Part 10

Willow sighed in frustration as yet another spell didn't work. Why was she having such a hard time connecting here? This was a reality were magick was the norm, it should be easier for her not harder. She could do the easy ones but the ones that called for her to use the energy in this reality were hard for her to do. She could do them but it was like when she was first learning magick after Jenny died. She had no control and they weren't strong.

Rupert watched as Willow's frustration grew. They were trying an illusion spell that should be extremely easy for her but she just wasn't getting it to work. Oh the illusion was there but instead of it looking solid and real it was whispy and looked ghostlike. She wasn't allowing herself to connect. This type of spell was for advanced wizards and someone with Willow's capability should be able to do it quite easily.

Tara sighed as she watched Willow struggle. She felt her power and knew she was quite powerful but she didn't seem to want to tap into that same power. She smiled as she got an idea, "H-how about we do one together?"

Tara thought that if Willow thought she was helping her to create an illusion she would feel more comfortable tapping into her power.

"Okay."

Tara held her hand up for Willow to grasp and wondered at the flash of sadness she saw in Willow's eyes.

Seeing Tara's hand Willow flashed back to when The Gentlemen were after them and her Tara had held out her hand. Willow shook off her sadness and grasped Tara's hand.

"Close your eyes and just feel the Earth's energies. Don't try anything."

Willow felt a connection like she always did just not strongly. She felt a small tug on her power and knew Tara had begun.

"Okay, Willow visualize in your mind what you want to create. Picture it like it is in front of you."

When Tara saw the beginning form of a kitten she slowly pulled her magick away. Letting Willow take over. She left a tendril so Willow could feel her magickal presence but this was all Willow.

"Open your eyes and continue."

Willow opened her eyes and saw Tara smiling at her. She glanced down and saw a whispy form of a kitten.

"You ready to make the illusion more solid?"

Willow nodded and hoped together they could do it. Tara saw her hesitation and pushed just a little bit more of her magick toward Willow.  Willow felt her connection to Tara and the Earth get stronger. She used it to solidify the kitten.

Rupert smiled as for the first time that evening Willow's illusion became solid. "Excellent, Willow. Do you think you can try movement?"

Willow visualized Miss Kitty Fantastico and smiled when she saw the kitten begin to walk and explore. Tara still held Willow's hand but she had pulled her magick away when she felt Willow connect harder with the energy around her. Willow was doing this all on her own though she didn't know it.

Rupert bent down to pet the kitten that was rubbing against his leg. "Very good, Willow. She feels like a real kitten."

"I couldn't have done it without Tara."

"W-well, I just helped a little. It was mostly you though." Tara replied honestly.

Before Willow could answer her Rupert interrupted, "Do you feel up to trying again on your own?"

The kitten disappeared with a pop. "O-okay."

Tara smiled encouragingly as she released Willow's hand. "You can do it, Willow. You have a lot of power I can feel it. I know you're special."

Willow smiled wistfully, Tara had unconsciously mimicked her Tara after their confrontation with the Gentlemen. It seemed that Tara no matter where would think she was more special than she really was.

Willow straightened her shoulders. She could do this. Willow looked over at Rupert who smiled encouragingly and winked at her.

"Try something larger than a kitten and something you're comfortable with visualizing. It can be something real or some fantasy creature."

Okay, she could choose anything that she wanted fantasy or real. A slow smile spread across her face. What better to conjure in a world where magick was reality?

Rupert and Tara watched in curiosity as a gray shape began to take form and grow. They were very curious as to what Willow would conjure.

Rupert began to smile as the shape began to solidify and they could tell what she was conjuring. Smiling, Willow looked over at Rupert and Tara. She had done it. It was solid and larger than Miss Kitty Fantastico and it looked like it had stepped out of her favorite childhood story.

Willow reached over, as it was waist high, and stroked the mane of Aslan the lion from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis.

"Brilliant, Willow. Nicely done." Rupert said as he walked over to Willow's side.

Aslan regally lowered his head and Rupert stopped to give him a formal bow as well. When he straightened he had a twinkle in his eye. "I would like you to take it one step further if you feel comfortable enough to do it."

Willow looked nervously at Rupert, "No promises. What's the one step?"

"Well since you conjured an animal that can speak, can you try to give him speech?"

"How?"

"Like you conjured him up. Visualize him speaking and give him voice. Try to connect with the illusion. Put yourself in Aslan's body, sort of an astral projection but not really."

Willow looked over to where Tara had her hand in Aslan's mane. Tara smiled back at Willow, "Go ahead. It's not that hard to do. It took me months to be able to do something large like this and a fantasy creature at that."

Willow nodded and concentrated. She vaguely heard the tinkle of the bell over the door. She was visualizing herself in Aslan. A smile spread across her face as she saw a close-up of Tara's waist. In her mind's eye she turned Aslan's head and looked up at Tara.

Rupert saw with delight that Willow had connected with the illusion. He felt her hold on the energy around them getting stronger.

"It is an honor to meet such a kind and beautiful witch as yourself, Tara."

Tara burst out in a broad smile and gave a small curtsey, "It is an honor to meet you as well, Aslan."

"Rupert! You back here?"

Darla opened the door and saw a large lion standing next to Tara. Since no one seemed to be panicking and Willow had a look of concentration on her face she figured this was an illusion that Willow was controlling.

She warily watched it as the lion slowly approached her. It seemed to have a regal bearing befitting the king of beasts. The lion stopped just in front of Darla and bowed its head. He looked back up, "A friend of Willow's is a true friend of Narnia. You are most welcome in my kingdom."

"Hey now, he's not gonna start singing and askin' to see the Wizard is he?" Spike asked from the doorway.

Willow giggled which caused Aslan to giggle.

Willow pulled back from the illusion and watched as Aslan slowly faded.

"That's the Lion from the Wizard of Oz, Spike. That was Aslan."

Spike rolled his eyes like that meant anything to him.

Rupert came up beside Willow and pulled her into a hug. "That was excellent. You were able to do that your first time. After you feel comfortable enough doing it and you're not concentrating so hard we'll try illusions that only your intended subject can see."

Willow stepped back because it felt so good and it was too tempting to be held in Rupert's arms. She didn't want him to see her changing feelings. "Like what Tara did when she conjured up a Nazgul?"

"Exactly. She only wanted Faith and the wanna be to see it and so they were the only ones that saw it."