Chapter Sixteen
"The Trials of Faust"
-
"Giles?"
Giles's eyes opened and he looked over to Xander. They'd been prisoners in Sauron's throne room
for nearly two days now. Buffy was nowhere to be found, either. No one would talk to them when
they asked questions. He suspected this was some sort of mind game of Sauron's. He knew the
Dark Lord delighted in such ventures. A way to break the wills of Men. He decided long ago he
wouldn't be broken.
"What is it, Xander?"
Xander glanced around the darkened room then leaned closer to Giles, his voice dropping to a
whisper. "Willow's gone."
Giles sat up. "What do you mean, she's gone?"
"As in she's not in the room with us," Xander replied, gesturing to the chamber. "I woke up and she
wasn't here anymore." He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "This day just
keeps gettin' better and better."
Giles got to his feet and began to thoroughly search the room for Willow. She couldn't have just
gone. They had Orc guards at the doorways. She was probably in another portion of the room.
That was it.
"I've already looked, Giles," Xander called as the older man rounded the throne of Sauron. He
shook his head. "I can't begin to imagine what's happened to her."
Giles stopped in his tracks at Xander's words. He thought about it. He knew what Xander meant
even if he didn't speak it aloud. Willow had changed upon entering Mordor. Of course she'd been
different before then but this was more noticeable. Since they'd arrived at Barad-dur, however,
Willow went mute. A constant expression of fear had taken over her face as well.
Xander stood. "She's gone," he said again. His heart hung heavily in his chest as he though of
Willow. Sauron had her now and how it ended would be up to her.
-
"Willow."
Willow lifted her head and looked around the empty room which she'd been taken to a few hours
before by a pair of Orc soldiers. She sniffled a few times, the fear inside becoming more difficult to
ignore. The black walls gave the impression of foreboding, a sense of helplessness and a coldness.
How Buffy managed to survive as long as she had in this sort of place, it amazed her.
"What do you want?" she asked in a soft voice. "Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Do you wish me to, Willow?" Sauron replied. "You know what I can give you, should you accept
my offer. Power. Power unlike any you've ever known."
Scrambling to her feet, shook her head. "I've already told you, I don't want it!"
"Don't you?"
She swallowed hard. "No."
"You cannot lie to me. I know what is inside of your race. Men are plagued by the desire for
power. They arrange their entire existence upon it. Those who possess the power use it to control
those who do not."
"You don't know anything about people, do you?" she countered hotly. Turning in a circle, she
looked up to the ceiling of the room as she continued. "Did you forget why you kidnaped Buffy?
You said it yourself, you knew it would bring us here."
"Yes, I did say that."
"That wasn't about power. That's about friendship. Loyalty." Her eyes narrowed at the emptiness
above her. "Every single human being has that inside, along with this desire for power that you love
talking about, Sauron. Most people resist the worse parts of themselves in favor for the better. I'm
one of those people. Like Buffy. That's what made me follow your Nazgul through the portal."
"And here you are," was the response but, this time, it was in Frodo's voice.
Willow whirled around. The bright eyed Hobbit emerged from the shadows. She instantly stepped
back from him. "You can knock off with the disguises, Sauron, I know that's you." Her voice
shook slightly as she spoke. "I've seen the real you. It isn't an innocent Hobbit."
"Yes, Willow, but do you not remember how you felt when you last saw this creature?" He
gestured to the shell of Frodo dressed in the simple clothing of the Shire. "I felt it through you - just
as I feel it now."
Willow pressed her lips together as memories of that meeting in Rivendell filled her mind. That fear
she'd had when she realized what it was the small Hobbit carried, it was quelled by her desire to
own it. The One Ring - it had called to her. "The taint", Elrond had said, of the lesser ring
remained. It made her more susceptible to the Ring Frodo carried.
"I'm not like you," she spat back, taking another step away from the advancing Hobbit. "You
murder innocent people. And you have that whole 'Ooo-I'm-a-scary-Dark-Lord-of-Evilness' thing
going on, too. We're on different sides."
