Chapter 16
Beyond
Willow felt as though she'd been hit by a bucket of cold water. She could feel the soft, silken caress of the tattered veil as she had swept through it. She didn't realise she'd closed her eyes. Gingerly, she opened them. Silence. Glaring white. It surrounded her, a never-ending desert of brilliant pure white light. It hurt her eyes to stay looking at one place for a long length of time, so she had to keep glancing here and there. The rope trailed out behind her a little, before it disappeared into nothingness.
"Hello?" she called out. There was no echo. There was no reply.
"Did you hear that? Did you?" Sirius' eyes were wide. Spike looked confused. He shook his head.
"Not a thing mate…"
Sirius spun around once, and then stood still, his ears pricked up, reminding Spike of a dog listening for something. He thought it was best if he didn't say anything. But someone else did…
"You wouldn't hear it anyway…"
Willow moved her foot out around her, feeling for any obtrusions in front of her. Wherever she was, the ground seemed solid. She knelt down and placed the bag next to her, bringing out the vital items for the spell. First, Willow placed the small cauldron before her. It felt surprisingly light wherever she was, as if it floated a little before settling on the white floor. She next took out the vial of water, and filled the pewter bowl with it. Then she reached inside the velvet once more and removed the other items. Now she was ready. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Then opened them. She reached, and picked up the tattered and charred piece of fabric she'd been told to use first…it had been cut from an old and dusty tapestry, and it looked rather as if someone had burnt it with a cigarette.
"Name of the lost…your own title…you will call yourself forth…"
Willow dropped the little piece of material into the cauldron. It slipped gently to the bottom, hardly stirring the water. The suddenly, with a hiss, the water shone a beautiful azure.
Sirius frowned as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle…and rise…as if someone were watching him…
Next, Willow took the vial of blood that Remus had collected. She hadn't asked much about this. She hadn't wanted to. Taking off the lid she spoke the next line…
"Blood of the witness…spectator of death…you will observe the resurrection…"
Willow dripped all the blood she could into the cauldron; and with another hiss, the concoction turned a brilliant shade of magenta.
Back out in the room where the arch stood…Remus felt something stir inside him…an itch behind his eyeball…
Willow picked up the last and by far largest item. A framed picture of Bellatrix Lestrange, it's glass shattered, her dark and heavy-lidded face gazed up at Willow, causing her to convulse a little.
"Image of the murderer…icon of evil…you will revive your victim…"
As quickly as possible, Willow placed what she could of the frame into the cauldron, it's top half still protruded slightly. The she waited.
Willow was quite shocked. The mixture did not hiss. It did not bring Sirius forth to her. It didn't even explode, as she had half expected it to. All it did was turn an un-penetrative shade of black, very much like ink. She looked around frantically, but still all she could see was a glaring white. Willow could feel the hot, sticky, sick wave of panic wash over her, starting from the pit of her stomach. Her hands began to shake.
"S-Sirius?"
"He's not coming."
Willow looked up, and her mouth fell open.
"Hey…where did she go?" Sirius asked, looking around again.
Spike shrugged.
"Probably to talk to…whoever has come for you…?"
Willow felt the tears sting her eyes, and then one trickle down her cheek. Still kneeling, she gazed up at the gorgeous woman before her…familiar dirty blonde hair…looking the same as she had the day she had gone…
"T-Tara?"
Tara nodded.
"Wh…what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help you."
"What's going on?"
"He can't see you."
"Why?!" Willow asked in wonder.
"You're on different planes. He went one beyond."
Willow paused, taking this in.
"Why are you here baby?" she asked, wiping another tear from her face.
"It's my decision Willow. I'm here to help you."
Willow opened her mouth again to speak…but Tara interrupted.
"It doesn't matter what happened in the past. You're stronger now."
Willow nodded silently, tears still falling. She looked up into the face of her deceased girlfriend, a new hope filling her.
"Can you come with-?"
"No. I can't. I'm sorry. I love you...but I…I died Willow. It's final. His isn't."
Willow nodded again, feeling as if her heart was breaking for a fraction of a second. She examined the cauldron before her for a while. Sniffing she looked back up at Tara, who had now moved around…and was looking off into the distance a little to Willow's left.
"Where is he?" Willow asked, getting to her feet.
