A New Beginning (W/T - Darkover-Style)

[Insanity]

[center]A New Beginning[/center]
a Willow/Tara Fanfiction

Author: Insanity
Contakt: realscarecrow@web.de
Feedback: Yes, please. Pretty much welcome.
Spoiler: None, it’s pretty much AU
Rating: NC-13 all over , maybe NC-17 in some parts, but I will give fair warnings in time.
Pairings: well duh, W/T of course
Disclaimer: All charakters of BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, etc. All charakters of Darkover belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley. They are not mine. I don’t make any profit by this.
Part: Prologue
Setting: This is all about Willow and Tara. It’s pretty much AU, so there are no demons, but there will be angst. It may take a while to get our girls together, but I promise: they will find each other. The story isn’t set in Sunnydale. It is not even set on earth. It takes place on Darkover. A planet invented and developed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Willow and Tara are no witches, but they have other gifts. Y’all will see. I hope you enjoy…..
Note: This story is originally written in German (it isn’t complete yet) and then translated exclusive for the Kittenboard. So, be patient. It’s my first attempt writing in English. If someone would like to read the original stuff, feel free to contact me.
Summary: Willow is a Terranan and works for the terran Empire. Tara is a Darkovan noblewoman.

Thanks: to my lovely and wonderful betas. Wiccagirl and WyrdOne8. I couldn’t do this without you. Every mistake is probably mine due to some last-second-changes.

Note 2: Sorry gals, no Tara in this part. But she will be in the next chapter.
Note 3: Chapters will be short but hopefully I’ll manage one update a week.
Note 4: Thoughts and dreams are in italics.
Note 5: No more notes today!




[blockquote] The Oat of the Guild of Renunciates of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley:

From this day forth, I renounce the right to marry save as a freemate. No man shall bind me di catenas and I will dwell in no man's household as a barragana.
I swear that I am prepared to defend myself by force if I am attacked by force, and that I shall turn to no man for protection.
From this day forth I swear I shall never again be known by the name of any man, be he father, guardian, lover or husband, but simply and solely as the daughter of my mother.
From this day forth I swear I will bear no child to any man save for my own pleasure and at my own time and choice; I will bear no child to any man for house or heritage, clan or inheritance, pride or prosperity; I swear that I alone will determine the rearing and fosterage of any child I bear, without regard to any man's place, position or pride.
From this day forth I renounce allegiance to any family, clan, household, warden or liege lord, and take oath that I owe allegiance only to the laws of the land as a free citizen must; to the kingdom, the crown and the Gods.
I shall appeal to no man as of right, for protection, support or succor: but shall owe allegiance only to my oath-mother, to my sisters in the Guild and to my employer for the season of my employment.
And I further swear that the members of the Guild of Free Amazons shall be to me, each and every one, as my mother, my sister or my daughter, born of one blood with me, and that no woman sealed by oath to the Guild shall appeal to me in vain.
From this moment, I swear to obey all the laws of the Guild of Free Amazons and any lawful command of my oath-mother, the Guild members or my elected leader for the season of my employment. And if I betray any secret of the Guild, or prove false to my oath, then I shall submit myself to the Guild-mothers for discipline as they shall choose; and if I fail, then may every woman's hand turn against me, let them slay me like an animal and consign my body unburied to corruption and my soul to the mercy of the Goddess.


Prologue:

“Willow! Willow, wake up!” Buffy almost yelled into the redhead’s ear, but she wouldn’t wake up.

“Okay then, the hard way”, the blonde one said, mostly to herself.

“Willow! You’re missing your lecture on interplanetary ethics!”

Willow bolted upright as though stung by a bee and looked around confusedly, her eyes wide open.
“What? Overslept? I overslept? But how? How can I explain this to the prof? I set the alarm. I know for sure. I double-checked it. And… and I added an extra fifteen minutes. He’ll kick me out and then I’ll fail the test and I’ll be kicked out out of the academy and then I’ll have to go back to…”

She checked the chronometer and registered that it was still the middle of the night. Her gaze stopped at the big and cheeky grin on Buffy’s face. With a frustrated growl, she fell back into her pillows.
“You really want to kill me, right?” she asked, playfully reproachful.

“You were talking again. Weird stuff. I think it wasn’t even Standard. And then you started screaming…”

Buffy only shrugged and let out a small sigh. It was the same every night. Willow spoke in her dreams, kept tossing and turning, and sometimes she screamed. In the morning she would wake, covered in sweat, but couldn’t remember anything. Therefore, she had decided to wake Willow this time.

“You dreamed again. Wanna share?”

Images rose from Willow’s subconscious.

„Uhm .. it’s all blurry. There were mountains. Big mountains. Very, very big mountains. And I guess, I was looking for someone ... but I dunno whom. It wasn’t you. ‘Cause you were there, too. And.. and there was this other woman. With short, black hair. It was extremely cold and snow was everywhere. And then some animals screeched.”

As she remembered those inhuman sounds, Willow shuddered. Everything had seemed so real to her.

“I’m sure it was frogs. Giant, man-eating frogs. You know? Frogs. Yucky. Slimy. And those tongues? I mean, please. Aren’t they able to use a fork and a knife like...”

“Will?” Buffy interrupted impatiently. “Anything *other* than yelling frogs?”

Willow made a pouty face but eventually continued with her story.

“It wasn’t a planet we visited so far.”

She tried so hard to remember that she started frowning.

“The sun was blood-red. I’ve never seen anything like that...“

She shrugged helplessly and shot a regretful look at Buffy.

“That’s all I remember.”

Willow sat up slightly, staring into nowhere.

“But… I have this feeling…”

She tried to put her impressions into words and her frown became more severe.

“This person, we were looking for…”

Lost in thought, Willow played with her pillow while focusing on her hands.

“It was … someone really important.”

‘For me? For us? For whom? And why? This feeling ... what does it mean? And who the hell was this dark-haired girl who accompanied us? A lot of questions and no answers at all…’

She could see the dark-haired girl’s face clearly before her inward eye. She had never met her.
‘She was dressed strangely. She wore some wide pants, a blouse with long sleeves, highcut, made out of linnen. A jacket with furtrimming and boots. It seemed so old-fashioned. It didn’t seem to be terranan clothing or a uniform. And Buffy… was dressed the same way. Did the two of them really carry swords? What on earth do you need swords for nowadays? They are pointy and sharp. You can cut yourself. And they are really unwieldy. God! That doesn’t make any sense.’

