Weeping Willow
By Eric Bloodstone
Willow was irritated by her friends and mad at Terra! She decided to take a long walk to
work off her energy and to have some fun with her magic! What was wrong with using
magic to help everyday lives – or even for just fun and games? No big deal to transform
people – she always changed them back! It was stupid of all her friends to say that she
had become addicted to magic! She felt wild and free. Joyfully she swung her arms with
youthful exuberance, her red hair and slim figure making her a Rockwell Moment.
Out of a limo cruising by a sudden bolt of magic lashed out and Willow collapsed on the
ground. With efficiency two young men came out of the front seat and carried the
unconsciously Willow into the back. The Limo then increased its speed and sped away.
Willow came awake and scrambled to her feet. She was in expensive looking room. She
recognized the house – it was the old Chase mansion. No one knew who had rented it the
last few years. A very old man in a wheel chair smiled kindly at her. Some
expressionless, lean men flanked him. They looked as tough as Buffy's fried hamburgers.
"What happened?" Willow asked. She reached for her magic, but was blocked. Somehow
her powers were damped.
"The hour of your destiny has arrived, my dear," said the old man in a very cultured
voice. It was surprisingly powerful for someone who looked like he was in his eighties.
"You have been chosen to full fill a great destiny."
"What do you mean?" she backed away. Her active powers may be temporarily on hold
but she felt the old man was an incredibly powerful magician.
"You deserve an explanation. For a long time I have been keeping an eye on witches and
warlocks. I felt you had the most potential both magically and had by far the best brain -
Both were ideal for my purposes. You just needed a little push and help. Would you like
something to drink?"
Willow " Nodded – some coffee would be nice. "
It was in her hand, steaming and just the way she liked it.
"Haven't you ever wondered why a boy crazy girl like you would suddenly go gay? Don't
look so surprised. You needed a teacher and a partner and Terra was ideal – she was so
in love with you – it was a great opportunity to start your training for your destiny so I
switched your sexual orientation. I do like making others happy. " He laughed.
Willow shivered his laugh was chilling – it held an inhuman detachment.
"From a distance I taught you and stimulated your powers. This was fortunate, as we
couldn't have this world destroyed just because Gloria wanted to phone home, now could
we? Then I had Buffy die – oh, yes – it was I who set that in motion so you would stretch
your powers and use black magic to bring her back from the dead. Then it was necessary
for you to use magic wildly and freely to open yourself up for my purposes and also to
raise your abilities. You are now the most powerful young witch on the planet. You will
perform a signal service by allowing me to continue. Surely you don't begrudge the world
that?"
Willow felt chilled to the bone. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I will reserve my name. I am a man who has lived along time. I saw the building of the
pyramids and the march of Assyrian Armies; saw the glory that was Greece and the
grandeur that was Rome, the charm and beauty of Baghdad. But my soul has outworn the
sheath of this body. Even my magic can only do so much. This form is 200 years old.
About the limit flesh can be renewed. Soon I will wear your body. "
Again Willow tried her magic as terror griped her soul. But it was no use; it was closed
off from her.
"Please! Don't! I want to live."
"So you shall – at least for a little time. Again, allow me to reassure you – your noble
sacrifice is far more important than your life."
Suddenly Willow felt her soul pulled from her body and was sucked down a dark tunnel.
When she had physical senses again. She saw HER OWN BODY smiling triumphantly at
her.
"Thank you" this Willow said with a triumphant and pleased smile.
Horror stricken Willow looked down at her now self. She was in the wheel chair and her
body was old and weak!
Her former self strode with easy grace towards her and laid a hand on the wrinkled
forehead. Willow felt all the powerful magic in this body go hurling out! Then the lovely
young girl bent down to kiss to old forehead.
"Thank you! "
Willow was weeping " My body, my youth, my life! You have stolen them!"
Willow's former head nodded its red top head. "So I have."
"You'll never get away with it! My friends – Terra and Buffy and Xander – they'll know."
Willow's former face smiled ironically. "No, how could they? I won't be here very long. I
will weep and say that I can't bear to stay here any longer since Terra doesn't love me any
more and leave. They may try and find me – but they won't succeed. "
Willow was weeping, she felt like she would never stop weeping for her lost life, for
opportunities forever gone. She realized she had never really stopped loving Xander and
now the idiot was marrying an ex-demon.
"I am not without mercy. Soon your grief will be gone. Recognize this?"
Willow did – it was a powerful forgetfulness spell.
"Soon, you will forget you were. You will be well carried for until your body dies."
"NO!"
"Why not – you did it to others, made them forget, did you not?"
The new Willow released the swirling light.
The old man in the wheel chair blinked and blinked again. That's a pretty young girl
smiling at me, he thought. I wonder who she is? Then in panic he croaked:
"I don't know who I am! I can't remember!"
