New Fic : Magic Calling (Update 09/04)

[Tawilove]

Title : Magic Calling
Author : Tawilove (Julie)
E-mail : tawilove@yahoo.fr
Distribution : No problem, just ask me first.
Feedback : Yes please, I really want to know your opinion
Spoilers : This is totally AU but there could be some quotes or references from the show till end of season 6.
Rating : I don’t know really but let’s say PG-13 for a start and then NC-17 eventually (but not before some time), change in the rating will be signaled when occur.
Disclaimer : All characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME .....except for the ones I created, I won’t be naming them all, I’m kinda lazy! But you’ll have no problem spotting them ‘cause they never were on the show.
Pairings : W/T, B/F, X/A, Giles/Joyce, Dawn/? Jenny/Vivianne
Summary : This story takes place (except for the first chapter) in an other reality one of Magic and Kingdoms, Knights and Witches, of course it’s a W/T centric story (what else could it be!!) but most of the characters of BTVS are also present!
A princess from a magical kingdom, evil forces brewing and a young woman who doesn’t know yet that she’s the chosen one!

This is a middle-angst story, there’ll be some cliffhangers but I’ll warn beforehand!
Note 1 : I am not a professional writer and English is not my mother language so pardon me for any misspelling or grammatical errors! If you want me to correct something that seems incoherent or misplaced to you, please let me know!
Note 2 : I’ve been away from this board for quite a while for health reasons, and I still have to finish my first story « A Country Kinda Girl » for which I’m currently experiencing writer block. This new story gave me an impulse to start writing again, so for the moment I’ll stick with it and eventually will come back to my first.
Note 3 : It’s the last promise Tara and Willow do meet but only in a few chapters, I need first to establish the context of the story and present the background of the characters. I hope you understand, you can consider it as the foreplays

Thoughts are in italics!


A big thank you to every kitten out there, you gave me the strength to carry on when I never though I could do it, I’ll be doing my best to entertain you….





Part One: Betrayal



She was walking fast, faster than usual.
She wasn’t mad at him, well not anymore, not as much as before, she was mad at her self, because she had let him betray her one time too much. The first time was already too much, but she hadn’t cared, she had forgiven because she simply had been afraid to loose him!
Why so? She couldn’t explain anymore, and now came the time of realization.
When she saw him with that girl, again….she felt a rage she didn’t even know she could hold within her. She knew there and then that she was over with him, that she had been over since the very first time he cheated on her; but she had been weak all the way.

She remembered his face when she came in!
She had been happy, the sky was blue the temperature perfect and she was feeling like hiking with her boyfriend. So she went directly to his apartment with her backpack and her hiking equipment, she new Oz was not a morning guy that’s why she planned on arriving early to shake him out of bed, so they wouldn’t go too late.
She wanted to make a surprise, like jump on his bed or something so she didn’t knocked, she had the key after all! Very quietly she entered the flat and directed herself toward his bedroom; she opened the door with a smile on her face ready to pounce on the sleeping boy. One second later she felt her legs giving in and she slumped to the floor with a muffled cry and a mixture of disbelief and understanding plastered all over her face.
He heard a noise; it was soft for she was so lithe that her body touching the ground couldn’t make a big sound. But he heard it, he turned his body from the dark haired silhouette lying still on his bed and he looked at her, fear evident in his eyes, for he knew in that very moment she was gone from his life. He couldn’t move, didn’t dare to talk so he stared at the redhead girl sitting limp on his bedroom floor, he was a bastard and he knew it.
Suddenly she stood up, a fierce determination on her elfin features, a look of resolve and anger; she turned around and slapped the door with all her might.
It was over!

Now she was walking, no aim in sight, she just had to walk or her rage would eat her up, she had to sooth her nerves and to find out why on earth she had been so stupid, so blind.
She had left Sunnydale three years ago to come to San Francisco, she had received a scholarship for UCSF and she had been so excited. Her life in Sunnydale had been dull and she had been so happy to move into a big city, to meet new people, to attend university.
And of course she had been granted for all that! She even met a nice young man called Oz, a singer in a group; he was so cool and gentle, exciting and safe!
Safe, not like her violent father had been, not an abusive alcoholic.
But she had been fooled, of course Oz had never hurt her physically but he had betrayed her so many times that the scars were printed deeper in her heart than any of the beatings her father had given her.
Now she was faced with the truth, with her choices and she didn’t like what she saw. She needed to take back the control of her life so she walked with her head full of questions. The trees around her seemed to move with her, affected by her pain, they shook their branches back and forth like the tide of a stormy sea, beating in time with the crazy rhythm of the redhead heart.
It all had been so logical, she was a girl and he was a boy, the equation was easy to solve! She was a girl so she had to have a boyfriend, a nice man at her side that would treat her right. She had to follow the scheme, the one that every girl followed since the beginning of times … right?

It was a question she had never pondered more than a few seconds.
But it was still at the back of her mind, dormant, waiting for her to be ready.
Right now she was so confused, she didn’t even know who she was, what she wanted, what she needed.
So she walked, she climbed the hills, crossed the river, entered the woods, she wasn’t feeling the ground anymore, she wasn’t feeling anything except for that crazy obsessing rage. Then she stopped with no apparent reason, she could feel them, thousands of drops falling from the dark looking sky, she didn’t know for how long it had been raining but she suspected that it had certainly been for a while for she was drenched to the skin.
Slowly coming back to her senses, she realized it was becoming urgent to find a shelter, the storm was getting bigger and bigger, the wind was blowing full force and the rain was so dense that she couldn’t see anything further than a few feet ahead. She knew the place; she was used to be coming here, feeling at peace surrounded by nature. But right now with all the turmoil inside and outside of her she was lost. So she decided to walk straight forward and look for a place to hide from the furious sky. After a good ten minutes in that liquid hell she caught the sight of a big rock, she knew this rock, there was a cave in it and she could wait there for the storm to pass.
She entered the dark cold hole with a shiver, it felt odd, though she had no choice but to stay in. She found a few branches scattered around probably blown inside by the wind, so she collected them opened her backpack, fetched for her lighter, and a few tries later she finally started a fire at the entrance of the cave. After a little while she felt the heat and sighed, getting some of her clothes off to dry them, she felt lucky in all that craziness, now she could relax and think.


Three hours later the storm was still raging outside and she was beginning to worry, realizing that she would have to spend the night here, even if the rain would stop now she was too far from her car to reach it before night fall. It would be more dangerous to try and go back than to wait for the morning, so she unpacked her sleeping bag and found a place for it near the fire. She ate a cereal bar and slipped into the bag resting her head into her palm, staring at the flames while feeding them regularly before falling asleep.

Mist was surrounding her as she tried to find her way, hard stones were scattered along her path making her stumble every other step she made. Frightening noises came from every directions, a cold wind was blowing chilling her to the bones, she felt like letting go, like falling to the ground but she couldn’t stop she had to get out of wherever she was. Somewhere at the back of her mind she knew she would make it, she felt a force, a power leading her, comforting her, giving her the courage to go on.
So she walked, never looking back, holding onto that faith that she was not alone. It felt like eternity had passed when the wind finally died, and a ray of sunshine braking through the foggy air gently caressed her frozen skin. She sighed in relief, she was safe now and as she opened her eyes to look at the glowing light invading the forest she heard a whisper “Willow, come to me …”. She squinted as a shadow approached from afar, a feminine silhouette stood out but she couldn’t see who she was. The soft voice seemed to be hers, she was her saviour the one that led her out of the mist, and the redhead stretched her arms towards her ……. “Willow….Willoww where are you”….

The redhead woke up with a jolt; she was agitated … where is she? where am I? ... She looked around her mind still groggy from her sleep, slowly getting her bearings. She remembered now, she was in a cave where she had fallen asleep earlier that night and it was surely a nightmare that woke her up. But she couldn’t remember her dream; except for that voice….it had felt soft but distant, like a far away sound. She looked outside, the night was pitched black but the rain had stopped, finally. She put another branch into the fire which was still burning, strange she thought, she didn’t know for how long she had been sleeping but she was sure that without taking care of it, the fire could not have lasted for so long. Then she heard it again, that voice, that beautiful voice, calling to her like a siren to a sailor …”Willowww….come to me”.
She wasn’t afraid, even though she knew it was crazy not to be, because the situation was incredible, a woman voice was calling her in the middle of the woods, at night, in a cave and she wasn’t afraid.
Her rational mind was screaming at her …run like hell away from here…, but her soul calmed her, guided her to that voice, so she stood, put her now dry clothes back on and started to walk slowly toward the end of the cave flashlight in hand.
“Willowww” the voice seemed nearer but still she couldn’t place it “Come to me Willowww”.
She came to a halt when she reached the end of a tunnel; a huge wall was standing before her going up with seemingly no end ….well I think this is the end of that little night trip… she concluded with some disappointment, facing the definitive obstacle.
But after a moment hers eyes got use to the dark and she saw carvings and drawings slowly appear on the rock. They looked like from another age, another world. The redhead slid the light source softly from one side to the other giving all her attention to that discovery. It looked a little like those prehistoric drawings that were found in some caves around the world but those were not naïve looking, they seemed more elaborated, more detailed and from the left to the right where showing a sort of logic.
The scientist in her was fascinated, so fascinated that she nearly missed the next calling “Willowww where are you…” As strange as it could appear, the voice seemed to come from behind that wall so she approached the surface to put her ear on it. But nothing, silence fell. So after a few minutes she stepped back and went on the examination of the paintings.

On the left side of the wall she saw a castle with some villages scattered around, the landscape was peaceful, and she could feel joy radiating from it … how can a painting make you feel such an intense happiness, I mean what’s so special about it, ok it’s pretty but why do I feel so good looking at it? … The redhead was perplexed but nonetheless followed the scenery and slowly strange forms showed, like awful looking beasts and disfigured humans; they were invading that castle and destroying everything around. It’s awful, my god those poor people … she was upset, shocked by all this … here it is again, what’s up with me, why do I feel all those things? ... Then the sun came back on what looked like a kingdom but something was gone it didn’t look so happy anymore. It was a story, the redhead realized, the wall was telling a story. She went on to the right, the castle still stood in the middle and she saw people in arms surrounding it, and what looked like dragons flying around. Then on the next picture she saw a girl, a young maiden sitting under a tree near the castle, she looked melancholic, her sorrows darkening her beautiful feature ...Beautiful… she sighed. It went on like that till the end of the wall, the story of a kingdom and of a sad girl waiting for something, for someone.
Willow felt moved by all this, like if she was related, like if she knew those people, that girl, that beautiful girl. She felt silly because the only wish on her mind now was to be there, to hold that woman and comfort her.
But she knew she couldn’t, it was only a drawing … and what if I could! … why was she feeling this way towards her?


She shook her head and turned around, this was a nice discovery she could show to her archaeology professor …stop being silly and start being pragmatic, this is a great finding… she would bring him here, he would be so excited.
There was no more she could do now so she decided to go back near the fire and sleep some more … Now go and finish your night Rosenberg, you still need some rest… She started to walk back when she heard another strangled cry, “Willowwwww find me”!
She turned sharply on her heels and stared at the wall … this voice again but so desperate this time, my god I must do something!
She flashed the light again on the rough surface and searched for a sign, anything, a clue.
Getting frantic was not a solution so she calmed down to proceed methodically, method was her way. She started again from the left of the rock to the right, sweeping the light thoroughly over each centimeter.
Just before the end of the wall, before she lost all hopes to find anything interesting she saw a carving, a small carving with the shape of a hand, just above the last painting. She studied it attentively concluding that it was surely the shape of a woman’s hand.
Then she pondered why it was here, did it serve a purpose?
The more she looked at it the more she felt like putting her hand on it, it seemed approximately the same size. She approached her arm from the wall grazing her finger tips over the surface and felt something, an energy coming out of it. She shook her head and took a step back; it couldn’t be …it’s insane!
“Willowwwwww find me” the cry echoed again and like driven by an unseen force the redhead plunged towards the carving and placed her hand onto it. She just had the time to see it fitting perfectly before a huge halo of light engulfed her entirely.

[A-Rob]

I spy with my little eye... a freakin' fantastic fic! Excuse me while I have a fit. I mean, wow!! I was so hooked on, like on the edge of my seat and then it ended! Man, that was cruel, I wanna know what happened! Ok, fit over.

I really loved it. Really promising start! So Willow is going to a world full of magic, dragons and, most importantly, Tara? Coolness! And she's a Chosen One? What exactly is a Chosen One? Like the Slayer or something? Well, I'm sure you won't answer that and surprises are more fun anyway.

Oz really pissed me, though. I never did like him, but this portrayal of him left me all He really needs to have every square inch of his ass kicked and then fed to a dragon. Poor dragon, though.

Speaking of dragons, I noticed you mentioned dragons, are they gonna be good dragons, like riding on them, or bad dragons? I love fics with dragons!

This caught my attention:

where is she? where am I?

Willow asked about the mysterious woman first, that says something. The woman is obviously Tara... right? I mean, I can't think of anyone else, so it has to be, right?

And I loved the thing about the wall. When you introduced Willow as coming from Sunnydale and all I thought the process of her going to another world would be like a demon portal or something. This was very cool. A mysterious wall in a cave with prehistoric-like drawings. Very original, points for you.

Enough babbling, I've said enough. This was just my talkative way of saying 'love it, keep 'em coming'. So please do, alright? I can't wait for the next chapter. What will Willow do when she finds herself in a whole new world, how will she adapt? Oh, the possibilities!

Rob

[Tawilove]

Why thank you, I'm flattered by your wonderful feedback, i'm all

a freakin' fantastic fic! Excuse me while I have a fit. I mean, wow!! I was so hooked on, like on the edge of my seat and then it ended!

Blushes furiously, thank you so much….I’m painfully shy and I’m pretty sure that my cheeks are matching Willow’s hair right now

I really loved it. Really promising start! So Willow is going to a world full of magic, dragons and, most importantly, Tara? Coolness!

I so glad you liked that start, and yes Willow is going to enter at totally different world and in her books much better than the one she came from. I didn’t really respect the canons here for Willow’s past but in a way she still comes from a family unable to bring her the love and care she deserved. Much coolness indeed with Tara being there.

And she's a Chosen One? What exactly is a Chosen One? Like the Slayer or something? Well, I'm sure you won't answer that and surprises are more fun anyway.

She’s a chosen one yes, and I don’t know how you guessed but I won’t answer now ….ok I’m being very nice ….the only thing I can tell you, is that it’s not a slayer chosen one thing but shhh

Oz really pissed me, though. I never did like him, but this portrayal of him left me all He really needs to have every square inch of his ass kicked and then fed to a dragon. Poor dragon, though.

Yeah you’re right poor dragon!! I intentionally turned Oz in a total a..hole, the Oz from a show kept a part of humanity (in the sense that he didn’t cheat regularly on Willow, and that one betrayal of that kind can unfortunately happen to anyone, « nobody‘s perfect ») but I didn’t want Willow to think that it was just that one time, so she could stop fooling herself with the fact that she belonged to him, I wanted her to leave him without any regrets.

Speaking of dragons, I noticed you mentioned dragons, are they gonna be good dragons, like riding on them, or bad dragons? I love fics with dragons!

Ummm …various sounds of hesitation…..you’ll see

The woman is obviously Tara... right? I mean, I can't think of anyone else, so it has to be, right?

The second chapter will answer to that question…..I'm staying all cryptic for now….like I could fool you with making you believe it could be someone else pffff I’m being delusional!!

This was very cool. A mysterious wall in a cave with prehistoric-like drawings. Very original, points for you.

Thank you very much, I had this idea running around in my head for a while and I thought it would be a nice alternative to the usual processes of demony portals you mentioned up there.

Enough babbling, I've said enough. This was just my talkative way of saying 'love it, keep 'em coming'.

You’re talkative self will always be welcome and please keep babbling on it’s addictive.
The next chapter will be post on Saturday or Sunday (if I don’t have time earlier) and will be Tara centric, things are developing and I hope you’ll get a better vision of what’s to come through this new installment!