The images faded slowly and Willow couldn’t hold onto them despite all her will.
‘I should check out this mysterious plane first.’

She knew she should surely report her dreams, as her psi-potential was tested and she had high scores (as usual). It was possible that her dreams held a real message.

“Will? Willow?”

Buffy addressed Willow a few times, but the redhead was lost in her train of thought. Buffy knew this. Willow had a problem and couldn’t solve it. But here and now wasn’t the right place or time.

“Buffy to Willow. Hey Wills!”

She waved her hand in front of Willows face to get her attention.
“Uuh.. . Yeah?” Willow snapped out of her thoughts and stared at Buffy in shock.

“We should call it a night. We won’t find out anymore tonight.”

“Yes. You’re probably right. Tomorrow will be a long day. With all the papers for our transfer that still have to be stamped with the coloured stampies and then signed. And who knows where they will send us this time. And then we have to…”

“Will. Sleep. Now!”

“’Kay Buffy.”

“But if you start screaming again…”

“Yeah. I know. You will wake me up again. But I agree only under protest. I protest against being awakened in such a rude way once more. And by the way, what kind of person almost leads her best friend to a heart attack with such a lame joke?”

“Night, Will.”

“Night, Buffy.”[/blockquote]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, what do you think? Please let me know. I'm kinda nervous about this!

Insanity

[dender456]

The beginning was alittle wierd at first, but Buffy waking Willow up like that was funny!

Keep up the excellent work!

[Maccoda]

This is gonna be excellent! MZB's Darkover novels are among my favorites, I have every single one of them. What an wonderful universe to drop our girls into. I can't wait to read more.

[WyrdOne8]

Yay! It's kind of cool to see it up on the board and looking all real and stuff. Not that it wasn't real before, but you know what I mean. And I don't think you have any reason to be nervous.

-Meredith

[Emms]

Wow, Hello

I think the concept you have going here, is really interesting. So, Willow and Buffy are from this Amazon Planet and Tara is from some other planet, that they have yet to explore? How interesting. There should be pleanty for them to get to know about eachother, when they do meet. And, who's this dark haired girl Willow sees being added to the mix?

I really loved the mini-Willow-babble toward the beginning of the chapter. Buffy waking Willow up, under the guise that the red-head was late to class was classic, and the perfect lightness to prelude the more serious subject of Willow's prophetic dreams.

I can't wait for the next update

xoxo
Emms

[cooper]

Insanity,

While I am not familiar with this author (Marion Zimmer Bradley), the intro to this story sets up many questions that I am now wondering about. Like, are Willow's dream's glimpses of the future or do they tell her what she needs to look into or what to stop. Also, what type of job do Buffy and Willow do for their clan? Are they explorers or save the world type. I can't wait to read more.

cooper

[Still Waters T]

Color me intrigued! I love sci-fi, and the beginning of this fic certainly has me intrigued and all curious as to what will happen; where they're going next; when and how Willow will meet Tara; and just curious about the planets they've already been to, etc.

The Oat of the Guild was cool as an intro, before introducing Willow and Buffy. Willow's dream sounds profetic; is it really? The way she described it, it definately sounds like it. I wonder if they were looking for Tara in the dream. I'm eagerly awaiting to read more!

Liv

[Insanity]

So... here are the first responses to the first comments on my first story on the Kittenboard (That’s a lot of firsts!! WOW!!)

I’m soo excited!!! *bounces around a while* Okay, I’ll stop now, don’t wanna make all of you dizzy!

Thank you all for the nice comments. They are really appreciated and I enjoyed every one of them A LOT!!!

But now on to the individual replies (Any mistakes are mine, because I don’t have a beta for the replies!! *lol* )

dender456: I don’t think that I’ll ever ever ever forget your nickname, because you were the first one to ever respond to one of my stories on the Kittenboard. Here, take this

I get that the beginning may be a little confusing, but if you continue reading it will all make sense eventually. Well, at least I think so.
I’m glad you found it excellent. Couldn’t do it without my wonderful betas.


Maccoda: Hey Mick!
Wow, it’s only your second post. I’m flattered. I too think it’s a wonderful setting for our girls. I really don’t get why nobody else had come up with this idea yet. It’s sooo obvious with Willows red hair and stuff!

I’m a huge MZB fan, too (Who would have guessed *g* ). I don’t have all her books, but a great deal of them and I love nearly everything she ever wrote.

Since you know the books you’ll find some familiar persons and places in this story, if you stay for the whole, bumpy and sometimes angsty ride. I hope that I don’t bore you to death *g*.

Update probably Friday or Saturday (my local time).

WyrdOne8: Hey Meredith!
Yes! I totally get what you mean. I bow down before you , keeping up with my horrible English! I couldn’t do it without you! Thx a thousand times sweety!!!

Miss Kittys Ball O Yarn: Emms!

Oh.. Look!!! A reply from one of my favourite authors.

So, Willow and Buffy are from this Amazon Planet and Tara is from some other planet, that they have yet to explore?

Not quite right. It will get more clear when the story continues. But let me say: The Amazones and Tara are on the same planet. I guess I don’t spoil the fun when I tell ya that Willow and Buffy come to said planet.

The dark haired girl … hmmm. Who might it be??? You’ll see. Not in the next update, but some time soon. All of your other questions will be answered sooner or later and I promise: there will be more questions

Glad you likes the willow-ness of Willow and the dirty trick Buffy played on her!
Next update pobably Friday or Saturday.

cooper: Hey there cooper!

Some really good questions. But you’ll understand that I can’t answere them now or I would not need to continue the story. There will definitly be more questions in the next update

Maybe there will be answers in one of the coming updates!

Still Waters T:Hey Liv!

Good questions, too. As I said before, there will be more questions in the next chapter(s) and maybe some answers.

I’m really glad I managed to intrigue someone. And look, you’re from Norway, so we’re nearly in the same time-zone. *g* (or is it the same?? Not sure)


all of U:Thx for R&R!!!!!! I had a blast doing the replies!!!

