"So… Who wants to go first?" he says, smiling evilly.
A/N The memories of Fred and Wesley are in italics, to keep a good survey over the story. On with the story!
Chapter XIV: Pieces
"I will go first." Wesley says very brave. This is so not the time to be brave!
"Wesley, don't do that!" I yell
"It's not like you really care Fred." I look at him, while my tears slowly fall down my cheeks, but he just smiles. How can he smile right now I mean…
"Time's up" the demon says. He suddenly hits Wesley with a purple beam and he starts to drain his memories. I try to stop him, but he throws me against the wall.
I see Wesley's memories displayed on the wall, like a movie in a cinema. His thoughts are full of despair; they aren't always pretty, except when I see my face sometimes. I see my face quite a lot actually, would he still…?
I see how he thinks about me, how I talk to Knox, his angry face, me crying.
"That's enough!" I hear myself say and I slowly speak the words:
"Oro, oriore ex terra ad prohibendae hostem" Suddenly some kind of wires come out off the ground and grab the demon's feet causing him to stumble and fall so he loses control over Wesley's memories.
"Oh, so you're a witch." He says "You only look like a goody-goody then."
"Don't ever call me like that" The demon throws a dark ball at me but I quickly say: "Munite me, flammae di." And a curtain of fire protects me from his attack.
Good I listened to Angel; he told me I should practice and learn some spells, just in case; although I am not sure this will be sufficient enough. He's strong, he can do almost everything; but I will not think like that. I'll believe in myself.
"Oh, so you like fire?" he asks and throws me to the wall, only by waving his hands; I don't know how to block this attack.
"You don't control your powers yet, do you? That's even more interesting." He says and he goes into my mind. I don't know what the worst part is; that I stay conscious all the time or that I see Wesley; lying there and that I can't do anything to help him. Oh, he wakes up, God, thank you. He wakes up, still confused off course and he sees me, but he's exhausted. I can see my own memories, and the demon clearly enjoys them, God, we've been through so much. I see Knox for the first time, and then the time he carried my boxes although Wesley wanted to help, the grenade, Wesley with me at home,… He sees everything; he sees me cry after he leaves, he sees me setting my ceiling on fire and I see a faint smile playing around his lips, but mostly his face is sad, really sad. Wesley and I talking, making up 'cause he didn't believe me when I said I was a witch. Then, the restaurant and me looking around, terrified when I see Wesley, searching for a solution. He looks at me now, not-understanding. Then he sees Knox pushing me against the wall, me protesting, my panicked thoughts and eventually me burning his hands. He looks at me, very angry, but he's not angry with me anymore. He wants to get up; he doesn't want to see anything cruel anymore. We both realize there's a lot of terror in our thoughts. This has to stop. But he can't do anything and me either. Now there's me, soaking, creating my first portal, crying, wallowing. He turns away; but soon he looks again. I walk around in the hallways now, meeting Angel and oh yes, me being pissed. And the truth-spell on Knox. That was funny actually; but then a few days later I go to the lab. I can't see this again. He can't see this. I try to block the demon, but I only move a little. I moan because it's going to be too late. He will see it. I see Knox, how he talks to me, full of anger and how he pushes me against the wall, how I try to escape, how he throws me to the floor, how he sits on top of me, how he kisses me, how he zips my skirt open, how…
Suddenly the stream of thoughts is cut off. It's finished with all my tears.
I fall to the ground, tired but not exhausted. I feel that I still have enough power to withstand. Wesley, he jumped on the demon and he saved me. I have to help him; but I can't see him. I look around and I see that the Memoria-demon lifts him in the air, ready to throw him in the river.
"No!" I scream. Okay this would be a good time for Angel to barge in.
"Is there something wrong?" the demon asks mockingly.
"Hell yeah! You're about to throw a very nice man in a river" I say. Angel?
"Yes, you're completely right." He says and then he throws Wesley in the river.
"Wesley! No!" I yell. I look at the demon and I feel that I am very very very pissed. I am full of hate, anger and I know exactly what to do with it.
"Eum cape ab flammae" I yell and the demon is trapped in a cage of fire but he can still talk so we have to something about that
"Dormi, unde reveillus!" I say and the he goes to sleep; he's still ugly you know, even when he sleeps 'peacefully'. Oh God, Wesley!
I look in the river and I see his body floating in the water, he has to be alive; he has to be. I try to make him levitate but it doesn't work so I decide to jump in to the river. When I am in the water I don't see him immediately, I panic but then I see him. I swim towards him and I pull really hard and eventually I get him on land.
"Wesley?" I whisper his name. I feel his heartbeat and… there is one, it's very faint; but it's there. I have to get out of here. How am I going to do that? I am soaked, Wesley is unconscious and soaked and I am lost here; I don't know where to go! I could try to… Yes, I learned a spell from Willow when she was here for Angel's soul! I should try that, but I have never tried it before. I have to try it for Wesley and me. I pronounce slowly:
"Aradia, Goddess of the lost, the path is murky, the woods are dense, darkness pervades, I beseech thee, bring the light."
"Yes" I whisper when I see a glowing m&m appear. I like green m&m's!
I say to the little glowing ball: "Lead me out off this place; lead me home."
"I wouldn't like that" I unexpectedly hear. Oh God, the demon. The sleep spell wore off! I have to hurry now.
I start to run after the m&m with an unconscious Wesley, but I don't go very fast, since well, I am with an unconscious Wesley! I feel some kind of power holding me back, even pulling me back. I am not able to hold Wesley, I have to let hem drop, while the power is still pulling me back, until I am 15 feet of the wall, then I am suddenly slammed to the wall.
"You didn't think you would get away so easily?" he asks, really angry.
"I didn't think you would fall asleep so easily." I say.
"I am sorry, but I am well rested now. Iace!" he says and I am thrown against the opposite wall. I fall to the ground and I moan silently. I am sick of this, he has to stop throwing me against the wall; it's not very original anymore! Then I see Wesley move, he moved! He really did. Unfortunately the demon sees this also.
"So you saved him?" He asks although he's not expecting an answer "I am impressed. But you won't be able to do it a second time." He lifts his hand and with one movement he sends Wesley flying in the air and hard on the ground.
I try to think of something; but it has to be good, because I have to beat him immediately, I can't dawdle anymore. Besides, I don't think Wesley can bear one more blow. But what can I do? I don't even know this… beast. I say, only to try something and to divert his attention from Wesley: "Impetus incendio" but he blocks the attack easily. Think Fred, think. I have to talk to Wesley, it's a desperate plan, but it's my only plan. I run to Wesley and he whispers; "Fred, it's like my mind is empty while I still remember everything."
"Okay, no communication" the demon says and as he speaks to attack us again, I yell, pointing my finger to the demon: "Amnesia completa!" and he falls to the ground. But he stands up again, asking: "Where am I?" and then it's like he's being swallowed down by a tornado that whirls around him. That was it! Amnesia!
I search for the glowing m&m and luckily he's still there.
I manage to get Wesley to get to his feet, but I still have to support him. He's too weak. We leave the tunnels –the m&m led us perfectly- and I am incredibly relieved when I am outside. I walk as far as I can, until I reach the door of W there everything goes black and I collapse.