Willow turned her body in a full circle. She was surrounded completely by darkness. Okay, she thought. Montoya's mind isn't exactly the brightest place to be. She chuckled at her little joke and walked around the darkness. She quickly felt something solid and, after running her hands along it for a while, she determined that it was a wall. She walked along it for a ways, feeling all around the wall, up and down, before her hands felt a doorknob. Willow turned the knob, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open.
A bright light blinded Willow causing her to throw her hands up in front of her face. After a few seconds it died down and Willow could see what looked like a kid's room on the other side of the door. She smiled as she walked into the room. Dolls and stuffed animals were everywhere. Children's drawings covered the walls and even some were scattered on the floor.
Willow saw a little girls singing to herself in the corner. She was playing with a doll that had her same dark hair and olive skin. Willow immediately knew that this was Montoya.
"Hello, Montoya," Willow said.
The girl looked at Willow and held her index finger to her lips. "Ms. Dolly is trying to take a nap."
Willow smiled. She whispered, "Oh, I'm sorry. What is that you're singing?"
"A song my mother used to sing to me."
"And where is your mother?"
"She went to heaven with daddy."
"The who watches you? Who takes care of you?" Willow had now crouched down next to her.
"Mr. Ashmore," Little Montoya said.
"I wish I knew what was going on over there," Kennedy said. She slammed a book shut as she spoke causing every one else in the room to look up from their studies.
Xander said, "It's okay, Ken. She has done this before."
"I know. But what if that shadowy guy goes after them?"
"He won't. We have Damien over here."
Kennedy smiled at Xander. He really was the heart of the team. The voice of reason. Although, the thought of The Shadowed Man coming to them wasn't the best thought, it was a relief that she didn't have to worry about Willow. Giles stood up from the desk and said, "I should think we all need to stop worrying and get back to work. Damien, does this spell look about right?" He held an old tome in front of Damien.
"Yeah, that's one of them," he verified.
"Good, only how many more to go?" Giles asked.
Damien thought for a moment. "Seven."
The room had suddenly aged to look hundreds of years old. The little girl was gone. The pictures were yellowed and no longer even resembled the childish drawings that were just there. The wallpaper had started to peel off the walls and the windows were boarded up. There was very little light in the room.
"I don't know what you are looking for in here," said a voice that had a cocky tinge to it that reminded Willow of when she first met Faith. "But you aren't welcome."
Willow turned to see an olive-skinned woman standing in the doorway. Her hair was long and wavy and she had more than a passing resemblance to Montoya. Willow knew right away that it was Montoya's "other-half."
"We need you," Willow said jumping right to the point. "We are about to face something unlike anything we had to deal with and you seem to be the only thing that it's even remotely afraid of."
The Other-Montoya nodded her head to something behind Willow. "You have to talk to her," she said. Willow turned around and instantly the room was the way it had been with children's drawings and bright lights.
"I don't understand..." Willow stammered.
The room switched back to its darker half as Other-Montoya walked by. "She's the one keeping me here."
The brightness returned. The little girl looked up from her pictures. "I don't want her to hurt anyone."
Willow knelt beside the little girl again. "But if you don't let her out then a lot of people will die."
The room darkened again and Willow looked at Other-Montoya as she said, "And if I get out even more lives will end."
"So that's it?" Xander asked, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. "That's all the spells?"
"It would appear so," Giles answered.
"And we found them in only three hours. I say that's record time!"
"It's a shame none of them give any insight as to how we can defeat this Shadowed Man."
"Sure they do," Kennedy spoke up. "Only, in order to stop him someone has to die."
"And then he'll be free," from Angela. "Whatever that means."
Xander said, "Unless Damien ends his own life. Yep, that pretty much puts us between a rock and a hard place. Gee, I love getting up in the morning!"
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "I'm going to give Nathan a call. Maybe Wesley, too. Hopefully one of them can figure something out."
"What do you mean?" Willow asked Other-Montoya.
"People die around me. It's what I do, who I am," was the answer.
Willow turned back to the younger-Montoya, the room regaining its brightness again when she did. "My friends can keep her from hurting anyone. Trust me. We need her to stop this-this whatever it is." Willow was starting to get frustrated.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt," the little girl repeated.
Willow put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I don't want people to die!" she yelled.
Other-Montoya said, "She stubborn. I can usually only sneak out when she's asleep. Sometimes I can give her suggestions, though. She tends to listen if she can remain in control."
"What?" Willow turned to Other-Montoya and the dark, decrepit room again.
"Little bitch is a control freak," was the answer.
"It isn't nice to call names," said the little girl.
"Stop it!" Willow yelled. She bent down and put her hand under the girl's chin, raising it so she could look her in the eyes. When she did she unmistakably knew that it was Montoya as a child she was talking to. "I'm not going to give you any choice. I'll ask once and they I'll get mean." "Alright," Other-Montoya laughed. "Let's see the little witch get what's coming."
"I said not to call names," the little girl glared at Other-Montoya.
"Please, let her out," Willow asked in th nicest voice she could muster.
The little girl shook her head. "No, no, no, no, no."
"Then I am done playing!" Willow said, her voice deepening. The room seemed to grow darker, even darker than Other-Montoya's side, and a strong wind kicked up, blowing the drawings and peeled wallpaper everywhere. "I do NOT have the time!"
"What are you doing?" the little girl cried. "Stop it! You're scaring me!"
