"Mission Statement" (Post-Season 6)

[mollyig]

Giles and Anya! Oh my! That's brilliant. Can't wait to see the reactions of the Scoobs.



Spike getting what he deserved. Good stuff. Wish he had told them (and us) more about the bloody one though.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[FlyingPoppy]

I can't quite see Giles and Anya getting together, though Anya has just found out about Xander, so maybe that has something to do with it on her side, are we going to find out Giles' reasons? Loneliness maybe, it has been a long time since Olivia was last around. Am I being too harsh on him, would he just sleep with someone coz he was lonely, and he DID call her darling....assuming he didn't have two 'guests' in one night!



I guess Spike's finally getting his comeuppance, all that stuff he went through to get his soul back and he's reverted into some geek who sends flowers and chocolates anonymously coz he doesn't know any other way to express himself.



Can't wait to find out who/what The One is!



poppy

heaven can wait, until tomorrow, give us this day, just let me borrow some time, so we can say goodbye...

[Bagheera]

mollyig - Liking G/A? I think they're right for each other. This is however a W/T story, so there won't be an enormous amount of detail - just a bit. Spike told all he knew. Pathetic, isn't he?



FlyingPoppy - A "no" vote for G/A? All I can suggest is have a look at "Tabula Rasa" again, they're like an old married couple. Or maybe it takes one to know one..... Two guests in one night? Viagra Giles!

Spike - In all honesty, I had great difficulty imaging Spike's behaviour post-soul. Compare with Angel - he lived a squalid, haunted life for a hundred years after he got his soul. In RW "Buffy" it appears Spike's already on speaking terms with Buffy from Episode 1. Remember also William the Bloody Awful poet's human personality; he always was a pathetic geek.

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[mollyig]

To be honest, I never thought Anya should have stayed with Xander. I thought she'd leave him when she learned more about human nature, and saw she could do better. That's my opinion, and explains why I like Giles and Anya as a couple.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[justastraightdog]

Quote:

---

I’m sorry…you’re sorry too? I know; I’m very sorry…No, I’m not trying to say I’m sorrier than you, Xander. I absolutely wouldn’t presume to do that, not at all...We’re both sorry, yes…

---

Hmm, you really got me with that one. But it reminded me of something... something like "You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!". Was this intended?



We should ask UPN to postpone the start of season 7, so that we can get many more parts of this great story.

_________________________________
No safety or surprise, the end

I'll never look into your eyes...again

[Munchkin]

Quote:

---

"What a turkey. Hey fella! You're a turkey!"

---

That's from Mad Max, isn't it? GOD, I love that movie, 'specially after seeing the DVD with the full-screen and the REAL Australian voices recently.



Anyhoo, this is an utterly awesome story, and I'm sooo looking forward to seeing how it ends. A shame that this isn't the real Season Seven, since it's already a billion times better with Tara being the bad-ass superwitch-vampire-with-a-soul that I know Amber Benson would excel at onscreen, being the multi-talented mega-babe everyone here knows she is.



And speaking of Mad Max again, don't you wish that that little turd Jonathan got exactly what he deserved at the end of Season Sux the way that Johnny the Boy did when Max caught up to him? I mean, they were both part of a dispicable troublemaking gang, they're both pathetic losers, and they both showed zero remorse for their crimes aside from the fear that they'd be killed for it. Only Jonathan has the added insult of being a Goddamned hypocrite by making a big show to Andrew about how they should "take responsibility and accept their punishment", then running away to Mexico once their guards are out of the picture. Maybe a stint in OZ[/i], (of the eponymous HBO prison drama) will set those worms straight.

____________________________________



Dave C.

[Bagheera]

mollyig - I completely agree; Xander nowhere near mature enough to deal with a complex personality like Anya's. I expect that RWS7 will prove me wrong, however.



justastraightdog - It was absolutely intentional, you spotted it, well done. I could just picture Xander whining about his busy social life and Buffy having that conversation with him. Anyway, if one of the strengths of "Buffy" was its heavy use of references to pop culture, why not a few of my own?

The final Part of this story is about to start posting, I'm afraid. There may be opportunities for vignettes and fillers and such, but I always saw this as a 12-Part story. Once the news was out that this was "Buffy Year One" in S7, I decided my story would be 12 episodes, just like Season 1, and everything would be kept as basic as possible. I'm glad I stuck to this, because the more spoilers I hear about the new season, the less I like it and the more I would have been trying to avoid having events in the new Season poison this story. I used a few early spoilers (some of them were false ones!) which I thought were just about enough.

Thanks for your comments, and again, congratulations on spotting the reference to a great movie.



