I blame you for the Moonlit Sky
Song-fic from Sleeping Satellite by Tamsin Archer.
Crackling away contentedly, the fire ignored the boy's unease. It had burnt in these troughs for centuries, it was comfortable. Unlike the desperation of the witches.
"But somebody was using! We all felt it!"
"Caleb, it wasn't me!"
"Reid, we all know that you're –"
"What? Irresponsible? Childlike? Stupid? Jealous? I'm not stupid Caleb! I didn't use!" Caleb looked at Reid carefully; the boy was being honest. He had to trust his gut instinct and that told him Reid was telling the truth.
"Then who was it?" He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Chase?" Pogue provided. Caleb looked up at his friend,
"No, Chase won't ever be coming back. There must be somebody else."
"There's the sisterhood but –"
"Shh." Reid was cut across by Tyler who held up his hand to still any protest. "Can you hear that?"
Silence.
"What Tyler?"
"Can't you feel the power? It's ancient. And that song..." Reid began to seriously consider that his best friend may have finally cracked, but then he heard it.
I blame you for the moonlit sky
and the dream that died
with the eagles' flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights
when I wonder why
are the seas still dry?
don't blame this sleeping satellite
He shivered with delight. He knew that voice. He knew that song. It was a favourite of hers. That girl. The one he should never have met. Her name?
"Willow." He whispered. He shuddered again. Willow was strange. Her silver-grey eyes had attracted him to her initially – whilst on a trip to visit his grand-father. He recalled her vividly, as though she were stood before him;
Her long white-blonde hair hung straight past her shoulders – strands blowing like spider-web silk in the wind.
Her silver-grey eyes admired him with a cold passion.
Her small nose reddened with the cold.
The snow fell around her.
She looked like an angel – an ethereal goddess come to earth just for him.
He would never forget that moment. The moment he fell in love with a stranger wrapped in a large Parker coat. When she smiled at him his feet instinctively guided his body towards her. When she held out her hand, wrapped as it was in those red mittens he automatically took her offering.
"Hay." He said his voice husky. When a slight pinkness coloured her ice-queen cheeks he felt his heart melt.
"Hello." She smiled and it seemed as though the sun had burst through the grey slate clouds bringing snow, "I'm Willow."
"Reid." She laughed quietly; she was so fragile.
"Would you like to go for a walk Reid?" He looked around and realised that his mother had disappeared,
"Sure."
That walk had been utter bliss. Heaven on earth. They had wandered through the snow covered pathways enjoying the peace and learning about each other. Reid realised that Willow was terribly naive, a fault that had him worrying as he already felt responsible for her safety. When she had walked him to his grand-father's house he felt as if he had known her his entire life; she was his soul mate. Their kiss had been perfect; sweet, innocent and loving.
He had met up with Willow everyday for the three weeks he stayed at his grand-father's. It was on the last day – the day before he had to return to Spencer that his heart broke.
"This will not work Reid." He knew his soul was being wrenched in two,
"Why not? I thought we were meant to be." She looked at him with those baleful grey eyes,
"Because we rushed into this relationship. We didn't know each other Reid; we just jumped into the deep end without thinking." He felt the water in his eyes but refused to let it spill,
"But...Willow. I..." She pressed a snow-white finger softly to his lips,
"Hush Reid. Perhaps if there was more time, but I cannot overcome this. Please Baby, it's only been three and a half weeks – we can move on." He knew he'd never be able to move on from this angel,
"This is about the power isn't it?" She looked at him passionately,
"No, Reid. The power is you and you are the power. It is you and me that can never be. Thank you for everything you have given me Reid." He looked at her,
"I haven't given you anything. Willow, we..."
"No. You have given me courage, strength and you have opened my eyes. Thank you Reid Garwin." She pressed her lips gently to his and slowly glided away. Even watching her leave he felt an unaccustomed longing. Then he heard her, singing softly in her ethereal voice,
Did we fly to the moon too soon
did we squander the chance
in the rush of the race
the reason we chase is lost in romance
and still we try
to justify the waste
for a taste of man's greatest adventure
Even now, a month after, Reid had never mentioned Willow to the boys. It hurt too much to remember. It had been a fling – but no other fling held him in such a painful grasp. Hearing her voice again he almost gasped with the stabbing agony.
