[Location: Where the Bronze used to be/Accidental visual] You can sit beside me when the world comes

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

In the days after Willow had found out that Xander had been taken from the city of Taxon, she had gone through a myriad of emotions. None of them positive. Anger, fear, depression, all that angsty goodness. She took no comfort in the memories she had of him, knowing that he was gone. There was the off-chance that he'd return, like Dean's mother and Sam, but if he did, would he remember being here? Would he be from a world that didn't have her? This questioned weighed heavily on Willow's mind, which sent her spiraling downward. Deeper into her depression.

Finally, after two days of milling about in her pajamas, not caring, not turning on her tablet, Willow sprung into action. She didn't bother dressing, staying in her purple bunny pajamas, her feet bare. She made her way downstairs to the library, grabbing one of the more advanced witchcraft books, and a satchel full of ingredients. Several of them were intended to help with the restoring of Xander's eye, but they wouldn't be much use now, would they?

Willow made her way through the streets to where the Bronze used to be, looking at the empty, nondescript building that had taken its place. Willow's chin trembled and she grit her teeth. She hated this place. It was all a lie. Xander had his mind, Tara was alive. It was all just temporary. Entering the building, Willow crossed the floor to the middle of the large, open space, dropping the satchel. Within a few minutes, she had a large, archaic symbol drawn on the floor. Stepping into the center, several small candles placed at key points, Willow closed her eyes, summoning up the energy swirling inside her, begging to be freed.

Opening her eyes, her pupils seemed to expand, covering most of her eye, leaving a little white at the edges.

"Götter der Dunkelheit
Dreher der Wirklichkeit
Ich flehe Sie an

Schaffen Sie für mich, ein Loch
Dringen Sie durch den Raum ein
Hören Sie Zeit auf

Bringen Sie mir, worum ich bitte.
Ich flehe Sie an."

Purple-blue lights began to swirl around the witch as she began the incantation, spinning and dipping faster as her voice rose. "Ich flehe Sie an!" She cried and the lights seemed to freeze in the air in front of her, before shattering outwards, breaking the windows in the room.

Willow had winced a little, closing her eyes when the lights exploded. After a few moments, she opened them, to find nothing but broken windows and blown out, knocked over candles. And the satchel had scooted a few feet away in the small explosion.

But there was no Xander. Willow's eyes flooded once more with tears and her chin trembled. "Shit...."



((ooc: Crappy German translation for crappy fake!spell: "Gods of the dark
Turners of reality
I implore you
Create for me, a hole
Pierce through space
Stop time
Bring me what I request.
I implore you.
I implore you."))

Comments

[ visual ]

[ipseite]

The familiar cant of a ritual draws Petra's attention to her tablet - she mightn't be a practitioner herself, but she's spent enough time around them to know what it is when she sees it - in time to witness the explosion and Willow's subsequent crumpling.

"-are you - excuse me, young lady- do you need anything?"

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

The tears had been steadily streaming down Willow's cheeks when she heard the voice. She made no physical reaction to the voice. Not a jerk or a 'oh god, you scared me' hand on the heart sort of gesture. She's just so damn broken.

"It didn't work...."

[visual]

[ipseite]

"I see that," Petra says, sparing a glance for the wreckage around the woman weeping. She pitches her voice gentle, coaxing, borderline-maternal. "What were you trying to do?"

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"Trying to bring him back," Willow replied softly, swallowing hard. Her throat was tight, like a vice and she felt like she couldn't breathe. This is what happens when her best friend, the man that was like a brother to her, is gone.

She breaks.

"He's really gone."

[visual]

[ipseite]

'Dead' is Petra's assumption - which is probably for the best, really, considering this would be the most inappropriate of moments for hope to flare - and her expression softens. "Oh, my dear. I'm so sorry."

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"I tried...I tried to bring him back. I did it right. The lights mean I did it right and he didn't come back," Willow rambled softly.

"I was supposed to fix him.... I can't now," Willow wept softly, dropping her face into her hands.

[ visual ]

[ipseite]

The tablet is a frustratingly ineffective method of communication when someone is in obvious distress, and Petra feels somewhat at a loss for anything of use to do. Even the platitudes she might fall back on ring too hollow in her own mind, and likely inappropriate (witches, in her admittedly limited experience, are rarely interested in hearing about God's plan), so she casts about for something else.

"You shouldn't be alone - please," she settles on. "Is there someone you can go to? Or who could come to you?"

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"Can't be with the people I want. This'll just prove them right," Willow muttered, looking idly around the room at the damage.

Of course, it would prove them right. Her best friend disappears and what's the first thing she does? Turns straight to the magicks and use a dangerous and unpredictable incantation. That just makes the ache in her chest grow.

[ visual ]

[ipseite]

"Surely they'll care more for their friend than I-told-you-so's," Petra protests, watching her.

[visual]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy didn't catch most of the incantation part of what just happened, only the very last line, then the subsequent lights and explosions. Her voice and expression were filled with worry as she spoke up, clutching her tablet tightly.

