by Wonko » Sun Jul 22, 2001 5:35 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Zahir:
Something Is Going On that didn't happen on the show--and one of you has noticed it (though methinks this person hasn't noticed they noticed it).
That's officially teasing. Heartless teasing.
Actually when you said that my mind jumped to my own pet theory which I won't embarrass myself by sharing - just know you're killing me here, okay?
------------------
Words from Wonko
The MKF Appreciation Society - All Miss Kitty all the Time!
by Zahir » Tue Jul 24, 2001 10:39 am
* * *
Willow moped. The locale had something to do with this, being a hospital and all. And the gown they made her wear did nothing for dignity or comfort. But the fight she'd had last night weighed her down in very many ways.
Ultimate evidence of that fight was seated next to the door. Giles sat there, obviously standing guard. Against Tara, of course. He wouldn't listen to her, of course. That much had been made excessively clear. Goddess forbid anyone imagine for one instant she might know what she was doing. Or that the risks of her relationship might be something she'd thought through and accepted. Funny how nobody freaked this way when she dated a werewolf. And Buffy herself had dated a vampire. So it wasn't as if she was breaking really new ground here.
A sigh brought Giles suddenly to her side. "Willow? Are you alright?"
"Yes, Giles, I'm fine."
The weary anger in her voice must have penetrated. He took off his glasses. "You have friends who love you, Willow."
"Be kinda nice if they trusted me, too."
"It isn't your fault," he said in what was probably meant as a soothing voice. It didn't soothe. "Whatever sorcery or the like this Tara creature used, we'll discover."
"Giles."
"Yes, Willow." He looked so eager. She was so angry.
"I love her."
The patient look on his face made Willow want to slap him. "You believe you do."
"Just like you believe you care about Buffy? After all, maybe that just some magic that's part of being a slayer. Their watchers just start caring for them more and more and more--but maybe its not real. Maybe its just magic."
"Don't be silly."
"Prove it. Prove anything you've ever felt was real. I'm betting you can't."
He wasn't going to listen. She could talk from now until doomsday (which, in Sunnydale, might be next Thursday so that might be the wrong homile to use but anyway) but that alone would never let him believe himself wrong. Not about this. And one really nasty thought came to Willow as she watched Giles patiently take his seat again by the door. Would he be reacting this way if Tara had been a boy? For that matter, would any of them? Because Buffy and Riley in particular had been acting...well...kinda crazy about the whole thing. And not just about that.
Giles snapped to attention as the door openned. The fact it was day no longer made any difference in his mind, obviously. Well, what did anyone expect? Did they really believe Willow wouldn't try everything she could to protect her girlfriend? Okay, maybe she shouldn't have stolen it, but...
Willow did a take. The person who walked into her hospital room could not be walking into her hospital room.
"Hello," said Britney Spears. "You must be Willow. My name is April."
"Uh...hi." Something about the way this girl talked seemed...familiar. And not in a Britney-Spears-kinda-way. "This is my friend, Rupert Giles."
"Hello Rupert Giles," the precisely perky blonde said.
"Yes. Well. Good morning."
"Do I know you?" ventured Willow.
"No. But we have a mutual friend. Someone from Los Angeles. Her name is Rose." She said all this with the identical smile throughout. And much the same intonation. But--much more importantly, she was from Tara. The bit about LA and "The Rose" was a dead (or undead) giveaway.
"Oh!" Willow said, she hoped not too enthusiastically. "How is Rose?"
"She said to tell you she is fine. And she said I was to ask how you were." Again with the cheerfulness.
"Just a bit of anemia. You know--college student, not eating right, that kinda thing."
April nodded vigorously. "Good nutrition is terribly important. So will you be in this hospital for long?"
Willow eyed Giles, who looked equally puzzled and tittilated. "I checking out today. Then I'll be hanging around as usual."
"Oh good! Then maybe Rose can come over for a visit. I think she would like that."
"That'd be nice." Where did Tara find this girl?
"Well, I will be going now. Perhaps we will see each other again?"
"Maybe."
"Bye-bye!" And with that, April turned and left.
Giles stared after her. Then stared at Willow. She did her best to appear innocent.
* * *
Although she hadn't been a vampire that long, Tara still found the sunlight disorienting. She wondered if this was a permanent response of her demon to something that was normally fatal--Ring of Amara or no. But then she saw her target and banished such thoughts.
Tara made it to his car before Ben did. He looked a little startled, then relaxed in recognition. "Miss McClay. Hi."
"Hi. I've got to ask you something."
"About the glass eye? Is there some irritation?"
"No, that's fine. But a friend of mine has been looking for someone, and I have an idea you might know where he is."
