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The Shadows Within

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The Shadows Within

Postby robotguru » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:04 am

Hey guys, i posted a message in the update thread, opinions needed. Anyways, i neither own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Shadow Hearts for the PS2, just needed to say that, i don't wanna be sued.



Feedback would be cool, you wanna host it, go ahead, just ask me first, only polite.



Willow is told by a voice to rescue a girl, and so starts a journey that will give them all the highs and lows rpg games have to offer (I did finally find the happy ending so they WILL be getting it)



***



1913

East of Fengtion, Japan.




The woman walked in the darkness, her red hair brushing her face. She wore a brown jacket that fell to her feet, tucked in close against the night air.



Suddenly, the woman felt woozy, a familiar feeling. A white hot pain struck through her head as a faint voice rung in her ears. With the pain, the woman fell to one knee as her fingernails dug into her skull as if she were trying to claw the pain out.



“Tr…n…res…u…...g…rl…”



The woman sighed as the pain left her head, “what is it with this damn VOICE!” she almost screamed at no one in particular. Having been the recipient of a few of these messages, the woman was able to decipher the message, ‘Train. Rescue the girl.’ Is what she had been told. ‘Rescue the girl huh? I guess I’ll give it a shot.’ The redhead personally didn’t see why she should be following this damn voice’s orders, it damn well hurt when it spoke to her, but sometimes it was pretty insistent. Besides, wherever the voice lead her, there was bound to be action.



***



One month ago



Tara Maclay looked up at her mother, an agent of the Vatican. They had come to Rouen in France where they fled from a man calling himself Roger Bacon. Their contact in Rouen, Father Taylor, had told them to wait for Ethan Rayne, so, here they were. Waiting.



Tara’s mother studied her young daughter, this was not the life she had envisioned for her when she was born, she was an innocent in this dammit! While Tara had not had to fight, her mother had had her learn a few healing spells just in case they were needed. Roger Bacon was ruthlessly hunting down Vatican members, though Tara’s mother could not help but fear for Tara herself, she seemed just as important to Bacon as revenge. Already, she had helped Tara narrowly escape his clutches. The woman was brought out of her revere when a dark aura flooded her mind, ‘Bacon.’ “Tara?”



Tara looked up at her mother, “y-yes mother?”



Tara’s mother whispered, “run.”



Tara opened her mouth to argue, but she didn’t have time as a man with black hair and a top-hat walked out of the shadows. Tara watched wide-eyed as her mother ran towards Bacon, but she was cut down midstride by a telepathic punch. A diagonal slash of the man’s right hand left the woman bloody on the floor. The man smirked down at Tara and tipped his top-hat before phasing out into the darkness.



***



Here and now



Something had told the redhead that this train to Fengtion was the train she was meant to be on, that something? An ache in her head, as if a subtle reminder of the voice she had heard. So, anyway, here she was, a stowaway. She saw a man walk towards the front of the train, tipping his hat to an old female passenger. Willow crept let the man get out of sight, then crept out of hiding.



***



Further up the train, four guards and a commander sat watching a young blonde girl, Tara Maclay. They had been told by the commanders in Fengtion to bring the girl to them. Tara sat silently, letting the Japanese talking wash over her.



“I don’t see why this girl is so important, why do they want her?”



“Dunno man, dunno.”



The commander cut in, “It is not for us to question the Japanese government, but I for one will be glad to get home.”



There was a thudding outside the door, this woke Tara up into the real world, this accompanied by a familiar presence. She shuddered, but still did not talk, they wouldn’t listen and there was nowhere for her to run besides. The door flew open and in stepped Bacon, a flying creature that defied description floating by his side. The guards ran towards Bacon as the commander stood up, gun in hand. Blood flying from his comrades flew hit his face, the commander fired at Bacon, bullet after bullet, but each shot he fired was intercepted by the man’s ‘pet’. Even when the gun only clicked, the man kept trying to shoot, a look of fear in his eyes. Eventually, Bacon was upon him and he met the fate of his comrades, dead and bloody. Tara gave a resigned sigh as Bacon picked her up over his shoulder and walked towards the front of the train where he would punch through the ceiling and begin to walk towards the back.



Just as Bacon left this carriage, the redhead was a few carriages behind. The floor ahead of her was full of dead bodies, stooping down, the girl picked up a Thera leaf (good for healing) and a Mana leaf (good for mental health) that she had seen on the floor. As she stood up, a skeleton with a scythe ran towards her, two well placed punches and a kick left the wind scythe a pile of bones on the floor. Walking into the front carriage, she found it empty. ‘Dammit! Where is he?’ She looked up as she heard footsteps on the roof, with a shrug, she made her own entrance to the roof and called out, “hey! Stop!”



Bacon turned, Tara over his shoulder. He quirked an eyebrow and his pet flew forward, buzzing around the redheads head. As the creature looked to attack, the woman’s right hand shot up, catching the creature and squeezing it to death. With contempt in her eyes, the woman threw the creature down and grounded it into the roof of the train with her heel. Bacon dropped Tara, “I was fond of him, girl!”



The redhead shrugged and made a ‘come get some’ gesture, she leapt forward landing punches and kicks that Bacon seemed to shrug off with contempt. Bacon raised his hands and the redhead felt a great drain in power. Bacon smirked as he began to speak a spell that would painfully finish this woman off until a white light came from Tara. The blinding light came from a stone her mother had given to her before she died, the stone floated through the air and attached itself in a gap in the pendant that was chained around the woman’s neck. This great light threw Bacon back to the end of the train, the redhead ran forward and planted her fist deep into Bacon’s face, feeling flesh give way and bone crack. The redhead picked Tara up and jumped off the train.



If the redhead had stayed on the train, she would have not been able to believe her eyes, the damaged eye of Bacon repaired itself, “Ow, that bloody hurt.”



***



The redhead landed and gently put the girl on the floor. Looking around, she could see that she was in a field, up ahead she could see a lock.



The redhead looked down at the young woman she had saved, something that the voice had also told her was to accompany the girl and protect her with her life, she didn’t see why, but she did see one thing, ‘this girl is hot.’



Taking a closer look at Tara, the redhead took in her blue dress and thigh-high white stockings, ‘I wonder if she’d mind if…no. Forget it, girl like that won’t be interested in you. Still…’



The redhead leant down to plant a kiss on the girl’s cheek, one kiss couldn’t hurt could it? As the woman made it down to one knee, Tara woke up.



Tara gasped, here was yet another girl who Tara didn’t have any recollection meeting, and here she was kneeling beside her with desire in her green eyes, seeming pretty intent on molesting her. The woman stood up and stepped back from her, “Hey, no need to be scared of me. My name is Willow, Willow Rosenberg.”



Tara only backed away from this woman, in a panic. ‘Why am I so damn popular?!’ she thought. As the woman, Willow asked again who she was, she could only stutter, ‘I-I’m n-nothing, I c-can’t d-do anything, j-just l-leave m-me a-a-alone.”



Tara hastily made it to her feet, Willow watched her run, confused, “Hey! Don’t go down there, it’s dangerous!” Willow shrugged her shoulders as the girl ran off, ‘well oh voice that likes to hurt me, seems she doesn’t want the company.’ Shrugging, Willow began to walk towards the lock she saw in the distance, she felt guilty leaving the girl alone but still…that was when she heard a blood curdling scream coming from the blonde’s direction.

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

Edited by: robotguru at: 11/15/04 4:08 pm
robotguru
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby alysagoddess85 » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:42 pm

hey wow...this seems like its going to be really interesting...i cant wait to read more...and poor tara...she keeps getting molested?! and she doesnt know why?!? blind girl...lol....cant wait for more!



~mel:kdevil

'The Cat in the Hat' is fine, just not during sex.--Alyson Hannigan

alysagoddess85
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby amazonaa » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:50 pm

Holt shit. More more more!!!!



Please.:D





brittney







~Good friends help you move. Real friends help you move the body.~

amazonaa
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby WickedReds » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:01 pm

Ooooo new fic...hehe

Awwww the thought of molesting Tara....:drool

More please...



-reds:willow



Mein Banane tanzt für Schmutz :banana

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

WickedReds
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby robotguru » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:46 pm

Thanks for the feedback guys.



Mel Cut Tara a little slack, at this point, she is scared senseless.



Brittney Thank God for me being restless, here is more.



Reds Strangly enough, that thought does nothing for the resident gay guy lol. That bananana (blame Terry Pratchett for that spelling, Nanny Ogg knew how to start spelling banana, she just didn't know when to stop (think it was Nanny Ogg anyway)) can keep dancing, there will be smut but it's some way down the line. Sorry.



ok, so here's why you have a quick update, the disclaimor and then...into the story we go.



I was kinda restless and couldn't sleep and when i'm restless, i write. So here's chapter two. I'll probably do a Queen of

Thieves update on Sunday or Monday and send that to Tishy and maybe then Chapter three of this. Anyways, i still don't own either BtVS (like a certain ep would have happened if i did) or Shadow Hearts for the PS2



***



Willow ran in the direction of the scream, ‘dammit, I shoulda stayed with her!’ She kept running until she found Tara having fainted on the floor and a couple of wolves prowling towards her. “Hey, mangy chops!” The wolves turned towards this perceived threat and one of them immediately sprang at Willow. Had this ‘prey’ not been experienced in fighting, that would have been it. However, Willow fell backward, making sure that as she fell, one toe connected hard with the underside of the wolf.



The wolf moaned softly as Willow sprung up and ducked the downed wolf’s mate who had lunged at her from behind, as the wolf turned, Willow punched it on the snout before delivering a snap kick. Seeing that both wolves were, for now, out of the count, Willow put her hand on Tara’s shoulder. “Come on blondie, rise and shine already.”



Tara opened her eyes and when she saw Willow, she threatened to faint again, “look, don’t you dare faint on me again! I’ve saved your ass twice, twice! You know that? Now, maybe trying to kiss you as you slept, that was out of line, but the least a gal expects is a ‘thank you’.”



Tara looked up at Willow, still nervous about the young girl and her intentions, the only thing she could think of was to offer an explanation. “Th-they j-jumped at me from nowhere.”



Seeing that the poor girl was already spooked, and guessing that she had every right to be, Willow felt a little ashamed, her voice softened, “Well I told you not to run off down here, it’s dangerous. I mean between the wolves and the bats, well anyway, I’m used to fighting them. So, what’s your name?”



