Devon Coven, Eight months later.
Willow was sitting cross-legged under a thick-trunked, wide canopied, green leafed tree, and looking out at the rolling hills spread out into the distance. She felt the gentle breeze go through her white hair, hair that used to be bright red.. a detail that she started to remember once she had begun her treatment at the Devon Coven. She looked down at the white coloured gown she was wearing, combined with a pair of blue jeans that covered her entire body. The only parts that anyone could see were her head, and her hands, and her feet when they weren't covered by her shoes or sandals.
As for the rest of her body, Willow couldn't stand to look at herself; she'd see the symbol on her chest... the symbol that forever marked her as one of Acathla's jailors, and memories would come back to her time in Hell. She would see the brand and imagine the screams of her victims, she could see their blood on her hands, and some time on her whole body. She then thought about the brand on her shoulder blade, and then the marks all over her body made by knives and whips that were covered in hellfire… all so that the marks would remain even after she was resurrected after death.
As she looked around at the view in front of her, she heard rustling from above. Willow looked up at the rustling leaves, and then to her left at the sound of footsteps on the various shades of green grass. She saw a familiar figure walk around the tree trunk, and then stand next to her. The figure leaned on the trunk, before slipping down with her back against the trunk, and sitting next to Willow.
"Althanea," said Willow glancing at the woman once again, the woman who had done so much for her ever since she was brought back from Hell, "I… I don't know if I'm ready."
"Is that why you're hiding out in your happy place?" asked Althanea as she looked around at the brightly lit day, at the sunlight streaming through the leaves of the tree canopy above them. She then turned her head towards Willow and stroked the back of her head with her left hand, "it's unbelievable how far you've come in only eight months, Willow."
"I have so much anger, Althanea," Willow replied as she looked at the grass. She picked up a fistful of blades before squeezing the green coloured vegetation in her hand, "when you and the others were cleansing my spirit, I… I remember my anger.. my hate, and…"
"You're supposed to," Althanea gently said as Willow sighed, leaned back on the tree trunk, and laid her legs outwards, "those emotions are supposed to come out to the surface with your memories, and it's a sign that your spirit and psyche are being repaired. Willow, it's the best way to deal with your anger… with your emotions. It's the after effect of bringing your humanity to the fore."
Willow was about to say something when Althanea interrupted her.
"Your anger is under control," said Althanea, "Miss Harness, the others, even I can see it. You're meditating every day, you're training just how Niko used to train every day. You've remembered her techniques, and what you used to do to focus yourself. I've seen you work hard, Willow. You're further along than anyone could have ever imagined, and I'm proud of you."
Willow looked down at the brown blades of grass in her hands after opening her hands to the gentle breeze. The breeze carried the crushed, brown pieces away before Willow put her hands on her sides. She continued to look at her hands as she recalled the first day that she, Althanea, and Agatha started the treatment that would cleanse Willow.
The Devon Coven, eight months earlier.
From the room she had woken up in, the white-haired Willow was brought to one room full of plants where the roof was covered in clear, domed, tinted glass. She looked around amazed at the smell of the roses and the various other flowers… something she doubted she had ever smelled before. Agatha gently held on to Willow's hand, before taking her further into the room where there was a table surrounded by women seated drinking tea. Women who stopped talking once they sensed the arrival of the three women.
"Willow," said Agatha as she placed her hand on the white-haired young woman's back as the seated women smiled at the newcomers. She then motioned towards the other five women, who were starting to mumble as they walked around the table… and towards them, "these are the rest of the witches who make up the Devon Coven. We're the heads of our order, and… as Althanea has already told you, we'll help you to recover."
"So this is she?" asked a dark haired older woman as she held onto the side of Willow's face. Althanea nodded her head while Willow, the former redhead, saw the woman's eyes go wide before releasing the sides of her head. The witch shook her head before looking straight into Willow's eyes, "it is true. You have the memories of two people. I saw her, and I saw you… two people.. one mind. Astonishing."
Willow looked at Althanea, who reached for, and held onto her hand. Confusion was etched on Willow's face as she looked at Althanea who smiled back at her.
"You may not remember yet, Willow," said Althanea, "but you have the memories of another. A woman named Niko. You have her memories, her experiences, her powers, and her training. We'll help you discover all that you once were. We will help you come to terms with everything you have experienced"
"Now come, my dear," said another middle aged, grey haired woman, as she walked towards Willow, "first, we have some tea. You must be famished. And then… then we begin."
And begin they did.
The shy and nervous Willow, who sat next to Althanea, drank a sip of Earl Grey and closed her eyes. She felt the liquid go down her throat just as she experienced a memory flash of her time as a little girl. The young woman then leaned back in her seat, and watched the others talk and drink, and then she looked back at her cup and thought about the first time she had been out of the country with her parents. It was to Rome for a conference, her first time abroad when she was five years old since the Rosenberg's weren't able to get a nanny in time.
