Chapter 3-The Awakening
Faith had no idea what to expect when she and Angel arrived at the hotel. What met her eyes upon entering the place, however, wasn't what she had expected to see. Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, and Cordelia Chase were standing in the lobby. Willow Rosenberg was floating above the floor, her head tilted back, and her arms pinned to her side by something that looked gelatinous.
"I-it's about time," Giles retorted, relieved to see them. He held out his hand for the trophy, which Angel gave to him. His face was wet with sweat, evidence of the struggle he had to endure to keep the redhead bound by magic. "Le-let's get this thing done, shall we?" He glanced up at Willow and no matter how hard he tried, he could not mask the pain in his eyes. "I-if this works, Angel...she's going to be one confused little girl."
"She'll remember you and Cordelia," Angel told him. "She's known the both of you a lot longer than any of us."
Wesley looked worried. "She won't recognize me at all."
"Or me." Angel looked up at Willow. "At that time, I was just getting to know Buffy. They didn't know I was a vampire until much later. I don't think Willow has even seen me before that day, but I'm sure Buffy must have told her about this mysterious guy who dropped in from time to time."
Giles saw Faith standing off to the side. She was watching him closely, like she wanted to either run to him and hug him, or turn tail and run out of there, crying. Giles approached her, wearing his stern look. Finally, he said, "Oh, F-Faith...it is good to see you again."
She stared at him. "It is?"
He hugged her and she found herself returning the hug. She couldn't believe it. Giles was actually hugging her. She really did want to cry but she managed to keep it all in. After all, crying was something she tried never to do, at least in front of other people.
Giles smiled wearily at her. "I-I understand that you had some kind of link with Willow when you discovered the trophy."
Faith hesitated. "Maybe, Giles. I don't really know what it was, but if I can help, I will."
"Okay. That's g-good. Thank you." He took a deep breath. "You, Cordelia, and-and I are going to stand around Willow. We're going to form a triangle." He looked at Angel. "You and-and Wesley will want to stay back."
Angel nodded. "Of course." He joined Wesley behind the counter. They watched as Giles, Cordelia, and Faith took their places around Willow. Willow had raised her head and she was glaring with hatred at Giles. Her eyes were black and when Faith saw her face, she gasped. This girl looked like Willow, but that was not Willow in there. She was sure of it now.
Giles held up the trophy before Willow and he raised his other hand toward the ceiling. He began to chant.
"I am so going to kill you, little man," Willow growled menacingly.
Faith swallowed. Jesus Christ, it didn't even sound like the Willow she knew.
Giles ignored Willow completely. "Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy!" He grabbed onto the trophy with both hands and faced it toward Willow. The eyes on the trophy began to glow.
Giles shouted. "Be sated! Release the unworthy!"
Cordelia stared up at Willow's face. She was chanting, too. Willow's head snapped back and she cried out. "Nooo! No! Damn you!" Willow was unable to keep her eyes open.
The trophy began to glow in Giles' hands. Faith stared in wonder as she thought she saw a ghostly image coming out of it. Then she saw another ghostly image come out of Willow. This image was of an older woman, a woman who was very angry and full of hatred. She appeared to be struggling hard to remain inside of Willow's body.
"Release!" Giles shouted.
Catherine Madison screamed in fury.
"Release!"
The ghostly image of Willow and the image of Madison came face to face. Madison seemed to be reaching for her with cruel intentions. The sight of the ghostly image of Willow almost freaked Faith out, for even though she looked like Willow, she had longer hair and she seemed younger. The ghostly image of Willow stared in horror at the Madison ghost with wide eyes and she screamed a blood-curdling scream. Faith felt shivers run through her body. She couldn't bring herself to move. She stood very still and continued to watch the two ghostly images above the lobby.
"RELEEEEASE!" Giles cried out one more time.
