Ok the end of that was hysterical and I think I lost my drink, lucky I didn't electrocute myself as well. So I am guessing that it is Tara that is effecting everyone. She got her powers first and it seem to be anyone that is close (physically) to her that is effected...of course I am probably wrong Willow seems to be taking to the mage-o-pause really well. I hope Ceri is alright though I really like her and Brigh. Is that a subtle enough hint to read more Ceri/Brigh?



I still don't trust Morgan any more than I can throw her, and how far can a committe witch be thrown anyway? I wonder if we will find out ever. I'm also wondering if anyone gonna let's slip about Brianna.



Thanks for the update Lisa. I hope you have recovered from the 3rd years and that the feral squirrels are treating you well. They tend to go nuts

---

Cheese. It's milk that you chew.

Hey Lisa,



I took your advice - I'm here on Pens where Buffy is still fun and are still alive and well



This was a fantastic update. Willow's pants on fire - now that's a visual



I'm guessing the 'wilding' or potential of it has a little to do with all the others goin' a lil' wacky. And cliffhanger. Understatement much?



I love this fic!!

-shuyaku

Lisa,

Love the update! Can't wait for more. Soon please







bluewillowwitch

---------------------------

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

Just one question. WHAT THE HELL??? I wanna know what happens. *throws a fit like a 2 year old*



Leni

Check out my poems in The Inward Eye. They're not to bad!

Great update



I loved the part where Tara and Willow supported Brent and then when Willow told the guard to take Morgan to the holding cell. I really don't trust her.



So Morgan is responsible for Rack? The worst thing about that is she obviously hasn't learnt her lesson. How many more Racks is she going to create in her attempts to find a successor.



You seem to be slowing building the tension with what's happening with the Maclays. Was that really magic that the pastor was performing? Given how inteligent Donald is it could have been anything.



And the ending, something of a cliffhanger. Is the insanity due to this wilding? or is it something else?

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

yay.. chapter 18


Ohhh.. that was really funny "Pants on fire" heheh The images floating in my head...
I can't stop from laughing.
And i really love how Brent reacted(Like a Lioness in rage) about Rack.
Hmmm..Dawn and Bre: really liked Dawn wanting Bre for herself..
And WHAT the Hell happened there.. Buffy, Anya, Dawn and Bre wanting to KILL!!! ohhh the cliffhanger... your torturing me
I can't help it, but be in awe of another fascinating update... Thanks LISA
Can't wait for more... I absolutely love your fic
ciao
Red Jassy

---

Don't you understand? That everything I do, I do for you? Anything that might be special in me...is you.

---GREAT EXPECTATIONS

oh my freeking god can u put us in more of a state of shock this was so good im amazed u are truly a goddess and bre and dawn acting that way that will wake them up good



but im wondering what the hell is going on with the mageopause its affecting everybody



this was really good im hoping for an update soon



this is still sooo cute



Willow:it ok i dont need to be snuggled

Tara:vixen

thank you

loved this chapter



what is up with that pastor using magic? liked the conversation between Bre and Dawn Buffy, Dawn Bre and Anya flipping out like that was kind of funny

I'm not stealing, I'm just taking things without paying for them. In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?
Consciousness: that annoying time between naps

WOOOAAAHHHH!!!

now THAT was a cliffhanger!!!!



i really loved the killing conversation, especially *We’ll fling the bunnies at her- evil bunny projectiles. After I run her over and you strangle her and Bre chops her up. It’s brilliant!"*



update soon, please??!

The pastor didn't NEED magic to be evil in my opinion. I still hope it was something else, anything will do. Just not the evil-magic-made-me-do-it, I want to know where he was when Tara's mother did... yes I do.



Funny how some people think that Tara is affecting the others. I read it the other way around, for some reason people are becoming crazy and Tara being a sensitive can't handle all those feelings.



The final scene left me with a LOT questions. Even if Bre shoots Ceri while under the influence of whatever... the bulletwound will be there for a while, the effects of the action wont just fade away once the magic-trouble is resolved. With her shoulder she will only get of one well-aimed shot though.



Doesn't Ceri have a gun ? She should have one, she's senior Imbolc Guard after all. I would think Lady Willow's bodyguard would be armed by now. Why can't Willow just melt those guns like Tara did in the mall ?



For that matter, where did those pesky mage rules come from all of a sudden ?? Neither Emilly or Tara seemed restricted by any ruleset, so how come Willow has to follow them ? (yes, I can think of a dramatic-reason but in-story is what I mean)



Since those fireballs can touch non-living objects, try frying the guns.



