As they were walking, Willow kept glancing up at the space in the sky where the moon should be.
"This is just weird Tara." Willow said with a frown. "How can Giles see the moon and we can't?"
"I don't know sweetie." Tara answered "I'm sure when we get to Giles' we can figure it out. He's probably already started researching now. You never know, it might all be figured out by the time we get there, then we can head straight back to the dorm and get on with our plans...." Tara stopped speaking as she realised Willow had stopped walking and was staring at the sky.
"Willow?" There was no answer, Willow just stared upwards.
"WILLOW!" Tara shouted at her.
"W..What?" Willow jumped at Tara's raised voice.
"You were staring at the sky...What's wrong?"
"I figured it out!" Willows face broke into a huge smile.
"OK, What's happened to the moon?" Tara knew Willow would find the answer.
"Well, it's simple. Either us or Giles has somehow slipped into an alternate dimension. In his dimension the moon is still there, in ours, it isn't." Willow grinned at Tara. "Now we can go back to the dorm and have lots of hot sex, c'mon let's go!"
Willow grabbed Tara's hand and started to head back to the dorm. But Tara held back.
"I'm just as keen to get on with the love making Willow, but don't you think it would be a good idea to find out which of us is in the right dimension, ours seems kinda wrong without the moon...."
"Oh it's ok, we're in the right dimension and I know what happened to the moon."
"You do?" Said Tara, "why don't you let me in on the secret then sweetie"
"It's been eaten." said Willow matter of factly.
"Eaten?" Tara gasped.
"Goddess Tara," said Willow, "Don't gasp like that, it just makes me want to run back to the dorm and rip your clothes off.... plus with the saying eaten like that..."
"Willow! Just tell me how the moon got eaten. Please.."
"Well duh! it was a giant mouse of course, it flew up to the moon in a specially designed space ship and ate the moon right up... Simple, see. Now can we go?"
Tara frowned. She knew Willow could have the occasional wacky idea but this was going a bit far.
"Willow, I think we should head over to Giles' I think you might be coming down with something.."
"I know what I'd like to be coming down on..." muttered Willow.
"What did you say?" Tara asked, shock creeping into her voice.
"Err..Nothing?" Willow tried a quick smile to see if Tara would buy it. But it didn't seem to be working.
"I don't know what's got into you Willow..."
"Nothing...yet.. but I wouldn't mind your tongue.."
"WILLOW!" Tara shouted at her
"What?" Willow replied pouting at her.
"That's it! We're heading straight to Giles to figure out what's going on." Tara grabbed Willows hand and pulled her towards her.
"OK, If I sort this moon thing out properly, can we go back to the dorm? I promise I'll behave till it's sorted out.."
"Can you do that? Can you sort it out?" Tara asked.
"Oh yeah no problem, it's just a matter of some simple physics and a bit of a spell... and it'll be done." Willow told Tara confidently.
"What can I do to help?" Tara asked.
"Well we're going to have to get some supplies, you could get those while I prepare here for the actual fixing job..."
"Ok, what do I need from the magic box?"
"Nothing from there, you need to go to the pet shop, the aquarium section, we need two goldfish bowls, the hiking shop, we need some strong gloves, and you need to go to that new Deli and get a large Wenslydale cheese. It must be a complete one. "
Willow ticked off the items on her fingers as he spoke.
"WHAT?"
"A full Wenslydale cheese, it is a full moon we're trying to replace..."
"Willow! Have you gone mad?" Tara was really worried now.
"No! of course I haven't, trust me, get me those things and I'll show you everything will be all right."
"Ok Willow I'll get everything you asked for. Just stay here while I do it ok?"
"Where else would I go, this is the perfect spot for putting the moon back." Willow looked at Tara in a puzzled way. It was pretty clear that Tara hadn't grasped the finer points of the spell she was going to do.
Tara started to head off for the main street to get all the items on the list, when Willow called her back. She ran back to where Willow was sitting cross legged on the grass.
"What is it? " she asked.
"I forgot, at the hiking shop, can you get lots of rope. I'll need it for the chickens... or was it ostriches... never mind, I'll figure that bit out when you get back, just don't forget the rope.."
Tara now knew Willow had completely lost the plot but thought it was best to humour her, on the way back she would ring Giles and get him to meet her and together they would try and sort out what was going on.
