FF: Realms (3/?)

["sam stoltz" <shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Realms
By
Sam

Title: Realms: (3/?)
email: shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxxxx 
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters 
associated with Buffy the Vampire Slayer; they belong to Joss. I am 
only taking them out to play for a while. This is only met to 
entertain, no copyright infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Everything is fair game 
Archive: Gary, Bill, all others feel free to post them just send me 
an Email to let me know.
Pairing: B/W (Almost there)
Words of thanks: I would like to once again thank John for offering 
his valuable time to beta read for me.
Note: Tara reveals much, another talk with Faith, and .......(this 
can't be a good thing).
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tara sat at the table staring into Willow's eyes, a tear of
rolled 
down her cheek as she thought about how the moment she had been 
dreading since talking to Fey had finally come. It was time to make 
things right and that met leading her friend and lover into the arms 
of the slayer. She gathered all the inner strength she could, 
fighting back the sorrow that was forming, then she broke they eye 
contact with Willow and turned to the watcher, "Mr. Giles W-we
have a 
lot to talk about... I am n-n-not what I appear to be."
Willow gazed at the blond Wicca, her mind questioning what Tara had 
just said, "What do you mean by you're not what you appear to
be?"

"It's kinda of hard to explain without you knowing of the
nature of 
the universe...p-please bare with me as I try to pass that knowledge 
on to you."
.Tara paused for a moment as she put her thought together, "There
are 
two planes of existence, the earth and the Ethereal. Both of these 
are divided into three realms, with each realm holding a particular 
place in the balance of the universe."
Tara then waited for a moment to ensure that Willow and Giles were 
grasping what she was saying. When she saw that they were she 
continued, "The earth realms are know as Outer earth, The void,
and 
Inner Earth. We are currently in outer earth which is the home of 
humanity, it is the Outer earth that brings life to the universe.  
Next is Inner earth which is known by man as Hell. It is the realm 
of demons, it is the heart of darkness that brings chaos to the 
universe."
Tara once again stopped allowing Willow and Giles to comprehend what 
she was saying then continued, "Since the dawn of time Inner
earth 
has sought to conquer and dominate outer earth, to keep that from 
happening The Powers That Be created an Earth Realm know as the Void, 
it is a great chasm that separates outer earth and inner earth. Its 
inhabitants are mortal and divided into two groups. the first one 
being the Sentinels who are the warriors of the void, tasked by the 
powers that be to keep the demons from gaining passage into Outer 
earth. The second group is the tribunal, a group of powerful mages 
who work to keep Hell's mouths from opening up throughout the
world, 
though as you both know they are not able to stop them all."
As soon as Tara paused Willow spoke up, her voice filled with 
frustration, "Enough of this already, I mean I appreciate the
lesson 
on the nature of the universe and everything but it doesn't
answer 
what is going on between us, or why the sudden I feel like I am 
losing you," tears began to roll down Willow's face,
"Tara what's 
happening, why all the sudden does the universe seem bent on breaking 
us up."
Tara felt a lump form in her through as she watched the sweet redhead 
begin to cry, "I'm s-s-so," Tears began to roll down as
she saw the 
pain all this was causing Willow, "sorry, I d-didn't mean to
cause 
you pain."
"Tara, what's going on here seems to be beyond this realm,
it's not 
your fault."
"Y-yes it is... I knew when I was sent here that your heart
belonged 
to another b-but I messed everything up... I f-f-failed in my calling 
by permitting myself to fall in love with you."
Willow looked at Tara through tear stained eyes wondering what the 
blonde was talking about, "I don't understand. What are you
talking 
about?"
"I am not of any of the earth realms, but from the Ethereal
plane.  
Please bare with me a little longer and I will explain all of your 
questions."
Giles leaned back in his chair as he pondered what had just been 
said, Willow wiped the tears away from her eyes and nodded to Tara to 
continue. Both of them knowing that their lives were going to change 
forever when the blonde Wicca once again started to speak.
"I was sent here from the Ethereal to help...but to this point I
have 
f-failed to accomplish what I was sent for, but before I can go into 
that there are a few things you must know about the Ethereal. First 
of all no one in the Ethereal is mortal. and second the ethereal like 
the Earth is divided into realms. There is the lower Ethereal which 
you probably know by one of it's several names; the hereafter,
the 
afterlife, the forever, and so forth. It is where the souls of the 
mortals from outer earth and the void go once they pass into the 
great beyond. Then comes the realm that I am from, it is the middle 
Ethereal, and is the home of the immortals."
Willow stood up from here chair and stared at Tara, "Your
immortal."

"Y-yes, and I will explain what that means and why I am here
shortly."

Willow sat back down, looked directly at Tara and motioned for her 
to continue.
"After the middle Ethereal comes the Upper Ethereal which is the
home 
of the powers that be also referred to as Gods and Goddesses. They 
are the ones who watch over the entire universe and ensure that the 
proper balance life maintained."
Tara looked at Giles for a moment to see if he was following all of 
this. She then turned her attention to Willow, as her eyes looked 
with the redheads she let out a deep sigh, knowing that it was time 
to let Willow go. "I am immortal, and when I met you a little
over a 
year ago it was the first time I had ever set foot on outer 
earth.....I was sent here by Fey. She sent me here to a-aid the s-
slayer and not only h-have I f-failed, I also have managed to cause 
you and the s-s-slayer pain and for that I am truly s-sorry."
.
"What do you mean by you have failed Buffy," inquired Willow

Giles stood up and stared at Tara, the blonde which felt as if he was 
shooting sharp daggers into her with his eyes. The watchers voice 
was filled with anger as he considered that somehow this blonde witch 
had done something to harm his surrogate daughter, "How did you
fail 
Buffy and what have you done that has hurt her and Willow."
"I was sent to help B-b-b-...the 
slayer...findtheonewhoholdsthekeytoherheart,"
Giles gazed at Tara, "Would you mind repeating that again
please."