This remind me a tiny bit of _Normal Again_ from season6, the most annoying thing about that episode was that the fall-out and effects all were gone in the next episode. I sure as hell wouldn't so easily forget a friend of mine throwing me down the stairs, no sireee. I'm all for follow-through.



Leading the life of Murphy is about right, any trouble available seem drawn towards Willow and Tara .



Before I forget, earlier on in this chapter Dawn finally did something I *did* like. She convinced Bre using logic to stay and the rest needed to properly heal. (anyone else wondering why the 'batphone' was specificly mentioned?)



I don't like parity officers; the use dark magic to kill witches who they feel are using dark magic 'wrong'. That is a rather dangerous approach, who is to tell who is right in the above setting ? Exactly WHY did the witch/mage in that town France need to die ? So she took out two other hitwoman who tried to kill her, thats hardly a crime. Why did she need to die, why ??



That brings us to Morgan doing things she doesn't like as long as she believes they're right. That story should serve as very clear warning what Morgan will do when she deems it nessecary. Get her of the sanctuary as fast as possible. (and don't tell me she's the only one capable of handling mage problems, I doubt it)



Hmm, dark magic could be easily used to defend Tara of course. I don't think Willow would resort to that, although she might if someone stabs or hurts Tara. Don't know what will happen if she uses those long-dormant magic mussles.... and no I do NOT want to unbind Morgan to have her use dark magic. That risc is way to high.



Now there's a trauma for an Imbolc Guardian; having stabbed a former Imbolc Mage... guaranteed YEARS of therapy needed



Grimmy

--

She(Tara) knew that she was Willow too. If she knew that then why hadn't Willow herself? That wasn't fair. She was Willow. she should have known that first. -- Willow in _Sidestep Chronicle_ (part 80)

Lisa of Nine: Great update, but I hated the cliffhanger, I really hope that Buffy, Dawn, Bre and Anya are OK, what is a matter with them? What caused all this crazyness? And PLEASE, please let Tara be OK.



Like I said before part of me wants to trust Morgan but I just can't shake the feeling that shes hiding something. I really hope that Brent and Emily can help with this Allaidh thing.



I really love this line that Ceri said: "Not mine. Lady Tara belongs to Lady Willow. She always has, and she always will." Damn straight.



I got a little teary-eyed remembering what happened to Tara before, nobody should ever have to go through that.



I want to say again that I don't like nor trust Pastor Crow, that guy just really creeps me out.



PLEASE, please let everything be OK, I know you have to torture us but please be gentle. I can't wait to read more.



Lonewolf

I am so glad everyone is enjoying the story. I did want to reply to the ongoing discussing about these darn rules for mages. ;-)



When I came up with the idea for these rules way back in UC, I wanted the rules to equalize things- so mages were not unstoppable. These made mystic sense to me.



Since then, I have at times grumbled at myself over it.

Grimmy has a habit of asking the very questions that plague me!



So...from Unexpected Consequences, when Buffy first read from the book of mages:

-----

“Well, there have been young mages,” Buffy pointed out. “This book said Joan of Arc might have been a mage.” She scowled grouchily. “Stupid rules. The book said a mage can only use her powers against a human if they’re attacking with magic. Damn priests burned her alive and she couldn’t lift a finger.”

-----



I've tried to stay true to this. When a mage is protecting herself, she can only use her powers if she is under a magical attack. This was the best way for me to justify the fact that mages were burned at the stake. Now, for my world, a mage CAN use her power against any attack-if she is protecting someone else. This way the mage is not a bully just using her powers for any reason.



In Milestones, we first saw Emily use her powers to close a barn door. When I put that in I made sure it was clear that Tara was escaping the keepers- so Emily used her powers to defend Tara. The keepers were actively after Tara, so anything goes.



With Willow's new powers, she hasn't got the hang of them yet. She can only use them if someone's life is literally threatened. So, aiming a gun at Ceri- no. Shooting at Ceri- yes. Since all those currently taking a vacation in nut-land are not witches, Willow can't really use magic in self-defense- unless she were to tap dark magic.



Compare this to Tara's Imbolc mage powers- Tara as the IM could use magic at any time for any reason- and she had A LOT more of it. Being the mantle of Brigit is like being teacher's pet. ;-) You get all the goddess' goodies without restriction.