"You believe you could not take the life of another?"
She shook her head. "Never."
'Frodo' stopped his advance when Willow bumped up against the black wall. A smile cross his lips.
"You do not know yourself very well, Willow." He lifted a hand and gestured downward. As a
result, Willow felt herself be forced to her knees. She couldn't move a muscle as he came closer,
hand extended. "Perhaps you need ... illumination."
She gasped loudly as the hand clamped onto her head. A surge of power struck her so hard she
cried out in pain. Eyes tearing up, she squeezed them shut and tried to block out the excruciating
anguish whatever Sauron was doing caused her. Soon, flashes of memories burst into her conscious
mind. The mental walls came crashing down like an anvil - things long made forgotten returned.
-
"WILLOW!"
Her eyes opened at the sound of Buffy's voice screaming inside of her head. The memory
continued to fight it's way to the surface, even as Sauron removed his hand and backed away from
her, smiling contendedly.
"Huh?" She turned around, the sword moved directly in front of her, and the tip of the blade
pointed out and away from her body. Almost as soon as she'd turned, she saw Rauko - sword in
hand, determination on his face - right there.
But his determination turned to pained surprise. He blinked a few times, his sword dropped out
of his hand and clattered onto the ground. Both of his hands grabbed Elenya's sword that was
still in Willow's clutches. The mithril blade had so easily cut through his flesh and was driven
almost completely through him. A choking gasp escaped his lips when Willow, realizing what
had happened, let go of the handle and backed away. Her wide-eyed gaze riveted to the weapon
protruding from Rauko's body.
Buffy skidded to a halt, Xander bumped into her but neither of them seemed to notice. They
stared at Rauko as he stumbled away from Willow while he gripped the sword still lodged into
his gut.
Willow shook her head. [No. No, I didn't. I ... I stabbed him.] She watched as Rauko gritted his
teeth and pulled Elenya's blade out of him. The sword tumbled out of his hands that immediately
clutched the wound, now bleeding profusely. The redhead continued to back away when her
gaze met Rauko's. For some reason, she felt sorry for him. [And I killed him.]
-
"NO!!"
Doubling over, Willow grabbed her head with both of her hands. Rocking back and forth, she
closed her eyes but that didn't make the memory of Rauko's face leave her. He stood there -
surprised. Then all she could see was blood. His blood. Blood that she'd spilled. [I killed him. I
killed a person. A human being.] She began to sob, softly. Her fingers dug deep into her skull as
though that could drive it out.
"Do you understand now, Willow?" came the soft tones of Bilbo Baggins' voice. The elder Hobbit
kneeled by her side, a hand resting on her back as she continued to sob. He leaned closer to her ear,
dropping his voice to a whisper. "You killed a man."
"It was a mistake," she replied, her own voice muffled. She shook her head from side to side. "I
didn't mean for it to happen. I never wanted to kill anyone." Drawing in a choking breath, she sat
back on her heels as her hands dropped into her lap. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks as she gazed
at the fatherly face of 'Bilbo'. "Don't you understand? I ... I didn't mean to hurt anybody."
"But you did." He kneeled in front of her. "And it hurts you, does it not?"
She nodded. "Yes." She wiped a hand across her cheeks, brushing away the tears. The surprised
expression from Rauko was now etched into her brain.
"I could help you with that, child." A hand brushed the hair back from Willow's forehead. He
offered a small smile. "I released the spell Pallando placed upon you and I can return it just as
easily. You will never know what you did."
She closed her eyes and felt a jolt when the memory of Rauko being impaled on the end of the sword
hit her. Her eyes flicked open then focused on the figure before her. She couldn't live with that on
her conscience which was probably why Pallando had removed it from her mind.
[That's it,] she thought. It dawned on her, why she felt something was missing in her head. [That's
why - it was gone.]
Her eyes found 'Bilbo''s again. "What do you want in return?" she asked in a whisper.
"You already know."