"He's one beyond…" Tara frowned suddenly…and then shouted loud, a ringing voice that this time echoed around, as if it had entered many surrounding invisible rooms.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE!"
"Believe?! Bloody believe in what!?" Sirius shouted back.
Spike stood next to him, and sighed at his companion.
"Someone's come for you...or…something. Sirius?"
Sirius turned to regard the blonde vampire.
"What?" he spat rather sharply.
"Just…" but Spike said no more…he felt a roaring pain in his heart. He started to scream as it burnt him, and the last thing he saw before it all glared an agonizing white was Sirius' alarmed face. And then…a whirlwind of torture…it changed to black…
In LA, Angel was debriefing his team. Rubbing his chin, he began…
"Yes, we are. We're gonna change things. We came to Wolfram and Hart because it's a powerful weapon."
He picked up an envelope from his desk and ripped it open.
"We'll deal..."
An amulet fell out and plopped onto the floor near his feet.
"…with whatever comes next."
The amulet began to shine…and a huge black swirl of dust and ash swept everything around it. Sparkles of orange flittered and glittered within, and a skeleton began to form…and then shape into a man…
After a few moments, Spike was stood, screaming, right in the amulet's place. He doubled over in pain, breathing heavily, face gripped in anguish.
"Spike?" Wesley spoke up softly.
"Spike." Angel finished.
Sirius gawked at the empty space where Spike had stood moments before.
"Oh god…" he murmured to himself.
"BELIEVE!" Tara's voice rang out again from somewhere.
"In what!? IN WHAT?! TARA!!" Sirius only knew her name because Spike had known her…she was here to help…someone had come for him…
"Willow…you've got to believe…you've done it…"
Willow, utterly bemused, did not understand.
"Baby…I did! I did the spell! He...he should be here!"
"No!" cried Tara, "You did it last time! With Buffy! You can do this! Believe!"
Willow thought back to when she'd brought Buffy back…she saw herself kneeling before Buffy's grave…saw her looking into Buffy's primal eyes…
Willow threw herself down onto the hard bright floor, her knees colliding painfully. She stretched out her hands, and placed them on the surface beneath her. She looked up…believing…
And she saw.
She was still in the dazzling white place…but in front of her…her hands were in fresh soil…she was kneeling on a grave. The gravestone stood before her…
"SIRIUS BLACK"
Willow dug her hands into the damp moist soil and believed with all her might…she brought Buffy back…she was bringing Sirius back…
The light directly in front of him got brighter…Sirius reached forward…
Willow felt something…she blindly tried to grasp it…and felt her hand connect with his…power surged through her again…she shut her eyes…and pulled upwards with all her might…
Sirius Black fell forward onto his knees. A girl fell backwards in front of him. Panting, he felt as if he'd just been pulled through a vacuum. He gasped, catching his breath…
"You did it Willow! Now go!"
The hands grasped him again…gripped his chest…
"I love you baby."
"I love you too."
Willow felt herself getting dizzy…she yanked the rope dangling in mid air…three hard pulls…
"NOW!"
Remus, Snape and Bill pulled on the cord with all their might, and the two figures fell backwards out of the veil…landing with a thud on the rough stone floor.
"OW!" cried Sirius, rubbing his head as he sat up.
He looked around and saw a girl lying unconscious next to him, a rope tied loosely around her, her hair a brilliant white, like the room they had been in…and then it suddenly turned a flaming red. Was she a Weasley? He looked up into the concerned face of Remus…
"Sirius?"
His friend looked as though he'd seen a ghost. Judging on what he knew, Sirius guessed that this was exactly what Remus thought he was looking at...
"Remus?" he said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Good Lord…we did it…Sirius…are you all right?"
"I…think so. My head hurts…a lot…"
Remus scooped up the man and embraced him. Sirius hugged back.
With a sound like a twig snapping…they were gone. Bill had untied the rope and gathered Willow up in his arms. Buffy and Giles ran over to check her.
"She's out cold," Giles checked her pulse, "She'll be OK…come on…we need to go."
Moody, Buffy, Snape, Giles and Bill looked once again around at the room. With a simultaneous shudder, they began to climb out of the room…out into the room beyond…out of it all.
AN: I'm not an Angel fan at all but I think it's suitable that Spike went there next. By the way, that's just my interpretation of what it's like behind the veil. I hope you all think it's OK.