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Witch's Faith
"You two go on downstairs, I'll wait here for Xander and show him where to hide his car," Willow said, in Greta's voice. Buffy and Tara continued on to scout out hiding places in the basement, leaving Willow in the mansion's richly decorated front hall. Willow wondered if the grim faces staring down from the paintings were all Greta's ancestors.
Willow had other motives for staying behind besides helping Xander. She had caught sight of the library off of the main hall, and Greta's collection of ancient magic books looked like it would rival the Magic Box. Only with more of the black kind. Willow walked along the mahogany shelves, running her fingers over titles that made her want to open the books and begin casting dark new spells on the spot. But she owed it to herself and to both of her lovers to control her magical impulses, and she resisted temptation–with difficulty.
Only one thing would tempt her to open one of these dark volumes, and she half hoped she would not find it.
The designs of the spines caught her eye first, and the author's name confirmed it. Here were four ancient books by the same sorcerer who had taught her to summon the Oracle. In fact, one of them was the same volume she had stolen from the Magic Box. That volume concerned magic and the Slayer legend. The other three, which Willow had never seen before, were about demons, curses, and... seeing. Willow took For Seeing Far off the shelf, and sure enough it contained information on both clairvoyance and foretelling the future. There was little new to Willow here, but she pored over the table of contents looking for more information on the Slayer's Oracle. Her pulse pounded when she found it. She was afraid to turn the pages.
Hope and fear battling in her breast, Willow read. Most of this she already knew, but eventually she came upon her answer. "For as the Oracle Daemon is Bound by Saturn, it Sees the Future as plainly as the Eye Sees these Letters. Summon not a Creature of Saturn, for it shall Tell a Future that none may Break." Willow dropped the heavy book to the floor and staggered back with a small cry. The words of the Oracle were more than prediction... they were inevitable fact. The fate of the Slayers is written. Soon there will be not two, but one!
What would happen? How soon? The Oracle's evil cackle echoed in Willow's mind, and she was weak with fear. She would lose either her lover or her best friend, and nothing could prevent it.
"Tara, stay here with me. You can talk to Xander and Willow with your mind." Buffy had found a table to hide under in one corner of the long basement chamber, not far from the gruesome coffin with the magic fungus that had grown even larger since they had first discovered it.
"I'd better take my place," said Willow. She seemed shaken and nervous–Xander had found her sitting on the floor upstairs in a daze.
"This'll be a cinch, Willow, you'll do great," Tara said reassuringly, holding her hand. "Elise must touch you to activate the spell. The energy stored in the fungus will be drawn through you to her. But it will take some time to build up and she'll have to stay in contact with you until the energy peaks. So we can wait until she actually touches you before we slay her." Tara looked at Buffy, who nodded in agreement.
"I'll tell her the spell isn't quite ready, and try to get her talking," said Willow, repeating the plan to calm herself. "She'll expect me to be bound into the spell, right?"
"Yes, she'll expect to find Greta helpless, the same way we found her. But I'm not going to tie you fully into the spell, so you'll be able to talk. And stake her if you need to. Elise will be suspicious, but that's fine–it will only help to stall her. And one more thing: nobody touch Willow once she's in the spell. You'll have super strength and healing for a few days, but it will ruin the spell and then we won't have our bait anymore."
Willow pulled Greta's hood over her face and crossed the long space, her steps echoing on stone. She sprinkled a handful of glittering dust around her and sat cross-legged inside a seven-pointed star that was drawn on the floor at the far end. She faced back towards Buffy and Tara and the coffin, just as Greta had done, waiting for Tara to do her part.
Tara closed her eyes and chanted in an ancient tongue. She would never dabble in the creation of such a spell, but it was already prepared by Greta and she knew how to awaken it. Finally, she uncapped a flask of what appeared to be clear water and splashed it onto the fungus. It glowed brightly and then faded back to a dim greenish glow. Tara stepped back into the shadows and crouched under the massive table with the Slayer.
Energy from the fungus began to arc across the room, like slow-motion lightning. Willow watched it approach, apprehensively. It sought out her body, pouring glowing green energy into her chest. But thankfully it was painless. There was a sensation of cold, nothing worse than that. Willow gave a thumbs up.
"I'll get the lights." Xander circled the basement, turning off most of the lamps, leaving one on in the stairway and one not far from Willow. The eerie green glow of the energy crossing the space made shadows that jumped and danced. He then hid in a dark doorway halfway between the coffin and Willow.
They waited for Elise to emerge from the archway across from Xander. Everyone was armed with stakes–even Willow had one concealed in Greta's robes. A crossbow rested on the floor beside Tara. There was no telling when Elise would arrive.