“T-Tara.”



Willow smiled as she stood, “Pretty name, now, not to seem pushy, but this isn’t a safe place to stay at night.”



Tara nodded as Willow held out her hand to help her up. “S-so, what brought you to the t-train?”



Willow shrugged, “A voice, hurts like hell honestly. I bet you think I’m mad now, hearing voices in my head but hey, that’s the way it goes and if you don’t believe that…” Willow stopped herself in mid-babble as she heard a swooping of wings, she quickly drew a knife and swung it at the approaching bat, the bat, maybe sensing that dinner wouldn’t be so easy here, swooped off to find easier prey. “Anyway, “Willow continued, “it’s not like I mind much, wherever the voice leads, I always find some action.”



Willow saw the path ahead and that it was blocked by water, Tara walked up to the lock and examined it, “l-looks like the mechanism is jammed.” Tara was pleased to hear that she had lost some of the stutter that often came back to haunt her when she was nervous, scared or just plain petrified. Willow and Tara continued to walk up the path until they found another lock.



Willow frowned as she studies the mechanism, “This one looks ok, but the handle is rotten, no good trying to turn that.”



The path forked off, a wolf was hiding in the bushes but Willow quickly dealt with that after Tara had batted the wolf’s initial attack away with a heavy book she was carrying. They came to another lock with a dud mechanism but it looked like the handle would suit their purposes if they could only pry it loose.



Willow spat on her hands, ready to give it a try. She tugged and turned and eventually, after much huffing and puffing, the handle became free. Tara giggled, “out of breath?”



Willow mock glared at Tara before her face turned deadpan, “nah, it was easy, just a little stiff.”



Tara gave Willow the best ‘yeah right’ look she could muster as they found their way back to the lock with the semi functional mechanism. As they turned the handle, Willow examined their work, “That’s the best drainage we’re going to get I think. Maybe it’s best if we get a little sleep.”



Come to think of it, Tara was tired, she nodded and sat down as Willow went about making a fire.



***



Willow watched over Tara as she slept fitfully. ‘She is kinda sweet, maybe later on…don’t get your hopes up Rosenberg. Soon as you find civilisation, off she will go and you’ll go your own way.’ Willow frowned at Tara as her sleep became even more restless and she muttered the word ‘mother’ a few times.



‘Oh come on, not a bad dream,’ Willow felt her own sense of foreboding as her eyes began to drift closed. ‘Nuh uh, don’t want to see that place again,’ Willow murmured to herself, referring to a nightmare she had often had. As her eyes again drifted closed, a man phasing in, then disappearing made Willow open her eyes wide. ‘Shit, no,’ a cold sense of dread filled Willow’s heart as the man, wearing a fox mask, phased closer to her. “F-father, you’re d-dead, you died fifteen years ago.” The man again phased away, “Hey, stop that!”



The man phased again into view, “Hello, daughter.” The word ‘daughter’ was spat out as if it was a bad word, his gaze fell upon Tara, “sweet girl, isn’t she?”



Willow felt her cheeks turn red, “you stay away from her!”



“Oh, you have a crush. How…sweet.” He thought to himself for a moment, “you wouldn’t like her so much if you knew what I knew,” he said, his tone in a mocking sing-song voice, “it’s her who is opening the portal to the other side, she doesn’t know it of course, the demons you slay daughter, they call to me. They demand vengeance and it is vengeance I shall give!”



Willow’s father, or ‘Foxface’ (his nickname due to the mask) phased again before appearing right before her. He threw a blow which Willow blocked and countered with a kick that he swung aside before landing a punch to her ribs. Willow doubled over but pulled Foxface’s legs out from under him, trying to stomp into him, she missed as he rolled. The fighting style of father and daughter was so similar that neither could get the upper hand for a long time. Eventually, Willow landed a punch that had Foxface staggering, she landed with a couple more blows before her kick was anticipated and she was swung around.



Suddenly, Foxface jumped back and raised his arms screaming out an unintelligible roar and Willow felt all of her energy drain from her body before Foxface ran forward and landed a blow, knocking her unconscious.



***



Willow woke up, disorientated. When she looked around, she gasped, ‘not here, anywhere but here.’ Willow was in a graveyard, tombstones were dotted around the area. Willow walked forward up a path, jumping as one tombstone suddenly glowed green. She babbled to herself nervously, ‘heh, jumped out my skin. At least that thing didn’t jump out, he usually does. Must be scared now that I am actually here, yeah, that’s it. I kick demon ass, why wouldn’t he be scared? Why should I be? So why am I?’



As Willow walked up the path, she found herself at a tomb, she smirked as she saw it’s guardians. “So, if it isn’t the disembodied mask guys with the big mouths.”



One of the four masks spun around, “Ho, ho, ho. Do you know where you are little girl?”



Willow shrugged, "I should hope that I do, I mean I’ve dreamt about this place for years. Anyway, if you’re the worst thing this place can offer, I’m not scared, why should I be? I mean I already kicked your metaphysical asses once.”



Another mask spun around “Hee, hee, hee. That is true, it is, but now you are on our turf girl! And he is the enforcer of our turf.”



“Heh, heh, heh,” another mask gloated, “when you kill, malice fills your body.”



“Tee, hee, hee,” that other mask chipped in, “fear not little girl, if you can pass a challenge, you will be cleared of your malice and he can no longer follow you.”



Willow shrugged, “Why do I not think that it is that simple. Alright, bring on your damn challenge!”



Willow turned to see a larger than average wind scythe. Willow ran towards it, trying to land a few kicks but the scythe dodged all of them, leaving a nasty cut in Willow’s side as it glided past her. Willow gasped as she felt a dark power overtake her body from deep within, she stretched her whole body and screamed as she transformed, dropping all of her mental barriers. Willow turned into a large dark creature with a skull for a head, this was the feared Death Empress and Willow was a Harmonixer, she could fuse with souls. Death Empress stared at the scythe coldly, the scythe lunged at it and got batted away with a large claw. Death Empress dipped its head and opened its mouth, a black fog flew from its mouth and enshrouded the scythe, the scythe dropped dead and Death Empress shrunk into the form of Willow.



Willow almost fell, weak from the fusing of souls and from her disorientation. Also from the wound that still bled from her side. She took a Thera leaf from her pocket, ground the herb and applied it to the wound which then healed itself. She stared defiantly at the masks, “It’s over.”



“Ho, ho, ho, you think so girl? You will never be free from malice.”



“Tee hee, hee, you will soon return. Go now, your world awaits.”



Willow fell into a dead faint as she heard a concerned voice call her name, “Willow? Willow, wake up!”



Willow opened her eyes to find herself back on the plain with Tara looking down at her worried. “Wh-what happened? It l-looked l-like you had a b-bad dream. You were muttering something about m-masks and m-malice.”



Willow sat up slowly, “it’s nothing,” she assured Tara, “I’ll be ok. How long was I out?”



Tara’s eyes showed that she didn’t quite believe her, “A couple of m-minutes. The w-water has cleared, perhaps we should g-go find a t-town to sleep the rest of the n-night? I still d-don’t feel safe here.”



Willow nodded, looking down at her pendant and Tara’s stone that had gone from a fierce red to a dull grey. “Yeah, let’s.” The two crossed the once submerged path towards hopefully, civilisation. Yeah right.

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

Edited by: robotguru at: 11/11/04 4:17 pm
robotguru
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby WickedReds » Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:41 pm

U know my banana will dance forever even if smut never comes... hehe comes.. Oooo Flirting... hehe... i like flirting..

Epp.. scary dream... *hides under covers*....errr...

that was wild... Mmmm...



-reds:willow



Mein Banane tanzt für Schmutz :banana

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

WickedReds
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby robotguru » Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:45 pm

(Reply to feedback before i hit the sack)



Reds It was in Willow's mind...but it was real, it's one of those rpg things lol.

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

robotguru
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby alysagoddess85 » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:15 am

ooo cool update again...so willow had a dream and the stuff in the dream actually happened?? but it was all in her head?? hmm...ok i think maybe ive got it...guess ill have to wait and find out.



~mel:kdevil

'The Cat in the Hat' is fine, just not during sex.--Alyson Hannigan

alysagoddess85
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby robotguru » Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:07 pm

Mel It's confusing now, all i can say is that that graveyard place is inside Willow's head, but it is perfectly real when she goes there. I think she visits it in the next chapter (malice...and remember the green glowing tombstone?), that or the one after, depends how far i get.



I have made a couple changes, Yuri had the Death Emporer to call on, but different people fuse with different souls, Yuri's father had a soul that i never came across.



Anyway, i still own neither BtvS or Shadow Hearts for the PS2, so no sueing me cos i told them and i aint making money anyways plus i'm a poor uni student, how much do you really think you'd get off suing me? You'd have to pay the lawers more.



***



Willow and Tara didn’t have to walk far before they came upon a city with large gates surrounding them. “Looks like we found our place to rest,” Willow pointed.



Tara looked at the city and felt a little uneasy, anything she was about to say however was cut off the look on Willow’s face, suddenly, she fell to a knee and clawed at her head as the voice again decided to make itself known.



“B……re…tr…p…ca……”



As the voice disappeared, Willow stood up and grimaced, “what is it with this damn thing?”



“Dunno, but I didn’t feel any bad intent coming from it.”



Willow looked at Tara out of the side of her eyes, “you heard it too?” Tara nodded, “and it didn’t hurt?” Tara shook her head. Willow shrugged. “Anyway, yapping won’t get us into town, come on.”



Willow walked ahead, Tara hesitated, “Willow? Th-the voice s-seemed t-to b-be giving us a w-warning.”



Willow stopped as she thought about it for a moment, “yeah, that’s how I interpreted it too. Thing is…” Willow stopped speaking to draw her blade and slice it through a jumping wolf, “we’re no safer out here. Whatever’s inside, if it wants to hurt us, we’ll have to figure out what we do if it comes to that.” Tara nodded as the two reached the gate and Willow smirked with her back to said gate. “Anyway, you’re with me, nothing can surprise me…”



As Willow said the ‘famous last words’…“hey.”



Willow jumped out of her socks as a voice called out from the gate and Tara started to giggle uncontrollably, uncontrollably, that is, until Willow glared at her. Willow turned to the gate determined to make the owner of the voice that surprised her feel her wrath. She found herself looking down at two small children, one in a green top and one in a red. There was something disturbingly feral about their eyes. “Hey kiddos, could you let us in?”