"Now, now, don't fret yourself so, grandfather. It's not unusual for a man YOUR age to
be forgetful. "
The End
By Eric Bloodstone
Willow was irritated by her friends and mad at Terra! She decided to take a long walk to
work off her energy and to have some fun with her magic! What was wrong with using
magic to help everyday lives – or even for just fun and games? No big deal to transform
people – she always changed them back! It was stupid of all her friends to say that she
had become addicted to magic! She felt wild and free. Joyfully she swung her arms with
youthful exuberance, her red hair and slim figure making her a Rockwell Moment.
Out of a limo cruising by a sudden bolt of magic lashed out and Willow collapsed on the
ground. With efficiency two young men came out of the front seat and carried the
unconsciously Willow into the back. The Limo then increased its speed and sped away.
Willow came awake and scrambled to her feet. She was in expensive looking room. She
recognized the house – it was the old Chase mansion. No one knew who had rented it the
last few years. A very old man in a wheel chair smiled kindly at her. Some
expressionless, lean men flanked him. They looked as tough as Buffy's fried hamburgers.
"What happened?" Willow asked. She reached for her magic, but was blocked. Somehow
her powers were damped.
"The hour of your destiny has arrived, my dear," said the old man in a very cultured
voice. It was surprisingly powerful for someone who looked like he was in his eighties.
"You have been chosen to full fill a great destiny."
"What do you mean?" she backed away. Her active powers may be temporarily on hold
but she felt the old man was an incredibly powerful magician.
"You deserve an explanation. For a long time I have been keeping an eye on witches and
warlocks. I felt you had the most potential both magically and had by far the best brain -
Both were ideal for my purposes. You just needed a little push and help. Would you like
something to drink?"
Willow " Nodded – some coffee would be nice. "
It was in her hand, steaming and just the way she liked it.
"Haven't you ever wondered why a boy crazy girl like you would suddenly go gay? Don't
look so surprised. You needed a teacher and a partner and Terra was ideal – she was so
in love with you – it was a great opportunity to start your training for your destiny so I
switched your sexual orientation. I do like making others happy. " He laughed.
Willow shivered his laugh was chilling – it held an inhuman detachment.
"From a distance I taught you and stimulated your powers. This was fortunate, as we
couldn't have this world destroyed just because Gloria wanted to phone home, now could
we? Then I had Buffy die – oh, yes – it was I who set that in motion so you would stretch
your powers and use black magic to bring her back from the dead. Then it was necessary
for you to use magic wildly and freely to open yourself up for my purposes and also to
raise your abilities. You are now the most powerful young witch on the planet. You will
perform a signal service by allowing me to continue. Surely you don't begrudge the world
that?"
Willow felt chilled to the bone. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I will reserve my name. I am a man who has lived along time. I saw the building of the
pyramids and the march of Assyrian Armies; saw the glory that was Greece and the
grandeur that was Rome, the charm and beauty of Baghdad. But my soul has outworn the
sheath of this body. Even my magic can only do so much. This form is 200 years old.
About the limit flesh can be renewed. Soon I will wear your body. "
Again Willow tried her magic as terror griped her soul. But it was no use; it was closed
off from her.
"Please! Don't! I want to live."
"So you shall – at least for a little time. Again, allow me to reassure you – your noble
sacrifice is far more important than your life."
Suddenly Willow felt her soul pulled from her body and was sucked down a dark tunnel.
When she had physical senses again. She saw HER OWN BODY smiling triumphantly at
her.
"Thank you" this Willow said with a triumphant and pleased smile.
Horror stricken Willow looked down at her now self. She was in the wheel chair and her
body was old and weak!
Her former self strode with easy grace towards her and laid a hand on the wrinkled
forehead. Willow felt all the powerful magic in this body go hurling out! Then the lovely
young girl bent down to kiss to old forehead.
"Thank you! "
Willow was weeping " My body, my youth, my life! You have stolen them!"
Willow's former head nodded its red top head. "So I have."
"You'll never get away with it! My friends – Terra and Buffy and Xander – they'll know."
Willow's former face smiled ironically. "No, how could they? I won't be here very long. I
will weep and say that I can't bear to stay here any longer since Terra doesn't love me any
more and leave. They may try and find me – but they won't succeed. "
Willow was weeping, she felt like she would never stop weeping for her lost life, for
opportunities forever gone. She realized she had never really stopped loving Xander and
now the idiot was marrying an ex-demon.
"I am not without mercy. Soon your grief will be gone. Recognize this?"
Willow did – it was a powerful forgetfulness spell.
"Soon, you will forget you were. You will be well carried for until your body dies."
"NO!"
"Why not – you did it to others, made them forget, did you not?"
The new Willow released the swirling light.
The old man in the wheel chair blinked and blinked again. That's a pretty young girl
smiling at me, he thought. I wonder who she is? Then in panic he croaked:
"I don't know who I am! I can't remember!"
"Now, now, don't fret yourself so, grandfather. It's not unusual for a man YOUR age to
be forgetful. "
The End