Julie

[Tawilove]

Here comes Chapter Two, it's a Tara centric one and a first insight on the magical world.

I wouldn't mind some encouraging feedback s , and please let me know if you like it so far, our girls will meet soon promise, just a few more chapters that are essentials for the story background.


Same disclaimer as the first post


Part Two: Another world

A little bird chirped on a branch, and then another and again another one followed, this time giving all his power to sing, he sang like the world might end if he stopped. It was love season and no living being was unaware of it, not a plant, not an animal, not a magical being around here. No one except a blonde girl; lying peacefully on her bed, sleeping, her chest heaving rhythmically under queen sized bed sheets.
She was looking like an angel, a soft smile gracing her features, long blond hair falling gently on a white satin pillow.
But suddenly a shadow seemed to pass and in an instant she turned in her sleep, agitated; a frown appeared on her brow, she was obviously upset by something happening in a dream. She was twisting and turning, moaning unintelligible words with a pained expression on her face. She looked afraid and lost then it turned to surprise and wonder. A few minutes later she woke up completely disoriented looking shaken and slightly trembling, she was breathing hard and fast and it took her a couple of minutes to calm down, figure out where she was and that it all had been a nightmare. A very powerful one indeed!... it had seemed so real but now she didn’t remember very well the topic…something about a girl in a storm, a halo of light, carvings…..she only could make out some fragments of this dream….
But the one thing she remembered very well were the powerful feelings, she had felt lost, confused, then a presence was there, a comfort, someone near, their hearts beating in synchronicity, and she was not alone anymore.
Well she had a loving family and friends so she wasn’t alone, but it was another kind of feeling she got in that dream something more intimate more passionate.
She blushed at the thought of sharing such closeness with someone.

She had no time to ponder all this though for a knock at the door brought her back to the present, “Yes come in” she said while getting out of bed and slipping into her robe.
“I see you’re awoke princess” stated a woman with a gentle smile and greying hair.
“Yes Nanny Rose, but please for the hundred times call me Tara” she giggled at the older lady antics, who had always insisted on the fact that she was a princess and that she should be addressed as such even by her nanny.
She knew the woman wouldn’t change her mind, but she liked to make her point once in a while for Rose to know that she was family to her.
“Princess, stop arguing about a point you won’t win” Nanny Rose added with a smirk “and start dressing up, your family is celebrating today” a soft and tender smile graced her features, she called her Princess, but she would address to her as she would to her own child, this was respect and love for a girl she held dear in her heart and who was destined to rule the kingdom one day.
“I know I know…but why such hurry it’s still early in the day…”
“But Princess, it is already 10!”
“What!” exclaimed the young blonde “but how come, it doesn’t feel like I slept for so long” she was shocked; usually she was the first one to be up in the castle, at least among the royal family she mused. And now she not only over slept but felt very tired like she only slept for a few hours.
It was strange, this added to the very intense dream she had had during the night. She would have to talk about it to her uncle Giles; he was an expert in dreams and illusions.


A frantic activity had invaded the castle; all the servants were bustling around completely absorbed by their tasks, nearly bumping into each other every time they crossed in the long corridors.
The guards were reviewing all the dispositions that should be made to assure the security of today’s festivities. A lot of Lords and Ladies were to come to the castle for the kingdom happiest event of the year. Princess Tara was turning 21, a very important age for she was now ready to play an active role in the kingdom politics. It was also an age at which she could become a queen if her parents were to die, before that she would have been under the regency of her uncle if the situation had occurred.

The royal family was very united; some people would explain that by the terrible succession of ordeals they had to come through along the years and they would surely be right. The war with the Darkan Kingdom, for one, had been terrible, many were lost and the King and Queen of that time died leaving their heirs alone, too young to lead an army or manage their destiny. But the choice had not been theirs so they had fought bravely and with the help of some powerful mages and dragons they had pushed the enemy out of their territories.
Lady Viviane and Lord Giles grew together through that fight and when Viviane became the Queen a couples of years later she could always count on the support of her brother to help her lead their people.
Viviane was a healer, and she used her gift to help all those who were hurt during the battles, she loved to be near her people, to listen to them, to cure them. But she was also very involved in the politics, even though her brother Giles was the army General and the Great wizard of the magical council, she would always be respected with her opinions on the battles strategies. She was very wise and kind, and all her people loved her sincerely so when she married Lady Jenny, a powerful seer from the magical council, the biggest celebration this kingdom had know for years took place in the royal castle.
And now some twenty years later all of them were again celebrating with joy.

Viviane and Jenny had had two daughters Tara and Dawn who where 5 years apart; they were quite different from each other as the older sister Tara was very much like Viviane and Dawn resembled more Jenny, she was energetic and stubborn, always ready to get into troubles.
But they loved each other tremendously, and even through they sisterly bickers it never dimmed.

Lord Giles married Lady Joyce only one year after his sister’s marriage and a daughter named Buffy was born from their union. She was two years younger than Tara and got along very well with her cousin. Dawn and Buffy on the contrary were always fighting, but loved each other just as much, they were very much alike and that’s probably why they were used to squabbling a lot.
The bond they all shared was a powerful cement holding the family together and thanks to that force they had been able to keep evil at bay. But it was growing, slowly rebuilding itself from its ashes, ready to strike again when the time would come. And the royal family knew it, yes they were happy and celebrating but they were consciously waiting for the next war, preparing for the battles to come but with the serenity of love.


“Tara dear, where have you been” the girl looked up to the stairways as a gentle looking blonde woman walked down with grace.

“Sorry mama” exclaimed the girl with an apologetic look, “I don’t know what happened, I overslept”

“Don’t worry dear, I am not upset” she assured with a tender smile “I was surprised not to find you already up an running around like all the others, the castle is a real beehive today” she stated with an amused smile.

Tara smiled along with her mother, she loved her so dearly, she always new how to comfort her, to soothe her. Her other mother Jenny, was more the ‘father-figure’ type if you could say so, she was very tender and gentle but she was a bit more authoritarian, she always made her laugh and helped her with the craft but Viviane was more like her, a kind heart pure and generous, thought she also knew how to use her mother authority when needed.

“I’ll go and see if I can find Buffy” announced the younger blonde “would you help me with my ceremony dress later on” being 21 didn’t change her ways, when talking with her mother she always felt like the little girl seeking for affection and help.

“Of course sweetie” she was delighted; as every mother she had been afraid seeing her daughters growing older that they would one day move away from her, and stop seeking for her help and guidance. But it had never occurred and especially with Tara who was very close to her. Dawn was more independent, she didn’t reject her mothers’ support but she felt a biggest need to manage everything on her own, which sometimes led to real disasters. “I’ll be in the ball room with your mom; we need to arrange the etiquette for the ceremony.”

“Very well mama, I will search for you later” with that they parted and Tara directed herself toward the training room.
The training room was, as its name indicates, a room where knights and warriors trained together. She was sure to find Buffy there along with Faith and Anya. All three of them were there for different reasons of course but at least she didn’t have to rummage through the whole castle for hours to find them all, it had its perks she mused.

Faith was the head of the Princesses Guards, she came from a great warrior family and had been appointed to the protection of Dawn and Tara three years ago, since then Buffy and she had been friends. They bickered all the time and everyone wondered how those two had managed to stay friends for so long. Tara knew better of course, she was also friend with Faith and through the years she realized that the young brunette had fallen in love with Buffy who in return loved her just as much. The only difference between the two was that Faith knew of her feelings and accepted them while Buffy was still on the denial wagon. Hence this tension between the two that inevitably led them to fight. But they were attracted to each other like magnet and steel, who was which was still to determine! So if Faith was somewhere, no doubt Buffy was near, a chance for Tara, who needed their help to arrange the magical lights for the ceremony.

Anya was Tara’s best friend; they grew up together, for Anya’s mother was Viviane lady-in-waiting. They were very different; the total opposite in fact, but it strangely brought them together. Anya was blunt and quite crude but she was a kind heart and her sincerity touched Tara more than anything else, so she didn’t care if her friend was a bit too forward, she was honest and that was more than enough for her. On the other hand Anya liked Tara’s freshness, her gentle soul and the way she had to always make her feel welcome when everyone else brushed her off. Tara was sincere and that was a quality they shared, so she felt related and understood by Tara. And that’s how the most unlikely friendship started. The reason for Anya’s presence in the training room! well this was quite simple, she loved to see men in action all sweaty and …wow, let’s not go further in that train of thoughts Tara cause it’s a definite yuck, I hear enough of that from Anya herself, no need to replay it in my little inside monologues!!


Hope you liked,

Julie

[Animism]

Wow, what a great story. Your take on the characters is really interesting. It is nice to see Tara come from a loving home. I'll be looking for your next update.

[willowtree114]

am loving this storie so far, i can't wait to see willows reaction to being there, i so can't wait for the next update, please be soon

[cperrins78]

I really enjoyed this chapter. I liked Tara's family history, it was very interesting. I am so looking forward to the next chapter. I love the idea of Tara being a princess.



Christina

[Tawilove]

Thank you so much , I think I'm becoming addicted to your feedback



Animism :
Thank you so much . I’m glad you like my take on the characters. It’s true that I strayed off a little from the canons but mostly for their past and background, Willow is the one coming from an abusive family but she’s still the same babbling good natured Willow with maybe some more insecurities. I wanted Tara to have a loving family and for this reason she‘s more confident than in the show, but she‘s still our soft and caring Tara and it didn’t take away all her shyness either!

willowtree114 :
I’m really happy you liked it so far , and I’ll do my best for you to feel the same all the way. Willow reaction will be well full of Willowness if you see what I mean ….seriously her reaction will be quite complex and the in next two chapters you’ll be able to follow her evolution through the discovery of this new world. So stay tune and thank you for your feedback.

cperrins78 :
thank you for your very nice feedback, I’m glad you liked the « Tara » chapter as I like to call it myself!
I really thought that Tara’s family , in opposition to Willow ‘s was worthy of some detailing, so thank you . The history of this kingdom and the royal family is relatively dense and I will give more information about them along the way.
Tara is so full of dignity, grace and beauty that I too love the idea of her as a princess, so here it is.


The next chapter will be up by monday if RL doesn't get in the way!


Julie

[A-Rob]

I'm so dreadfully late (and sounding like Giles too) feedbacking! Shame on me!

I really like this chapter, it gave us readers an interesting insight on Tara and this new world. Well, actually, you didn't give much away at all, it seems like a common kingdom to me, at least for now. Some mentions of magic, but that was all. A mystery.

something about a girl in a storm, a halo of light, carvings…..she only could make out some fragments of this dream….

Now why does that sound familiar? Hmm, can't for the life of me figure it out. Who could be that girl?

I loved Tara's family, it seems like a tight knit group. I can't wait to see more interactions.

This just cracked me up:

The reason for Anya’s presence in the training room! well this was quite simple, she loved to see men in action all sweaty and …wow, let’s not go further in that train of thoughts Tara cause it’s a definite yuck, I hear enough of that from Anya herself, no need to replay it in my little inside monologues!!

Seems like Anya has rubbed off on Tara! Poor girl!

Lookin' foward to more!

Rob

[Tawilove]

thank you so much for the great comments!
Don’t worry about the late feedbacking, I’ll welcome your feedback whenever you have the time, I’m always late myself so I’m not the best to judge latness

Well, actually, you didn't give much away at all, it seems like a common kingdom to me, at least for now. Some mentions of magic, but that was all. A mystery.

Well well, mystery is good …I’ll be giving more information on this Kingdom throughout its discovery by Willow….as she will get more and more involved with the inhabitants of this new world she will learn the history of this universe but it will go step by step. Slow is the way to go

Now why does that sound familiar? Hmm, can't for the life of me figure it out. Who could be that girl?

Gosh I have no idea

I loved Tara's family, it seems like a tight knit group. I can't wait to see more interactions.

They are very close yes, and somehow when I wrote it I thought « isn’t it a bit too much? » …but no it’s never too much for our dear Tara!
But they have all scars and it will cause some troubles along the way….but rest assure, it’ll end with an happily ever after!


Anya was, apart from Will and Tara, my favorite character form the show….she's down right hilarious and I loved her bluntness with passion!! And so I intend on using a lot of her forwardness in this fic!

More will come soon tomorrow for sure…I don’t think I can post it today as it’s getting really late for me now!

Julie

[wilgen]

Hi Julie,

Wow, great story writing and telling. Really liking how you are using all the characters.
Wondering if Willow is the Willow of the Now (with nowadays clothes and so) or if she turned in Then Willow.

It reminds me a bit of a Dutch book I read when I was young(er) "Crusade in Jeans" (loosely translated - don't know if is actually translated in English) except you have dragons and magic and... (come to think of it it's not the same at all - only the time traveling).

Please keep going. Excellent start.

wilgen.

[Tawilove]

So here comes the third part!! but before thank you for the great feeback

wilgen :
Hi wilgen,
Thank you so much for your greatly appreciated feedback

great story writing and telling. Really liking how you are using all the characters.

you made me profusely blush here, I’m an professional blusher

About Willow of the Now and Willow of the Then, well you’ll see in the next chapter that she’s still in her « nowadays » clothes and that she hasn’t change from what she was before passing through the "portal". This new world is out of phase with « our reality » not only on a time level but also on a dimension level (Alternate universe). More will be unveiled about Willow's « appearance » in the next chapters.

It reminds me a bit of a Dutch book I read when I was young(er) ... (come to think of it it's not the same at all - only the time traveling).

You cracked me up here … thank you for the compliment though (cause I think it was one even though I don’t know that book myself)

Thank you for your encouragements, I’m really flattered!

You won’t have to wait for the next chapter, for it’s coming up right now!


Same disclaimer as before


Part Three: Follow the yellow brick road


A gentle wind blew away red hair from her face, she moaned a little at the movement and opened her eyes groggily to assess the nature of the disturbance.
The sun was shinning and its warmth made her feel comforted, slowly stretching her arms she sat trying to adjust her eyes to the piercing light …way too piercing for my taste right now… getting her bearings she realized that she was at the exact point where she fell asleep last night or was it really?
I remember I had to sleep in that cave because of the storm, but then I had this strange dream… I woke up… the drawings, my hand, this light……I’m so lost… she frowned, painfully trying to make some sense of all this …I don’t remember what happened next …I must have come back to my sleeping bag then…well I did for I’m here so…

She was really confused; she didn’t like to be unaware, so to forget what happened to her last night was extremely frustrating to say the least.
The fire was dead but the ashes were still hot due to the light wind that kept them partly burning, the redhead stood on her feet a little wobbly but she was not surprised after all the events of the day before. Everything was coming back to her, Oz betrayal, the pain and the rage she felt, her walk through the storm and finally the eventful night, no surprise that she was feeling a little weak on her legs.
She shook her sleeping bag into the air to get rid of the dust and folded it back to tie it to her backpack. She gathered all her belongings and covered up the fire place with earth.
It was time for her to go back home, she would think about all this after a good shower and a decent meal.
The redhead walked cautiously very aware of her tiredness and of the many rocks spread along her path. She walked for an hour following the road she knew by heart but with a nagging feeling that something was off. Everything around her was familiar but at the same time it felt different …this is only an impression, I’m too exhausted to think clearly, when one is tired they can perceive everything askew…no worries…no…everything is fine, finey mcfine even! … so with some hardly convincing attempts at persuading herself that everything was normal she went on her way, knowing her car should be 3 miles from her current position.


****************

« Alexander Patrick Harris stop fooling around and start helping your brother with the horses » a very irritated middle age woman shouted in the direction of a dark haired young man that was swirling a wooden sword in front of a group of non-pulsed chicken in the back yard.

« Alright mom » answered the dejected knight wannabe. His mother didn’t understand him, he was sure of that. Why should he go on doing stupid farmer stuff when all he wanted was to become a great warrior. She always brought him back to that pitiful life accusing him to have a « dreamer » attitude, but one day he would show her, and she would be proud.

