Disclaimer: These characters and places are Joss's. I'm just borrowing them. And now, this may come as a shock to you, but it's the truth: the opening scene is not my own work. It's from "Grave", written by David Fury.
"If you wanna kill the world? Well, then start with me. I've earned that," Xander begged from King Man's Bluff where Willow was desperately trying to raise the tower of Proserpexa.
"You think I won't?" Evil Willow questioned him.
"It doesn't matter. I'll still love you.
"Shut up!" Evil Willow said angrily. She gestured with her hand. No magick bolt of light, but Xander's head jerked to one side as if he was hit. Three parallel cuts appeared on his cheek, bloody as if scratched. He put his hand up to them then looked at his fingers.
Evil Willow looked at Xander, his face clearly saying that he thinks he still won. Evil Willow smiled. "That's cute," she told the carpenter. "But it's not over. Evil Willow smiled, bending her head and saying something in a foreign language, probably Latin. Magick and crackles of lightning swirled around her. The magick faded and she lifted her head, smiling. She had her magicks restored, by herself like she had done at the Magic Box earlier.
"I have to start with you, huh?" Evil Willow asked, looking at the person who was Willow's best friend. A smile appeared on her veiny face. "That can be arranged.
Giles winced, frowning in pain. Pain tearing his body apart, most apparent of that body being his side. Kneeling down next to him, Anya looked down at her ex- boss, her face filled with worry. Worry for the man's heath and for the safety of the rest of the world. "Giles?" she asked quietly. "Giles, are you gonna- The vengeance demon felt tears coming to her eyes as she fought to hold them back.
"Xander's in trouble," Giles rasped, looking up at Anya, the seriousness expression clearly visible on his face. "The Earth is in trouble," he corrected, after seeing the look on Anya's face.
Anya frowned, looking very confused. Yes, the world was about to end, but they've fought things like this before. The good guys always won, so she didn't see the danger.
"If someone does not get to Willow soon- very soon- then the Earth is definitely doomed," Giles explained. He winced in pain again, bringing one hand up to his head. "Obviously I can't go.
"And Buffy and Dawn are probably still in that pit thing," Anya pointed out, frowning as she realized something. "So I guess that leaves me. A look of panic came over her face. "Giles, I can't do anything. If Xander couldn't stop her, no one can. Only Tara could have, but she's dead.
Giles looked up at her, hope filling in his eyes. "I know that," he said weakly. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sheet of paper that Anya presumed had a spell on it. "This is a pretty basic spell, so I think I have the energy toÉto transform you to look like Tara. He paused, rethinking the spell in his head. "Only for a little bit though," he added, "so you'd have to work fast.
Anya nodded slowly. "Fast," she began nervously as she began fidgeting with her hands. "You want me to be fast.
Giles weakly nodded at her. "I have faith in you," he assured Anya, as he unfolded the spell.
Anya nodded, throwing herself into Giles's arms, hugging him tightly. "You know in a twisted, non- icky way, I kinda love you.
"You too," Giles rasped from within her embrace. "But I am in a great deal of pain and you have to get over to Willow," he continued with urgency.
Anya nodded and in the blink of an eye she was gone.
"Buffy," Dawn began tiredly as she dropped her sword to the ground. "I can't do this. They just keep coming and I can't stop them." She stopped, moving aside where she hoped the dirt monsters would not see her.
Buffy looked over at Dawn, quickly slaying one of the monsters before it got a chance to harm her sister in any way. She looked around the pit and smiled slightly as she realized that no new monsters were coming. "Dawn, look," she said with a slightly pleased look. "It's over," she exclaimed as she killed the last two of the monsters with one long swing of her sword.
"Is that a good thing?" Dawn asked as she picked her slender head up.
Buffy smiled as she walked over to Dawn. "I hope so," she said. "Now let's try and find a way out of here," she added as she looked around the dank pit.
Evil Willow looked down at Xander, who lay on the ground by the statue unconscious.
Anya teleported to behind the statue, not wanting to have Evil Willow think she had hurt Tara. She stuck her head out and saw the stream of magick coming from Evil Willow's hands and hitting Xander, knocking him to the ground. She looked down at her ensemble of clothing, the exact ones Tara had been wearing the other day, complete with the shattered blood all over her shirt.
Finally gathering the courage to talk to Evil Willow, Anya stepped out from behind the statue. "Willow," she began in a soft voice. One that she hoped resembled Tara enough to fool Willow, at least.
"Tara?" Evil Willow gasped, her face filling with shock.
"Yes, baby, it's me," Anya-as-Tara continued. She gave a mental frown as she was very uncomfortable with the situation. After all, she was talking about having love feelings for the one person who had severely hurt, possibly even killed the one man Anya had ever loved. "Willow, you have to stop what you're doing."
"It's all for you," Willow informed her girlfriend.
"Maybe in your mind," Anya-Tara began once more, "but you're hurting and killing innocent people."
"How-how were they innocent?" Willow stared as tears welled up in her huge black and veiny eyes. "Warren killed you, took my light away from this pathetic excuse for a world. He deserves to be punished!"
"While that is true, the human society has its own ways with dealing with situations like this," Anya-Tara began nervously. "And you do not need to worry about me. Willow, I'm happy here and one day you will join me again."
Evil Willow frowned, feeling very hurt. "How can you say that?" she asked in horror. "I need you, baby."
"No, you need to stop what you're doing," Anya-Tara answered crossly. She gasped slightly, realizing that was not something the real Tara Maclay would have said. And certainly not in that tone of voice.
But unfortunately for Anya, Evil Willow realized it as well. "You," she began furiously. "You dare to impersonate the one person who means anything to me. Who are you?" she asked angrily. When whatever it was in the guise of Tara did not answer, Evil Willow blurted out, "Reveal!"
At that moment, Anya instantly reverted back into her normal appearance. "Willow," she began, suddenly growing very afraid.
"Knives or pointy things?" Evil Willow asked with no emotion in her voice as she glared at Anya.
"Beg pardon?" the vengeance demon asked.
"I'm going to torture and kill you now, but since it is you, I'll give you a choice of weapon I will be using," Evil Willow pointed out as she saw Anya gulp in fear before trying to run away. "Freeze!" she commanded harshly as Anya stopped moving and became frozen.
"This might hurt a bit," Evil Willow stated as she moved closer towards the demon.