Part 10, Home Coming
by Marti
Tara looked out over the summerlands feeling a disturbance in the midst. She couldn't quite place it but the energies were so strong it was as if the veil separating the dimensions was literally being torn in half and everything was spilling together.
She collected her thoughts as the once gentle breeze whipped into a much stronger, yet calm, wind. Time and space seemed to swirl together like a smooth river current as she struggled to keep her bearings. Her mind flashed back to several things.
She saw Willow with a woman, having dinner, laughing then looked away as the sadness began to creep in. Her hearts desire was to be with Willow for an eternity. Though she knew people must move on it pained her to see Willow crack a smile with another, not to mention the possibility of the kiss she just knew she'd turned away in time not to see. She felt happy for her love though, wanted nothing but the best for Willow and vowed that she'd do whatever necessary to protect her from this evil even if it meant not being with her. She shuttered at the thought of going back to earth as a human and being unable to love Willow physically, having to deal with the ever-growing emotional love on her own. She then supposed this may be why the powers that be would try to have her not remember that love held for Willow.
She saw a demon, though it didn't seem bad, descending down, down and even further down until it reached her grave. Then she saw Buffy seeing what she was watching. She'd come to realize some time ago she was the first slayer but was still unclear why she was needed. She'd been told that she was the only one who had ever beaten back the first and surmised that somehow she'd retain the key of knowledge they needed to do it again.
She saw a literal blood bath with these large ugly vampires devouring everything in their path. Then a chill ran through her soul, as she saw it, the first evil in its true demon form rising up to gain power and control.
She saw them one by one, her friends and the woman she loved dying at the hands of this evil being. Her soul surged with immense energy as the desire within her grew to break free and stop the madness, the chaos from ruling the earth as it had eons ago.
She then saw a demon slamming Buffy to the floor and heard what sounded like herself saying, "it's not enough, law, power, it's not enough!" Her being began to tremble as she saw the storm over Sunnydale begin to form. Dark clouds, bangs of thunder, hail and wind accompanied with big flashes of lightening that appeared to have no end as they streaked across the sky.
The tall woman she'd seen before suddenly appeared in front of her. "It's time Tara, you must go put back what was wronged. You must help Buffy in her fight to save the world from utter destruction."
Her mother gave her a strong loving hug as the veil separating dimensions made visible a gaping hole. "Go now love and remember all I told you, do not make a mistake as it's crucial to the world as we know it."
Buffy, Kennedy, Faith and Molly spent the late afternoon training with Buffy in charge. Afterwards they went in the house where Giles and Willow had been going over some materials, trying to get as much info on these big ugly vampires as possible.
Meanwhile Spike came up from the basement and began a casual conversation with Faith which caused Buffy to shoot a couple eye-daggers her way. Faith saw the tension her playful conversation was creating as a good avenue to get out of the house and to the place Sonya had instructed her to go. "I'm out of here." She said in her sharp toned voice glancing back at Buffy and exiting the house.
"I'm taking the potentials on patrol, which means I'm going to need Spike's help." Giles announced getting up.
"That's good, you practice with the kids while I try to get some real work done." Buffy huffed slamming the door on her way out.
"What's her problem?" Anya enquired as she and Xander came in through the kitchen with food. "I got some info though be it little. Those vampires were exiled to the plane of Danzathar."
"Great that's something for me to look up." Dawn said joyfully getting up. "Where's Chance?"
"I'm not sure, he and Sonya have been gone all day." Willow added.
"We lost Kelly too, I think something's going down tonight." Xander chimed in as he grabbed more than his share of pizza.
"Well then I'll take the potentials and Spike. Willow and Anya team up and go search while Dawn holds down the fort with Xander." Giles said in his best stoic way.
"Sounds like a plan," Anya said smiling. "Lets not do anymore sexy carpet spells like, well you remember the one." She flashes Willow a smile then looks over at Kennedy. "Oh that's right, that was supposed to be our secret."