"Well," Ben looked puzzled. "If I can help--sure."
She took a snapshot out of her pocket, handing it to him. "His name is Warren." Ben took a long, hard look. Before he said anything, Tara already knew.
"He was admitted a couple of days ago."
"For what?"
"Psyche ward. Had a sudden and unexplained mental collapse. There's been a lot of that going around." He looked anything but happy about that. "Do you want to see him."
"No. But I think I'd better." With a shrug, he motioned her back towards the hospital. "I should mention," Tara said as she started walking, "there're some people hanging around the hospital I don't want to see me. Nothing illegal, just--awkward."
"Hey, we've all got secrets."
* * *
Willow felt better now that she was in her own clothes. And almost free--of this room, anyway.
"So where's Buffy?"
Anya answered before Giles. "On patrol with Riley. Looking for Tara, I think." Willow's look of alarm brought a reaction from her. "But I don't think they'll find her."
"They certainly have had no luck so far," murmured Giles.
"Good," said Willow. She stared at Giles without flinching. He looked away.
"I for one hope they don't find her. Tara has been really nice, helping out with Xander and everything."
"Anya," said Giles, "did it never occur to you to ask why she was being so helpful."
"No. Just to wonder why the rest of you weren't. Except Willow." Giles sighed. In exhasperation. And maybe some guilt. Willow liked to think he felt some guilt. "Anyway, its not like Tara hurt anybody."
"May I remind you this is a vampire we're talking about? One who fed from Willow?"
"I asked her to," offered Willow.
"That," said Giles after a moment or two, "was hardly the sanest act you've ever committed."
"Could have been worse," she answered. "For example, I could have gotten together with a bunch of Satanists and raised a death-worshipping demon to go around possessing people to kill us all off." Giles twitched. That hit home. Anya looked between them, sure she was missing something--quite rightly. She waited for someone to explain. When no one did, she make a little sound and looked at Willow.
"You ready to go?"
"Sure."
Giles followed them out.
* * *
Tara hadn't expected the Psyche Ward to be so...full.
"We don't know what's causing it," said Ben, "but the number of admissions for mental disturbances has been a steady flood for months. Something in the water, maybe. Then, about a week or so ago, things got worse. A lot worse."
"More admissions?"
"Nope. They all got worse. Crazier."
Every single bed held a patient, twitching and moaning (in some cases snarling) against heavy restraints. More than a few erupted into peals of laughter, while one seemed to be mooing like a cow. The din was a terrible thing to hear, like what Tara imagined hell might be like. She gazed at every face in the room, over three dozen in all. Not one focussed back at her.
"The quiet ones get sent home, of course," said Ben in a monotone.
"And this acceleration--its recent?"
"Very." For some reason Ben's puzzlement seemed to grow over this. "And sudden. I've never seen anything like this."
"Its as if whatever caused this first wave of madness had something added to it," mused Tara.
"Guess so."
There! Warren, the builder of April, was whimpering against sweat-soaked sheets, not so much struggling against his restraints as pulling away from them.
"No...no...she'll get me, she'll find me...got to get away..." His voice came out in ragged gasps.
"He sounds terrified of something," offered Ben.
"Yeah. But he knows better than anyone..." Tara stopped herself before going any further. She abruptly turned to go. "There's something else going on here," she said in a low voice.
"Something else?" Ben followed her. "Like what?"
"If you're lucky, maybe you'll never find out."
Tara did not wait for him to catch up.
* * *
After two full days of having people hover over her Willow was ready to scream. To distract herself she dove into what research she could find about Glory. Fortunately, this proved to be absorbing and she managed after a few hours to dull the ache of not seeing Tara. Of course the good news--that Buffy hadn't managed to find her--helped. What didn't was the blase assumption on the parts of Buffy, Riley and Giles that she was a victim. Poor lonely Willow, so down in the dumps she fell for the first sweet-talking vampire to come along and ask for the Ring of Amara. None of them used those words exactly, but where they got the notion she was this stupid baffled her. Like she couldn't figure this out? The only thing keeping her from tossing a few spells around in frustration was hope they'd eventually come around. Plus she tried to give them credit. Last time any of them had trusted a vampire it had very much ended in tears. So she waited. Impatiently.
"Find out anything new?" asked Anya as she landed next to Willow at the back of the magic shop.
"Nope." Willow took a cursory glance at her notes, all color coded for cross-indexing. "Glory. Also known as Glorificus. One of three hellgods who rule a demon realm, blah blah blah, banished to Earth, etcetera, needs to consume human mental energy in order to stay this side of sane." Remembering again what had happened to Xander, Willow stopped. "Sorry. Its just there doesn't seem to be anything more specific in here about anything. And I get frustrated."