It was her first and last trip abroad.
Willow covered her mouth and gasped; something that Althanea had noticed before putting her cup down on the table and turning to the tearful Willow who was having another memory of when she was younger. She remembered her sixth Halloween, where both she and little Xander were trick or treating. She remembered Xander taking a picture of her, she remembered a female police officer taking a picture of them both. It was the same picture that was in both of their rooms. She remembered the police officer walking her home, and Willow remembered the next day when Xander came back to school with a bruise on his shoulder.
Shaking her head, Willow grabbed her head and looked at Althanea.
"Mom… mommy," said Willow before she closed her eyes and tears went down her cheeks as she had more flashbacks of her parents. Every single day she spent with, and without, Ira and Sheila were coming to the surface of her mind. Althanea hugged the young woman as the others looked on at the crying Willow. All of them could feel her loneliness, anguish, and even her deep-seated anger… the witches felt it all. Agatha was the first one to rise and walk towards Althanea and Willow; she placed a hand on the white haired young woman's shoulder while she was hugging Althanea, and told her that they shouldn't wait any longer.
Willow parted from Althanea, who wiped the tears from the younger girl's eyes, and then looked up at Agatha.
"We will be putting you in a sleep state," said Agatha as the other witches rose to their feet and stepped away from the table. Willow looked at everyone, but she didn't feel threatened. In fact, she felt warm… a peaceful warmth was permeating her body just as the table vanished, and in its place was a pedestal covered in a white sheet with crystals of various colours on small tables surrounding it. She looked at Agatha once again and listened as the witch said that they would be doing the treatment for an hour every day due to the things she had experienced in Hell.
"You stayed in Acathla's Hell for nearly a thousand years, child," said an older woman who seemed to be in her eighties, "ordinarily we would do this cleansing ritual once every three days, or once a week at least."
"But for you," said another woman, "we will be performing this ritual every day until enough of the essence of Hell that still permeates your body, mind, and spirit has been expelled. After that, we will show you meditation techniques so that you could further cleanse your spirit. Thus further healing your spirit, your psyche, and strengthening what makes your humanity."
"But first," said Althanea with Willow turning to look at her, "I need you to create a safe place in your mind."
Willow didn't know a safe place. Sure, she knew she was getting her memories back, but she still didn't know what was, or was not, safe. She looked at Althanea with fear in her eyes while shaking her head. As a result, Althanea grabbed both of Willow's cheeks, and asked her to imagine, in her mind, where she believed she would be safe.
"Close your eyes, Willow," Althanea said gently, "close your eyes, imagine, and I'll be right there."
It was a few seconds later that the two of them, Willow and Althanea, found themselves under a large, thick trunked tree with a large green-leafed canopy. There were rolling hills that spread off into the distance just like the view from Willow's room in the Coven. Althanea could see the sun high in the sky, and then she looked at Willow whose eyes were closed as the rays of light went past the spaces between the leaves and fell on her face.
In the outside world, Willow was now lying on the floor while Althanea was cradling her upper body in her arms.
"You care for this child, Althanea," said Agatha as Althanea kissed Willow's forehead.
"She lost so much," whispered Althanea as she lay Willow down on the floor, her mind still connected to the white haired girl, "she sacrificed herself to save the world, she spent nearly a thousand years in hell where she experienced unimaginable torment, and then.. when she finally was returned to us; her parents were murdered. She deserves more, Miss Harkness. She deserves to have her old life returned to her… but since I can't give that to her, I can help her retrieve as much of herself as I can."
"As will we," said Agatha as she waved her arms and Willow rose gently into the air. She floated towards the pedestal while the witches made their way around it. They stood around the pedestal as Willow was gently lowered by magic, and then Agatha waved her hands. The crystals on the tables lifted themselves up and floated to various places over Willow's body; her forehead, chest, abdomen, hands, arms, legs, heart, among others. It was then that the witches started to chant a spell, Althanea watched as the crystals lit up one by one.. and as they did, a line of pure white light travelled from one crystal to another before the lines of light surrounded and engulfed Willow. The lines of light then started to pulse while the witches continued to chant.
'The crystals would absorb the darkness, and help heal Willow,' thought Althanea to herself as she looked at the redhead, 'you'll be alright, Willow. You will be alright.'
This ritual was performed every morning before Althanea, Agatha, and a few of the other witches showed her techniques that would help speed up the healing of her spirit and mind. Others showed Willow techniques that would help rebuild her spirit and confidence. And a few more witches were assigned to be councillors who would talk to Willow about her experiences in Hell.
All the while, Althanea was there for Willow. Eventually, Willow started to break out of her shell. It was a few weeks after the start of the rituals that Althanea and Agatha had seen the first signs of light in Willow's aura.
