To Thine Own Self Be True
by mike
The Witch and the Dark
[reviews]
Chapter 13
The Witch and the Dark
Monday morning and anticipation was a cold lump in our stomachs of what was waiting for us at school after our confrontation Friday night with Cordy's chumps. But that realization wouldn't rear its ugly head for a while yet. Why, you ask? If you had woken up next to an angel, would you let anything as trivial as total societal expulsion bother you? Well at least not until we were completely awake, that is. I just wasn't sure what I would or could do if my threat to Rick backfired.
We were in the last days of winter, just a couple of weeks before spring in sunny southern California, and while the morning was cool, the day promised warmth and called for shorts and light spring tops. Willow and I were about the same size, so I had her dressed in some of my over abundance provided by a guilty father. Willow's alabaster legs looked incredible in olive shorts and a light gray T which left her incredibly delicious belly button exposed to my wanton glances. It was those wanton glances that convinced Willow to overcome her natural desire to be unnoticed. I dressed in white shorts with a baby blue halter hoping to give her something to appreciate. We were a block from school before we actually remembered about Friday night and the possible repercussions that could occur today.
"Buffy, you know what I'm really worried most about?" She looked over at me, her eyes showed her concern.
I stopped when I saw her look and gently took her hand. "No, I don't know, but you know you can tell me."
"Xander, and to a lesser extent Jesse, I'm afraid that they may take advantage of the situation and become what they've always claimed they've hated." She spoke softly and I new instantly that her concerns were well founded.
"I see your point. We should try and talk with them ASAP, before they do something we'll all regret." I gave her hand a squeeze and we continued walking, intent on finding Xander before class started.
We had entered the main building, and started towards the Library when I heard. "Yea, those creeps know better than to mess with us." Xander's voice froze us both.
Willow ran forward grabbing Xander's arm and yanked him away from the fortunately still small group that he had been bragging to.
I came up behind her as she started to lay into him. "Xander, are you six years old? Are you mentally retarded, no strike that, someone mentally retarded would never do something so stupid."
"What, what's wrong Will. What did I do?" Xander had his hands up, shaking them, totally clue less.
Willow was speaking very quietly, but forcefully. "You have been given a get out of jail free card, and the first thing you do is go taunt the jailers. Next thing you know, you'll go up and tweak Rick's nose." She finished with the sarcasm just dripping from her tongue.
Xander's face began to show some understanding, but it was like watching the sunrise. The light dawns slowly. And I think I finally understood the saying 'always darkest before the dawn'.
"Now listen to me. You will just keep your mouth shut about Friday night. You will make sure Jesse keeps his trap shut too. If you don't, I'll ask Buffy to tell Rick to withdraw your protection. Do you hear me? "She punctuated each of the last four words by poking her finger into his chest.
"Do you understand Mr. big shot can't keep his mouth shut Harris?" Willow demanded with finality.
"Uh, yea Will, gotcha." Xander looked over her head at me standing there. I nodded my head, letting him know I'd do it. I'd do it if Willow really asked me to, but I knew she never would. She just needed to scare him. Xander didn't know how to react in the vacuum of not being afraid, so Willow just refilled the vacuum with something for him to be afraid of.
"Good, make sure Jesse understands also." She turned to look at me and winked so that Xander couldn't see. I glared at Xander. "Don't blow it."
"I'll take care of Jesse right away." He stammered out and then took off in search of the other half of his wit.
[Hey Willow, remind me never to get you pissed off at me.]
[I would, but then I would miss out on the making up.] she grinned mischievously.
I walked into history class right behind Willow and immediately caught Cordelia's stare. She had apparently been watching for us. Her face flushed with rage as she first saw us. I couldn't see Willow's face, being behind her, but I could tell Cordy wasn't getting any reaction out of her. Especially when Willow looked back at me with a smile, "Looks like someone's having a bad day."
I smiled back at her and then turned cold eyes while maintaining the smile right at Cordy as we took our seats. From there on out, we pretty much ignored her and everyone else, 'till the end of that class at least.
Willow and I were just heading to the cafeteria for lunch when we noticed Xander standing in front of the Main Bulletin Board.
"Hey Will, Buffy. Check it out. Cheer leader tryouts." Xander wasn't even trying to conceal his hormonal enthusiasm.
