CHAPTER THREE

FOR A FRIEND

With only seconds to spare before they were crushed to death by the deadly rain, Buffy twisted and dove out of the way, hurling herself and Dawn into a small side cavern. The massive boulders thundered to the ground, missing them by mere inches, and darkness engulfed the two sisters.

"Dawn… are you okay?" Buffy coughed out a few moments later. Fortunately, enough light remained in the small cave for her to see Dawn sitting up beside her, arms wrapped around her body.

"I think so," Dawn replied weakly. "What happened?"

"A cave-in," Buffy told her. "We're lucky to be alive."

"I'm sorry," Dawn said softly. "If I hadn't slipped…"

"Stop." Buffy reached out to rest a hand on her sister's shoulder. "It was an accident, that's all. Besides, we're still in one piece."

"So far," Dawn muttered. "Where are we now? And why's it so dark?"

"Think I left the flashlight back in zombie central." Buffy apologized. "We're in some kind of small cave, but don't worry; I'll get us out of here." Buffy carefully stood up and made her way to the cave entrance. She was surprised to the find the way out seemed to be blocked. A terrible thought occurred to her, and she hesitantly reached out to feel the darkened barrier that had somehow sprung up where none had been before. Feeling the rough, jagged surface of it, Buffy knew her fears had been realized.

"No, no, no, no…" Buffy whispered in terror. Taking a deep breath, fighting to stay calm, she took a step back. Then, cocking her left hand, she reached back and punched the wall with all her strength. The small cave resounded with the impact, but Buffy's first had absolutely no effect at all on the seemingly impenetrable barrier in front of her.

"OW!" Buffy fell back, clutching her wounded hand. "Okay, trying to slay a rock wall not a good idea…"

"Buffy!" Dawn rushed over to her sister. "Are you okay?" Buffy grimaced.

"Probably just broke a few bones, no big deal," she deadpanned, still wringing her hand.

"Why did you do that anyway?" Dawn demanded.

"The cave-in," Buffy replied. "The way out's been sealed off." She looked into her sister's eyes.

"We're trapped."

"What?" Dawn repeated, fear creeping into her voice.

"That was the way out," Buffy continued, gesturing to the jagged rock wall in front of them, "and my slayer strength's no good against tons of solid rock – obviously."

"What about our weapons?" Dawn suggested. Buffy shook her head.

"I'm not seeing a sword or a stake doing much good either," she answered.

"Then what are we going to do?" Dawn asked, sounding suddenly afraid.

"I don't know," Buffy replied. She drew in a ragged breath.

"Hope for a miracle."

Back in Scotland, Xander greeted the newly-arrived Giles. One of Giles' own mystic allies in England had magically teleported him there, saving him the trouble and inconvenience of actually having to take a commercial flight. Xander met him in the courtyard, and together they walked back towards the command center.

"Magic – the only way to travel," Xander quipped as they walked together. Giles ignored the joke.

"If we can't get Buffy and the others back, then we have to find a way to help them," he said instead.

"Right," Xander agreed. "Any ideas?"

"Possibly," Giles replied. "I've been researching all the legends and folklore surrounded liches. They do suggest a possible weakness, but…"

"But? But's not good." Giles arched an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Xander said sheepishly. "Please continue."

"As I was saying, I believe I've found a potential weakness Buffy could exploit… if we could somehow get the information to her."

"What kind of weakness? I thought you said this Zaragos guy couldn't be killed."

"His body is immortal, yes... his soul may be a different matter."

"I didn't think the undead had souls," Xander said thoughtfully. "Certain friendly vampires accepted, of course."

"Normally, they don't," Giles agreed. "However, when Zaragos transformed himself into a lich, as part of the required ritual, he would have had to seal away his soul in a special vessel. It's referred to as a phylactery." Giles paused.

"According to what I've read, if it is destroyed – and with it the lich's soul – then so is the lich." Xander gave a low whistle.

"Assuming he knows that though, no way he would've just left his soul lying around for anyone to find."

"No doubt," Giles responded. "Moreover, the phylactery has no set shape or appearance; it could be virtually any physical object its creator desires."

"So how do you expect Buffy to find it… assuming we find some way to tell her all this?" Xander asked.

"It should be fairly… unique looking," Giles said. "I doubt Zaragos would let it go far from his sight either."

"So Buffy would probably know it when she saw it," Xander said thoughtfully. "Okay, that's something at least. Now we just need to find a way to communicate with Buffy somehow – wherever she is – so she can whip this lich guy and save Willow."

"As soon as possible," Giles added. "The longer Willow remains in his clutches, the more dangerous he will become." The two men reached the command center and Xander gestured Giles inside.

"Why? What does he want with Willow anyway?"

"I'm not certain… but Willow is easily the most powerful witch on the face of the earth. The thought of her at the mercy of an evil, immortal master of black magic is not a comforting one."

As the tortuous attacks on Willow continued – gradually becoming more vicious and more frequent – the powerful wiccan chose to deal with it in the only way she could think of. Reaching out, she let her mind begin to wander the realms of magic, ignoring what was happening to her body. Separate from her body, Willow's spirit journeyed beyond the physical realm, searching for one where she might take comfort for a time.

She knew what Zaragos was doing to her. She could feel the magic being slowly, painfully drained from her, but she refused to give in to it. Buffy would come for her, and everything would be all right. She hoped Buffy would hurry, but for now, she could wait.

"Willow…" An eerily familiar voice suddenly called out to her. Someone was trying to reach out to her. They were elusive though, and Willow couldn't quite figure out where the voice was coming from; only that it sounded damn familiar, in a way that made her shiver. Well, if her wandering astral self could shiver.

