The ground settled and the wind died and soon the cavern was silent, save for the quick, ragged pants of Willow’s breath. She swallowed, getting her bearings, and let her eyes trail over the unconscious bodies of her friends, each of the sprawled on the rocky floor, unmoving.
She was numb, unsure for the first time since she’d begun her crusade. She should clean up, she supposed, wait for her friends to come around, or try to wake them each, gently… Maybe she could just rest for a moment first…
Sliding to the ground she sat, closing her eyes momentarily. Her head was pounding, the magic still sizzling in her blood. It was quite a rush, one that she used to seek for thrills. Later, she would remind herself to take satisfaction in the fact that she’d used it purely for good this time, and she’d won.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?”
The voice slid over her like a warm blanket, soothing and easy on her skin. She smiled and, unsurprised, turned slightly to take in the sight of Tara, beautiful in a long, flowing gown of sea-green gossamer and half-smile on her full lips.
“It is…I did good.”
Her lover nodded, eyes joyful. “You did. I’m so proud of you, Will.”
“Thanks…” Willow grinned. “I’m proud of me, too. Who knew I had that in me?”
Tara’s head tilted. “I did…all along I knew you could be great, if you wanted.”
Willow blushed. “Aw, shucks, m’am,” the redhead drawled, giving an embarrassed smile.
Tara came to her side, settling onto the hard ground next to the tiny witch. They linked fingers and smiled again, and Willow lay her head on Tara’s shoulder, letting the blonde’s soothing spirit melt over her and relax her worn body.
“I’m not so exhausted I don’t realize this isn’t real,” Willow murmured, eyes closing. “But it’s so nice I’m not going to deal with that.”
“Sounds good to me,” Tara agreed.
They sat that way for a minute, then another, when Willow opened her eyes again. “So are you going to tell me?”
Tara smiled. “I thought you didn’t want to deal with it.”
“Since when have you let me get away with that?”
The ghostly Tara gave her a sad smile, and squeezed Willow’s hand. “I get to be your guide.”
“Guide to what?”
“Well…you’re a witch now.”
Willow narrowed her eyes. “What was I before?”
Tara chuckled. “In training, so to speak. Defeating Gy-ra was your final step to witchhood.”
“Witchhood? Is that a real word?”
“Probably not,” Tara smiled. “What I mean is that the Higher Order of Magic, the Redeoire, views your work tonight as your rite of passage. There isn’t a test, per say, to become a full-fledged witch. Some witches are born always having a certain amount of power and control. Others move on, level by level, over time. The first time you made a pencil float, you passed your first “test,” and moved onto something harder, right?”
Willow nodded, remembering happier times in high school, floating pencils and eventually chasing Xander around the library with them.
“You moved onto something else, say, a simple charm, a glamour or something else relatively easy. And then something more difficult, a more complex spell. Something with ingredients, calling the elements… It all led up to now.”
“So that was all like…studying?”
Tara grinned and nodded. “Something like that. And now…there’s not much else you can do…nothing higher within the scope of our power.”
Willow frowned. “So that’s it? I’m done? I can’t do anything better?”
Tara shook her head. “That’s far from it. You’ve just reached the highest level the Order recognizes while remaining in the realm of the good witch.”
“So I’m like a Master witch instead of an apprentice.”
“Something like that.”
“Well…neat. What does that mean now? You said you’re my guide. Guide to what?”
Tara smiled. “There’s a ceremony.”
“Really?”
“Really. Think of it as graduation.”
“My last graduation involved a snake eating my classmates.”
Tara reconsidered. “Think of it as ascension?”
“Also not a good word.”
“You’re being difficult.”
Willow grinned. “Yes, I am. So…where does this graduation take place?”
“You’ll have to come with me for a while…it will seem like longer here, maybe weeks, but it will pass quickly where we’re going.”
Willow glanced around, worried. “And what about them? I can’t leave them here…”
“We’ll do it together,” Tara smiled, and stood, offering Willow her hand.
