”

And so, what an ending. This is what love is about, and I feel privileged to have experienced a little of theirs. Thank you for this lovely story.
[br]

[binky]

Sorry, dragging my ass in late with the FB again. Too much stuff going on in RL, but terra21 deserves praise, plus the whole lot of you deserve more pats on the back or tummy rubs however your tastes run before the nine of you go riding off into the sunset. Excuse the pun.

terra21, Sun – I’ll echo what others have said already, this is a great ending to the series, a clever way to recapitulate the previous 6 stories and tie them together as a group project.

It’s also a nice standalone story by itself. It strikes me as very fitting that your story was the one closest to canon, the story everyone who visits this board starts from, tho clearly AU in the most pleasant way. Here’s the story as we wanted it to go on, some time in the future, they’ve worked things out, they’re alive, they’ve settled down and made a home together. There’s no false drama cooked up for the sake of “character development” to jump start a television series getting a little long in the tooth. Instead, the drama’s of the quiet variety, Tara having a creative block and the lengths Willow goes to help her work through it. Your characterization of a more mature, settled W&T are so good. The voices are familiar, but older and wiser. I’ve been feeling a bit disenchanted with the whole canon story, itching for AU and Uber more and more lately. Willow’s character in particular has been grating at me. I imagine a younger Willow would’ve impatiently tried to force a solution to Tara’s problem, whereas your Willow seems to have either never lost sight of Tara as the greatest blessing and responsibility of her life, or smartened up to it, given the chance. It makes me curious where along the way these two veered off-canon, but it’s not critical to know. This story ends satisfyingly in a Real Good Place™. Even though the drama was of the common life variety, the resolution through the divine blessing was fittingly mystical, plus, sex in a sphere of light on top of a pyramid? Bonus! The pacing was really excellent. Thank you.

Series FB:

I have so many technical questions about Elemental as a group writing project, some of which have been addressed already or I've made my own assumptions about, some of which are me just being nosey, all of which I doubt anyone else has any interest in knowing, so I won’t raise those.

I have to stick with my previous assertion and say I enjoyed Wood the most, if only because I really am tired of canon Willow right now, and I need a break to re-charge my interest. But all seven stories were top-notch. Great editing and polish so good work, betas! Cannot forget the betas. I love me some good editing.

Chris’s graphics really added a touch of elegance to the project and added another thing to mark each contribution as part of the series.

The scene with the alternate realities – I wonder what ‘lost scenes’ could have been inserted here, aside from the 6 that made it to posting. I seem to recall some teasing about a more canon-based Fire. I’d think (or hope) that some of these pitched-but-not-caught stories just might surface one day at a more opportune time so I guess none of you could really discuss those, but anything that has no chance in hell of ever seeing print?

I assume that all 7 stories have titles as standalone works. Would anyone care to share?

Thanks again, Gang. It’s hard to believe one can be so entertained for free in this day and age. I hope the thanks, praise, and even the criticism the rest of us as readers give you guys lets you know how much your talent and work is appreciated. Now, about that holiday treat…?

b

[the hero factor]

watson - I was a bit uncertain going into this one, I admit. Ever since the puppy-fication of vamps in the Buffyverse, in the name of Spuffy, of course, I tend to be against the idea of vampires being in love with humans. It's a thing.

But, apparently, Willow/Tara goodness goes a long way to making me overlook things. Or, in this case, W/T sadness, cuz holy cow with the angst! Great story. I may have to go check out Days of Innocence Returned now.

terra21 - What a lovely way to end the series. With a Willow and Tara who have made a life together. And it was cool how you included the W/T from the other stories.

[terra21]

Thanks Kittens for reading Sun. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Make note that my feedback hasn't been beta'd, I blame it all on Mary if you find mistakes.


The Rose24 - Hey Rose! Thanks for the feedback!

russ - I think you're right when you say this is what Pens is all about. It's about our love for two characters and keeping them alive and active in all of our imaginations. Thanks for reading.

caz - Thank you caz. I'm a sucker for stability and deep understanding love. After finding out what brilliant stories the other authors were going to write, I wanted to bring it all home to a comfortable loving life for our girls.