"Why the interest Xander, thinking of trying out?" Willow teased him.
"No way, I just thought you guys would be as interested as I am in the jumping, bouncing scantily clad ladies." He offered, starting to sound a little defensive.
"But Xander, we can see that just by jumping around in our undoes in front of each other." I said completely innocently. Willow nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Xander's eyes glazed over until Willow punched him in the arm, then "Hey, don't blame me, it was Buffy's fault." He responded with mock pain.
Willow quickly regaining her composure, "Well we could keep you company at the try outs, you know, just so you don't look too out of place." She said sounding properly supportive.
"That'd be great, if you don't mind too much. If it's just me and Jesse, we could get some bad looks, you know." Now he was embarrassed.
[Willow, you really do want to go, don't you?] I thought with ripples of amusement.
[Well sorta, it's like I've suppressed my desires for so long, I just want to take them out for a spin. ] She responded with mild humor.
[Just as long as your spinning with me.] I reminded her.
[Not a problem lover. As for Xander I so don't want him thinking that we like checking out scantily clad girls as much as they do.] Willow's thoughts carried a little shiver.
[Uh willow, as much as they do?] I teased her.
[Well, differently. Our enjoyment is more appreciation of the female as an art form.] She offered in defense.
[Ah, so our enjoyment is strictly intellectual, is that what you're saying?] I wrap my thoughts in a teasing package.
[Well if yours are, so are mine.] She answered carefully.
[How about we just go and watch and discuss it later tonight...] I left the trailing thought to tease her along and end her sudden discomfort. I was just realizing that even though Willow has shown herself to be sexually aggressive with me, it had only been a week since she acknowledged her attraction for women, even to herself. It was unfair of me to expect her to be as comfortable with her feelings as I am having had years being aware of my orientation.
She looked at me and saw the warm, gentle smile I had to try and convey my understanding.
[Thanks Buffy. You do understand, don't you?] She responded with a smile of her own.
[Not as often as I would like, but with you it's a lot easier.] I then winked.
"So Xander, say when and where and we'll be your chaperones." We had hopefully disarmed him and headed off any sharing he may have been planning at the prospect of watching cheerleaders with his 'lesbian' buds.
"The tryouts are after school at 3:15 in the gym. Wanna meet out front?" He was back to excited. I was just remembering how easily he reverts to hormonal control.
"Just don't embarrass us Xander." Willow chided him semi seriously.
We picked up sandwiches and sodas, and then headed for the library for our meeting with Giles.
We were comfortably seated at the main table half way through our sandwiches when Giles walked in from the back office.
"Good news. The council has approved the training facility. Last week I discovered a perfect facility for our purposes. It's only a couple of blocks from here. The contractors will begin work tomorrow and should be finished by the end of the following week with the modifications." He was practically beaming.
"Did they approve everything on the list?" Willow asked with emphasis on everything.
"Ah, yes they did, though they did question the weight equipment. I told them it was to help build stamina." He didn't have a clue either, but he gets points for creativity.
"We'll tell you if you promise to keep it to yourself." I said between mouthfuls of turkey on rye.
"You mean don't let the council know?" He asked cautiously.
"Precisely, and anyone else who could possibly reveal it to the council." I clarified.
"Why would you not want the council to know? This information could be used to help future slayers." He was truly curious and clue less.
"It could also be used to harm future slayers. We just don't feel it's in the best interest of me and future slayers for the council to have anymore insight than they already have into the makeup of a slayer." I summed up.
"OK, you have my word. The council will not know your reasons for the equipment from me." He promised solemnly.
I looked at Willow, giving her the go ahead to explain. It was her theory, so she's the one that should explain it.
"After Buffy gave me some demonstrations of how strong she was, I had her do some experiments. Buffy is right handed. In a normal person, a right handed person's right arm is stronger than their left arm. If Buffy's strength is completely mystical, there should be no difference between the strength of her left and right arms. Well, there is a difference. Buffy's right arm is 5% stronger than her left. This is a clear indication that her strength is not solely mystical, but augmented mystically. Weight training should make her even stronger. Along with martial arts and gymnastics, she could be the strongest slayer ever." She finished her explanation with a satisfied grin.
I decided to clear up some other points for him. "The council has focused slayer training on weapons and some martial arts. Their focus was to get the slayer to rely on speed and agility to overcome stronger opponents. The result of this was, every slayer eventually met an opponent that was too strong for speed and agility alone. True?" I finished with the pointed question.
