Chapter Ten: Darkness in Truths

Previously in Echoes in the Wind...

"Willow?"

Turning to the sound of her name, Dark Willow stared at Tara in silence. "I find this kind of ironic. You see, you're death set me free once before. And now? All she has to do is get angry or protective of you and I get set free once again. I wonder what happens if I kill you?"

"Willow?" Tara whispered softly, stepping back from the dark witch before her.

"It would probably break her. Losing you twice. I mean, I exist because she lost you once. If she loses you now by my hand? Will it destroy sweet little Willow or will she regain control before I get the chance?" Dark Willow said, a sickening smile on her face.

"Willow!" the sound of desperation caused Dark Willow to turn and face Anya and Faith standing in the doorway.

"Well, look who it is. The murderous slayer and the demon. Do you think you're going to stop me?" Dark Willow asked, smiling at the two with an amused look on her face. "Faith, we both know you'd prefer to join me. The call of evil has always been easier for you. It's why you turned your back on Buffy and joined the Mayor. It's why you tried to kill me before," Willow reminded them.

Faith's eyes flashed in anger as she looked at the dark witch before her. "Anya, can you keep her magic blocked?" Faith whispered, not looking at the demon.

"Yes," Anya replied softly, remembering the spell Giles had used on the witch before and her own spell to stop her from using magic on anyone around her.

"Willow," Faith said, stepping towards the witch. "I don't want to hurt you, but if I have to I will."

"Of course you will. You all think you can stop me. Buffy couldn't stop me before, and she was twice the slayer you've ever been. What makes you think you can take me, Faith?" Dark Willow asked, her coal eyes staring into Faith's hardening brown ones.

"Listen to me, Red. This isn't you. You need to regain control. I don't want to have to go through with that promise, but we both know I will," Faith admitted, frowning at the witch.

"Oh, this is just pathetic. Come on, Slayer. Slay me. Do what Buffy could not. Do what no other has managed to do. We both know you can't kill me. The curse prevents little Willow from dying. So how are you going to stop me?"

"Willow, please," Tara whispered, afraid of the darkness radiating off the witch.

"Sweet, innocent, little Tara," Dark Willow said, turning to face the blonde. "The pureness surrounding you is starting to make me sick."

"Last chance, Red," Faith warned, preparing to fight the witch.

Willow just rolled her eyes and turned to Faith. "Come on, Slayer. Show me what you got," Willow responded, stepping towards the brunette.

Before Faith could lunge at the witch, Willow's eyes rolled into her head as she fell to the ground, losing consciousness before she even hit the floor.

"What happened?" Anya asked, confused by the sudden change in the situation.

"I put a sleeping spell on her. She'll be unconscious for a couple of hours," Laura said, looking at Willow's unmoving form and then at her daughter. "I think it's best if you stay away from her."

"Mom," Tara started, but stopped when she saw the warning look her mother gave her.

"Tara, we have a lot to discuss when we get home. Do you understand me, girl?" her father said, his voice low and angry.

"Y-yes, Sir," Tara whispered, bowing her head.

"Will you two please get this creature out of my presence. This incident could not be good for my wife's health," Donald snapped, looking at Faith and Anya.

Faith took a step towards him, her own anger flaring at his description of Willow before Anya grabbed her arm and convinced her to help lift Willow. Once Willow was out of the room, Donald looked at his wife. "Laura, you know spells and magic is the reason why you haven't been feeling well. I told you about the demon wanting your body. That is what happened to that...that beast," he said, pointing to where Willow had just been dragged out. "The demon controls her body now."

"Daddy, I don't think-"

"You don't think? She referred to herself as though someone else was talking. How is that not enough proof for you, girl?" Donald Maclay asked his daughter before turning to look at his wife again. "I don't approve of magic for a reason, and that is the reason."

"Donald-"

"Tara, I think it's time for you to go home. You're mother needs her rest and dinner needs to be made," he said, cutting his wife's words off as he looked at his daughter.

"Y-yes, Sir," Tara whispered, before kissing her mother's forehead and walking out the door and towards her home.

Standing in the room watching Willow, Faith frowned at the unconscious witch, wandering when she'd wake up and who would be in control when Willow did awaken. Faith was still furious with the dark witch because of her jabs earlier, but she had also come to learn that the darkness wasn't Willow. It was the magic inside of her taking control.

A few hours had passed since the spell, causing Faith to worry about her old friend. She knew her and Willow always had problems, but Willow had been the only Scoobie that knew what it was like to kill a man and try to bring about the end of the world and then try to regain redemption for her mistakes. Anya knew most of it as well, but Faith knew it was different since Anya had been a demon when she did all the things she did.

The sound of a groan pulled Faith from her thoughts, and Faith turned to look at the stirring witch, prepared for a fight if it was necessary. "Ugh," Willow muttered, forcing herself to sit up even though her head was spinning. "What happened?"

"Depends, who am I speaking with right now?" Faith asked, frowning at the witch.

"It's me, Faith," Willow whispered, lifting her eyes to look at the slayer.

Faith looked into the coal eyes for a few moments before relaxing, seeing parts of Willow in the almost emotionless eyes. "You went all Dark Willow again. You debated killing Tara," Faith told her.

"I remember that. I meant, what happened to cause me to black out? I don't remember pain?"

Faith looked confused as she stared at Willow for a few moments in silence. "You remember everything?"

Willow nodded. "I always remember what happened. I just can't always stop it. Sometimes I don't want to," Willow admitted, looking down at her hands.

"Like when you attacked me and trashed the Magic Box after you killed Warren and before you tried to destroy the world," Anya said, from the safety of the doorway.

Willow looked over at Anya. "Yes. Like that. I didn't attempt to stop the magic in me from killing Warren. My anger fueled me enough to crave his death, but everything else...I didn't want that," Willow told them, looking at her friends. "I just no longer had any control."

A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for being my beta for this and my other stories.