"I was sent by Fey in the name of the powers that be to help her
find 
the one p-person who could bring t-true love to her life."
Giles let what Tara had just said sink end for a moment, "Why
are 
the powers that be so concerned with Buffy's love life."
"Because she is different than any other slayer before her. The 
prophetic visions that she has are only the beginning of what she is 
truly capable of, her potential is so great that not even she knows 
what it is that she is becoming. You see for every generation a 
warrior is called to fight against the inhabitants of Inner earth and 
the vampires of Outer earth."
Giles interrupted Tara in mid sentence, "We already know this,
what I 
need to know is what is it that makes Buffy important enough to the 
powers that be that they would send an immortal to help her find true 
love."
"S-she is not just any slayer, she is the ultimate slayer, one
whose 
skills are so powerful that the powers that be will not allow them to 
be fully unlocked until she finds her one true love, one who will 
bring the balance to her life and keep her from being consumed by the 
slayer she is to be."
Tara got up from her chair and walked around to where Willow was 
setting, she dropped down on her knees before the redhead and took 
the girls hands in her own. Tears began to freely flow down
Tara's 
cheeks, "I c-c-can't be with y-you.....w-we were never
suppose to b-
be together, your heart b-belongs to a-another."

Willow looked down at the girl who was kneeling before her, she wiped 
away a tear from the blondes eye, as she did everything that Tara was 
saying came crashing down on her at once and she knew, "Buffy,
it's 
Buffy that I am met to be with." As she spoke both tears of
sorrow 
over The end of her relationship with Tara and tears of joy of a 
possible future with Buffy filled her eyes.
"Y-y-yes, you are the one who h-hold the key to the slayers
heart, 
it's you that she thinks of as she falls into sleep and when she 
first awakes." Tara stood up and placed her hand gently on
Willows 
shoulder, the blonde was openly sobbing and could barely force 
herself to speak, "I w-will always be your f-f-friend but the s-
slayer l-loves you....g-go to her and s-s-show her t-true love."

Willow got up to leave but then looked at Tara, "Are you going to
be 
O.K."
As Tara responded to Willow she could feel her heart breaking, 
"Y-yes, now go to her."
Willow turned to Giles wanting to ask for his help but before she 
could form any words the watcher began to speak, "Willow I'll
make 
sure she's alright and that she gets home safely, Go to
Buffy."

The two slayers had been out on patrol for a half hour and Buffy had 
yet to mention anything about Willow or last nights conversation and 
it was driving Faith nuts.
"So B, slow night so far."

"Yeah I guess, but we haven't been out that long."

"Good point, want to talk."

"'bout what."

"I don`t know, how about a certain redhead you happen to be
crushing 
on."
Buffy spent around with fire in her eyes, "No, we have already
talked 
about that way to much besides you should mind your own business and 
stay out of mine!"
Faith took a couple steps back from the blonde slayer, "Easy B,
no 
need to bite my head off, I only wanted to help."
"Sorry, faith. It's just that.."

"Just what."

"Well I really wanted to spend some time with Willow after
classes 
today, you know just to hang out."
"And"

"And she spent the whole afternoon with Tara, I didn't even
get to 
see her before I left for patrol. I just guess I am a little more 
jealous than I thought."
"That's an understatement if I ever heard one. You still
haven't 
told her have you."
Buffy's lack of an answer told the brunette everything she needed
to 
know, "It's not right B, you need to tell Red how you
feel."

"I can't, she's with Tara now, I've already missed my
chance."

"That's bull B and you know it, you're just to afraid to
`fess up. I 
swear if you don't tell Red I will."
"You wouldn't dare."

"It would be for your own good, besides I am sick of seeing you
mope 
around gawking over Willow, tell her you might be surprised by the 
results."
"What do you mean?"

"I mean I have seen the way Willow looks at you, I think she
might 
have a thing for a certain blonde slayer who resembles you."
Buffy looked at cursorily looked at her fellow slayer, "You're
nuts 
Willow couldn't possibly feel that way about me."
"And you're selling yourself short. If I swung that way I
wouldn't 
think twice about putting a move on you."
Buffy smiled at Faith, "Thanks, now can we get back to
patrol."

"O.K., but I'm going to give you a week to get up enough
courage to 
tell Red how you feel, then if you haven't come clean I'm
telling."

Ciarán walked through the burnt out hallway of the high school 
gradually making his way to the basement. He could feel the 
Hellmouth calling out to him guiding him to it's weakest point. 
He 
made his way down the stairs and over to the large crack in the 
ground, Ciarán then knelt down and placed his hand above the
crack, 
he could feel the dark energy trapped behind the closed Hellmouth.  
He then heard someone approaching from behind him, slowly he stood up 
and spoke to the man who had entered the basement behind him,
"Nice 
of you to make it Ethan."
Ethan Rayne Froze dead in his tracks as the mysterious figure spoke 
his name. He had returned to try and seek revenge against Giles and 
the slayer only to be drawn here by a dark power that he had not felt 
in years, and now he stood before the holder of that power. Ethan 
looked at the man who stood before him, he was an impressive six feet 
tall and was completely decked out in black leather. The man had 
short jet black hair and deep blood red eyes that seemed to shoot 
through his soul. It took him a moment to realize just who it was 
that he was standing before and as soon as he did Ethan dropped to 
the ground and bowed before Ciarán, "Master, you have
returned."

To be continued....