"Yes, that is true. Most slayers have been taken in solitary combat with stronger, more experienced master vampires or demons." He confirmed.
"What's the longest any slayer has ever lived?" I now demanded.
"Well, for as long as records have been kept, one slayer called at the age of 13, lasted 8 years. There was one called at 16 who lasted nearly 6 years. But the average is about 2 years." He finished softly, his voice barely a whisper.
"And master vamps are hundreds of years old, having lots of time to develop their skills. While all but a handful of young girls make it past their 18th birthday." I watched his face carefully as I said this last part.
As I finished speaking, he glanced at me quickly and then away, pulling his glasses off with one hand and pulling a handkerchief out to wipe the lenses with his other.
"Ah, that does appear to be the case." Nervousness seemed to undermine his composure.
"So, what are your feelings about helping me to live past my 18th birthday?" I asked him carefully, my desire to know if we could trust him was making me less cautious. I could feel Willow's fear mixed with her own desire to know. We both knew the possible consequences of guessing wrong with the watcher.
"I will of course do everything I can to prepare you for your duties, to assist you in any way I can." He responded evasively.
"Are you prepared to deceive the council in their efforts to kill Buffy?" Willow had had enough. The threat that accompanied her words set Giles back on his heels.
"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about. Why would the council want to kill Buffy?" His face actually showed fear.
"Cruciamentum." Willow literally hissed the word at him, her fear causing her to throw caution to the winds.
"Oh Lord, dear lord." Giles stepped forward and collapsed into a chair.
This meeting had diverged on a path none of us had expected, but maybe we should have as soon as we started to discuss survival and slayer longevity. Giles hadn't known that we knew that the council itself was responsible for the majority of slayer deaths. Not the demons they face. All the preparation in the world could hardly prepare you for betrayal. And complicity in betrayal is what was just thrown in Giles's face.
"How, how did you know?" He gasped in an emotion laden voice.
"Does it really matter how we know that it's actually the council that kills most slayers?" I responded firmly, with steel in my words. He hadn't demonstrated anything worthy of compassion as of yet, only sorrow at being discovered.
"I suppose not. But I'm still not sure what you want to hear. Will I deceive the council? I suppose I would if I could, but I don't see how it's possible." He explained defeated.
"Giles, how has your investigation of the council progressed? Find anything yet?" I softened my words at this hopeful concession.
"Actually, I'm expecting something by the end of the week. I just don't know how revealing it will be." He explained, taking a big breath halfway through.
"Do you have any intention of revealing to anyone our awareness of the Cruciamentum?" I asked while staring determinedly into his eyes.
"No, I don't even want to contemplate what would happen if that got out. I thought that I could just ignore the bloody test and deal with it in a couple of years. I'd prefer to just go back to that blissful state of ignorance." There was no deceit in his eyes, no twitch to any part of his face. I'm sure he could lie, but not so well under such stress induced circumstances.
I sighed, "OK, but after you uncover the real reason for the founding of the council, we'll discuss this further." I left it at that.
"From the way you say that, I suspect you already know what I'll discover. And I suspect that I won't like it either." I just raised my eyebrows slightly to his question.
I looked over at Willow. [Are we done here?] I asked
[Yea, I just hope he can keep his mouth shut.] There was trepidation in her thought.
[I'm certain he can and will.] I reassured her.
"Oh Buffy, you were going to explain what happened to the vampires on Saturday." Giles got out before we could fully exit the library.
[Let me show him, ok?] Willow asked my permission to expose her.
[If you must...] I thought softly, fearful for her safety.
[It'll be ok, Buffy, I promise.] She assured me, comfort soothing her words.
She then looked at Giles. "I killed the vamps. When I saw Buffy wounded, I mentally flung the stakes I had at the three remaining vamps. We had only discovered that I could do it the day before and hadn't planned on using it because my aim wasn't so good. As it was, I was lucky I didn't hit Buffy, but I guess panic improved my aim."
"You're becoming as formidable as Buffy in your own right." Giles spoke slowly, with a bit of awe in his voice.
"You're loosing perspective Giles. I'm artillery. But battles are still won by the ground troops." Willow stated the obvious.
