Here, is a very long part of Willow's past, sorry if my english sometimes sounds bad, I am dutch after all... And sorry that it took so long to write, I was VERY busy with school... XD

3. Burning Blood

It was late outside, unbelievable late, around this time most of the teens were supposed to be at home. But one wasn't. It was a girl with long, black, bouncy hair tied up in two pigtails, her eyes glowing and white like the moonlight.

Willow:

I was supposed to be at home. But it was normal for both me and my parents that I went home around this time. Why? Because it was the safest for me. The whole town hated me just because I really liked fire. But that wasn't a reason right? To hate me; to shout my name out loud over the street, just so people looked at me. It was mostly silence after that, but that silence was disturbed with the sound of my feet, running away from the crowd.

I quickly looked around me, my eyes intense and full of fear. Thoughtfully I lifted my hand to my face. Was I save tonight? Where the big guys gone? I though the bump on my forehead and quickly took my hand away followed by an "autch". I remember them, they laughed so hard when they heard me scream. They called me a witch or a freak. Oh, I hated these guys so much. But what else could I do? I was just a 16 year old girl, I was weak and pitiful and couldn't fight against these older boys.

Suddenly I heard whispers from behind me. I stopped and immediately turned around. On the edge of the street they stood. Three older boys laughing at me. They were much taller and hard to fight against. I took a deep breath, preparing myself again.

"S-Show yourself… O-Or else!" I stuttered but tried to remain strong. The boys laughed harder and with big and fast footsteps they walked closer to me. I wanted to run but couldn't. A voice inside my head started to shout in panic.

"Run Willow! Run!" A few seconds of silence followed but was quickly disturbed with the same frightened voice. "Where are you waiting for?! Run!" I shocked my head, turned around and started to run, I heard the boys laughing behind me. The sound became louder and louder. I had never been a good runner. I had never been able to control things outside my own control, always human in a way. I could only keep going. Endure. Survive.

I was finally in the street of my home. But before I could run inside my house I slipped. Oh Willow, why do you have to slip on these bad moments? They boy laughed again behind me, but it sounded like cackles. One of the boy grabbed me and hit me in the face, while another one kicked me right in the stomach. It made me cough up some blood, for me a nightmare, but for them a spectacle. They didn't want to kill me though, I was a to big toy for them. The more pain I got, the harder they laughed. Pitiful and weak boys… Fighting with the weak one's.

Just when I thought it was over the oldest one grabbed me by the edge of my blouse and dragged me over the cold and painful ground. It made me almost unable to breath, but that was what they wanted right? To see me suffer, cause that was what gave them pleasure.

"S-Stop… Please…" I choked out. "I'll give you… A-Anything… Anything…" The Boys started to laugh harder. For a long time I was unable to see, although I wanted to, I wanted to find out where they were bringing me to. Until now. I saw a small river showing up from behind the tree's. My eyes widened, where they going to drown me? I tried to fight against them, I grabbed the ground. But it was no use, my long nails scratched over the floor, while one of the boys stepped on my fingers.

The oldest boy took me from the ground, hanging me above the water so I was able see my own mirror.

"No… NO!" I screamed. The Boys laughed while the oldest one threw my head in the water. I couldn't breathe, I was unable to do anything. I heard them laughing somewhere in the distance because of my pain. After a few seconds which felt like an eternity to me, they finally reached me up. They took my head out of the water and a small relieve made me gasp for air. But almost immediately they threw my head back in the water.

Slowly everything turned black. Through the years I'd always heard a male voice inside my head. He told me that his name was Wesley. He warned me for things, told me things long before they were going to happen. And helped me like he was a part of me, which I believed he was.

"Willow?! A-Are you alright?" I heard his voice but was unable to respond on his question. Everything turned pitch black now. And on the other hand I was glad. That they finally killed me and ended my endless suffering and fear. Again they took my head out of the water, but I was too weak to breath so they immediately threw my head back. Obviously, whatever thin connection we'd foolishly formed had served. Trust wouldn't only be a weakness. I heard someone or better, something growl from behind me. And immediately the Boys turned their heads. They whispered to each other, but their voice was filled with fear. Without thinking, they just threw my body in the water and run away. They were beating on how I would live. And that would never chance. Even by the time that I'd turn into an adult.