Insanity

[Insanity]

[center]A New Beginning[/center]
a Willow/Tara Fanfiction

Author: Insanity
Contakt: realscarecrow@web.de
Feedback: Yes, please. Pretty much welcome.
Spoiler: None, it’s pretty much AU
Rating: NC-13 all over , maybe NC-17 in some parts, but I will give fair warnings in time.
Pairings: well duh, W/T of course
Disclaimer: All charakters of BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, etc. All charakters of Darkover belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley. They are not mine. I don’t make any profit by this.
Part: Chapter 1A
Setting: This is all about Willow and Tara. It’s pretty much AU, so there are no demons, but there will be angst. It may take a while to get our girls together, but I promise: they will find each other. The story isn’t set in Sunnydale. It is not even set on earth. It takes place on Darkover. A planet invented and developed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Willow and Tara are no witches, but they have other gifts. Y’all will see. I hope you enjoy…..
Note: This story is originally written in German (it isn’t complete yet) and then translated exclusive for the Kittenboard. So, be patient. It’s my first attempt writing in English. If someone would like to read the original stuff, feel free to contact me.
Summary: Willow is a Terranan and works for the terran Empire. Tara is a Darkovan noblewoman.

Thanks: to my lovely and wonderful betas. Wiccagirl and WyrdOne8. I couldn’t do this without you. Every mistake is probably mine due to some last-second-changes.
And a special “Thank you!!!” goes to XITA, for this lovely board!!! This is a place where people from all over the world are able to meet and talk and discuss. We laught together and we cry together. And what isn’t possible in the world out there works here. No fights. No one is bullied because of his/her believes or life-style or colour of skin or nationality. I don’t say that we all agree with everyone else all the time, but I think we all respect the others despite disagreements. And I’m very glad I’m a (teeny tiny) part of it!

Note 2 Thoughts and dreams are in italics.

Note 3: Rating in this part: R, due to some violence and abuse.


[blockquote] Chapter 1 A – On the Run :

Tara rode at a brisk trot. Away from the Castle. Away from her father, from her brother, from her husband. She didn’t know how it had come to this point, but she knew she couldn’t stand being there a single day longer. She wore the hood of her riding-cloak pulled far over her face, on the one hand to protect herself from the rain, which had begun to pour down an hour ago, and on the other hand to protect from curious glances which one could take at her. Not that she expected to meet anyone today. She surely was the only person travelling through the Hellers, the Darkovan mountains, on the day after midsummer, but she wanted to play safe.

She held her mare back a tad. The path was getting slippery from the rain and she didn’t want to risk an accident. As fast as possible she rode on. She had to increase the distance between herself and her father. Towards evening they would notice that she was gone and follow her. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen to her if they caught her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about the last weeks. Since her mother had died everything had gotten worse. Her father kept drinking too much, her brother was even more hot-tempered, and her husband….

She looked down at her wrist and cursed the bracelet that identified her as someone’s wife. She got married to Piedro against her own will. He was the son of her father’s friend, as well as Donnie’s best man. Thus, her father wanted to strengthen the bond between the families. She hated Piedro; she hated his lustful thoughts about her body, but she couldn’t shield herself all the time. In these moments she cursed her laran. She wished she would be headblinded, like most of the common people. But she wasn’t headblinded and most of the time she had managed to keep her barriers up. She had almost been relieved when she had noticed being pregnant. Piedro hadn’t been attracted to her misshapen body and so he had taken another woman into his bed. Piedro’s Laran was as good as nonexistent, but at a certain point she hadn’t been able to keep the knowledge that she had been expecting a girl away from him. Upon finding out, he had lost his temper. Till then Tara had known such threatening only from her father or Donnie. Piedro had never gotten rough with her before. She had fallen, been seriously injured, and lost the child. That night Tara had sworn to herself to break free.

First she hadn’t known where to go; a woman on Darkover couldn’t go anywhere alone. But she had heard rumors, rumors about women that lived without men, without their protection but also without their tutelage and the dependence. They were called Free Amazons and there was said to be a guildhouse in Thendara. That was all she had, only some rumors, a vage assumption, and her hope. She had stayed in bed for weeks and had spent the time devising plans. Midsummer was the appropriate moment. Everyone would get drunk and she could use the festivity to escape. With the help of her nanny, she sallied forth the same night. Like all employees on Castle Glenn, the nanny loved Tara for her patient and obliging nature. Tara just hoped that her father wouldn’t vent his spleen on the old woman instead.

She had been on the road for nearly fourteen hours now, without allowing herself and her horse more than a brief rest, and soon the sun would set again. She guessed everyone would wake up in a little while. Cautiously she sensed out with her laran. Relieved, she noticed that her brother and father were still asleep. She arrived at a travel-shelter but when she noticed some horses in the stable she decided to ride on. At least it was summer and she could camp outside, although the shelter had offered more security. After all, travel-shelters were places of peace. In there, everyone was safe. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to be seen. Nobody should be able to give a hint to her father as to where she was. All her efforts would of course be useless in the case that her father might be able to force a mental connection on her. But Tara was trained in a tower and her laran was much stronger than his.

When it finally was too dark to move on, she dismounted and led her horse into the woods that the path was crossing. It wasn’t really a forest, more a group of trees beside the path, but it promised to give sufficient shelter. She unsaddled, rubbed her mare dry, and fed her. Then she chained up the horse’s feet and let her graze. Tara didn’t light a fire, which would have been nearly impossible due to the rain, but she ate some dried fruit that she carried with her. Then she drank some of the long-cold shallan, a juice usually served hot to children at dinner. It was too sweet for her taste, but she would need the energy.

The rain had stopped and the cloud cover had broken. She enveloped herself in her blanket and looked at the sky. The familiar star constellations made her think of her mother and the last weeks they had spent together.
After the midsummer three years ago, Tara had been told to come home from the tower. Although Callista Aillard, the Leronis, had contradicted because Tara’s potential would be too great to be wasted to a husband, they hadn't been able to persuade Tara's father.
He didn’t want his daughter to become a keeper. Only one week after midsummer, Tara, just sixteen years old and therefore marriageable since a long time earlier, was married to Piedro Lennart-Allard. All her pleading didn’t help and even the biddings of her mother fell on deaf ears.

Eventually Tara had obeyed her father’s will. She was a Comynara, a woman of the leading caste, and she knew that marriage was one of her holy duties. Nevertheless she would have preferred the hard training as a keeper to being forced to live with this man. The wedding night had been an endless torture. Since she had just been back from the tower, her channels had still been overloaded from her work with the laran and every single touch had caused pain. But Piedro hadn’t paid any regard to it. Tara had implored to wait until after her next menstruation, but he had called in his rights as her husband. Tara had been ill a week afterwards and in the pale face of her mother she had been able to see that she had failed in trying to screen herself. She had had to experience the pain of her daughter, as had likely everyone capable of using his laran inside the castle and within a radius of at least ten miles.