"Yes, I understand. You're a team. You're Buffy's support and Buffy is your strength." He clarified things for himself.
"Your powers though, I can't help wondering if they are rooted in magic. Are you a witch?" He asked truly curious.
"A witch?" Willow looked at me. [Are there such things?]
[I recall Merrik mentioning witches once. He said they could be good or bad, but the power had a tendency to corrupt.] I told her everything I knew.
[But Giles has personal experience from what we've read.] Willow responded back.
[Yea, but we can't let on that we know that he knows.] I shot back quickly.
"Yes, a witch. A practitioner of magic." Giles answered.
"No, I don't practice or do magic at all." Willow explained.
Just then the end of lunch bell rang.
"How about we discuss this on patrol tonight." I called out to him after grabbing Willow's hand and dashing for the door. "Usual place, eight PM." Not giving him a chance to reply.
********************
Xander and Jesse were chuckling conspiratorially as Willow and I walked up to them outside the gym a little after three.
"I so don't want to know what you two are talking about, and you will behave in there or you're totally on your own." Willow laid down the ground rules right away.
"You know Will; you weren't so bossy when you were pretending to be straight." Xander griped.
"I'm not bossy, and I wasn't pretending to be anything, I was just undeclared!" Willow accentuated the ending.
"Come on guy's, we're here to have a some laughs and fun, and Willow, most of the laugh's are going to come from watching what our restraint challenged ward's will be doing, so relax and go with the flow." I grinned at her and gave her a wink.
Willow started to say something and then grinned herself. "Yea, you're right. Guess I was getting a bit with the controlling and none of the go with the flow fun, sorry Xander, you too Jesse."
"That's my Will. My best bud that always lets me make a complete fool of myself and always forgives me." Xander had a big dopey smile, one that apparently conveyed something special to Willow because she just smiled sweetly and didn't say another word.
"Can we go watch the chicks already?" Jesse said impatiently. If Jesse had any depth at all, he was doing a great job of hiding it.
"Willow?" I quizzed.
"Yea, let's go." Willow said and we all walked into the gym.
About two dozen girls in skimpy outfits were all busy stretching and loosening up around the gym floor as we entered, including Cordelia. She noticed us after coming out of a toe touch and immediately moved as far away as possible. There were a couple dozen students scattered around the bleachers. We passed an incredibly limber girl doing a split above the floor, balanced between two chairs.
Xander and Jesse had stopped dead in their tracks, eyes locked on the girl's dexterous exhibition. Willow and I just looked at each other.
"Didn't take them long." I said rolling my eyes.
"Let's just give them some room. Just be prepared in case they do something really extreme." Willow said with resignation to the boys' inevitable antics.
"Agreed." I chuckled as we moved over by a group of girls gathering for the tryouts.
Joy, the squad leader, stepped up with her clipboard. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."
That's Amy." I heard Willow exclaim. "Hey Amy." She called out.
Amy walked over. "Hi!"
Willow then asked, "I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader! You lost a lot of weight."
Amy shrugged. "Had to."
Willow then asked her. "Do you know Buffy?"
Amy looked at me, no recognition in her eyes at all. "Hi. Buffy."
"Hi. Amy." I respond in what I hoped was a friendly voice.
We all then turned to watch Amber begin her routine. It's very athletic. She starts off with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launches herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides are then followed by a single spin. Everyone in the gym is intent on watching her.
Amy says to me from just over my shoulder. "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."
"They have cheer leading coaches?" I ask incredulously.
Amy replies. "Oh, yeah! I train with my mom, three hours in the morning, three at night. Oh, I know it's hokey. But she's really great."
Jesse and Xander are watching Amber in amazement. I was pretty impressed myself. I glanced at Willow and caught her eye.
[I'd be really impressed if I hadn't seen you in action. After watching you move, nothing else comes even close.] Willow added a look that caused me to blush in embarrassment. Not knowing how to respond to Willow's praise in comparison to a truly phenomenal performance, I just looked back at Amber with an appreciative smile on my face.
Then the strangest thing happened. Here it is, we're in the school gym in the middle of the afternoon. Sunlight streaming in the high windows and this demon thing pops up on the demon scape, right next to us! [What the hell.] I ask looking over at Willow.
[I haven't a clue.] Willow was as mystified as I was.
Then I saw it. Amber's hands began to smoke.
