Well, I decided to have a bit of a play around with the Buffyverse, fixing it to my liking.
Note: This is set in an alternative universe. Basically, Buffy's still the slayer and this is happening around the time of season four. But there is one important difference. Willow's a ghost (But don't worry, she won't be for very long as the point of this fiction is to show how absolutely nothing at all - even death - could ever keep Willow and Tara apart.) So Buffy and Tara are friends at the University of California, Sunnydale, Xander's working in construction and dating the ex-demon Anya. And Willow and Tara will get together and of course they'll be madly in love and Willow's going to become mortal again. (so fear not! And this is a happy fiction! Honest!)
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True love in this mortal realm - Chapter One
Buffy frowned and tried to concentrate on what a hyper-excited Tara was saying as they walked out of the UC Sunnydale lecture theatre together towards their dorm...
"So basically Buffy it means that Greek mythology can be tied in to so many things that impact on us every day...because..." and then Buffy zoned out again and decided to just nod in the right places. "Uh huh..that's great Tar..."
Tara smiled. "Oh, you're thinking about that dreamy TA again huh? Mr. Super-athlete, smart guy?"
Buffy grinned. "Or Riley as he likes to be called. I do seem to spend an awful lot of time thinking about him though, don't I? I'm thinking that maybe, if he doesn't get his act together soon, I'm just going to have to get all 1950s man myself and ask him out for hamburgers and a trip to the movies."
Tara tried to look encouraging. Buffy hadn't had the easiest time with the whole dating men thing. She was pleased her friend had found a nice, normal guy.
"You should Buff. I know he's interested...everytime you walk into the room, he practically has to pick his tongue off the floor."
Buffy lightly punched Tara's arm. "Thanks Tara. You're a sweetie."
"So are you" grinned Tara. "But remember, Slayer strength and all that." She lightly rubbed her arm to illustrate her point. "Ouch!"
Buffy grimaced. "Oh god, I'm sorry I.." she trailed off as she met Tara's eyes and saw her laughing. "Yeah, okay...I get the point."
"So anyway" said Buffy, pleased that Tara wasn't grilling her about greek mythology anymore, "How about you? Any hotties around that you wouldn't mind getting to know a little better...."
Tara blushed. Although she'd had the big coming out speech to Buffy and Xander, she was still a little awkward discussing her girl crushes with Buffy. Or more than anything, her lack of girl crushes. While Tara was certain that she was well, more than kinda gay, she had yet to find that girl who made her weak at the knees, giddy, dizzy and flustered all at once. Or hang on, thought Tara, maybe they're all the same thing?
"Nah" she said eventually. "I don't know Buff...It just doesn't feel like I'm ever going to meet someone..." she trailed off a little forlornly.
"Well" smiled Buffy. "It's not like girls don't like you! God, face it! You're not exactly unpopular with girls around here."
Tara blushed furiously. She could never really understand why girls at university were keen on her. Maybe it was a hang-over from her over-bearing father and brother and her time at Sunnydale High when her only real friends had been Buffy and Xander, but Tara still found it hard and a little unbelievable when people were interested in her.
"I-I don't know Buffy....I'm kind of happy just being by myself at the moment.."
Buffy smiled sympathetically. Tara had started to stammer which meant that she wasn't entirely comfortable with the topic. "That's cool..." she began, changing the topic.."So feel like coming to the bronze tonight?"
Tara smiled. Buffy was a sweet girl. "Oh no, I can't tonight..I have my wicca group.."
Tara visibly lit up at the thought of it. Her mother had been a powerful witch but she'd died when Tara was in her early teens. And since then, she hadn't known any other witches.She was excited at the though of getting to know other witches like herself.
"Oh that's right" said Buffy. "Oh well, I'll get on to Xander and Anya, I haven't seen them for a couple of days anyway.."
Tara and Buffy entered the dorm room they shared.
"I'll call Xander now" announced Buffy.
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Several hours later, Tara took a deep breath outside the room of the wicca group meeting. She was wracked with nerves. This is so scary, she thought, breathing deeply. But I have to do it! She pushed open the door and saw about seven or eight girls sitting in chairs arranged in a semi-circle.
"Uh...H-Hi..." she said, looking at the girl sitting at the head of the semi-circle. "I'm Tara"
"Hi Tara" said the girl, who introduced herself as Kristin and then reeled off a list of other names before Tara could take any of them. "Have a seat...we're just discussing the idea of getting a newsletter out to the sisters...we have to spread our message..."
