The Immortal Slayer - Chapter 9
Bolting up out of bed, Willow placed one hand over her rapidly beating heart. Feeling the thump-thump and knowing her heart was in her chest where it belonged, she sighed and began to calm. The clock said 2:13 a.m. She simply sat there, hand over her heart, replaying the awful nightmare in her mind. She was waiting for the immortality ritual to begin, and this dark, shadowy figure grabbed her from behind before reaching around her body and pulling out her heart. Willow shuddered just thinking of it. That vampire last night had really scared her, and if the Dark Goddess knew who she was there was a whole new world open where anything could go wrong. Sitting in the dark Willow jumped as she heard a sound outside the window."Willow? Willow?"
Slowly pushing the covers off of her and lowering her feet to the floor, Willow's gaze never left the window, where someone was outside calling to her. Shivering, more from the fear of the nightmare than anything else, she walked to the window and cautiously looked out. Standing on the ground below was a figure, and Willow's heart skipped a beat as the image from the nightmare freshly resurfaced in her mind. As the figure stepped into the light of a streetlamp, Willow calmed, recognizing Angel's face.
"Willow, are you all right? I heard a scream." Angel asked, concern creasing his brow.
"I'm fine. Just a nightmare. A really scary, freaky, bad nightmare, but still just a nightmare. Did I really scream?" Willow asked, thinking the scream had only been part of the nightmare. She bit her lip knowing the nightmare must have affected her more than she wanted to admit.
"Yeah. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Have you been out there all night?"
Angel shrugged nonchalantly while saying "Pretty much."
Willow smiled. "Thanks." Going back to bed, she felt a sense of security and was able to sleep peacefully the rest of the night.
***
Willow sat on her bed, not wanting to face the day ahead of her. Today was the day of the immortality ritual. She was frightened, thinking of all the things that could go wrong, all the things that might happen to her before the ritual actually began. She had crumbled last night when face to face with a vampire, what would happen when she had to actually face the Dark Goddess? Thinking of it made cold chills run down her back, while she also felt ashamed of the way she had handled herself.
Yawning, she got off the bed and began the morning routine of getting ready for school. As she put on her jeans and a t-shirt, Willow began wondering how an Immortal Slayer would dress. Maybe some signature piece of clothing, like that black jacket Spike always wears. Maybe leather pants, or a cool pair of boots, or a special stake kinda like Mr. Pointy that Kendra had given to Buffy. Looking into the mirror Willow sighed. "Who am I kidding?" She said out loud, a feeling of disappointment evident in her tone.
***
School was uneventful, except for the endless comments on her newly grown hair, and Willow was happy that she got a good grade on her latest test. As the school day closed, the Scooby-gang met in the library to discuss the plans for the night.
"Hi everyone." Willow said as she walked through the door smiling.
"Hey Wills, why the happiness? Did you finally realize that being immortal was a cool thing?" Xander asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
"No, and did you have to remind me? I was happy because I aced my test." Willow said as she sat down heavily. "So, what's the scoop? Any news?" Willow asked with a hopeful look.
"Umm, that would be a big fat no, right G-man?"
"Yes, Xander. I'm sorry Willow, but we haven't been able to find out anything. And now we must concentrate on making sure you're safe tonight."
"Especially since she knows." Willow said almost under her breath. She hated to make them even more worried about her, but she knew they needed to know.
"Don't worry, I've got that cov…what did you just say?" Buffy asked in the middle of reassuring the gang that Willow would be safe.
"She knows. The Dark Goddess. She knows who I am." Willow stated softly, almost cringing from the shocked faces in front of her.
"How does she know?" Buffy asked quietly with and edge to her tone. She wasn't upset with her friend; really she was just very worried for Willow.
Slowly Willow shook her head. "I don't know how she knows. Last night after talking to Angel a couple of vampires attacked us. The one that got to me said that the Dark Goddess wanted me, and then he turned to dust as Angel staked him, which is a really good thing because he already had a hold of both of my arms, and I think he was gonna bite me, and then I had this awful nightmare last night where this shadow person tore out my heart…" She faltered, unable to continue with the images she had just described running through her head.
Xander lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Willow. Calm down. We're not going to let anything happen to you." The conviction in his voice was evident.
Willow looked down at his hand and then looked back up at his face. Half-heartedly she realized that his touch didn't affect her like it always had before. Barely getting the corners of her lips to raise, she replied, "I know. So we're off…" Willow started to say.
"To see the wonderful Wizard of Oz?" Xander finished for her in an attempt to get at least half a smile.
"No Xander, only your twisted little head would want to go to Oz for an immortality ritual. We live in the real world. When you get back to Kansas, be sure to let us know." Buffy said as she rolled her eyes. Sometimes she just didn't get Xander's sense of humor.
"Twisted little head? I'm offended." Xander replied, a mock look of indignation on his face.
With a small smile Willow responded, "Yeah Xander, I'm sure you are. Anyways, I was going to say to the cemetery. That's the best place to go that I can think of, and no one will be around." Seeing the look on Buffy's face she added, "No humans at least."
"Let's go." Buffy said while walking out the door.
***
"We've been here, waiting, for over an hour. We didn't get the day wrong did we? Please tell me we didn't. I don't think I could handle that right now." Willow asked with a slightly panicked look on her face.
"This is the right night Willow. As hard as it is, please do try to calm down a bit." Giles replied.