I exclaimed. "What the...?"
Willow practically screamed. "That girl's on fire!"
Amber's hands catch fire. She drops her pompoms and screams.
I jumped up onto the stands and pull down a banner. Then I dashed over to Amber, knock her down and snuff out the flames with the banner. Everyone else except Willow is just staring in shock.
I just kept saying over and over to her as I held her tight. "It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... Okay."
[Will, I got kinda distracted. Were you able to figure out that demon thing that showed up right before her hands caught on fire?] I looked over at her and saw her standing stiff as a board, staring at me big eyed.
[Buffy, it was like a black and reddish snake, but real thin like a string. But it was almost alive. It went from amber back to Amy. And there's this demon essence coming off of Amy.] She was starting to relax her face and posture but didn't dare look at Amy.
The gym teacher had come over along with another teacher and took Amber off my hands. I was then able to focus on what Willow had been describing. There in the demon scape was the black and red smoky presence but it was starting to fade away, like smoke dissipating in the wind. And right there in the middle of it was Amy. Amy was standing right behind Willow and I casually looked around but stopped just momentarily on Amy's face and saw her expression. She was watching Amber intently as she was being led out of the gym on her way to the emergency room. Amy's face was a study in conflict. One moment it was cold and emotionless and the next it reflected the same stunned amazement everyone else had. I sent Willow a vision of Amy's face.
[Buffy, I think she's acting surprised. I think Amy caused this, but I don't know how. I've know Amy for years. I know she's not a demon. ] Willow's thoughts were confused and hurt.
[Willow, I think you're right. But I also think I know just who can help us figure this out.] I told her conveying assurance and confidence.
[Giles?] She had walked over to me and gave me a hug as she made this final query.
"Giles." I whispered into her ear.
We were to meet Giles at eight for patrolling, so we decided to wait 'till then to discuss this with him. In the meantime, we decided to keep a metaphysical eye on Amy. Amy had gone home right after the events at the gym and when she entered her house, we could tell she was calling to someone. [I hate this willow, why can't we hear?] I asked the brainy one in exasperation.
[Sound waves, we have to figure out a way to tune into sound waves so that they travel to our minds just like what we see does. Remember, we aren't really seeing with our eyes. Just need to figure out how to hear without our ears.] Willow's thoughts carried some of the same frustration that I felt, but also determination that we would figure it out.
As we watched an older woman with dark brown hair approach Amy with what can only be described as a fearful posture, Willow had given me an inspiration. I worked some energy just like our magical fingers, but this time I imagined it as an extension to my ear. I extended it into the scope of our shared vision of Amy's house and all of a sudden...
"...upstairs. Have dinner ready in an hour. I should be finished by then, if not, keep it warm." We both heard, sort of. They were just words without emotion. They completely lacked any tonal quality.
[Buffy, that's great! You're a genius. ] Willow's pride in my little accomplishment made me blush.
[Actually, it was your idea. I just sent out an ear extension. It works, just not very well.] I finished letting her feel the disappointment that the sound was so poor.
[Hey, none of that, I'm the pondering thinking type, you're the take the idea and make it work, just another reason why we are such a great team.] Willow's words reminded me that we are a partnership and how our differences made us more of a whole.
[Love you willow. You always know just what to say to keep me from being a poop.] I conveyed with affection.
[Love you too, Buffy.] She replied as we watched Amy go upstairs and enter the attic, which turned out to be a good sized room with little Barbie dolls hanging from wires and a cauldron with something green and bubbly in it.
[Boy, looks like a scene from Macbeth.] Willow's thoughts were filled with awe. It was very apparent that Amy was a witch.
[Have you fought a witch before Buffy?] Willow then asked me.
[Nope, never even knew they existed except for what Merrik told me. Buffy the vampire slayer, remember? Witches aren't exactly in my job description.] I offered lamely.
We continued to watch Amy as she went to a large chest against the wall and took a very Gile's looking book from it. She read for a while, occasionally making notes on a pad of paper. It looked like a shopping list for Halloween. She eventually closed it up and left the room, joining her mother for dinner.
We had to get ready for Giles and patrol, so we decided to just check in on her now and then the rest of the evening.
**************************************
We met up with Giles at eight and after taking caring of three early diners, went over for coffee and to discuss Amy.