SallyMcFine - Quite honestly, most of this story was developed out of several conversations with my muse Tying in all the other stories was discussed, and I thought that them being illuminated by the sun rays and coming to life would be pretty cool. It only seemed fitting to have them be blessed and as a result to be marked. Plus, tatoos, cool! I was hoping the Willow speak would fit, I'm glad you think so. Thanks Sally.

tarebear - Thanks cecile for the kind words. I've never thought of myself as being a talented writer, maybe simple and consistent. It wasn't my intention to bring in the other stories in the beginning, all the stories were to be stand alone fics. But the other writers had their ideas way before me and after sitting through a couple of chats about this project and again discussing it with my muse, the tie-it-up-with-a-little-bow concept came upon me. Truly my story is the only one that cannot be taken out of the Elemental Series to stand alone, but that's okay with me.

Mary - LOL, don't go running off to Mexico expecting to have sex with Willow and/or Tara in a glowing ball of sunshine! I had not even thought about the symmetry of the paiting scenes, but hey, thanks for pointing it out. I have to disagree, I'm a bit modest and hearing that I was naked and on top a pyramid in Mexico is not something that I would classify as lucky, maybe terrifying, but certainly not lucky. Thanks Mary!

spells42 - THanks so much for following the series to it's finale. I appreciate your comments, I'm glad the linking of the stories gave you a warm fuzzy.

Tiggrscorpio - "Full Cirle" I like that. Thank you. Actually the first and last sentences that frame the story came to me before anything in the middle. Sometimes I get the crazy notion that I should make a grand philisophical statement. Ha! I'll keep trying. Thank you.

Artemis - *bows* Hello o' great one. Ya know, I love the stories of how W/T meet and fall in love. But, I definitely wanted this to be a story where W/T were settled into their lives. Now, there aren't many instances where the ole ball and chain relationship works for fanfic...it could probably be boring to read. I think as a caboose to this series that the 'settled' life fits. Thanks muchly Chris.

irishgrl3 - Awww, *blushes* thank you for dropping in to leave some feedback. I could totally see the beach house in my mind, I tried my best to paint that picture for you guys with words. Car says she *wants* the house I described, can't say I blame her. Hehehehe.

hermitfish - Cyd, yeah, after all that mularkey you guys tried to feed the readers I had to do something to save face...lol, I'm sooooo kidding. I could vividly see certain scenes in the stories that you guys wrote and thought that it would only be fitting to give them an encore. Hehe. This is a total B-verse/canon fic about five years later. It's how I wanted things to be, how things should be in a relationship....deep committment, undying love, steadfast trust, and of course, unbridaled lust. Thank you Cyd.

JustSkipIt - Hiya Debra. Ya know, I'm a big picture kinda gal. In RL I like to take a step back and look at the entire situation before I jump in. In this project I was able to do that because it took me forever to develop a hard story line. Hmmm, now stepping back after the project I'm tempted to say that it was "meant to be" for me to be stuck in the beginning, otherwise I wouldn't have tied all the stories together. So, things kinda fell in place. Ahhhh, and you remembered the conflict that was actually driving the story --Tara's block-- thanks for noticing that!

SithLordWiccan - Stick around, the holiday treat is coming soon.

Fleiss - Such a reliable feedbacker. Thanks a bunch. I'm glad you enjoyed Elemental.

taralicious - Blayne, I feel this same way about writing too. Thanks for your comments.

watson - Watty! Say it ain't so! It's not the end! Well, actually it is, for Elemental, but what about ...(shhhhhhhh) oops nevermind. I'm so glad that the atomosphere of this story made you feel at peace and warmed your heart, I was so scared that it was gonna be boring. At first I thought the rest of you guys might think my idea of tying the stories together under the presumption that they were "could have been" alternative life paths, that I would be discrediting your stories. But you guys embraced the idea as something that could totally happen in the b-verse. Thanks for your support in that. And thank you for your feedback watty as always it is thoughtful.

binky - Thank you binky for taking note of the "normalcy" of this story. I know that there are a few things that aren't realistic (sex in a glowing sphere) but I think that the RL stuff is all totally believable. I'm glad that it left you in a Real Good Place.

the hero factor - Hey! Thanks for stopping by and leaving some feedback. I appreciate it!

t

[Artemis]

And now, here's that artwork I mentioned back in the Gold feedback replies, drawn by Leah (author/artist of the vamp Willow/Tara comic One Soul) and coloured by me (well, me and Photoshop):



Thanks Leah

[SithLordWiccan]

I saw that on your website the other day, Chris. And I gotta say it perfectly captures that moment in your story. Not to mention the fact that it gives me all kind of warm, fuzzy feelings. Kudos to Leah.