Alexander better known as Xander was the youngest of a brotherhood of four. His father was a farmer and all the family lived with the gains they made out of their productions, essentially vegetables and fruits but also milk and eggs that where sold everyday to the local markets.
They were not miserable, they had a correct income and were living in a house big enough for the six of them with more well-being that one might think.
Of course nothing was perfect and quarrels were sometimes brewing specially between the parents that seemed to be in frequent opposition. But all in all they were happy and as much as he tried Xander could not denied this fact.
He was frustrated, he would have preferred to choose is life direction, to enter the knights preparation and to fight among the braves to protect his land. But his parents didn’t want to hear any of their son’s caprices, they needed help to run the farm and he had to fulfill his family duty. Not because they couldn’t manage without him but more because they were afraid to see him hurt or even killed during a battle. Xander had always been a passionate boy with a tendency to think with his heart more than with his head and to his father the only way to correct this « flaw » was to direct him into a serious activity like the management of the farm.
Of course the strong headed boy was not ready to surrender so easily and was secretly preparing his departure for the royal castle were a friend of his was already enrolled in the young guards training. He would need his help to enter the knights preparation group.
And before this day came he went on his normal activities like nothing had changed for he didn’t want his perceptive mother to notice any abnormal behavior.
So after finishing his morning chores Xander went for a gallop with his favorite steed, Starlight, named after his black hair coat covered in hundreds of white spots.
This was a morning ritual between the two, they followed the road to the forest where they stopped to quench their thirst at the stream that went down to the valley.
As usual they went for a long gallop before reaching the entrance of the woods where Xander always un-mounted to follow the stony path to the river.


****************

« What the…. » exclaimed the redhead. She just had reached the parking location a few minutes ago and was still turning around the place trying to understand why her car wasn’t there. But the thing that unnerved her most was that the little information point cabin had also disappeared as well as the direction panels that showed the different roads and their technical difficulty.
How on earth could that be happening!… even if she was not happy at the thought her car could have very well been stolen, but what happened to the rest? …well it was probably the forest trolls that took them away during the night… she concluded sarcastically in her mind, trying to lighten up her own mood and quell the feeling of panic that was starting to rise in her.
There is no way I could have taken the wrong path, I know this road and I’ve been doing the same walks a hundred times, plus the clearing is still there, the trees are the same, just everything is empty…I really don’t get it…something…someone is trying to drive me crazy…god! What the hell is happening…since I entered this woods everything went havoc!!! I need to find a way to go back, or maybe someone…I surely need help, and I swear that if I get out alive of this nightmare I’ll go on a therapy…surely till the end of my life…oh god!!!!
She was on the verge of crying, totally loosing the control of the situation and this frightened her to no end. After a few calming breath and a bit of thinking she took her decision, and with a resolve nod went down to the end of the clearing to reach the path usually leading to the highway bringing her back to San Francisco. The road was going down with an big slope and was covered with broken branches and numerous heavy stones. It wasn’t at all like it should have been, taken care of and marked. …Another strange thing to add to my dangerously growing list of oddities…. Upset but determined to find her way back she went on with a steady rhythm in spite of her growing tiredness. After two hours she decided that she should take a pause in a little clearing by a quiet stream, she would drink and rest and only then she could go back on her way. She put her backpack down and went to freshen up by the flow and after some very needed gulps of water she sat under a huge oak tree where she had settled her equipment.


****************


« Hey, quiet, oh oh, good boy » exclaimed the young farmer « what is up with you today Starlight, I swear you are on a conspiracy to drive me insane » the steed had acted weird since they had entered the woods, as if sensing something.
His master had been struggling with his reins an unusual amount of times and was now concerned that such an attitude might have been induced by some kind of magical force that could be hidden near them. Indeed the horse’s behavior had gotten more and more agitated by minutes as if the source of his « trouble » was getting nearer.
« What is it old boy, what’s bothering you » asked the dark haired man with a frown, something was off and he was strangely starting to feel it too. Strangely because he for one had never been very good in mastering this aspect of his magical education, sensing auras, forces and other manifestations had always been one of his weakest point but right now he was feeling something …something very powerful at that…
So he stopped, pondering for a minute what his next move would be, somehow he didn’t sense anything evil, it was most probably a mage that went for a retreat and that decided to take a little walk around to meditate.
Such a surge of power that even he was able to sense could only come from a mage but usually mages kept their energy blocked from the outside not to submerge the world with their power, the only explanation could be that it was a young mage still unable to control their magical abilities. Plus it would totally explain the staying in the woods part not to disturb anyone with their current « inability » to shield. …Everybody knows that in here the forces going awry are restrained by the trees to lessen their effects…a lot of sorceresses even came here to disappear during the last war…their essence was undetectable even by the most powerful warlocks…. His decision was made, it wasn’t a threat so he would go on, at least till he reached the river and then he would go back … even if there’s no apparent danger, no need to push my luck….

Five minutes later the two companions arrived at a small clearing crossed by a curvaceous brook. Xander let go his mount which went directly for a refreshing drink and as he was himself ready to do the same a form caught his eyes by the ancient oak tree in the middle of the grassy field.
It was a human form for sure …maybe the mage, I can feel the power emanating from them… but this person whoever they were kept immobile and as he approached cautiously he saw that they were asleep. The farmer wasn’t sure though if he was in the presence of a woman or a man, sure they looked very delicate and lithe but at the same time they had short hair and an attire that he didn’t recognize but that seemed to suit more to a man than to a woman …they must surely be from an other land, these clothes are so colorful… strange fabrics as well, really odd… . He knew a lot of female knights that wore trousers, a more practical clothing for the warriors, as well as some mages and sorceresses. But short hair, he didn’t think he ever saw a woman with such a length, barely going under their ears.
Suddenly the stranger stretched a little and batted heavy eyelashes as they struggled to open their eyes. Xander took a few steps back not wanting to frighten the « mage » and waited expectantly for the waking form to rise.
After some difficult attempts the redhead finally came back to consciousness and a cry escaped her mouth as she took in the boy that was intently watching her from above.
This startled the young man a little but he quickly regained his composure to sport his usual goofy grin.

« Hello my name is Xander, well Alexander to be more accurate but everyone calls me Xander so…. » he trailed of as the « mage » looked at him with a mixture of confusion and amazement « are you alright? » he asked.

Wow I think I fell asleep and now what!…who’s that guy? He seems nice, but look at his clothes, like he’s going out of a medieval movie or something…and he’s looking at me with expectation, what?…oh! alright he talked so I suppose I should answer…yeah right Rosenberg, I’m sure you’ve got a brain damage…of course you should answer that’s the normal procedure when someone asks something… she was so lost in her internal babble that she didn’t hear the boy’s callings who was currently trying different languages for it seemed this redhead « mage » didn’t understand him.
When he started to frown at the apparent mutism of the person in front of him, the redhead went for a try of her vocal chords.
« Hi » was all she could muster so shaken she was by everything that came her way lately.

« Hey! you are talking » exclaimed the farmer a little too enthusiastically relieved by the redhead’s response.

Finally smiling at the man’s reaction she presented herself « I’m Willow, Willow Rosenberg, uh..I think I’m a little lost » she admitted blushing slightly « nice to meet you uh….. »

« Xander, my name is Xander Harris » he reminded her gently.



Hope you'll like it even though it's a bit short, next chapter will be up in a few days (and much much longer ) but i'm not yet sure when, anyway don't worry I won't be ....it'll be coming soon!

[A-Rob]

Jesus H. Christ! I was about to go to bed and I almost missed this!

I loved how Willow has no idea that she is in a different world, but that something on the back of her mind is ringing an alarm. I can't wait to see what she'll do when she figure it out. She'll freak, no doubt.

And yay, Xander is here. Here is very in character: goofy, kind and wanting to be something more even though everyone around him think it's silly.

One thing bothered me, though. Two, in fact. How is it that they understand each other? I mean, different world, shouldn't they speak different languages? I'm frying my brains trying to think just how different this world is. Is it the same planet? Well, obviously since Willow woke up in the same place (and how come the fire was still there, by the way?). So the difference is a dimensional thing? I don't think it's about the timeline, since the magic and dragons and such are a bit difficult to find in medieval times.

Oh, yeah, and the last name thing. I expected Xander to be a bit weirded that Willow introduced herself with 'two names'. Maybe I'm getting it all wrong, but even in medieval times there was no such thing as last names, people usually used their birthplaces or kingdoms. Like Willow of Sunnydale or something. This is really throwing me for a loop, maybe I'm overanalyzing it and comparing way too much with the world as we know it.

More please?

Rob

[Tawilove]

A-Rob :

Thank you so much for your always insightful and generous feedback ….you made my day!

And yay, Xander is here. Here is very in character: goofy, kind and wanting to be something more even though everyone around him think it's silly.

I liked the Xander from season 1 to 3.…he was everything you listed above and that’s the image I wanna keep from his character not what he became later on!


You’re not overanalyzing, it’s great to have such a detailed analysis of this story, and it’s necessary to for me as a writer, it helps me see the thing with an « outside » point of view.

Most of your questions will be answered along the way but I think I’ve been too vague about a few things, so thank you for outlining them for me.
Well this different world is in fact a parallel world to Willow’s one. The difference is in term of dimension but also in term of « evolution » more than in one of time.
Let me clarify, Willow arrived at the exact same place that the one she departed from. This world is a « copy » more or less identical (of course) in term of geography. So as I’m a tad lazy and also because I think I (as a debutant writer) would not have managed a difference in the languages, I followed a rule to decide that languages were the same in the « real » lands and « alternate » lands (I mean that if she had arrived in a « parallel Spain » they would have talked Spanish)…..oh god!! I hope I’m being clear! I have some doubts though!
Ok so lets go on (if you’re not already banging your head on the table )!
What I meant by « in term of evolution » is that in this parallel world the evolution of the civilizations where more on the magical level, than on the industrial level in opposition to Willow’s world.
So even if Xander clothes appear to Willow like a medieval style…it has nothing to do with the time period of middle-age! It’s just little ol’me wishing to give a medieval appearance to this kingdom.
The rule you mentioned about the names presentation is totally true and to be honest I completely skipped the notion all together. But I’m safe because we’re not in Medieval time….so let say it’s not counting ….right ?

Oh and about the fire, well, this cave is a magical place...the only magical place left in Willow's world so what happened there didn't change, it stays the same throught the dimensions, that's why the fire was still there and burning (well at least the ashes) as if she was still in her world.

I think it's all! well if you have other questions don't hesitate I'll do my best to answer.


More will come this week but I have an important work to finish so I don’t think I can post before Friday. Anyway I’ll do my best


Julie

[A-Rob]

Oh, I think I get it. It's basically the same world, but some facts happened differently, like instead of they evolving technologically their knowledge of the occult (as in magic and such) was what expanded. Like in a future world only not with flying cars and robots, but mages and dragons and all. Did I get it right?

And I love the medieval setting, King Arthur and The Round Table is one of my favorite tales. This kind of setting has lots of possibilities, I can't wait to see what you'll be doing with it.

I wonder how will Xander parents react when he comes home like 'Hey mom, look what I found!' Willow is in for some shocking experiences, no doubt.

Cheers!
Rob

[Dazed and Confused83]

It looks like this is going to be a great story! I think it's fun to mix things up sometimes. It's nice to explore a different type of magic setting than what we're used to in Sunnydale. I can't wait to read more... especially about when Willow and Tara meet!

Keep up the good work!

-Tiffany

[wilgen]

Hi again,

It was most certainly a compliment because at that time I didn’t read many books but that one I almost read in a second (one can exaggerate).
I’m pestering my niece that she must read the book. But does she listen to me?

Anyway, loved the update, again nice usage of an original character. Guess the whole gang is complete now.

I’m curious of one thing and that is which languages did Xander try and where/how did he learn those?

Great work, thank you,

wilgen.

[Tawilove]

First of all, thank you A-Rob, Dazed and Confused83 and wilgen for the great feedback, I will give personal replies to you very soon but right now i'm on the verge of collapsing.
This chapter is uncharacteristically long and as just reviewed it for the last time and i'm slowly sliding from my chair

So without further addo here comes Chapter Four


Disclaimer same as before


Part Four : Guess what! It’s Magic


Sticks clattering, swords clashing, fire balls explosions and all sorts of battling strategies were taking place in front of her curious eyes. She wasn’t much of a fighter herself but she liked to admire all those fine warriors confront each other in their trainings attires that is so to say, most frequently for the men, nude torsos. But most of all she was not shy about it, well Anya was never shy about anything, and that’s why she ogled without any hesitation most of the men in the room, and to be honest some of the women too. But right now she was practicing one of her favorite occupations lately, spying on two of her friends currently engaged in a close combat session. Faith decided quite recently to teach Buffy some of her fighting moves so the young blonde would be able to defend herself other than with her magical abilities. To Faith it was a total non sense to rely only on magic, the best warriors should be able to fend off their enemies through a physical fight as much as through any magical casting.
So the two of them were exchanging blows and kicks in the left corner of the room not to go out of the knights‘ way. But something was greatly annoying the blonde, Faith was holding back her punches for she wasn’t giving her best shots, obviously trying to spare Buffy.

« So what… that’s all you’ve got F » shouted ironically the frustrated girl at the taller brunette.

« Stop taunting me B , or you’ll regret it » she shot a sly grin in her direction.

« What are you going to do, hit me? Cause I’ve been wondering for a while now if you were actually teaching me a new dance move » she knew that provocation was the way to go with the short tempered girl, even though she knew the warrior would never hurt her in any way.

« Ok if that’s what you want that’s what you’ll get » she said while smiling mischievously and launching herself faster than a cat at a shrieking blonde.

Buffy didn’t even have the time to step aside as she was hit by a strong body pinning her immediately to the ground. She felt the air leave her lungs at the sudden squeeze of her ribcage, barely managing a « what the… » before the impact.

« What is it B, you can’t find the words anymore ?» she looked triumphal at the younger girl who by now had regained her faculty to talk but was currently out of breath for a totally different reason … Faith is on me, she’s laying down on the top of me … she realized with a shock… this feels…oh god this feels so good, sexy even…what the hell are you thinking girl!!…but her body is so warm and soft and curvy… she smirked in her head …and look at those muscles, wow…I wish we could stay like this for ever… lost in her contemplation of the brunette body she missed the look of worry on the other girl’s countenance. Faith had seen the blonde go from shock, to puzzlement, to wonder, to finally reach dreamy and was now anxious about the actual state Buffy could be in.

« Oh goddess I broke her, Buffy are you alright, answer to me, can you talk? Are you hurt?….Buffy please! » at first she had felt amused by the situation for she had successfully closed the blonde’s mouth with flourish but then she had been surprised when not receiving any bashing comments in return. No instead the girl had stayed there looking at her with a myriad of expressions crossing her face. She was beginning to panic …god oh god! What have I done…you stupid bully you used to much strength…and now you’ve hurt the one you wished to protect for the rest of your life…you fool!!… tears were building up in the warrior’s eyes and for the first time since she was a kid she felt the need to cry.

« You called me Buffy? » inquired the blonde with a touch of bewilderment in her voice.

The brunette sighed of relief when she heard the words escape the other girl’s lips and she answered laughing slightly with tears still building up in her eyes « that’s because it’s your name silly ».

« But you never call me that, you always say B, or girlie !» she stated in a childlike voice looking fully at her friend’s face for the first time realizing the amount of emotions unfolding there. And as a single tear broke free of its hazel prison to gently wave down on a rosy cheek, Buffy reached with a delicate finger to brush away the offending ornament.

« I-I-I… » she was at loss for words, the touch of the blonde’s hand on her face felt like fire, so she pressed softly her visage into the velvety hand whispering words that resounded like an unspeakable admission « I was afraid I hurt you ».


****************

« So what brought you around Willow, oh sorry…can I call you Willow ?» The young farmer and the redhead were now more at ease with each other; they had properly exchange civilities while Willow had gathered her gear and they were now directing themselves toward the stream where Starlight was still shaking his thirst.