Oh, look for the fireballs to fly in chapter 19... and we see how effective THAT is.



As for the mystery trip down the rabbithole for Buffy, Dawn, Bre, and Anya... well, you'll have to wait and see, but if you do an Internet search on the city of Pont-Saint-Esprit, in the year 1951, you can see what they are facing. It was the same insanity blamed for outbreaks of witchcraft throughout history. (At least when the rye was infected with ergot and folks went nuts on the organic LSD.) Of course, according to Morgan (and me) all these outbreaks were really mages gone wacky with the wilding!



Hope that clarifies. This will be further addressed in the story, but I hate when people are confused. Once the entire novel is posted, it won't be so bad because you wont have ages between updates.



Okay, back to the grindstone! BTW- I will be gone through Sunday. I have to babysit a horse out in the boonies. Poor little colt has an infected umbilical cord and needs shots twice a day. His human mommy is out of town, so I will be poking the poor dear. :-(

But, I do get to go riding on 800 acres with a nice river through it!



Blessed be!

Lisa

Edited by: Lisa of Nine at: 5/21/03 3:49:31 pm

Yes I see the reason for those rules, however it does make a mage far less powerfull. Imagine wanting to sneak up on your enemy and having to wait for them to attack you first, kinda sucks. It's not that I'm so much confused by the rules, they're stated rather clearly, it's just the first time I've witnessed those rules actually restricting mage-power usage (and thus being annoying).



Found it, the word I was looking for is: frustrating, yeah that's it, verrrry frustrating.



Tara in the van driving away from the mall doesn't qualify as being under magic attack as far as I can see, unless you consider any attack by the Keepers henchmen magic by default. Maybe Tara has more innate magic than she gives herself credit for. Doesn't account for her magicking a hole in the sanctuary wall to ride a horse through though... that incident had me believe becoming a mage was just a huge powerboost.



The interesting question becomes of course, who decides when a mage is protecting someone ? I would see disarming Bre in her current condition as protecting someone by default really (loony + gun = disaster). Pointing a gun at someone definitly counts as an offensive move in my book (and of the local police probably:-). Heck, even Spike's chip agrees with me on that .



It doesn't help that Willow is horrible out of practice as far as ANY form of magic is concerned. If she were at her pre-season-6 level she could have handled this more gracefully, no mage power needed for that...normal fire will do just fine. Any reason why those mage flames don't burn away the targets' clothing by the way?



The only good those damned rules do is put Tara's mind at easy. Tara tends to be very nervous about using magic for defense/offense, probably a left-over from her short Imbolc Mage experience.. She really didn't want that power, and probably likes restrictions. (something Morgan won't understand)



On re-reading that witch-burning part where Buffy mentions that the witch could do a thing I wondered; only witches become mages right ? Those rules mentioned only apply to mage-power (additional) right ? If so, wouldn't those witches still have non-magey magic available ? Granted turning into a rat isn't all that usefull but it beats burning alive :-)



As luck would have it, Willow doesn't have non-magey-magic available at this moment. Although desperation can work wonder for remembering things . If Tara really is causing all this, would it help to sedate her ? I don't particulairy like Morgan's way of solving such problems you see....



Good fic, that's for sure.... I keep thinking about this latest update, much food for thought.



Have fun babysitting, should be easier than those 3rd graders :-)



Grimmy

--

She(Tara) knew that she was Willow too. If she knew that then why hadn't Willow herself? That wasn't fair. She was Willow. she should have known that first. -- Willow in _Sidestep Chronicle_ (part 80)

Edited by: Grimlock72 at: 5/22/03 1:31:57 am

Lisa,



First let me just add my praise to the list of adoring kittens...you really are amazing and I love the way you write Willow and Tara. Can I also tell you how great it has been to be able to read this version of W&T as compared to what that cretin at ME thought we "needed". W&T forever...as it should be!!!



Thanks so much for takng the time out of your ever busy schedule to explain about the mage rules. I thought I was being dense again and had missed something...which I'm still not willing to let myself totally off the hook for yet, but I feel a little less fuzzy now. The "teacher's pet" analogy helps though and I look forward to understanding it better as you continue to weave this wonderful tale.



Also I just have to say...Dawn is so busted when they come out of this "whatever induced" psychotic episode. Unless they don't get to remember any of it...HMMMM.



Good luck with the sick colt and thanks again.



-E

Lisa,

I agree with you this by far is the biggest cliff hanger you have givin us yet.