An hour later, Willow was growing very impatient. The stone floor had grown extremely uncomfortable, and she was feeling weak and nauseated. The cold had spread through her body, and the writhing green beam extending across the room from her chest was almost hypnotic in its motion.
You sure this is safe? Willow thought to Tara. Tara did not reply. Willow squinted into the darkness trying to see the other witch, but everyone was well hidden. Willow suddenly felt that she was completely alone with this dangerous spell.
Willow shifted her weight. Only... she couldn't move! Panic gripped her. Tara! I can't move!
Buffy says she hears something upstairs, Tara announced to Willow and Xander.
Tara! Can you hear me? I can't move! I can't talk! I can't even blink!
No reply. Willow couldn't communicate at all! Something was very wrong.
But Tara expected a reply to her last statement. Ready, Willow?
No! Help me! But Tara could not hear.
Willow?
"Something's wrong," whispered Tara to Buffy. "Willow's not answering me!"
"What is it? Elise is here now I think–I hear someone coming toward the stairs!"
"I just need a second!" Tara darted towards the coffin, and plunged a hand into the slime that filled it. She grimaced. It was so cold. She closed her eyes and let green energy creep up her arm. She pulled back quickly. With horror, she realized that this was a far darker spell than Greta had told them!
Tara jumped back into hiding at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Elise walked into the room.
Terrified, Tara explained the situation. It's a much stronger spell than we thought. Willow's in danger, she probably can't even talk. We have to stop Elise now, before she touches Willow! She picked up the crossbow. Greta had been double-crossed, and now it was Willow who would be killed if the spell were completed!
Willow heard Tara's thoughts and felt a sudden rush of fear. They had underestimated Elise, and Willow was helpless to defend herself.
A figure slipped into the room. "You're a fool, Greta!" said Elise. "I think I'll keep the house if you don't mind!"
Stay there, Xander, let me try first! Tara thought quickly as Elise crossed the room towards Willow. Tara aimed her crossbow and Buffy began to slip silently around the back wall to work her way closer to Elise without being seen.
And then Faith slipped stealthily into the room. Buffy and Tara saw her at the same time, and were distracted long enough for Elise to reach Willow.
"Elise!" yelled Faith, brandishing a stake. Elise made a dash for the door where Xander was hiding, but Faith was too fast for her. There was no time for a precise blow to the heart, so Faith simply kicked Elise in the back, launching her through the air to slam into the wall. The vampire dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Willow..." Faith turned toward where her lover sat, adrenaline flooding the Slayer's system. Had Elise touched the girl or not? She looked up at the green energy arcing over her head and then peered around her into the shadows, knowing that Buffy and the others must be here as well. The fact that they had not revealed their presence meant that they still saw her as an enemy, despite her attack on the vampire.
She wants the spell for herself! Tara transmitted. She was appalled at Faith's callousness–Willow must have told her it would be she and not Greta waiting for Elise. And yet Faith had let Willow go ahead and put herself into a spell that would kill the witch who completed it.
Buffy and Xander simultaneously gave up on stealth and rushed towards Faith. But jagged green rays of magic were suddenly spreading wildly all over the room, and Buffy and Xander were knocked backwards before they could reach the center where Faith stood. They looked around desperately for some other way to get to Willow and Faith, shivering with the freezing cold of the energy that had touched them.
Faith found herself in the middle of the energy storm, and her blood ran cold when she realized what was causing it. Elise must have touched Willow, and the spell was activated! The fungus was glowing brilliantly now, and the thickest beam, which still ended at Willow's chest, was growing brighter as well.
Tara stepped out of the shadows and aimed her bow at Faith. "Stop! I won't let you do this!" She knew that Faith was planning on taking Elise's place, killing Willow to gain incredible strength for herself.
Tara!!!! Don't shoot! thought Willow, desperately. But it was useless. Her thoughts could not be heard. She could only watch helplessly.
"Wait!" cried Faith. But the energy flowing into Willow was now glowing brightly, and Willow's body began to shake. Willow felt the cold rush through her, so cold it burned. She could not cry out but she was in agony. Faith ran towards her lover.
"No!" screamed Tara. Her hands were shaking. She didn't think she could bring herself to kill a person in cold blood. And if she killed Faith, she knew she would lose Willow forever. But better to lose Willow this way than to let her die, betrayed by a woman she believed loved her.
Tara fired.