"Anya lets go!" Willow said as everyone began to get ready to head out for their various duties.
It was around 11:00 PM, the dark skies looked darker, wind began to whip about in a furious way, then the hail started coming down as if it were pounding the life out of the planet.
Buffy scanned the skies, all her slayer senses telling her something was not right in the forces tonight. She looked everywhere but only saw the storm coming, big puffy clouds that raged through the skies along with the largest lightening streaks she'd ever seen.
She took out her phone to call Giles but the storm was messing up the signal to bad so neither of them could hear the other.
Suddenly an uber vamp lunged at her throwing her to the ground and pounding on her chest before her normally super fast reflexes could react. He threw her back down after picking her up and swing her through the air growling fiercely the entire time.
"Buffy!" Anya shouted morphing into her demon self and lunging at the vampire. He spun around giving Buffy enough time to get up and drive the stake in hard with a vengeance. "Thank God you showed up. This storm has me rattled." Buffy said limping a bit and out of breath.
"You're telling me, something's up in the dimensions tonight, I can feel it mega bad." Anya said lending a supportive hand to the slayer.
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked suddenly growing worried, hoping her friend had nothing to do with whatever was going on.
"She's following Kelly. We saw her performing some ancient ritual. I'm afraid it has something to do with the first, we know it's already loose and trying to scare us all but something is definitely off." Anya said trying to keep up with the already running slayer.
Meanwhile Faith sat in the small quarters Sonya instructed her to go to feeling the storm raging outside, waiting and hoping for the best but fearing the worst.
Anya and Buffy found Willow, Kelly was standing over her with a talisman chanting. Willow appeared to be heaving and holding her stomach. "You will all die!" Willow's voice sounding mean and doom filled said as Buffy ran to her side.
What they saw next shocked them both into being unable to move. This big ugly demonic creature sprang from Willow's mouth sending her flying through the air and seemed to disappear straight into Kelly. "Oh my God!" Anya shouted grabbing Willow. "Buffy we've got to go like right now!"
Buffy lunged at Kelly only to be thrown back with a powerful force. "Buffy I said like right now, pronto, comprehend me for once in your life! The first has achieved corporeal form and God only knows what it took out of Willow when it left her, not to mention how it was harboring itself in Willow. Move it now!" Anya hissed growing more angry by the second as Kelly disappeared in a flash of light and the two women headed home carrying the limp Willow.
Part 11, Home Coming Continued
Written by S&C
Back at the cabin a few hours later Willow still laid helpless in her bed. Anya sitting by her side along with Kennedy, Dawn and Xander. Not one would move from the room unless called for.
Anya had a guilt built inside her. How could she not know there was something inside Willow, she's a demon herself and should of felt it, she should have known. With the anger building inside her she bangs on the table startling everyone.
Xander looked at her with concerned eyes. Anya yelled " don't look at me like that" then storms out of the room.
Dawn holds Willows hand as she worries about what may of happened to Willow during all this.. The Demon could have taken her good side, her good nature or her memory, or even her magic all together.
But only time will tell when Willow opens her eyes.
Buffy, Faith and Spike are walking around the living room like zombies. Buffy feeling she let her best friend down, she should have done something sooner. Faith frustrated because she doesn't know what step to take next, normally she would go and just kick the persons ass when she was this mad, but she can't touch this thing, she can't see it or even know where it is. Faith walks around even faster thinking about it. Bumping into Spike once in awhile, since he would get in the way on purpose. He seemed to like having Faith touch him, or is it the dirty look Buffy keeps giving them. Either way Spike likes the attention.
Faith volunteers to go make everyone sandwiches to preoccupy her hands from breaking everything in her path, having Spike trail behind her like a lost puppy.
Buffy just kept walking around , she's waiting to hear from Giles. She needs to know what to do next, where to go from here, she needs guidance that no one seems to be able to give.
Buffy runs out the front door without telling anyone where she was going.