« Yeah no problem »

« Thank you, please do call me Xander » replied politely the dark haired man. He received a gentle smile and a nod in return. « So… » he trailed off with a shy but yet meaningful look.

« Oh yes, that’s right, sorry I zoned out » upon the questioning glance she received she quickly corrected her language, feeling that this was somehow the problem. This young man had been extremely polite and always expressed himself in a way that was definitely quite old fashioned …he wouldn’t survive one day in LA… she though amused. « Sorry I meant I was absentminded » seeing realization hitting home she went on « I was hiking in the forest yesterday when the storm surprised me, thankfully I found shelter in a cave and stayed there all night,» she didn’t feel like going into details about what had happened so she skipped that part. « In the morning I went back to the parking place only to find out that my car had disappeared along with the information cabin, can you believe that? » at that point Xander was lost but she went on not waiting for his answer and completely missing his puzzled expression « so I said to myself, ’self…’ yeah I know I’m crazy sometimes, well not crazy crazy but a little strange on the edge, well anyway I said ’self you’ve got to find out what happened cause I’m sure the trolls are in no way responsible for all that’ ». His eyes went wide at the mention of the creatures and she took it for what it was not, a fear on his part that she was indeed insane, so she quickly added « no I didn’t mean like real trolls, that’s more of an expression or a least a funny conclusion I made for all this weird events, well more sarcastic-funny than funny-funny but you get it right?» visibly reassured he looked at her with wonder, how could she possibly manage to say so many words at a time without breathing and passing out for lack of oxygen.
« Well anyway I decided to follow the road that led to the highway and I finally ended up here to rest a little, but apparently I did more than rest for I fell asleep » she finished her babble fest with a big satisfied grin.

« What is a highway? »


****************

« Why don’t they see it ? » interjected a somewhat irritated dark blonde girl.

« Give them time An » concluded a patient blonde with a smile, she knew her friend so well.
Somehow Tara had arrived in the middle of the combat session and joined Anya on a bench by the entrance. They both witnessed the interaction between the two « fighting » girls and of course Anya though that it was her duty to give her two cents about it.

« They are about to rip each other ’s clothes off, don’t you see them Tare, I don’t understand why they still don’t realize the effect they have on one another! »

« Because every one doesn’t have your clarity my friend » she giggled while mock humoring the other girl.

« Oh why thank you my Lady » she stated ironically « seriously Tara, are they blind or totally stupid? » she seemed honest in her query completely missing the reason why the two of them were still in apparent denial. So the princess tried to explain some of the complexity that is love.

« You know, it is never easy to tell when you are the one concerned . What I mean is that you might have strong feelings for someone but still be unaware of the one they have for you. You are too caught up in your own needs and wants to be objective enough. That is why generally you are the last one to know when everyone around is already aware of the depth of the interaction you share with the other person. It is a case of relativity, distance is necessary to be objective and those two are in no way being distant. » a small grin escaped her lips …definitely not distant…

« I still don’t get it » Tara shook her head softly smirking at her friend’s peculiarity …some things never change… she concluded with a sigh. Somehow this thought was rather comforting, change was good but one needed some stability and for Tara it came from her family and friends.
But another sentiment was pulling at her heart upon looking at the two girls still tangled up on the floor, she was longing, longing for love, for a soul mate, someone who’d complete her. An uncharacteristic tinge of jealousy invaded her suddenly, and she felt immediately guilty for it …I shouldn’t react like that, I should be happy for them …so why do I feel so lonely? a single drop fell down on her closed hands, one born of joy and melancholy.


****************

« Well it’s a, how to explain, uh… » the redhead was searching for the right words but at the same time she was wondering how on earth this man didn’t know of the highways. When he first asked the question she originally thought that she misunderstood what he had said but when she asked him to repeat she felt confused to say the least at his identical response. So she had questioned this definitely bizarre guy about that fact and the conclusion was definitive …..he never saw one! …This guy must be an hermit or something, could that day be anymore crazy?… Thus even though she was stunned by this incredible admission she decided not to pursue her grilling of this amazingly out of date boy to simply explain what it was! And that’s where the problem laid , the simplest of things were always the hardest to clarify. …Really it’s exactly like if he was asking me what a chair was for…
« Uh…it’s a big road where you can drive fast….faster than on a normal road, you see, it’s quite common nowadays so….well…who knows maybe you’ll get the chance to see one soon » she ended up quickly wanting to close that disturbing topic for good.

« Ok thank you Willow » he seemed satisfied and she let go of a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

During their conversation Starlight had wandered off to some green grass patches further in the field so Xander called him back with a single whistle. At this moment everything went in slow motion as Willow for the first time acknowledged the presence of the impressive animal. She saw him approaching from them shaking is mane as he increased his pace. A look of terror and wide eyes were the last thing the farmer could see on her face as she lost consciousness in his arms.

« Willow, Willow come back, wake up!» Xander was panicking, what the hell had just happened. They were talking, well to be more precise he was listening and she was babbling, then suddenly she looked as if she saw a demon and passed out.

After gently calling her for one good minute he decided on a more physical solution shaking her lightly by the shoulders. A few moans finally escaped the redhead’s mouth and he silently thanked the gods for that; she slowly opened her eyes and coughed a little while he fussed around her making sure she was alright « hey Willow nice to see you back, what happened, you frightened me there »

« Well I…I had this.. nightmare….there was this huge ‘can-easily-bite-your-arm-off’ horse…running in my direction…and … » she trailed off as she realized it was not a dream, it had just occurred and that was surely the reason why she had fainted. She scrambled away from Xander, getting up gingerly on her legs assessing with sheer horror the effective presence of the beast a few feet away.

« What is the matter? » he asked worried by her reaction but still a little amused by her definition of « biting-arms » horses.

« I…I…I’m afraid of horses and by that I mean utterly terrified » she answered with a small emotional voice looking at him anxiously.


****************

A stray fighting stick clashed on the ground and the two girls broke apart quickly, getting up with a jolt, apparently just realizing the position they had been in for a few minutes now.
As Buffy blushed furiously and looked sharply at an invisible stain on the floor, Faith straightened up her rumpled clothes and looked smugly at the other girl before looking around at their surroundings. No one had stopped their occupations to give them a second look so with a satisfied smile she looked at the entrance for good measure. Her smile fell immediately upon spotting the two grinning girls sitting on a bench and sending meaningful looks in her direction. …Oh goddess I’m never gonna be out of that loop, they are going to make my life a living hell… she sighed determined to face her impending ’penance’ with dignity. The two scheming blondes went into a fit of laughter as they assessed the brunette realization, they had a new reason to tease the warrior and that was the key to a lot of fun.

After a few embarrassing comments and a good amount of giggles the four friends split up to go about their businesses. And as Anya went to coordinate the flowers disposition in the dinner hall, Tara, Buffy and Faith bustled about arranging the magical lights in the throne room.
One hour and a half later Tara went to search for her mother Viviane as she promised earlier. On her way to the ball room she thought again about the intense dream she experienced last night. She didn’t remember much now as the images faded away slowly in her memory however she could still distinctly recall what she felt and this was obsessing her. Something extremely important had occurred or was about to happen and she needed to understand what it was. Reaching the room where her mothers were in great discussion with the Chamberlain she changed her mind …I still have time to get dressed, I need to see uncle Giles now… and with a resolve she didn’t have the occasion to show often she turned briskly to her left in the direction of the west wing.


Lord Giles when he was not occupied with military affairs was taking care of the magical patrimony of the kingdom in his quality of Great wizard. But what he loved among all things was taking care of the royal library full of arcane texts and parchments. Some of those writings were even older than the creation of this kingdom and anterior to any kind of civilization in a form that was acknowledged nowadays.
It wasn’t a hard task for Tara to find him, she knew his habits well and at this time of the day whatever happened, apart from an impending war, he was surveying the precious book collection to find the rarity he hadn’t read yet.
Upon entering the majestic room Tara smiled at the smell of the old volumes mixed with the one of the oil lamps, the vaulted ceiling that seemed to lose itself in the sky made her feel free more than impressed and the colored arched windows brought a soft yet generous light that gave to the ensemble a vision of warmth. She loved to come here, it was a passion that she got from her uncle; often as a child she spent time with him helping to classify some of the newest acquisitions. This was a time only for the two of them when they bonded through the discovery of magic and poetry.

After some time wandering in the shelving she found Lord Giles apparently captivated by some parchment and totally oblivious to his niece’s presence. She approached quietly from the studious man with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she was a nice girl but she couldn’t let this occasion pass!
« Uncle Giles? » she asked a tad louder than necessary. The wizard yelped while jumping a few inches from the ground and as he tried to regain his composure he turned to the source of his fright to find a very innocent looking blonde smiling amiably his way. A combination of reproach and mirth appeared in his eyes, he knew his niece well and as much as he considered her like the most gentle and respectful woman he ever met he knew she was also a good natured girl with a great sense of humor.
Letting down her disguise of innocence, Tara broke into a fit of giggles at the glance she received from the older man. He laughed good heartedly at this and put the paper he still had in his hand on a nearby shelf. After their amusement had subsided the two shared a hug and Lord Giles congratulated the blonde with eagerness « Happy birthday my dear! »

« Thank you uncle Giles » she looked at him with affection and squeezed his hands to convey of her gratitude.

« So tell me my child, what brought you here to see and old man surrounded by musty books, shouldn’t you be preparing for today’s event? » he wondered a bit surprised but nonetheless delighted by her presence.

« You are not old » she averted firmly with a smile « and you know very well you are the one who gave me the passion for musty books » she mock chastised him.

« Very well, very well » he surrendered with a chuckle.

« I am here for I have questions to ask you about a dream »


****************

« You are scared of horses » he was astounded by this « but so how do you travel? » he was genuinely dumbfounded, walking was a very good way to travel but for rather short distances, and she obviously wasn’t from this land so she must have walked for days. It was impressive but hardly imaginable for the young man.

« Well if I can’t make it by foot I use my car, or buses or trains » she answered with assurance questioning his own choice of transportation while sending a worried glance at the wandering steed.

« Cars are dragged by horses! » he stated still not understanding and not wishing to ask about those other vehicles which had names he didn’t recognize …they must be specific from her land….

« Ah yes! Very funny! » she laughed softly at what she thought was an attempt at a joke « car are dragged by horses, mechanic horses, good one Xander »

« Mechanic horses? » he was more lost than ever.

« Yes you know in opposition to real horses, that’s how people like to call them, well I think this is a great invention, for one no need of real horses plus imagine what it was like before, 6 to 8 horses was surely the maximum of traction a carriage could have muster, and now with the help of technology we can go so much faster. For example my car has 120 horses, all under that small hood » she winked at him to reinforce the joke « of course it’s not the same, we talk in terms of mechanic here but… » she didn’t have time to finish her long babble as she was briskly interrupted

« 120 horses!! » the farmer exclaimed completely shaken, « you must be a very powerful mage » he affirmed with a bow.

« A powerful mage? » she repeated questioningly intrigued by his attitude …is he bowing?…god! he is bowing!!…and he called me a mage?…what the heck is going on again…he must be part of a sect or something….

« Yes your magic must be exceptional » he still had his eyes firmly glued on the ground « I felt it earlier, but did only catch a glimpse of it » he was amazed and excited at the same time to have the opportunity to converse with her, maybe she could help him with his craft …don’t dream Xander, you are not from the same cast…but she seems really nice…forget it boy and come back to your senses....

« I don’t have magical powers what are you talking about » she asked with a frown.

« What do you mean? » he was at loss once again « I can feel it coming in waves out of you »

My goodness this man has surely escaped an institution…I should be careful…don’t excite the animal Willow!…who knows he’s maybe dangerous…he doesn’t look like though…never judge a book by it’s cover you should know that Rosenberg… as she was trying to determine the nature of the danger he asked her a question trying to break the apparent tension around them.

« Where are you from ?» he asked curious about her response

Relieved by the change of topic …I should still keep an eyes on him though… the redhead answered easily « San Francisco, well I’m native of Sunnydale, it’s a small town further south not far from LA, but I’ve lived in SF for a while now »

« I don’t know those places, I was kind of guessing you were from another land » he concluded satisfied with his earlier deductions.

« Another land? » she echoed frowning

« Yes, » he didn’t sense her surprise and took it for a confirmation « Is this the name of your kingdom, Sanfranco? » he wasn’t sure he got the name right

« San Francisco » she corrected, too taken aback to say anything more

« Oh yes sorry » he amended « so is it your kingdom ?»


****************

« A dream? » he was intrigued, he dedicated quite a big amount of time in his studies to the interpretation of dreams and their prophetic implications.

« Yes, it is one I had last night, I might say it was more of a nightmare at least for the first part » she shuddered at her sensations « what called out to me though was the intensity of it and the fact that even though the images of it are a bit of a blur by now I still recall the sensations and feelings I sensed in it with the same vivacity »

« Quite interesting my dear » he took his glasses off to clean them with a small tissue « can you tell me more about it » she answered by the positive and went on the description of her dream with as much precision she could muster. The wizard never interrupted her during her speech and knitted his brow in concentration. When she finally reported all she could remember she waited patiently for the older man to talk.

« Well, well, quite extraordinary indeed » he was surprised by what she had said but the faintest of light was starting to build in his grey blue eyes and she didn‘t miss it.

« Uncle Giles ? » she asked for his attention « uncle Giles » she repeated once again.

« Hmmm? » he answered absentmindedly

« You have an idea about it right? »

« What did you say? » he was lost in his thoughts

« I said that you seem to have an idea about that dream » she insisted

« Well I am not sure of anything yet but… » he saw the expectation in her eyes so he carried on « the paintings or such you mentioned remind me of a prophecy, I think it was a prophecy… » he rummaged though is memories « yes! » he exclaimed triumphal startling his niece in the process. He smiled apologetically and directed himself toward a shelving in the center of the room. « It’s one of the first prophecies I came through while reviewing some of the oldest parchments 2 years ago. I still recall the story for it had seemed quite important at the time, let me find it back ».
He started to search with an uncharacteristic agitation « it must be somewhere around under those boxes » he lifted a few boxes from the bottom shelves and after some effort he brandished an old leather folder that he opened with trepidation and care.
« Here it is » he concluded smiling at the astonished blonde.

« So what does it say » she was excited, her eyes trying to catch any information on the yellowed papers he was currently browsing. Never once taking his attention away from the precious text, the wizard stood up from his crouching position and directed himself toward a nearby table. He laid the documents one by one daintily, and as he took a sit he motioned for Tara to join him in his reading.

« You see, it’s a dialect that is rather near from Gaelic » she nodded as she recognized most of the words, she had studied many ancient dialects, an even some demonic languages through her education. « It was used by the founders of our kingdom and very probably by quite a few generations before them » he turned the pages slowly to reach the part that talked about the prophecy.
« It is right here » she strained to examine the paragraph he had just designed « It says that some of the most powerful seers of the time experienced the same prophecy at the same time » he made a pose to clean his glasses awestruck by what he was reading, « so upset by this event » he interrupted once again to clarify something « I do not know if they meant upset, this word has many different significations, maybe it was more in the line of ’impressed’ or ’amazed’ » looking once at the young blonde to be sure she was following he went on « so ’upset’ by this event they decided to create a provisory council to take care of this oddity. After discussing for a while about the relevance of this prophecy they decided that they should act upon it ».

« What do you mean, act upon it? »

« They don’t say in this part » he looked deflated for a moment, so he leafed through the pages « Oh! Here, it says more about the nature of the prophecy » trepidation was gaining on them « it’s the part that I remembered » he added with no apparent necessity « the seers during the first council session were asked to write what they had witnessed and one by one their writings were read by a mage that took no part in this collective testimony » he turned his head to look at the young blonde « I think they did this in order to eliminate any possibly of influence, if they had asked the seers to express themselves orally they might have influenced each other involuntarily » as she nodded her understanding he came back to the parchment .
« when the mage had finished his lecture it was concluded that this prophecy was the most powerful that was ever experienced in this world. The actual description his below » he motioned with a slightly trembling finger.


