Chapter 18
Xander had to rub his one good eye to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He had seen many strange things in his life but this took the price. Where one would have expected the next room to be there was now an ocean. The water stretched as far as one could see and even the sky seemed to go right into space. There was no sun exactly but it was bright, as it would be on a clear summer's day. A gentle breeze came in through the gates and the water rolled softly across the threshold. It was obviously some kind of an illusion but how could she make it look so real? It even smelled right. He hesitated slightly but his curiosity soon got the better of him and he kneeled down to touch it. Sure enough it felt right too; wet and a little chilly. Without thinking he let his fingertips meet his tongue. Amazingly it even tasted like seawater. This was impressive. He turned to see what Willow was going to do about it but she just stood there staring into the distant horizon. To his surprise a tear made its way down her pale cheek. That couldn't be good.
"Willow?" he asked cautiously. "What's wrong? Shouldn't you like do something here? We don't have much time." He looked over at Fridha to get her to confirm that time was running out but she just hung her head and turned away. "Hey guys…" he tried, starting to feel desperate. No one moved. Tess looked like she had swallowed a goat, Cassandra was still sitting by Spike's side but she had her head in her hands and it looked like she was crying and Deanna's eyes were filling up with tears. Only Mayling seemed as confused as he felt and as she unsuccessfully tried to get Willow's attention she started to get a desperate look in her eyes.
"What's going on here?" he tried again, walking up to Willow. "Will, what's wrong?" She flinched, as if she hadn't even been aware of his presence. Then she inhaled hard and straightened.
"It's over Xander, that's what's going on. We've lost, she's won." His heart was beating so fast he thought his chest might explode.
"What do mean? It isn't over! You can fix this!"
"No I can't. I've failed. I…" she tried to say something more but her legs gave way and she literally fell to her knees crying.
"This isn't happening!" he heard his voice reach a high note and he forced himself to breathe calmly. "You can't just give up, not now, not when we've gotten this far!" He turned to Tess but she seemed as broken as Willow.
"It's too difficult." Tess said hoarsely. "It will take too long."
"The ceremony has begun." Fridha put in straightening a little.
"We can't give up!" Xander felt like screaming, in fact he probably was. Why was he the only one who was willing to do something? Anything was better than this!
"No one is giving up." Buffy suddenly declared calmly, untangling herself from Angel. She went over to Willow and kneeled down in front of her. She calmly took her head in her hands and looked her deep in the eyes.
"We've been through a lot you and me, a lot worse than this. I know you loved her. That's OK. There is nothing wrong with loving someone, even when it doesn't turn out the way you want it to. I have no doubt Catherine means well but her actions will end the world and we can't let that happen. This is what we do, we stop doomsdays and holocausts. And we will stop this too." Buffy's voice was so calm and determined that Xander felt totally reassured already. Of course they were going to make it. They always did. But Willow didn't seem as convinced.
"You don't understand." she replied breathlessly. "This mirage is built on so many different energy levels I could have the whole coven with me and not be able to break it."
"You don't need them. Trust me, Will. If Catherine could build it you can break it, you just have to believe. There is a great deal of power in love. I should know." She glanced over at Angel then continued, "You need to use that power now and end this." She took a firm hold on Willow's shoulders and rather forcefully helped her up on her feet. "I believe in you. We believe in you." Willow seemed to come around a little but she was still hesitating. Xander felt like hitting something.
"There is no time, she's started already." She looked at Buffy pleadingly Xander wanted to cry in frustration but the Slayer just thought for a moment then gazed up towards the windows.
"The mirage, it only exists within this doorway, right?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah. What are you thinking?"
"I'm going to buy you time." she said with a confident smile
Xander watched as Buffy tried to estimate how high up the windows were and he had never felt more proud of her. She was going to fix this, make it all better like she always did. It gave him a warm feeling inside to know that the Slayer was back. He hadn't realized how abandoned he had felt when she had disappeared like that. Even Giles seemed a lot more at ease. Apparently Xander wasn't the only one who had feared they had lost her for good. But Angel wasn't happy for some reason.
