Okay, yes, it's an update.
Yes, it resolves the Part 8 cliffhanger.
Yes, it ends with a cliffhanger. I'm giving you fair warning.
I'm sorry. There was just no other way to write it without it ending with a cliffhanger, as pretty much every fricking point in this update was a cliffhanger of some sort.
But once again, for those who missed it earlier:
There will eventually be happy ending make-up sex! Eventually being the operative word.I will try my best to not leave you hanging for too long. But no promises as to how soon, as this update made my brain hurt. Ouchie. But soon.
***willowphile410 - I actually still giggle about Sasstommlisjess, too. Hehe. I'm dumb. I know this. I accept it.
***LeatherQueen - Willow in trouble? Nahhhhhhhh.
***fidds - That came through? Cool. I have a harder time writing Tara than I do Willow, so I'm always questioning myself on her.
***ExtraFlameyWT - Yes, from now on, I only update when you root for the Cubbies. So it's all on you now! Hehe.
***Sher - What? You didn't get the memo that said "Please wear safety harness when reading fic"?
***Thanatopsis - Do I detect a note of sarcasm, as in "I think I'm going to hurt you now," in your words? Rut-roh Rorge, I've pissed off Thanatopsis. *hangs head in shame*
***vmplrslAr - Hope I got your name right - wow, that's a lot of consonants. Books? You don't need no stinkin' books to study for finals! Hope they went well.
***Scout - I hope this wasn't too long to leave you hanging. I'm trying. Really I am.
***The Rose24 - Ack is right! I hate cliffhangers. Really I do.
***sheila wt - "Cliffhanger much?" I love that line! Can I steal that? *ponders not-so-quick sexual favors and grins*
***mollyig - Why thank you, thank you very much. I think the humor is key. Or at least it was before this season.
***capricornmist - See? I knew the promise of eventual make-up sex would calm everybody down. Hehe.
***Jennpurr - So you're saying you want someone to get a lap dance in the story? Cuz here I was all ready to run over to your house and give you one! Oh, well, if you don't want it... *goes off in search of another Kitten who wants a lap dance*
-BB
Title: The Guardian – Part 9
Author: blameburner
Feedback: Sure… Always a plus
Summary: This is just a nice little story about two witches, facing the apocalypse – again - and love.
Spoiler Warning: Up to and including "Normal Again" in Season 6 – but really nothing major.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, but oh how I wish they were! Joss, blah blah, ME, blah blah.
Rating: NC-17 (I've given up any pretense that it's anything less)
Pairings: W/T… duh. Everyone’s will be here at some point.
Notes: I know nothing about magic, except what I learned on BtVS.
I am totally, completely pulling this out of my arse!!! I am making it up, cuz I'm too stupid to know better, and too lazy to research it. I mean absolutely no offense if I get it wrong, which I undoubtedly will. Please forgive me. Okay, disclaimer over.
Angst: Um... yeah, there's angst, I'm sorry. But I promise it will all be okay in the end.Part 9
Willow felt an intense pain, one that was all too familiar. It was the pain of the darkness inside her crying to be released. She felt alive with it, as if each cell in her body had suddenly become a living creature with independent will, and every single cell was straining to be free. It was a sweet and deeply captivating pain.
Her blood recognized the magic, the mystical remnants still imprinted in each blood cell. Her blood missed the magic. It made her blood feel powerful. It gave her blood a greater importance than it had ever had, because it was through her blood that it traveled. Without her blood the magic was nothing, and her blood felt like it was nothing without the magic. Her blood liked the magic, and now that it had returned, her blood wasn't about to give it up without a fight.
Willow could feel her body betraying her, to say nothing of her mind. Willow's brain tingled with possibilities as a hundred spells screamed to be spoken, and a thousand words fought each other for dominance. Willow could hardly think for the words thundering in her head, drowning out practically every conscious thought she had. It was instinctual the way the magic called to Willow. The magic saw a kindred spirit buried deep within Willow's soul, and was frantically digging to unearth it.
It would be so easy, Willow thought,
so easy to give into it, to wield it once more. Willow felt like every part of her being was demanding she give in. In a way she already had given in, subconsciously anyway. Willow could feel her eyes shade to black as the high enveloped her. Her skin burned deliciously, like she could feel every molecule of air touching her, caressing her skin and at the same time inflaming it.
It's almost as good as when Tara touches me, she thought.
Tara. That single word flooded Willow's heart with love, breaking through the darkness. Green pushed back black as Willow's eyes shaded back to normal, and she shook her head trying to clear the magical fog that was clouding her mind.
Focus, Willow. Focus, Willow ordered herself.