Munchkin - Oh my, two classic movie references in one part! Yes, well done, as far as I can remember it's the exact line delivered by Steve Bisley in Mad Max. Great film, best of the three without doubt.

Thanks for your kind comments - I'm sorry this isn't the real S7 too, and I completely agree that AB would do a terrific job bringing vampTara to life.

Oo, Jonathan sharing the fate of Johnny the Boy? Ouch. And your comments about the two surviving nerds were spot on - only showing remorse when they were caught and facing getting punished.



Thanks all,

B.

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[Jennpurr]

Hey B,



I am soo behind on feedback, I'm sooo sorry. Forgive me? RL has been crazy for me lately.



Have I said that I love you? Hee... I just love this story, so much. The dynamics and storyline. The dialouge, setting, relationships... everything is just so... awesome.



I'm glad we finally got to see what the card said and what made Tara want to do the reading on herself. I'm glad she did, or she probably never would have done that spell to lock her soul to her body. I am curious to see how she will become human again, cause I know you will make that happen, right? Tara is so determined. You just know she will do anything she can to find a way. You just have to admire her courage and strength for all that she has been through. Gotta love her.



I was a little nervous and anxious about Willow wanting Tara to bite her at first. I didn't know what was going to happen. My gut told me that Tara would not hurt her/turn her, so I wasn't worried about that. I guess I was just worried about the whole aspect of the biting thing. But... you made it very... sensual and erotic. It was totally... beautiful, if I may call it that. Both of them having that much trust in each other to follow through with type of act, is just... lovely.



Hmmm... Giles and Anya. WOW... I totally didn't expect that. Although, I didn't really find the whole G/A thing in "Tabula Rasa," to be disturbing. I just never would have pictured it actually happening.



I'm curious to see what will happen between Buffy/Faith now. I'm still wondering if you will have them hook up before this is ended? I would really love to see that happen. And I was kinda shocked that it wasn't Faith sending the candy/roses, but why did Spike call Buffy, B then? I guess to disguise himself? Spike is just too creepy for me. I liked what Faith said to him in the ending of this last update, but no one heard him say he has a soul. Is that going to be relevant for later?? So many questions, I know. I'll try to be patient for the answers.



Let's see, what else...Tara calling Wesley. I was thinking it was Angel that she was calling, so that was kind of a surprise too, but not too unexpected. I wonder what all she told him? Will we find out more about that phone call? And I hope Tara hasn't given up on her singing. That would be a shame. Maybe her and Giles could team up and sing together? Hee... Amber and Anthony harmonize very well together.



Well, if I'm forgetting anything, I'm sorry. I can't think of anything else. Just a bunch of unanswered questions. Mainly about Tara and her current status of not wanting to be vampy Tara. Looking forward to more, B.



I'll be sad to see this end though. It's been one hell of a ride. Maybe you will write a sequel??



Well, till later. Have a good Wednesday.



Jen

- - - - -
|My Fan Fiction and More|

"... Evil's good..." ~ Tara, from the shooting script for, "Seeing Red.""We're more centered on the, girl on girl action." ~ Willow

[Bagheera]

Jen - Wow! Simply overwhelming feedback. I don't know where to begin except - oh, I did mention that the cards to Buffy were just inscribed with a "B" didn't I? I guess that could mislead, but it might be the sort of thing poetic, pathetic Spike might do.

Sequel? There will be some loose ends, but not many. I'll have to think about that. I have two short stories in mind at the moment, but not a word is written. It may be about time my RL intervened for a while, too.

And G/A - when I watched TR, I thought they were great together! Okay, G is old enough to be A's dad, but this is Hollywood. A bit more about this later.

And B/F - before the next update, re-read the speech Faith made to Buffy and think: if you were Buffy, what would you do if someone like Faith said all those things to you?



All the best,

B

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[Bagheera]

“Mission Statement” Episode 1.12 “Final Turn”



Disclaimer: JW, ME, blah blah. You owned them, you screwed up, my turn, later.



Rating: M15 and up. Some angst, sexual references, violence, coarse language.



Update: Tara has returned to Willow as a vampire, but their love endures. Tara has been helping Willow overcome the aftermath of her Dark Magic rampage. It has been revealed that Tara, with Dawn’s help, cast a protection spell on herself shortly before she was shot by Warren. It therefore appears that although she is a vampire, she has a soul. Faith is also back in Sunnydale, having escaped from prison to avoid being murdered. The Scoobies are searching underneath Sunnydale High School for the mysterious One, who has kidnapped Dawn.



The light from Giles’ lantern flickered on rough cavern walls. The way led ever down. Tara’s blue Tinkerbell light, hovering overhead, lent the tense faces of the gang a sickly hue. The vampire and Faith led; Anya, Xander and Giles were in the middle, while Buffy and Willow were having an urgent whispered conversation at the rear.