I am assuming that the Wilding is what is happening to Buffy Bri Dawn and Anya!

As far as the preacher I told my wife in confidence that I thought that he was a plant by the witches committee. But every time I think I have you figured out you pull some crazy stuff and throw every one off!

I must say that I hate it when Willow and Tara fight but I know that is that Mage-o-Pause going on. I still don’t like it when they fight!

As for Bri and Dawn………..Its not nice to tease! Us that is!!!!!!

I thought you were going to give us more and will Bri and Dawn remember everything that they said to each other or will they have some nasty case of amnesia!!!! Not that you need any more amo to make us all crazy!!!!

I had no doubt that Willow and Tara would stay loyal to Brent and stand by her no matter what, I don’t know what Morgan was trying to pull but she should have know by the way that the gardians reacted to the committee kidnapping Tara!

I love this fic and am very loyal to all of your stories. Hope you don’t leave us hanging like you did in November I almost went crazy.

Defender of the Flame

Dykeleen

I just read Chp. 17 + 18 and ...Holy Shit....that REALLY is a cliffhanger...

Ceri provoking Bre... really smart, but oh oh...

And, I might add, I SOOOO need some serious Dawn/Bre snuggles *gg*



I kinda think Morgan is quite amusing.. Sweet cheeks *gg*



Insanity

"Nobody messes with my girl!"Tara, Bargaining

Thanks for the wonderful update Lisa. I could really get used to the frequency of them. But I know you are buisy, so please take all the time you need, as long as you keep giving us such great updates, I dont mind waiting.



With the whole crazyness between Anya/Bre/Dawn/Buffy, I find it convenient that only the non-witches are effected. That way Willow cant just attack them because they dont know how to use magick. Awfully convenient if you ask me.



Cant wait to see what else you have in store.

Something else I thought of about Morgan; she likes to research things. Just how far does she want to take things in order to research events ? In other words would she trigger certain events to study them ??



(like a vulcanologist triggering an eruption to see how the lava flows, that kinda thing)



Still, I would be extremely pissed if Morgan got anything magical past her intake. Josh may have fooled the Guardians *once* but two times....nah.



Ceri taunting Bre... so Bre fires and Willow can do WHAT exactly ? Shove her under bookcase where Buffy will have her out in no time ? Knock her unconcious perhaps ? Thats rather risky considering Willow has no experience with mage power and how to dose it AND Bre is still injured from catching a bullet from those keeper-men.



Now let us all hope that the bullet fired does get stuck in the wall in one go. Or even better lets hope they have good ammunition which doesn't ricochet around after hitting something (JHP). Definitly don't want a bullet zinging around in a hospital room with Tara lying there unconcious...



Where's Emilly when she's needed, she is the most powerfull magic user on site after all. At the very least she can protect Tara, possibly even figure out what is going wrong and fix it. Do NOT, I repeat NOT, let Morgan try to fix things. I don't like her methods nor do I trust her one bit.



Grimmy

--

She(Tara) knew that she was Willow too. If she knew that then why hadn't Willow herself? That wasn't fair. She was Willow. she should have known that first. -- Willow in _Sidestep Chronicle_ (part 80)

Woah! I guess the wilding ' wild thing' has begun. That was an action packed update of the most awsome variety. Lisa you rule!

Holy crap! Just got to read both chapters 17 and 18, and and and...Holy crap! The whole blue flame with the gold fairy dust thingie and the superpassion bit... *fanning self*

'Pants on fire' LOL

Morgan, don't like her..'nuff said

yeah, I'm also wondering if Bre/Dawn/Anya/Buffy will remember the whole wilding thing (as I suspect is what's causing the spazz attack), cuz ya know, for Bre and Dawn..things'll get miiiihgggtyy interesting... heh

I, too, wouldn't want to see bullets flying in a unconscious Tara room..let's see how much more interesting this will get...

And have I mentioned how I absolutely lovelovelove your writing!

Tk's new and improved "GrrArgg"...

---

"I've become really protective of her. I want to make sure if Tara comes back, it's for good reason." -Amber Benson
Tara ate her, devoured her from beneath. -The Edge of Silence giving new meaning to this season's catch phrase.
"Don't get me wrong. I kinda like being the quirky nympho chick." - Michelle in 'American Pie 3'

I hate your fucking guts.



Please, please, write more?