Willow struggled to her feet. “Waking up Xander is never easy,” she sighed.
“Then we’ll let him sleep.” When Willow looked at her quizzically, Tara put her finger to her lips and beckoned her lover to follow her.
Murmuring under her breath, she clasped her hand more tightly around Willow’s and they walked among their friends’ sleeping forms, hands outstretched, palm down, as if floating on invisible waves. As they did, a gentle mist settled over their friends, and one by one they disappeared to wake in the safety and comfort of their own beds, wounds mended, minds at ease.
When Willow reached Oz she smiled nervously, glancing at Tara. Tara smiled gently. “It’s okay.”
“I want him to know that I’m going away for a while, but that I’ll be back.”
“Someone should know,” the blonde witch nodded, encouraging.
Bending down, Willow brushed a hand over Oz’s forehead, planting a kiss after her trailing fingers. “I’ll be gone for a while, but don’t worry about me. I’ll be back, and everything will be fine. I’ll be with Tara, but not how you think. I’m not dead…I’m just…there’s a ceremony and I kind of have to be there…Just a little while…wait for me.”
She raised her hand and let the mist encase him, and as she did, Tara joined her hand with Willow’s, entwining fingers and using their joined power to transport Oz to the safety of Willow’s own bedroom.
“You okay?” Willow asked, glancing at Tara to discover the blonde with her eyes closed, tears on her cheeks.
Tara nodded and opened her eyes, moving to embrace Willow. “I really am.”
Willow returned the hug, and a wave of sadness moved through her. “I miss you so much.”
“I know…I miss you, too. But it’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Why?”
They moved apart and Tara held her at arm’s length. “Because my part was done. You have more to do.”
Willow pouted. “Well, how it’s supposed to be sucks.”
“Undeniably,” Tara agreed with a smile.
Together they continued to transport their friends to safety, though Spike was moved to Buffy’s basement, and Willow added an addendum to the spell that he be chained securely until he could be dealt with. When Xander, the last to be moved, faded quietly into the ether, Tara took Willow’s hand.
“Ready?”
“You’ll be with me?”
“The entire time.”
Willow took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”
The girl’s were still smiling lovingly at each other as they, like their friends before them, disappeared into thin air.
*~*~*~*~
Buffy groaned for the six millionth time and put the cap back on the gallon of milk left out, again, on the kitchen counter.
“Dawn, this time it’s warm enough I’m not sure I can save it,” Buffy glowered as she set it back in the refrigerator anyway.
“Mmhm.”
“Don’t mmhm me. Are you listening? Milk. Fridge. Keep cold. Not difficult for someone of even your limited brain capacity.”
Dawn rolled her eyes and went back to absently spooning her Cocoa Puffs. Even the idea of drinking the too-chocolatey milk wasn’t putting her in a better mood. “You’re cranky,” she informed her sister half-heartedly.
“I’m tired of buying milk because you leave it out until it’s chunky.”
“That’s not why you’re cranky.”
Buffy glared at her sister. “Don’t start.”
Dawn shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
Grabbing a wet rag, Buffy began vigorously wiping down the countertops. “Well don’t.”
“Fine, fine. Take it out on the counters, Hazel.” Stepping off the barstool she moved to the sink, considering for a moment bypassing the dishwasher and getting even more of a rise out of her sister. One look at the grimace on Buffy’s face took the fun out of that idea. Rinsing the bowl she placed it in the dishwasher and threw a satisfied glance at her sister.
“You know, Connor wants me to go up this weekend and visit…you could drive me up there and see--”
“No.”
“But it’s been--”
“No.”
“I haven’t seen him in--”
“No.”
“It wouldn’t kill you to--” Dawn cried, exasperated.
“It might kill you,” Buffy all but growled, and throwing the rag into the sink, exited the kitchen, the swinging door practically coming off its hinges.