“How you doin’?” Buffy asked.



“Super,” the hacker replied. “What was I thinking, using stairs and elevators all this time? Give me a pitch black tunnel burrowing down into Hell any day.”



“Okay, Will -”



“No, really Buffy. It’s not as scary as I thought.” Willow looked ahead at Faith and Tara leading the way.



“No,” Buffy persisted, “it’s not what I was going to say. I just – I’m sorry. I hate that things have been so strained between us. That Anya and me have been your Watcherettes and that I should have known straight away that Tara is – well, Tara.”



“It’s not your fault. You did what you had to. And it took Tara weeks to be sure of it herself.”



“But Will, most of all, I’m sorry I fought with you.”



“And I’m sorry too. But Buffy, you only did what you felt you had to.”



“Yeah, what I felt, not you. I was too wrapped up in my own stuff. I was a bad friend.”



“You’re the Slayer, Buffy, I’m not, and I don’t want to be. Your stuff is pretty crucial.”



“Protecting Jonathan and Andrew, crucial? Not even thinking for one minute about Tara, and about you? Will, you were going through something huge. And – after it was over, I – I kept secrets from you. I told Giles about Tara. I couldn’t – I wanted to tell you.”



“You can tell me anything. I love you. You’re my best friend.” Willow reached out and hugged Buffy tightly.



“Me too. I love you too,” Buffy returned the embrace. “You know, Will, living in Sunnydale on the Hellmouth, our lives aren’t like other people’s. There’s always – stuff going on. We’re always in danger and sometimes, things go wrong and whether we mean to or not, we put our friends in danger. It seems to happen all the time, this stuff, I don’t have the words, Faith has a name for it -”



“It’s called ‘fucked-up weird shit’,” Faith interrupted from the front. “And can you two keep it down? The vamps can hear us coming a mile off.”



“Sorry,” Buffy hissed, lowering her voice.



“We’ll be good,” Willow added. “You talked with Faith?” she whispered. “When?”



“Yeah, I called round this morning. I – I want to tell you about this, Will. I know you never liked Faith, and I know three years is not a long time, but I think she’s really - changing. She – we talked about a few things and – it was cool. But – then it got sorta – physical.”



“Oh, Buffy, I had no idea! Are you hurt?”



“No, no, I mean – physical.” Buffy looked at Willow and shaped her lips into a pout.



“You slept with Faith!” Willow couldn’t help squealing. The noise echoed down the tunnel, setting everyone’s nerves jangling. Giles, groaning inwardly, shushed the conversationalists.



“Actually, not a whole lot of sleeping,” Faith muttered. Tara heard the brunette and offered her an encouraging little smile. The dark-haired Slayer raised her voice a little and added, “Will you two shut the fuck up! There’s something ahead.”



Something turned out to be a pair of iron doors, shut fast. They were decorated, if that was the word, with reliefs of demons and other hideous creatures, together with runes and other symbols of power.



“These doors are protected,” Tara observed, reading what she was able. “A spell won’t open them.”



“Then how do we get in?” Buffy demanded.



“Old-fashioned way, B,” Faith grinned, as Giles handed her a crowbar. There was a shriek of metal on metal as the brunette wedged the crowbar into a narrow gap between the doors. She heaved at the bar. Nothing. And again. The doors did not budge. Buffy stepped forward.



“Here Faith,” she said, placing her hands on the crowbar next to Faith’s. “Lets,” the two women heaved together and the doors groaned as they opened. “Do this.”



A light sprang up, revealing a row of vampires on the other side of the door, holding spears and crossbows. Tara slowly raised her hand.



“Burn them and the entrée dies!” came a deep, menacing voice. The blonde vampire lowered her hand. There came running feet behind as another host of vampires arrived to cut off their escape. “Come forward!” The seven found themselves powerless to resist. The phalanx of armed vampires backed up slowly as the Scoobies shuffled forward.



They entered a great circular chamber. It was well-lit, but the source of the light could not be discerned. The rock walls were uneven and rough, except for the far wall which was smooth, polished even, to the point where it almost seemed to glow with its own light. Tara was reminded of a movie screen. The walls curved up to a domed roof, dizzyingly high above their heads. The floor was mostly bare apart from a stone block in the middle of the chamber, before which there was a painted magic circle and pentagram. The vampires spread out into a circle, surrounding the seven.



“Stop!” the voice commanded. The Scoobies complied, still unable to disobey the will of that evil voice. The doors boomed shut behind them. “Tara, tell me now why I shouldn’t kill you all where you stand.”