"Willow?" I wanted Wesley to shut his mouth, I was so tired and a part of me begged for sleep. I slowly sank deeper into the cold water.

"Willow! Whereas when you open your mouth you come across more as sullen and hostile!" More blackness came.

"Willow, where are you my friend?! Please answer me!" His voice became weaker, like he was dying to. My eyes slowly closed, I was ready to die and this would be the perfect way. The last thing I saw where two flame hands grabbing me by the middle. Like they reached for me.

"There you are…"

Apparently I was to "vulnerable" for ferocity. I was not witty. Funny. Sexy. Or mysterious. But that didn't matter to me now, I had died alone… I sank into a deep and endless darkness, while I got no air. My memories floated through my head. Leaving more scars and sadness in my heart. The place felt cold. Empty. Stone. But that not alone, my body was stone cold. Suddenly there was a light point in the darkness, shinning so bright that it took my attention. I wanted to walk to it, but was unable to move. Like two hands had grabbed me from beneath. Through my head I saw the creature again, made out of flames. Why did I feel so bounded and attracted to it? Or was it just my mind playing tricks on me cause it wasn't true.

"Willow?" I heard Wesley's comfortable voice again which made me sigh in relief. I tried to search for something, something like my eyes, to show him that I was alright. I had to fight against the black advance taking over me. The icy mist stirred up by the light point. Making in unbearable for me to look away from it. It was like an eternal flame and I liked it, it made me feel comfortable.

Personal affection is a luxury you can have only after all your enemies are eliminated. Until then, everyone you love is a hostage, sapping your courage and corrupting your judgment.

Wesley became even more worried. His voice was so intense that it even scared me. But he didn't rush or shock me. Waking up from this sleep was like waking up from the dead. But a part of me was sure that I "was" waking up from the dead. I was impenetrable when it came to the word "dead". I've stood several times face to face with the dead. And it makes you learn to live with it, it makes you even get used to it and maybe, just maybe like it. Which isn't a good thing. Still I looked to it in that way.

The light point became bigger and brighter while the darkness that surrounded me, slowly crawled back to their dark holes, leaving me alone, standing right in front of the bright light. I raised for it, it was just so beautiful and full of flames. But I couldn't grab it, I growled, I wanted THIS flame so badly. I was so curious but my curiosity mostly punished me in the end. Curiosity is something we all have and it's a good thing, but you need to learn what is good and bad before you start talking about it.

"Give it to me!" My voice echoed through the emptiness. I looked around as I stepped closer to the incredible, beautiful but enigmatic light.

The sound of burning flames came through my head and was filled with a thousand of voices, but unlike Wesley's one, these where more dark and hazy. Suddenly, steady and slowly everything started to become clearer for me. And the darkness was gone. I searched for something again, something like my eyes and I found them. I was so relieved.

I slowly tried to open them and found myself in bed. I searched for my parents but they weren't in my room, had they left? Or was this all just a dream? But who was that fire creature then that reached me up? I was sure that it wasn't a human, nor a creature that you see every day. I started to panic, mainly because I smelled the strong smell of fire.

"Wesley?" I asked frightened. I felt so relieved when I heard his comfortable voice.

"I'm here Willow… Don't worry…" There was a silence, I knew it was a short one, but for me it felt like an eternity. "There is a fire in the house…" I almost jumped out of my bed, quickly dressed myself up and run to my parents room.

"Mom! Dad! There's a fire in the house!" My parents yawned, both where a little irritated by my sudden statement. But even though that, they were happy to see me.

"Willow? Are you sure?" My mother asked, her voice was worried and intense. I nodded quickly as I smelled it clearer.

"Come and take a look for yourselves!" My parents almost run out of bed. They followed me all the way, cause they knew how much I liked fire. But the smell of the flames became stronger at the moment we went downstairs. My parents started to cough heavily, they couldn't get any air. Their lung problems where intense and in the end they were unable to breath.

The world had changed into one of a flame and smoke. Burning wood cracked from the ceiling and fell in showers of sparks at my feet. The heat was horrible but didn't harm me, which was pretty weird, cause heat, mostly this intense, was supposed to kill you within a few minutes. But worse than the heat was the smoke, my parents could barely breath. Which threated to suffocate them any moment. My face was cut with branches that materialized from the grey haze without warning, because I knew I was supposed to run.

