This is my Second Buffy fanfiction but my first Willow/Tara one so please be nice and tell me what you all think

Title: A Not so Magickal Christmas
Rating: PG
Character(s): Mainly Willow/Tara, Dawn
Author: Errol Monaghan
Word count: 1100
Disclaimer: Based Upon “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Related names are registered trademarks of Joss Whedon and 20th Century Fox All Rights Reserved
Spoilers: W/T Storylines (Season 6)
Summary: Christmas preparations at the Magic Box don't work so well for Willow

“So you guys find anything interesting?” Dawn chirped in her usual hyper way as she looked up for her homework

“Not really, it’s the usual thing-that-cannot-be-named deal here” Willow scoffed emphasizing the last few words and resting her head on her arm

“You’d think they’d take a break for Christmas or something” Dawns mood down shifted slightly

“I don’t think the demon community is big on a holiday celebrating the birth of a holy man” Willow pointed out

“We should do something Christmassy” Dawn said

“Yeah I think the debris look has had a good enough run” Willow chuckled

“We could check the store rooms, there might be something tucked away there” Tara suggested

“I think we can do better than that” Willow grinned and stood up, heading for the stairway to the upper level

“W…what do you mean?” Tara said trying to catch up as Willow started removing small leather covered volumes from the short shelves on the upper level and flicking through them

“All I need is a few pointers, a chant or two and we can have an instant Santa’s grotto in here, except, not actually a grotto just, decorations and stuff”

“The last time, look Willow…” Tara frowned but Willow interrupted

“Xander’s? That was just practise” Willow smiled back and lifted a flecked green volume down and skimmed through and tiptoed down the stairway to the table in a giddy jog

“A spell?” Dawn asked

“Well not so much, just a few incantations to help one along” Willow said and sat with the pages opened in front of her, already mumbling a few lines to herself

Tara stood watching carefully over Willows shoulder not really sharing the enthusiasm

“Are you sure?” She asked and gripped Willows shoulder lightly

“Of course, what could go wrong?” Willow beamed but saw the looks on Dawn and Tara’s faces “Uh, ok forget I said that” She waved her hands and read the text more carefully

“You know we could wait and ask Giles” Dawn said, closing her books and moving back a little

“Its just a few decorations Dawny” Willow said indignantly and got up to gather a few ingredients from behind the counter and returned to the book “Watch”

She uncorked three small glass bottles and poured a tiny mound of fine sand from each into her other palm, the blue, green and purple spilling together to form a sparkling mass of glitter in her hand.

“Umm…pretty?” Dawn shrugged

“Not yet” Willow laughed and took a few steps away from the table and muttered something they couldn’t quite hear and blew the glittering powders into the air and watched them float

It was like each grain was caught in the wind, they swirled and flew to the corners of the Magic Box and lined every corner, a few seconds later tinsel of very colour sprouted from the places in gathered and grew like vines all along the walls and coiled carefully around the shelves and tables following the natural shapes of the room.

“See” Willow said brightly

“It…it looks ok” Tara managed a smile

“Cool” Dawn was watching the tinsel crawl its way around and stepped aside as a long strand crawled past her feet and curled itself around her chair

Willow stepped back and unscrewed the top of a forth bottle and sprinkled what looked like little salt crystals out then clasped her other hand over them repeating more mumbled lines then threw them into the air. Each one glowed like a tiny star and hovered above the ground moving randomly. They started to turn different colours, slowly turning all the colours of the rainbow like Christmas lights, without the wires.

“There’s still something missing” Willow said and tapped her lip “Oh, the tree” She turned a few pages of the book glancing at each spell and diagram until she found an intricately written passage around a depiction of a tree sprouting from a satchel

“I don’t know that one looks kind of complicated” Tara pointed to the strange symbols embellishing the edges of the picture

“Don’t worry, all the ingredients are right here” Willow was already on her way over to the counter and rummaging through the small cupboard under the register “Oh”

“Oh what?” Dawn tried to lean over the counter to see

“Well, we’re missing one of them but I think I know a good substitute” Willow turned and reached past a few tall bottles and took out a dark labelled one

“Uhh Willow” Tara called from the book table

“I’ll just be another minute” She called back without looking up

“Is it meant to be doing that?” Dawn reached over and tapped Willow shoulder

“What? I said I…oh”

The tinsel was still growing its way around the Magic Box even denser now and crawling into every corner and surface it could find.