But they knew there was a long way to go, but they were confident that Willow would be healed. They were just amazed at how fast she was going.
Devon Coven, Present Day.
Back in the present day, Willow stood up with Althanea under the tree in her 'happy place'. She closed her eyes and found herself back in her room at the coven, with bags packed near the door. It was then that Willow saw Agatha standing with her hands clasped together, a smile on her face. It had been nearly eight months since Willow was away, and now she was heading back home. A seer had told Agatha the previous day that the Slayers were in danger, that Borzan still hadn't been killed. When the news came in, Willow was meditating out in the fields of the massive estate that belonged to the coven. Althanea told the seer that Angel had cut the head off the demon, that there was no way that it could still be alive.
"It is alive by the use of science," said the seer as Althanea and Agatha's faces became serious. The both of them couldn't imagine what anyone could have done to raise Borzan from the dead without his head. Once they received the news, Althanea had called Giles in Sunnydale, who confirmed that they had received that same vision from Doyle only a few minutes ago. When Willow returned from her meditation, Agatha and Althanea told her about the vision that the seer had received and the similarities with the vision that Doyle had received as well.
"Willow?" asked Althanea.
"I want Borzan to pay," said Willow, her eyes filled with rage, "I'm glad he's not dead yet, I want to kill him. For every thing he has done to me."
"Willow," said Agatha noticing the calmness in Willow's aura despite the rage in the white haired young woman's eyes, "you will also be meeting Buffy, and your friends,"
Willow took a few breaths in to calm down before she nodded her head. She then turned around and walked back to her room saying, "I'll be fine."
Back in the present day, Willow sighed before walking towards her bags, and then taking them to hallway outside. Soon, Althanea joined the young woman as well in the hallway. Their taxi was waiting to take them to the airport.
"Remember, Willow," said Agatha who walked along with them through the hallway, "keep up with your meditation, you remember Niko's training now… follow those as well. And you will keep a hold on who you are. Never lose sight, Willow… you still haven't gotten a good hold of the anger within you, so…"
"I'll control it, Agatha," said Willow with a small smile while she imagined cutting out Drusilla's eyes, she imagined the screams while she and Althanea brought their bags down the stone stairs to the foyer below. As Agatha stepped outside into the bright sunny day with the two women, Will imagined hanging Drusilla upside down,,, her body bleeding. Willow hugged Agatha and thanked her for repairing her psyche and her memories, and for bringing out her humanity, "I'm starting to deal with the memories."
"Talk to Althanea," said Agatha as she caressed Willow's cheeks, "talk to your friends about what you faced in the Pit… it will help them take you down the road to where you are supposed to be."
"I will," replied Willow as she imagined hugging Buffy, and then stabbing her with a sword. Willow looked at the wide open eyes that kept asking 'why' and all Willow could do was smile. Coming back to hugging Agatha, Willow stepped back and promised to be in contact with her.
"Farewell, Willow," said Agatha before kissing Willow's cheek, "take care of yourself."
"Goodbye, Miss Harkness," said Willow before getting into the taxi with Althanea. As she closed the door, Willow imagined pressing her Rangers badge, and then splitting Giles in two, before turning Angel to dust. She imagined mentally tearing Spike's arms off and then imagining what she would do with someone like him on her torture rack.
'A large syringe of holy water injected into his veins,' thought Willow as she sat back while the car started to move, 'I want to hear his screams.'
"Willow?" asked Althanea, "penny for your thoughts."
"Just thinking about what I'll say to Buffy, Giles, and the others, Althanea," said Willow looking back at her with a smile on her lips, "I know what happened is not their fault, but…"
"It's understandable if you're angry," said Althanea, "as we talked about while in your happy place, you need to meditate and talk to someone to help control your anger, Willow. You have me; I asked Tara to talk to you… if you want, you have Buffy, Giles, Jenny… you have all of us. And all of us love you, Willow."
"I know," said Willow looking at Althanea while remembering what the witch did a month after the cleansing rituals had begun. Willow was having a nightmare, and her screams were reverberating throughout the entire home. It was Althanea who rushed to her before anyone else, it was Althanea who hugged her while the white-haired young girl was sobbing. It was then that Willow revealed everything that happened to her in Hell. From the first day she became Acathla's Jailer, to the day she tried to escape, and then when she lost her mind due to the pain… the immense pain. Willow told Althanea and Agatha what happened over a period of six months while she continued to meditate and train, and her body was continued to be cleansed.
But the anger was still there.
As Willow held on to Althanea's hand, the taxi drove out of the massive estate. Willow started to meditate. Taking deep breaths before finding herself back in her happy place, looking out to the rolling hills and sitting under her tree. This was where she wanted to be.. this is where it was peaceful for her.
At least until she was home again.
TBC.