You've got to fight it. Just focus on Tara. She needs you. Willow doubled her resolve and concentrated on Tara. She ignored the darkness that was still pulling at her and focused on centering Tara and directing the energy pouring out of Tara. The redhead only hoped she had the strength to hold out long enough.
****************
"She's fighting me," The Guardian said in disbelief.
"Who is, Master?" Dakin asked.
"The dark witch. She's actually fighting me," The Guardian said. Dakin thought he heard a touch of amusement in The Guardian's voice.
"I'm sorry, Master, I don't understand," Dakin said humbly, although he felt anything but humble.
"Of course you don't," The Guardian said dismissively. Then The Guardian continued. "The dark witch was using light magic, so I sent her a rather large dose of dark magic. I can feel how much she wants it. She aches to cast it, but she's resisting."
Dakin smiled inwardly, but adopted a very concerned tone and said, "Master, is it wise to waste your energy on them? I thought the witches couldn't hurt you."
"Oh, they can't," The Guardian agreed, "but it's interesting. I want to know how the dark witch is fighting me. It shouldn't be possible." The Guardian paused for a moment, and then said, "But you're right. I shouldn't waste my energy. Yet the dark witch dared to fight me, and that I cannot allow. Time to end her once and for all."
****************
"We're wasting too much time," Giles yelled as he dusted another vampire.
"Agreed," Buffy called back as she ducked to avoid a charging demon and then kicked it in the back as it flew by. The demons were thinning out, but there were still about a dozen standing between the Scoobies and the tunnel leading to the next cavern. Buffy knew she had to get to that tunnel and to The Guardian soon, or it was all over.
"Buffy!" Xander screamed as he saw the Slayer take off running full out for the tunnel, straight into the demons standing between them and their goal. Xander knew she couldn't take them all, but there she was, heading straight for them anyway. A sudden and intense surge of adrenaline flooded Xander's body, filling him with a power like he had never felt. It was the power of love and family and friendship, he thought briefly before turning to follow his friend into overwhelming odds.
Anya saw Xander turn and start to run after Buffy, and she yelled Giles' name even as her feet were already moving, propelling her towards her love.
Giles took out yet another vamp and chased after his children.
****************
Willow felt like she was going to pass out. She was drained not only from anchoring Tara, but from fighting the darkness that threatened to consume her. She was hanging on, but just barely.
She glanced over at Tara. The blonde was drenched with sweat, and Willow knew Tara had to be exhausted. Yet Tara's face was the picture of serenity.
Then Willow felt it. The darkness closed in on Willow, nearly choking her. It was like no magic she had ever felt, and Willow's last conscious thought was,
This must be what pure evil feels like.
****************
The Guardian smiled. What he had sent to the dark witch before was just a taste of his power. He had turned the light magic inside the witch dark.
It should have been enough. With the darkness he sensed inside the witch, it should have been too much for her to ignore. It should have called to her, and she should have answered "yes."
Instead she had fought it and pushed it away. The Guardian thought that was rather rude of the dark witch to refuse his gift. He could not stand for that.
So he decided to destroy her. It was a shame, really. She was quite powerful. But no matter. She had fought him, so she would lose.
He knew he shouldn't be wasting his energy on her. She was inconsequential in the grander scheme of things. And he definitely should not waste any of the universe's darkness on her. But he could feel how powerful he was already, and he knew the universe would provide plenty of darkness to tear down the dimensional walls.
The Guardian's smile grew as he felt the darkness overcoming the witch.
It won't be long now, he thought.
No way can she fight the universe.
*****************
None of them knew how, but the four Scoobies had fought their way into the tunnel and through the second cavern, and were now about to enter the third cave. The last few minutes had been a total blur of punching and running and kicking and running and slashing and running.
"Humans!" Buffy called out a warning to the other Scoobies, not wanting anyone to get overzealous with the killing now. No matter how evil The Guardian's followers might be, there were just some lines she would not cross.
"Got it!" Xander called back, acknowledging the complication. Sometimes the "no killing humans" rule was a real drag.
"Buffy, look," Giles said, nodding his head towards the room in front of him while decking one of The Guardian's human followers.
Buffy looked up and saw him. The Guardian. Or what she assumed was The Guardian. He looked... human. A look of fear briefly crossed Buffy's face and she looked questioningly at Giles, but it was Anya who responded to the look on her face.
"Oh no, he's not human, Buffy," Anya said as she bashed another follower over the head. "He's definitely demon. Feel free to kill him."
If The Guardian was aware of their presence, he didn't let on. He was standing in the center of the third cave, surrounded by six kneeling humans who Buffy assumed were his anchors.
