CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: TARA (II)

Friday: 5:25pm

20th August 1999

California: Sunnydale

Buffy had been researching for the last four days about the spell that she wanted to use.  She'd been practising her mediating, and she knew within herself that she was ready to attempt the trance.  All she needed, however, were a few supplies, which she had phoned the Magic Box to see if they stocked.

After discovering that everything she needed for the spell was in stock, she had jogged briskly over to Main Street. 

There was a bell above the door the tinkled as she entered.  The lighting was a little dull, creating atmosphere within the room.  The shopkeeper, Mr Bogarty, was a balding man in his early fifties.

"Welcome. How may I serve you today?" his accent was faked and Buffy could immediately tell.

"Oh, uh…"

"Love potion? Perhaps a voodoo doll for that unfaithful…"

"No, I called earlier," Buffy interrupted him.

"Oh.  Sorry," he said, slipping back into his American accent.  "Lot of touristy people wanting ouija boards and rabbits feet."

She followed him down to the counter. 

"I'll be back in a moment," he told her.  "They're out back."

She nodded and began browsing the shelves as Mr Bogarty went into the backroom.  The bell tinkled over the doorway and Buffy looked up.

"Tara?"

Tara looked shocked to hear someone calling out her name.  Her eyes went wide as she saw Buffy standing on the lowered level of the store.

"Buffy!  Hey.  W-what are you d-doing here?" Tara asked.

"Just some shopping," Buffy replied.  "Needed some ingredients for this spell that I wanna try."

"Y-you're a Wiccan?"

Buffy shook her head.  "First timer," she replied.  "You?"

"Uh…I uh…I dabble."

"Cool," Buffy said, vaguely impressed.  She hadn't known this about Tara.  "So…can you…I dunno, turn people into frogs or whatever?"

Tara laughed and shook her head.  "Well, I c-could, but…I wouldn't."

"Even if they really deserved it?" Buffy asked with a grin.

"N-no.  J-just…simple spells," Tara said.  "Floating pencils and s-summoning the four elements."

"Simple," Buffy repeated.  "Uh huh…sounds…complicated to me."

Tara smiled and walked to the counter, picking up several items that Buffy didn't recognise as she made her way through the store.

"It's not.  It uh…takes p-practice."

"So I've been told," Buffy replied.  "I'm kinda worried that it won't work, but…here's hoping I guess."

"W-what spell are you trying?"

"It's a uh…a trance," Buffy replied.  "A spell to see spells.  Tirer la couture."

Tara looked at her in confusion. 

"I uh…d-don't speak French."

"Oh.  It means 'pull the curtain back'.  With any luck it should help me see a spell that I've been researching for the last week," Buffy explained.

Tara's eyes went wide and she swallowed hard. 

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Pull the c-curtain back?"

Buffy nodded.  She couldn't understand why Tara would seem so nervous about that spell.

"Don't you need to m-meditate for t-twelve hours for it to w-work?" she asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Yup.  I'll be starting it at four tomorrow."

"In the m-morning?"

Buffy wasn't particularly looking forward to the early start, but she knew that she needed to find out everything she could about the key, no matter what the cost to her. 

"Yeah.  Not so fun, but…it'll be worth it if it works," Buffy said.

Tara nodded and Mr Bogarty returned from the back room, holding a bundle of incense and a canister of orange sand.

"Here you go," he said, placing it on the counter.  "This looks like pretty specific stuff.  Mind if I ask what it's for?"

"Nothing dangerous," Buffy assured him. 

Mr Bogarty nodded.  He quickly calculated the cost on the register and packed it into a bag, taking the money from the Slayer before bidding her to have a good day.  He quickly did the same for Tara and shooed them out of the store so he could close up for the day.

"So…you go there often?" Buffy asked as they strolled along Main Street.

"A b-bit," Tara admitted.  "Mr Bogarty's r-really nice."

"Is there any particular spell you're working on at the moment?"

"N-no.  Just uh…there was o-one spell that I've w-wanted to try for a-awhile."

"What is it?" Buffy asked curiously.

"I…I needed a Second.  To make it work.  It needs t-two people."

"Well…I dunno that much about magick, but…I wanna learn.  Maybe practice something before I start this ritual thingy tomorrow.  Maybe I could be your Second," Buffy suggested.  "Unless you've already got someone."

Tara looked at Buffy, hesitating for a moment.  After a few seconds, Tara nodded and Buffy grinned, excited at the prospect of her first spell.

"Cool.  Where?"

"Uh…h-how about at m-my place?"

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Friday: 6pm

20th August 1999

California: Sunnydale

Buffy and Tara sat cross-legged, facing each other on the floor of Tara's room.  The room was average size, with black painted walls.  There were fairy lights string from one wall, posters and other decorations on the walls.  It was fairly clean and smelled faintly of incense.

"We'll s-start out slow," Tara said.

Buffy nodded and the two girls held each others hands, their eyes closed.  For several seconds, the silence reigned.

"Uh, Tara?"

"Yes?"

"Start out slow with what?"

Tara blushed bright red and the two dropped hands.  

"Sorry," Tara said, completely embarrassed.  "We're going to f-float the rose.   Then we'll uh…u-use the majicks to pluck the petals off, one at a t-time. It's a test of, uh…synchronicity.  Our m-minds have to be perfectly attuned to work as a…uh…a s-single delicate implement."
 
"And the fact that I've never done magick of any kind before won't…you know…kill us both?" Buffy asked.
 
Tara shook her head.  "No, it should be alright."
 
"Should be?" Buffy repeated.
 
Tara gave a shy grin, amused by the nervousness that she could hear in the Slayer's voice.
 
"It'll be fine."
 
"Cool."

"And it should be very p-pretty."

They took hands again and both began concentrating once again.  After several seconds a breeze swept into the room and both girls opened their eyes to see what was happening.  The rose was in mid-air suspended between them.  They slowly dropped hands and Buffy couldn't help but grin with excitement.

"It worked!"

She looked towards Tara who was staring at Buffy with wide, shocked eyes.

"Tara?"

"You…you're…"

Buffy began getting nervous.  "What is it?  Tara?"

"I've n-never met anyone with so m-much power," Tara whispered almost reverently.

"Power?  My strength you mean?"

"No…it's…there's something in you…light.  It's beautiful."

Buffy smiled, still unsure what Tara meant, but trying to take it as a compliment.

"You're trance tomorrow…I think it'll work."

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Bit of a non-chapter I know, but I figured I should probably update this sooner or later.