“God. It was only a suggestion,” Dawn muttered, then followed her sister into the living room. “Is this a lack of sex thing?” she asked, hands on hips.
Buffy gaped. “Wh-what?”
“You know. You’re not getting any Angel lovin’, so you’re all crabby? Like PMS…sort of.” She grinned. “He’s like your Midol.”
Buffy’s eyes bulged. “You did not just say that to me.”
Dawn’s eyes rolled. “Well it’s gotta be something like that! You’re crazy! And crab-by. And I have to put up with it all by myself.” She narrowed her eyes at her sister, knowingly. “Xander and Anya used to be in really good moods when they were going at it like jackhammers.”
“WHERE did you learn to talk like this? Have you been watching Cinemax again?” Buffy cried.
“No…Gilmore Girls. But that’s besides the point.”
“There is no point because we’re not having this conversation,” Buffy informed her, moving past her sister as she straightened up the living room with new found fury.
“You need to call him.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then go see him.”
Shoes sailed across the room, landing next to the front door. “No.”
“Email him.”
“No,” Buffy growled as sailing magazines into a basket on the floor hard enough to move the basket back two feet.
“Telegraph, skywrite, Pony Express!” Dawn shouted. “I don’t care! But this is so dumb! You’re miserable, Connor says all Angel does is mope and growl…kinda like what you’re doing right now…and frankly, it’s really ticking us both off.”
“Look, Dawn…my love life is none of your business. I don’t even have a love life to BE your business.”
“Could if you weren’t being a stubborn jackass.”
“You’re two seconds away from going to your room.”
Dawn snorted. “I’m too old. You can’t send me to my room anymore.”
“It will be my pleasure to bodily put you in there and seal it up to where even Willow couldn’t get it open,” Buffy countered.
Dawn’s mouth opened, then shut again, thinking better of the smart comment on the tip of her tongue. “Well, then I’m glad she’s not here.”
“Uh, hi guys.”
They turned to see Willow was standing behind them, the front door wide-open behind her, looking mystified.
“Willow!” Dawn cried happily, racing for her friend and throwing her arms around her, half from joy at seeing her friend, half hoping the witch would protect her from her sister.
“Hey Dawnie,” Willow grinned, embracing the youngest Summers. “How are you?”
“Where have you been?! Oz only told us you were with Tara, which freaked me out!” she cried, smacking Willow on the shoulder.
“I wasn’t dead,” she grinned. “I was being a witch. It was really cool.”
“Well next time leave a note with someone other than the guy who only speaks when forced.”
“Duly noted.” Willow turned green eyes on her best friend, and for the first time in a while, Buffy genuinely smiled. “Buffy,” Willow sighed.
“Will,” the Slayer answered happily and hugged her friend hard. “I know it’s only been a week, but it feels like a year since I’ve seen you.”
“I know…it wasn’t supposed to be so long, but it was so fascinating, I just couldn’t make myself leave.”
“Where were you?” Buffy asked, pulling them down onto the couch.
Willow’s eyes lit up, making her excitement was palpable. “It was so neat, Buffy. I was with Tara, in this really spiritual place where I was officially entered into this powerful coven… They were impressed with how I, we really, dealt with the Gy-ra and the First and…” The redhead sighed with glee. “It was amazing. I’ve never felt more welcome or strong, magically speaking.”
Buffy smiled and squeezed Willow’s hand. “I’m so glad for you.” Her expression turned more somber and she looked into her friend’s eyes earnestly. “Were you okay saying goodbye to Tara?”
A wistful smile played on the witch’s lips. “Yeah…at least I got to say goodbye. Most people don’t get that chance…you know…”
“Yeah…I know,” Buffy nodded slowly, as she realized with surprise that it wasn’t nearly as hard to think about her mother’s death now as it had been a short while ago.
“Plus,” Willow leaned forward happily, “she likes Oz.”
