Love, Honor and Obey by Kirk Baldridge

Spoilers: Nothing major, but it IS situated in the 5th season, so you might want to watch out, just in case.

Summary: Willow and Tara encounter a ghost and a demon.

The details of the dream were already fading, she couldn't remember most of it at all, but she distinctly recalled a voice begging for help. A girls voice, one she did not recognize.

Startled, the redhead glance to her left as a pale hand slid out from underneath the blankets. She smiled slightly as it touched down lightly on her thigh. The covers shifted.

Tara Maclay emerged, looking somewhat disheveled in her nightshirt. She swept a lock of dirty-blond hair out of her face and sat up, her other hand reaching out to caress Willow's cheek.

Willow nodded. "I'm fine. I just...had a really weird dream." She paused, considering what she had been feeling a few moments before. It was hard to keep it all straight. "At least, I think it was just a dream. I could swear that I was hearing a voice. Calling me. Pleading for my help."

"Do you know who?" Tara asked. She had no reason to doubt her lovers concern, she could see the expression on Willow's face, and heard the resolve in her voice.

Tara nodded. "If someone is trying to contact you, they may only be able to do it through dreams. And dreams are notoriously difficult to interpret."

"Unless whoever it is finds another way," said Tara. "That's certainly a possibility."

After talking, and snuggling, for a while longer, Willow finally had to get up and go take a shower. She had an early class to attend that day.

Tara briefly considered joining her lover, but ultimately decided against it, as Willow actually needed to keep her mind on her work. So, she settled for simply laying in bed and clutching Willow's pillow close to her chest, which she was delighted to find still held the redhead's scent.

The blond was drawn right out of her distraction by the sound of a young girl's voice. It had almost sounded as if it was right by her ear, though when she looked there was no one there.

"Hello?" Tara slid out of bed and reached for her pants. "I can hear you, but I can't see you. Hello?" There was no response. She could feel a chill, however, and there was a definite presence lingering in the room. Someone or something was there, or had been just recently.

Tara was still standing in that position, her head cocked to one side, when Willow came out of the bathroom a short time later, wearing only a wet towel. The redhead took one look at her lover, and she knew something was wrong. She approached her cautiously.

"I heard it," the other girl said, breathlessly. "A voice. A little girls voice."

Willow's eyes widened. "So, I wasn't just imagining things? In the shower, I'd started to convince myself it was just my mind playing tricks on me." She looked around. "Is she still here, do you think? After what happened the last time, I'm not real wild about dealing with child-ghosts again."

Tara suppressed a shudder as she thought about what had happened at Lowell House. "I can't tell for sure. She's not showing herself, if she is still here. And I don't hear her anymore."

Tara shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she isn't here just for us. If she's lost, unable to cross over, she might be wandering. Trying to find someone to help her fulfill some task in life."

"We should probably fill Giles in," Willow offered. "He usually knows more about these kinds of things." She sighed. "But, after class. I wouldn't want to be late. Again." She shot a half-smile at Tara, whose cheeks reddened as she remembered what had distracted them both the last time.

Rupert Giles removed his glasses and stepped out from behind the counter of the Magic Box, which he owned and operated. He picked up a book from a nearby table.

Willow and Tara, seated at one of the tables alongside Anya, Giles' employee, nodded.

"Fascinating." He put his glasses back on and began thumbing through the book. "That campus does seem to be quite an appealing place for such entities. I can't imagine why." He looked up from the dusty old text. "Any ideas about what this particular specter wants?"

"She asked for help," Willow replied. "I want to try and find her, Giles. Help her."

"Yes, of course. I just have one question." He put the book aside, having apparently not located whatever bit of arcane knowledge he was searching for. "How, exactly, do you propose to do that? Ghosts are not corporeal. It's a major effort for one of them to communicate with someone the physical world in any but the most ephemeral manner, such as the voice you heard. If, indeed, the spirit of a young girl is appealing to the two of you for help, I suggest you allow her to proceed at her own pace."

Giles sat down. "Such rituals are not easy to perform. If the two of you decide to embark on such an attempt, I would strongly suggest you do so here. That way, should it prove necessary you would be far closer to whatever supplies you might need."

"Buffy is at the hospital right now," Giles continued. "So the training room is free."

A short time later, Willow and Tara sat cross-legged on a mat in the back room of the Magic Box, surrounded by candles and incense. Multi-colored balls of light swirled and floated in circles, around the two witches, their incessant chattering sounding almost like voices.