After a few minutes, Faith comes out with a plate of sandwiches while yelling to the others to come and get something to eat. The three come from upstairs slowly, not feeling hungry but they know if they don't eat they wont hear the end of it from Faith or Buffy..
The gang look around to see where Buffy went but no one seems to know. Faith thinking to herself she hopes Buffy wont do something stupid. Then realizes Spike is gone too.
"What is up with those two?" Faith says under her breath.
Willow is all alone upstairs, door closed, window shut tight, a faint breeze is felt threw the air.
We see a form take shape beside Willows bed, holding her hand softly. Speaking so softly in Willows ear you can barely hear it.
"My Willow, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but I am now.. come back to everyone, they will need you for what is to come. They need you strong and on guard Willow. Hear my voice and follow it. Follow it Home Willow, Follow it home!" with that she disappears as the door slowly opens.
Willows hand start to move slowly
Dawn yells to everyone that Willow is wakeing
The gang rushes in to see Willow open her beautiful eyes.
Dawn takes her hand welcoming her back home. Willows eyes start to show a worried face.
"Where is she?" Dawn asks who she is talking about. No one else is here.
Willow tries to sit up quickly but gets knocked back down from being so weak. Xander gives her some water while telling Willow, "Everything will be okay now, your safe at home with us"
But Willow still can't get that voice out of her head, and keeps looking around for it.
Sonya Garrison sits beside the bed where Tara lays silent and not moving. She sips her cup of hot tea recalling the events of the past night.
It was almost midnight, the storm was ravaging through Sunnydale like a hurricane dozing everything in its path. Chance stood off to the side with a mixture of herbs, spices and small amount of water.
Sonya lifted her eyes to the skies. "Powers that be I beg of you, bring back the one who holds the key to stop the destruction of the world. Let her have what she needs to guide us back to having peace and safety as she did so long ago." As she finished Chance deposited his mixture onto the earth next to the grave.
As Sonya dumped the blood of her fallen charge Darian over the grave the ground quaked and trembled like a mega earthquake was upon them but only the single grave opened up. Chance quickly tied the thick rope around Sonya and lowered her in. To her surprise the coffin opened on its own with ease and she found herself staring into Tara's pretty blue eyes as the demon of the first slayer descended, down, down and still further till it disappeared somewhere inside the grave.
As chance pulled them up he was knocked backwards by a strong force. He fell over a stone and something sharp went deep into his back. As he closed his eyes he said. "At least Darian and I will go in a noble fashion."
Sonya pulled herself out of thought, she hadn't time to mourn her loyal helper Chance nor brave charge Darian, they had made their sacrifices and died a noble death indeed. Now all she had to do was wait for Faith to come keep watch on Tara so she could begin preparations for her healing as well as surely long battle with the first.
Buffy was pacing up and down a side street when Spike found her. "Slayer, what's with you."
She turned quickly with sudden anger in her eyes. "I'm trying to fight a battle to save the world with the first who has taken full corporeal form which I'm sure has some humongo consequence and all you can do is flirt with Faith!"
"Oh that's it then. You're angry because I'm getting on well with someone besides you. You the someone who used me for the better part of a year, who threw me away like yesterdays trash then whom I, yes, I almost degraded more than any woman need to be degraded. Now when I get myself a soul and come back, you understandably pay me no mind, this is until I speak to another woman. I will help you in your fight almighty slayer but I will no longer be your puppet boy!" He storms off in anger as she stands there looking perplexed.
Kennedy brought Willow in some soup and a tall glass of milk. Food was best for gaining energy is what she was always told. The young slayer in training Molly and Dawn had scattered off. "You're going to be ok Willow." Kennedy said putting a gentle hand on hers.
"We all will be, we always are but my mind is so fuzzy, I feel as if their is a big gap in it, part of it is gone. Maybe not part of my mind actually but something isn't right and someone was telling me to come home and I know it couldn't be," she shakes her head sadly.