Buffy let out a sigh of relief and continued to push her way into the room, followed closely by Xander, Anya, and Giles. It was total chaos, with humans in front of them and the demons they hadn't killed behind them. They were being attacked from all sides, but they were holding their own. Somehow, they had made it to The Guardian's lair.
***************
Willow couldn't think as images and emotions flooded her senses. Images flashed through her mind. It was as if a movie had been put together of every bad thing that had ever happened in her life and it was playing over and over in her mind in fast forward, yet each moment was excruciatingly clear and distinct.
There she was when she was five and her hamster died and her mother told her it was her fault it had died. There she was when Ben Hallerman had pushed her down on the playground in third grade and told her she was ugly and stupid. There she was when Jessie died. There she was when Oz betrayed her. When Angel nearly killed her. When she failed Tara and Glory sucked Tara's brain. When Xander chose Cordelia over her. When she betrayed Tara. When she nearly killed Dawn. When Tara left her. Ms. Calendar dying. Joyce dying. Buffy dying. Giles' pain. Xander's pain. Anya's pain. Dawn's pain. Tara's pain. Her pain.
All Willow could feel was pain. Remorse. Regret. And pain. So much pain. The universe's pain. It was all too much. It was more than she could handle. She just wanted it to end.
****************
"Giles, Anya, we need that spell," Buffy said as she fought off two demons at once.
"You can't fight them alone," Giles said as he wrestled with one of the followers. Giles threw the man to the ground and kicked him in the stomach and was about to kick him again when Anya started pulling him off into the corner.
"I'm not. Alone. I've got. Xander," Buffy said, each word punctuated by a punch or kick.
Xander would have smiled if he hadn't been busy with a particularly cranky vampire. Buffy dispensed with the two demons she had been fighting and stepped over to Xander's side, positioning herself and Xander between the bad guys and Anya and Giles.
"How long?" Buffy asked as another demon charged her.
"Two minutes," Giles said as he and Anya pulled the ingredients for the binding spell out of the bag. Giles flipped open the magic book to the right page as Anya mixed the herbs into a large clay bowl.
Buffy glanced over at The Guardian on the other side of the room, who still seemed unaware of them. She knew better, however, and thought that he was just ignoring them because he didn't see them as a real threat.
Kind of like the Borg, Buffy thought.
Oh boy. No more science fiction after patrol for me. I know way too much about Star Trek.
"Xander, I think it's walkie talkie time," Buffy said, stepping in front of Xander.
Xander nodded and reached into his pocket and took out the walkie talkie. He took a step back as Buffy took on a demon. He lifted the walkie talkie to his mouth, but just then he was tackled from the side by one of the followers. Xander hadn't even seen it coming. The two men rolled to the ground and the walkie talkie skittered out of Xander's hand and across the cavern floor.
******************
Willow couldn't think. Couldn't breath. She shut her eyes even tighter, trying to block out the images boring into her brain, trying to tune out the pain. But the pain was all around her. It owned her, and she would do whatever it asked, as long as it went away.
****************
The Guardian's smile deepened. So close. Almost there.
He was aware of the group's presence in his cave. He wasn't worried. He would deal with them as soon as he had finished with the witch.
She was about to fold, and he was savoring the flavor of it.
*******************
"Dammit!" Xander shouted as he punched the follower in the nose and scrambled to his feet. He turned to go after the walkie talkie when he was tackled from behind. The ground came rushing forward and he hit his head hard on the ground, but Xander ignored the pain and flipped the follower off his back.
"Stupid sonofabitching followers always tackling people and messing with our lives why can't you people ever just go play Dungeons and Dragons like every other nerd bent on world domination and leave us the hell alone!" Xander shouted at the follower while pummeling him senseless.
Xander pushed off of the man and ran over to the walkie talkie.
"Fuck!" Xander screamed. The walkie talkie was laying on the ground in pieces.
*****************
"Ready?" Giles asked Anya.
"Ready," she replied.
Giles looked up and spotted Xander kneeling on the ground.
"Xander! Call Scarlett!" Giles shouted.
**************
Willow felt like her head was going to explode. But at that moment, she would have welcomed the explosion because at least the pain would be gone.
Just make it stop. Please just make it stop, Willow begged in her mind, though who she was begging she had no idea.
"Wil?"
****************
Xander looked over to Giles with panic in his eyes, and then looked down at the walkie talkie. He had no idea what to do.
"It's broken!" Xander yelled to Giles.
"Well fix it!" Giles yelled back.
"Dammit, Giles! I'm a construction worker, not a walkie talkie technician!" Xander screamed.