Suddenly, the images moved. The ghost of Willow was literally pulled into her body as the image of Madison was sucked into the trophy that Giles held. Willow's body went rigid and her eyes snapped open, wide in terror. Giles fell back onto the floor with the trophy in his hands. As he lay on his back, he dropped the trophy as if it were a serpent. He knew Catherine Madison was in there, however, because he had felt her try to burn him as he had been holding the damned thing. He got to his feet and looked up at Willow.
The poor girl was frantic. She was looking around in confusion, tears welling up in her eyes. She was whimpering softly to herself.
"Giles!" Cordelia called him out of his reverie. "The binding spell."
Giles nodded. "Y-yes. Of course." He raised a hand toward her and removed the binding spell.
Willow slumped to the floor and then she looked around in wide-eyed terror. She looked at Cordelia, then Faith, and then Giles. She saw Angel and Wesley who were both coming out from behind the counter. Her eyes took them all in. She tried to get to her feet, but her legs wouldn't work right. She stumbled back onto the floor.
Cordelia began to approach her to try and help her up, but Willow screamed and recoiled away from her. She dragged herself on the floor as far away as she could. She stared around in horror, looking from one person to the next. Cordelia stopped and she looked to Giles for help.
"This is-is going to be a lot more difficult than we thought," he said softly. He looked at the poor frightened child. She still looked like the Willow Rosenberg he knew, but he could see the young fifteen year old looking out at him with those eyes. "Willow," he said softly. "Do you know what's happened to you? Do you remember who I am?"
Willow stared at him. She pressed her back against the wall, wrapped her arms around her knees, and she began to cry. Her eyes traveled from one person to the next, but there seemed to be no memory. Giles was afraid of this. How could he have believed that this wasn't going to happen? Willow had been trapped inside that accursed trophy for at least three years before it was brought to the council. For three years, she had watched life pass her by from within the confines of her prison. A prison she should have never been placed into.
Giles looked at Angel. "We n-need to sedate her."
Angel nodded. He had been expecting that. He went around the counter, and walked into his office. On his desk was the syringe case he had set there earlier that evening. He opened it and pulled out a syringe. As he came out, he said with resignation, "You'd better hold on to her."
Willow sat huddled against the wall. When she saw them coming for her, she freaked. She again tried to stand, but her legs refused to work. So she crawled away from her tormentors as they came. Wesley, Giles, and Cordelia finally grabbed her and they tried to keep her still, but she fought them. She struggled against them. She screamed.
Suddenly, Wesley cried out in pain as Willow sank her teeth into his arm. In spite of that, he kept his grip on her as Angel finally managed to give her the shot. Willow's struggles began to cease. She closed her eyes and soon lost consciousness.
Faith had stood by and watched everything. She didn't know what to do. This was something she was not used to. She looked at Willow with concern and wondered how she was supposed to help her. It didn't seem possible that she could.
Cordelia looked at Wesley's arm and took a deep breath. "God, that's deep. C'mon, Wesley. I'd better see to that." She looked down at Willow lying on the floor, who seemed to be sleeping now. Then she led Wesley into the back room.
Angel, Giles, and Faith were left with Willow. The two men were kneeling over the poor girl, her red hair falling softly on her face. Giles looked down at her and he was trying to keep a tight reign on his emotions, but he was losing. His body trembled.
"Giles," Angel said softly.
"I-I should have known, Angel," Giles said in a hoarse whisper. "I-I should have-have seen this coming."
"You didn't. No one did." He glanced over at the ex-Slayer. "Except for Faith." He looked at Giles. "If it wasn't for Faith, we'd never have known." He paused. "The question is; what do we do now?"
Giles swallowed as he took off his glasses to wipe at his eyes. "W-we should put her in a room...I-I know a few healing spells I can-can use on her. S-spells to suppress the memories of what she was forced to en- endure." He took a deep breath. "P-perhaps with that done, she-she may come around." At least he hoped so.
Angel nodded. He reached down, scooped up Willow in his arms, and he headed for the stairs. Faith and Giles followed behind.