Suddenly I felt the warm hand of my mother on my shoulder and soon after her weak body fell on the ground, like all the life was sucked out from her body. Something like vampires do in movie. She could barely move, which was the same case for my dad. Panic took over me and I started to jump.

"No! Mom! Dad! Stand up! Please, we're almost there!" I kneeled down by them. So I could get a clearer image of their mood. My mom weakly shocked her head.

"No… Willow…" My mother chocked out. My eyes widened, as they were filled with tears. "Please Willow… Please try to get out of here Honey… We love you and will always be with you, even if you can't see us. And please… Whatever you do… Follow… Your… Heart…"

I listened to my mother's last wish. I stood up, tears rolling down my cheeks and burning them. Tears always burned me while I was okay with all kinds of water. I couldn't get my eyes of my parents, even though they had told me so, to get out. I kept starring to their dead bodies, while my favorite element started to eat them away. Almost putting them in a beautiful bed of flames. The last thing I remember was that there laid two pair of ashes on the ground, soon floating away with the wind. With all my will I turned around. I was never going to be able to delete that image out of my mind. And as I opened my eyes I faced an even bigger obstacle.

I looked around, just to find out that I was surrounded by flames and unable to move in any other direction. I started to sob and fell down on my knees. Why me? Why always me? Why did life hate me this much? Where could I blame it on? I thought for a while but couldn't find a good answer on that question. It was silence for a while, filled with a heartbreaking sob. Then the silence was disturbed with a voice, a unknown voice.

"Say Pal… You don't look so good…" I quickly jumped up from the ground, looking around in the hot room.

"W-Who's there? S-Show yourself o-or else!" I stuttered. The voice started to laugh at my reaction, which made me take a few steps back.

"Oh Willow… Don't worry… I won't hurt you…" I frowned my eyebrows, I finally saw where the voice came from. It was a radio, a tiny wooden radio my mom and dad always used to dance on. Strange, while most of the things where on fire, the radio had be alright through this whole ordeal. The voice continued his story.

"I can make miracles happen… I can make fantasy reality… I know things that only They know… I have been watching you for a while now young Willow. And I can tell that life hasn't been working out a load." My parents had told me not to trust unknown people, why would I trust this one?

"How do you know my name and who are you?" I shouted to the radio, which would on an everyday have made me laugh.

"Hah! I know many things Willow. I have been watching you from the day it all started. The day that you met these big a strong guys. The day that you started to feel so attached to fire. Even though you can't help but like it, it is in your nature young one… I could help you and do it all over. I could help you, to bring you parents back and even your grandmother. And… I could help you to be even more connected to the fire…" I blinked my eyes a few times in disbelieve. Could he… Make me immune to all kinds of fire? And stop the bullies? Could he make me stronger, impenetrable and bring my parents back?

"Yes, yes!" I smirked, nodding my head in quick and fast jumps.

"Good, cause the power has always been there Willow. Deep down in your heart. I can only help you to activate it…" I put one of my hands on the place my heart was.

"But… Who are you exactly?" I asked curious. This question had been burning inside my head for a while now.

"Who I am? Hah! Say Pal, I think you have misunderstood my question. I am the one who created a unique game. If you win, you'll get everything of your biggest wishes, needs and loved one's. If you lose, you will be stuck under my rules between reality and unreality, life and dead, darkness and light. I'm not going to force you Love… It will be your choice in the end…"

Thoughtfully I put my finger on my chin, making think noises. I wanted my parents to come back and I wanted to know more about fire, but what if I lost the game? I didn't want to be stuck between life and dead forever. I looked back to the place the ashes of my parents had laid a few seconds ago and back to the radio. I nodded carefully, but sure about my own choice.

"Okay… I'm in!" I smiled. The Radio started to cackle when a sudden headache came up in me. He told me things about fire, things about the Firestarters and old legends but not only that, he showed me a world so beautiful that even I couldn't imagine. After a while I opened my eyes and everything had become clearer for me.

"W-Who are you?" I stuttered. As I took a few steps back, no one could know THIS much about other people and about life itself.

"Who I am? I am the one who created the world between life and dead, sanity and insanity, food and starvation. I am the one who disappeared on the day of the earthquake together with my best friend. I am the one who knows everything. I was the one who was able to control the shadows lurking in the beneath land. A land that only I know. Don't be such a dumb insignificant mortal Willow… You know that you are not like the others… You are different…" I blushed slightly as I started to put all the pieces on their places, slowly it started to fade over me, I knew who he really was!