“Well, that’s good, right?” Dawn asked.
Willow’s eyes twinkled shyly. “I think so. We’ll see what he thinks…and…ah… I mean, I’m not really sure what’s going on with that whole situation…everything happened so quickly in L.A. And…um… Where is everyone?”
Dawn patted her shoulder. “Oz is out looking for an apartment. Don’t worry. He’s still here. Unlike some people,” she griped, shooting her sister a glare.
Buffy returned the look with a scathing hot glance of her own. “Some people have had things to do.”
“It’s been a week,” Dawn snapped impatiently.
“A week since what?” Willow asked, sending curious glances between the two sisters.
“Since she and Angel talked. Since she let me see Connor. Since Spike and Faith left to go hide out and get reformed. Since Giles went back to England.” Dawn stamped her foot, crossing arms over her chest. “I can keep going.”
Willow’s eyes widened. “What?! You guys didn’t work anything out? Any of you?”
“What?” Buffy asked, rising to her feet. “Everything’s fine. The First is stopped, Spike’s being taken care of…”
“Oh, whoo-hoo,” Willow sighed heatedly. “What about Xander and Anya? Cordelia? What’s going on with Angel and all their memories and your feelings for each other and Spike being evil, or maybe that little thing about the Potentials being half-eliminated, or the Watcher’s Council being more evil than we knew?”
“I--” Buffy began, nervous.
Willow cut her off. “And what do you mean Faith and Spike are gone? I sent him here, all chained up, so you could deal with him!”
“They’re at like a reform thing--”
“You’re telling me that in the since you’ve been back nothing has been done? You and Angel aren’t talking?” Willow snapped, eyes flashing.
“Well, no…we haven’t--” the Slayer stammered, stepping back a foot.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t had time,” Willow interrupted. “You’ve had a week! Look what we just took care of in half that time!” She turned to Dawn. “Have they talked at all? What’s been going on?”
Dawn took a seat on the couch next to Willow and threw her sister a smirk. “We woke up in our beds. Me in mine, Buffy in hers…you get it. Connor says he woke up in his room at the hotel, Angel was in his bed, Lorne in his.” Willow’s impatient look had Dawn moving on. “You get the point,” she added hurriedly. “Anyway, we figured out that you’d done something, based off Oz’s message – oh, he woke up in your bed, but you probably know that – and I called Connor. Because that’s what you do when you wake up back in your own city, away from someone you care about, and want to know if they’re okay.”
“You told me he was okay after you talked to him,” Buffy grumbled.
“You didn’t even ask,” Dawn huffed right back at her. “And that’s not the point.”
“Why didn’t you call him?” Willow wanted to know, turning confused eyes to the Slayer.
Buffy shrugged. Why hadn’t she called him? “Things seemed all wrapped up…bad guy gone, everything back to normal around here…”
“Oh that’s just so completely stupid,” Willow stated matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?” Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that look. I know you way too well for that.” Willow jumped to her feet and crossed the room, turning back to glare at her best friend before laying eyes on Dawn. “What about the others?”
“Others?”
“Xander, Anya, Cordelia. What about them?”
“I don’t know…I know Xander woke up in his bed, but I haven’t seen Anya since we left L.A…”
“Fabulous,” Willow muttered.
“Will,” Buffy began, “it’s not a big deal, really. We’re taking care of the immediate problems. Faith’s wanted for a prison break…Spike’s more psycho than usual…not to mention that he tried to kill us all again… I’m being ‘Leader Buffy.’”
“You’re being a stubborn jackass.” Buffy could see the thought cross her friend’s mind. “And when I see Angel, I’ll tell him the same thing,” Willow told her with a smug smile.
Buffy eyed her warily. “Then I guess I’m glad you won’t see him soon.”
Dawn closed her eyes. “Oh, Buffy. Have you learned nothing?”
Willow snapped her fingers and they were instantly transported to the Hyperion Hotel lobby.