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TO BE CONTINUED--
Faith had no idea what to expect when she and Angel arrived at the hotel. What met her eyes upon entering the place, however, wasn't what she had expected to see. Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, and Cordelia Chase were standing in the lobby. Willow Rosenberg was floating above the floor, her head tilted back, and her arms pinned to her side by something that looked gelatinous.
"I-it's about time," Giles retorted, relieved to see them. He held out his hand for the trophy, which Angel gave to him. His face was wet with sweat, evidence of the struggle he had to endure to keep the redhead bound by magic. "Le-let's get this thing done, shall we?" He glanced up at Willow and no matter how hard he tried, he could not mask the pain in his eyes. "I-if this works, Angel...she's going to be one confused little girl."
"She'll remember you and Cordelia," Angel told him. "She's known the both of you a lot longer than any of us."
Wesley looked worried. "She won't recognize me at all."
"Or me." Angel looked up at Willow. "At that time, I was just getting to know Buffy. They didn't know I was a vampire until much later. I don't think Willow has even seen me before that day, but I'm sure Buffy must have told her about this mysterious guy who dropped in from time to time."
Giles saw Faith standing off to the side. She was watching him closely, like she wanted to either run to him and hug him, or turn tail and run out of there, crying. Giles approached her, wearing his stern look. Finally, he said, "Oh, F-Faith...it is good to see you again."
She stared at him. "It is?"
He hugged her and she found herself returning the hug. She couldn't believe it. Giles was actually hugging her. She really did want to cry but she managed to keep it all in. After all, crying was something she tried never to do, at least in front of other people.
Giles smiled wearily at her. "I-I understand that you had some kind of link with Willow when you discovered the trophy."
Faith hesitated. "Maybe, Giles. I don't really know what it was, but if I can help, I will."
"Okay. That's g-good. Thank you." He took a deep breath. "You, Cordelia, and-and I are going to stand around Willow. We're going to form a triangle." He looked at Angel. "You and-and Wesley will want to stay back."
Angel nodded. "Of course." He joined Wesley behind the counter. They watched as Giles, Cordelia, and Faith took their places around Willow. Willow had raised her head and she was glaring with hatred at Giles. Her eyes were black and when Faith saw her face, she gasped. This girl looked like Willow, but that was not Willow in there. She was sure of it now.
Giles held up the trophy before Willow and he raised his other hand toward the ceiling. He began to chant.
"I am so going to kill you, little man," Willow growled menacingly.
Faith swallowed. Jesus Christ, it didn't even sound like the Willow she knew.
Giles ignored Willow completely. "Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy!" He grabbed onto the trophy with both hands and faced it toward Willow. The eyes on the trophy began to glow.
Giles shouted. "Be sated! Release the unworthy!"
Cordelia stared up at Willow's face. She was chanting, too. Willow's head snapped back and she cried out. "Nooo! No! Damn you!" Willow was unable to keep her eyes open.
The trophy began to glow in Giles' hands. Faith stared in wonder as she thought she saw a ghostly image coming out of it. Then she saw another ghostly image come out of Willow. This image was of an older woman, a woman who was very angry and full of hatred. She appeared to be struggling hard to remain inside of Willow's body.
"Release!" Giles shouted.
Catherine Madison screamed in fury.
"Release!"
The ghostly image of Willow and the image of Madison came face to face. Madison seemed to be reaching for her with cruel intentions. The sight of the ghostly image of Willow almost freaked Faith out, for even though she looked like Willow, she had longer hair and she seemed younger. The ghostly image of Willow stared in horror at the Madison ghost with wide eyes and she screamed a blood-curdling scream. Faith felt shivers run through her body. She couldn't bring herself to move. She stood very still and continued to watch the two ghostly images above the lobby.
"RELEEEEASE!" Giles cried out one more time.