Faith spun from the force of the bolt and fell to the floor, shrieking in indescribable pain. The arrow pierced her lower back and protruded from her stomach. Blood was running from both wounds. She tried to remove the bolt but moving it only increased the bleeding. She staggered to her feet, every motion doing further damage deep inside her body.
Imprisoned in her own head, Willow screamed silently.
Tara dropped the crossbow and fell to her knees, horrified at what she had done. She covered her ears but could not block out Faith's screams.
Buffy picked up the fallen crossbow and reloaded it frantically. She had only seconds to act. Buffy realized that Faith needed to get to Willow more than ever now: touching Willow and taking the strength from the spell could save the dark Slayer's life. And it looked like Faith might actually have the strength to make it. Faith was plodding forward, half-bent with agony, her mind focussed on putting each foot down one step closer to her Willow.
Buffy raised the bow, and unlike Tara, her hands were not shaking. Not only did Faith plan on capturing or killing Dawn, but she was willing to kill Willow in the process! After seducing Willow into loving her! How could Buffy have thought even for a moment that Faith had real feelings for Willow? Buffy's mouth stretched into a silent cry of rage and she pulled the trigger.
Faith was knocked to the floor again, less than ten feet from Willow. The first arrow twisted cruelly under Faith's weight, injuring her further. The second arrow protruded from the Slayer's chest, and blood streamed from her body. Her eyes fluttered closed and her cries fell silent. Willow's silent horror was like nothing she had ever felt.
Relieved, furious, and repulsed all at once, Buffy stood shaking and hyperventilating, staring at Faith's bleeding body for several moments. Tara's sobs and the crackling of magic were the only sounds beyond Buffy's own ragged breath.
Then Faith began to rise again, letting out a sharp cry of excruciating pain. She could save herself if she managed to touch Willow and hold on long enough. But she knew that was not the role she was destined to play. Grunting with pain and dizzy from shock, her heart beating faintly and irregularly, Faith still found the strength to crawl closer to her lover. Willow watched her approach, her grief drowning out even the blinding, freezing pain of the energy that was shaking her body.
Buffy ran to stop Faith, but again the energy beams tossed her back and prevented her from approaching. "Faith!" she cried in helpless rage, as the dark Slayer moved to take Willow's life. There was no time to find another crossbow bolt.
Faith stopped in front of Willow and turned around on the ground, still crawling weakly. The fungus was glowing brilliant white now, and a new wave of energy was building. Summoning the last of her strength, Faith sat up, taking the blinding white force of the beam in her own shattered chest, and releasing Willow from the spell. Willow still could not move but her physical torment was suddenly gone. No, Faith! Please... Faith! Her lover was dying, and it was her fault. She had set all of this in motion just as surely as Faith herself had.
Faith was determined to save Willow's life. There was no room in her consciousness for anything but absolute agony... and absolute love. This was the act of redemption that would give meaning to her sad, misguided life.
Buffy and Tara finally realized what Faith was doing. She had come here to stop Elise and save Willow. Elise must have touched Willow after all, and Faith was the only one who had realized it. The deadly spell was already triggered, and Faith was willing to sacrifice her own life to block it! Tara tried to run to Faith but was hurled back to the floor, sobbing and shivering. Buffy sat on the floor shaking, watching Faith's writhing form and wishing it were her own.
Faith kept her body upright in the path of the spell with a determination she did not know she possessed. But the magical attack finished what the crossbow had begun, and Faith's body could take no more. She collapsed to the stone floor in a spreading pool of blood. Her carved wood figure, now finished, rolled out of her pocket.
The lethal white energy struck Willow full force, still growing brighter and brighter. Willow was lifted several feet off the floor, shaking and feeling the worst pain she had ever felt. Then she too fell, her body dropping hard on top of Faith's as the last of the spell's freezing cold energy spent itself inside of her. Her face and arm felt welcome warmth, and she did not understand that it was her lover's blood.
Faith could not see Willow's face, but there were a million things she needed to say. "I..." she croaked, blood running from her mouth.
Willow felt the Slayer's heartbeat faltering. She tried to move, to speak, but she was completely drained of strength. The last thing she felt was Faith's heart stopping. Then she slipped away herself.
The wooden figure of a young Faith lay on the bloody floor wearing an expression of utter sadness. The Slayer's eyes glazed. She and her carved image stared sightlessly at one another.
End of Volume II: Two Loves
Continue to Volume III: Cold Inside – Episode 13 – Sacrifice.
Buffy helped Tara into the driver's seat of her car, although the witch was in no state to drive. The Slayer climbed in beside her and shut the door, tears running down her own face. She put her hand on Tara's shoulder and waited for the witch to calm down.
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