"It was disgusting Giles, this black and reddish shroud enveloping Amy. I had reached out to touch it with my mind, but when I got close, I nearly became physically sick. I had to pull back right away or lose my lunch!" I felt Willow's memory of the incident as she recalled it in vivid detail. I felt myself grow queasy just from her memory.
"This is fascinating." Giles started out. "Whatever power the two of you are drawing upon, it's not traditional magic. From what you have described to me, Amy is most certainly delving into the darker powers. The book you described her referencing has all the traits of a dark tome. You have just answered my question earlier today about whether or not you are a witch. If you are, you're not any kind of witch I have ever heard described. See, witch's use spells and other aids to create their magic. You and Buffy have tapped into something pure and already ordered. It doesn't require spell casting to be controlled. Traditional magic taps into the elemental forces of the universe, the one's that are akin to chaos and require energy and manipulation to form into anything coherent. I suspect that whatever mystical union you have formed between the two of you is completely tuned to the powers of light and order. Can you describe a bit more what you are able to do with this power and anything you have perceived regarding its source or appearance? It may help me formulate a suggestion on how to deal with the traditional magic's that apparently cause you such physical distress."
Willow and I looked at each other. [I'll go first, and you jump in where you think I miss something.] I stated as much as asked.
She smiled beatifically. I never new what beatific was before, but knew her warm compassionate smile had to be it. [No problem Buffy.]
"The power we draw upon is like a fountain of sky blue and gold in the midst of darkness. The closer you get to the fountain the brighter it becomes, the illumination coming from the fountain and all these little lights swirling around. The fountain is like warm, soft water that tingles. We are able to drink from it, but also able to channel it, like acting like a hose with a controlling spout on the end. We think of how we want it to come out and it does just like we think." I summarized several hours of perceptions and discussions between Willow and myself.
Willow then added, "I think the channeling part is what caused Buffy to pass out the other night. In our desperation to stop the vampires, we channeled more energy than we were ready to handle and we kinda overloaded a bit."
"Also," I continued, "when we use the energy, it's kinda like an extension of ourselves. Kinda like an extra hand." When I said this, Giles eyes lit up.
"Eureka! That's it. That's why Willow got ill from touching the magic around Amy. Your power is the opposite of the energy that Amy is drawing upon. They don't coexist well together. They try and destroy each other. While Amy's power is chaos in nature, its natural state is to dissipate. When you came close to it, you just hastened its dissolution." He was truly excited now, and I glanced around to make certain that we were somewhat alone. The closest people to us were a couple of tables over and were engrossed in their own conversation.
"But you power is ordered, its natural state is to be ordered. And using it as an extension to yourself, you felt personally the push towards disorder. You need to distance yourself, like make the energy into a tool that you can manipulate but is not connected to you. The same way you would use a hammer." He was quite pleased with his explanation until he noticed the looks of disbelief on both our faces.
"But Giles that would violate the second law of thermodynamics." Willow exclaimed as I nodded my head in agreement.
"Huh, oh yes. I can see where you would draw that conclusion. And I'm sure your science teacher would agree, but while the power behind traditional magic might obey the laws of entropy, the power you are tapped into I suspect transcends the laws of physics as we currently understand them. Now I have no proof for this hypothesis, but that's why it's merely a hypothesis." He smiled just like a little boy who had just handed his teacher an apple, hoping for a kind word in return.
[It makes sense Buffy.] Willow's thought's also conveyed the shock over realizing that what we had been tapping into was something entirely unheard of in the realms of science.
[Willow, you took to it like a duck to water. That's why I never questioned the source. It just felt so naturally good, no bad. You know what I mean.] I brought my face to within a centimeter of hers, our noses nearly touching.
She brought her forehead gently against mine and sighed. [That's what I did also. I just can't believe that I didn't even think about the magnitude before this. I think I was just on the euphoric high of being in love with you that anything, no matter how incredible was possible.] I saw emerald glints as her eyes opened and I felt her smile ruefully.
[I know what you mean. Loving you has made everything seem possible. After all, if an angel can come to earth and love me, what's a little violation of the laws of nature?] I saw her rueful expression and raised her a big happy.
Giles cleared his throat nervously and we looked over at him.
"We were just discussing how easily we accepted what's happened this past week." I explained to him.