"You are no longer in control, Montoya!" Willow informed the little girl. The witch's eyes grew darker. "Let her out!"
"No!"
"NOW!"
Montoya awoke with a start.
A bright light blinded Willow causing her to throw her hands up in front of her face. After a few seconds it died down and Willow could see what looked like a kid's room on the other side of the door. She smiled as she walked into the room. Dolls and stuffed animals were everywhere. Children's drawings covered the walls and even some were scattered on the floor.
Willow saw a little girls singing to herself in the corner. She was playing with a doll that had her same dark hair and olive skin. Willow immediately knew that this was Montoya.
"Hello, Montoya," Willow said.
The girl looked at Willow and held her index finger to her lips. "Ms. Dolly is trying to take a nap."
Willow smiled. She whispered, "Oh, I'm sorry. What is that you're singing?"
"A song my mother used to sing to me."
"And where is your mother?"
"She went to heaven with daddy."
"The who watches you? Who takes care of you?" Willow had now crouched down next to her.
"Mr. Ashmore," Little Montoya said.
"I wish I knew what was going on over there," Kennedy said. She slammed a book shut as she spoke causing every one else in the room to look up from their studies.
Xander said, "It's okay, Ken. She has done this before."
"I know. But what if that shadowy guy goes after them?"
"He won't. We have Damien over here."
Kennedy smiled at Xander. He really was the heart of the team. The voice of reason. Although, the thought of The Shadowed Man coming to them wasn't the best thought, it was a relief that she didn't have to worry about Willow. Giles stood up from the desk and said, "I should think we all need to stop worrying and get back to work. Damien, does this spell look about right?" He held an old tome in front of Damien.
"Yeah, that's one of them," he verified.
"Good, only how many more to go?" Giles asked.
Damien thought for a moment. "Seven."
The room had suddenly aged to look hundreds of years old. The little girl was gone. The pictures were yellowed and no longer even resembled the childish drawings that were just there. The wallpaper had started to peel off the walls and the windows were boarded up. There was very little light in the room.
"I don't know what you are looking for in here," said a voice that had a cocky tinge to it that reminded Willow of when she first met Faith. "But you aren't welcome."
Willow turned to see an olive-skinned woman standing in the doorway. Her hair was long and wavy and she had more than a passing resemblance to Montoya. Willow knew right away that it was Montoya's "other-half."
"We need you," Willow said jumping right to the point. "We are about to face something unlike anything we had to deal with and you seem to be the only thing that it's even remotely afraid of."
The Other-Montoya nodded her head to something behind Willow. "You have to talk to her," she said. Willow turned around and instantly the room was the way it had been with children's drawings and bright lights.
"I don't understand..." Willow stammered.
The room switched back to its darker half as Other-Montoya walked by. "She's the one keeping me here."
The brightness returned. The little girl looked up from her pictures. "I don't want her to hurt anyone."
Willow knelt beside the little girl again. "But if you don't let her out then a lot of people will die."
The room darkened again and Willow looked at Other-Montoya as she said, "And if I get out even more lives will end."
"So that's it?" Xander asked, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. "That's all the spells?"
"It would appear so," Giles answered.
"And we found them in only three hours. I say that's record time!"
"It's a shame none of them give any insight as to how we can defeat this Shadowed Man."
"Sure they do," Kennedy spoke up. "Only, in order to stop him someone has to die."
"And then he'll be free," from Angela. "Whatever that means."
Xander said, "Unless Damien ends his own life. Yep, that pretty much puts us between a rock and a hard place. Gee, I love getting up in the morning!"
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "I'm going to give Nathan a call. Maybe Wesley, too. Hopefully one of them can figure something out."
"What do you mean?" Willow asked Other-Montoya.
"People die around me. It's what I do, who I am," was the answer.
Willow turned back to the younger-Montoya, the room regaining its brightness again when she did. "My friends can keep her from hurting anyone. Trust me. We need her to stop this-this whatever it is." Willow was starting to get frustrated.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt," the little girl repeated.
Willow put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I don't want people to die!" she yelled.
Other-Montoya said, "She stubborn. I can usually only sneak out when she's asleep. Sometimes I can give her suggestions, though. She tends to listen if she can remain in control."
"What?" Willow turned to Other-Montoya and the dark, decrepit room again.
"Little bitch is a control freak," was the answer.
"It isn't nice to call names," said the little girl.
"Stop it!" Willow yelled. She bent down and put her hand under the girl's chin, raising it so she could look her in the eyes. When she did she unmistakably knew that it was Montoya as a child she was talking to. "I'm not going to give you any choice. I'll ask once and they I'll get mean." "Alright," Other-Montoya laughed. "Let's see the little witch get what's coming."
"I said not to call names," the little girl glared at Other-Montoya.
"Please, let her out," Willow asked in th nicest voice she could muster.
The little girl shook her head. "No, no, no, no, no."
"Then I am done playing!" Willow said, her voice deepening. The room seemed to grow darker, even darker than Other-Montoya's side, and a strong wind kicked up, blowing the drawings and peeled wallpaper everywhere. "I do NOT have the time!"
"What are you doing?" the little girl cried. "Stop it! You're scaring me!"
"You are no longer in control, Montoya!" Willow informed the little girl. The witch's eyes grew darker. "Let her out!"
"No!"
"NOW!"
Montoya awoke with a start.