To her relief she soon had noticed that she was not pregnant. Because of the summer, the men had been busy outside on the large properties and returned only every once in a while to the homey hearth. Tara had lived those days in a wonderful harmony with her mother. They had managed the castle, ridden together, and in the evenings they sat in the hall, drinking spiced wine and doing some needlework, or Tara’s mother played the rryl, a lyrelike instrument, while Tara sang. On some especially warm evenings they sat in the garden together and watched the stars. They invented stories about the Terranan, who travelled between the stars, or they renamed the stars and the constellations.

But then all of a sudden Tara’s mother had become very sick last year. She had gotten a dangerous fever and had lingered in delirium. Most of the time, she hadn’t even been able to recognize her own daughter. Immediately Tara had asked for a healer from the Neskaya tower. She had even helped the Leroni with the supervision of her mother and had been at her side every free minute that her chores allowed. But it had seemed like nothing could help. They hadn’t even known what kind of disease her mother was suffering. Tara had begged her father to let her bring her mother to the Terran hospital in Thendara, but he wouldn’t give in. He would rather see his wife dead than in the hands of a Terranan. And that’s what had happened. Just three weeks later, Tara’s mother had died.

Tears streamed down Tara’s cheeks and the stars blurred in front of her. It had happened more than half a year ago and the pain still was fresh. She missed her mother dearly, her wise and kind nature. She could have endured the hell of Castle Glenn with her. But without her offsetting character the men were out of control. Tara was often tempted to use her Commandvoice, but she was reluctant to force her will upon someone, even her father or brother. Instead she always decided to let it pass and avoided them as much as possible while living under the same roof. Sometimes Tara had the feeling that she collected pain like someone else would collect stamps.

Finally, totally exhausted from the last thirty-six hours without sleep and on the run, she drifted to sleep.[/blockquote]


ETA: I changed the rating for this part...

[Emms]

Okay, First let me just say how sweet you are for putting me on your list of favorite authors and for clearing up my confused brain. Now I have a little more of an Idea as to what's going on. Thankls

second... I haven't finished reading the update yet, actually, I'm still on the first paragraph, but I had to reply when I saw the words Tara/castle/HUSBAND all within two sentances! What?? Tara Yum ..... husband...not so much. (no offense to any husbands out there)

Okay....now, I'm going to finish reading the update.

I'm back...but only to say WHEW *wipes brow* An arranged marriage...that's a little better...at least she doesn't have feelings for this guy.

Alright, now I'm finished . I really liked this update. We really got to know a lot about Tara, and where she's coming from emotionally. I wish we knew more about Willow in that way.

When, I read the part about Tara losing her baby that's when I started feeling really sad for her. And not just in the 'She's lost her puppy, poor Tara" kinda way, but in the deep down, all the way to the toes, kinda sad. I really feel her pain. She just can't seem to get away from abusive men. But I guess that makes sense because her father and brother picked the groom.

Tara's sadness over her mother is so tangible, you did a wonderful job of really bringing me there, to where Tara is in her mind. Everything that you can tell us about what she has went though is going to help us understand who she is and why she makes the choices she makes. I think you are doing a really good job of that.

There was one thing though...hehe, that I thought was kinda funny...but maybe it's just funny because I don't get it.

Tara just hoped that her father wouldn’t vent his spleen on the old woman

lol, I don't get it... what happens when one vents his spleen?

Whatever it means... I also hope that Tara's father doesn't vent it on that old woman... (it doesn't sound very pleasant. )

Great job sweetie. I'm really getting into this story. I hope you can post another update soon.

xoxo
Emms

[Maccoda]

I really enjoyed this chapter and the way you introduced Tara and her background. Is she going to be a redhead then since her laran is strong enough to be sent to a tower and be trained as a Keeper?

[Insanity]

Okay… replies. Update either tomorrow or friday. A special Thank you goes to Emi06 and WillowRulez. Thank you guys. I really appreciated your feedback and I hope you’ll continue reading and replying.

But now on to the individual replies (Any mistakes are mine, because I don’t have a beta for the replies!! *lol* )

Miss Kittys Ball O Yarn: Hey Emms!

Sorry to stress you out so much with this update, with Tara beeing married and all. But it’s (sadly) crucial to the story. Now, what would a story be without at least a little angst. (There will be more angst, be prepared!)

I’m glad you read on and that you liked it.

These first parts are mostly background and setting the story in it’s… uhm setting. To get it started really.
Thank you for the complimets!

There was one thing though...hehe, that I thought was kinda funny...but maybe it's just funny because I don't get it.


lol, I don't get it... what happens when one vents his spleen?

Uhm, now I’m a little at a loss here. But I guess it could happen when you’re not writing in your own language. The sentence mostly means, that Tara’s father blames Tara’s nanny and gets really angry with her, punishes her maybe. So it’s really not very nice!!

Update either tomorrow or friday!


Maccoda: Hey Mick!

Good to see you post again.
To answere your question: No. Tara is blonde. It would be a logical thing to think though, but I couldn’t do THAT! It’s bad enough that she’ll have to… ups.. now I nearly spoiled you *g*….
Thank you for your feedback.


Insanity

[Insanity]

[center]A New Beginning[/center]
a Willow/Tara Fanfiction

Author: Insanity
Contakt: realscarecrow@web.de
Feedback: Yes, please. Pretty much welcome.
Spoiler: None, it’s pretty much AU
Rating: NC-13 all over , maybe NC-17 in some parts, but I will give fair warnings in time.
Pairings: well duh, W/T of course
Disclaimer: All charakters of BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, etc. All charakters of Darkover belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley. They are not mine. I don’t make any profit by this.
Part: Chapter 1 B
Setting: This is all about Willow and Tara. It’s pretty much AU, so there are no demons, but there will be angst. It may take a while to get our girls together, but I promise: they will find each other. The story isn’t set in Sunnydale. It is not even set on earth. It takes place on Darkover. A planet invented and developed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Willow and Tara are no witches, but they have other gifts. Y’all will see. I hope you enjoy…..
Note: This story is originally written in German (it isn’t complete yet) and then translated exclusive for the Kittenboard. So, be patient. It’s my first attempt writing in English. If someone would like to read the original stuff, feel free to contact me.
Summary: Willow is a Terranan and works for the Terran Empire. Tara is a Darkovan noblewoman.