“I can fix it!” Willow squeaked a few minutes later as another of the tiny balls of light thumped off the table they were hiding under and kicking away the tinsel circling them like long sparkling snakes

“You should have waited for Giles” Tara chastised Willow and shield Dawn from another strand rushing by

“Here!” Willow thumbed through the book to another page then frowned “Oh wait…that would make bigger” She giggled then stopped when the others didn’t join in “Just give me a minute”

“Isn’t there a counter spell? Or something underneath the text?” Dawn said fearfully

“I can’t make out some of these words” Willow said angrily and started flipping the pages more forcefully and stopped at another passage “Wait, this should be it”

She ducked through the jungle like vines of decoration now filling most of the room and struggled to reach the bottles she opened earlier, fumbling amongst the tinsel that was literally crawling around her wrist as she searched. “Get…off” She hissed and tore at the rough material breaking it in two. The two severed ends turned away and grew off in another direction “Oh just great” She said under her breath and found the first bottle.

“Are you ok?” Dawns muffled voice called

“I think I got it” She said and took more of the blue sand from the bottle and closed her eyes, reciting the new spell and used a finger to draw an anticlockwise circle in the sand

She opened her eyes and blew the sand as far and wide as she could onto the tinsel. After a few tense seconds it started to retreat and merge back into fewer strands. Tara and Dawn ducked out from under the table watching it grow smaller and thinner until only a few remained on the walls and counter. Even the little orbs stopped pulsating and wafted back up near the ceiling.

“There” Willow exhaled and dusted off her hands, Tara and Dawn stood hands-on-hips giving her a not so pleased glare “What? I fixed it” She gestured at the untidy room, items strewn about from the tinsels relentless shoving

“Next time, we do it the old fashioned way” Dawn grumbled and walked off to start tidying up the mess

“I’m sorry” Willow whispered so that Dawn couldn’t overhear “I just wanted to do something special”

“I know, but you still don’t understand” Tara kept her voice low and looked at Willow lovingly despite the anger she felt

“I’m trying” Willow urged, her voice pained

“I know” Tara said and took Willow in her arms and felt her relax against her “We’ll tidy up before the others get back” She whispered “You can help us with the proper decorating ok?”

“Ok” Willow said softly, wanting nothing more than to just stay like this “Tara?” She drew away enough to look her in the face “Merry Christmas” She said apologetically and smiled

“Merry Christmas sweetie” Tara whispered

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"This is a dumb world. In my world there are people in chains. And we can ride them like Ponies" - Evil Willow

Errol,
Wow, it's like "The Sorceror's Apprentice" only with Willow wearing the pointy hat and long flowing robes instead of Mickey Mouse.
Animated Willow and Tara would have livened up "Fantasia" to no end.

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I can deny chicks in chainmail nothing.
Amberhol-from the land of sky blue waters.
No Mere Music Hall, This my novel available directly from rosestindog@gmail.com.

Thanks

Yeah thats actually what inspired me to write this one, the comment in Season umm, I think its 5 or 6? that they mention Micky.

Doesnt quite seem as animated and funny as I wanted it to be but Im glad you liked it

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"This is a dumb world. In my world there are people in chains. And we can ride them like Ponies" - Evil Willow

Dubs Festive Advent Challenge – Day 11

Is that what Christmas is about? I thought being cast as a different barn animal each year as a child, retelling the same old story was some kind of community service.


The reaction to any joint gift all the time. That’s great you know they liked boats so you got us a couples experience white water rafting. So much for my inability to swim and sea sickness. I know it’s not done in a sea Sandra!


The only response to sound polite when asked to comment on your neighbour’s awful eye sore of an outside display. They misspelt Christmas and that inflatable snowman is definitely swaying in a way that suggests an over friendliness with the chicken wire reindeer. That relationship isn’t going to end well.


When something goes wrong in the kitchen when the dinner is already running behind. This is why open plan kitchens don’t work at Christmas you cant just close the door and drink the problem away while wiping away the tears of frustration.


Its Christmas, we are not doing this today. Keep up pretences while the guests are here but tonight you are on the sofa. The tale of many couples during this the most joyous time of year.

Challenge Aside, I think you’ve really nailed the dynamics of Tara and Willows relationship in the first third of series six. You detail Willow brilliantly in her struggle but yet also complete complacency with her problem. She really does go through the motions of wanting to help, to then getting carried away, to then being single sighted to the magic, the recklessness in trying to fix it. It’s a road map of her mind. Your imagery comes through with precise clarity it’s hard to not imagine the tinsel going haywire. An excellent example of quality over quantity.

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You don't have to write to contribute to the board, feedback can be its own event - Dubs Festive Advent Challenge - Fic Club - Pens Write A Holiday Story
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