"It's been a long several hours for you is all." Kennedy said hugging her and kissing her cheek. "I'll take care of you Willow. How about a nice hot relaxing bath when you finish eating?"
Willow sits down her half eaten soup and kisses Kennedy. "Thanks, I'm glad you guys are here, I mean, Buffy is acting all weird, Faith is almost broody like Angel and by the way where did she go?"
"I don't know," Anya and Xander come about that moment with a book.
"Both slayers are missing in action now I see. That bodes well for the rest of us." Anya snapped sitting the book down.
"We'll check this out later but right now you need rest. Its an ancient book or something. One of her demon friends snagged it for us." Xander added sitting down as Willow went back in thought of the voice, knowing it was Tara and wishing for a split second she could just go home to her wherever home was.
Faith stepped into the small quarters she'd looked over Tara in the night before in. She'd only met the girl once and was rude to her back then but that was all a long time ago. She wished things were as simple now as they were back then. "What's the scoop?"
"I've given her some fluids, she opened her eyes a couple of times but so far that's about it. I gather it will take a bit for her to get herself reoriented plus the body has to go through some healing and strengthening." Sonya said pulling on her coat. "You didn't tell anyone did you?"
"Of course not," Faith said bitterly. "I wanted to though, Red needs her in the worst way."
"It's imperative we don't just now. Buffy will be the first to know with exception of Rupert when it's time. I don't want anyone with evil intentions finding us. God knows the first is bad enough on its own." She stepped out of the place when she'd finished speaking.
Faith stood looking at Tara, her pretty blue eyes darted open and closed again. "Blondie, you gotta wake up, we have some evil shit to get rid of then you can live happy ever after with Red," she thought of Kennedy as she spoke. She and Willow had seemed to be growing close. "Damn potential slayers are nothing but in the way in every aspect."
Part 12, Home Coming Continued
by Marti
It had been three nights now since Tara's return home, she'd shown some response but not much to brag about. Sonya spent the days with her, feeding, talking of magic, flowers, mountains, all things Tara liked. Faith got the late night watch, which was normally an easy task but not tonight.
Three bringers rushed the door and began pounding on the slayer before her otherwise quick actions had time to react.
Two of them were trying to literally hold her down while the other raised his dagger. "Fuck this," she kicked him and hard as she flipped one of the other eyeless creatures off of her. "One patched member of the good team is all we need and Mr. Harris holds that duty."
She fists the one with the dagger hard knocking it away from him. She then grabs it stabbing him repeatedly until he's lifeless.
Another one is preparing to knock her out when a force sends both bringers up into the air. "You tell the first I'll be ready." The voice says with confidence releasing one of the bringers, depositing the other in front of Faith to be killed.
"Great job Blondie," Faith smiles. "So how long now till you're ready to kick this thing's ass?"
Tara's eyes saddened as she sat back down to get off of her still weak legs. "You've got to know when to run, know when to fight and know when to bluff like the best gambler in the world."
"So you're not ready, got ya." Faith handed her a drink. "I'm not supposed to question you but, do you know who Willow is?"
Again, the sadness showed deep in Tara's eyes. "I'm here to fight, to beat back the first, I can't let myself know anyone."
"Ok quit with that slayer-alone bit. We threw that out the window a long time ago and let me tell you something Blondie, it works a hell of a lot better ya know?" Faith darted her big eyes at Tara until she formed a smile.
"We're no where closer than we were when Kelly let this damn thing take over her body!" Buffy shouted in anger.
"Buffy do calm down. We've got so much on our plates, looking for this third potential slayer, Willow, and then their is Kelly who has gone missing. We need to sit back, gather ourselves together and figure out how to proceed." Giles said sipping his tea.
"Agreed," Sonya added stoically.
"The facts are these." Anya said standing up demanding the full attention of the room occupants. "Sonya, you thought the portal had been closed, obviously it wasn't, I think you've been deceived all these years so why should Buffy here listen to you or your English cohort for that matter. She is the slayer, it is time she do her job and you bumbling idiots get out of the way."