“Because you need me,” the blonde vampire replied.



“Correct,” the voice said, and the far wall began to shimmer. Solid rock swam, then faded, and it appeared as though they looked into a second, identical cavern. A gigantic head slid into view, blocking all sight of the far chamber. Buffy gasped, for she recognised the features, though they were blown up out of all sane proportions, of The Master. “Ah! You recognise me, Slayer. So good of you to remember me after all this time. I’m glad you brought her along, Tara. It will be nice getting reacquainted.”



“How?” Buffy managed to ask. “How did you…”



The Master chuckled. It sounded like a great engine starting up. “Oh, I’m quite dead, rest assured. But death is just moving on to another place, am I right, Tara?” The blonde vampire was silent. “But I’ve been here, on the other side of this, since you killed me, Slayer.” The huge hideous face floated closer, but then seemed to stop, and it was as if the very air at the far end of the cave rippled as his face touched it. There was clearly some sort of barrier there that The Master could not cross.



“Same old Master, huh?” Buffy sneered. “When did you get to be a One?”



“You made me, Buffy. The Master is in me, but there’s so much more.” The face changed shape and suddenly an enormous human head appeared. All except Tara recognised Richard Wilkins. “Well, gosh, it’s good to see people today, joining hands in a common cause. Seven of you, just like in the movies. Of course, Kurosawa’s version remains the definitive, but we won’t quibble. And I think the survival rate of you Seven will be about the same as in the film. Ha-ha-ha,” he chortled expansively at his own joke. “But Faith my child, what can I say? I am so - disappointed in you.” The Mayor frowned, hurt written all over his gargantuan face.



“You sick fuck,” Faith hissed, her face tight with nausea and shame.



The face changed shape again, and suddenly it was the twisted, greyish-green visage of Adam. “Or perhaps the seven of you represent something else. Humans ascribe mystical qualities to numbers. Seven is – lucky, seven stars, seven veils, seven deadly sins.” Adam looked in turn at Giles: “Pride.” Anya: “Avarice.” Faith: “Envy.” Xander: “Sloth.” Willow: “Wrath.” The redhead sobbed and tried to turn away, but couldn’t. Adam looked hard at Tara: “Lust, for it was your lust for the other witch that got you killed, was it not? You rushed back into her arms just in time to catch the assassin’s bullet.” Tara stared, impassive, refusing to be goaded into contradicting the obvious falsehood. "Which just leaves Buffy: Gluttony.”



“Hey!” the Slayer objected.



“You cannot deny your greed; your hunger – to Slay, to kill. That is your food. You could have slumped on your couch munching popcorn and candy like a normal person; instead you greedily hunted monsters. For five long years. And every one that you killed fed me.”



Suddenly, the Master was back. “Didn’t you realise Buffy, that after I fed from you, our fates were linked? You made me what I am today. I was the first, but every vampire you’ve staked, their strength came to me and made me grow. Every demon, I took some of their powers too. Not the telepathy, I got rid of that, it gave me a sick headache for a month and for that alone I will make sure that your death takes a decade. So from many Buffy, you made One. Me. I’m not sure why Glory isn’t here, I would have liked a hell-god in me, I might have got out of here sooner.”



“Now Tara,” The Master turned his attention back to the blonde witch. “I have gone to a lot of trouble to get you here, and that is all the trouble I intend to have. You think it’s an easy matter to make a bullet perform a sharp right turn in mid-air? The effort of it crippled me for two whole months. Easy to recruit the yammering imbecilic worshippers of Worst Evil and their wall-rats to do my bidding? I’ve had enough of skulking behind this barrier, I want to take my rightful place in the universe, and in a time of my choosing, drink it dry. Now, you will open this Hellmouth and let me out or you all die here and now!”



“Tara, you mustn’t,” Giles whispered urgently. “If this – thing – reaches our dimension it will destroy everything!”



Tara discovered that she could move her head. She looked about, met Willow’s anxious gaze, nodded. She turned back to face The Master.



“You’ve had a lot of time to plan this haven’t you?” she noted. “Okay, I’ll do it…”



(To be continued)

[mollyig]

Nice to see Buffy apologising, as it should be. Even nicer that she confided in Willow about Faith, it proves that she meant what she said about being Willow's friend, and that means trusting her.



Oh The One! (Or is it The Many? ) Nice twist, because the Master fed from her, Buffy's kill count contributed to the formation of The One. He mentions Glory not having been added to the mix, obviously because Giles was the one who killed Ben. Wonder will the others find this out?



And what does Tara have planned I wonder.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[BFR from Paris]

<- cliffhanger



Buffy and Faith, huh?



I like this fic, it's updated very often

And VampTara... me like!!!!