"You can't do this, Buffy. It's too dangerous." he pleaded with her but she just casually waved him off.
"There's no other way in, right?" she pointed out calmly and for the first time it dawned on him what she was planning and suddenly the cold lump in his belly was back. Was she crazy? She pulled a knife from her backpack and aimed it at the window closest to the gates. She hit it on the first try and the glass shattered with a noise that echoed in the large room. Xander held his breath. There was no way she could get up there! And the window was way too narrow for her to fit through. This was madness! But who was he to say anything? He was the one who had insisted someone did something. She was definitely doing something.
"Please!" Angel was getting desperate now. "At least tie a rope around you so I can catch you if you fall." She smiled up at him then nodded.
"Sure, but hurry."
When Angel had tied the rope around her waist he clearly had to steel himself not to make her stay. She knew it and they shared a tense moment of mutual understanding before kissing passionately. Xander couldn't watch anymore. He turned away towards the ocean. It was strangely soothing. Willow was standing at the waters edge, her eyes closed and her face almost serene. He whished he had a clue what she did when she stood quietly like that. But no matter how often she had tried to make him understand the essence of magic he never got it. Right now he didn't care, as long as it worked. He could hear something behind him and turned around just as Angel elevated Buffy through the air and up towards the window. She reached it barely and had to heave herself up and wiggle her body through the narrow opening. When she had maneuvered her leg over the ledge and was sitting with one leg on either side she looked down at them and waved a little. Then she pulled herself through the window and was out of sight. Angel held on to the rope in his hands like it was a matter of life and death, and come to think of it it probably was. Xander closed his eyes and for the first time in his life he actually prayed.
Buffy's fingers slipped a little and she whished she had remembered to bring some chalk or something. She inhaled as much as she could in this thin air and edged herself one step closer to the window on the other side. Her clumsy boots weren't made for climbing walls and she had thought of taking them off but that would mean she would have to fight barefoot and that wasn't good. Luckily it wasn't too far. She could see the ledge and kept her focus on that, trying hard not to look down. The temple was built right on top of the mountain and she was so high up she would probably have time to write her memoirs on her way down if she fell. She forced herself to stop thinking like that and focused on getting herself to safety. The rough blocks of stone that mad up the wall was relatively easy to climb but with every muscle in her body already aching it was certainly not a pleasant climb.
When she finally reached the window she sighed in relief. But after she carefully wedged her body onto the small ledge and peeked inside her heart sank. Catherine was standing on a large raised area that served as an altar. In front of her was an elaborate table where the crystal was placed on a massive book. On the wall hung a vast, beautifully embroidered canvas in red silk, picturing dragons and other mystical animals. Around the altar stood seven witches in a half circle, each holding a black candle. Wide steps lead up to the altar and at the base stood the only fighters Buffy could see. Unfortunately they were more than enough. Apparently Catherine had enlisted the help of the Farach clan, an old line of mercenaries dating back to before mankind. They were technically demons but they weren't evil per say. They basically served any master as long as the price was right and that usually meant power. They had shown up in surprising numbers this time though. Rumor had it there weren't more than a dozen left but down there she counted six which meant they sent half their clan for this battle. Clearly the High Priestess had promised them a whole lot of power. She had met one of them once but back then they had been fighting on the same side. He had been good though, very good. Ah well, no point in postponing the inevitable.
She tugged at the rope three times as they had agreed would be the sign that she was alright then she untied it and let it go. She reached over her shoulder and unsheathed the sword from her back, then braced herself for the jump. With a single blow from the swordhilt the glass shattered and she put the sword back in its sheath before leaping to the floor. She could sense the surprise in the room as she fell and when she hit the floor she rolled up on her feet as fast as she could, trying not to let anyone see how much the jump had actually hurt. She quickly reached for her sword then stood there for a moment catching her breath and sizing up the competition. The Farach warriors hadn't moved but Catherine had turned away from the table and was staring at her along with the other witches. Obviously this wasn't what she had expected.