"Will? Will, are you okay?"

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

After the lights faded and Willow's muttered curse word, she heard Buffy's voice and that just caused her stomach to lurch. Not only had she failed, but the slayer was checking up on her. See if Willow's something she needs to slay.

"'m not hurt." What a horrible, bald-faced lie. But what else can you say? Big explosion, broken windows, dangerous magicks, and you were in the middle of it.

[visual]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

If Buffy knew that was what Willow thought of her, she'd be deeply hurt-- of course she didn't however, and there was the pressing concern of the situation at hand.

"Are you sure, there's glass--" She was already pulling shoes on, as she spoke. "What were you--" No, that's not as important. "Where are you?"

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

Grief can cause people to think crazy things, Buffy. Please don't take it personally.

Willow hesitates. If she tells Buffy where she is, she'll see all the magick stuff and begin to question just what Willow was trying to do.

"Where the Bronze was."

[visual]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Yes, that makes sense in the land of Logic, which is very far away from the land of Feelings, though ironically enough the latter is very close to the land of Stupid.

Either way, Buffy is going to question what Willow was trying to do-- but at least this way she can do it in person. Tablets really are not the best form of communication at times like these.

"Stay there, okay? I'm coming." She'd have to catch a tram, but that wouldn't take terribly long.

[visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

So the plans to build the bridge from Logic to Feelings failed then. Well, that is a bummer.

Willow's shoulders slumped and she sighed, looking down at her hands. She had a little bit of chalk on her fingertips and she brushed them off on the legs of her pajama bottoms absentmindedly.

"Alright," Willow nodded, despondent.

[location: ex-Bronze]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Okay." Buffy nodded, half to Willow and half to herself-- her mind was already racing over practical things, like where the first aid box was (the bathroom?), because although Willow had said she wasn't hurt, there was so much glass... she was also pretty sure that she'd seen purple bunny pajamas, so a coat would be helpful... she ran around the house to grab these things, then left, walking with enough urgency that it bordered on a jog. The tram had the courtesy to arrive quickly, and within ten minutes she was striding down the street where the Bronze used to be.

"Will?" She called tentatively, as she walked inside the sad excuse for a building. "Will, it's me."

[location: ex-Bronze]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"I'm here," Willow's voice came from the center of the room. She hadn't moved since Buffy had last spoke. The tears came slowly and Willow swallowed hard, lifting a hand to wipe at her nose.

"I'm okay," Willow added.

Only not. Willow, you are a terrible liar.

[Visual]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

"It didn't work," said Drusilla in a singsong voice. The red witch hasn't seen her yet - the red witch didn't even know she was in the city - but the vampire could smell the crackle of magic from her home in the playground. It fizzed like electricity. She couldn't keep her mouth closed.

"You've lost something. Do you think he's still there to be found?"

[Visual]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

It takes Willow a moment to remember that voice. Her spine goes rigid and her eyes cold. The singsong quality of Drusilla's tone grates at Willow's already raw nerves and she grits her teeth.

"I really don't need any comments from the peanut gallery right now." There's not a single sign of fear in the witch's eyes. She's too pissed off to be scared right now.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

"What if I was trying to help?" the vampire continued, her lips curving into a smile. She pushed all her heart into the words left unspoken. Just teasing, just playing, but it was such a good game. Maybe I know where he is.

No fear, but she hadn't expected to see any. Only strangers, strangers who didn't know about the wires in her head, were frightened of her now. The others - the red witch included - had forgotten the truth and bone of it. One of these days, she'd remind them.

"Very careless. You shouldn't let him wander off."

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"You're not exactly the helpful type," Willow replied coldly.

Willow has no idea about Drusilla's world. How it's different from Buffy's and her's as well. If she was in a better mood, she'd ponder on how very many different realities there really are. How each choice branches of an unknown amount of worlds.

"I didn't let him wander," Willow replied, trying to keep her heartbeat steady. Not going to get pissed. Nope.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

"Not for you. But if the Slayer asked nicely and if the pixies wanted to talk ..."

The vampire broke off and shrugged slightly. It was taken out of her hands then. She didn't get a say in the matter. The fates pulled in their direction. Drusilla would only be broken if she pulled back in her own.

"But he's gone."

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"I don't need help from you or your...pixies."

Willow frowned, swallowing hard. "Yes, he's gone. And, apparently, I can't bring him back." Willow doesn't continue by saying how powerful she is. She's humble like that.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

"They're not my pixies," said Drusilla, apparently thoroughly amused by all of this and by Willow's discomfort and grief in particular. She's starving here, and sorrow can be as sweet as blood if it comes from the right person. (Or so she tells herself.)

"Good riddance," she murmured, "He never let me finish the poem."

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

"Whoever's damn pixies," Willow said stiffly. "I don't want their help."

Willow heard the murmur and her eyes flashed. "Don't you dare say that! I don't give a crap about your stupid poem but you will not say anything bad about Xander!" Willow barked sternly.