[BFR from Paris]

<- cliffhanger



Buffy and Faith, huh?



I like this fic, it's updated very often

And VampTara...

[Bagheera]

mollyig - Thanks; as ever, you are on my wavelength. Willow and Buffy reconciled at last (most of this of course strip-mined from "Primeval", but hey...).

And The One at last is revealed. I took the "shape shifter" and "Master returns" spoilers and came up with this. Glad you like it.

What does Tara have planned? Mmmm...



BFR de Paris - Hi! Only 4 updates to go, then it's finished. Buffy et Faith - seems right to me, better than Buffy-Spike anyway. More B/F later. And I : --> too!

PS: Are there lots of SportClios in Paris? I like mine.

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[Urn of Osiris]

Not sure how I missed an update but it was great to get so much.

FAN-FRIGGEN-TASTIK!



F/B That just mad me LMAO. I would have liked to see Spike dusted. I've had about enough of him. I'm thinkin moony, piney, broody, wimpy, idiot wiliam is going to repulse me for the next year. Thank god for Tivo.



Is Tara gonna kick some major Master Ass? I certainly hope so. How about dawn the key opens the gateway to hell and leaps in to close it herself this time. That would be useful.



When you described the big face I kept thinking "Don't look behind the curtain" Wizard of Oz thing . Sorry I have kids. LOL



I know it's all ending very soon *sigh* but thanks for an awesome ride.

Urn of Osiris
_________________**

"The delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses..." J.K. Rowling

[Thanatopsis]

Ah, B, you've handed us another cliffhanger. I love it. The master is an excellent little twist and his manipulation over certain events is giddy evilness. Anyhow, I'm thinking Tara has some sort of plan, so I'm just gonna wait and see.



edited to question my word choice of giddy evilness. Who knows, it sounds good, anyhow.

-------
"Yeah, 'tis the season. Whatever that means." Amends
Insist upon yourself and never imitate. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Edited by: Thanatopsis at: 9/18/02 6:58:13 am

[Zahir al Daoud]

Ha! I was right! The Master was my first choice to be The One (well, after Delenn and Sheridan, but that's another story).



Once again, a fine example of the cliff-hanging art! Heh heh heh

"O Let my name be in the Book of Love!
If it be there I care not of that other Book above.
Strike it out! Or write it in anew, but
Let my name be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kayam

[lemons]

Can't hold on..need more fic.

[Bagheera]

Urn of Osiris - Thank you. I was tempted to stake the Spike, but what Faith said, he wants to be the injured party instead of the bastard he is. I say, let him stew.

You're about to find out what Tara gets up to with The One.

"Wizard of Oz" is exactly right. Did you note the line: "Come forward!". There's another line from WoO buried way back in Episode 5 in a T/W conversation. Completely intentional, I assure you.



Thanatopsis - "giddy evilness" is not bad at all. Thanks and not too long to wait for Part 2.



Zahir al Daoud - Thank you, and congratulations on a shrewd first choice.



lemons - hang on, not much longer



Thanks everyone,

B.

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[Bagheera]

Rating: M15 Angst, violence, horror.



“…But there are conditions,” Tara added quickly.



“No conditions!” The Master shouted. “Bring forth the girl and kill her now!” Three vampires raced over to one wall. They pressed a hidden catch and a panel slid open. One vampire slipped inside, and returned dragging Dawn; struggling, her hands bound, but she was alive and whole.



“Kill her and I leave you there to rot,” Tara said quickly. “Harm any of these people and I will bring flame and destruction into this place beyond your imaginings. And you can sit here in stinking darkness for eternity and reflect on your folly.”



“Why? Why does a vampire care about humans? Why do I believe that I can’t trust you? Why do you fight and kill your own kind?”



“I care about these as a good shepherdess cares for her flock,” Tara smiled sweetly, though her eyes were cold and hard. “Let me walk.” The Master nodded, and Tara found that her arms and legs were free. She quickly rushed to Dawn’s side, roughly shoving aside the vampire holding her. Tara seized the teenager and turned her, holding her chin up to show her face to The Master. “Look at this one; she has Slayer’s blood in her but in one so young, imagine the exquisite sweetness.” Dawn turned her eyes at Tara, confused but trusting.



“Then drink her and be done!”



“Oh,” Tara purred, “but a pleasure anticipated and prolonged is pleasure multiplied.” She left Dawn and ran to Willow’s side. “Look Master, my consort, the one you would have me turn. Why would I want vampire scum, when I can have this?” Tara tore open the top of Willow’s blouse, exposing the fresh bite above the redhead’s pale breast. “Look! Warm, living, her blood is like wine. To drink her all at once would be a waste!” Tara leaned in close and ran her tongue up the side of Willow’s neck and along the margin of her ear, making sure that The Master could see. “Don’t despair,” she said in a tiny whisper to Will as she did so. Unable to move, not even to shudder or to tremble in response to Tara’s caress, Willow thought she was about to faint. The other Scoobies looked on in horror and confusion.