"Sorry to drop in like this," Buffy said in a cheerful tone, "but I didn't want to miss out on all the fun." Catherine's face hardened considerably and Buffy had to stop herself from gloating. It wasn't over yet.
"What a nice surprise." Catherine greeted her coldly.
"Hi guys!" She waved a little to the Farach warriors. They all pretty much looked the same with their large yellow eyes and chubby noses but she thought she saw a glimmer of recognition in the eyes of one of them. Perhaps he was the one she had met before. She smiled a little extra, hoping to get some reaction but all she got was cold stares. They were definitely professionals. But she tried anyway and said in a friendly voice,
"It's good to see you again." One of them looked down for a second but that was the only reaction she got. She sighed a little and kept her distance. She had seen first hand how dangerous their machete-like weapons could be and she was eager to keep them at arms length as long as possible. At least Catherine was too busy trying to stare her down to get on with the ceremony.
"You don't really think you can stop me, do you?" Catherine asked contemptuously. Buffy just smiled at her.
"Well I thought I'd give it a try but I see you have bought yourself some impressive bodyguards." She turned towards the warriors and added, "You do realize she's not going to give you anything when this is over, right? I mean why should she? If she completes this ceremony she will be God. Why should she care about you?" She hoped she could at least make a small dent in their convictions but they just stood there like blocks of ice, waiting for Catherine's orders. Suddenly Catherine started to laugh, a mad laughter that filled the large hall and made Buffy's hair stand on end.
"And you would know!" she practically screamed in a hysterical voice. "Little miss Slayer, the one true champion, the CHOSEN ONE!" The last part came out as a shriek and even the Farachs gave her a startled look. Buffy decided to fuel Catherine's contempt.
"Yes," she said in a loud voice, "I am the Chosen One, the champion of good and my job is to stop people like you." Just like she planned this statement sent Catherine into a mad tirade of insults that Buffy didn't even bother listening to. Instead she discreetly checked her surroundings. It was a large room, even bigger then the last one. Thick pillars held up the ceiling and in two of the corners someone had placed gigantic marble statues of weird animals. It was good that there was a lot of space but she could have used a little more places to hide behind. If she had to fight the Farachs she was going to need to play it smart. She might match one or two of them in shear strength but not six. She prayed Willow would break that spell soon, she would need Angel for this if she was going to stand a chance. They could have used Spike too but Angel's extra strength would be more useful.
Suddenly she noticed Catherine had gone silent. When Buffy turned to look at her a glimmer of hate touched the eyes of the High Priestess.
"So, you've come to stop me have you?" she said in a creepy voice, "You'll have to stop them first." She motioned towards the Farachs then ordered in a loud voice, "Kill her!" The Farachs responded instantly and all six of them moved in on her. She gripped her sword a little tighter while noticing with satisfaction that Catherine seemed to be taking more of an interest in the battle below than the ceremony. Maybe this could buy Willow the time she needed. In a sudden spurt she charged the warriors holding her sword high. Her surprise tactics nicked one of them badly in the arm before she leaped out of the way and started to back up again.
"Go on, get her you useless mongrels!" Catherine shouted angrily and to Buffy's satisfaction the Farachs didn't seem happy about having a coach screaming at them. But it didn't take long for them to come up with a strategy that was fool proof. Two of them went on either side of her while two came in from the front. She had to make herself breathe calmly. This was it, the battle of her life. She went into the zone, focused all her energy on the fight. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed, only the hard sound of metal against metal and flesh against flesh.
Willow had to close her eyes to sense the complex weaves of energy that made up the mirage before her. The ocean itself was hypnotic, designed to lure you into thinking you would be better off enjoying its beauty than trying to break the mirage. That was the strength of the mirage, the power of suggestion. But this one was so perfectly done it was hard to resist its perfection even with her eyes closed. Buffy had been so certain she could break this mirage but she had no idea what it really entailed. Buffy was her oldest and closest friend and she had more courage than anyone Willow had ever met but she had very little understanding of the world of magic. To Buffy there were two ways to go, either you fought or ran. But magic was a mind game, resting on convictions rather than strength. And experience, which Catherine had a lot more of than any which alive.