Thanks: to my lovely and wonderful betas. Wiccagirl and WyrdOne8. I couldn’t do this without you. Every mistake is probably mine due to some last-second-changes.

Note 2: We had Tara in the first part of this chapter, now it’s back to Willow! And we will have some answeres….
Note 3: I’ll be very busy this weekend cause it’s my Sweetys birthday. And, well, we’ll spend some serious quality time! So, I post a day early.
Note 4: Thoughts and dreams are in italics.


[blockquote]Chapter 1B - On The Run


At the same time on a space-cruiser approching Cottman IV




Willow awoke before the alarm went off. She’d dreamed again like every night. She looked at her chronometer and registered that they would arrive on Cottman IV, which the inhabitants called Darkover, within a few hours. During the days since she had learned of her transfer for disciplinary reasons, she had read everything about this planet that was written down or saved on disc. It was a surprisingly small amount considering the time the Empire had already spent on the planet.

It didn't look like the inhabitants aspired to membership in the Empire. Due to this fact, the citizens of the Empire were limited to the trading zone of the spaceport. Most likely the port would have been given up already, if its location hadn't been as convenient. Due to its location between the upper and lower spirals of the Milky Way, it was a perfect junction. The climate of the planet was rough and relatively cold. There were only a few resources and a lack of metals. The planet passed for technically antiquated and there seemed to be some kind of aristocracy, the Comyn, who ruled the planet. Only a small part of the surface was habitable; most of it was covered by perpetual ice.
But one discovery had chilled Willow to the bone. The planet had a blood-red sun. This fact was giving her dreams a new meaning; it gave them truth.

And now the thought of stepping onto this planet in a few hours was sending cold shivers down her spine. What was awaiting her on this planet? Or precisely: Who?

Since she and Buffy left about a week ago, her dreams had become more and more intense. She remembered more and more details, up to the smell of fresh snow on the conifers. Her latest dream was the most detailed thus far.

She had dreamed:

“Buffy! We’re getting closer, I can sense her. But she’s shielded… can’t reach her.“

‘Her??’ Willow had come to a stop. Walking and talking at the same time was a no-go. She hadn’t enough air for that.

“Come on, Tallo! Move your ass. We have to cross this damn pass before sunset.”
“Faith is right, keep movin’ Will.”

It was bitterly cold and the snow was dancing in thick flakes through the air. The snowfall was so dense that she could barely see the chervine in front of her and the path below her feet. Past it, everything was white. Her feet and hands were burning.

‘Why am I not wearing a uniform?’

The path led them up and up. Breathing was hard for Willow; it seemed that they were very high already. And then suddenly, after what seemed to be an eternity, the way went downhill again. They had made it. They had crossed the pass.

“Hold on! We have to keep moving!” the strange woman, Faith, who was obviously familiar with them, said. “Don’t wanna end up as banshee-chow.”

Willow didn’t know where her strength came from. She had always been more of the studious, brainy type. What drove her out into the wilderness at such weather? She knew she had frostbite and her breath rattled unhealthily. Altitude sickness? But the path led downhill already. They would make it, they had crossed the pass. The worst lay behind them, or did it? Why, for what were they dragging themselves through this blizzard somewhere in the middle of nowhere? Willow didn’t know how long she simply followed the chervine but suddenly trees were lining the path on both sides and there was less snow. The trees seemed to hold it back somehow. Also the wind wasn’t blowing as coldly, or was it only her wishful thinking?

“We’re gonna stay here!”
Willow heard Faith’s voice from ahead and came to an abrupt stop. Buffy and Faith raised a camp in a jiffy. They set up a tent and even managed to light a little campfire. Faith shoved Willow into the tent.
“Strip!”
Willow froze and stared at Faith wide eyed.
“St-strip? Here? Now? Don’t you think it’s a little cold?“
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Faith with a resolve face.
“And why should I strip for you? I don’t have the slightest interest in…”

“Boots! Gloves! Zandru’s Hell, Tallo! Do you even consider, that I might think about something else?”
Willow blushed, sat down embarrassed, and took off her boots and gloves.
At the resulting sight, Faith inhaled sharply through her teeth.
“Buffy! Bring me that icky stuff against frost-bite!”
Then she addressed Willow again.
“That looks pretty shitty, Tallo. Wanna keep all your toes? Well, then, start praying that this stuff is as good as you keep telling us."
“It stimulates the blood circulation. That should help. I don’t think it’s already that serious.”
Buffy’s head appeared at the entrance and she threw a little box with ointment at Faith. She looked anxiously at Willow.
„There will be hot waytea and some porridge with dried fruit in a few. You should probably put some energy-bars in the porridge. You look like you could collapse anytime.”
“I’m not hungry.” She pouted and looked at Buffy with a puppyface. “Eating is too exerting. If it was chocolate...”
Eventually she ate some of her porridge. While she was spooning it very boredly, something came to her mind.
‘The tent. Why is it blue? I could swear it was brown only yesterday. And why is the porridge also blue? Shouldn’t it be yucky slimy brown?’

She had been awoken with these thoughts in mind. Blue … there was something really important about blue. If she could just remember what it was.[/blockquote]

[Emms]

hehe Gee, I wonder what could be significant about the color blue?

Great update sweetie. I could go on and on about how wonderful, but I've just arrived home after a long day of work and my brain is still in "three year old" mode, so I'm a little

I really thought this update was wonderful though, and I was glad that we got another scene with Willow, she's really starting to put some peices of the puzzle together, but could we really have expected anything less from our Willow?...she is the brainy type afterall.

I can't wait for the next update

xoxo
Emms

[Insanity]

Hey Emms!

Thanks for your feedback. I really appreciate it (you're kinda the only one replying in the moment).

Well, blue.. what could be so important? Maybe there is more to it, then it seems....
Well only time (or I, and I won't ) will tell.

Next part is of to my beta...

Insanity

[Emms]

Ooooooo could it be possible that there is more to this blue connection than I'd first surmised? Well, I'm even more intrigued now then I was before.

When I saw that you'd posted, I got all excited because I thought I was going to get an update I can't wait for Willow and Tara to come face to face and see eachother for the first time. Tara has a lot of things to work through and something tells me that Willow is just the redhead to help her do it.