The Master chuckled. “This is admirable. You show wisdom and cruelty far beyond your years. But you must turn her. To open the Hellmouth is beyond your powers alone. The spell needs you both.”



“She can help me, even human. She is strong with magic. And look at her, Master, properly. Look in her aura and look at all that dark energy. All I need do is to link to it and I can do this spell on my own. If you can help me forge the link, I will do what you ask, and then I can keep her and drink her warm blood at my leisure. Agreed?”



The Master scrutinised Willow carefully and his great head nodded. “I see, yes and that energy would dissipate if you made her. But I need a little more proof that you are trustworthy. I need a guarantee.”



“May I be dust before dawn if I play you false. I swear it,” Tara pledged.



“I have the power to hold you to that oath,” The Master cautioned.



“I know. Can you help me link to Willow?”



“Child’s play.”



“Then let’s begin,” Tara said.



“Tara, no!” Buffy screamed.



“We must do something!” Giles grunted, trying desperately to move his limbs, any limb. “Can anyone do anything?”



“Other than spit?” Faith asked. The Watcher glared at her.



“Anya, can you teleport?” Giles suggested.



“And then what?” the demon retorted. “Not much use if I can’t move.”



“Silence!” The Master roared. The Scoobies suddenly found themselves unable to even speak. “Tara, Willow, approach me.” Tara took Willow’s hand and together they walked slowly forward towards the enormous head. They had to crane their necks to look into his eyes; the mouth was large enough to engulf them both with plenty of room to spare. Although Willow felt safe as long as she held Tara’s hand, she was still very glad that The Master remained on the other side of the barrier. “Stop.” They halted. Tara linked the fingers of her left hand with those of Willow’s right, the two hands held high, palm to palm. The Master blinked once and nodded. “The spell is on a scroll behind you. It is done; you are ready.”



As he spoke these words, Willow screamed in pain and arched her back. “Tara!” she shrieked.



“Breathe Willow, focus,” Tara said urgently. “Give it to me; give your pain to me.” Willow took several deep, ragged breaths; she seemed to improve, but was obviously still distressed. “And Willow, don’t let go of me; do anything, say anything, but don’t let go!”



“Okay, okay,” the redhead managed to say. Tara led her as quickly as she dared back to the stone slab. On it, a slip of parchment had appeared. The blonde vampire scanned it quickly; Goddess, it was very short, only four lines. Tentatively, Tara reached out and laid her right hand upon it; she looked across at Willow who, trembling, laid her left hand next to Tara’s.



“Now!” The Master cried impatiently.



The blonde vampire looked around. The ranks of slavering vampires stood watching expectantly. The prisoners stood to attention, unable to so much as turn their heads. Only their fearful eyes permitted a window into their thoughts. Tara looked across at Willow. Pain clouded those beautiful green eyes, but the look she returned to Tara was steadfast.



“Hold on!” Willow whispered urgently.



Tara turned to face the Master and said as quickly as she could:



“My Will Be Done:

Der Höllenschlund ist Stein

Der Höllenschlund wird zerstört.

Keine Tür, kein Fenster, kein Gatter

Das schreckliche Gesicht nicht mehr gesehen

Es gibt kein Höllenschlund!”



“The Hellmouth is stone

The Hellmouth is destroyed

No door, no window, no gate

The hideous face seen no more

There is no Hellmouth!”



As Tara spoke these words, The Master appeared momentarily confused, then enraged. “Stop! Trick me and you die! Fools!” he screamed at the ranks of vampires. “Stop them!” But by the time the vampires even started to move, Tara had finished speaking. Willow screamed again but she did not let go, and Tara felt a bolt of dark energy shoot up her left hand and arm. The blonde vampire stretched out her free hand and pointed at the far wall and The Master’s face, twisted in rage and now also in fear. The air between Tara and The Master was suddenly filled with cords and tendrils of black and purple, twisting and converging in the air, arrowing towards that gigantic, evil face.



Tara’s spell struck the barrier, and darkness began to spread across the wall. Even as his face began to fade from sight, The Master screamed in agony. The earth trembled. “Kill them! Kill them all!” came a last strangled scream. “Traitor! Ere morning you will join me here and I will torment you through eternity! I hold you to your oath!” Blackness covered the entire far wall and the earth shook again. There was a last strangled cry of pain from The Master.