Willow forced herself not to give in to the tears that threatened to well up inside her. She felt angry and scared, neither of which was very helpful when it came to magic. Buffy had said there was power in love and considering the remarkable change she had undergone from one simple kiss Willow was inclined to agree. But the feelings Buffy and Angel shared was very different from what she had with Catherine. For one thing Catherine was about to end the world as they knew it. OK, so Angelus had been close to doing that too but that wasn't the same. Was it? Willow felt like screaming in frustration as thoughts kept bouncing around incessantly in her mind. This was getting her nowhere! She had to find a way around Catherine's weaves. She took a deep breath. What did she have to lose?
Willow searched her memory. Deep down, buried under piles of loathing and guilt laid a memory she used to treasure more than any other. It had happened almost three years ago now. She and Catherine had been brought into a dispute between two warring demon clans in a separate dimension. One clan had stolen a child of the King in the other clan and was hiding it on earth for ransom. A small massacre in a town in India had brought the incident to Angel's attention and after he failed to negotiate a truce, or even convinced them to take their war somewhere else, he had contacted the coven. Catherine had never hesitated. After making sure Buffy and her team had gotten the child to safety she had taken Willow with her and opened a portal right into the royal court of the clan whose child had been kidnapped.
The next few weeks allowed Willow to see Catherine in a completely different light. Up until then she had just been a stern and impervious teacher. But the challenges in the dimension of Kolahrial gave Willow a glimpse of a whole knew side to Catherine and as the negotiations occasionally got rather dangerous the two women grew closer and to Willow's surprise the older woman was anything but stern. Instead she found that she had a big, warm heart that beat with a surprising passion. Her magic was fueled by the strength of her eagerness to help and her blunt refusal to accept injustices no matter what the cost.
The dimension of Kolahrial was breathtaking with its three moons, lush woods and purple lakes, which inevitably brought with it some of the most romantic moments in Willow's life. And on the eve of the celebrations over the new peace treaty almost a month after their arrival, Willow realized for the first time she was in love. After Catherine and Willow had joyfully challenged each other in creating magical lights across the sky in honor of the celebrations, they had found themselves alone on the roof. It never got really dark there so a soft glow lingered over this beautiful world they soon would have to leave. The gentle sounds of the celebration filled the air and in one perfect moment Catherine had leaned in and kissed her. She could still feel the tingles that kiss had sent through her body and the yearning for more. How could it have come to this? What had happened to Catherine?
Questions tore at her as she struggled to maintain control. But somewhere in the midst of her emotional turmoil a realization hit her. She had assumed Catherine would use dark magic to construct her challenges but what if she hadn't? Willow breathed deeply as she carefully prodded the weaves with her mind. Catherine was powerful and wise but she had weaknesses like all humans. She was a perfectionist which made her put insane amount of time and energy into making sure the details were done as well as could be but she often lost track of the big picture. Willow slowly let her mind flow down along the main weave with its trajectory supposedly twisting in on itself to create the sense of infinity and suddenly there it was. The perfection of the threads was astonishing but there was an unbalance in their connecting nodes. If she could direct enough energy on them simultaneously perhaps the whole mirage would fall. She focused, brought all of her energy to one single point and then released it without hesitation. The energy flowed from her in an even stream and quickly reverberated through the mirage. Seconds later it winked out of existence.
When she opened her eyes she saw the simple cloaking spell that had been the basis for the mirage. Before she brushed it aside she looked over her shoulder to see if the others were ready. Tess was looking at her with a stunned expression that soon changed into admiration. Mayling just seemed like she had expected nothing less and Fridha gave her a confident nod. Angel was pacing back and forth like a caged lion, his face already changed and he was growling something about Buffy being in danger. Spike was getting up from the floor with Kaya's help, clearly against Cassandra's whishes but he wasn't taking no for an answer. They were as ready as they would be. She breathed in deeply, raised her hands and unleashed the spell that unraveled the cloak. In an instant the silence was shattered and the sound of sword against sword was mixing with Catherine's steadfast chanting. She had made it!