"Okay, you're right." Willow said, pacing between two tombstones. "It's just that I'm turning immortal and I'm kinda freaked about the whole thing and then we just sit here and wait, so my anticipation builds with every passing second and I become even more freaked out." Willow spat in one breath. "But you're right. I should just calm down." Sitting down on the ground Willow thought that theory was definitely easier said than done. Her nerves were shot from all the happenings over the past week.
Unsure of herself Willow thought she sensed someone else in the cemetery. Looking around and seeing nothing she dismissed the feeling.
"Hey Wills." Xander said sitting down beside her on the grass. "How ya doing?"
With a shrug she replied, "I'm okay, I guess. I'm not sure if I've really dealt with everything that's happened yet. I feel like I'm on emotional overload."
Reaching over and giving her a hug Xander tried his best to reassure her. "It'll be okay Willow. We'll make it through this. I'm here for you every step of the way. We'll survive this."
"Thanks Xander." Willow hugged him back, allowing herself to calm down a little bit.
***
While they were talking, Angel quietly walked up to Giles and pulled him aside, not wanting the others to see.
"I need to tell you something. I didn't tell Willow because I didn't want her to worry any more than need be." Angel looked at Giles with concern on his face.
"Is she in danger?" Giles asked quickly, fear flitting across his face.
"No, no more than expected. It's just that after the ritual she's going to be different. She's not going to be Willow anymore."
"What do you mean she won't be Willow?" Buffy asked, eavesdropping on the conversation.
Slightly surprised Angel and Giles looked up at her.
"Well, answer the question." Buffy commanded.
Sighing slightly, Angel continued. "Well, she's going to adopt a new identity. A different identity. Her attitudes will change and she may even give herself a new name. I'm not sure how far it will go."
"Why would the ritual change her like that? I don't get it." Buffy said, afraid of losing her best friend.
"Unfortunately, I think I understand." Giles stated, removing his glasses to clean the imaginary dust on them. "It seems that due to the nature of Willow's change, and the powers that are changing her, she has to adopt this new identity to survive becoming the Immortal Slayer."
"But… Isn't there anything we can do?" Buffy replied with a stricken look on her face. "I don't want to lose Willow." She added softly.
"It will be the worst right after the ritual is complete. At that moment she will have no memories of her life, instead she will be consumed by all the memories of past slayers. This is why you must make sure she is protected, as well as yourselves. There is no way to predict what will happen." Angel explained with a sad look on his face. He had grown rather fond of his friendship with Willow, and didn't want to lose her either.
"Angel, how long will this last? Her memories and everything will come back, won't they?" Buffy asked, still shocked by what her friend would go through.
"Yes, she will regain her memories. Except for a tougher attitude and the possibility of a new name, she will become Willow again. The part I don't know is how long it will take her to regain her memories. A few hours, a few days, maybe even a few years."
"And since she's immortal it could even be a few centuries." Buffy stated, voicing what Angel hadn't wanted to say.
***
Taking a deep breath Willow stretched out on the grass and looked up at the sky. So many beautiful stars she thought as a feeling of peace filled her soul. Just then the few clouds in the night sky parted to reveal a full moon.
At first Willow thought the clouds were on fire as they let the moon shine through. The moon itself was what seemed to be on fire. Staring up at it Willow was filled with awe, and a feeling that this burning moon would decide her destiny.
The eclipse was at its peak, causing the discoloration of the moon. It was midnight when Willow first saw the moon and began her transformation. Buffy, Giles, Angel, and Xander looked in wonder, first at the moon, then at Willow's slowly rising body surrounded by an aura that matched the moon.
As Willow felt her body lose contact with the ground she was filled with a pervading sense of destiny. She was being drawn toward the moon, her life pulsing within it. The burning moon was her destiny. It was then that a band of vampires attacked, hoping to destroy the Immortal Slayer without the ritual being completed. Neither Buffy nor anyone else had time to react as the vampires turned to dust, rushing towards the rising body. Before allowing her mind to succumb to the magic engulfing her, Willow knew that she had destroyed the vampires, or something within her had.
As the ritual continued and Willow began to absorb the magics that would turn her immortal, she softly groaned. The more she absorbed the louder she became, until her wail was the only thing anyone in the surrounding area could hear. Xander ran towards Willow, ready to grab her, only to be stopped by Angel.
"Let me go, now!" Xander cried, pushing and shoving against Angel.
"No, Xander. We can't interfere. You have to let her be." Angel restrained the boy, knowing that if the ritual were interrupted all could be lost.
"But listen to her, she's in pain." Xander argued, trying to shove past Angel one last time.
"I know she's in pain." Angel replied, his face contorted with worry. To him she sounded as if she was dying, and there was nothing neither he nor anyone else could do to stop it.
"Xander?" Buffy said, laying her hand on his arm. "We're all worried about her, but this is her fate, we can't change it."
"I know, Buffy. But it's so hard. I mean, listen to her."
Buffy nodded slightly, tears threatening to blur her vision. "We have to stay strong for her Xander. We have to help her through this."
Sighing, Xander walked away from Angel and leaned against a tombstone. Angel walked back over and stood in front of Willow, watching her and wishing he could take her pain away.
Standing in the shadows a cloaked figure watched and waited, hoping to learn the secrets from the ritual of the Immortal Slayer.