****************

« Look Xander, let me be honest here » she needed to understand a few things « you seem to be a great guy » he smiled at this comment « but I must admit I have truly no idea what you’re talking about » his smiled faded slowly to give place to a frown « I have no magical powers and I am no mage, such things as magic, witches, demons….do not exist! Do you get me » leaving no time for an answer she went on « exactly like I’m not from any kingdom, I come from a city, one that is only about 40 miles from here, and frankly it’s very hard for me to get how you don’t know of highways and San Francisco. Maybe you’re an hermit, maybe you went through an emotional shock that traumatized you and believe me I’m truly sorry if it’s the case but I can’t go on pretending I understand you ».
She didn’t want to hurt him or to enraged him, who knew his reaction, but she had to say all that was on her mind or it would surely implode in a minute.

Looking deflated and rather upset he counterattacked with some admissions of his own « Well Willow, I don’t know why you said all this, you must have your reasons, and I respect that, but I personally have a hard time myself understanding you » he sighed before going on « I am Alexander Patrick Harris from the Kingdom of Hemera and I am a farmer, so I guess my education is in a way rather limited, but I know I am right about your magical abilities for I am able to sense them » he chose his next words with care « what I propose to you is simple, let me show you that what I say is true » she looked dubitative at him and a little worried too so he said « don’t worry, I won’t hurt you » he smiled gently to emphasize is point. « You will just have to follow me along this road » he showed the one that led to the valley « for about 30 minutes no more. And then when we arrive you will judge by yourself of the veracity of my tell » this seemed like an honest proposition to him so he waited patiently for her to answer.

She was apprehensive but at the same time her curious nature was tickled …he seems nice, I know I should be extra careful after all the craziness he told me but something deep inside tells me to trust him…not that I believe him in anyway but I don’t know…I have this strange certainty that he is no threat to me…he might even lead me to civilization which is a definitive plus… after what felt like an eternity to both of them she finally said « alright, I’ll come with but to one condition » he nodded her way pleased by her reaction « keep that ’beast’ away from me ! » she looked pointedly at the unknowing but completely replete horse.

He laughed lightly and said « deal »

The two of them walked in silence, a few feet away from each other for the redhead wanted to be as far as possible from the « dangerous » animal.
« We are approaching, you can see the woods becoming clear we are nearly at the edge » she did not give him a reply and he wasn’t surprised …she ’s so tensed…
Some 5 minutes later the trees were so scarce that any definition of forest was quickly forgotten and as they reached the final range of this green barrier the redhead let a muffled cry escape her lips.


****************

« It is established that this day by the fifth full moon of the 100th light season we, provisory council of seers from Hemera, declare being witnesses of the prophecy that follows. »
« By a storm night a being by all nature human will cross a veil of pure light to reach their full condition in our world. Drawings of the hurtful times will be the key to that passage and the cries of the heart will lead the chosen one » feeling confused the blonde stopped the older man.

« I see some relation with my dream but I don’t understand everything »

« Well the way they expressed themselves was rather cryptic » he confirmed « but I am sure that this text needs to be studied with care and most certainly should be cross referenced with contemporary ones »

« Indeed you must be right, thank you » she smiled, she knew he would help her until they finally found the meaning of all this.

« You’re welcome dear » turning his gaze back to the parchment he resumed the tale « A powerful union shall ensue to protect the soul of our family. For the chosen one will show a magic that long forgotten will be hard to tame, the heart shall be giving its light to restore the might. »

« Well could they be more complicated » snorted the blonde.

« I think they could » he look so serious that she had to laugh at this. Blushing slightly he closed the folder and picked it up from the table. « Let me check this Tara, it will take some time but at least now we know where to look » glancing at the windows he added « plus the time is passing by you should go an prepare, your mother might be looking out for you by now ».

Getting up in a hurry she exclaimed « Goddess, you are right, I am late » she panicked a little so he reached for her arm.

« Don’t worry dear, you still have some time but you should go » he reassured.

« Thank you Uncle Giles, thank you so much for all this » she gestured toward the parchments and gave him a fierce hug before leaving in a hurry « see you later at the ceremony » she shouted from afar still running to the exit. He shook his head at the departing blonde and smiled affectionately to himself.

Finally joining her parents, Tara greeted Jenny with a kiss and a tender hug and followed Viviane to her bedroom were her dress had been brought earlier by a maid. The young blonde didn’t talk about her dream for she didn’t want to cause her mother any kind of concern. She wanted to learn more about it before, it was no use retelling a mysterious prophecy, that for now, had no precise meaning. Today was dedicated to celebration and that was all she would focus on. Well at least she would try.


****************

« This, this is….what the hell is that? » she sputtered breathlessly her head spinning fast.

« This is Hemera » announced the dark haired man with pride as he gestured to the valley before them.

« But….but it’s impossible » she sat down on a rock, her legs trembling so much she wasn‘t sure she could have managed to stand up any longer. The sight taking place in front of her unbelieving eyes was leaving her speechless.
They were at the edge of the forest and a few feet below a road was meandering into a verdant glen. Along that path, farms of different sizes were scattered in little hamlets as villages, forming bigger structures, appeared progressively in the scenery.
At the top of a round shaped hill a castle was standing with majesty, surrounded by trees and colorful gardens. All in all it looked like a middle age setting exactly the one you could have found in an history book, except for one teeny tiny detail thought the redhead … there are huge freaking flying dragons hovering about that damned castle!!!…tell me it’s a dream please…tell me I’m gonna wake up like nothing ever happened…I’m insane, that’s it…I knew one day I’ll blow a fuse…well here we are…

« So what do you think » he asked pleased with himself « isn’t it wonderful ». He turned to face the redhead who was currently under a state of shock staring transfixed at the vision below them, silent and furiously pale.
« Willow? Are you alright? » he felt his concern for the girl grow progressively as she stayed prostrated in the same position. Waving is hand in front of her face to shake her out of it he called again « Willow? »

« What? » she exclaimed all of sudden, her voice on the verge of panic.

« I said, are you alright, you seem a little…pale » he remarked softly.

She stood up briskly, gesticulating wildly in the direction of the castle « Well I have many reasons to be pale you see, first I can’t believe it’s there, I mean last time I checked there was no castle, no farms around here and more importantly no dragons….and if you tell me the forest guards decided to introduce a new specie in danger in this natural haven….I’ll tell you they could have tried with pumas first…I concede it would have been less exotic but at least I wouldn’t feel like loosing my mind right now! » she was so agitated that when the young farmer touched her arm to calm her, she jumped of the ground at the contact.

« Hey, hey, don’t panic here, take a deep breath and sit down » he instructed gently.

She followed his advice and a few minutes later she opened her mouth again to speak but this time with a more composed attitude « I can’t believe it… so all you said to me earlier was true » she glanced at him to find confirmation in his eyes « I am currently in a magical kingdom » he nodded again « and you are a farmer » her voice was tiny and weak barely acknowledging her own words « how in the world did I land here ?» she was desperate, all her day had been going awry and this was the apotheosis.
Digging in her recollections of the past two days she tried to reassemble the puzzle in her mind. First Oz betrayal, it had been harsh but strangely liberating, the walk through the storm, nothing out of the ordinary. The cave episode had been more intriguing in itself, and especially her discovery of the night. Focusing on that moment something came back to her … these paintings…on that wall… scrunching up her nose she wondered what was titillating her. Realization hitting hard she stood again staring intently at the valley and squeaked out « it’s the same, it’s the exact same picture ».

« What is the same? » she was a real whirlwind and Xander was again startled by her piercing outburst.

« The valley, the villages, the castle and even the dragons » she was excited « they were on the wall, this is the kingdom I saw on those paintings the other night » it still didn’t make any sense to her but at least there was something that she could hang up to!

« Well I must admit that I am the lost one this time »

« Oh yes! Of course, sorry » she blushed a little « you couldn’t know about all this considering that you weren’t there »
Taking a small pose she cleared her throat and decided it was only fair that she countered him her recent misadventures. During all the story the young man listened carefully, eyes wide open, like a little boy that was told a fairy tale.
« And that’s when we met » finally ending the long narrative the redhead took a much needed gulp of air.

« Incredible !» was all he could manage.

« Yeah, I second that »

« Well I am no wizard, but I would say that something definitely happened in that cave, something magical. What with that halo of light for one, you should check this out with someone who actually could explain all this » this was way out of his proficiency.

« But who? »

« I don’t know but I would suggest to go to the castle, all the best witches and mages are there, they are the only one that could help you with that » he was definitive on that point.

« Alright then » she had to know and if it meant brave her fears and enter this magical craziness she would do it …but I don’t have to like it… she pouted with resolve.

« Good, but we can’t go now »

« Why so? »

« First of all I have to go back home or my parents would worry, second because accepting them or not you have magical powers and by now there are going crazy » at the anxious look she gave him he corrected « not crazy crazy » he winked retelling one of her expressions, she smiled at this. « What I meant his that your aura is disturbed you send off waves of magic in all directions, so we can’t possibly wander through the streets with you like that. We should wait for the night, it won’t serve as a shield but at least people would be asleep for the most part and as your energy is in no way evil they won’t be surprise by the surge of power; for those who could sense it of course. »

« So what now? I come with you to your place »

« No, you can’t » she looked surprise and a little bit hurt « it’s not that I don’t want you to, but you have to stay here in the forest boundaries. It will mask your magic for now. I will come back to fetch you by night fall and we will go together to the castle. » reaching for a leather bag attached to Starlight saddle he took out an apple and what looked like gourd.
« Here take this » he handed the two items to the girl and turn back to close the saddlebag « I know it’s not much but it’s already something » turning again to the redhead he gave her a dark green blanket « if your getting cold » he commented.

« Thank you Xander » she was grateful for his thoughtfulness.

« You’re welcome » he grinned with flourish, she laughed lightly at his goofy ways and in an impulsive gesture she hugged him shortly. The boy blushed brightly at this and smiled again before straddling his steed. « I’ll be coming back for you in a few hours, the woods are safe so don’t worry. » she nodded at him and followed with her shimmering green eyes the departing cavalier.
…and now what?…



Well I hope you liked...i used a different style to present the situations, many little chapters alternatively showing more about Willow and Tara.
In the next chapter our girls will finally meet


Julie

[onehotone]

aww this is the best fic i've read in a long while. keep it up! i love it

[viximon]

Oh my. That fic is really good. I like it very much. I can't wait to nightfall so Willow going to the castle (where Tara is ) and all.

My congrats.
hope to read more soon.

[Tawilove]

Finally here are the invidual replies, sorry for being so long Kittens


A-Rob :
Thank you so much for your feedback and pardon me for replying so late. I’ve had some crazy days lately! Grrrrrreal Life

Oh, I think I get it. It's basically the same world, but some facts happened differently, like instead of they evolving technologically their knowledge of the occult (as in magic and such) was what expanded.

You got it perfectly right!!! I’m glad cause I think I just got my self confused while explaining. You must be very good at puzzles

I am a great fan of King Arthur and The Round Table myself and I must say that this was why I chose this setting, in fact I’m always eager to read the Pens stories that have knights, warriors, princesses and such in it…..
So many possibilities indeed and I hope I’ll be capable of exploiting them fully…so stay tune and tell me what you think of it.
I greatly appreciate your feedback and if you have any advices, I’m open to any proposition (well that went out a little differently that I meant to , but you get it! )

It would have been a great shock and a total fun to bring together our fiery redhead and Xander’s family but I took another direction to respect the plot I planed for Willow (a very nice plan I promise )



Dazed and Confused83 :
Hey there,
I’m really happy that you liked it until here, I’m all with it.
I like to mix things up, in fact I think that I’m better at writing AU stories for it gives me a largest panel of possibilities. I love to read WT fics within the Buffyverse though, anything that brings our girls together and with a happy ending.
The fourth chapter is up since yesterday and I’m actually working on the fifth one where Willow and Tara finally meet ….So stay tune.
Tank you for your kind words and compliments.


wilgen :

It was most certainly a compliment...

So I’d like to thank you once again officially for your nice compliment

I almost read in a second (one can exaggerate)

Yes surely one can exaggerate ….you know! you’re great ….every time I read your feedback there’s always a line where you crack me up …..thank you

I’m so glad you liked this update, and yes our gang is complete, but there are some new characters I will soon bring into the story…..some that could shake it up a bit

I’m curious of one thing and that is which languages did Xander try and where/how did he learn those?

Well in fact I meant more dialects than languages, some of the neighbor kingdoms have evolved differently, as I mention it in the fourth chapter the original language of Tara’s kingdom was very near from Gaelic and it was the same for it’s neighbors. But as it slowly evolved into English in this kingdom in others it staid nearer from it’s origins, giving then different dialects with proportions of Gaelic more or less important. Xander had the occasion to learn some of those languages through the selling of the farm products to a lot of different people he met on the markets.

Great work, thank you

Why thank you


onehotone :
What a wonderful compliment , thank you so much .
I will definitely keep it up and I hope to entertain you with it for a while.


viximon :
Thank you, I’m really flattered here , and also
Nightfall is for the next installment and you will definitely read some WT goodness, and of course some troubles to go with ….but who said I was an


Julie

[Tawilove]

Hello evreyone

I finally finished chapter 5 ...reviewing, rewritring, completing... that was long but I hope it's worth it !

First i'd like to give you some indications that i didn't mention earlier.

Note 1 : Willow's hairstyle resemble the one from "Hush" but in a shorter version (a bit Meg Ryan in "French Kiss" or "You've got mail")

Note 2 : I pictured Jenny, one of Tara's mother, as Jenny Calendar in the show. (I kinda had a big crush on her at the time , so I really wanted to have her in this fic....)

Can we say cliffhanger ....yes we can


Part Five : Welcome to wonderland


A crescent moon adorned the cloudless sky bathing with light the peaceful valley as she sighed out of impatience and anxiety. Night came less than an hour ago and she was already fearing that he would let her down. She didn’t know much about him after all …stop being silly would you, he wouldn’t have been so nice and considerate if it was to abandon you in the end …well maybe it was the reason why…knowing he would never come back he gave me at least something to get going …just out of guilt!… doubts and certainties were fighting for supremacy in the redhead thoughts.

The first two hours after he rode away were spent in laying leisurely on the grass eventually falling into a little nap, but when the fourth hour had passed she had started to feel utterly bored. Of course it had given her time to think, to sort her feelings and impressions about this epic she came through accidentally. However she had had too many questions without answers to mull over and finally the only gain she had reaped out of this brainstorming was a terrible headache.
Now some five hours later she was staring at the darkening sky, praying for any « online » deity to listen to her pleas and bring Xander back.


Upon arriving home the young farmer had suffered his mother’s wrath, he had been two hours late and missed lunch. So obviously his father had decided upon a little intervention after diner, lecturing his son about the responsibilities the farm labors entailed. Xander had nodded all the way through this long monologue with only one wish ; for the night to wait for him.
Thankfully for the boy his father and the rest of his family were early sleepers as any farmer generally was, so the older man had stopped is scolding and wished his son goodnight just as dusk arrived.
Hurriedly running to his room Xander had kneeled in front of his bed to retrieve a big leather bag which he had prepared and hidden under it a few days ago, in the eventuality of his escape. Leaving a note for his parents he looked for the last time at his surroundings and stepped out, closing the door of what used to be his home. But now was not a time for regrets or melancholy, he had to hurry and get back to the anxious redhead, who was very probably already pacing animatedly. …She really is special… he smiled thinking about her quirky ways as he pushed open the heavy barn doors.
Stepping cautiously into the dark building as not to wake all its inhabitants, he reached Starlight cubicle and called his steed with a soothing voice « hey buddy, come here old boy ». Extending his right hand towards the waking horse he made some calling sounds with his tongue. He opened the door to let the obedient animal out and proceeded to attach his saddle with care.
He had thought about the problematic transportation of the ‘horse-scared’ redhead and had finally decided to take a small carriage he built himself this winter. Originally destined for wood cartage it was big enough for the girl to fit in with a semblance of comfort. Once the convenient chariot secured at the rear of his steed he saddled up and took the direction of the woods.