"Willow… baby, can you hear me?" Oh god… Know she knew why the voice sounded so familiar. Grief and anger warred in her thoughts.

"I don't know who you are, but how dare you?!" Willow shouted out into the ether. "If you want to talk to me, fine, but don't you dare use her voice to do it!!"

"Baby… it's me."

"No… it can't be. You're… she's dead!"

"Yes," the voice answered sadly, "but you know I'll always be with you." She materialized then in front of Willow's astral self, looking just as she had the last time Willow had seen her: the same short blonde hair, the same pale blue eyes, and the same shy smile. If she had been in her actual body, Willow would've probably fallen to her knees at that moment.

"T-Tara?" she gasped. The ghostly spirit of Tara Maclay smiled back at her.

"I've missed you," she said softly.

"Oh, god…" Willow choked back a sob.

"I'm sorry, baby. I know how much I've already hurt you."

"No…" Willow managed. "You… you've never hurt me, Tara; but you… you died in my arms…" She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying desperately to stop shaking.

"I know," Tara said sadly. "I'd do anything to make your pain go away." Tara's spirit drew up beside Willow and reached out a trembling hand to gently stroke what would have been her cheek.

"I've missed you so much," Willow sobbed. "We were supposed to be forever…"

"We are," Tara replied softly. "You will always be a part of me… and I will always be with you." Tara put her arms around Willow and hugged her tightly. Willow's body shook with her sobs.

"Willow, listen to me," Tara said gently, stroking Willow's hair. "There isn't much time. There's something you have to do." Willow looked up at her, astral face filled with confusion.

"She needs you, Willow."

"What? Who?" Willow asked.

"Buffy."

"I don't understand…" Willow began. Tara smiled again.

"Yes, you do. She's waiting for you… and together you can be more than you ever thought possible."

"What are you saying, Tara?"

"Willow, we shared our souls… but Buffy is your destiny. It's time for you to embrace your destiny… and let go of the past. You deserve to be happy again, and loved again. Do you understand me, Wills? I want you to be happy again." Willow was struck speechless by Tara's words.

"I know Buffy makes you happy," Tara continued, looking into Willow's eyes. "She always has."

"But… But Buffy doesn't…"

"More than you know," Tara replied. "You need each other… and she needs you, right now." Willow could sense Tara wasn't telling her something. Unreasoning fear suddenly gripped her.

"She needs me? Is Buffy okay?!" she demanded.

"She will be… if you help her. You know what you need to do, Wills." Smiling again, Tara stepped away from Willow.

"Wait! Please don't go, Tara!"

"I have to. My time here is over. They let me come back, so I could tell you what you needed to know, but now I have to go."

"Please…" Willow felt her knees growing weak again.

"Willow… you know I'll never leave you. Just look inside your heart, and there I'll be." Tara kissed Willow gently on the forehead.

"Be strong, baby. Promise me you'll remember what I told you."

"I love you, Tara…" Willow whispered, feeling tears in her eyes again.

"And I will always love you, Willow. Now go… be what you were always meant to be." Tara smiled sadly, and slowly faded away. Willow watched her disappear and choked back a final sob.

Back in Zaragos' dark cavern, Willow awoke still chained to the altar. Her eyes snapped open… now a deep and terrible black.

Buffy felt something stirring within her. She knew she'd felt it before, though she couldn't quite remember when or how. Then, all at once, the rush of power hit her, driving her to her knees.

"Buffy!" Dawn cried out. She knelt at her sister's side.

"Are you okay?" Buffy looked up, and Dawn felt the breath catching in her throat in horror. Buffy's eyes had turned a terrible, familiar black.

"Buffy?!"

"Stand back," Buffy told her, her voice sounding dark and far away. She stepped over to the rock wall trapping them in the small cavern and raised her hands, revealing fists that were now crackling with energy. As Dawn watched in shock, Buffy then drove one of her fists into the rock wall with all her strength. Before, her attempts to smash through it had no effect whatsoever. This time, however, Buffy's fist speared through the wall easily, sending fragments of rock flying everywhere. She grimly punched the wall again, and again, repeatedly, until finally she had broken open a sizeable hole. The moment she had done so, the darkness faded from eyes, and Buffy sagged to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly cut. Dawn was at her side in a second.

"Oh my god, are you all right? What happened?!" Buffy managed a weak smile.

"Willow," she said simply.

"That was Willow's magic?" Dawn asked incredulously. Buffy nodded.

"It's hard to explain, but Will & I… we have this connection, that lets us share our strengths. It's like we can be a part of each other, no matter how far apart we are."

"It's happened before?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah; when I went to rescue her from Amy & Warren at that military compound underneath the ruins of Sunnydale. It's like… we knew we needed each other, and all of the sudden the power was just there."

"Wow…" Dawn breathed. "It … It didn't hurt you, did it?" Buffy grinned.

"You were worried about me, weren't you?"

"You're my sister," Dawn said quietly. "I'm not exactly used to all this weird stuff, either."

"You're the sister of the Slayer," Buffy joked. "Weird is part of the job." Dawn laughed.

"Seeing it, sure… living it is something else."

"Hey." Buffy put her arms around her sister and pulled her into a hug. "I know you're not used to all this. Thank you for staying with me."

"As long as you need me," Dawn replied, hugging Buffy back. "Just ignore the occasional screams, okay?"

"It'll be okay," Buffy said, smiling. "Now let's finish this."