"Yes, but it's actually quite normal when confronted with many new things at once to just accept them for the time being until you are at a time and place to better deal with the matter." Giles actually made sense.
"Glad to see you didn't waste getting old Giles." I grinned at him and Willow giggled next to me.
"Oh, but Giles, you were saying something about using our energy like a tool." Willow's thoughts were catching up more quickly than mine, bless her and before Giles could respond to the left handed compliment.
"Thank you for listening Willow, at least one of you doesn't spend all their time thinking up sarcastic witticisms." Obviously not quick enough.
"But Giles, they don't take anytime at all. They just pop out naturally." I smiled sweetly.
"I'm quite sure. As for my recommendation, the two of you should see if you can form the energy you are working with into something outside of yourself that you manipulate separately. Like your hand would use a hammer to drive in a nail, rather than using your hand to do so." He completed his explanation.
"Have you any ideas on how to test it?" Willow asked him.
"Yes, I can cast a small spell to levitate an object tomorrow before school and you can try and disrupt the spell with the implement you create. Seven all right with you ladies." He asked.
"Ugh, then we better get home and to bed if we have to be up before the crack of dawn." I moaned.
Halfway home, a demon showed up in one of the cemeteries. Fortunately, this one was close. We got a visual on it and noticed it was bluish green with a fish like fin on its back and really big claws. We described it to Giles as we approached the cemetery.
"Probably best to use the longer double edged sword for this one Buffy." Giles offered.
I was about to agree with him when Willow interrupted. "Oh, yea, take the big sword. But I want to try something else first."
Willow then shared with me her idea to create an energy sword that we could wield from a safer distance.
[Worth a try.] I agreed, curious myself.
Giles stopped on the access road about thirty yards from where the demon was prowling around some graves. We all got out. I had the broad sword in my right hand and took Willows in my left. I let Willow lead. I saw her take the energy, molding it into a long sword much like the one I was holding. I then concentrated on making the edges sharp and the blade strong and rigid. The next thing to do was separate it from Willow. I reached out with a pseudo limb and grasped the pommel. Willow then focused on disconnecting herself from the sword and sealing the connection as she did so. During the minute or so this took, the demon had noticed our presence and began approaching us. When he was about 10 yard away, I thrust the sword at his chest. At the last moment, he seemed to see it approaching and leaped to the side. He turned to watch it pass him and I quickly halted it and swung the blade at his neck which he ducked. I was a bit slow and awkward with this form of fighting. But I halted the blade more quickly this time and brought it back quick enough to slice through his upraised arm just above the elbow. He screamed in agony and orange blood spurted from the stump. The other problem was that the sword disintegrated with a flash.
"Oh well, back to basics." I said launching myself at the injured demon making quick work of him with my traditional blade of tempered steel.
The demon melted into a puddle of orange and green goop as I walked back to where Willow and Giles stood. Willow's eyes were carefully examining me to make sure I was unharmed and Giles stood there with a speculative look on his face.
"That was most enlightening. I could actually see the mystical energy sword as a translucent blue and gold. Apparently the demon could also. And it appeared to disintegrate upon cutting the demons arm. I have a lot of research to do." His anticipation of this bordered on the look of a chocoholic in a Godiva shop.
"Well glad you enjoyed it, but swords that go poof are of not the fun." Willow sad sadly. "Buffy needs weapons that hang around 'till all the bad is gone. I was thinking we could make you some armor with this, but not if it goes poof at first contact."
"Hey, didn't Thomas Edison make a gazillion light bulbs before he got one to work?" I asked her reassuringly.
"Yea, but I want you safe now." She stated firmly.
"Willow, I am so ahead of the game now. We just made this great leap in the last week, acquiring a power that will probably take the rest of our lives to fully understand, if even then." I said while drawing her into my arms. "I had no idea you were so impatient."
"Only when it comes to your safety." She said softly. [And making love of course.]
"And I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate that, but this is just another reminder to proceed with caution," I gently reaffirmed, [except for the making love part.]
"And I concur whole heartedly." Giles chimed in.
We both immediately started laughing so hard, we fell on the ground. Giles just looked at us like we were two crazy loons.
We made it back to our feet wiping tears from our eyes, "yea, Giles concurs so let's get to it." I giggled softly so Giles wouldn't hear.
"Yea and we got a witch to check in on." Willow remembered as we walked back toward the car.