Tara felt a bit confused but sat down anyway. She couldn't sense any other magical energy in the room and she was able to read people's aura's and there just didn't seem to be any actual witches or people with magical abilities in the room.
Five minutes later, Tara knew that her first impression had been totally accurate. Bunch of blessed-want-to-bes, she thought to herself. It was sort of trendy to be interested in witch-craft and clearly these girls viewed being a member of a coven as an adjunct to various fashion choices and moccachinos..the hot beverage of the week. She gazed at the floor, depressed and bored already.
After nearly two hours of listening to Kristin and her friends talk about what the stylish wicca was wearing this season, Tara was filled with enormous regret for coming. Why couldn't she have the courage to leave? But then, everyone would probably stare at her. Better to wait it out...Were they even going to discuss spells and magic? Probably not, given that no-one else seemed to have any magical awareness at all..
But then, something happened that deeply surprised Tara. One of the blonde girls sitting next to Kristin, who looked like a total cheerleader, pulled out an old musty book. Tara knew instantly that it was a genuine magic book. How an earth did someone with apparently no knowledge of magic or respect for it, come by a tome like that..
"Hey Kristin" said the girl, (Tara thought her name was Sonya or Samantha, or something like that). "Look what I uh....borrowed from that magic shop downtown.."
Tara frowned. Was the girl admitting that she'd stolen a powerful book from a shop owned by her friend and Buffy's watcher, Rupert Giles?
"Uh excuse me...did you uh...steal..that book?" said Tara..feeling very, very uncomfortable about confronting the girl and having everyone's attention on her.."Because you know...I..the guy who owns that shop is a friend of mine.."
"Chill out!" said the girl quite aggressively (who's name was actually Sandra). "If it's worrying you that much, I'll drop off on the way home after this. But I want to use it first..Look at what I found."
Sandra flipped open the book to a spell near the middle. "A spell to reveal your true love and soul mate. I just know if I use this, Steve will ask me out right away! It says it makes everything clear and he'll know that I'm the one for him.." she trailed off, excited.
Somewhat alarmingly, the other girls in the room, with the obvious exception of Tara, all looked equally excited. "Oh wow Sandra. Do you think it'll get Mike to ask me out?" asked Kristin eagerly.."Cause I know that he wants me bad.."
Within seconds every girl in the room except Tara was standing over the book babbling excitedly.
"Uh everyone.." said Tara.."M-M Maybe we should start with something a bit smaller..like floating pens maybe.."
"God Tara" snapped Kristin..."Don't be such a baby. This probably won't work anyway, but hell, if it does, I get me a date for Saturday night. So we're doing it."
Tara looked horrified and stood up. The text and incantation certainly looked powerful. But her mom had always taught her to respect magic. What was going to happen when a bunch of people with no respect for the power of magic and no visible abilities tried to use it for their own gain. "Oh goddess" said Tara quietely under her breath. She'd tried, but it was clear that they weren't going to listen to her.
I suppose i should stay, she thought. Maybe I can help if they unleash some sort of dark force accidentally. She sat glummly down again.
Within seconds, Sandra was reciting the spell. Tara knew that she Sandra was mispronouncing Latin words and hoped that that would cripple the spell somewhat. But basically, Tara understood that the spell was a revealing spell which called on the universal forces to make clear what was already there (I guess that means that Mike won't be asking out Kristin then, Tara allowed herself to think. He doesn't sound keen as it is! And this isn't a mind-altering spell) And then, two minutes later, it was all over.
Sandra, Kristin and the other girls looked expectantly around the room. But absolutely nothing happened. "What a waste!!!" yelled Sandra. "Magic hey!! I knew we should have gone shopping instead.."
And that seemed to draw the meeting to a close. Within a minute, every girl except Tara had cleared out the room, disgruntled that their dates hadn't materialized instantly. Tara noticed that Sandra had left Giles' book behind and she picked it up to take back to her room with her.
She was happy that the meeting was over and that she could head back to the dorm. Buffy would be as appalled as she was. She turned off the light as she pushed open the door. Well, that was interesting she thought..
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Within ten minutes, Tara was fiddling with the lock on the room she shared with Buffy. "Stupid thing..won't quite.." she muttered ..and then it clicked into place and the door swung open, revealing darkness. So Buffy's still out then? thought Tara..as the door shut behind her..
And then, within seconds, Tara knew that something was different...there was something...no...someone in the room with her......she reached for the light switch frantically...