Disclaimer:I own nothing, except Sophie.
"Mama Tara's right baby" Willow smiled. "This is just the beginning. Now, Xander was very excited about breaking the spell, but Wesley, as always, was worried.."
--
"Xander, wait, come back here!" Wesley cried, panicking as the candlestick jumped off the shelf. "Xander, please listen- oh, it's no use" the clock sighed, following the lead of his fellow enchanted object. "That stupid candlestick will be the death of me."
"Hello?" Tara called again, still looking around. She was about to give up and leave, when suddenly, she spotted a small light a little further down the hall. "Is someone there?" The light began to move further away, so Tara followed it. "Wait, please, I'm looking for my uncle, have you seen.." The light, Xander, disappeared, hiding himself behind an open door with Wesley. "That's strange, I'm sure there was someone.."
"Tara? Is that you?" came Giles's voice.
"Uncle Giles!" Tara cried, running into the room and grabbing the hand that Giles extended to her through the bars of his cell. "Oh, your hands are like ice! I have to get you out of here!" The watcher was indeed in a bad way. He was pale, freezing, and suffering from a severe cough, but his own health meant nothing to him when his precious niece was in danger.
"Tara, listen to me. I want you to leave this place."
"What? No!" Tara cried. "Who did this to you?"
"There's no time to explain" said Giles, "Please, just go!"
"I won't leave you!" Suddenly, a hand grabbed Tara's shoulder and whipped her around.
"What are you doing here?!" Dark Willow's voice growled.
"Not again" Xander groaned softly from behind the door.
"Tara, quickly, run while you still can!" Giles cried, but Tara didn't run.
"Who's there?" She asked nervously, looking around for the source of the voice, who had hidden herself in the shadows, obscured from view. "Who are you?"
"I am Dark Willow, the Mistress of this castle, and you" the witch snarled, "are trespassing!"
"I'm here for my uncle" said Tara. "Please let him go, can't you see he's sick?"
"He shouldn't have been trespassing!"
"But he could die! Please, I'll do anything!" Tara begged.
"There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner." Dark Willow began to walk away, when Tara had an idea.
"Wait!" She called after the witch. "I'll be your prisoner, take me instead!"
"You?" Dark Willow turned. Her black eyes, the only part of her that could be seen, seemed to soften, and for a second, just a second, Tara could have sworn that they flashed a beautiful emerald green. "You would take his place?"
"Tara, no!" said Giles, panicking. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"If I did" said Tara, ignoring her uncle, "would you let him go?" Dark Willow thought about this for a while.
"Yes" she said finally, "But only if you promise to stay here forever."
"No! Tara, I won't let you do this!" Giles cried. Tara squinted into the darkness, trying to get a better look at who she was speaking to.
"Come into the light" she said. Dark Willow hesitated, then slowly shuffled one foot in, then the other, before letting her whole body become illuminated by the thin beam of light. Tara gasped in shock and looked away, but soon regained her composure, lifting her blue eyes to meet the dark witch's black ones. "I'll stay. You have my word, now let my uncle go free."
"Done" Dark Willow nodded, moving to unlock Giles's cell. Tara dropped to her knees, her head in her hands, and the newly freed Giles ran to her side.
"Tara, listen to me. I've already had a good run, but you're you're young, you have you're whole life ahead of you.." Before the Watcher could finish, Dark Willow telekinitically lifted him and began dragging him away.
"No, wait!" Tara cried.
"Tara!" Giles yelled.
Dark Willow proceeded to drag the struggling Giles outside.
"Please, don't do this" he begged. "Tara needs me!"
"She is no longer your concern" the witch growled, dropping Giles into an enchanted carriage. "Take him to the village!" The carriage rolled away, while a sobbing Tara watched helplessly from the window. When Dark Willow had re-entered the castle and began heading back towards the dungeon, Xander joined her.
"Hey, Wills" he began, hoping the use of her old nickname would soften the dark witch.
"What?" she said angrily. Xander winced. No such luck.
"Well, I was kinda thinking that since the girl is gonna be with us for a while, like, you know, forever, you might wanna offer her a more comfortable room." Dark Willow stared at the candlestick for a second, before snarling and brushing past him. "Or not" Xander sighed. He missed his friend. He was the son of one of Willow's parent's servants, and they had grown up together. Even when she had started becoming spoiled and selfish, Princess Willow had always been kind to him, always been his best friend. The spell had changed all that, but now they had a chance to make it right. He just hoped Willow realised it.
Dark Willow walked into the dungeon, finding Tara slumped on the floor, still sobbing.
"You didn't let me say goodbye" Tara cried, tears staining her cheeks. "I'm never going to see him again, and you didn't even let me say goodbye." Dark Willow felt a twinge of guilt, and was struck with a sudden overwhelming urge to make it up to the girl. Then, she remembered Xander's suggestion.
"Come on, I'm here to show you to your room."
"My room?" asked Tara, puzzled. "But I thought.."
"What, you want to stay in the dungeon?" The witch snapped, quickly reverting to her usual dark, angry self.
"N-no" Tara stuttered.
"Then follow me" Dark Willow swept out of the room. Tara reluctantly followed, and the candlestick at the dark witch's side gave her an encouraging smile. While it might have felt a little weird having a candlestick smiling at you, in Tara's opinion, the living ornament was a hell of a lot less scary than the dark witch she currently walked behind, so she gave a small smile back. When they reached Tara's room, an awkward silence ensued.
"Willow, say something to her" whispered Xander, nudging the witch.
"Uh.. the castle is your home now, so feel free to go any where you like" Dark Willow began, "Except the West Wing."
"Why? What's in the West Wing?" asked Tara, curious.
"It's forbidden!" Dark Willow yelled, then trying to calm herself down, she opened the door to show Tara her room. "I, uh, hope you like it here. If you need anything, my servants will attend to you."
"Dinner! Ask her to dinner!" Xander hissed. Willow nodded.
"You.. you will join me for dinner" then, remembering that Tara was a prisoner, and not wanting the girl to lose her fear of her just yet, she raised her voice and yelled "AND THAT IS NOT A REQUEST!" Before storming off down the hall. Xander followed, sighing. Tara, feeling frightened and alone, collapsed face first onto her new bed and began to cry.
--
"Poor Tara" said Sophie, looking a little teary-eyed herself.
"Don't worry sweetie, it gets better soon" said Willow.