« What is taking him so long for god sake » she had started to pace ten minutes ago and was now becoming angry. « How could he do that to me » she was fuming at the dark haired boy, cursing his name for letting her alone, lost in a foreign world full of mysteries and dangers. So occupied by her ranting, she didn’t hear the sound of distant horseshoes echoing down the road of the valley, so when the young farmer arrived to her provisory camp, leading Starlight by his reins, she shrieked at the sudden apparition.
He grinned at her with amusement … I knew she would be pacing… he was taking a liking in this fiery redhead; not that he was attracted to her, he liked his women a little bit more …‘take charge‘… he blushed at his own thoughts. But she could surely become a good friend in a near future he hoped.

« Sorry about the tardiness » he apologized.

« It’s ok » she smiled relieved to see the farmer and forgetting immediately about her previous grudge.

« You’re very nice thank you » he was grateful for her understanding « I had some last minute problems to take care of »

« It’s alright, I was just a bit nervous, you know I thought that maybe… » he didn’t let her finish her sentence.

« I’m terribly sorry Willow, you must have thought I wouldn’t be coming back » at her shameful nod he added « I understand, I would have probably concluded the same. Don’t worry though, I won’t let you down, I even hoped we could become friends » he mumbled staring at his mudded boots embarrassed by his forwardness.

« I would like that too Xander » the girl perked up immediately at his proposition, he was a gentle man and he obviously was ready to stand by her, he would surely become a great friend.

« Wonderful !» he exclaimed sending a full blown grin her way.
Progressively getting back is composure he talked more solemnly « we should get going, the castle is an hour from here and I would not like to arrive too late. Today is a very special day, the royal family is celebrating so the gates are closing earlier for the people »

« Really » the redhead was curious.

« Yes, Princess Tara is turning 21 ».

« Princess Tara » she repeated softly marveling at the sensation of the name rolling on her tongue like a caress.

« Yes » he confirmed without further explanations « so please put this on Willow » he handed her a hooded cloak specifying that she needed to hide her clothes from any encounter. « And hop in » he motioned towards the wooden carriage filled with a few blankets that would keep her from the cold and the stiffness of the boards. She did as instructed while trying to understand what was the meaning of her sudden interest for the ‘birthday girl‘!


****************

Hundreds of luminaries were dangling from centenary trees, lightening the main entrance of the castle and leading a ballet of coaches to the giant open doors. Inside the castle courtyard a huddled group of servants were bustling around the magnificent carriages helping the guests to exit the carts as the royal grooms took care of the horses and vehicles.
Ladies and Lords were entering the throne room with grace and dignity announced progressively by the chamberlain. The place was decorated with magical lights hovering in the air in a seemingly haphazard way that gave an impression of elegance and coziness. Nothing felt impressive but gave nonetheless an appearance of majesty. Purple velvet wall-coverings hung loosely from the stone pillars, bouquets of aroma flowers and white roses were arranged around the room and a small orchestra filled the air with harmonic melodies.
Tonight was dedicated to the ball and reserved to the most important dignitaries and royal families from the land of light. The royal family of Hemera didn’t like to exclude their people from those festivities but had to respect the conventions among the upper classes of their neighbors. So they obliged begrudgingly knowing fully well that they had to honor their guests. However one thing was sure, tomorrow would be a day of celebration for their folk and the streets would be full of joy and agitation with a huge banquet offered by the Queens to the people of Hemera.

So tonight was diplomatic and that was fine by Tara, politics were important, old alliances should be maintained and new one shall be born. The princess felt more and more concerned everyday by the matters of the kingdom, she knew wars were to start again one day with the land of dark and most certainly with the kingdom of Darkan, that’s why she wanted to prepare and learn. Today was the official day for Princess Tara to access to her new functions as a future leader but she already started to get involved in her realm politics ever since she was 18. So now she was ready to meet the decision makers and discuss with them of her knowledge and opinions.
Tara was also reaching an age were marriage was becoming a recurring subject and she feared this ball would be a mean to guide her in her choice of a spouse. She knew her parents would never force her into a loveless union and for this she was grateful but she also knew that they were being more insistent on that matter. « No one can rule alone my dear and one day the people could be worried that you would not be able to give them an heir » those were the two reasons her mothers often brought up to entice her into the search of a partner.
She was very aware of all this but somewhere at the back of her mind she was certain that her love would find her. It was rather strange she admitted, though it was a feeling she had carried in her as far as she could remember. That’s why she had waited, with no real impatience, understanding that things would come in their own good time and that all she could do was to open her heart to the calls of her soul mate.
The other certainty Tara held within her was the one of her inclination for women.
The problem was that she knew all the princesses, ladies and female knights invited to this ceremony and that was rather intriguing. Who could be her future spouse if not a princess or at least a powerful witch, seer, warrior or mage. It was a mystery.
Something though had started to stir some curiosity in her, it was a dream, the one she had experienced the other night. In that dream she had felt a presence, a connection, one so strong that it had engulfed her totally. Who was the one that had inflamed her soul, where were they, would she meet them one day? She was practically sure that they were a woman at least she hoped they were for she knew she never could be romantically attracted by a man.
But for now she should forget all those questions and doubts to concentrate fully on matters that were not of the heart. The throne room was nearly full and she had her duties to perform, her family by her side giving her the courage to face the crowd.


****************

« Are we there yet » she asked for the hundredth time with a tinge of impatience and a sigh.

« Gods Willow! » he exclaimed chuckling « stop asking this or I’ll leave you walking for the rest of the trip ».

« Sorry Xander » she blushed profusely at his teasing remark.

« No problem but please be patient » he smiled shaking his head …god what a child she must have been…

« I’ll be quiet, very very quiet, quietly quiet even … me queen of quiet land, yes sirey » she nodded with resolve. Laughing good heartedly at her endearing babble he turned around to look at the grinning redhead « we are nearly there, alright » she nodded childishly « good » he stated gently « I understand it must feel like an eternity to you but you have to trust me ok »

« Ok » she knew she was being silly and a real bugger at that but she was very nervous too. She was eager to solve this mystery and to understand how she arrived here in the first place. This was extremely unsettling for her not to know what to do, where to search, she had to remain calm and trust someone else; this was nearly above her capacity.
Slowly detaching from the dark a big grassy hill stood out in front of them; taking a turn to his left the young farmer rode around the imposing mound to reach the road of the castle. The slope was not very big but Starlight had to give some extra efforts to carry the small wagon and its occupant. After ten good minutes, a shimmering light appeared in front of them, giving to the redhead a perfect view on the castle and its activities. She stared slack jaw at the beautiful scenery taking place some hundred feet ahead, « wow » she managed, transfixed by the sight.
Entering the castle, dozens of golden and silver decorated coaches were sending back the reflections of the small dangling lights. A myriad of torches disposed along the bulwarks illuminated the impressive building with a soft orange glow. She felt part of a fairy tale … beautiful, this is magic, really… eyes growing wide like a little girl in front of a candy store she gawked openly at the exuberant display.

« We have to go to the back door, a friend of mine is assigned there, he will let us in » he could still have tried at the main entrance but with the actual agitation they would have probably been brushed off by the stressed valets.
Avoiding the crowd, they followed a little dusty path bordering the castle to finally reach the east door, guarded by two attentive soldiers.

« Hi Jesse » greeted the cheery farmer as he un-mounted.

« Hey Xander! Good to see you, what are you doing here » inquired the taller of the guards as he advanced towards the carriage.

« Well that’s a long story man » the two shook hands firmly « but first let me introduce you to a friend » he said proudly. Taking off her hood the redhead smiled at the boy.

« Willow meet Jesse, my best friend » she waved grinning nervously at the young warrior « Jesse meet Willow, my new friend »

« Please to meet you Willow » he was a bit curious for it was the first time he saw this….this what, they looked boyish with the short hair, but it was a girl’s name, he was confused. Plus there was something about them, an energy flow, somehow disturbed and peculiar.
Sensing his friend uneasiness and curiosity perking up, Xander reacted quickly.
« Willow’s a new mage from another land, she’s got some…hmm…‘troubles’ with her craft so we came here in the hopes to find some help »

« Oh I see » was the pleasant answer, he seemed satisfied with his friend’s explanation.
« So what did your parents say about this? I mean you here at the castle by night wandering around » he wondered, knowing fully well Xander’s family strict rules.

« Well theydontknowanything » he rushed the words « I kindoftookoffwhiletheywereasleep » he mumbled once again at full speed.

« What did you say? » two pairs of eyes stared at him amazed by the velocity of the young farmer’s speech.

He sighed heavily and repeated meekly « I said, they don’t know anything…I kind of took off while they were asleep » looking down at the ground he waited for his friend predicable reaction.

« What!!!! » the young guard cried out.

« I know I know, please don’t take it like that »

« How do you want me to take it Xan, your parents will be freaked when they don’t see you tomorrow, why did you do that?»

« You know perfectly well why » he was getting irritated « you know that they don’t want me to take the try outs for the Knights preparation . They want to lock me up forever in that miserable farmer life, do you think it’s fair? » he felt in his good right and intended to express its grievance with force.

« Xan, I know it’s hard » he soothed putting his arm around his shoulders « but you cannot just disappear like that . It’s unfair for sure but you’re not 21 yet and your parents still have their word to say. You have one more year to wait and then you can make your own choices. » Xander knew that his older friend was being the wisest of the two but he was miffed and didn’t feel like letting go just yet.

« Easy to say for you, you’re already 22 » he snapped but regretted it immediately at the small wince he caught on the soldier’s face. « Sorry » he apologized « I’m upset and I want to be given a chance do you understand? » he felt distressed.

All along this conversation the redhead had watched with attention the interactions between the two men. Jesse seemed very protective of the younger boy, and she found it nice. Xander was a good man but a little bit too idealistic. He needed someone to ground him, she felt that need too; someone to calm her, to center her, she was such a spaz sometimes. She had never felt at peace … no, correction! I felt at peace once, only once, but does it really count…it was in a dream …that voice, soft and tender…a gentle light comforting me… I felt home for the first time…

« I get it Xan, I get it » he cajoled, if he couldn’t make him change his mind he could at least take care of him.
« Ok, so now we have to get you inside, but first I have to find someone to switch with me for the door watch.….I’ll send my roommate » he concluded with a sly grin after some reflection « he owes me » he winked.

After they arrived at Jesse ‘s place, he had sent his grumbling roommate to occupy his place and offered the two traveling friend some collation.
« So what are your plans from here » asked the guard.

« Well we need to meet some powerful wizard or witch » stated the dark haired boy.

« Alright, tomorrow I’ll lead you to a friend, he knows everyone here »

« No, not tomorrow » countered the farmer, seeing his friend’s surprise he added « Willow cannot wait » looking at the anxious redhead he continued « she has to fix this quickly plus by night she can easily go unnoticed, what with her wacky powers, it can be disturbing for people, we have to go see your friend tonight! » there was no way he would budge on this, night was safer than day.

« Very well but there are two things standing in our way, first tonight the castle is busy with the celebration and second » he gave a once over at the redhead sans cloak « she cannot go dressed like that ».


****************

« What are you doing here sweetie? » asked a curious though gentle voice from the other side of the balcony. « You are missing on the best part » concluded a dark haired woman with a lopsided smile.
Turning around at the familiar voice the young blonde grinned slightly facing her respondent.

« The stars are so bright tonight » she didn’t need to say more for the other woman to understand her current need for privacy.

« Honey I know you are not very comfortable in the crowd, but I feel there is something more you are not telling me » Jenny, though she didn’t always show it, was very perceptive of her daughter’s feelings. She reached for the younger girl and held her in a tender embrace.
Grateful for the comforting gesture the blonde hugged her mother back for a minute before they both let go to face each other fully.

« You know me so well » she stated with a smirk.

« Well I try anyway » she winked eliciting a soft giggle from Tara.

« So many people are dancing right now, I felt like taking some fresh air » Jenny didn’t comment on that, they both knew it was just conversational and not the real matter here. Directing themselves towards a nearby bench they both kept silent for a few minutes; sitting side by side they bathed in the peaceful moment.

« I had a dream » deciding her mom would be the best one to understand the feeling, she explained the source of her trouble. « In fact it started more like a nightmare but I cannot remember much of it. The things I recall best are the sensations, it was so intense and unsettling, but then it was incredibly passionate too. » She watched her mother’s countenance with care, seeing only patience and interest she went on « I talked about it to Uncle Giles today and he said it might be related to an ancient prophecy. We found some texts but nothing is really clear for now. I didn’t want to worry you or mama so… » interrupting the young blonde the Lady seer objected gently.

« Tara, honey, you know you don’t have to worry about that, you can always tell us anything, good or bad. We are your mothers, we love you, we are here to help and support you, no matter what »

« I love you too » tear drops built in her azure orbs as the princess fought with her emotions.

« I know sweetie, I know » the older woman cupped her face whipping with her thumb the offending liquid pearls.
« You don’t have to talk about it now though, if you are not comfortable…. » this time she was the one interrupted.

« No really, it’s ok » she sniffed a few times regaining some confidence. « But I don’t know where to start or maybe by telling you that I felt complete for the first time in my life. »


****************

« So how does it fit » inquired the squirming boy.

« I don’t know, it’s a bit scratchy » she informed with a grunt.

« That is not the concern here Willow » he answered back, impatient. She locked herself in the bedroom thirty minutes ago and he was now wondering if she actually sewed the clothes herself.

« Alright, alright! I’m coming » she said a bit exasperated.
The door creaked open and the two friends took a step back at the sight, the redhead was standing before them self-consciously tugging at the hem of her shirt, wriggling her hands together nervously.
« I feel a bit uneasy in those » she stated unnecessarily.

« Wow! You look incredible » sputtered the young guard.

« I second that » admitted the astonished farmer « you really are handsome » he smiled with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

« Handsome? » she was taken aback « hey I’m not a man » she pouted.

« You look like one » her eyes threw daggers at the boy and he completed his statement in a hurry « a very girlish, pretty boy » he was unsure if it was enough to sooth her.

« Well I guess you might be right » she sighed looking at her reflection in a mirror standing in the left corner of the room. She couldn’t blame them for that, she really looked like a boy, and to be honest she was quite handsome in that suit; she smiled at the thought.
Jesse’s roommate, Call, was a lanky guy, quite small for a man and more or less of the redhead’s corpulence. So Jesse had proposed immediately that they borrowed some clothes from his wardrobe to dress Willow in a less conspicuous attire.
Considering the official reception taking place in the castle tonight, they decided upon a warrior ceremony dress that consisted of a white cotton tunic partly visible underneath a dark red overcoat embroidered with the arms of the royal family. A belt hung loosely around her waist and brown linen pants were mostly covered by black knee length leather boots.
Xander was dressed in the exact same way, Jesse keeping his duty clothes on.

« Stop admiring your pretty self and come on » the farmer interrupted the daydreaming redhead and tugged at her arm to guide her away from her narcissistic occupation.

« Please do not say a word, I will be the one talking » seeing the two nod in agreement the soldier gave more instructions « alright, the reception is held mostly between the throne room and the ball room, the rest of the castle is more or less quiet, but we will be meeting people. So Willow don’t forget you are a royal guard, man or woman, you have to bow in front of any lady you’ll meet, same for you of course Xander. » he was nervous, any out of the ordinary behavior could give them away immediately.
Arriving in front of a dark wooden door, Jesse turned to face them « ready? » he asked taking a deep breath.

« Ready » they replied in chorus.

Opening the door they were faced with a long dim corridor. Following the lead the redhead roamed her eyes everywhere, examining the beautiful paintings adorning the walls barely lit by suspended candles and certainly destined to be admired by day light. They turned so many times in the labyrinthian hallways that she thought she would never be able to find her way back so she stuck to her companions, regretfully abandoning her wayward contemplations.