"That's okay." Anya nodded. Her attention didn't seem to be on what Willow was saying. Instead her gaze swept the store. Willow looked as well. Jocelyn was selling another crystal ball. Several local blessed-wannabes from campus were gazing at the herb racks. Anya cocked her head. "Something's missing." Rising, she headed for the bottles of tinctures, herbs and salves. "Hey," she called to Jocelyn, "did you know you're out of frog's breath oil?"
Jocelyn finishing ringing up a sale before answering. "Yeah. This odd couple bought all we had a couple of days ago."
"All of it? What for?"
The half-demon shrugged using only her eyebrows. "Pretty young blonde with an old guy. Coke bottle glasses, you know?"
Anya looked puzzled. "Yeah, but what would they use it for? I mean, frog's breath oil doesn't have many uses. It doesn't go in any potions. The only ritual that requires it takes place on the summer solstice. Other than that..."
"Hello, my name is April." She was back. And exactly as precisely cheerful as before. Willow's heart skipped a beat. A message from Tara?
"Uh...hi." Anya managed a smile.
"Are you a friend of Willow? Because I am looking for her."
Willow raised her hand. "Right over here, April."
The blonde turned prettily and headed for Willow. Anya trailed, intrigued. "Since I am new in Sunnydale," April recounted, "and I only know you, I was hoping you would be willing to show me a good place to shop for shoes." She nodded as she finished.
In the corner of her eye, Willow saw Giles taking all this in. He looked suspicious. Damn.
"Actually, I know more about shoe outlets than Willow," offered Anya.
"You do? Hello."
"I'm Anya."
"Hello Anya. You are very pretty."
"Thanks. I think."
"But I made my offer first to Willow. It would be rude for me to withdraw my invitation."
"Who says you have to? Willow, you could use a break. The three of us can make an outing of it for a few hours?" Anya looked at Willow as she said this. Privately, the red-haired witch squirmed. She wanted to be alone with April, find out what message Tara might have for her (and find out who this April was, anyway). On the other hand, she could probably find some time alone with the blonde during the shopping trip, right? And with Anya along, Giles and company were less likely to be suspicious.
At that thought, Willow suddenly noticed the looke Anya was giving her. Not a come-along-and-have-fun look, no. This was a read-my-mind-because-we-can't-talk-here look. Willow felt her eyes grow big.
"Okay. Yeah, that sounds like fun." Goddess, Willow hoped that didn't sound as fake as it felt. "And--it might help me recharge the old research batteries, too." Careful not to move too quickly, she gathered up her coat and purse. "Giles?" The Watcher came closer, still plainly concerned. "I'm going shopping."
"Shopping."
"Yeah. Its something we female types do from time to time. Not so much me, usually, but I think maybe this'd be a good time. Don't you worry--here're not one but two escorts for me." She smiled. Deliberately. And so did Anya. Between them, so did April. Did she ever not smile?
Giles took off his glasses. Then put them back on. At last he nodded. "Enjoy yourselves."
"Thanks," exclaimed Anya, "we will!"
With that, the three of them left the magic shop.
* * *
If Tara's heart beat, which it didn't, it would have skipped a couple as the door to Anya apartment openned. Of course Anya was the first to come in. It was her apartment, after all. Then came the robot April.
"Hello Tara, how are you?"
"Fine, April." She held up a bag. "Here're the shoes I bought you."
"Thank you." April obediently took the bag and sat on the sofa to see what Tara had chosen. She needed to know the prices and location of the shoe store for later reference. Not that Buffy and the others were likely to get that suspicious, but better to be safe. All these thoughts flowed through Tara's mind like quicksilver, then ended abruptly as She came into the room.
For one moment, Willow looked at her. One long, fleeting moment.
And then, they were in each others' arms.
TO BE CONTINUED
------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by xita » Tue Jul 24, 2001 11:17 am
by mollyig » Tue Jul 24, 2001 11:48 am
Please keep up the wonderful work!
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"The hardest to learn is the least complicated" - Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls)
by Kalita » Tue Jul 24, 2001 12:10 pm
EditAdd: Just thinking about stuff.
Riley's still around. Any significance, there, I wonder.
Also, next up in the episode order would be "The Body", but Zahir's skipped (or trimmed) episode plots before, so... who knows...
[This message has been edited by Kalita (edited July 24, 2001).]
by geekgod » Tue Jul 24, 2001 1:03 pm
------------------
willow: "i don't get wild, wild on me equals 'spaz'"
"That's my girl"
by Wonko » Tue Jul 24, 2001 2:30 pm
Ahem. Just had to get that off my chest. VampTara seems to be taking the place of Spike in a few installments I've noticed. I don't want to think about what that means when we get to Intervention. Eep.