Too late for The Master, the vampires raised their crossbows and fired. Quick as a flash Tara, with a wrench of her left arm, pulled Willow to safety, shielding the red-haired witch with her own body. A volley of wooden crossbow bolts whistled across the cave; several struck Tara in the leg, body and right shoulder, and one slashed open her cheek, but they missed her heart. The vampires then rushed at Willow and Tara. The blonde vampire cried: “ Thicken!” The attackers suddenly seemed to be running through air that had the consistency of glue. At the same moment, the six other prisoners found that they were at last able to move. With a shout of joy and relief, Faith sprang forward and staked the nearest vamp. Xander whipped out a knife and cut the ropes that bound Dawn’s hands. The other Scoobies also drew their weapons and the battle was on.



“ Incendere!” Tara screamed and burned a whole rank of vampires that were too close to Willow. “Willow, don’t let go. Please!”



“I’m trying!” the redhead cried. “It hurts so much!”



“Not much longer, we have to do one more spell. Oh!” Tara cried as pain lanced through her body. The vampire reeled and almost lost her grip on Willow. Her head swam and her free hand trembled. “The Master’s trying to claim me! We have to hurry! Keep with me, Will, dig your nails into my skin if you have to!” Awkwardly, Tara and Willow advanced. A crossbow bolt had transfixed Tara’s knee, making her walk with one leg stiff and dragging, for there was no time to stop and pull it out. Seeing a vampire on his own, Tara called, “ Hold!” The vamp stood rooted to the spot. Tara grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him to the star painted on the cavern floor. “ Catenas!” the witch cried, and chains sprang out of the ground, holding the vampire fast.



Tara looked around at the fight. With Faith and Buffy leading the way, it was an even match, but then Tara saw two vamps tackle Dawn to the ground. One shaped to bite the girl. “ Away!” Tara shouted and the vampire was hurled across the floor. Tara held the other one with a spell, dragged him to the star and chained him next to the other one. Then and only then did Tara recognise him. It was her brother Donny.



“What the hell you doin’ sis?” the angry vamp demanded.



“It’s time you did something right Donny, and remember: we all have to make sacrifices.” Tara turned back to the battle, which was starting to go against the vampires, and picked out her next victim.



“Hurry, Tara! I can’t – hold on much longer!” Willow sobbed.



“Don’t let go my hand,” Tara warned. “Let the pain go to me. I just need a little time.” As if in answer, another bolt of agony coursed through the blonde witch, but it was impossible to tell if it came from Willow or from The Master reaching out to claim his prize.



A minute and a couple of spells later, Tara had four vampires chained around the pentagram. The remaining vampires were now outnumbered and Faith and Buffy were closing in for the kill. Tara shouted for Dawn. The teenager heard and came running over. “Dawn, I need a couple of things from my backpack: a scroll and a jar of oil. Can you lend me a knife?” Dawn reached into Tara’s pack and got what Tara had asked for. “Will, are you ready?”



Still linking hands, Tara and Willow, with Dawn by their side, walked to the painted star and magic circle. The four chained vampires looked at them with hatred and growled hungrily. Dawn opened the oil jar for Tara and the witch splashed some onto the floor inside the star, muttering a few words of blessing. Then, she took a sharp knife from Dawn. “Sorry, darling,” Tara murmured, “just a little more blood now,” as she drew the blade along Willow’s left palm, making a long but shallow cut. As bright blood welled out, Tara stretched Willow’s injured hand out over the magic star, letting the bright drops fall like rubies. “Now you cut me,” Tara instructed, putting the knife into Willow’s left hand. It was awkward, but Willow managed it, and soon Tara’s blood mingled in dark droplets with her lover’s. Tara whispered in Willow’s ear the words she must say during the ritual. “Are you ready?” The red-haired witch nodded. “Then we begin. Strong, now.”



Tara and Willow walked slowly in a tight circle around the star, keeping just out of reach of the snarling, snapping vampires. The other Scoobies watched in puzzlement and trepidation, but they were willing to trust Tara, even though the vampire appeared disinclined to take the time and stop to explain exactly what she was doing. Tara held the Aberjian scroll in her right hand as she spoke the words:



“ Five are without breath”



Willow answered: “Yet they live.”



“ Five are without time” Pain again coursed through Tara’s body and she groaned. The Master was close to claiming her, she could feel it.



“Yet they live,” Willow replied.



“ Five are without soul.” Dawn looked in alarm as Tara spoke these words, but the vampire merely shrugged.



Donny piped up, “Hey, don’t you turn me into a frog or nothin’, now.” He was ignored.



