They had begun their search for Anya. Tara was sure that Anya was in this place. She wasn't sure why. Spike was right about the character of the surroundings they had been dropped into. Why would Anya be in a place like this? They could hear the howling, wailing really of pain and despair in the distance. The sky was dark and encroaching. The clouds acting like fresh blood dripping from the wounds of the intermittent slashes of lightning. Spike had broken off a branch from one of the twisted and tortured forms that passed as trees and set it a blaze. This lighted their way. Xander, upon hearing Spike's theory of the illusions they had to endure had grown silent and brooded more deeply with each step.
Dawn said, "What if Anya isn't alone?" Xander stiffened but did not interrupt. "What if she was left here with someone else? We aren't finding her because this isn't really a place for her. She was just caught up in someone else's torment?"
They all thought it but Xander is the one that said, "Rayne!"
"Right, but how do we get a bead on him? We, none of us have a connection to him. What do we know about him? Where would he go? There are two distinct paths here. One leads up and one leads down." Spike's question hit home.
Xander spat out, "We go down."
Spike asked without the usual glib tone, "Why?"
Xander moving toward the dark and sinister plains in the distance replied, "Anya and I spent too much time making fun of the dumb blondes in horror movies always running up to get away. She would not follow that Bastard up a mountain. Besides, you saw the shoes she was wearing. She's not climbing anything."
*****
It took them the better part of an hour to reach the plains. The terrain had been difficult and the wailing that had seemed at first to be part of the scenery now seemed to be coming from the shadows. Something was out there and it was keeping pace with them.
There was no question but that they were in the right place. By this time not only Tara felt it. They were going to find Anya and neither the dark nor the wailing beasts were not going to stop them. Xander was at the head of the group, followed by Tara and Dawn with Spike and Skip bringing up the rear. When they appeared to have gotten the attention of the locals, Spike broke off more branches and made more torches. These provided light and would function as weapons should the need arise. The ground was flat here and there were boulders of various sizes to move around. The odd twisted tree and disarranged bush all dotted the landscape that could be seen. What had not occurred to any of them was that the torches they carried would be seen.
*****
That light was still moving toward them at a good and steady pace. All this time here and nothing had attacked them. Mainly, they had been fighting their own personal demons. Even Ethan had had to face the fact that his preoccupation with Rupert Giles had given his life form, even purpose. This thought darkened his mood as much as the landscape had darkened. The less than subtle hints to this fact that Anya had repeatedly dropped on his head had actually caused him to raise his hand to the girl.
Willow interceded and had knocked the errant Rayne to the ground. "You are never to even think of hitting her. NOT EVER AGAIN! The first time you do, I will destroy you."
Ethan noticed the lightning crisscrossing the sky violently but soundlessly. The wailing had stopped. He looked at Willow and saw that her eyes had grown... darker. The man smiled as he felt the promise of the magic that slipped over his skin. He knew he was wrong to delight in the spell that had been cast against him. He knew that he would probably go off like a Neutron bomb if he let himself think of hitting Anya. He, he… he just couldn't help it. It made him happy to see the dark forces working. What would Rupert say about the evil that lay at the heart of his band of merry men? Smiling as he rubbed the sore place on his chin, Ethan stood and raised his hands in surrender, backing away from the girls.
That was when Anya saw the approaching light was larger. There seemed to be more of them. Now distracted from her anger, the despair returned to Willow. Ethan arched a brow noticing that the wailing had started again.
"Do you think they are after us?" Anya asked, still clinging to the hope that Willow would answer no. Instead Willow decided that they would have to fight in this dimension after all.
"Anya, I saw a good sized branch over there. You better get it. I think it is better if we set a trap and attack first. I don't think we can out run them. They may be like the heights and the mountain. We will have to overcome them to be free."
Anya knew Willow was right and moved to get the branch. Willow started picking up rocks. She found a perch at the top of one of the boulders and began stacking rocks there to use as ammunition. She planted Anya at the top of that boulder with the branch. She found another boulder and planted herself atop it with rocks and a large branch. She watched Ethan cower behind a third boulder, while they waited for the lights to get closer.
*****
"Oh, GEEZ" The first rock was let fly before Willow could get herself to change gears. She sighed in relief when Xander ducked the rock. Flapping her hands before her face in excitement Willow jumped down and ran toward her friends. She and Xander hugged. The relief they felt when they hugged each other was a like living thing. It made Anya wince a little as she thought that Xander would never greet her like that. Dawn was squealing in excitement and Spike reached out an arm to hug her and keep her out of the way as the lovers reunited.
Willow moved slowly toward Tara for the first two steps then ran. Taking Tara in her arms filled Willow with a joy and happiness like none she had ever known. Always this feeling... my love... my love. Tara, sinking into the woman that embodied strength, courage, love, hope, life for her, simply cried. The taste of the salt from each of her tears alternately breaking and restoring Willow's heart. Only then did Willow let go of the pain of her fear over Tara's disappearance. Only then did she let go of the despair of the last months without her lover. She slipped her hand beneath Tara's blouse to feel her skin. The simple touch brought a shiver from the white witch that made Willow's body tremble. "Love." She whispered into Tara's mouth still kissing her. "Love."
Xander was left to stand looking for some glimpse of Anya. Anya had remained hidden at the top the boulder. She didn't want to face Xander. It was enough to know he was all right. She felt herself crying as she moved down to the ground. She was careful to keep the boulder between herself and the group. I will just maybe walk away. He had saved Willow and now he would go save Buffy and that would be okay. Her feet touched the ground for a millisecond as Xander lifted her in his arms and drew her to his chest. He hugged her so tight he was crushing her. She crushed right back.
"Anya. Dear God, Anya. Are you all right? Please speak to me. I am so sorry. I was so scared. I never want to loose you like that again. Promise me. PROMISE ME, you are all right. Aww, sweetheart don't cry... I love you." Anya lifted her head from his shoulder and placed her lips on his. Xander shifted Anya in his arms so that he could place his left arm beneath her knees and drew her entire body to his chest without breaking their kiss.
When he did lift his head, he looked into her eyes and she said, "Let's go find Buffy and Giles."
Willow approved of Tara's methods and employed them again. With Ethan sitting rather uncomfortably on the ground at Spike's feet, the vampire using his head as an ashtray, Willow spoke having seen a flash of a flower like the ones on Buffy's porch. The former witch had also heard a noise like guitar music. She led them to the spot where this happened. After searching the area fully, they found no way into another realm.
They couldn't give up but they were starting to be discouraged when Ethan sat on rock at the center of the search site, "I will take no further part in this asinine adventure. I am tired." He fell backwards through the rock and out of that reality.
"Oh," said Dawn, "he found it." She smiled happily at Skip. "Can I go first?"
Spike, not able to contain his excitement at the prospect of finding Buffy, lifted Dawn onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and said, "No."