I wonder though, if Tara's relationship with her family is salvagable, or will she never see them again? Also, I get the feeling that we are about the see a lot of Willow's protective side once she meets Tara and hears about all the things that have happend to her.

well....that was me just filling in some space as I wait for another wonderful update....

take care
Emms

[WillowRulez]

Finally got around to read this! Cool story! But where is the update...?

[Maccoda]

Your story is developing nicely and I can'y wait for W/T to finally meet. I'll post a longer reply when I'm not so exhausted that my eyes are crossing. Keep up the cool writing, people are reading it!

[Insanity]

Hello guys!!

Sorry for not replying and posting sooner, but I was really busy. And my wonderful and lovely beta wyrd0ne8 was busy, too. Hence the lack of updaty goodness

First some individual replies and then an update!!! (Any mistakes are mine, because I don’t have a beta for the replies!! *lol* )

WillowRulez:

Hey WR!
(I tend to shorten everything, don’t take it personal *fg*)

Thank you very much for replying. I almost thought nobody (besides Emms of course) is interested. Update: see below….

Maccoda:

Hey Mick!

Thank you for supporting me. I really almost thought nobody is reading. Additionally I really hadn’t much time, my betas were/are stressed … so delay in updates…

I hope your eyes stopped crossing and you can look straight again *g*

Insanity


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[center]A New Beginning[/center]
a Willow/Tara Fanfiction

Author: Insanity
Contakt: realscarecrow@web.de
Feedback: Yes, please. Pretty much welcome.
Spoiler: None, it’s pretty much AU
Rating: Well, there is some angst in this part. So maybe NC-15, or something like that…
Pairings: well duh, W/T of course
Disclaimer: All charakters of BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, etc. All charakters of Darkover belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley. They are not mine. I don’t make any profit by this.
Part: Chapter 2A
Setting: This is all about Willow and Tara. It’s pretty much AU, so there are no demons, but there will be angst. It may take a while to get our girls together, but I promise: they will find each other. The story isn’t set in Sunnydale. It is not even set on earth. It takes place on Darkover. A planet invented and developed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Willow and Tara are no witches, but they have other gifts. Y’all will see. I hope you enjoy…..
Note: This story is originally written in German (it isn’t complete yet) and then translated exclusive for the Kittenboard. So, be patient. It’s my first attempt writing in English. If someone would like to read the original stuff, feel free to contact me.
Summary: Willow is a Terranan and works for the terran Empire. Tara is a Darkovan noblewoman.

Thanks: to my lovely and wonderful betas. Wiccagirl and WyrdOne8. I couldn’t do this without you. Every mistake is probably mine due to some last-second-changes.
Note 2: Thoughts and dreams are in italics.




[blockquote]Chapter 2A - First Barriers


On the Road

Mormallor stood full and white in the sky while the sea-green crescent moon of Idiel was slowly descending towards the horizon. Soon the blue Kyrddis would rise, too. Tara awoke. She looked around, confused, and at first couldn’t remember where she was. But then the memories came crashing in on her. She had run away. Escaped from her father's castle and her husband's bed. Because she didn’t know what had awoken her, she cautiously erected her barrier. And it seamed, only just in time. She felt someone reaching out, trying to connect with her mind, and recognized her father.

She opened the small pouch she wore on a leather tie around her neck, took the blue matrix out into her palm, and concentrated. Before her inward eye she built a wall around herself. She imagined how her father charged against it and recoiled. She could feel her father's rage. Rage and hatred. Tears welled up in her eyes. Sure, they didn’t have the best relationship, but still, he was her father and she loved him.

She had always had pity for him because he wasn’t as strong as was expected from a Lord of Comyn. His drinking was only a way to compensate. As long as her mother had been alive his weaknesses hadn’t been evident. She had been the one who organized everything. But after her death he had been gone to seed. And now his fury was directed at Tara because he felt that she had abandoned him.

She registered the weakening of her shields and with all her willpower she concentrated on her barrier again. Usually it would have been easy to block her father, but his rage gave him power she would never have expected him to have. She strove to even her breathing as she had learned in the tower. She had to keep up. She knew that, if her father managed to break through her barrier, she was lost. He could enforce the connection and she wouldn’t have any strength left to defend herself. She continued to concentrate on her barrier and realized she had formed a tower. It looked surprisingly similar to the Tower of Arilin where she had been trained. But she didn’t want to place a conspicious mark in the overworld, where her tower was easy to spot even from a long way off. Her father would be able to catch sight of it and ascertain her location as if pointed out on a map. She kept concentrating and let her tower shrink until it was only a small, one-story-building, not very high, but with thick walls. Now her barrier looked like one of the travel-shelters she had seen. That was much better.

She completely lost track of time, until finally she noticed that her father became weaker and then withdrew. As a precaution she held her barrier up a little while longer, but her father didn’t return. The attack must have demanded a lot of strength from him. Perhaps she would have peace until sunrise.

After a while she dropped her barrier and packed the matrix back into the pouch. She knew she had to eat something. Laran burned great amounts of energy, but she was too exhausted to eat. Then she pulled herself together.
“You will not make it, if you haven’t any strength left. Nobody knows when he’ll try again”, she said to herself. “Come on Tara. Get up!”

Weakly, she crawled out of her blankets and opened her saddlebag. She took the shallan, some dry-fruit and nuts. Absentmindedly she put some nuts in her mouth and started chewing halfheartedly. Once she started eating she noticed how hungry she really was. She fetched the cold chicken from her bag and started eating feverishly. Afterwards she crawled back between her blankets and fell asleep immediately.

Surely Tara would have slept through the next day but was awoken by her mare shortly after sunrise.
“Oh Preciosa, what would I do without you?”
Tara buried her face in the mare's neck and stroked her soft mouth. A little physical closeness felt good, even if it was only a horse providing it. Eventually Tara snapped out of her paralysis and freed the mare from her hobble. Then she fed her and let her drink. While Preciosa was slowly chewing on the grain, Tara packed her things back into the saddlebags. She drank some shallan but decided to eat on the way. She saddled the horse and led it back on the street.
“Come on, shaya. Let’s get moving.”

She drove the mare on. It was dry and she could set a steady, quick pace.