The red shirt shook his head, “Nope, it’s night, the gates close at night.”



Willow glared at the children and kicked the gate, wincing as she stubbed her toe. “Look kids, we’re tired, and we’re hungry. So you can just go to your parents and tell them that they have company.”



Seeing that Willow wasn’t going to get anywhere with the kids, she stepped from behind Willow. “Hey guys, look, we could really do with somewhere safe to sleep, could you possibly help us out?”



As the kids saw Tara, they grew excited and practically started gushing to each other, “ooh, there’s a blonde!”



The green shirt looked back at his companion, “I love blondes! They’re so tender!”



The kids ran up the path as Willow and Tara looked at them non-plussed, the red shirt looked back, “Wait there, we’re gonna tell Granny Mayor, we live with her the second house up so come visit!” The kid ran up the path shouting, “Granny Mayor, we got a blonde! Yum!”



The gates swung open by themselves with a creak, Willow shrugged he shoulders and walked in followed by Tara. As they walked through, the gate swung closed with an ominous clank. Tara looked at the few villagers that were outside and felt ill at ease. Every person she saw had something odd about them, whether it was their eyes, their hands…the woman with hawk like narrow eyes and the ratty looking man mumbling about food particularly made Tara nervous. She nestled closer to Willow as the redhead put a protective arm around her. They soon came across another visitor to the village, a peddler (shopkeeper to you and me) and they walked up to him.



“Hi ladies, I must say, I feel a wee bit nervous here, anyway, what can I do you for?”



Willow thought for a moment, “We could do with Thera and Mana leaves, ten of each.” Willow thought about the roughland outside the gates, “Do you have a Talisman of Mercy?” (Final Fantasy players would know this as a Phoenix Down).



The peddler thought for a moment, “no, I do have a Talisman of Luck, not quite as good but if you want a few of those…”



Willow thought for a moment, “yeah, that will do.”



As Willow looked in her leather pouch for some gold, the peddler noticed what they were carrying, he turned to Tara, “Spellstress are we? I have a nifty book here with a few higher level spells, wouldn’t do you any good now but when you get mentally stronger, this might help.” He then turned to Willow, “hmm, fighter are you? Ok, I have some decent spiked knuckle dusters here, these pack some punch, and I have a nice knife here also if you’re interested.”



Willow and Tara both thought, then Willow pulled out some more gold, offering to pay for Tara also. The peddler offered a part exchange for the book that Tara was currently using but she declined due to the fact that the book was her mother’s. Willow put that book in a small pack on her back as she sold the peddler her knife and attached her new one to her belt.



As they turned away from the peddler, they saw the house that the kids pointed out, “I g-guess we should v-visit th-the m-mayor.”



Willow nodded and walked a half step in front of Tara. They walked up to the house and Willow opened the door before they both walked in. As they took in their surroundings, a single room with a fire by the wall and rugs on the walls around them, stairs lead up to an upper room. Willow spun round as she heard a key turn in a lock. Willow’s eyes shrewdly took in the forms of an old woman and the two children they had met earlier.



“He, he, he, hello dearies, just locking the door so no one else can get in and get an early start on the feast.”



Tara nodded at the woman, “Th-thank you for p-putting u-us up.”



“Ooh, a polite little deary you are, no need for manners here though, they don’t make the meat any tastier.”



Willow chuckled, “You make it sound like you are going to eat us.”



The old lady chuckled as the kids bounced up an down, “why dearie, of course we are.”



The red shirted kid squealed with delight, “I want the blonde, blondes are tasty!”



Willow angrily shouted, “If anyone is gonna eat Tara, it’s gonna be me!” Willow paused as she got an odd look from Tara, “I meant in another way that you’d probably find perverted so we’ll not go there considering there are kids and all and…”



Willow stopped mid babble as the woman yawned, “Time for me to rest my weary bones I think dearies, sleep well.”



The green shirted kid grinned, “Don’t worry, we’ll be right here so you can’t escape. The door is strong as well and Granny Mayor has the key.”



“Bed now kids, we must let them get their rest, we wouldn’t want bags under their eyes, that doesn’t taste so good.”



As the three left the room, Willow decided to lie down and get comfy against the wall, Tara stared at her incredulously, “I don’t know about you but I don’t want to get eaten!” Tara stomped her foot as if to reinforce this, “so what are we going to do?”



Willow shrugged, “oddly enough, being eaten isn’t on my to-do list either, I guess the only thing we can do is wait.” Willow cut off any protest that Tara may have had, “look, we’re alive, we’re together, let’s get some rest and see what we can do when it comes to it.”



***



An hour later, Willow woke up in the darkness to the sounds of the two kids walking downstairs as if it were Christmas and they wanted an early taster of their chocolate. She put her hand to Tara’s mouth and shook her awake, she whispered, “keep your eyes closed.”



The lights flickered on as the two kids crept up to them talking to each other. One of them banged into a table, the other hushed him, “quiet, if Granny Mayor catches us, we’re gonna get in biiiiig trouble, she’ll kill us.”



As Willow felt one of the kids put a foot near her, she grabbed it and tripped the kid up, she sprang up with Tara not far behind. Willow felt for her dagger as Tara put her hands on her book. The green shirt looked at Willow in shock, “not fair! You tricked us!”



Willow quirked an eyebrow, “A little advice kiddos? If you’re gonna try and sneak up on someone, being noisy isn’t a good idea.”



The red shirted kid looked panicked, “we’re in trouble…if we let you go, everyone will eat us and if we don’t, Granny Mayor will know that we tried to eat you too soon and she’ll kill us…”



The green shirted kid gave Willow a dirty look and then a look of hungry desire at Tara, “if we’re gonna die anyway, I at least want a taste of the blonde!”



The kids both turned into large Hellcats making Tara jump back, Willow quirked an eyebrow, “Let’s dance bitch.” Willow quickly slipped her dusters on and her knife danced in her hand. One of the Hellcats lunged for Tara and she batted it away with her book before Willow sliced into its side with her blade. The other Hellcat decided that food would be a little less frisky if it were crispy and breathed fire at Willow and Tara, Willow jumped out of the way but the fire hit Tara’s hand causing it to turn an angry red. Willow looked at Tara in panic but breathed a sigh relief as Tara cast a healing spell on her hand.



Willow’s distraction earned her a slash at the side with a sharp set of claws. Willow’s eyes clouded over with a dark mist and she dropped her blade and dusters, feeling a dark power surge throughout her body from within. Tara could only look on in shock as Willow screamed, her whole body stretched to it’s limits. Suddenly, Willow’s body began to grow, armour plating covered her body, wings unfurled from her back and her head turned into a sinister skull. Willow had turned into Death Empress.



Death Empress stared at the Hellcats coldly as her wings flapped and she towered over them. One of the Hellcats breathed fire at her and Tara, Death Empress spread her left wing in front of Tara protectively, bearing the flames with contempt. A Hellcat roared and leapt at her, but Death Empress batted it away and into the door splintering it open. The other Hellcat looked decidingly nervous. The moments hesitation was a moment too long, Death Empress breathed in, lowered her head and breathed a dark fog at the Hellcat. The Hellcat struggled as it felt darkness overtake it, desperately, it lunged at Death Empress with the last of its strength, and soon found itself being hurled into the wall and fell, an audible crack came from the Hellcats body. Both Hellcats turned into the kids that they had been and lay still, not breathing.



Death Empress began to shrink and take the form of Willow, she fell to a knee until Tara offered her support. Tara whispered, “y-you’re a harmonixer. I s-saw an a-aura that w-wasn’t yours inside you when we met s-so you’re a harmonixer.”



Willow nodded her head, “I am,” Willow sighed, waiting for Tara’s reaction.



Tara’s blue eyes searched Willow’s green, “th-thank you, y-you saved me again.” Tara put her hands towards Willow, softly taking her hands and Willow felt a soft glow surround her body, healing it from the effects of the fight, including nasty burns on her arm and the side of her body and back from protecting Tara from the fire and the gash in her side that was now bleeding heavily.



“I saved them, I’d have given them indigestion otherwise.”



Willow turned to the stairs as they creaked. “Children?” The old lady’s gaze fell across the carnage, “what have you done to my grandchildren?” The old lady’s eyes grew cold and she hissed, “you will never leave this city, I will feed on your rotting limbs!”



Willow shrugged and lunged for the woman, but she disappeared.



Tara walked to the door, looking out and gasped. Willow joined her and couldn’t hold back a ‘holy shit’...

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

robotguru
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby Spikeizmine87 » Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:44 pm

:bounce :bounce :bounce

:balloons

:balloons



YAY AN UPDATE! I read it! See see! "pokes you" I promised I would!! haha HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!!!!! One more year and you can buy us kids booze! yippie! :p great update! more soon!

:pride :pride



-rose

I didnt know what being happy was till i found you, i didnt know what love meant till i loved you.

Spikeizmine87
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby WickedReds » Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:06 pm

Happy birthday Chris...

And hey look update goodness...

Hold on now Tara is hearing the voice too...

Quote:
Willow angrily shouted, “If anyone is gonna eat Tara, it’s gonna be me!” Willow paused as she got an odd look from Tara, “I meant in another way that you’d probably find perverted so we’ll not go there considering there are kids and all and…”


OMG....:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

Whoa... crazy... i hope they get out...



-reds:willow



Mein Banane tanzt für Schmutz :banana

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

WickedReds
 


Re: The Shadows Within (working title)

Postby robotguru » Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:18 pm

Replies to feedback. Thanks for the Birthday wishes btw, i'm happily eating chocolate and listening to Avril Lavigne



Rose Yeah, you told me you would, heh, if you were in England, i could buy you booze already :p



Reds There is a reason why Tara is hearing the voice, it will be explained soon.

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

robotguru
 


Chapter four

Postby robotguru » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:07 pm

Here is a looooooong update. Questions answered, i'm sure that you can find more to ask however. I neither own Buffy or Shadow Hearts. Faith is mainly just a supporting character in this, nothing major, but i've read the plot for a sequel, i haven't played it but if i write a sequel, she will be involved.



Anyways...