The spell had been performed according to the ritual prescribed in the book laying on the floor between them, but instead of the ghost they had unknowingly drawn the attention of strange, fairy-like creatures, which were in no particular hurry to abandon the mortal plane. They were supposed to be guides, to help them find a particular entity, and yet they were acting like tiny children.

One by one the guide-entities disappeared, popping like multi-colored balloons, and then both witches felt an overwhelming sense of being watched. It was more than enough to bring goosebumps up all over their arms, and send a chill down their spines. They both shuddered.

Willow sensed something, vague and undefined, and cold, behind her. She was afraid to turn, however, for fear of scaring the entity off. She licked her lips, and whispered.

The blond's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped as she saw a semi-transparent figure standing right behind her girlfriend. Slowly, she nodded.

It was a girl, young, with curly blond hair, pale skin and big green eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a white robe, and had her hands clasped in front of her.

Indeed, the girl's eyes were wide and her lips were trembling. When she realized that Tara was looking right at her, the fear in her face changed. Slightly. She opened her lips, as if to speak, and would likely have done if only the door had not burst open at that very moment.

Xander Harris, Willow's oldest friend, stumbled into the room. They were sure that door had been locked, but apparently it could still be force if one put their mind to it.

"Hey guys. The door was stuck." Xander shook his head. "Anya and I are going to dinner and a movie. You guys want to come with us?"

Willow saw the dejected expression on her girlfriend's face, and sighed. "Sure."

Neither witch was able to really concentrate on the movie, and not just because Xander and Anya were making out in the seats behind them.

Both were more concerned with what happened back at the Magic Box, and how close they had come to being able to communicate with the spirit of the young girl Tara had seen. A girl who was in trouble, scared out of her mind most likely, and who had come to them for help.

Both witches glanced up, blinking in disbelief, as a small, ephemeral figure materialized before them. It was a girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old, and was in fact the same spirit Tara had seen before, only this time it was both witches who could see her.

"You saved me. You gave me direction. Focus. You brought me back." Her smile was infection, and soon both Willow and Tara were smiling too. "Thank you. Both of you."

The redhead glanced over her shoulder, at Xander and Anya—both of whom appeared oblivious to the ghost, or anything else for that matter. In fact, there was every chance the theater could have been on fire and neither one of them would have noticed until it was too late.

"They can't see me," said the girl. "Or hear me, for that matter. No one can." Her face grew sad, but it passed as soon as she laid eyes on Willow and Tara again. "Except for the two of you. I'm not sure I understand why you're able to hear me, to see me, when I'm invisible to everyone else."

Tara leaned forward. "We're witches," she whispered. "By the way, my name is Tara."

Willow cleared her throat. "This really isn't the best place to hold a conversation." Other people in the theater were beginning to glare in their direction, bothered by the noise they making. "Ariel, would you trust us enough to let us take you somewhere?"

"You do know you're dead, right?" Willow asked as she, Tara, and Ariel took a shorter back route to the Magic Box. They had already said their good-byes to Xander and Anya, at the theater, though they weren't sure if it had actually gotten though to the other couple or not. "I mean, that you are..."

"...a ghost?" Ariel asked, obviously anticipating the question. The redhead nodded. "Not at first. I kept trying to call out to people, to touch them, to get them to acknowledge me in any way." She lowered her head. "But it was hard to ignore when I wandered out into the street, and a car I didn't even see coming passed right through me. It was a real wake-up call, you know?" She looked Willow in the eye. "I'm still not sure how, or why, but I think we connected. Somehow, I could see you when you were asleep. It's like you were here and there, in the real world, at the same time. Does that make any sense?"

Tara nodded. "Astral projection. Willow, if spirit separated from your body while you were asleep, it probably passed through the astral plane the same time as Ariel's."

"Like it was meant to happen," said the redhead. "We're supposed to help you. I know it!"

Ariel glanced around, her eyes narrowing. The look on her face seemed to indicate she had no idea where they were. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"To see a friend of ours," Willow replied. "Trust me, you'll like him. He is a very intelligent guy, and if anyone would be able to figure out how to help you, it's Giles."

Giles rested his hands on his hips as he looked over the bills spread across his front counter. He was at a loss to understand the filing system, such as it was, that Anya had been using, and with her out on a date with Xander, the chances of her returning to explain it to him for minimal.