The road was in good condition so she didn’t have to pay close attention to it. The horse would find the way on her own. The sun rose higher and it became warmer with every minute. It would be a hot day. Soon Tara began to sweat under her hood and she started to wonder if she should risk shedding her riding cloak. But the hood was her only protection against curious glances. When the sun reached its zenith and the heat became almost unbearable, Tara decided to rest for a while. She led her mare into the shadows of some trees and let her drink from a creek that was flowing nearby. For herself she lit a small fire, above which she made some porridge out of nuts, grain, dried fruit and water. It tasted horrible but it was supposed to be substantial. Soon Tara was on her way again. She was in a hurry. If she was able to cover a good distance, she would be able to reach Thendara the next day.

The day passed without any incidents, a fact that made Tara very nervous. She had expected her father, or Donnie, to try and force contact with her again. Since nothing had happened, she wondered what the three men were planning. She didn’t dare to check for someone following her but she really expected it. But hadn’t she also expected that someone would try to force her into rapport again? Maybe they would try again tonight. They would hope to take her by surprise then. Yes, that made sense to Tara. Otherwise they wouldn’t stand a chance of breaking her barrier.

A long time before sunset Tara made another rest. She intended to rest for about two hours and then to continue during the night. She tended to Preciosa and lit a small fire again, which she extinguished the second she finished eating her porridge. Then she leaned against a tree and used a relaxing technique she had learned at the beginning of her training. She emptied her mind and started limbering her taut muscles.

Eventually, the sun set. Within seconds it became dark, but soon enough the pale disc of Mormallor rose above the horizon. Since there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, it provided enough light for her to ride on cautiously. She saddled Preciosa, mounted the horse and let her find the way on her own. She would survive another night without sleep.



Old-Town of Thendara


Two looming figures crept out of the shadows of the houses in the night-blanketed Old-Town and looked up to the landing spaceship.

“There is someone on the ship,” said the shorter one.

“Of course there is someone on it. It would surely not fly on its own,” the other one replied.

“No. Not just somebody. There’s a woman on this ship, who…” The shorter one peered at the ship, leaning her head to one side, as if trying to eavesdrop.

“She’s very powerful, but... Zandru’s Hell … it’s all blurry. Maybe I should go to the Terran Zone and see for myself. Do you mind going back alone?”

“Sure I mind going somewhere without you. But if it is important to you I’ll escort you to the gates.”

“It is important. She could be the one.”

“Well, then let’s not waste any more time.” [/blockquote]

[Insanity]

[center]A New Beginning[/center]
a Willow/Tara Fanfiction

Author: Insanity
Contakt: realscarecrow@web.de
Feedback: Yes, please. Pretty much welcome.
Spoiler: None, it’s pretty much AU
Rating: It’s a pretty safe chapter, I guess. So PG.
Pairings: well duh, W/T of course
Disclaimer: All charakters of BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, etc. All charakters of Darkover belong to Marion Zimmer Bradley. They are not mine. I don’t make any profit by this.
Part: Chapter 2B
Setting: This is all about Willow and Tara. It’s pretty much AU, so there are no demons, but there will be angst. It may take a while to get our girls together, but I promise: they will find each other. The story isn’t set in Sunnydale. It is not even set on earth. It takes place on Darkover. A planet invented and developed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Willow and Tara are no witches, but they have other gifts. Y’all will see. I hope you enjoy…..
Note: This story is originally written in German (it isn’t complete yet) and then translated exclusive for the Kittenboard. So, be patient. It’s my first attempt writing in English. If someone would like to read the original stuff, feel free to contact me.
Summary: Willow is a Terranan and works for the terran Empire. Tara is a Darkovan noblewoman.

Thanks: to my lovely and wonderful betas. Wiccagirl and WyrdOne8. I couldn’t do this without you. Every mistake is probably mine due to some last-second-changes.
Note 2: Thoughts and dreams are in italics.

Note 3: You know guys. A little feedback would most definitly be a big motivation for me to continue with this story…



[blockquote]Chapter 2B - First Barriers


Space-Port


Willow stood at the computer terminal in her cabin, which was just big enough for Buffy and her. Space was limited on spaceships and therefore a longer journey could become a real torture. She pressed a few buttons and the approach to the planet was displayed on the screen. From their current position all four moons could be clearly spotted. The smallest, the pearlwhite Mormallor. then the sea-green Idriel, the blue Kyrddis, and the purple Liriel. Willow, who had spent most of her life on Terra so far, was intrigued by the four moons. The signal rang, announcing their landing in about half an hour, and pulled Willow out of her thoughts. She turned off the terminal and crossed the small room towards the beds to wake Buffy.

“Buffy. Wake up, we’re about to land.”

With a sleepy growl, Buffy turned to her other side and pulled the pillow over her head.
“Don’t wanna.”

Willow pulled the pillow aside.
“Come on Buffy. You don’t want to experience the landing while still in bed, do you? The last time you got really sick. May I remind you of that?”

At the memory of her turning and rebelling stomach, Buffy was instantly wide awake.
“Urgh… Yeah, right. Okay. Let’s sit.”

The two young women turned to the small table in the corner. While Willow sat down, Buffy turned to the terminal and ordered a bowl of cornflakes. Before she sat down, she already had the first spoonful in her mouth. Chewing, she looked over at Willow.

“So, Will. What do you think is waiting for us down there?”

Insecure, Willow was staring at her hands lying interlocked on the table.

“I... uhm... I really don’t know. I have a strange feeling about this whole thing. Those dreams…” Her brow knitted together involuntarily.

“They make me wonder. But somehow it’s not a creepy feeling. Nevertheless, I’m awfully nervous… and curious.” Willow’s face lit up and she beamed excitedly at Buffy.

“The planet is eminently fascinating, to me even if not to the empire.” She made a dismissive gesture.

“No metals or anything else the Empire would find useful. But just think about the four moons. I bet there are holidays for specific constellations, though I couldn’t find anything in the records. And the planet is technologically very antiquated. I wonder if there is an equivalent to the Terran burning of witches.” She frowned and one of her brows shot up.

“And… what really caught my attention: the planet is totally patriarchal, but the most important discoveries were made by a woman, Magdalen Lorne. How did she do that? She appears in the records pretty frequently. I really hope I get to know her. She must be an outstanding person.” Willows voice nearly tumbled over itself in her enthusiasm.

Buffy regarded her friend. They had been friends since high school, went together through the three years of training at the academy on Alpha Colony, and had been inseparable ever since. But every now and then Buffy was astonished at how enthralled Willow could get about something. Everything she had read about that planet seemed to be saved in her head already. Willow did things entirely or not at all, which had been the main reason for her disciplinary transfer. Hardly anyone welcomed it if someone hacked into their computer system. Willow babbled on.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t able to access all records. They’re partially rated top secret and I didn’t want to again…” She left the sentence hanging in the air and seemed to be really disappointed.