****************

« I am truly amazed » this dream was so exceptional, very much resembling her visions in intensity if not in graphic memory. « Was it the first time, I mean did you ever have such dreams before? »

« No it really is the first » her mother had listened attentively waiting for her to complete her story to finally express her comments.

« So you found some relations with a prophecy » this was intriguing.

« Yes, but nothing precise though. It appears to be more or less linked to the person I connected with through the dream. Somehow they are to come here or so it seems considering the parchment retelling the prophecy. They should be quite powerful too, but everything here is just an interpretation » she was so frustrated not to be sure.

« What could be the nature of your bond with them » she was concerned about her daughter’s security, feeling a connection with someone didn’t automatically mean that it was positive, especially if her dream began as a nightmare. Nothing was harder to decipher than a prophetical dream.

« I don’t know yet but it didn’t feel evil, mom » she sensed her mother angst about that mysterious stranger.

« Evil doesn’t always » she smiled affectionately although rather tersely.


****************

Getting nearer from the ball room the three wanderings ‘guards’ stopped in a little recess to discuss their next move.
« Wesley, the man I told you about, is the chamberlain » announced the taller of the boys.

« You know the chamberlain? » Xander was impressed.

« Yes, he is my cousin, well to be more precise the son of my father’s cousin. Anyway, he was the one who supported my candidature for the royal guard troops. He would know who to contact about your problem Willow ».
She felt relieved to have Jesse and Xander at her side, she shuddered at the thought of being alone here with no one to address to.

« So, you two stay here » he enjoined the redhead and her fellow farmer « and I’ll go in search of Wesley. By any mean, don’t move from here, I’ll come back as fast as possible, understood ?»

« We get it » answered the redhead.

« Alright then, see you » checking on both sides before getting out of their hiding place the young soldier dashed for the music filled room.
Willow and Xander remained silent, they were tensed and feeling rather cramped in their small hideout but they respected the last instructions of their guide.
A few feet on their right, slightly ajar French doors led to a large balcony. Straining from her actual position the redhead focused her attention on two growing shadows reflecting on the big windows. They looked feminine and were approaching slowly, getting bigger by the minute.


Turning her head sharply in the direction of the ballroom corridor, the young blonde let a muffled cry escape her lips.

« What is it Tara? » inquired the older woman worriedly.

« Do you sense this? » she was awestruck, there was a very powerful being standing probably only a few feet away from them, but what was more astounding was the fact that their magic was totally unshielded, diffusing in every direction with no apparent control.

Opening herself to her environment, the queen felt a disturbed energy coming in very strong waves from a nearby location. She was amazed, she should have sensed it before …of course I didn’t I was so focused on Tara…I managed to cut out everything around…silly…well it’s probably because it was not a dark energy…

Walking cautiously towards the source of this disturbance the princess opened the glass doors and stepped into the hallway following the erratic but nonetheless powerful flow of magic

« Be careful sweetie » instructed her mother staying at her side.
Nodding shortly the blonde squinted in the obscurity, she was sure that they were not far, stopping not more than three feet from the recess she questioned with trepidation « who is here? ».
Stepping in front of her daughter Jenny called out with more determination « who is here, show yourself now! »
They heard a few shuffling sounds and maybe some whisperings before a young dark haired man exited the small nook grinning nervously and motioning to his still hiding companion to do the same.
Emerging shyly from the dark the redhead looked for the first time at the two expecting figures. She stared transfixed at the beauty before her, the most amazing blue orbs boring into hers reaching for her soul. She couldn’t move, couldn’t even talk so she just stayed still lost in the contemplation of this angelic vision, barely breathing, afraid to break the spell.


****************

A black tower emerged from a grey eerie mist as grim horsemen galloped restlessly in its direction. Those dark messengers were carrying bad news to the lord of the place; magic had stirred and stretched in ways that would not serve his purpose. They had traveled for hours and were now reaching their objective; with a big pull on the reins they stopped some hundred feet from the high building, looking at each other with a sense of dread. The master of Darkan was not known for his reception and they knew very well he would lash his fury on them when he’ll learn the piece of information they held. Hesitation was readable on their face, they didn’t want to suffer his wrath but they knew they would pay even more for not fulfilling their mission. Accepting their painful destiny they clashed spur clad boots on each side of their steeds’ rears and as whinnying echoed through the valley they resumed their journey to the evil’s den.



Tell me if you liked, i crave for feedbacky goodness

Julie

[viximon]

I wasn't wrong. THis fic is awsome. Really. I love it more every time. The friendship Xander and Willow share already is so noble and sweet. Cute pair they are.
Oh, no wonder you choose Jenny, I was too with a little crush on her on the time. She's perfect doing Tara's mother character. Tara is full of Tara-ish so All the story is getting more and more interesting.

Jesse aparition was a cool wink. I liked it.

Continue soon.Please

[Tawilove]

I’m really flattered, thank you for your wonderful compliments and your much much appreciated feedback
Xander is a nice character, on principle. What was done with him on the show especially from season 4, wasn’t representative of his deep gentle nature. .
I must admit that Willow and Xander friendship is something that affects me a lot, for it reminds me my own relationship with my childhood best friend (who is amazingly resembling Xander on the physical level), so I confirm a cute pair indeed
I hesitated a little before introducing Jenny as Tara’s mother, for she has no physical resemblance to her. Then I thought, well somehow Dawn could perfectly be Jenny’s daughter so I concluded that it would be ok as long as Tara inherited some traits from Jenny, for example her lopsided grin. I’m glad you liked my choice of this character

Tara is full of Tara-ish

Thanks I was really nervous about picturing her right

All the story is getting more and more interesting.

I’ll do my best to keep it that way

I’m working on chapter 6, full of WT interactions , but beware, rocky road ahead. (not really appropriate here but I love this smiley )

Julie

[viximon]

I speak the truth. I really love your fic.

I’m working on chapter 6, full of WT interactions , but beware, rocky road ahead.

Yay I willl be waiting...though rocky road ahead...ummm
hehehhe. I'm impatient nevertheless, maybe more now.

Update soon. You have in me a loyal fan from now on

[A-Rob]

I stay away for a few days and miss not one, but two updates! I'm a bad, bad reader. Sorry. How can I make it up to you?

Firstly, let's go on with this review. I loved both updates. I found Willow's reaction to her discovery spot on. Very Willow-esque. I'd expected confused mental ramblings and explosions of babble and you did just that. Wonderful!

I find myself liking your Xander very much. He's like a doofy, loveable big brother to Willow. This carefree Xander is much better than canon Xander from the later seasons.

And finally Willow and Tara meet! A very powerful meeting, indeed! I could feel the sparkles between them easily. I wonder, will there be gender confusion with Willow in her boyish clothes? And how short is Willow's hair, by the way? Fourth season short or shorter? I think Willow would look good with hair like Gabrielle from the last seasons of Xena.

A cryptic prophecy and creepy villains, add a damsel in distress, a knight in shining armor and you got yourself a tale! Heh, I can barely wait for the next update.

Rob

[cosmic dancer]

Hi there!

I only discovered this fic today and I love it already. I've just read all 5 chapters and I can't wait to read more. I love the idea of a magical Willow, who has no idea that she is magical, placed in a magical land that is totally alien to her. I'm looking forward to seeing how you show her learning about her powers, as well as how she interacts with princess Tara.

One more thing, although I like the way in which you jump between scenes, it did confuse me a bit occassioanlly. I would find it easier if you showed that you had jumped, by using a line of stars (*******) or something. Just a suggestion, I'll still read more even if you ignore it.

[Tawilove]

viximon :
Thank you very much ….I’m honored , your compliments are giving me wings….It means a lot to me

though rocky road ahead...ummm

I’ll rock the boat just a little don’t worry…..don’t want to see it capsize!
I’m a bit slower this week … I’m just realizing we’re already Saturday….gosh time flies by, it’s incredible! I think the update should be ready around Tuesday, I’ll do my best, but I’d like to give even more attention to this chapter to be as perfect as I can when writing WT interactions! My perfectionist self is on alert


A-Rob :

I'm a bad, bad reader. Sorry. How can I make it up to you?

I’m thinking about it …..I know…..more fic goodness on your part …I crave for your updates !
I’m always glad to read your feedback whenever you have time so don’t worry we both know RL is a b..ch!

I found Willow's reaction to her discovery spot on.

Thank you …I love Willow babbles and quirkiness but it’s harder than it seems to write it (for me at least) …so I’m really happy you found her reaction to be Willow-esque! It’s making me smile like a goof see!

Xander is loveable goof, you’re perfectly right! at least that’s what it seemed in the first seasons, and I tried to magnified that trait of his personality here. In the last seasons I missed the ‘loyal-donuts-delivery-funny-clown phobic-boy‘. I like the idea of a best friend for Willow, especially a good man, for until now she has only been betrayed and hurt by the men in her life, she needed to believe in them again.

Sparkles everywhere between our girls that’s for sure, but a lot of confusion too…you’re hinting the right way here Rob, but I won’t spoil …not even under torture…humm I’m ticklish so don’t please
Willow hair is shorter than in season four, you could totally compare it to Gabrielle hair style from Xena last seasons…I was going for Meg ryan, but you got a better example there!! Real better thanks

Next update should be ready beginning of next week if I’m not being obsessed about details…


cosmic dancer :

Hello

Thank you so much for your feedback, I’m so glad you liked what you’ve read until now .
"A magical Willow not knowing she’s magical"….that is in fact something that came to mind after I started my first attempt at this fic. When I first thought of this story I wrote it with a Willow already in the magical world and aware of her powers. But I felt that written this way something was missing, some originality, that’s when I got this idea….so I’m really happy to know you like it.
Interactions with princess Tara will not be dull, trust me so stay tune!

I would find it easier if you showed that you had jumped, by using a line of stars (*******) or something.

Great idea!! I should have thought about it thank you! At first I simply put an extra space between the changes of scenes, but as the page grew bigger the spaces between the paragraphs shrank! And silly me was wondering how to make a nice division, thankfully you’ve got the answer!

I’ll go now and apply this to the former chapter.


Julie

[Tawilove]

Hello everyone

Wow i've been working on this update for ages, I'm sure many of you, , have been facing the same situation. I just couldn't be satisfied , I'm still not but I've decided to jump in anyway. Please tell me what you think of it, I'm quite anxious about the result!!


Same disclaimer as before with a R raiting for graphic violence (the passage is quite short and in the first chapter so you can still skip it if you want).


Cliffhangery update (depends on how you see it )



Part Six : Please to meet you




It was strange, the difference in the weather, it seemed summer’s heat was still warming them up not so long ago, and now they were freezing to the bones!
Well maybe it was not the weather but just the place, somehow it wasn’t so hard to imagine. The building was uninviting, looking as much as feeling cold; dark irregular walls seemed to serve as a prison to the inhabitants of this peculiar castle.
The two men, now walking cautiously through the corridors, kept silent eyes wide of terror as they marched towards a huge ebony double door.
They knew what was behind, they never saw him in person but the many tales they heard from those who survived were horrifying.
Akattla, king of Darkan, was a monster, not in shape for he was human but in his soul darkness was flowing like lava going down the streams of Hades.
He was known for his incredible cruelty not only on the battle fields but also with his subjects.
And now they were about to meet him, they had a message that would surely put him in great anger. A powerful seer from Rodan, a kingdom of the land of dark, sent them three days ago to report a vision that would probably change their world for ever.
Magic had shifted, and it happened in the land of light, a powerful being had emerged bringing a new mighty ally to the forces of good. The matter was very serious, they couldn’t let this be, their victory was at stake.
Knowing fully well that the only one capable of tipping the scales in favor of the dark was Akattla, the lords from Rodan decided upon sending two of their best warriors to inform the ruthless king of this terrible occurrence.

His palms were sweating profusely as he raised a trembling hand to the closed door but he didn’t feel the harsh contact of the rough material, his fist slicing the air instead. The panels had opened of they own volition creating a gush of wind between the bewildered men.

« Who dares interrupt? » a loud throaty voice barked from the other end of the sinister room. A shadow detached from the imposing throne giving a complete view on a looming figure.

« We..we..we » he was shaking like a leaf, forgetting how to talk; fortunately his more unflappable companion intervened.
« We were mandated by Lord Astor from the Kingdom of Rodan » he made a short pause before adding « his wishes are to inform you of an upcoming new menace »

« Really? » he roared « and what could be so terrifying that your masters had to send you beg for my help? » he sneered at the pair.

« Well everything is related in this parchment » choosing not to comment on his offending remark the warrior approached gingerly the unmoving King. Extracting a yellowish roll from his satchel he bent on one knee before extending the precious text in his quivering hand.
Snatching the document in one swift movement the evil monarch sat back in is chair opening the message with patience.
The young man kept still in his previous position not ready to move before he was told to. Lifting his eyes very slowly he observed the reading man, anxious to notice the first signs of his furry. But it never came, something else was readable in his cruel black eyes though, …could it be fear… wondered the waiting messenger.

Getting up faster than lightening Akattla dragged his sword out of its sheath and cut off the head of the kneeling man, never once changing his facial expression. « I don’t know fear » he concluded before sitting back.
Then he addressed to the horrified man still standing in the doorway « go and tell your masters that I’ll be taking care of this for them, but there will be a compensation, …there’s always a compensation » mumbling for himself the last words he pushed the man out of the room with a simple gesture, the door closing back with a loud bang.
Completely petrified the now lone horseman stared for a few minutes at the black panels before hightailing it out of here.



*****************



Everything happened in slow motion and time seemed to stop as she stood paralyzed by feelings she could not yet comprehend. When she saw the first boy step out of this dark corner she knew he was not the one she had sensed earlier but when the redhead appeared in the soft glow of a nearby candelabra, she barely contained a gasp. Green eyes immediately bored into hers and she felt shivers run down her spine as her heartbeat quickened and her breathing intensified. Of course the power emanating from ‘him’ was incredible and this alone could explain some of her astonishment but it was deeper than that, she felt connected. …Oh my goddess… she mentally cried …I already had such a sensation before, it was in my dream…he is the one!… she realized. Here she stood, awestruck, a combination of glee and disappointment invading her soul progressively. She was so glad to finally meet the mysterious stranger from her dream and she understood they shared a special bond but apparently her worst fear had come to life for they were a man.
She pushed aside her conflicting sentiments for the time being, deciding to focus on learning more about him …friend his good… she deduced with a sigh.


The same level of confusion was occupying the redhead thoughts, at first she had been swept off her feet by the intensity of her meeting with this blonde angel, her mind going blank but for one image …beautiful…. But obviously her babbling brain finally took back the control and she reached overdrive a few moments later. …God what the heck am I thinking, she’s a girl…I can’t be feeling this way for a girl… uh by the way Rosenberg…what do you refer to when you say ‘this way’!!!…I don’t know…it’s it’s strong, it’s pure, it’s overwhelming,…it’s magic …ok I see, but tell me isn’t it a little too much for platonic feelings?…arghh stop it would you! This is not love ok, this cannot be love…this cannot be…she trailed off miserably knowing fully well that she was fooling herself but still unable to face the blinding truth.

Meanwhile Jenny and Xander had kept quiet, assessing each other with care and at the same time wondering what was putting respectively their daughter and friend in such a state of trance. Finally breaking the silence as realization of who was in front of them occurred to him, the farmer bowed with flourish, contrite apologies tumbling down his mumbling mouth.

« Your Majesty! We are truly sorry, forgive our terrible mistake, we were surprised and we missed to acknowledge your presence! Not that it was your fault for surprising us, you could not be faulty of anything, not that you are perfect, uh I didn’t mean that.. » he was engaged in a never ending embarrassing babble so the Lady seer intervened cutting outright his erratic monologue

« I see » she said a little sternly, she didn’t sense malice in him but she wanted to keep some distance for the moment. Deception wasn’t to be ignored when it came to evil forces.