Once again - excellent chapter Zahir. Thank you
------------------
Words from Wonko
The MKF Appreciation Society - All Miss Kitty all the Time!
by Scout » Tue Jul 24, 2001 3:18 pm
I loved that Anya was the one to help. After all the bonding between Willow and Anya at the end of season five, it just feels right.
Can't wait for more!
by tommo » Tue Jul 24, 2001 4:37 pm
Um, what's a homile?
------------------
"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by Dave V » Tue Jul 24, 2001 8:35 pm
No criticism intended! I am enjoying this fic, Zahir.
by Zahir » Tue Jul 24, 2001 8:49 pm
BTW, I don't feel at all insulted.
Also btw, who better to identify with Willow's relationship with a demon than Anya?
Once last btw, anybody picked up on the clues about What's Going On?
------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by Kalita » Wed Jul 25, 2001 5:55 am
quote:
Originally posted by Zahir:
Once last btw, anybody picked up on the clues about What's Going On?
Well, there's the crazies going extra-crazy. Ben seemed perplexed by it, like it's not Glory's doing. So, there's something that can affect the mentally ill... or Glory's victims specifically. More than that I haven't figured out. Yet.
Oh, and Wonko: The Spike-replacing has been obvious for a while. I don't think "Intervention" will go much like it did on the show; Warren's in no shape to build anything. April/Britney does seem to be in Tara's control, however. We'll see.
Kal
[This message has been edited by Kalita (edited July 25, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Kalita (edited July 25, 2001).]
quote:by tommo » Wed Jul 25, 2001 10:53 am
quote:
Originally posted by Zahir:
Actually "homile" is exactly what I meant. Because that's what Willow is engaging in--an internal sermon.BTW, I don't feel at all insulted.
Hmmm. Far be it from me to criticise this great fic, but that just seems like the wrong word to use. For me, it doesn't fit.
------------------
"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by Zahir » Wed Jul 25, 2001 12:07 pm
Okay. No offense taken.
------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by Zahir » Wed Jul 25, 2001 3:57 pm
* * *
From the front room of the apartment, Willow heard a door open and people come in. She also heard voices. Reassuringly, they were Anya and the robot April.
"It still does seem wrong, somehow. Your boyfriend is the one who should be taking care of you."
"Yeah, well, life's like that sometimes."
Willow turned to look at her beloved. Tara's breasts grazed her back and her arms wrapped around her middle. One hand was lazily circled her navel, almost making Willow want to giggle. "Time to get dressed" she whispered.
"Must we?" whispered back the vampire. At Willow's reluctant nod, Tara mockingly pouted. "Ruthless."
It didn't take long for them to get dressed, even interrupting each other as they did for mutual kisses. Willow would have willingly offered her throat to Tara. She trusted her lover absolutely, and knew she'd not take too much blood. But with the others so paranoid right now fresh wounds were the last thing she wanted anyone to find on her person. And Tara herself hadn't pressed. She didn't feed from Willow for food. They both knew that.
Several minutes later, they emerged from the bedroom and found April cleaning. Anya watched with a curiously satisfied expression on her face, as she sat on her boyfriend's lap. Xander himself seemed vacant, but pleased in an abstract kind of way. Happy perhaps that Anya was there, although not completely aware of the fact? Seeing him like this dampened Willow's happiness. That, and the fact nearly all her friends were trying to hunt down and kill her beloved.
"Hello Willow. Hello Tara. Did you enjoy your sex together."
"Uh..."
"Yes," Tara answered for both of them.
"That is good." She nodded cheerfully as she continued to clean. Willow shot a look at Anya.
"What? She offered!"
After less than a moment's thought, Willow decided to let that go. The robot seemed happy to be doing it, and who was she to judge how other...beings...found joy? As long as they didn't hurt anybody.
"I was doing some research back at my lair," began Tara, "about different kinds of madness, and their causes?"
"But we know what's making people go crazy," said Anya. "Glory."
"Yes. But there seems to be something else at work here. The people at the psyche ward, they've been getting worse. Or some of them have. And besides, there's something else."
"What?" asked Willow.
"Buffy," said Tara. "Along with Riley and Giles. Okay, I'm a vampire so maybe my expectations are a little skewed, but don't you think they're overreacting just a little?"
"Hmmm. Well, I think Riley still hasn't gotten over finding out about Angel."
"Its gotta suck," added Anya, "finding out your significant other lost hers to a bloodsucking demonspawn. No offense."
Tara shrugged. "Still, you'd think Buffy would at least listen to you. Or Giles."
Willow thought about it for a few moments. "So you're saying something's affecting them?"