***



The village was now shrouded in a blood red mist, where there had been people…well, there were a lot more ‘people’ only they were now zombies, green bats and rabid dogs, oh the humanity. Willow turned to Tara, “looks like the village is showing it’s true colours, stay close to me, we’ll head for the gate.”



Tara nodded and she and Willow were about to do just that until they saw two zombies attacking the peddler, Willow ran forward and made Zombie Julienne with the blade the peddler had sold her. “Quick, this way.” Willow grabbed the peddler and she and Tara lead him to the gate, dispatching of a few green bats along the way, one of which had poisoned Tara and forced her to use a handy-dandy Mermaid’s Tear. When the trio got to the gate, they came across an odd sight. On the floor was a seal and standing near it was a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a veiny looking woman, the two were talking to each other.



“Yes Anya, it looks like a classic trap seal, the gates open to allow travellers in but when it comes to getting out…”



Willow cut in, “So we’re stuck in a big ol’ roach hotel?”



This brought the couple back to the here and now, the man took off his glasses and started to rub them, “Uh, hi. It would seem that way, yes.”



“S-so how are we supposed t-to g-get out?” Tara cursed her stutter but cut the girl some slack, the whole situation was creeping her out and the fact that the monsters had yet to come this far was not much consolation if they had to walk through the village.



Anya regarded the girl closely, “if there is a seal, there must be a spellcaster, defeat the caster and the seal is broken.”



Willow quirked an eyebrow, “just who are you guys anyway?”



The male put his glasses back on and picked up a staff from the floor, “My name is Rupert Giles, an exorcist. My client, from another village, asked me to check this place out. My associate here is Anya, she deals in acupuncture so if you have a new weapon you need help with, she’s the girl to see.”



“Yeah, so what do you do?”



The woman’s voice took on a businesslike tone. “All around the world, there are different weapons, some better than others. The thing is, it can take years to learn how to wield a new sword for example, even if you’ve used swords before. So what I do, for gold of course, is I stick my needles into you and you are able to get more power or control using your weapon. I can undo my services for free but I don’t do refunds, it’s against policy seeing as capitalism is what makes me rich.”



Willow and Tara both gave her an ‘oooooook’ sort of look, “So, anyway, casters and seals, where do we look?”



Giles looked at Willow with measuring eyes, “my guess would be at the other end of the village.”



Willow grumbled, “figures, come on Tara, let’s go see what we can do.”



Giles gripped his staff tighter, “not forgetting me of course.”



“But not me, I can’t fight and I’ve already been in danger twice this month.”



Giles rolled his eyes at his companion, “we got through it Anya.”



“Yes, but it cost supplies which cost money, I’ll look after the peddler here.”



Giles rolled his eyes again, Willow turned to him, “you’d better stay too, I can’t look after you while we fight.”



Giles glared at Willow, “look whippersnapper, I was fighting before you were born, so none of that lip.”



Willow shrugged, “ok pops, don’t blame me if you get hurt though.” The three walked up the path and found themselves ambushed by two groups of three zombies. Willow quickly dispatched one while Tara was trying to fight off two, just as it looked like our heroes were going to get overpowered by their slimy evil green foes, Giles stuck his staff in the ground and shouted some archaic words, balls of fire engulfed the zombies and left them vulnerable to Willow’s blade. Soon, there were five headless zombies joining the one that Willow had already disposed of.



Giles rubbed his glasses as he smirked, “‘old timer’ eh?”



Willow blushed as Tara giggled, as they got to a quiet spot, Willow felt drawn to something and felt an uncontrollable urge to sleep. As she dropped off, Tara tried to shake her awake, “Willow? Willow? N-no sleeping n-now, sleeping b-bad.”



Giles again looked at the redhead, “she’s a harmonixer isn’t she?” Tara nodded her head, “she looks like…someone I knew. Leave her be Tara, she needs this.”



***

Willow woke up in the graveyard, ‘dammit, I hate this place already.’ As Willow awoke, she walked past that eerily green glowing tombstone and towards the masks, “hey! Floating guys! Challenge, right?”



As if in answer, a wolf sprung at Willow from nowhere, she quickly dispatched it, “come on guys, that was hardly worth my effort!”



As Willow walks away in contempt, she decides to check out the tombstone, it had an inscription which Willow reads, “Seal of Earth huh? Wonder what would happen if I…”



Willow followed that thought up with action, touching the tombstone, she immediately sprung back when the glow faded and a large green tiger with black stripes jumped out and stood on its hind paws. The tiger sprang for Willow swiping at her with its claws. Willow tried to knock away its claws with her arms but couldn’t stop a swipe down her chest.



***



Back in the village, Tara saw huge gashes appear on Willow’s chest, she panicked and tried to heal them to no effect. Giles put his hands on hers, a look in his eye told Tara that it would be no good.



***



Meanwhile, back in the graveyard, Willow found herself being hurled back into a tombstone, her body hit cold unforgiving rock and she grimaced. Screaming in pain and rage, Willow called on Death Empress to fuse with her soul. Death Empress looked at the tiger, her breathing haggard. A pile of rocks rose up from behind the tiger and slammed into Death Empress’ chest knocking her back into a tombstone. Death Empress roared and lunged at the tiger, swiping with her vicious razor-sharp claws, Death Empress forced her green foe back with slash after slash, the tiger fell to its knees and Death Empress sent out her dark messenger of death, that black fog.



The tiger fell, Death Empress reverted back to Willow and a green light shot up from the tiger’s body. The light rose up and came down, hitting Willow in the head and entering her body as it stood stretched to its limit. Momentarily, Willow’s eyes matched the green iris that lay in each. When that faded away, Willow fell to her knees in exhaustion. A feeling of intense rage overcame Willow for a while as the Raging Tiger made itself at home. Willow staggered towards the black gates at the entry of the graveyard and walked out.



***



Willow woke up, feeling week, her body ached from the exertions of the fight and she could feel the gashes in her chest that had occurred in the graveyard. She also found that someone’s lap made a comfy pillow, looking up, Willow saw Tara’s concerned face. “Hey, how are you f-feeling?”



Willow shifted her back and winced as spasms went throughout her stomach, “achy.”



Tara muttered a few words and Willow felt her magick heal her body, “better?”



Willow nodded and stood up, “yeah, sorry about that.” Willow turned to Giles, “let’s get looking for casters then I guess G-man.”



“Indeed, and don’t call me that, an Oracle deserves respect.”



Willow muttered something that sounded vaguely like ‘quack oracle more like’ as she walked on. When the three had reached a part of the village that they had yet to see, they all shared a collective gasp. The scene that lay before them was macabre, a shrine lay closed, but blocking the path to it was a wall of skulls. Granny Mayor phased into view. “You will never leave this city, not as long as his power prevents it and his power shall not be contested while I live!”



Willow lunged at the old lady but she disappeared. “DAMMIT!”



Willow, Tara and Giles walked back down the village, the old lady taunting them as they went, twice, they had to fight off green bats and wolves but they eventually made it back to Granny Mayor’s house, as they walked inside, they were not surprised to find her in there, what did surprise them though was their adverse reaction to Giles, she hissed and disappeared.



“You certainly have a way with the ladies pops,” Willow smirked.



Giles rubbed his glasses, “indeed, but she is still here, I can sense it.”



“So what d-do we d-do?”



Giles smiled thinly, “we smoke her out. Quickly, go find me a pot and a torch.” As Willow and Tara looked around the house, they quickly gathered the items while Giles made preparations. Willow took one look at the powder in Giles’ hand and her face scrunched up in disgust, “phew, you know, smelling like that stuff is probably why ol’ Granny went off.”



Giles smirked, “I’m sure of it whippersnapper, this is a special powder for smoking out her type.”



As Giles lit the powder, the old lady phased into view spluttering, “Damn you wretched human, if you want a fight, so be it!”



The lady transformed into a large feline and roared its anger. Willow immediately stepped back and decided that it was time for Raging Tiger to earn its keep, her eyes glowed green, her body stretched as she screamed and fur grew over her body. Though about Willow’s size, Raging tiger wasn’t to be matched for speed and agility.



Giles cast fire spells as Willow matched Granny Mayor claw for claw, each taking their hits, Tara stood back, healing Willow whenever Granny Mayor scored a particularly nasty hit and throwing Giles Mana when he needed it. Working in tandem like this, Granny Mayor was soon defeated.



Before she died, Granny Mayor did have time for a few words, “Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see your kin eaten child? I SEEK VENGEANCE AND MY GOD SHALL DELIVER!



As Granny Mayor took her last breath, Tara sighed, “someone is manipulating these souls, I can feel it.”



Giles sniffed, “don’t feel sorry for them child, these souls were demons, here they were able to take corporeal human form, but they paid the price with a hunger for flesh.”



Willow Giles and Tara again walked up to the shrine at the edge of the village, “Before you open that shrine child, be warned. We shall be facing a Yamaraja, a God. This shall not be easy.”



Willow shrugged, “When is it ever? Let’s go.”



Willow opened the doors to the shrine and a large monster that defied description appeared in front of them, Willow’s eyes clouded over with a dark mist as she called upon Death Empress, meanwhile, Giles was casting fire at the Earth based Yamaraja, Death Empress meanwhile, swiped away at her slower foe before being thrown back by a large pile of rocks that covered her body. The rocks exploded upwards as Death Empress roared, noticing that Giles had been knocked unconscious by a wayward rock. Tara poured the liquid from a Talisman of Luck over Giles and healed any wounds he had while Death Empress continued her onslaught against the Yamaraja, occasionally taking heavy blows herself.



When Death Empress took a heavy blow that would have caved any mortals skull in, even the most thickheaded of mortals, Death Empress roared her annoyance and scored a flurry of hits before Giles finished it off with another burst of fire. The Yamaraja fell forwards causing everyone, even a disorientated Willow, to jump back. The red fog lifted.



***



At the now open gates to the village, Willow, Tara and Giles stood with Anya and the peddler. The peddler handed Willow a card, “That’s a guild card, let’s you roll two dice for a chance to get money off or to have money added to your buyings and sellings, there are two numbers, meaning you can have two tries, the dice must be higher than the number.”



Willow took the card with a ‘thanks’, meanwhile, Anya turned to her, “any time you want me to stick needles in you to help you with your weapons, bring your money.”