Anyway, that was an amazing update. I'm only comforting myself by saying: a-Ceri can't die, that goes against the "happy ending" code; b-Bre can't kill someone, that will stop from her eventually hooking up happily with Dawn without being drugged; and c-Tara will wake up and save everyone, and it will be all Pastor Crow's fault even though he's kinda far away.



Edited to comment on a detail I've decided that I love: ""Brigit’s guardians don’t ‘man’ anything. I am handling communications.".

Damnit, how come you always do this? You make up original characters, and then hook them up with supporting characters, and I fall in love with the pairing? (I think I'm thinking of Tears of the Goddess as I say that, and I realize that Dr. Doyle isn't original, but you know what I mean). So yeah, damnit.

"Come and and go to my house, ladies. Come on and go to my house, girls girls!"

"I'll look you, right in the face!"

"Haha, there's a dog! Wait, that's not funny. [everyone else cracks up]"

Edited by: Bookcat at: 5/23/03 7:21:43 pm

you...you...you...STINKY POO HEAD!!!! that was soo mean! now we have to wait...cliffhanger bad...preview very good!



it was a great update lisa! and the pants on fire thing was a trip. but if ceri dies..there well be hell to pay! <----i never got this expression. please update!

love ya

megan

I loved the update, but damn you and your cliffhangers!!!! *pouts*



And Megan...stinky poo head??? lol

I LOVE MY KARE-BEAR

yea, its one of her "catch phrase insults." *giggle* shes so cute! be happy its silly sayings like that. when i first met her, "stinky poo head" was more like . lol, i love you megan

-Devi

but...no...wait...it can't...ARGH! I hate cliffhangers!



Fantastic chapter and oddly enough I still don't hate Morgan, even though I'm always expecting her to do something bad. I'm weird like that.



I had nothing to do and typed up Pont-Saint-Esprit on Google and found out that apparently I can read french so yay me, but that's not the point. There was a page actually talking about a book on the incident occurred in the village, and this part gave me some ideas when it explained what happened to the people:



"The worst cases went psychotic - screaming about the tigers that were eating them alive, or about the balls of fire shooting towards them."



Can't wait for the update, that last scene just had a potential for things going extra bad in the end, I hope everyone will be okay.

Now that I know there's something to know, I can't not know, just because I'm afraid somebody will know I know. You know? ~ Willow, Buffy Vs. Dracula

I hope something poos on your car!! Now there's a cliffhanger!

And why the hell was everyone acting so damn crazy and trying to kill everyone else? That's nuts! Oh well. I guess we'll find out what happens when the next chapter is posted. Soon? Pretty pretty plezzzzzz? *sits patiently*

Peace out,

RedVampire





"I sit here locked inside my head, remembering everything you said. The silence gets us nowhere, gets us nowhere way too fast." Staind, For You

Edited by: RedVampire at: 5/26/03 8:17:48 pm

Look at that I come upon a lovely update (chp 16) and by the time I come back to the thread to leave some feedback I find another update, and then another and so it seems perhaps i will never feedback, living buried in wonderful updates instead. Woe is me! *giggles* Heh, I'm loving what you've given us so far Lisa, wonderful stuff, but you had to leave it off w/a cliffhanger didn't you?!!??! Ah, well you really do know how to reel us in. And for all of our complaining I'm thinking we like it Hurry though, suspense is wonderful but ever more so when it's over. I know Ceri can't die, but still....And as for the Brawnie aspect of this fic, this is me waiting on the ligitimate smoochies. Pretty please w/a hedonistic amazon on top??!!! (loved that line) K, being patient now.....

"Oh, I'm never really nice," Anya replied matter-of-factly. "I'm just the voice of truth in a world of artifice and social convention -On Second Thought, by AntigoneUnbound

Edited by: EyesLie at: 5/27/03 11:28:00 am

Dear Lisa,



I'm a new kitten. I've read "Unexpected Consequences" and "Milestones". I discovered this board only 2 weeks ago, and the firsts stories I've read are yours.



I just wanted to tell you how much I loved them, how good a writer you are and that me wanting to say this to you was what finally convinced me to log in



Brianna and Megan are the cutest girls ever and I can't hardly wait to read the next chapter!!

Hey Lisa,



I'm a newbie too and I have to agree with Willowtara19, your stories are excellent can't wait to find out what happens next. I love universe you've created for the Scoobies. I especially love the Bre and Dawn storyline - I hope there'll be smoochies soon!!!



Can't wait for the next update (no rush though, I know you're pretty busy with "real-life" stuff!)



ArielStarr