“Yet they live,” Willow said through gritted teeth, her right hand trembling. Her palm was slippery with sweat, but she still gripped Tara’s hand convulsively.



“ Five are without sun,” Tara continued.



“Yet they live.”



“ Five are dead.”



“Yet they live.”



Tara came to a stop at one corner of the star. She lifted her head high and cried: “ Et illi quinque sacrificum est et illi que est mortuus vivet. Dum vita et mors non duas res sed unas sunt. In tenebris lux est, in luge tenebrae sunt. Serge! Serge! Serge! Serge! Serge! Serge!” (“ And the five shall be a sacrifice and the one who is dead shall live. Even as life and death are not two things but one. In darkness is the light, in light is the darkness. Arise! Arise!”) As she cried the last word over and over Tara shook the hand that held Willow’s, and the redhead joined her in the chant.



“ Ser -” In the middle of the word, Willow lurched, and her right hand grasped only empty air. Horror-struck, Willow looked to where Tara had stood but a moment before. All that met her appalled gaze was a swirling cloud of dust. The earth trembled for a third, even more violent time.



“Tara!” Willow shrieked.



(To be continued)



Edited 'cos there was a word missing

Edited by: Bagheera at: 9/19/02 8:26:13 am

[mollyig]

The Master really underestimated Tara, and the power of her magic joined with Willow's. Wonderful.



I freely admit to jumping happily in my seat when I realised why Tara was chaining the vamps instead of getting rid of them. Her disappearing is part of the spell . . . right? Oh yikes!

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[saule77]

NO! NO! NO!



Evil cliffhanger!!! Cliffhangers are all kind of bad!

See, what you've done? I'm gonna be all antsy until tomorrow, now...



Then again, you did it on purpose, so...



*sigh* Oh well. I'll be patient!



Another great update, thanks Bagheera!

Season 7: "Is this supposed to be some sort of sick joke?"
"Please continue with the story of failure"

[BFR from Paris]

Where did vamp go?



Oh well, I'm sure she'll be back



About SportsClios in Paris, I have no idea but that's certainly a distraction from the cruelty of your cliffhanger so thanks

[dekalog]

anywhere else and I be panicing right now, but everything will be OK right? Please?



There has to be snuggles and.... please?



This is really good, but... stressful. Still all hail to you oh master of the cliffhanger.

[the vamp nurd]

OK falling off now.

.

See you at the bottom.

[Soul Unity]

This is really good.



You capture all of our faverorite Sunnydale friends wonderfully.



And the cliffhangers arn't that bad,

I can see most of them commi.....AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh....*THUMP*



OK, didn't see that one.



-Unity

When Love Is True, Two Souls Become One - Soul Unity

[snuggle79]

What happened?

Great update!!

Pleeeease hurry with the next part!

Tara:"Maybe we dreamed it."

Willow:"Right. Right. Wrong! (points at her head ) Different Brains." Tara:"Oh yeah."


Bitch! Witch! Ho!..mo!"

[Thanatopsis]

I'm assuming that the master managed to claim Tara before the spell was complete. That can't be good. Looking forward to how she's going to return to Willow.

-------
"Yeah, 'tis the season. Whatever that means." Amends
Insist upon yourself and never imitate. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Bagheera]

mollyig - You're on the right track, but you'll have to wait until Part 3 to see what happened.



saule77 - All kinds of thank you.



BFR from Paris - I like that happy confident grin. My cliffhangers are cruel? I suppose so, but not many to go now.



dekalog - There'll be a bit more suspense, but all will be well. Thanks.



the vamp nurd - "See you at the bottom..." Obvious question: Whose?



Soul Unity - Thanks a lot. Damn I love your avatar. If I could draw and had a couple of lifetimes to spare, I would have done this story as a manga.



snuggle79 - Danke - next part will be soon.



Thanatopsis - Are you going all pessimistic on me? I have to admit that it's one possibility. But not the only one. Next bit soon.



Thanks everyone who's sticking with this to the not-so-bitter end. You rock!

B.

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his
path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. Rudyard Kipling

[Urn of Osiris]

Amazing



I kept moving closer to the edge of my seat. Almost fell off. This was such a fantastic update!



The joined hands in battle was a great image. I love how they are so powerful together. Revealing the bite on Willow's chest and then the Scoobie shock. Brilliant intensity written into that scene.



I know I've said it almost every time but you have written the most believable Vamp Tara. And you know the ewww factor I had in the beginning.



LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic. I'm here to see it through.

Urn of Osiris
_________________**

WILLOW: Because social phenomena don't have unproblematic objective existences. They have to be interpreted and given meanings by those who encounter them.
MIKE: Nicely put. So, Ruby, does that mean there are countless realities?
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