****************
Buffy had her hands full trying to keep the demons and followers away not only from Giles and Anya, but now Xander as well.
Come on! Give us a break already! Buffy shouted in her mind to The Powers That Be.
Haven't we got enough to deal with without the walkie talkie breaking?"Xander! You can do it! Remember you're military guy stuff? From Halloween?" she called out, hoping his military "training" included walkie talkie fixing.
More time. Buffy had to buy Xander more time.
*****************
Willow heard the voice. It sounded like it was a million miles away, but she heard the voice.
It called to her, and it soothed her.
"Wil?"
There it was again. The voice of an angel. Her angel.
"Tara?" Willow said, opening her eyes to look upon the face of her love. Tara's eyes were still closed in concentration, her face still the picture of serenity.
"Tara?" Willow said again, louder this time. But it was clear that Tara wasn't aware of Willow's words. Willow realized Tara hadn't spoken her name.
*****************
Xander heard Buffy's words, and he searched his mind for the military memories.
Weapons training. Marching. Saluting. Push-ups.
Come on, come on, think! It's gotta be in there somewhere, Xander urged himself to remember.
Then it hit him.
"A-ha!" Xander cried as he started putting the walkie talkie back together.
****************
The voice had been Tara's. Willow would know it anywhere. It was Tara. Her Tara. Come to find her and bring her back.
Willow felt the pain intensify again, saw the images start to move in fast forward again.
But this time there were new images.
There she was at the Wicca group meeting, seeing Tara for the first time. There she was running out into the hallway and right into Tara the night the Gentlemen were defeated. There she was in the laundry room when Tara took her hand and they moved the soda machine, when she felt their connection for the first time. When they cast their first spell together. When they spent the whole night staying up talking and laughing. When they got Ms. Kitty Fantastico. Loving each other. Holding each other. Kissing each other. Making love.
Willow felt the love that she and Tara shared, and it filled her heart. Then it overflowed, pushing away the pain.
The light filled her soul and swallowed the darkness.
Willow's head slumped forward. She was awake, but too weak to hold herself up anymore.
Her grip on Tara's hand loosened.
******************
What? The Guardian thought in disbelief.
It's not possible.
He had felt the pain inside the dark witch, felt her ready to give into it.
And then it was gone. All the pain was gone.
It can't be, he thought angrily.
*****************
Xander put the back on the walkie talkie, held his breath, and switched the walkie talkie back on.
"Yes!" he shouted as he heard the faint crackle of static that meant it was working. "I did it! I did it!" he shouted to Giles.
"Call Scarlett now!" Giles and Anya both yelled simultaneously, and then they began to chant. They had to complete the spell just before Tara sent the energy at The Guardian.
"Right now!" Buffy chimed in as she saw a look of anger cross The Guardian's face. Buffy didn't know why he was suddenly angry, but she sure as hell didn't want to give him any time to get angrier - or to decide to direct his anger at them.
"Scarlett, this is Nighthawk! Come in Scarlett!" Xander shouted into the walkie talkie. He waited a few seconds, but got no answer.
"Dammit, Willow! Tara's got to send it now! Right now!" Xander yelled.
*****************
Tara felt Willow's hand go limp in her own.
She wasn't consciously aware of it, but somehow her subconscious picked up on it and alerted her to what was going on in the real world.
Tara opened her eyes and saw Willow, still sitting up but slumped forward, her head hanging down.
Then Tara heard Xander's voice over the walkie talkie.
"Dammit, Willow! Tara's got to send it now! Right now!"
Tara squeezed Willow's hand and gathered everything she had, all of her light and energy and love, and hurled it directly at The Guardian.
**************
Giles and Anya were two lines away from completing the binding spell when a howling demon ran right into them, spilling the contents of the bowl.
The demon turned to Giles and yanked the Watcher up to his feet. Then the demon knocked Giles down to the ground, which Giles used as an opportunity to grab Anya's mace. When the demon yanked Giles back up to his feet, the Watcher smashed the mace into the demon's head, knocking him down.
Giles looked down at Anya, who looked back up at him with tears in her eyes.
****************
The Guardian stumbled, his eyes flying open. He reached up and grabbed his head and screamed in agony.
The warlocks surrounding him just stared, their eyes going wide with shock.
*****************
Buffy saw The Guardian lose his balance. It was time.
Buffy threw down her crossbow and reached back over her shoulder, grabbing the handle of the Troll Hammer.
Then she started running towards The Guardian.
**********************
"What the hell?" Xander said.
He was in the middle of being pounded on by a demon when suddenly it backed off, grabbing its head and screaming. Or at least, it was making a sound that Xander imagined was the demon equivalent of a scream.