"Y-You are M-Maxwell… Maxwell the great, am I right?" I took a few steps back, I am not sure but I think I heard him clapping somewhere.

"Ah, good job my newest puppet, hmm… Maybe I've misunderstood you, you aren't so bad…" Maxwell smirked. "Now… Will you take a look behind you my dear…"

I slowly turned around, but almost fell on the ground from what I saw there. I saw a creature, so big that even I couldn't know what it was. It had something in common with the dragons but also with that from a demon. Apart from that, it was made out of pure fire and living without any organs on his body. I knew who it was and I thought I was never going to see him.

"W-Wesley? I-Is that… You?" I stuttered, the Fire-Demon smirked, leaning closer to me, petting my shoulder. He slowly started to turn into a bit smaller form.

"Hello Willow… Yes, it's me, Wesley the Fire-Demon. I have always been by your side and will always stay by your side…" I nodded carefully and looked to the radio.

"Maxwell… What does this mean?" I asked a little bit afraid of my own words, what if it wasn't what I had expected it could be?

"Oh, come on Willow… You, out of all of us, should have known who it is… You know that there is no other option left. You ARE a Firestarter and this is your Fire-Demon and so a part of you as well, a second part of your heart." My eyes widened, I opened my mouth as for to say something but quickly shut it, I was astonished and unable to move, so this was the answer to everything, I was a Firestarter… I shocked my head a few times, taking a few steps back.

"No… NO! I can't be a Firestarter Maxwell… I am Willow, just Willow…" Maxwell sighed. I knew he was speaking the truth, why would he speak madness? It should have become clearer for me by now. Wesley was the prove to everything. "B-But how? The last Firestarter died 1000's of years ago…" So this was the reason why sometimes, thing started to burn out of sudden around me! I had Eyes Of Fire! Eyes Of Fire are pretty rare eyes that only Firestarters have, you are able to set things on fire with them and they mostly have an unique color. Maybe that was the reason that they all were so scared of me outside. They must have known that I was a Firestarter! There was no other case, no other option to think about.

"Silly mortal…" Maxwell smirked. I sighed, looked around and found a way out, but it was not big enough for me to walk through. I looked to the place, pushing my eyes together, the place around me became even hotter and while my eyes started to glow and sweat started to drop down my head the place exploded and left a pad for me and Wesley. When I was outside the whole town starred to my house and even the mime that made even more people hate me during one of his shows. One parent hit me in the face cause he was angry that I had bought his son and wife into danger, while I fell on the ground Maxwell started to talk to me again.

"Look down and all your worries will disappear." I repeated what he said and looked down, down my feet there was a lighter, it was a beautiful one decorated with a flower. But when I opened it, I knew that it was broken, the fire inside of it had long died.

"Why did you give me a Lighter when it's broken?" I growled, Maxwell didn't answer my question, but then I heard Wesley's voice from within the flames of all that was left from my house.

"I can help you!" Before I could answer his offer Wesley jumped inside my lighter, leaving a small explosion of fire which made me take a few steps back.

"W-Wesley…? A-Are you… Alright?" I asked a bit worried, Wesley replied physical and showed me that he was alright, now, inside of my lighter, I had an eternal flame.

"You know what to do my young Firestarter!" Maxwell whispered from behind my back. That was the moment I lost control over my body for once in my life, my eyes became big, my teeth sharp and my hair spikey. And while I wanted to stop myself, yet I couldn't. I wanted to give them the same pain back and slit their throat or set them on fire, burning them to the ground. And while I did that the whole town started to catch fire, some survived, but many had died that day. Soon after I became myself again, my eyes widened and while I started to release what happened I started to sob and fell on the ground. I curled up into a small ball, knowing that I had lost everything I had ever worked for, but for what? What was the price to pay it with? All their dear lives…

The last thing I remember was that I heard Maxwell's voice creeping from behind me, saying "Say Pal, you don't look so good." Two hands grabbed me and took me to the world beneath, where he had been talking about, when he talked about his game, I didn't mean THAT kind of game. I was asleep when he took me to the world, I lost my life once again and had paid my soul to the demon. I could hear Charlie whispering things to me and while my life flashed through my head, I could only hear Maxwell's voice clear. Telling me, to Don't Starve…