Seeing that his redhead companion was still lost in her musings Xander nudged her in the ribs eliciting a scowl as she came back to reality the hard way. With an intense stare he motioned for her to bow like him in the presence of those two ladies. Remembering suddenly Jesse’s instructions she obliged hastily, gaze firmly fixed on the ground waiting anxiously for the first words her angel would pronounce …my angel…when did she exactly become ‘my angel‘?… she was surely loosing her common sense.

The princess winced as the dark haired boy smacked her dear redhead unkindly …my dear redhead?…wow Tara! Come back to earth missy…when did he become ‘your dear redhead’…you don’t even know him let along like boys… she shook her head at her silly mind.

« So do you care to explain why you two were hiding » the queen demanded with some authority « you can straighten up » she added as an after thought.

Regaining their previous posture they looked hesitantly at the older woman. Turning shortly to each other they exchanged a silent agreement, the farmer would do the talking.

« Well you see your majesty, my cousin Will and I » he didn’t even planned for this lie, it was instinctive, he wanted to protect Willow, so hiding her real identity was his first impulse « we came here to see my best friend for help. We …we were waiting for him, he has a friend would could maybe solve a ….problem » he knew he was being lame but what could he say. Of course the queen was not a threat but he didn’t know how she would react to the redhead’s peculiarity. They had to know what was up first. On the other hand the queen was a powerful seer and she had probably already sensed Willow wonky powers. He was at loss.

Reacting faster than her mother the young blonde inquired « What is your problem…uh.. »

« Xander » he filled in with a gentle smile

« Thank you » she nodded softly « So what is your problem Xander? »

« Well… » he felt cornered.

Cutting him short the redhead supplied. « It is more my problem that his, m’lady » she didn’t know who this young woman was but she surely was a lady, she was so beautiful …stop with that Rosenberg!…

His voice, his voice was so soft and gentle, it was amazing …he probably is still quite young, seeing as he has no stubble and such a light timbre… it was intriguing.
« Oh » she managed with emotion. Feeling a bit bolder after a very needed deep breath, she asked « is it related to your current troubles with your magical energy ?».

« How did you know? » the redhead was genuinely surprised.

« I c-c-can sense it » she blushed lightly as a curtain of hair fell in front of her eyes.

The queen was shocked by her daughter’s sudden access of stutter and shyness, it hadn’t been happening since her childhood. But she chose not to comment and study instead the interactions between Tara and this young man.

« I must say I’m impressed » complimented the redhead with a charming grin.

« It’s n-n-nothing really, j-j-just the b-b-basics » she was frustrated by her inability to talk properly; why was she stuttering she should have been over this for years now. …I must be nervous…yes that is the reason why… but what was she nervous about, it was a mystery, or maybe not totally. However she wasn’t yet ready to accept her feelings and till then she would not dare imagine the reason for her actual behavior.

« Well to me it seems wonderful» she wanted to make her point, this amazing young woman felt special to her and she would do or say anything to prove her just that …her stutter is so endearing, I feel like taking her hand and telling her that it’s ok, that I’m here for her…

Interrupting any come back from the blonde, Jesse reached the little group trailing behind him a slightly out of breath chamberlain.
Surprise was readable over his face as he acknowledged the presence of the two royal women. …I’ve been too long, sorry Xander I failed you … he sighed defeated.
Bowing respectfully at the two ladies he addressed the queen « Your majesty » he didn’t know what had already been said so he went for a safe speech « I would like to apologize for this » he was obviously implying the presence of his two companions « my best friend Xander and … » seeing that Jesse was struggling for a way to introduce the redhead the farmer intervened.

« Will » he supplied « my cousin Will » he stressed the word ‘cousin’ to affirm the new status of the foreign girl.

« Yes, Will » he chuckled nervously « I have a little problem with names » he hoped his excuse wasn’t looking too suspicious.
« Well, Xander and Will, came here on my behalf for I promised my help in a serious matter they are currently faced with ».

Lord Wesley approached the queen bowing shortly « I can attest of his tale » tucking back his perfectly polished spectacles on the bridge of his nose he turned to gauge the young redhead. « It was reported to me that one of my cousin’s » he gestured at Jesse « friends had a peculiar problem regarding their ability to shield and control their magic ».
Addressing directly the redhead he stated « I presume you are the one concerned ».

« Yes » was her short reply to this very snobbish guy.

« So I suggest that we contact Lord Quentin on a short notice »

« No » cried Tara with a mixture of panic and authority; all eyes turned towards the blushing blonde.

« But princess » argued the chamberlain « why do you oppose to this proposition, Lord Quentin is the expert in the cases of magic control » he couldn’t understand her reaction.

Oh my god, she’s the princess, she’s princess Tara, the birthday girl…no wonder though…she’s so full of grace and majesty… the redhead was bewitched.

« I have my reasons » she stated with resolve « one of those is that Lord Giles and myself are already implicated in this case » she didn’t want to voice her other concern, her total disapproval of Lord Quentin’s methods.

« May I ask in which way » the stiff looking man was miffed, he didn’t like to be thwarted, especially by this ‘girl‘. He was sure that her natural kindness and apparent innocence would one day cause the doom of this kingdom.

« No, for that is none of your concern Lord Wesley »

« Lady Tara, I beg you to reconsider the situation » he felt like insisting « I mean no offense but Lord Giles and yourself might be unable to apprehend the complexity of the issue at hand »

The redhead was more and more upset by this intrusive and pretentious man …you better not offense her you moron… she seethed … wow where did that come from?

« No » the blonde’s answer was short and supporting no discussion.
Lady Jenny looked at her daughter with admiration and love …she’s all grown up now… pride was visible in her shimmering eyes.
Tara turned to Willow « I am truly sorry about all this » she gave her a lopsided grin and the redhead heart skipped a beat. « I should assure you of my complete benevolence, I have no intension to impose you anything, I recognize that I have been taking no care of your opinion in this discussion, you can chose to follow Lord Wesley if you’d prefer. » she amended for her authoritarian attitude.

« Thank you for your concern princess » she bowed her head shortly « I am certain of your good intensions, I trust you » she stressed looking straight into the blonde’s blue orbs.

Tara smiled shyly at this sincere admission « that is settled then, tomorrow I’ll present you to Lord Giles our Great wizard and army General ».
The princess informed the redhead that she would meet ‘him’ up in the morning to join Lord Giles at the library. So after organizing commodities for Xander in the Guards’ quarters and for Willow in the west wing of the castle the small group split up.


Led by a valet the redhead reached her provisory bedroom, the young servant installed an assortment of everyday clothes in her closet and bid her goodnight. She scanned the room with eagerness, it was elegant and comfortable, a king-size canopy bed stood in the middle of the room, two assorted armchairs disposed on each side of it. A big mahogany wardrobe covered at least half of the left wall and a delicately carved thuja desk stood by a big arched window on the opposite wall.
The colors were soft but joyful; red, gold and green were associated with harmony, it felt warm and inviting. Sitting heavily on the mattress the exhausted girl took off her boots before laying down on the bed. She closed her eyes for a few minutes intending to rest a little before preparing for the night but she was so tired that she fell fast asleep, a small smile plastered on her face.

Lady Tara was swimming through the crowd, she couldn’t focus anymore on the bustling activity around her, she was obsessed by one thought …I cannot be attracted to him, no I cannot… so she walked aimlessly smiling occasionally at her greeting guests. She was at loss, how could she be feeling all of this for a man … he is so soft and charming, I feel safe near him, comforted even… please let stay logical Tara, even if you were inclined to like men, you only met him an hour ago…but I feel like we’ve known each other since the beginning of times… she kept on arguing with herself missing the calls of her uncle. The older man was worried so he approached her and put a hand on her shoulder; she jumped at the contact.
« Sorry Tara, I didn’t want to frighten you but…you seemed quite…absent » he looked at her questioning with his eyes the reasons for her behavior.

« Yes I …sorry, I was lost in my thoughts » she grinned apologetically.

« It’s alright dear » he reassured « I guess what your actual preoccupation might be ». She looked panicked for a few seconds before he added « your mother told me about this boy you met earlier, apparently he’s the one you connected with through your dream…I am sure we will find out what it all means, don’t worry ».

« Thank you » she squeezed his hand grateful for his comforting presence.



****************



She tip toed quietly down the hallway, the gentle glow of the rising sun was giving her enough light to direct herself. This part of the castle was very calm at this hour for most of the bedrooms were located in the east wing, but she should be careful, a valet could always spot her by inadvertence and this would not serve her purpose.
Finally reaching the door she gulped, maybe this was a bad idea after all, he was perhaps a dangerous killer…no they would never have let him stay if it was the case; plus she was here, so she should finish what she started. Raising her knuckles to knock she stopped mid air; reconsidering her next move she grabbed hold of the handle and opened the door quickly while stealthily slipping into the room.

A soft snoring was emanating from the bed …good he’s still here… but she didn’t know what to do next, her curiosity had brought her here and somehow she was not sure anymore about this ‘expedition’.
After a few minutes of hesitation she decided upon approaching the sleeping figure. Reaching the left side of the mattress she stared at the redhead boy haphazardly sprayed over the bedcover. He looked young, maybe just a little older than herself, his clothes were rumpled and seemed very uncomfortable for sleep …he was surely exhausted to fall asleep in this attire… she guessed. A moan escaped his lips and he mumbled some incoherent words …funny… she thought with an amused smile. Twisting a little he turned on his side facing the startled girl who by noticing that his eyes were still closed sighed of relief.
Judging that she had seen enough for today she started to back away when she heard a sleepy voice calling at her « already leaving ?» Her eyes went wide as impish green orbs gazed at her silently asking for an explanation.

« I-I-I…I didn’t mean to…sorry » she looked at her feet a blush slowly creeping up her face.

« That’s alright » assured the waking woman sitting up at the edge of the bed. « Whom have I the honor to talk to? » she asked kindly.

Perking up immediately at this turn of event the younger girl answered with a broad smile « I’m Dawn, Tara’s sister, please to meet you » she curtsied swiftly.
Chuckling at the overenthusiastic teen the redhead stood up extending her hand before introducing herself « Hi Dawn, I’m Will… » but she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
« Come in » she instructed turning towards the entrance. She was not prepared for such a sight though as the princess entered the room with grace, immediately connecting with her eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, the redhead finally broke the intense contact taking in the new comer‘s appearance. Her hair was arranged in a loose bun, a few strands falling behind her ears; she wore a more casual dress than last night but to Willow it looked even more beautiful, the cobalt blue natural-silk gown accentuating her curves and perfectly matching her eyes.

« You’re drooling » whispered the young giggling girl to the gawking redhead. Closing her mouth shut with a small pop Willow flushed at the comment, wondering why the teenager’s teasing had hit home so precisely.

Suddenly realizing that they were not alone in the room the bothered blonde questioned her sister « what are you doing here Dawnie? » she sounded upset and the younger girl knew she was in trouble.

« Nothing » she snapped back with an exasperated sigh.

« This attitude will lead you nowhere young lady » the princess chastised crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an expectant eyebrow.

« Alright, alright » she gave up her offended pretence « I came here to see who was our famous new guest » she grinned at the friendly redhead.

« Why didn’t you ask for permission beforehand, not only to our mothers but to Will as well ?» this kid was a real troublemaker sometimes, even if her intensions were always good.
« Can I call you Will? » she added quickly, acknowledging all of sudden her uncharacteristic forwardness.

You can call me whatever you like… « yes » exhaled the enraptured woman.

« Thank you » she smiled dreamily « please call me Tara ».

Dawn watched perplex …those two are so making gooey eyes at each other… I get why Will is attracted to my sister, but how come Tara seems to be in the same silly puppy love trance…she doesn’t even like men this way…well at least that’s what I thought!!!
« Alright then, I’ll leave you to…whatever you do…and » she wasn’t getting any reaction so with a sly grin she went for the kill « by the way Tare…you didn’t tell me Will was such a cutie ». Eliciting a deep blush from the redhead and ‘wide-like-a-deer-caught-in-the-headlights’ eyes from her sister she chuckled mischievously exiting the room as fast as she could.



*************




« I don’t say he is evil, I just suggest that we take some precautions that’s all » the dark haired woman was agitated. She didn’t get why everyone was so naïve suddenly, even her wife was being overly confident. Who knew where he was coming from, why he was here, was it asking too much to be a little more careful.

« Honey, please calm down » she soothed « you’ve been fuming for hours now. I know you’re worried about Tara, but she is a big girl, she has to solve this on her own » receiving a surprised panicky look she explained « she is the one concerned by all this but of course we will stay by her side, we will never let her get hurt. It’s just, we need to show her that we respect her decisions, that we will support her no matter what ». Taking the emotional woman in her arms she cajoled « I don’t sense dark energy around him, I can assure you that my powers are not failing me on this. You know otherwise he wouldn’t even be here anymore ». Sensing an attempt at a come back, the blonde queen interrupted « if he ever tries to hurt her in anyway, he will know our wrath and bitterly regret his choice » she nuzzled her wife’s neck softly kissing the side of her jaw. « But for now… » she punctuated her speech with a trail of tender pecks « I want you… » from her brow « to relax… » to her chin « and I know… » going back to her mouth « a very good way… » where she lingered for a while with a searing kiss « to do that » she concluded with a sexy smile.

Grinning at her wife Jenny took her hand leading her towards the queen-size bed, « vixen » she said with a luscious smile.




**************




After the hasty departure of the scheming teen, the two girls had stayed, shell-shocked, dipped into an embarrassing silence for a few minutes. Coming back to her senses first, the princess had suggested that they moved on to the library where Lord Giles was surely waiting for them. They had walked side by side, no words troubling their internal musings, for both of them were more confused than ever.

Reaching the imposing room the redhead let a soft cry of surprise escape her lips. She was a book worm and not ashamed of it, she would spend hours in the highschool library reading and studying while her comrades played softball or simply hanged around. When she started university her life style didn’t change much, she still loved to roam through the UCSF library doing more reading that she was assigned for. So upon entering this astonishing book-sanctuary as she liked to define it, a wide smile engulfed her face when discovering the extend of the collection.
Noticing a change in the previously pensive mood of her companion Tara hazarded a glance in her direction …incredible! His smile, it lightens the whole place…

« Ah Tara! » the wizard exclaimed with satisfaction « I am glad to see you » he was impatient, since he had heard about her meeting with this mysterious boy his mind had been full of more questions he could handle at once.
« And you must be our guest » he addressed the redhead politely.

« I am sir » she grinned at the kind looking man …I like him.

« Will, let me present you Lord Giles, my uncle » the princess completed the presentation, « Uncle Giles meet Will ». Both of them shook hand immediately taking a liking in each other.

« So Will, I hope you spent a good night » engaging in a small talk the three of them directed towards a nearby table.

« Oh yes, a good one indeed, I was exhausted »

« I was told you came here with your cousin and a friend »

« Well to be honest sir, I …Xander isn’t really my cousin » she watched them intently surveying their reaction. They didn’t look shocked, a little surprised maybe so she opened up a bit more. « In fact we only met yesterday » frowns appeared slowly so she knew that she would have to clarify. Deciding that the only way to get some help was to be totally honest she proceeded to recount the story of her arrival in this world in great detail.
« ……so when I saw my boyfriend with that…that slut….sorry I didn’t mean to be so crude » she blushed « and by the way he is now my ex-boyfriend » she underlined with resolve « so when I saw the two of them laying in his bed, in our bed…I fumed and I said to myself…‘Willow you’ve got to react missy, stop moping on your miserable self… ».

Interrupting her long winded babble at this point, the young blonde commented with trepidation « I thought your name was Will? » …and that you were a man … she was totally disconcerted.

« Yes this is the shorten version of my name » she smiled unknowing the turmoil unleashing inside the other girl « my complete name is Willow ».

At this moment Tara’s world exploded for a second time, for she realized in an instant both Willow womanhood and straightness!





Well that's it for today .... don't worry though the little misunderstandings between our girls won't last for too long ...I promise


Julie

[The Rose24]

Phew! I am so glad Tara knows Willow is a woman now. Now they can get things going.