Suddenly, the images moved. The ghost of Willow was literally pulled into her body as the image of Madison was sucked into the trophy that Giles held. Willow's body went rigid and her eyes snapped open, wide in terror. Giles fell back onto the floor with the trophy in his hands. As he lay on his back, he dropped the trophy as if it were a serpent. He knew Catherine Madison was in there, however, because he had felt her try to burn him as he had been holding the damned thing. He got to his feet and looked up at Willow.
The poor girl was frantic. She was looking around in confusion, tears welling up in her eyes. She was whimpering softly to herself.
"Giles!" Cordelia called him out of his reverie. "The binding spell."
Giles nodded. "Y-yes. Of course." He raised a hand toward her and removed the binding spell.
Willow slumped to the floor and then she looked around in wide-eyed terror. She looked at Cordelia, then Faith, and then Giles. She saw Angel and Wesley who were both coming out from behind the counter. Her eyes took them all in. She tried to get to her feet, but her legs wouldn't work right. She stumbled back onto the floor.
Cordelia began to approach her to try and help her up, but Willow screamed and recoiled away from her. She dragged herself on the floor as far away as she could. She stared around in horror, looking from one person to the next. Cordelia stopped and she looked to Giles for help.
"This is-is going to be a lot more difficult than we thought," he said softly. He looked at the poor frightened child. She still looked like the Willow Rosenberg he knew, but he could see the young fifteen year old looking out at him with those eyes. "Willow," he said softly. "Do you know what's happened to you? Do you remember who I am?"
Willow stared at him. She pressed her back against the wall, wrapped her arms around her knees, and she began to cry. Her eyes traveled from one person to the next, but there seemed to be no memory. Giles was afraid of this. How could he have believed that this wasn't going to happen? Willow had been trapped inside that accursed trophy for at least three years before it was brought to the council. For three years, she had watched life pass her by from within the confines of her prison. A prison she should have never been placed into.
Giles looked at Angel. "We n-need to sedate her."
Angel nodded. He had been expecting that. He went around the counter, and walked into his office. On his desk was the syringe case he had set there earlier that evening. He opened it and pulled out a syringe. As he came out, he said with resignation, "You'd better hold on to her."
Willow sat huddled against the wall. When she saw them coming for her, she freaked. She again tried to stand, but her legs refused to work. So she crawled away from her tormentors as they came. Wesley, Giles, and Cordelia finally grabbed her and they tried to keep her still, but she fought them. She struggled against them. She screamed.
Suddenly, Wesley cried out in pain as Willow sank her teeth into his arm. In spite of that, he kept his grip on her as Angel finally managed to give her the shot. Willow's struggles began to cease. She closed her eyes and soon lost consciousness.
Faith had stood by and watched everything. She didn't know what to do. This was something she was not used to. She looked at Willow with concern and wondered how she was supposed to help her. It didn't seem possible that she could.
Cordelia looked at Wesley's arm and took a deep breath. "God, that's deep. C'mon, Wesley. I'd better see to that." She looked down at Willow lying on the floor, who seemed to be sleeping now. Then she led Wesley into the back room.
Angel, Giles, and Faith were left with Willow. The two men were kneeling over the poor girl, her red hair falling softly on her face. Giles looked down at her and he was trying to keep a tight reign on his emotions, but he was losing. His body trembled.
"Giles," Angel said softly.
"I-I should have known, Angel," Giles said in a hoarse whisper. "I-I should have-have seen this coming."
"You didn't. No one did." He glanced over at the ex-Slayer. "Except for Faith." He looked at Giles. "If it wasn't for Faith, we'd never have known." He paused. "The question is; what do we do now?"
Giles swallowed as he took off his glasses to wipe at his eyes. "W-we should put her in a room...I-I know a few healing spells I can-can use on her. S-spells to suppress the memories of what she was forced to en- endure." He took a deep breath. "P-perhaps with that done, she-she may come around." At least he hoped so.
Angel nodded. He reached down, scooped up Willow in his arms, and he headed for the stairs. Faith and Giles followed behind.
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TO BE CONTINUED--