"Maybe. And there was something else. The other night, when I was with Dawn at the Magic Shoppe, there was something different about it. I can't quite remember what, but something."
"Oh! I noticed something!" Anya piped in. Everyone looked at her. "The frogs breath oil. Jocelyn said somebody bought it all."
"Why?" Tara sounded baffled. "Its nearly useless."
"I know!"
April stepped forward. "Logically, there is but one thing to do."
"Go on, April," said Willow after a few moments' silence.
"List each use this frog's breath oil has. Then correlate that data with observed phenomena to see if there is any potential cause and effect. From there, you look for any similar facts to coroborate the intitial hypothesis." She smiled.
Everybody else (except Xander) looked at each other. "Sounds like a good idea," said Anya.
"Thank you. I try to help!"
"So...what does frog's breath oil do?" asked Willow.
"Consecrates the Summer Solstice sacrifice for the demon Gl'hrrgh," offered Anya.
"Oh, dear--that sounds..."
Anya interrupted "He only accepts rabbits in sacrifice. So that's all good." She seemed very satisfied.
"Its rumored to be some kind of aphrodesiac for werefoxes," said Tara, "but they're native to Japan. And its only a rumor, anyway."
"And some people use it as a part of a warding spell against Baba Yaga!" said Anya.
"Who's Baba Yaga?"
"Old, old evil witch in Russian folklore. Trouble is, that warding spell doesn't work. Not that it needs to, anymore. She's been dead for centuries. Still, that's why people usually buy the stuff."
"Fine," said Willow, "but that doesn't sound useful to our situation right now. Is there any other reason somebody might buy frog's breath oil you can think of? Have you ever used it?"
Anya shrugged, "A bunch of us whipped some up five hundred years ago. Back when I was a demon." It took her a moment to register the looks she was getting from Willow and Tara. "Oh. That was the last time anyone had a Moon Demon Hunt. Frog's breath oil is poisonous to them."
Tara pondered. "Moon Demon? I don't know that species."
"Its not so much a species as a disease. Kind of like diabetes. Wiped out centuries ago. Used to afflict any type of demon. Moon Demons become living embodiments of insanity, preying on humans and demons alike. But like I said, they're all gone now. Too bad, really."
"Okay, I'll ask," said Willow. "Why?"
"The heart of a Moon Demon cures all forms of madness."
Now even April was staring at Anya.
"What?"
* * *
Even though Tara could walk in the day, she still found nighttime more comfortable. It just felt more natural. And in this case, it certainly seemed a better environment for the mission at hand. Following Jocelyn. The Magic Shoppe was closed, and the half-breed demon girl was wandering through downtown Sunnydale. Fortunately, the terrain made it easy enough for Tara to remain unseen. Plenty of shadows and alleys. Or, in this case, rooftops.
What she saw was a little disturbing.
First was the elderly couple that started fighting next to Jocelyn at the coffee shop. Loudly. Then they left seperately in a huff. Coincidence? Possible. Just like the graffiti artist who resisted arrest and went into hysterics. Nothing too unusual in that. But when that vampire tried to bite what was obviously a priest--complete with crucifix--the pattern seemed to be fairly clear. Each incident happened within fifty feet of Jocelyn. And now she was headed towards the same park where Buffy had had to kill a snake creature months before--said creature a thing of Glory's. It had been on its way to tell Glory where to find the Key. So Glory almost certainly lived somewhere in the vicinity.
And Jocelyn knew Dawn was the Key.
Tara quietly drew her sword. If need be, she'd act. Ruthlessly. But first, she had to be sure. Left to her own devices, Tara thought simply killing Jocelyn right now had a certain safe logic. But Willow and Anya would be upset. And she needed to know if Jocelyn actually was a Moon Demon before going to all the trouble of cutting out her heart.
Jocelyn went into a bar. Tara headed for a fire escape to go to street level. Hiding her sword within the long coat, she also stepped inside the bar. The fact no one reacted to her apparent youth said volumes. But maybe they couldn't tell. Shadows blanketed the room. Without heightened senses, Tara doubted she could have found Jocelyn--who had parked herself in a booth. More interestingly, she'd reverted to her demon form. Pale blue skin, prehensile tail, etc. A quick glance around the bar revealed she wasn't the only non-human. So maybe it wasn't so odd they hadn't checked her ID...
She sat in the booth next to Jocelyn. A waitress came up. "We have bottled blood for a reasonable price," she offered.
"Thanks. A glass, please."
"Coming up!"
Tara listened. She was aware somebody had joined Jocelyn.
"Joculatrix, isn't it?" That voice--Ben? What was Ben doing here?
"Yep, pretty boy. Long time no see."