"The portal was locked up at a certain point, this we know, it was made possible to reopen when Darian died." Sonya said matter of factly though she was beginning to wonder if this was even correct. She didn't know anything anymore, just that she had in hiding, the one who'd stop the madness.
"Buffy and I saw that thing leap right out of Willow my friend!" Anya shouted. "Their is more to this, I will find it out if you can't seem to find out how! I think the portal ever being closed was someone deceiving you oh great British one!" She turned and headed out the door with Buffy close behind.
"I hate to admit this Ms. Garrison but our favorite demon has a point. Do we even know where the portal is?" Giles asked cryptically.
"I believe that, after some studying on the matter, I indeed do know." Sonya said somberly. "I believe that when Ms. Tara Maclay died, the first lost its grip, the dark magics overran Ms. Rosenberg so much that the first couldn't or was blind sided as to how to keep her mind focused to continue its darkness. The first wanted the dark magic to overrule her yes, but not destroy her, it wanted rather for her to be absorbed by it until she herself became evil so it then could overtake her and run a muck. Only when Tara died, the magics destroyed her mind totally, so the first planned to end the world and get it over with. Then she began to get set free, her mind began to take over and she no longer wanted use of the magic so the only thing the first had left to do was get out, achieve corporeal form in a willing vessel which was Kelly."
"So the first has harbored itself in Willow to achieve perfect corporeal form with her because of her powers, her using other means of dangerous dark magic only made her more powerful which the first planned on to begin with. The question to be answered is why Willow and how did it get inside her?" Giles contorted his face in deep thought as he spoke and neither saw a tearful Willow slinking from the house having heard everything.
Willow walked along a darkened street filled with hurt and the notion of this all being her fault welling up in her like a balloon ready to burst. "Oh lookie here, it's the pretty red witch." Warren standing in front of her said. "You know, now that I'm corporeal I can be anyone I want," he switched to Tara. "My Willow," she said in a sweet voice. "You can touch me now, come on and feel the power, like how you felt it when you rose Buffy from the grave, such the fool that you were. Did you think Oserus made those snakes come from your mouth? No, no, that was me in the flesh, simply giving a sign of my presence, and it was so easy to harbor myself into you, to wait till the dark magic overtook you, to then achieve my perfect form. No though, you had to go all psycho on me when that damn goody-goody girl of yours was killed. You could have had it all though, you still can."
Willow dropped to her knees in ragged breaths feeling the pangs of the dark magic threatening to overtake her. She jerked and convulsed as the first touched her with a gentle hand then filled her up with brimming energy. "Let it go my pretty, come to me, serve me and we can have it all."
"Willow no!" Spike shrieked from behind a tree which she quickly sent up into flames while trying to nab him with a fireball. "Bloody hell!" He shouted racing off as fast as he could.
Buffy seemed to come out of no where pounding on the first before it disappeared then turning to Willow. "Will, stop this, you don't want this."
"Get away from me Buffy." She said as she began to shake.
"Have it your way, but I don't make the same mistake twice." In a flash Buffy reached out pounding her on the head dropping her friend to the ground. "You won't get away with this you evil bastard! Do you hear me?" She scooped up Willow turning back for the house.
Tara lay in her bed, words and thoughts drifting in and out of her mind. "You must remember, the wiles of the first are great, its torment and torture for mankind will be like nothing preceding its wrath if it completes its task. You had to die, you had to slow it down, now you must live again, you must fix what was done wrong that began its task, you must fight it back and you alone have the tool."
"Hey Blondie," Faith shaking Tara out of an apparently restless dream shook her back to reality.
"It's Willow, the first took over her because it feared her power, or tried to, it fears Willow. Only we've got to find what she did to start this and I've got to make it right again."
"Oh hell," Faith said as a singed Spike came rolling in screaming for help then grew silent and faint looking having saw Tara.