Willow nodded, she, Tara and Giles walked a little up the path. Giles regarded the girls carefully before addressing Tara, “you’re a demon-eyes, aren’t you?” Tara nodded her head, “you see and hear things that other people can’t.”



Willow chipped in, “that explains her hearing the voice.”



Giles, though a little non-plussed, nodded his head and carried on, “you have great power, some say God-given, there are some that fear that and there are others who would try and use that.”



“L-like Roger Bacon?”



Giles quirked an eyebrow, “yes, indeed.”



Willow smirked, “no need to worry about him, I kicked his ass. No more Roger Bacon.”



Giles chuckled, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, he’s not easy to kill. There is something that bothers me though, there should have been a picture carrying the power of the Black Tortoise in that shrine, someone is pulling strings and I don’t think it’s our old friend Bacon.”



Willow thought for a moment, “pulling strings huh? I guess we’ll have to cut them. Look after yourself pops.”



“You too, you do know that harmonixing is a forbidden art don’t you? You be careful also.” Giles turned to walk into the night, “oh, and if I’m right about someone pulling strings, I doubt this is goodbye, but merely see you later.”



Tara looked at Willow as Giles left and Willow shrugged her shoulders. They walked into the cold night towards Fengtion as Giles walked his own path.



***



Officers of the Japanese army were aboard the train that had seen so much bloodshed that night. One of them, a woman, walked through the centre. “Report.” This woman was Kawashaki, daughter of the governor of her province, most people who knew her however called her Faith.



An officer bowed his head, “these soldiers were just ripped through ma’am. There is no sign of the girl though.”



“Are you saying that she did this? I hardly think that that is possible.”



“There was another girl ma’am, a redhead, the passenger said. It could possibly be something to do with her.”



Faith nodded, “have warrants for her arrest, the Maclay girl also.”



The soldier nodded, “What of these men?”



Faith looked down at the dead commander, “I believe his Granddaughter was looking forward to his return, I’m sure she will be delighted that it is an early one. Go now.”



The soldiers left the train and the night drew on.

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

robotguru
 


Re: Chapter four

Postby WickedReds » Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:23 am

I love Anya.. she's so funny... hehe

So okay Giles seems to reconize Willow form some whare and so the plot thickens...

Okay so thats y Tara can hear that creepy voice too..

Okay Faithy is kinda mean... poof big meany...



-reds:willow



Mein Banane tanzt für Schmutz :banana

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

WickedReds
 


Chapter five

Postby robotguru » Tue Nov 16, 2004 3:40 pm

I still own nada, the story is kinda mine in that i make changes and i write the battles as if they weren't turn based like they are in rpgs.



Reds Yeah, Anya is funny. She'll keep popping up.



Faith isn't so much mean as detached from her emotions, she is a woman in a role that is usually held by a man, also, i always kinda thought that Kawashima had some sort of personal trauma. She does kinda make up for it later though.



The voice isn't sinister, it helps Willow, when we get to Europe, we eventually find the woman the voice belongs to. The voice is far away, that is why it is so garbled.



Yes, Giles did seem to recognise her, maybe this chapter will help, maybe not.



Here is chapter five, i must warn you, there is some angst.



***



Chapter five



Willow awoke as the sun played over her face, she was lying at the foot of a bench, she and Tara having walked all night, there were no hotels open. Tara was still sleeping on the bench, still dreaming about her mother if her sleeptalking was anything to go by.



Willow stood up and stretched, she smiled as she saw Tara and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, her hand trailing a soft caress up her face, Tara stretched in reaction to the light contact. Willow was about to wake her but thought better of it. ‘She walked all night, even after all that shit and she never complained once, she deserves a little rest.’



As Willow walked around, thinking, she noticed that there was a large army presence in Fengtion. A little dog sniffed Willow’s feet, “Hey fella, oi, scoot.” The dog seemed pretty determined to hang around so Willow sighed in resignation, “don’t you have an owner? Ok, ok, just don’t piss on my leg.” Willow again felt that white-hot pain she associated with the voice and fell to her knees.



“Da…n…eems”



The presence of this voice, for some reason, annoyed the Hell out of the dog, Willow looked at him puzzled, “you and me both boy, you and me both, anyway, I guess I’d better wake sleeping beauty.”



Willow shook Tara’s shoulder gently, “hey blondielocks, rise and shine, we need to go find some breakfast.”



Tara groaned, “ugh, morning already?”



Willow nodded, “yup, we need to go find somewhere to get some grub.”



Tara giggled as Willow’s stomach reinforced this fact, she got to her feet, “ok, l-let’s go.”



***



On the roof of the local store, a blonde opened a briefcase and set up a wireless communication pack that Bond would have been proud of (ok, this is 1913, all will be explained however). As she waited for a connection, she hummed a provocative little ditty under her breath. “Come on, connect already.”



When the connection went through, she spoke into a speaker, “Agent Malkovich here, bomb planted.”



A voice came from the briefcase, no, not Willow’s mysterious ‘voice’, this one is male for one, “Good work Malkovich…Malkovich?”



”Yeah?”



“You didn’t plant any…unnecessary bombs this time did you?”



‘Malkovich’ pouts, “Just a small one.”



“Malkovich!”



“Look, don’t get like that with me! There are innocents in there as well you know, not just the Japanese army! Ooh, and they got those cute little lunchboxes. Don’t worry control, small bomb goes pop, people run out of the station, big bomb goes boom and we disrupt Japanese military transport for at least a good couple of months, objective complete without unnecessary bloodshed.”



The voice at the other end of the line sighed, “Ok Malkovich, your call.”



‘Malkovich’ smirked, “Nice to be understood control, Malkovich out.”



***



As ‘Malkovich’ ducked out of sight on the roof of her building, Willow and Tara walked towards it, soon walking into the store. In one corner, they see Anya, they pretty much stayed away from the acupuncturist as Willow brought supplies and Tara used the little ladies room.



As Willow and Tara prepare to leave, the wireless, which had been playing music, switched to a newscast.



“Japanese officers are on the lookout for the perpetrators of a mass murder on the Fengtion Express last night. The suspects are both believed to be Caucasian females, one with an American accent, one European. The American, with red hair, is believed to be the main perpetrator of these crimes assisted by the blonde haired European. The Japanese army urges you not to approach these individuals but to call the nearest officers upon sighting them.”



Willow and Tara stare at each other in shock, knowing that the report must have meant them, the shopkeeper looks at them suspiciously and Willow and Tara immediately knew that they were in big trouble. “I think…we’d better leave.”



***



Meanwhile, on her rooftop, ‘Malkovich’ is preparing to let off the bombs, “Ok, set the timer, small bomb in five…”



The door burst open and to ‘Malkovich’’s horror, two women run out, “no!” The small bomb went off, knocking Willow and Tara to the floor, a look of dread on her face, Malkovich jumps down from the roof, landing near the too still bodies. Her worst fears were put to rest when the redhead, the girl who took the worst of the blast, groaned underneath her. “Hey, I can see your…”



‘Malkovich’ moved from the redhead, seeing that she had a clear view of what lay under her skirt, “call that an apology lassie, I’m just glad that the bomb that was meant to save lives didn’t end some. Quick, there’s a sewer over here, look sharp now girls, the officers will soon be out here. I can’t babysit you down there but hurry.”



“What the hell was that?!” Two guards had run up.



“Dunno, but those two are the murderers, we better get backup!”



‘Malkovich’ spat, “Cowards. Well, anyways, I better be going.”



‘Malkovich’ quickly hopped down the sewer as Willow crushed a Thera leaf, applying it to her wounds and then pouring the liquid from a Talisman of Luck over Tara, letting her heal her own wounds. “Looks like we’re in this knee deep together now Tara, come on!”



Tara groggily got to her feet and watched Willow climb down the sewer, she heard a scream and quickly followed her. Tara would have giggled in different circumstances, Willow was shrinking back from a couple of oversized frogs in fear, babbling away, “Spiders I can handle, snakes also, Hell, I can even go four rounds with disembodied mask guys who want to rip your soul out and shove it down the devil’s toilet…but frogs…why did it have to be frogs? They’re evil and green and slimy and…”



Willow stopped when she felt a light, almost tentative, touch on her shoulder and an impish voice in her ear, “I thought Ms. Big Bad Redhead wasn’t scared of anything.”



Willow smiled as she heard Tara’s cute giggle, she turned to see her half smile. “I’m not.” Willow shrugged as Tara quirked an eyebrow, “ok…except for frogs, they’re evil I tell you!”



Tara smirked, walked up to one of the frogs and bopped it on the head with her big ol’ book. She flashed her half smile again and Willow’s heart skipped a beat, “You’re kinda cute when you smile, you know that? You should smile more often.”



Tara’s head dropped, her hair covered her face as she blushed a little, “I’ve n-not had m-much to smile about recently.”



Willow’s face fell, “that’s a shame.”



Tara started to cry softly, “and n-now everyone thinks that we are m-murderers, what a mess.”



Willow smiled and quipped, “well, I’m the murderer, you’re just the accomplice. I get all the fun accusations I guess. Look Tara, that voice told me to stay with you and it has never once lead me wrong, we’ll get out of this together.”



“You p-promise?” Tara’s face looked hopeful, as if a promise would make it a certainty.



Willow smiled, “Promise. Now, we could do with finding a way out of here.”



Willow and Tara walked along the sewers until they came across a hole in the wall, Tara looked in casually and jumped back with a startles squeak as she saw a pair of eyes looking at her. The dog that Willow saw earlier came bounding out of the hole to meet them. “Sheesh, it’s that damn dog.”



Tara glared at Willow for a moment, “D-don’t be mean, it must have got stuck down here when the b-bomb went off poor thing. Come here doggie, you have a n-name? I don’t see a tag, I know, we’ll call you T-Tiny, here Tiny.”



The dog yapped happily and bounded around Tara, the happy mood was soon shattered with a few loud bangs. Running in the direction of the bangs, they found ‘Malkovich’ shooting a gun at several fire bats and large mutant frogs. Willow got over her fear (though she very much wanted to call upon one of her souls) to slice and dice a few frogs while ‘Malkovich’ shot down the bats. Willow folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at ‘Malkovich’. “You nearly killed us back there, what the hell were you doing?



“You wouldn’t understand little girl. Besides, why should I answer to two murderers.”



“We may be accused of being murderers but at least we aint terrorists.”



