Chapter 8

(THE FIGHT)

Faith spun in the whirlwind for what seemed an eternity; her thoughts swashing back and forth as they grew very fogged up. Suddenly she felt a strong white energy near her and knew she had to get a grip, she couldn't let Tara down. She collected allt he slayer energy she could muster trying to will her body to fight against the wind which seemed to grow stronger at her every resistance.

"Cease," Tara's calm and surprisingly strong voice said as the wind separated and Faith hit the ground with a thud; Dawn immediately ran to her side.

"I knew you couldn't turn the wind on me, you still love me: Willow shouted as her eyes and hair turned black as the night.

Buffy charged her from behind catching her off guard knocking her to the ground. "I so knew you still had some of Willow in there, never thinking of all the consequences, letting the slayer sneak up on you like that." Buffy kicked her angrily. "How dare you use me like this! You are not the Willow I once knew and cherished!"

Tara's face showed great anguish as she looked at the person who once was the love of her life. She then felt a calming hand on her shoulder and for a moment looked up into those deep beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "Tara, you can do this, I'm right here to help you."

Rage flashed across Willow's Face seeing the intimacy in Faith's gentle touch and she sent Buffy flying magically. "You are going to die Faith."

Tara raised her hands landing Buffy gently on the ground. "If you have one ounce of the woman I love left in there, please stop this." Tara said in almost a whisper as Willow sent a snake from her hand which began to wrap around Faith's neck.

Buffy sucker punched her breaking the concentration. "Score two for the slayer!" Dawn shouted as Willow sent a huge red flame at the dark slayer only to have it blocked

by Tara with a pretty white flame which sent the red one flickering down a hill. "It seems Tara is the more powerful witch Bambi, you met your match!" Dawn shouted from a more safe distance.

"Willow please stop this," Tara begged fearing the woman was going to try and push her into a magic war which she did not know if she could engage in with Willow. A tear spilled down her face as she looked at the woman who once held the key to her heart. Now this woman was sending Buffy plummeting into an open grave but the dark slayer came from behind landing a dagger into Willow's shoulder. It wasn't a fatal blow, but one that made Tara cringe for her once lover.

"If I go down bitch, you're going too cause unlike B down there I don't give a flying fuck about taking a human life." Faith growled angrily punching Willow hard several times momentarily breaking her concentration on magic. "You remember this?" Faith pulled out the knife she once held to Willow's throat; the same knife Buffy used to cut her open.

"Dear Lord," Giles said wondering if he'd made the right decision bringing the crazed slayer to help with Willow.

"Willow doesn't live here anymore bitch!" A hallowed angry voice shouted back as a hand lifted to send Faith on another magic induced adventure with hopes of a deadly outcome.

"Tara do it, this has to end," Buffy shouted as she said the fateful words that would help undo this madness as she believed it was her being brought back which helped start it. "Take my soul to wherever it belongs, let it dwell where it must, guide it to its place of rest."

"No!" The witch screamed turning towards Buffy who was encased with a pure white energy. "Tara how could you let her die again! How could you take Buffy from us!" A soft quivering voice that sounded much like Willow was begging. "Tara please no!"

"Willow we've got to stop the evil in you," Tara said mournfully. "I love you so much Willow but you are going to harm someone," Tara tried to speak softly so as to comfort the sobbing redhead.

"Buffy please don't go! Willow now wailed in a devastated tone. "I love you Buffy, I need you!" Willow shouted revealing finally what Tara had feared all along.

Willow couldn't let go of Buffy because she truly was the soul mate of the redhead. She was truly the one Bambi had fought so hard to keep and Tara was merely a smoke screen for Bambi to use to enable her to keep Buffy around. She believed Willow did love her but always wondered what the hold Buffy had over her was and now knew it was true love that could have been wonderful had Bambi and Tara not came into the picture.

"Will, if you love me, let me go." Buffy said softly. "Will, you have got to let me go, you have got to release yourself of Bambi and this curse or she will haunt you forever."

Willow's eyes danced black as Buffy disappeared into the mist; her body and soul returning to their place of rest. Dawn began to sob as Giles held her with Anya comforting a distraught Xander as best she could. "You will die Faith and I shall have Tara, if I can't have Buffy I will have Tara!"

The angered sorceress charged at Faith who managed to side step a sword that flew at her; then she kicked the mad woman in the jaw not once but twice before the tiring sorceress could redirect the sword.

"She must be taken down by her own sword," a voice sounding much like Buffy with an old English accent said to Faith as Faith barely dodged a fatal blow to the chest only catching it in the arm. Tara using magic to deflect the sword was the only thing saving the slayer at this point. Each time she did so; she shuttered with mental pain that she was certain would never go away.

"You took Buffy from me years ago; I was happy with Tara but you want to take her too!" Willow shouted at Faith sending a large whip to swipe the slayer in the back five times before Faith could escape it wrapping round her neck.

Tara sent the whip slashing back at Willow who ducked the harmful blow as Faith kicked the sword from her hands. She then jumped grabbing hold of the sword and in a swift movement did what she knew would end all ties with the scoobies; she plunged it into Willow's chest who was just about to launch another attack on herself and probably this time Tara. "Red, I'm so sorry," Faith said as the gang stood behind her sobbing. She looked into Willow's now emerald eyes. "I didn't know any other way."

"I love you Tara," Willow murmured. "No matter what, I love you Tara I promise I do." Faith knew that was one last jab at Tara's heart as the evil sorceress closed her eyes for the last time.