"Who's Willow?" Caleb's voice called Reid back to the present,
"Um...an old...someone I used to know." Caleb looked at his brother in frustration,
"Who is Willow?" Reid glared at him,
"No-body! Just someone who liked the song. It sounds like her singing it." They listened again, intently,
I blame you for the moonlit sky
and the dream that died
with the eagles' flight
blame you for the moonlit nights
when I wonder why
are the seas still dry?
don't blame this sleeping satellite
"Can we find the source? Somebody is using – and it's powerful. It's dangerous." Pogue asked cautiously,
"I can follow the song if it continues." The other three looked at Tyler who shrugged, "I know it's coming from outside. It gets louder if I tilt my head...this way."
"Let's go." Caleb decided. He stood brusquely and the others followed Tyler out of the house.
Willow stood in the remains of the old barn. It still bore the scars of the explosion. It sickened her. This magic was evil. Pure evil. She remembered Reid, the boy who had captured her attention so strongly. She had sensed his greed, however. The greed for power and money – for extravagance. She sang and sang, calling all the power to her, she would give the magic back to the earth. Back to nature, even if it killed her.
have we lost what it takes to advance?
have we peaked too soon?
if the world is so green
then why does it scream under a blue moon
we wonder why
If the earth's sacrificed
for the price of it's greatest treasure
The Covenant boys stopped as they took in the sight before them. A young girl, of a similar age to them, stood in the remnants of the old barn. Her pale arms were raised to the sky. Her long white-blond hair blew about her face in the wind. She was the singer.
"Willow!" Reid called, running to the girl before his 'brothers' could stop him. She turned, her eyes landing on the blonde boy.
"Stop, Reid." Her voice was strong, commanding, but it still held the faint beauty that was engraved into every line of her body. Reid stopped.
"What are you doing Willow?" She looked to the moon,
"Protecting the world. It will not hurt you Reid. I am only taking the evil power from the world and channelling it into the mother earth. There is residual energy from the fight that took place here. Evil energy. I must take care of it." He felt a stab of fear. Willow, his naive little Willow was going to do that?!
"No!" He cried, but he could not go any further for fear of damaging her safety.
"Reid." Caleb's growl came from beside Reid's right shoulder.
"She can't do this! Stop her Caleb! We have to stop her!" Caleb couldn't miss the desperation in his voice,
"You really care for her don't you?" Reid gulped,
"Willow please! You are EVERYTHING to me! Don't do this! We can do this!" Willow smiled,
"Oh Reid you idiot. I love you, of course and I do not want to risk you or your friends. This is my problem – I sensed it – I will deal with it. Stay out of it." Before Reid could argue Willow's plan began to work. They all saw it – the beam of darkness that was the residual energy of Chase's power. They saw the beam enter Willow, the fragile little Willow and they heard her scream. It mingled with Reid's yell,
"!" He fell to his knees as Willow fell to the floor, "No, Willow please. Baby." He allowed the tears to fall shamelessly, scrambling to the rapidly cooling body of his only love, "Willow sweetie. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please come back to me. We can work this out. I've missed you so much, please. Please, please, please!" His tears fell on her ghostly face. Tyler crouched beside his best friend,
"This was the girl you met at your grand-father's wasn't it?" Reid nodded mutely, "Come on Reid. We'll carry her back to Caleb's." Reid stood shakily, still clasping Willow's body to his chest. He pressed his lips to hers,
"I love you Willow. I always have and I always will."
Reid sat by the fire, supping the fiery liquid from the dark glass bottle. He belched as the whisky warmed his frozen heart. He ran a hand over his perfectly youthful face and scowled in disgust. He hadn't aged, he never used. He never used because the power caused her death. His power. His power caused her death. This stupid, genetic curse caused the death of his little angel.
"Baby I'm so sorry." He drifted slowly into a wary sleep,
I blame you for the moonlit sky
and the dream that died
with the eagles' flight
blame you for the moonlit nights
when I wonder why
are the seas still dry?
don't blame this sleeping satellite
and when we shoot for the stars
what a giant step
have we got what it takes
to carry the weight of this concept
or pass it by like a shot in the dark
miss the mark with a sense of adventure
I blame you for the moonlit sky
and the dream that died
with the eagles' flight
blame you for the moonlit nights
when I wonder why
are the seas still dry?
don't blame this sleeping satellite
"My darling Willow." He sighed.