‘Malkovich’ sighs, “why does everyone think that about me? I’m not a dirty terrorist, they're common and barbaric! I’m a spy, S-P-Y! SPY! My name is…”



“What?”



“That’s classified information, you do want to know though right?”



Willow started to walk away, “pass.”



“Ok, you’ve twisted my arm, I should kill myself for this you know, control might do it for me, anyways, my name is Buffy.”



“I’m T-Tara and she is Willow.” Tara made the introductions.



Buffy shakes Tara’s hand and then Willow’s, “so, this murderer thing is a misunderstanding right? Ok. The Japanese army are a bunch of clods anyway, I didn’t believe them. So, you found a way out?”



Willow sees a ladder out of the corner of her eye, “maybe.” Willow climbed up the ladder and looked up, she sighed as she saw a seal with a hole in the middle. She described what she saw down to Tara.



“Sounds like there’s a sealing stone involved, it would have to be d-down here somewhere. That and the obligatory guardian type thing.”



“So, stone huh? Well, let’s get looking.”



As they walked along, Willow once again asked Buffy what was with the pyrotechnics. “Right now, we’re just trying to annoy the hell out of the Japanese army, if control had it’s way, that small bomb wouldn’t have gone off. It was designed to bring the people out so that the big bomb didn’t kill anyone, I'd [inever[/i] kill an innocent, enter you two blundering into the one that was meant to save lives. The main bomb should go off right about…”



As Buffy was about to say the word ‘now’, a large explosion ripped through the station above them, causing the underground cavern to shake. Tara looked a little nervous, “d-do you think we’re safe d-down here?”



Buffy shrugged, “Dunno, I didn’t plan on getting stuck down here, I’d say we’re ok though.”



The cavern shook again and Willow glared at Buffy, “Sure about that?”



“Yeah, course, we’ll be all fine and dandy.” The trio reached the edge of the tavern and Buffy pointed out a hole in the now collapsed wall from which a blue gem was visible. “See, that be a sealing stone I believe. I planned that,” Buffy got two quirked eyebrows in her direction and she shrugged, “it was worth a try.”



Tara picked the stone up the group walked back to the ladder, Tara handed Willow the stone and Willow climbed up, placing the stone into the gap. As she did so, three men with amphibian looking heads appeared on the ground, with Buffy throwing grenades and using her guns, and Willow using her fists and feet, they were quickly disposed of and the grate above them slid open.



Tara frowned as she still felt uncomfortable, “I still sense evil down here, but I c-can't quite p-place where it is coming from.”



Willow got out of the sewers glad to be away from the frogs, then put a hand down to help Tara (with Tiny) up. Buffy soon followed. Buffy eyed a plane and the guards around the area. “Ok, we have to be real quiet…”



Quiet…yeah, someone tell that to the damn dog, Tiny starts yapping away and this brings two guards with guns running. Willow and Tara dived out of the way as Buffy knelt behind a rock and took down the guards with her guns, meanwhile, the plane they were after exploded, how convenient.



Tiny came running to Tara scared of the explosion, Tara was about to pet him, then she narrowed her eyes as something in her brain clicked. “What are you?”



Surprisingly enough, a voice emanated from the dog, “just a little puppy, Tiny.”



“You destroyed the plane.” Willow had walked up and seen this odd little conversation.



”Yes, if course I did, if you think I tracked Maclay across two continents only to let her fly off again, you have another thing coming Miss. Rosenberg.”



“Tracking Tara eh? Are you Bacon?! Man, this is rich, what will you be next, a little cockroach?”



The dog seemed to get a little agitated and grew a little, growling, “how dare you associate me with Bacon! My name is Snyder and you would do well to remember it you pitiful mortal!”



Suddenly, ‘Tiny’ wasn’t so tiny, Tiny became bloody huge, his fangs gnashed, he breathed in fire and blew it out at Willow, Tara and Buffy. All three jumped to the side and Willow’s eyes glowed green as she called upon Raging Tiger. Raging Tiger sprang forward but he soon got forced back, hitting a pile of rocks with a thud. He sprang up as Buffy threw a grenade. The Beast Dog dodged Raging Tiger and hurled itself upon Buffy, he bit hard into her shoulder before jumping back and breathing fire at her. Tara bravely tried to hit him but a claw flung her away.



This served to piss off Raging Tiger muchly, he sprang at Beast Dog but again got thrown away, this time he didn’t move after falling and reverted back to the form of Willow.



This left Tara, a decidedly nervous Tara. As luck would have it, she had memorised one of the spells in the book that the peddler had sold her, and now, being as she was all alone, seemed the best time to try it out. Tara muttered a few words and the book sprung open in her palm, a Blessed Light sprung from the book and hit the Beast Dog squarely in the chest, the dog howled once and then was still.



Tara fell to her knees, mentally exhausted, this being the first time that she had tried this spell, but she knew that she had to work fast to help her friends. She took out the two remaining Talismen of Luck (she must remember to buy some more next time they come to a shop) and poured the contents onto Buffy and Willow, with that done, Tara chewed a Mana leaf to replenish her mental energy and set to work healing her friends. When Buffy got up, she quickly looked for a plane to fly the trio away from Fengtion. Meanwhile, Willow felt an urge to sleep. Tara saw this and placed Willow’s head on her lap, stroking the side of her face in concern. “Thespia protect her” Tara murmured to the Deity she felt gave her strength, “keep my friend from harm.”



***



As Willow awoke, she knew that her first priority was cleansing the malice, since it hadn’t been too long since last time, she just had to take down a wolf. As she was about to leave the graveyard, Willow noticed that one gravestone glowed blue and one glowed yellow. She walked up to the yellow one, a little nervously, deciding that the blue could wait for another time, she’d had enough of water for now, assuming that that’s what the blue tombstone symbolised. She read the inscription on the tombstone and found that it held the seal of Wind. Willow sighed as she touched the tombstone and a yellow bird, the Tornado, flew out of the tomb.



Willow’s eyes misted over as she called upon Death Empress, cancelling out Tornado’s advantage with its to fly. Death Empress and Tornado fought tooth and claw but Tornado was that much faster. Flipping backwards, Tornado spread its wings, gathering wind, and slashed it towards Death Empress, the wind cut diagonal crossing lines across Death Empress’ chest and of course, over Willow’s back in Fengtion. This sent Death Empress reeling back, but she retaliated with Dark Messenger, that darn fog of hers. A bit silly really, Tornado flapped its large wings and sent the mist back at Death Empress, causing her to get a taste of her own medicine.



Death Empress fell a little, and Tornado saw an opportunity to end this, she swooped down towards Death Empress looking for a killing blow. Death Empress looked up and raised a claw, bringing it down heavily across Tornado’s back, grounding her. Weakened, there was no stopping Death Empress’ second gust of black fog of the fight and Tornado succumbed to defeat.



As Death Empress resumed the form of a very shaken Willow, a yellow light shot from Tornado and entered Willow’s body. A feeling of cruelty submerged Willow’s consciousness for a moment, when she had forced the Tornado into submission within her body, Willow walked towards the gates and into the world of the living.



***



“Back with us?”



Willow again found her head in Tara’s lap and murmured a ‘yes’ as Tara’s magick washed over her, healing the wounds that Tornado had inflicted, “a little tired, might nap on the plane. Got a new soul though.”



“C-cool. When you say n-nap, you mean not in the ‘I’m gonna fight’ sense?”



Willow nodded her head as she stood up, Tara held a still weakened Willow by the waist. Buffy ran up to them and quirked an eyebrow at the sight. “I found us a plane.” Willow, Tara and Buffy walked up to the plane, Willow and Tara stared at first the wreck in front of them and then at Buffy for even considering flying it.



“Hate to break this to you, but how far do you think we’re gonna get in this?”



Buffy considered this, “far enough, away from here anyway.” Willow and Tara squeezed into the snug confines of the back while Buffy started the plane.



***



Meanwhile, in a dark room in Kuihai Tower, Snyder sat, considering his next move. He was an old man, some say that he was born long before any living man on Earth, his body was scarred, his left arm was metal and his right leg was a peg.



Snyder looked up as he felt a disturbance in the air. “Bacon, I’ve not seen you in years. I must be losing my touch, I don’t remember summoning you.”



“I just thought that I would drop in.”



Snyder stood, “indeed, what were you doing trying to capture the girl? You weren’t trying to interrupt my plans were you?”



Bacon chuckled, “hardly, I’m rather interested in the outcome of this.”



“So, you would have just…handed her over?”



Bacon nodded his head, “of course.” Snyder did not believe this for a minute.



“How come she escaped?”



“There was another girl with her, a harmonixer.”



Snyder’s eyes shot open, “another?! I thought that he was the last!”



Bacon chuckled, “just thought I should warn you to be careful, you wouldn’t want to lose the other half of your body now would you? Sorry, that was…tactless.”



Snyder glared, “if that is all…”



Bacon nodded, “Indeed, I must be off now. I’ll be watching this with interest my lord.”



Bacon phased out as Snyder sat, ‘cocky bastard.’ Snyder waved a hand, “minions hear me, the girl is heading your way, do not let Bacon capture her before you do or I will be most displeased.”



***



Just after the plane had taken off, Willow had dropped off, her head nestled snugly on Tara’s shoulder. Her sleep was not as restful as her body showed though, she was dreaming.



***



Willow remembered back to her childhood, the last time she had seen her father. She had always been a Tomboy and Ira didn’t see a problem with letting her ‘help’ work the field. She was only five afterall, this was surely a phase like Sheila had said.



As Ira pitched away with his hoe, he looked down at his daughter. “I want you to look after your mother.”



Willow looked up at Ira and pouted, “you’re going to go again aren’t you?”



Ira nodded his head, the fox mask clearly showing at the back of it, it was the wrong way round as he often wore it at home. He sighed, “There is something I must do.”



Willow nodded her head sadly, “I’ll look after mommy real good.”



Ira smiled, “I know you will.”



“Daddy, mommy will want us in for dinner now.”



“Ok sweetie, tell her I’ll be along in a bit.”



”Ok daddy.” Willow ran back towards the house.



Two months later, Ira had left home, he never returned. When Willow was sixteen, two years ago, Bacon’s demon, the creature that she had killed on the train, had killed her mother in front of her eyes. It was about to turn to Willow when her body suddenly began to grow as she let her rage and anger overcome her. That was the first time she had fused with Death Empress. The creature had fled, leaving Willow to bitterly weep her mother’s death.