-
End Chapter Sixteen
"The Trials of Faust"
-
"Giles?"
Giles's eyes opened and he looked over to Xander. They'd been prisoners in Sauron's throne room
for nearly two days now. Buffy was nowhere to be found, either. No one would talk to them when
they asked questions. He suspected this was some sort of mind game of Sauron's. He knew the
Dark Lord delighted in such ventures. A way to break the wills of Men. He decided long ago he
wouldn't be broken.
"What is it, Xander?"
Xander glanced around the darkened room then leaned closer to Giles, his voice dropping to a
whisper. "Willow's gone."
Giles sat up. "What do you mean, she's gone?"
"As in she's not in the room with us," Xander replied, gesturing to the chamber. "I woke up and she
wasn't here anymore." He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "This day just
keeps gettin' better and better."
Giles got to his feet and began to thoroughly search the room for Willow. She couldn't have just
gone. They had Orc guards at the doorways. She was probably in another portion of the room.
That was it.
"I've already looked, Giles," Xander called as the older man rounded the throne of Sauron. He
shook his head. "I can't begin to imagine what's happened to her."
Giles stopped in his tracks at Xander's words. He thought about it. He knew what Xander meant
even if he didn't speak it aloud. Willow had changed upon entering Mordor. Of course she'd been
different before then but this was more noticeable. Since they'd arrived at Barad-dur, however,
Willow went mute. A constant expression of fear had taken over her face as well.
Xander stood. "She's gone," he said again. His heart hung heavily in his chest as he though of
Willow. Sauron had her now and how it ended would be up to her.
-
"Willow."
Willow lifted her head and looked around the empty room which she'd been taken to a few hours
before by a pair of Orc soldiers. She sniffled a few times, the fear inside becoming more difficult to
ignore. The black walls gave the impression of foreboding, a sense of helplessness and a coldness.
How Buffy managed to survive as long as she had in this sort of place, it amazed her.
"What do you want?" she asked in a soft voice. "Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Do you wish me to, Willow?" Sauron replied. "You know what I can give you, should you accept
my offer. Power. Power unlike any you've ever known."
Scrambling to her feet, shook her head. "I've already told you, I don't want it!"
"Don't you?"
She swallowed hard. "No."
"You cannot lie to me. I know what is inside of your race. Men are plagued by the desire for
power. They arrange their entire existence upon it. Those who possess the power use it to control
those who do not."
"You don't know anything about people, do you?" she countered hotly. Turning in a circle, she
looked up to the ceiling of the room as she continued. "Did you forget why you kidnaped Buffy?
You said it yourself, you knew it would bring us here."
"Yes, I did say that."
"That wasn't about power. That's about friendship. Loyalty." Her eyes narrowed at the emptiness
above her. "Every single human being has that inside, along with this desire for power that you love
talking about, Sauron. Most people resist the worse parts of themselves in favor for the better. I'm
one of those people. Like Buffy. That's what made me follow your Nazgul through the portal."
"And here you are," was the response but, this time, it was in Frodo's voice.
Willow whirled around. The bright eyed Hobbit emerged from the shadows. She instantly stepped
back from him. "You can knock off with the disguises, Sauron, I know that's you." Her voice
shook slightly as she spoke. "I've seen the real you. It isn't an innocent Hobbit."
"Yes, Willow, but do you not remember how you felt when you last saw this creature?" He
gestured to the shell of Frodo dressed in the simple clothing of the Shire. "I felt it through you - just
as I feel it now."
Willow pressed her lips together as memories of that meeting in Rivendell filled her mind. That fear
she'd had when she realized what it was the small Hobbit carried, it was quelled by her desire to
own it. The One Ring - it had called to her. "The taint", Elrond had said, of the lesser ring
remained. It made her more susceptible to the Ring Frodo carried.
"I'm not like you," she spat back, taking another step away from the advancing Hobbit. "You
murder innocent people. And you have that whole 'Ooo-I'm-a-scary-Dark-Lord-of-Evilness' thing
going on, too. We're on different sides."