“Well, maybe I’ll have more access when we’re actually working on Darkover. Or maybe I could talk to this Lorne. She really seems to know a lot about this planet.”

Out of the blue, Willow’s expression changed. The radiant anticipation faded and she looked down at her hands, suddenly very sad again.
“Will… What’s up?“

„Oh Buffy. I ... I’m so sorry that you are stuck on this planet now. You shouldn’t have come with me. I mean, I’m really glad that you came with me, because I would have missed you terribly. And I’m so grateful, because I don’t know what I would do without you. But … I feel really bad about it…” Willow looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

“Hey Will. Stop it! It was my decision to come along. And you have to look at the bright side. I will never ever have to see those puppydog-eyes of Riley again. My gosh. This guy really followed me around.” With a determined face, Buffy looked at her old friend.

Willow reached for Buffy’s hands across the small table and squeezed them thankfully. She smiled, but her green eyes still shone suspiciously.
“I’m really lucky to have you. You’re really the best friend ever.”

Buffy returned the squeeze. No, staying behind on Terra hadn’t been an option, although she didn’t really know what she was supposed to do on Darkover. But coming here felt totally right.

Shortly afterwards, the second alarm for the landing rang and the ship touched the planet’s surface. Silently, the two young women grabbed their hand baggage and left the ship. There was an icy wind blowing at the landing area, which made Willow and Buffy shiver. With their transfer papers, they passed the customs station quickly. Their other baggage would be unloaded later and brought to their quarters the next day. They were welcomed by two other women behind the customs station. The older one had dark skin and white hair and seemed to have been born on Alpha Centaurus. Over the uniform, she wore a thick fur coat, which seemed to protect her from the cold wind. To Willow this seemed to be more suitable clothing than her own thin Terran tunic through which the wind blew effortlessly.

The other woman had short, red hair and studied Willow attentively. She didn’t wear the standard uniform either. When Willow looked at the woman's clothes more closely, she felt a shiver travel down her spine. The clothes were identical to the ones she had seen in her dreams. The pants, the boots, the chemise. The only difference was that the coat wasn’t fur but linen. The temperature didn’t seem to bother the woman.

‘I wonder if she’s Darkovan? The clothing seems to be Darkovan, at least. Shall I ask her?’

But before Willow had the chance to say something, the dark-skinned woman beat her to it.
“Miss Rosenberg. Miss Summers. Welcome to Cottman IV or Darkover. I am Cholayana Ares, head of Intelligence, the department for which you’re going to work. Both of you. Miss Summers, I have applied for your transfer to Intelligence and I hope that suits you. But let’s get inside; it’s always very cold outdoors.” Cholayana made an inviting gesture towards the great main building.


The red-haired woman laughed.
“It isn’t really cold Cholayana. In fact, it’s a relatively mild evening.”

“Oh, and this pert woman is Magda n’ha Ysabeth. She’s working for Intelligence, too, although she never pays the due respect.”

During this short banter both women grinned at one another and Willow knew instantly that she wasn’t watching superior and employee alone, but rather two good friends.
Cholayana and Magda led them into the main building and through a maze of corridors, elevators, and escalators. The conversation between the four of them was pleasant but shallow. They chatted about the trip, the latest election on Terra, and progress in intelligence technique. Finally, Cholayana stopped at a door.

“Miss Summers. These are your quarters. Miss Rosenberg’s quarters will be right next to yours. I pulled some strings to make your start a little easier.”

Buffy smiled at the strange woman.
“Cool, it’s like college again.” Buffy grinned at Willow conspiratorially and turned to her new boss again. “Thanks. That’s really... Thank you.”

“I’ll see you both on duty tomorrow morning at nine. Miss Rosenberg, the next door is yours.”

Willow was grateful for the prospectiveness of her new boss, but the other woman, Magda, made her nervous. She felt the sensation of being watched the whole time, as if the stranger could look right into her mind.
There was a moment of silence before Cholayana started speaking again.
“You must be tired. I’ll see you tomorrow at nine at my office. Magda, wouldn’t you rather stay at the HQ tonight? You know I always worry when you cross the Old-Town on your own, without protection at night.”

“I have all the protection I need, Cholayana.” She made a dismissive gesture. “And I’d rather go back to the Guild-House. Camilla’s waiting for me.”

Cholayana sighed and shook her head. “You’re as stubborn as a donkey. But I know I can’t talk you out of it. Will you be back in the morning?”

“Absolutely. Wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Good night, everyone.”

Cholayana disappeared down the corridor, while Magda still stood beside them somewhat irresolutely.
“You’re good? Or do you need anything?” she asked finally, looking between the two women.

Buffy shook her head no and stepped beside Willow.
“No, thanks. All we need is some hours of sleep in a real bed, I guess,” Willow answered politely, evading Magda’s questioning gaze.

“But thank you, Magda. It’s okay if I call you Magda, isn’t it? Or should I say Miss Ysabeth? I don’t really get your name.” A deep wrinkle formed in Willow’s forehead.

“No. Magda is okay. I’ll leave you now. See you tomorrow and then we can talk a little more. Sleep well.”
With that she turned and left.

“Sweet dreams, Willow!”

Willow froze.

“What did you say, Buffy?”

“Me? When? I didn’t say anything.” Buffy shook her head.

“But... but I heard it. You said: “Sweet dreams, Willow.”

“No. I didn’t and I haven’t heard anything either. Are you hallucinating? You really need some sleep, don’t you?” Buffy regarded her friend skeptically.

Willow shook her head. She was sure that she had heard something. She gave Buffy a quick hug and stepped into her new home. [/blockquote]

[Maccoda]

Willow has finally made it to Darkover! YEAH!!!!


Great update. Sneaky Madga planting "voices" in Willow's head. Willow must have a lot of power.

Can't wait to see Tara's arrival at the Guildhouse. I hope we'll see familiar faces such as Camilla, Rafaella, and Madga's lifemate.

[sam7777]

I like the structure of a chapter part for Willow and then the other for Tara. I've only read Sharra's exile of the Darkover books but I like you take on Darkover already. And if you hadn't of said so, I would never guess this story was translated. Great job!