"Not long enough."
"So...how's the Glorious One?" Tara nearly gasped out of habit. She gripped the handle of her sword. If need be, this place was about to become the site of a massacre.
"Bitchy."
Jocelyn laughed. "Ain't she always?"
Ben sighed. A very tired sigh. With an undercurrent of anger. "What do you want?"
"Thought maybe Glory might like to chat. You know, swap stories, share a few jokes."
Silence. "You're kidding."
"Yep." Laughter. Something wrong with it.
The waitress brought a wineglass to Tara, over two-thirds filled with blood. She paid and took a sip. Not bad. Some preservative but it had clearly been microwaved in an attempt to bring it up to body temerature. Not quite there, but still.
"So why'd you want to talk to me?"
"Just saying hi, like I said."
While sipping, Tara pondered the seeming inocuousness of the conversation she was listening to. All kinds of silent alarms were going off in her head. Clearly, this Ben--the doctor--he was a messenger between Jocelyn (or "Joculatrix") and Glory. Maybe they were talking in code? Yes, that could easily be it...
"I don't believe you."
"Hey! Can't a girl look up old friends?"
"You and I aren't friends. Neither are you and Glory. She has worshippers and enemies, not friends."
Tara readied her sword. She was carefully laying out her next moves. By going all out, she was sure killing Ben would be no problem. There was not way anyone short of a Slayer could match her speed. The problem was--how many other minions might Glory have here? Following Ben? As backup, or just insurance.
Safer to kill them all, really.
"But you and I are friends, aren't we Benny?"
"Don't call me Benny. And no, we're not."
If only I'd thought to bring some hand grenades, thought Tara. As it was, all she could think to do was set fire to the bar after locking all the exits. Waiting outside, she could behead everyone leaving, one by one. But how best to manage it?
"C'mon!"
"You're just intrigued because your powers never work on me."
"Friendships have to grow from somewhere."
"Not from that!" He got up to leave. Damn! Tara realized she'd have to follow him. She moved as stealthily as she could. En route to the door where Ben was headed, though, a clawed hand reached out and touched her arm.
"Don't I know you?" The face that said it looked equal parts goat and warthog.
"No. Good night."
"Hey! You were with us when we broke out of that army base, weren't'cha?"
"The Initiative? Yeah. Nice to see you got out alive. See you later." Ben was getting away! Tara nearly ran out the door.
* * *
Willow gasped as Anya finished telling her what happened.
"She was actually going to kill the entire bar?"
Anya took a quick look around. They were having a picnic in the middle of the UCS quad. She nodded. "But she changed her mind soon after."
"Guess that makes it definite. Jocelyn must be a Moon Demon."
"Joculatrix. That's her real name. And that does explain why Tara got so willing-to-do-violence all of a sudden."
"But that leaves us with another problem."
"How to fight her?"
"Yeah! I mean, she drives people crazy just by being near them! How do you attack somebody like that?"
"In the old days we used build golems to do the work for us. Arm them with arrows dipped in frog's breath oil."
"Do you know how to make a golem."
"It wasn't my job."
"So, still have the same problem here."
The ensuing silence seemed a lot longer than it was. Anya finally said "Tara has an idea."
TO BE CONTINUED
------------------
"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by tommo » Wed Jul 25, 2001 4:06 pm
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"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by CaptMurdock » Wed Jul 25, 2001 4:46 pm
...well, minus the bloodlust and such.
Still loving this story.
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"Who am I? I am Commander Susan Ivanova. Daughter of Andre and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the iron boot that is going to kick your sorry asses all the way back to Earth. I am the last living thing you are ever going to see. God sent me." -- Babylon 5, "Between the Darkness and the Light."
by Wonko » Thu Jul 26, 2001 5:17 am
quote:
Originally posted by TwiLightJoy:
Golems.
Must protect da willage...
I must say, I'm liking this short space between chapters [g]
Excellent twist with Jocelyn. There was me thinking she was a goodie and everything. Shows what I know [g] Thanks Zahir.
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Words from Wonko
The MKF Appreciation Society - All Miss Kitty all the Time!
by Scout » Thu Jul 26, 2001 9:42 am
When I first read that, I thought Anya was speaking...hehe
Still lovin' it. More, please!
by Kalita » Thu Jul 26, 2001 9:57 am
by tommo » Thu Jul 26, 2001 1:35 pm
------------------
"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by Kalita » Thu Jul 26, 2001 2:08 pm
[This message has been edited by Kalita (edited July 26, 2001).]
by TwiLightJoy » Thu Jul 26, 2001 11:13 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Wonko:
Must protect da willage...
