Fragment - Forever Blue

[annelise@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Forever Blue, Fragment.
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"Why?" Willow cried out to the world in general. Tears dripped from 
her eyes. "Why can't I put things right?"
The ground trembled slightly, and her room fell away and became a 
void. Willow rubbed at her pain-reddened eyes as she floated in black 
nothingness.
"You wish to know why, young witch?" A disembodied voice asked. The 
voice came from all around, from every direction. "I will tell you if 
you can tell me why you think you deserve an answer."
Willow forced herself to cough, clearing her throat. "I... I need 
to put things right. I made a mess, and its my job to clean it up."
A pause that lasted heartbeats and forever. "Is that the real 
reason, O delectably miserable witch?"
"Partly..." Willow fought to hold back her fears and anguish. She 
knew, although she couldn't say how she knew, but she knew the owner 
of the voice could see into her soul. "And its also because I love 
her."
"Very well." A faint sound caught Willow's attention, as of 
christmas bells ringing, and a world once more formed beneath 
Willow's feet. No longer in her room, she looked down at the grass 
that was lit by the myriad candles burning in occult patterns around 
her, dispelling the gloom of night.
"Where am I?" she asked. The tone of her voice carried an edge, as 
if the question were a demand.
"In my domain." The voice, disembodied no longer, came from the cowl 
of what appeared to be a kneeling monk. The cowl slid back, revealing 
a demon's face.
"I guess the next question would be, who are you?" Willow crossed 
her arms. She didn't know why, but she felt that somehow she had 
power here.
"My name is D'Hoffryn. I've been observing your actions. The sublime 
way you hurt your closest friends when you were spurned. The 
retribution of the jilted holds a certain... affinity for me."
"I know you." Willow turned her piercing gaze upon the 
demon. "You're the demon who made Anya."
"Ah," a smile flitted briefly across D'Hoffryn's face. "Anyanka. She 
chose the path I now offer to you."
Willow laughed. "What makes you think I'd accept?"
"You see," D'Hoffryn's mild features suddenly became like 
ice. "Accepting would be the only way to help your friends now. Then 
afterwards, you would work for me. Observe... Already a year may have 
passed within the mortal world. Time moves so very differently 
here..." The demon waved his hand and a small portal opened.
The portal flitted from image to image, and Willow saw the deaths 
of Xander and Anya at the hands of overwhelming demons, a blind and 
broken Giles turning first to drink then suicide, Buffy's wedding...
"Enough!" she screamed, unable to endure. "You know I'll accept."
D'Hoffryn smiled. "I thought you would."

*

END