Willow hummed a little tune to herself as she waited for Tara to return with all the supplies for the spell. she hoped Tara would hurry up as she really really wanted to get back to the dorm. she had big plans...
Tara hurried back towards Willow. She had everything that Willow had asked for but she hadn't been able to get through to Giles and now she was really worried. As she approached she could hear singing, tuneless singing to be precise. She stopped and stared as Willow came into view.
Willow was hopping about on one foot. Her left foot, her right foot was tucked up back against her right thigh and she was holding her ankle as she hopped. Tara could make out some of the words as Willow sang. She seemed to be singing about a giant wenslydale cheese. She approached carefully. Willow however spotted her.
"Great! you're back, did you get everything? I've done the cheese dance and so all we have to do now is complete the spell and put the moon back."
"Y..Yes I got everything on the list, including the rope.."
"Brilliant let's get on. Now, can you conjour up three ostriches and about twenty chickens?"
Tara thought it was best to play along. "ok, but what do we need them for?" she started to make chickens appear as she spoke.
"Quick!" shouted Willow "don't let them escape. Lassoo them with the rope and make little harnesses for them."
They both captured each chicken as Tara made them appear. Putting little harnesses on them.
"Now for the ostriches." said Willow. "They will need to go at the front, but they need slip knots, not harnesses."
"Why?" Tara sked, she was having difficulty with the last chicken it didn't want it's harness on.
"well, they have to pull the chickens along untill we get up to take off speed as they run really fast and chickens don't."
"Of course." replied Tara. "I should have guessed..."
Soon they had all the ostriches and chickens roped and harnessed.
"Now what?" Tara had no idea what the next step would be.
Willow got the goldfish bowls out of the bag and proceeded to put one on her head. It was a bit of a squeeze getting her head inside but she managed it.
"Space helmets.."
"What?"
"Space helmets."
"What? I can't hear you through the glass." Shouted Tara.
Willow walked over and put her head, well, the glass bowl against Tara's ear.
"Space helemets!"
"Of course!" Said Tara. and proceeded to squeeze her head into the other bowl.
They touched the bowls together so they could communicate.
"You grab the cheese, I'll mush the ostriches," shouted Willow. "put the gloves on, it'll be cold in space."
"OK" shouted Tara.
Now they were ready, Tara had the large round wenslydale under her arm and with the other hand she grabbed onto the back of Willows jacket. "I'm ready," she shouted.
"Let's go!" and with that Willow mushed the ostriches and they stated running. Very quickly the chickens had reached take off velocity and in no time at all they were in the air. Willow deftly jerked the lead rope and the ostriches were free. As the chickens, Tara and Willow headed for space.
Soon they were breaking through the atmosphere and heading to the dark space where the moon should be.
Willow turned and smiled at Tara. "Nearly there, be ready to hand me the cheese..."
Tara nodded. She was grinning widely, space was cold but really beautiful and Willow was a good chicken musher. Their ride was very smooth. All too soon it seemed they were slowing down.
"We're here, hand me the cheese."
Tara got the cheese from under her arm and passed it to Willow who took it and leaned forward. She placed it in the gap in space where the old moon had been, tapping it gently back into place.
"We've done it! Time to head home.....Tara? TARA?"
Tara was no longer in place behind her, she had let go of her hold on Willows jacket and was now drifting towards the moon.
"Tara! Come back..." Willow shouted desperately.
But Tara had reached the moon and had pulled off her glove, she looked back at Willow.
"Just one little bite... no one will notice..."
"NO TARA! Don't eat the moon...TARA...."
Tara turned to her full of concern, "Willow?... Willow... WILLOW!"
"Don't eat the moon Tara, we'll have to do this all over again and I want to go home and get on with the hot sex..."
"Willow?... WILLOW!"
"Wh....What?"
"Wake up sweetie... "
"What?" Willow sat up quickly and glanced round the room. She was in bed.
"You were shouting Baby." Tara gently hugged her. "was it a bad dream?"
"No just weird is all." Willow replied carefully she wasn't sure just how much she had said out loud.
"I think that better be the last time you have extra cheese on your pizza before bed and no more Wallace and Grommet cartoons either!" Tara snuggled back down into the bed.
"No I guess you're right," said Willow and snuggled up.
"So shall we leave the hot sex till the morning?" Tara giggled.
Willow groaned and buried her head under the covers.
Tara switched off the light. "I'll take that as a yes. Night Sweetie."
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