Part 7

With Legolas' words of encouragement that her friends were here and fighting to get to her, Willow began to leave her safe place and fight with the dark entity that had possessed her. While Dark Willow is unconscious she uses her iron will that helped her survive the Hellmouth and tries to surface.

Sauron feels the entity that is Willow fight for control in the shell. He feels the power, though it isn't enough to succeed, he is impressed that her will is still strong. He thought he had destroyed her when he used her shell to kill Wormtongue.

Sauron infuses more of the dark magick into Dark Willow binding the Willow entity. Dark Willow's eyes pop open as the battle rages within. With the binding of Willow, Sauron cut the ties to Dark Willow. She was a part of him but not. She was now her own entity though they are still connected magickally.

She feels Sauron's magick pushing her back and the cut in ties. She relents, now that she knows he is separate but can still feel her fighting.  She will have to be subtler in her struggles. But, while her friends are battling on the outside she will continue to battle on the inside. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be able to draw Legolas back into her safe place.  She had tried with Xander after Legolas left and wasn't able to do it.  That's when she thought her fictional Legolas had been telling the truth and he was real. She had always been able to bring Xander in.

~~~~

After Legolas' revelation that he had visited Willow in her safe place Xander had done a lot of thinking. He centered himself and brought 'soldier guy' to the surface. He was always a part of Xander he just never needed to use his skills or his intense concentration. But after what happened to Willow and Buffy and what is happening to Willow in this dimension he had declared war on Sauron and 'soldier guy' was gonna help him do it. That meant he would do whatever needed doing to get the job finished.

For the first time ever Xander was thankful that Ethan had performed that spell. The soldier Xander had been Special Ops and that training came back to him like he had completed the course himself. Aragorn had been correct. Meditation helped him center and bring up all his buried memories.

Xander swung his sword in a wide arc and was surprised to hear metal clicking on metal. Turning his head he saw Aragorn had blocked his move.

"You use a sword as if it were an extension of your arm."

"That's how I was trained."

"I am not criticizing. It is how a seasoned warrior would use it, yet your are still young."

Xander smiled and lowered his sword. "There was a time when I had a soldier's memories and they've stayed with me long after the soldier left. I draw on that experience when it is needed."

"You are right to do that. I fear you will be sorely tested. I fear we all will. If what you and the others have said is correct then Sauron controlling your friend will be very hard to defeat even with our skill and Gandalf's magick."

Xander nodded. "Our friend Giles had just begun to work with Willow in controlling her magick. He said that she had no idea of her potential to be one of the strongest wiccas in the Western Hemisphere."

Aragorn paled at that. He hadn't realized that Willow was as strong as that. This was going to be a very hard battle. Maybe they could enlist the help of Galadriel when the time was right.

Aragorn looked up and saw that the others were ready to leave. He signaled to an aide for the horses to be brought around. "We will need to move quickly so I've asked for horses to be brought around. Those that don't know how to ride a horse can double up with those that can."

Legolas came to stand next to Aragorn. "Gandalf has sent word that he has felt Sauron's rise again and will be joining us on our journey."

"You can wait, but I'm going to get Wills. You can catch up with me later."

"There is no need, Xander." Gandalf said as he materialized behind the young man.

Xander yelped, turned and had his sword against Gandalf's throat before anyone could stop him.

Gandalf calmly watched Xander, "You have the reflexes of a great warrior and they will be put to good use. Come, we waist time while your Willow fights."

Xander reluctantly lowered his sword and put it away in the sheath on his hip. He grabbed knives, bow and quiver from Legolas and put them on his back

"W-what? What do you mean Willow fights?" Buffy asked as she joined the group.

Gandalf turned kind eyes to Angel, Wesley, Buffy and Xander. "Your Willow has a strong soul. Even now she fights the dark power that has control of her."

He turned to look at Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. "She fights harder than Theoden had been able to against Saurman. She is powerful but I'm afraid not powerful enough on her own." He turned back to the others and continued, "She will have many set backs as Sauron uses her to commit atrocities. They will be aimed to destroy her will and her battle within."

"Don't worry about Willow's iron will. Once she puts on her resolve face that's it. She will finish whatever needs to be done in whatever manner it needs to be done in."

Angel gave a small quirk to his lips, "Even if it's restoring the soul of the undead while just coming out of a coma."

Buffy smiled, "Or fighting a Hell Goddess to get the memories of a good friend back."

Wesley smiled in memory, "Or going against a man determined to ascend."

Gimli was impressed with their stories of Willow. Anyone that can go against Glorificus alone and win was someone that he would like to meet. "Come on. Willow awaits."

Just then the horses were brought around and they each mounted one with Gandalf in the lead on Shadowfax.

"Make way for the King. Open the gates." The men on the wall yelled down to the keepers.

The large dark gates of Gondor opened to allow the travelers to begin their journey.

~~~~

Sauron waits for Dark Willow to join him. Now that he feels Gandalf nearby his plans for Saruman have been pushed up. He signals for an Orc to bring the Dragons around. What better time for his protégé to show what she is capable of and Gandalf not be able to stop her. . .or him. And as a bonus defeating Saruman could very well be what destroys Willow's determination. For he wasn't fooled when he bound her. Her will was too strong to give up on the silent battle.

Dark Willow smiles as she joins Sauron on the dais. She feels more in control than she had. Though they are still connected and she still feels the Willow entity inside, she is now a separate entity.

"It seems Gandalf has joined the fellowship. Our plans are the same, they have just moved up. Are you ready to try your new powerful magick, my dear?"

Willow smiled in anticipation at Sauron. "I think it is time for an experiment to see just how powerful our combined energies are. Saruman will be a very good guinea pig."

Sauron smiled and led her to the waiting Dragons. At Sauron's nod the Dark Riders released the animals and Willow and Sauron were flying west toward Isnegard where Saruman was preparing for the Dark Lord's visit.