That was when she started to hear the voice, the woman who seemed to be guiding her destiny, sure it hurt, but that voice was like a mother, and a trainer. As Willow recollected those times, Foxface, her father as she had seen him last night, appeared in front of her. ‘Why are you doing this to me father? Are you mad that I let mommy die? I couldn’t stop it, I wanted to but I couldn’t!’ If Willow had been confronting him now, she would have been in tears, she was in tears.



***



Tara saw the tears flowing from Willow’s fluttering eyes, silently, she wondered what had caused this woman trauma, she caressed Willow’s face.



The engine of the plane began to rattle, this brought Willow to the here and now. The plane’s engine had blew and now it was going down…

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

Edited by: robotguru at: 11/16/04 2:54 pm
robotguru
 


The Shadows Within

Postby robotguru » Thu Nov 18, 2004 12:25 pm

Here is Chapter six, i still neither own yada yada yada



***



The plane fell from the sky as Buffy frantically tried to keep at least some form of control over its decent. Willow and Tara could only hold on tightly for dear life, neither daring to let the other go. Through sheer force of will, Buffy somehow managed to pull the nose up and kick the wheels into place, the plane hit the ground with a jolt and somehow stopped right on the edge of a pier.



Willow and Tara jumped out of the plane, glad to be on firm ground again, Willow glared as Buffy casually stepped out of the pilots seat, “No problem kiddos. That wasn’t so bad was it?”



Willow glared at Buffy harder, “I’ve fought wolves, demons, zombies and I’ve even faced down frogs and I’d do all that again before trusting to your driving.”



Buffy looked almost insulted as Willow turned and Tara giggled, Willow would face frogs before getting in a plane with Buffy again, now that was funny. The sky was beginning to darken and people were hurrying inside, Willow grasped the shoulder of a young lady, “What’s with the rushing?”



The lady looked at Willow as if she were out of her mind, then realised that she wasn’t from round here, “Lili comes out at night, every night the same old thing, someone gets cursed and they die by next sunset. If I were you kiddos, I’d get to that hotel over yonder.”



Buffy nodded her head and began to walk away, then turned to find that Willow and Tara hadn’t done likewise, she called back to them, “I don’t know about you girls, but I want to see tomorrows sunset alive and kicking.”



Willow shrugged, “I guess there might be someone in the hotel who knows what all this is about.” Tara nodded and the two followed Buffy over to the hotel.



As they walked in, they could hear murmuring from a room in front of them, they walked in to see an old lady trying to cast a spell over a young man, a young woman hovering near, “Please say that Jo Jo is going to be alright Sea Mother.”



Sea Mother sighed, she was the most powerful mage in Dalian and she could do nothing for Lili’s victims, “I’m sorry my child.”



The couple could only watch as Jo Jo passed to the other side. Sea Mother held his hand in her two and muttered a few words, “Mother Goddess, accept this child, he who was taken from us. We leave him in your care.”



Sea Mother walked towards the door of the hotel and looked over the three newcomers, her eyes gazed into Tara’s for a moment, sensing the magic within her. She passed over Buffy and then looked at Willow, she nodded her head as she passed to walk to her own home.



Tara looked outside, seeing that the shop was across the street. She spoke to Willow, “I used the l-last t-Talismen of Luck back in Fengtion, we n-need some more.”



Buffy cut in, “you don’t think you’re going out in the dark do you? Don’t be stupid.”



“It’s not dark yet and I’d feel better if we had some.” Tara’s tine left no room for argument as she walked out.



The problem was, as Tara realised, that night could fall quickly. As she walked out of the shop, she saw a pale face belonging to a girl sitting on a rock. “You’re Lili aren’t you?”



The girl glared at her, her voice was hoarse, “such a pretty voice, I used to have one also.” Tara tried to back away, a bolt of purple lightning hit Tara on the head and she fell, “you will die by the next sunset.”



Two doors opened simultaneously, Buffy and Willow came rushing out of the door of the hotel and Sea Mother walked down the steps of her own home, she looked at the concerned girls, “quickly, bring her in.”



Buffy walked over to Tara’s prone body and hoisted her up while Willow took the other side.



***



In Fengtion, a soldier knocked on Faith’s door, after hearing her order him to come in, he opened and stood to attention. “Report.”



“They got away in a plane with Malkovich ma’am.”



“And how was this allowed to happen?”



The soldier could only give Faith a hopeless look. Faith placed her hands under her chin and rested her elbows on the desk as she arched an eyebrow. “My guess is they’ll want to get away from here, the Government at Fengtion wants the Maclay girl at Shanghai, we must arrest her. I will see to this myself, prepare a train for the journey.”



“Malkovich blew up the railway lines ma’am, our best bet is to go through water.”



Faith glared at the soldier in front of her, “well, get me a boat.”



The soldier saluted and left the room. Faith sighed as she leaned back in her chair.



***



Sea Mother watched as Tara was placed on the table in front of her, she sighed as she sadly shook her head, “there is nothing I can do for her.” Seam Mother saw the tears in Willow’s eyes and tried to comfort the child, “do not worry young one, I have sent for a mage more powerful than myself. While we wait, I will tell you about Lili.”



Sea Mother sat down wearily, Willow and Buffy sat in chairs opposite her.



***



Lili’s story is a sad one, she was once such a sweet girl, I can remember her well. And her voice, it would make butter melt, she was the envy of all the girls in Dalian. One day, her father went out to sea, he was a fisherman you see.



The weather, she is unpredictable and a cruel mistress to any fisherman caught at sea when she is in a rage. The storms came in, and among others, Lili’s father was still out at sea.



Poor Lili, she prayed and prayed for her father to return, and the Gods heard and answered her prayers, but oh, the cost, the cruel, cruel cost. In return for allowing Lili’s father’s ship to return, the Gods had switched her voice with that of her father’s. Lili’s voice was now a rough croak, a voice that you would never hear in a girl’s body, and her father, he never spoke again.



One night, a travelling troupe came to Dalian, and Lili fell in love with a tumbling boy. The looks, oh the looks. But looks were all they could exchange, Lili would not speak. She came begging to me to fix her voice, to make it the voice that could woo her would be love. Alas, there is only one way to reverse what the Gods have done. To regain her voice from her father, she would have to kill him. Every night, Lili crept towards her father’s room, the door creaked open and Lili would walk in, she would place a dagger against his neck…but she couldn’t do it, she couldn’t kill her father.



Her father knew though, he didn’t sleep. Every night, he lay awake, he would feel the cold of the blade and he would wait to see his last moments, but one week turned into two, into three, into a month, and still Lili could not kill her father. Then she heard that the next night, the troupe would move on. Oh the agony, the indecision, the cruel choice set by crueller Gods. Lili made her mind up to do the deed that night.



Alas, when she walked into her father’s room, after steeling her nerve, he was not there. He had gone out to fish once more, a present for his daughter before he died, but again, a storm caught him and he wasn’t to be seen again. Three weeks had passed, Lili did not eat, she rarely drank, she cried and cried, for the loss of her father, her love and her voice. Once day…she too disappeared…but the previous night, I had heard strange sounds heading towards her door, schlop, schlop, schlop…




***



…“You’re not scaring your guests are you Sea Mother dear?”



Engrossed as they were in the story, Buffy and Willow nearly jumped out of their skin. They turned to see who had caused the interruption and they saw Giles rubbing his glasses in the door. “I’m so sorry I’m late Sea Mother, someone…”at this point, he glanced at Buffy, “…blew up the railway line, I had to sodding walk. Now, let’s see what we have here…oh.”



It was at this point that he saw Tara. Giles walked up to the bed and closed his eyes, he spread his hands above Tara’s body, after what seemed an eternity, he opened his eyes, “there is something blocking my magick, I did feel the power of a dark Taoist seal in the village, I would assume that it is that. As soon as the seal is broken, my magick should be able to heal her.”



Willow slipped on her dusters, “well, I say we go break a seal.”



Buffy held one of Tara’s hands in her two, she could tell that Tara was a good woman, she didn’t deserve to die like this. Letting go of Tara, Buffy placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder, “I guess you can count me in too, I feel like some target practise anyway.”



Giles smiled, “now that it is night, I should imagine that you will get plenty of practise…‘Malkovich’.” Buffy shot him a shocked look, “I have my way of knowing these things Ms. Summers, don’t worry, I’m not with the Japanese.”



Willow smirked at Buffy’s discomfort, “ok then G man, I guess we better get going.”



Sea Mother smiled as they walked out of the door and she heard Giles say “don’t call me that.” She then looked at Tara, “Don’t worry Demon-eyes, I would say that you are in good hands.”



***



Willow, Buffy and Giles grimly walked to the port where Giles could sense the seal, Buffy was quick to put bullets in a few oversized frogs, Willow was glad that Buffy had ranged weapons. As they made it to the port, they could see a large purple seal.



The three stood in a triangle around the seal, Giles threw his staff in the middle and shouted out some archaic words. A bolt of lightening hit the staff sending it flying to Giles’ hand. In the centre stood a Yamaraja, twenty foot tall and looking pretty damn scary.



Buffy took a look at the Yamaraja, and then pulled out a pair of glasses, figures danced on the shades in front of her eyes, “he’s an earth elemental, wind and maybe fire would affect him the most. I wouldn’t hit him Willow, you’d damage your knuckles more than you’d hurt him.”



Willow quirked an eyebrow, “wind huh?”



Seeing that Buffy’s bullets weren’t doing too well, Giles threw fire spells at the Yamaraja, one of them hitting it just as one of Buffy’s grenade sent shrapnel flying into it’s body. The Yamaraja roared and threw a great pile of dirt and Willow, Buffy and Giles, Willow being the only one quick enough to get away.



A sharp wind whistled all around Willow, making her brown duster flow out behind her. Willow’s body stretched to its limits as she screamed, calling upon the aid of Tornado. Willow turned into the large yellow bird as their souls fused. Tornado flew down, its sharp claws digging into the Yamaraja’s eyes. With a roar, the Yamaraja swung a mighty fist at Tornado but it easily dodged. Tornado did a backflip in the air and gathered wind as it spread its mighty wings, when it had gathered all it could, it hurled it at the Yamaraja, the wind sheered through its body, cutting it into four diagonal pieces.