"You believe you could not take the life of another?"
She shook her head. "Never."
'Frodo' stopped his advance when Willow bumped up against the black wall. A smile cross his lips.
"You do not know yourself very well, Willow." He lifted a hand and gestured downward. As a
result, Willow felt herself be forced to her knees. She couldn't move a muscle as he came closer,
hand extended. "Perhaps you need ... illumination."
She gasped loudly as the hand clamped onto her head. A surge of power struck her so hard she
cried out in pain. Eyes tearing up, she squeezed them shut and tried to block out the excruciating
anguish whatever Sauron was doing caused her. Soon, flashes of memories burst into her conscious
mind. The mental walls came crashing down like an anvil - things long made forgotten returned.
-
"WILLOW!"
Her eyes opened at the sound of Buffy's voice screaming inside of her head. The memory
continued to fight it's way to the surface, even as Sauron removed his hand and backed away from
her, smiling contendedly.
"Huh?" She turned around, the sword moved directly in front of her, and the tip of the blade
pointed out and away from her body. Almost as soon as she'd turned, she saw Rauko - sword in
hand, determination on his face - right there.
But his determination turned to pained surprise. He blinked a few times, his sword dropped out
of his hand and clattered onto the ground. Both of his hands grabbed Elenya's sword that was
still in Willow's clutches. The mithril blade had so easily cut through his flesh and was driven
almost completely through him. A choking gasp escaped his lips when Willow, realizing what
had happened, let go of the handle and backed away. Her wide-eyed gaze riveted to the weapon
protruding from Rauko's body.
Buffy skidded to a halt, Xander bumped into her but neither of them seemed to notice. They
stared at Rauko as he stumbled away from Willow while he gripped the sword still lodged into
his gut.
Willow shook her head. [No. No, I didn't. I ... I stabbed him.] She watched as Rauko gritted his
teeth and pulled Elenya's blade out of him. The sword tumbled out of his hands that immediately
clutched the wound, now bleeding profusely. The redhead continued to back away when her
gaze met Rauko's. For some reason, she felt sorry for him. [And I killed him.]
-
"NO!!"
Doubling over, Willow grabbed her head with both of her hands. Rocking back and forth, she
closed her eyes but that didn't make the memory of Rauko's face leave her. He stood there -
surprised. Then all she could see was blood. His blood. Blood that she'd spilled. [I killed him. I
killed a person. A human being.] She began to sob, softly. Her fingers dug deep into her skull as
though that could drive it out.
"Do you understand now, Willow?" came the soft tones of Bilbo Baggins' voice. The elder Hobbit
kneeled by her side, a hand resting on her back as she continued to sob. He leaned closer to her ear,
dropping his voice to a whisper. "You killed a man."
"It was a mistake," she replied, her own voice muffled. She shook her head from side to side. "I
didn't mean for it to happen. I never wanted to kill anyone." Drawing in a choking breath, she sat
back on her heels as her hands dropped into her lap. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks as she gazed
at the fatherly face of 'Bilbo'. "Don't you understand? I ... I didn't mean to hurt anybody."
"But you did." He kneeled in front of her. "And it hurts you, does it not?"
She nodded. "Yes." She wiped a hand across her cheeks, brushing away the tears. The surprised
expression from Rauko was now etched into her brain.
"I could help you with that, child." A hand brushed the hair back from Willow's forehead. He
offered a small smile. "I released the spell Pallando placed upon you and I can return it just as
easily. You will never know what you did."
She closed her eyes and felt a jolt when the memory of Rauko being impaled on the end of the sword
hit her. Her eyes flicked open then focused on the figure before her. She couldn't live with that on
her conscience which was probably why Pallando had removed it from her mind.
[That's it,] she thought. It dawned on her, why she felt something was missing in her head. [That's
why - it was gone.]
Her eyes found 'Bilbo''s again. "What do you want in return?" she asked in a whisper.
"You already know."
-
End Chapter Sixteen