Then the demon fell to the ground, convulsing.
Xander looked around and saw that all the other demons in the room were also falling to the ground, holding their heads and screaming.
He looked back down to the demon lying in front of him. A green liquid started pouring out of the demon's ears and nose, and the demon was twitching violently. Then Xander heard a sickening popping sound, and the demon went still.
Xander heard fainter but similar popping sounds coming from around the room.
"What in the name in all that's unholy is going on here?" Xander wondered outloud.
****************
Giles didn't even have time to process what was going on with the demons around him.
"Oh, no," Giles said, and turned just in time to see Buffy raising the Troll Hammer as she closed in on The Guardian.
There was no time to yell a warning.
*****************
The Guardian was screaming in pain, clutching at his head like he was trying to keep his head from exploding.
But Buffy didn't really notice as she ran towards him, Troll Hammer poised to strike.
At the last second, The Guardian looked up. But it was too late.
Buffy swung down the Hammer, taking The Guardian's head clean off his shoulders.
*******************
Giles stared in amazement as he watched Buffy kill The Guardian.
"That shouldn't have worked," he muttered to himself.
"Giles! She did it!" Anya squealed. She then proceeded to throw her arms around Giles' neck and squeeze him into a great big bear hug.
"Yes, she did," Giles said, hugging Anya back.
****************
Xander kicked at the limp demon lying before him. It, along with all the other demons in the room, appeared to be dead.
Xander looked up and saw a bunch of followers staring dumbly at the demon corpses. A few looked up at Xander.
"Um, excuse me boys," Xander said. "Unless you want what happened to them to happen to you, I'd suggest you hit the road."
The followers stared at him for a moment, but just a moment, before turning tail and fleeing the cave.
"And don't you ever show your face in my town again!" Xander called after them.
Xander laughed to himself and then walked over to join Buffy.
Buffy looked down at the head of The Guardian. Then she raised the Troll Hammer and smashed the head, just for good measure.
"Ewww, exploding pumpkin head all over my shoes," Xander complained good naturedly as he walked up to Buffy, putting an arm around her.
"Sorry," Buffy mumbled before leaning into Xander's arms for a hug.
Giles and Anya walked up to where Xander and Buffy were standing, and Buffy walked over to hug Giles.
"And so once again we avert the apocalypse," Xander said contentedly.
"Yay us," Anya said hugging Xander.
"You did very well," Giles said proudly.
"No, we did very well," Buffy corrected.
"Quite right," Giles answered.
"Tara and Willow came through," Buffy said.
"Did you ever have any doubt?" Xander asked.
"No," Buffy said simply. There had been doubt, sure. But Buffy had never doubted Tara or Willow, but especially not Tara and Willow together.
"So what say we go collect the Wonder Wiccans and have ourselves a little party," Xander suggested.
"Absolutely," Buffy said, and the group starting making their way out of the caves.
******************
Tara slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on her back on the floor.
Must have passed out, she thought.
Tara reached out with her mind, trying to sense if The Guardian was still there. The darkness that had been pouring into the Hellmouth was no longer focused - it was still coming in but it was spread out. Tara could no longer feel The Guardian's power.
They did it, she thought happily.
"Willow they did it!" Tara said excitedly, turning to her lover.
Willow was also lying on the floor, her body curled into the fetal position. She was rocking slightly, and Tara started to pick up a faint muttering coming from the redhead.
A chill ran down Tara's spine, and she scooted closer to her girlfriend. Tara started to pick up the words Willow was saying, and they made no sense. Willow was mumbling completely incoherently.
"No!" Tara screamed as she scrambled over to her lover and gathered Willow into her arms.
Willow continued muttering, her eyes open but unfocused.
"Willow? Can you hear me?" Tara asked urgently, reaching a hand out to touch Willow's cheek.
Willow shrunk away from Tara's hand, but otherwise her demeanor did not change even slightly. Willow continued mumbling and staring off into space.
Tara pulled Willow more fully onto her lap, tears suddenly streaming down her face. Something familiar was tickling at the back of Tara's mind, but she was too upset to even think about it.
Tara just sat there holding Willow, stroking her hair and weeping uncontrollably.
"And remember... if you hurt her I will beat you to death with a shovel. A vague disclaimer's nobody's friend. Have fun!"
by Jennpurr » Tue May 21, 2002 11:08 am 
I just love the way you write her. 
**THUD** 
As for the lap dance... hmm. And what have you done to deserve a lap dance? 
It's good to know that this will have a happy ending. I'm looking forward to that update. 