Tornado looked down at the huge pile of dirt that covered Willow’s friends, it again gathered wind in it’s wings and blew the dirt away, Tornado floated to the ground and transformed back into Willow, she quickly ran over, glad for the Talismen of Luck that Tara had brought.



As Giles and Buffy both came to, Willow handed them both a Thera leaf before running back to the village.



***



Tara awoke, feeling her hand held tightly in two soft hands, she opened her eyes to see Willow’s green eyes glistening with tears, she smiled and clutched Willow’s hand, the pressure telling the redhead that she had awoke.



Willow bent down and hugged Tara tightly and Tara could feel her shaking with the worry that had wracked her body. She hugged back before Willow drew away, she looked around the room. “Th-thank you everyone.”



Giles walked over to Tara, “you should really thank Willow, or Tornado anyway.”



Tara looked at Giles for a moment, “Lili isn’t in control of her own soul, I c-could feel it.”



Giles nodded, “I know, now that the seal is broken, she will be out to sea, and that is where we must go.”

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



There can be no rainbow without rain, you cannot know true happiness until you know sadness first.

Edited by: robotguru at: 11/18/04 12:10 pm
robotguru
 


Updating one of my neglected fics

Postby robotguru » Sun Feb 20, 2005 6:05 am

I've been really bad with my updates, unfortunately, when i've been home i haven't really had time to write and when i come home from university, i'm exhausted, but i will try to get updates in more frequently. I do actually have a few half typed, but real life can be a bitch.



Anyways, Chapter seven. I don't own any characters in this story, if i did, you know one thing that would certainly not have happened.



***



Chapter seven



“So pops, how exactly are we meant to get to sea seeing as we do not own a boat?”



Buffy did actually have a good point, cue the eavesdropping ‘smuggler’ who looked like a certain officer…“Ye trying to get to sea loves? Where are you headed exactly?”



Giles glanced at this smuggler, not liking her from the start, but still, they were in a tight spot, “we need to head to Huayuan near Shanghai, where are you heading?”



“Well as luck would have it, Kato and I were just going to drop off some…supplies there. My boat is on the first dock if you want to join us, we set off in an hour loves.” Faith hated talking like this but her clipped military tones would he a bit of a giveaway.



As the smuggler walked out of the door, Buffy turned to Giles, “I don’t like her. Her body language was wrong for a smuggler and I think she was trying to put it all on.”



“I would say that you are right Buffy, but do you see any other choice?”



Buffy frowned and shook her head, Tara stood up from the bed. “We’re alive and we’re t-together, we’ll d-do what we have to when it comes to it.”



Willow smiled at Tara as she tried to hide her blush behind her hair. “Well, with those wise words in mind, I guess we’d better go to the shops, stock up and get going.”



***



An hour later, they had been on the boat and set off as promised, half an hour into the journey, Tara could see that there was something pretty wrong with Willow…“who’d have thought that you were the type to get seasick?” Willow, lying on the bed of the cabin she was sharing with Tara, glared at her, looking decidedly green in the face. The sight of Willow trying to look menacing while feeling very ill had Tara giggling all the more, “why don’t you go take a walk, get some air?”



Willow evidently thought that this was a good idea seeing as she got up and slowly walked towards the door. Buffy was on the deck outside the door staring into space, “hey Willow.” Willow sketched a wave, Buffy took one look at her face and quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, come on, you aren’t sea sick are you?” Buffy giggled as Willow glared once again.



“That’s it, make fun of the ill one, just you wait unt…”



Willow’s threats were cut off by a sudden impulse to be sick, “hey! Don’t be sick near me.” Willow fought back the bile with a gulp, “Oh my God, don’t swallow it! Get lost, go! Shoo!”



Willow gave Buffy one last half hearted glare and walked down the deck towards Giles who it appears was setting up a seal to draw Lili out. Willow sketched a wave as Giles looked up, “not yet, Willow. I’ll tell you when it’s time.” Again, Willow fought back the urge to be sick and Giles looked up at her, “how am I supposed to concentrate with you making that racket? You really should go and rest in your cabin.”



Not even bothering to glare now, seeing as it took so much energy, Willow plodded back along the deck to where Tara looked up at her, concerned. “You’re really not feeling too well are you?”



Tara sat down and motioned for Willow to join her, wrapping an arm around her, they were silent for a moment, just enjoying the contact with each other. Eventually, Willow looked back at Tara, “Tara?”



“Yes?”



Willow took a deep breath, knowing that Tara would not like what she had to say. “These souls I’m getting, every time I get one, I feel like, like I’m losing control. Ok, so I’m stronger and can take on more powerful opponents, but…”



“But what?”



Willow whispered, “I don’t think I’m strong enough to control them, the souls, it’s like I’m eroding away inside. I’m not, I know that but one day, I might lose control and…well there’s a reason Harmonixing is a forbidden art.” Tara just looked at Willow for a moment, stroking her hair, trying to comfort her, “Tara, if that ever happens, I need you to promise me that you will kill me.”



At this Tara jumped back slightly, “w-what?”



Willow was adamant, “I mean it, if I lose control and start hurting people, I need to know that you will kill the monster I may someday become.”



“N-no! I c-could n-never do that!”



Willow turned to Tara looking pretty damn determined to get her way when any further argument was cut off by a scream coming from the Captain’s quarters. Both Willow and Tara sprung up and ran outside, meeting Buffy pulling her guns out from her pockets, Willow, suddenly putting her case of sea sickness to one side walked up to her, “what’s going on?”



“Hell if I know, I say we find out.” All three had run to the Captain’s quarters and burst through the door where they saw the smuggler (ok, so if we saw her, we’d know it’s Faith) and Kato trying to fend off a water ghoul. Buffy spun her guns on her fingers and took them down with some precise shots. “What happened?”



“Hell if I know, loves, they just burst in through the porthole.”



Willow looked at Tara, “Giles is on deck, he might need some help.”



The three again ran towards the deck to see Giles struggling to hold the spell together as winged creatures assaulted him, Tara muttered a few words and a light shot out at the creatures, making them fall to the ground. He looked grimly at Willow, “Ok, this is the best we’ll get, you ready?”



Willow nodded her head and she and Tara joined Giles in a triangle as Giles chanted a spell, a howling wind whipped up around them as Giles raised his voice against the fighting Lili, suddenly, her shape formed on the deck, “how dare you?”



“L-lili, we’re j-just trying to help you.”



“I don’t need your help.” Her voice had been harsh and grating, she raised her arms when suddenly, a chanting from below the deck could be heard and Sea Mother came from below deck. “What are you doing here?”



“You’ve been used, Lili, I am here to free you.”



“Heal yourself healer!”



A bolt of lightening struck from the heavens and nearly struck Sea mother, Giles looked at the three kids. “We need to keep the spell going, you three are going to have to fight her.”



Willow turned from this little circle and stood in front of Lili and spoke quietly, “it is time that you were sent.”



“Do you so wish to die?” Lili’s voice grated back, Lili breathed in and then breathed out the dark fog that had been death to many of Willow’s foes, Willow dodged and the battle was met.



Buffy put on her shades and tried to read Lili, “Something’s blocking me, I can’t get anything on her!”



Lili again sent out that dark fog, this time, Tara threw up a shield made of light, blocking off the fog. Willow felt an urge tug at her body and screamed as green fur covered her and she took the form of the Raging Tiger. She growled her fury and jumped at Lili, striking home several heavy blows, Lili threw up a hand sending Raging Tiger flying backwards, quickly, she was to her feet and raised her arms, stones embedded on the ocean floor rose upwards and flew at Lili just as one of Buffy’s grenades exploded sending shards of rock flying at her. Lili slumped to her knees, Tara muttered a few words and again, her Blessed Light flew at Lili, sending her face down. “I’m sorry, Lili.”



Tara turned to join Sea Mother and Giles when Lili’s body stiffly rose and Snyder spoke through her, “Do you think it is over, dear child? Lili! I command you, unlock your anger and rage, DESTROY!



Lili’s body metamorphosed into a purple eight tentacled creature, her head in the middle of its body, Tara looked sadly at the tortured soul, “Lili, I promise you, I will grant you freedom.”



A wind whipped through the ship as Willow, now back to her human form, called upon the Tornado, her arms turned into wings as she turned into the yellow bird. While this had been happening, Lili had sent out a green mist that had engulfed Tara. When Tara could again be seen, she looked ill, not surprising seeing as she had been poisoned, she fell to a knee and concentrated every fibre of her being on purging the poison from her body.



Tornado flew down to try and attack Lili, but a heavy tentacle flung her away, Tornado hit the deck hard and twitched before taking the form of a prone Willow. Buffy shot at her but the tentacles, seemingly unfeelingly, took the shots. While two blocked off those shots, another wrapped around the hand of Tara’s that had been holding the Talisman of Luck and flung her also.



While Lili had been distracted, Buffy had drawn out a sniper rifle from the inside of her coat and took aim, looking for the one critical spot that Lili could not defend, she took a deep breath and gently squeezed the trigger. Lili’s body fell with a jolt as Buffy walked over to Tara and rifled in her pockets for two Talismen of Luck, tending to her friends.



Tara shakily rose to her feet and joined Giles and the now struggling Sea Mother, the three chanted a simple releasing spell and a light rose from the now dead mass. The form of Lili appeard above what she had become and looked, almost sadly, across the six on the deck, she nodded her head as a tear of gratitude fell and she winked out.



At this, Sea Mother fell to her knees, the brave woman having spent her all to send her tortured child. She died with a smile on her face. Willow looked down at her and took her hand, “Thank you Sea Mumma, may the Goddess watch over you as you have watched over your own.”



The group sat in silence for a while as the ship carried on its forward journey across the now calm sea.

robotguru
 


Re: Updating one of my neglected fics

Postby Still Waters T » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:55 pm

Hey Chris :wave



I've been meaning to give you some feedback here for a while now. I really like the fic :D it's intense, and really has me all intrigued. :bounce It kinda reminds me of Final Fantasy which I love, but it still has that original feel to it. :clap



I love the idea of Willow kicking demon ass! :D And Tara as her caring loving self. :) Buffy is funny lol, and her flying, just as bad as her driving. :laugh Soo any :wtkiss anytime soonish? :hmm



Liv :sheep

Still Waters T
 


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