Part 10

Stepping into Darkness

Part 10

~~~~~*****~~~~~

The blonde witch stepped into the dull light and moved slowly towards Willow. The hushed silence that fell over the group made her smile.

"Tara, what are you doing here?" Willow asked, fear and disbelief ringing in her voice.

"I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Understand?" Willow's forehead crinkled in disbelief, "What wouldn't I understand?"

"Red, step away," Spike crept up behind her and pulled her backwards.

"No... No I don't understand. What's happened to you?"

Tara smiled sadly, "You defeated her Willow, you helped defeat the Great Glorificus. You searched through all those dimensions to find meand you did, didn't you." Tara laughed and Willow felt a shiver echo down her spine. "I spent time in hell, in a place that changed me in a way you could never understand, you might have found me, but I'm not the same. I have powers that you couldn't possibly understand, Willow."

"Tara?" Willow tried to step forward as tears streaked her face, but her feeble attempts to break Spike's hold barely even registered with her.

The blonde smiled, reaching out to stroke Willow's face, laughing as Spike growled and pulled Willow from her reach. There was another echoing laughter but this time it seemed closer, and sent a shiver through the spines of every member of the group, Slayers and vampires included.

"We have to get out of here," Anya said, the fear apparent in her voice. "Now!"

The group sprinted through the sewers once again, back the way they had come. Anya had changed her face back to normal and wouldn't look at Xander. Spike was practically carrying Willow, who was still too distraught to move by herself. And all the while, a pair of yellow eyes followed them through the dark passages and a silent smile pierced the shadows.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

The group sat in silence, each trying to process what they had seen. No one was quite sure how to react. Anya had yet to speak and Willow just sat in the chair rocking back and forth as Spike tried to get her to calm down. The others were simply staring at nothing. Angel had insisted they let Cordelia sleep but other than that, no one had uttered a word.

"We have to find out what they want," Fliq stated, trying to dispel the silence, "Anya, what were..."

"How did you know?" Buffy interrupted.

"How did I know what?"

"About Tara?" Willow's head jerked up instantly as Buffy continued, "You asked how well I knew her...you knew."

Fliq shifted uncomfortably, "I just sensed something about her, that's all." Spike and Angel exchanged confused glances as Buffy and Willow eyed Fliq expectantly.

"No, that's not it. You knew." Buffy pressed.

"I sensed dark magick in her and I knew something wasn't right. I didn't know she'd betray you."

"How did you sense the magick?" Buffy continued, unwilling to let the subject drop.

"I can sense it, that's all. Now, we can sit here and chat idly about this or we can do something to stop it from getting worse."

"They wanted evil itself." All heads turned to Anya. "That's what she said, that's what you need to fight. Pure evil."

~~~~~*****~~~~~

"You let her get away, little witch."

"You could have stopped them yourself."

"Boring," Willow sighed, pulling unneeded air into her undead lungs. "Now, we're going to play a little game," she said moving behind Tara, pulling her hair aside to reveal a milky white neck. Tara smiled and sent a spark from the end of her fingertip through the vampire's body.

Willow grinned, "Witch."

"You heard what I said, we need to change this world, make it better."

"I liked my world," Willow said dragging her nail around Tara's neck, stopping to whisper in her ear, "We got to play with whips and chains," Tara shuddered, smiling a little, "Want to play, little witch?"

Tara nodded as Willow continued to move behind her, the vampire grinding into her hips, "Oh yeah," she whispered.

"You," Willow whispered into her ear, "are going to help me get my puppy and then," she licked Tara's neck, causing her to drop her head back, "we're going to have some fun with the Slayers and their friends."

She placed a kiss on Tara's cheek, then laughed lightly before turning back to the sewers. Tara followed her, as they made their way back to their layer.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

"I've found something," Giles called as he made his way to the main table.

"Something useful this time, I hope," Spike sighed as he placed his own volume onto the floor, careful not to wake the red head who was sprawled across his chest. Everyone was exhausted but sat forward to listen to what Giles had to say.

"'And then there shall be a darkness like no other. A gathering of the undead shall rise and the shadows shall surround the mouth of hell. A flame of power, redder than the fires of hell, shall pull the fallen angel from the arms of love, and together the two shall rise and the darkness will engulf us all.'"

~~~~~*****~~~~~

END OF PART 10