LOL ... see ... that is what I love about this place. You knew *exactly* what I was making reference to in that one word.
~Joy
quote:by WillowLikeWhoa » Fri Jul 27, 2001 3:01 am
Anyway, keep it up!
~Michelle~
PS. Hi Joy!!!
by Zahir » Fri Jul 27, 2001 12:34 pm
* * *
Willow and Anya watched and listened. It occured to Willow this was a very odd situations--having a vampire explain things to a robot. But then, this was Sunnydale.
"You are saying that Warren has been hurt by demons?" April had stopped smiling. For the first time in days. Possibly ever.
"Exactly."
"Define hurt, please."
"Warren has been driven insane. He doesn't recognize anything around him. The fact is, he's in worse shape that Xander. Anya's boyfriend?"
The robot blinked. "Warren is like Xander?"
"He's worse."
April rose instantly. "I must protect him."
"No!"
"Yes--that is what I must do!"
"What you need to do," interrupted Tara, "is help us cure him. That way, he won't be in any danger any more. And he'll know who you are."
Even though she was sure it was her imagination, Willow swore she could hear circuits blowing out inside April's head. In fact, she was sure the robot simply remained still while processing this. Yet the pause had the same effect. Evidently, this wasn't a scenario Warren had installed in her behavior parameters. Not surprisingly.
"I think you are correct," said April. "I must help cure Warren. Do you know a way I can help cure Warren?"
"We think so," said Tara. "But it will be difficult. And unpleasant."
"Warren loves me," was the robot's answer. "And I love Warren. I must do whatever I must."
Tara nodded. She glanced at Willow, who smiled back. Now came the ugly part. The only cure they were sure of for both Xander and Warren was to feed them the heart of a Moon Demon. Part of her was glad to have discovered that Jocelyn, the halfbreed she'd brought from Los Angeles, was one. In fact, it made a kind of sense. The Caritas Host had said she had to bring Jocelyn--or Joculatrix--back to Sunnydale. At the time she'd wondered why. Now, it made a kind of sense. But it made an icky, terrible sense. She knew this demon, had enjoyed her company. Plus, her attitude towards demons had undergone a radical change after falling in love with Tara.
Now it was Tara who reached out to touch Willow's hand. "Its not just for Xander and Warren," she reminded Willow. "Jocelyn knows about the Key. And she wanted to talk to Glory."
"I know."
"Personally," piped in Anya, "I have no trouble with doing this."
"Doing what? What do I have to do?" inquired April. Before anyone could answer the phone rang. Anya immediately sprang across the room, reaching it before the second ring had finished.
"Hello" she said. "Yes, Willow's here." She looked at the others and mouthed the name Giles. Then the expression on her face froze. In shock? Fear? Both? Anya's jaw moved, as if she was trying to find something to say but could think of nothing. What had happened? For a terrible moment Willow feared something had happened to Dawn. Then Anya pinned Willow with her eyes, holding the phone out to her. Clearly, whatever the news she'd heard had struck her dumb.
Refusing to let go of Tara's hand, Willow crossed the room and took the phone in hand.
"Hello?"
"Willow?" Giles sounded exhausted.
"Yeah. Giles, what's happened?"
"I'm sorry to have to tell you, but...its Joyce." The silence stretched long enough for Willow to know what was coming next. "She's dead. Buffy found her."
A sound made Willow turn around. There was Anya, seated on the sofa, and emitting another nearly-inaudible sob.
"What is wrong?" asked April.
And Willow discovered she had no words.
* * *
Later.
After the tears and the silences and Anya babbling about how life didn't make sense. Sensing her distress Xander had become hysterical, until Tara managed to get him to swallow some medication. In the end, she'd gotten Anya to take a sleeping pill.
Then came the funeral, which Tara heard about second hand. Buffy had gone strongly silent. Riley wouldn't leave her side. Giles was drinking. And Dawn, poor Dawn. Coming apart one moment, the next withdrawn to untouchability. She, at least, was snapping back to something like normal. Unless that was a symptom of something worse.
Willow still found herself weeping at odd moments. That's when Tara felt her unbeating heart, as it seemed torn out of her chest. Having lost her own mother, Tara recalled too well how it hurt. Joyce Summers had clearly been something of a mother to all the Scoobies. Including Willow.
Somewhere in this neighborhood, muttered Tara to herself like a mantra. This was the area of Sunnydale where Buffy killed the snake creature. And here was where Jocelyn met Ben. Glory's home must be somewhere here. Buffy had described Glory's minions as "hobbits with leprosy," according to Willow. So Tara scanned carefully for hobbits.
Or Ben the friendly intern. Tara was prepared to search all night, even well into the day if need be (thanks to the Ring of Amara). Unfortunately, the plan to take out Jocelyn had to take a back seat right now. Once they were sure Glory hadn't heard about Dawn being the Key, then they could act. Not until. So here she was, scouting this part of Sunnydale for the third time in as many days since Buffy and Dawn's mother died.
Nothing. So far.
But...wait. What was that? A hooded figure, short, scurrying in the shadows towards a rather nice condominium. Only because she was a vampire could Tara see his face. Like an elf molded from meat going bad. Or a hobbit. He was leading someone--a little man with short white hair. More than anything else he reminded Tara of a friendly grandfather. She hadn't had one of those, as it happened, but the archetype was pretty much universal. The slight crinckle of lips, coupled with an abstracted glance around his surroundings, plus the shuffle of his steps. Oh yes, the image was perfect. And Tara would bet image was all this was.
They entered the condo. And Tara settled in to wait. She couldn't take Glory by herself, so she'd have to focus on getting information. After an hour or so, she noticed someone else searching the same area. Three men, scanning the area with a military precision. More, she noticed an interesting detail.
All three had a distinctive, identical tattoos on their faces.
* * *
Willow thought maybe her head was going to explode. It was too much. Having to deal with Joyce's death was horrible, but carrying on a secret love affair her friends were all (or almost all, remembering Anya) convinced was akin to heroin addiction fairly shredded her nerves. Plus having to protect the Key. And being one of the few to realize Jocelyn was driving everyone around her mad.
Still, Willow managed not to show it as she arrived (with Riley as over-protective escort) to the Magic Shoppe for the meeting. The reason for this meeting remained a secret, so she had a sinking feeling the reason involved her.
Inside, a large assortment of weapons was laid out on the table. Axes, swords, a mace. Buffy, Dawn and Giles all wore simple, rugged clothes. They also pretty much radiated purpose. Giles had been pacing. Seconds after Willow entered, she was pinned by Buffy's stare.
"Willow."
"Uh, hi Buffy. How're you doing?"
"Better. And I'll be better yet." The smile that went with those words did anything but reassure. Visions of medical experiments came to Willow looking at that smile. Dawn, seated, looked up at her sister adoringly. This. Was. Bad. "Wil," said Buffy as she neared her best friend, "I've been doing some research."
"Oh, that's good. Isn't it?" Her voice almost didn't tremble.
"Have you ever heard of a Ghora?"
"Ghora? I think...that's some kind of demon, isn't it?" Seemed like a safe bet.
At that moment, Giles gave Willow a hearty slap on the back. "Good girl!"
"We know where to find one," added Riley conspiratorilly.
"Do we want to find one?"
"Yes!" said Buffy.
"Absolutely!" added Dawn.
"It is the only way" said Giles, nodding.
Buffy began picking up the weapons and passing them out. She handed a battleaxe to Willow, who looked at it with more than a little worry. Whatever her insane friends had planned, it certainly looked unpleasant.
"You see," said Giles, testing the heft of a broadsword, "the egg of a Ghora is the essential ingredient in the resurrection spell."
"Resurrection spell?"
"Exactly!" Giles seemed absurdly pleased at Willow's repeating his words. He even grinned.
"We're bringing back Mom!" yelled Dawn.
Buffy smiled at her sister, the both of them aglow. "That's right, Dawn," she said encouragingly, "we're bringing her back."
"That's...I mean...isn't that a really, really tricky kind of spell to be trying, Buffy? I mean, think of all the things that could go wrong!"
"I am thinking of that Wil. That's why we need you to actually do the spell itself."
"M-M-M-M-EEEE?"
"Of course! You're the only one around here with that kind of experience."
"B-b-b-ut, what about Anya?"
"She needs to take care of Xander."
Willow looked at the four sets of eyes, each aimed at her full of confident hope, and wanted very much to run away. Fast. Or, maybe turn invisible.
"I don't know if I can," she offered, hopefully.
"The spell itself," offered Giles, "is surprisingly simple. All that's truly, truly difficult is getting the ingredients. Hence," he indicated his broadsword. "Oh! It might interest you to know that the Ghora demon may be the basis for legends of Cerberus, the three headed hound said to guard the underworld."
"So this Ghora, its kinda like a great big dog?"
"No. It has three heads!"
TO BE CONTINUED
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"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by tommo » Fri Jul 27, 2001 12:44 pm
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"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by Kalita » Fri Jul 27, 2001 1:13 pm
I'm just hoping Will and Tara (and Anya) can cure them all before they go utterly nuts. Hoo boy.
by Halcyon » Fri Jul 27, 2001 1:14 pm
Thanks for the great story Zahir
by Rane » Fri Jul 27, 2001 1:30 pm
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