The customers might have been intimidated by his outburst, if there had been any. Business was slow that day, and so he had time to take care of some of the more menial aspects of being self-employed. Unlike most other people, however, he actually enjoyed it.

"Where is that...ah!" Giles picked up a promising piece of paper, only to release it from his fingertips when he realized it was just yet another shipment receipt. "Damn." The former librarian and ex-Watcher was just starting to remove his glasses to knead his throbbing temples, when he heard the bell on the door chime to indicate new customers on the premises. "Yes, can I help...oh." He tried not to show the disappointment on his face, or in his voice, as he was genuinely pleased to see Willow and Tara. "Hello, ladies."

The redhead glanced at her lover, who nodded and nudged her forward. "Say, Giles...busy?"

"Not really." He put his glasses back on. "Nothing that can't wait." He sighed. "So, what's wrong?"

"Willow, you are a very talented young woman, but lying has never been one of your strong suites. You have a tendency to...how should I say this? Crinkle up your face."

The redhead did her best to take this in stride, and cleared her throat. "I do? Really?" He nodded, and when she turned to look over her shoulder at Tara, the other girl nodded too.

"You know that little ghost-problem Tara and I were having?" He nodded and she continued. "Well, um, it's not so little anymore. But, it's also not really a problem either."

Willow shook her head. "The spell we were trying to cast was...interrupted. It didn't work, or so we thought. In the theater, she came to us, Giles. The ghost."

"Indeed?" Giles rose and reached for one of his books. "And, is she with us right now?"

The two witches nodded. Though he wasn't aware of it, Ariel was standing between Willow and Tara, waving in a vain effort to get the man to notice her. It didn't work.

"She was killed," Tara replied. "Murdered. By a monster. We think it was a demon."

Willow nodded. "Ariel...that's her name, by the way, wants us to find it. And stop it, hopefully before it has the chance to hurt anyone else."

"How very noble," said Giles. "Not to mention rather vengeful." He absently took off his glasses and started to clean them as he continued. "Though understandable." He put them back on. "Very well. If your...friend, can give us some description of the creature in question, we can begin."

Giles leaned back in the chair as he looked over a clipboard in his lap. He sat at one of the tables in the rear of the magic shop, along with Willow and Tara and Xander, who had just recently returned from the theater. Anya's part in the whole process was an unmistakable lack of interest, as she stood behind the front counter and started thumbing through a Mystic Supplies Monthly Magazine.

"Approximately seven and a half feet tall. Undeterminate weight. Slate gray skin. Long black hair. Horns, from either side of its skull. Spiked plates over its chest, and back, and down the lengths of its arms." Giles shook his head. "I only wish Buffy could be thorough in her descriptions of the various demonic entities she encounters. I would have a much easier time as her Watcher, that's for certain."

As the redhead turned, to try and explain the slayer to a ghost, Xander cleared his throat. "But, does this really help us? Are we any closer to figuring out who Mr. tall, dark and gruesome is?"

"The demon you're describing...it's a Goloth. I knew one about seven hundred years ago. He and I had this huge disagreement about which one of us was going to destroy this village..."

Giles blinked. "Of course. But..." His face fell. "...it was my understanding that Goloth are, by and large, a very peaceful race. Don't they generally act as body-guards? Protectors?"

Anya sighed and, finally, raised her head. "No. That's the Golothi. Same race, different breed. The Goloths are a violent, blood-thirsty bunch. Literally. I've seen them drink the blood of their victims, and..." For a change, she paid attention to the others as she was speaking and saw the looks on their faces—apparently in accordance with what she was saying. She changed the subject, sort of. "Most Goloth kill for sport. Or for pay. They usually hire themselves out as assassins. Or mercenaries."

Giles nodded. "I remember now. Goloth and Golothi are physically indistinguishable, except for a marking on their forehead, yes? A diamond-shaped marking?"

Willow's face grew more ashen, and Tara put an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. "Why would the Goloth kill a little girl? What could Ariel possibly have done?"

"Possibly nothing," said Giles. "She may simply have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or else it was hired to target her, though I could not imagine why."

"How do we kill this thing?" Xander asked. " 'cause I'm suddenly in the mood for some slaying."

Tara sensed a dramatic shift in the room. Xander, Giles and even Willow to an extent, were feeling noticeably more hostility toward the demon. It scared her a bit. "What about Buffy? If we're going to go after the demon, it would be better if we had the slayer with us? Don't you think?"

Giles nodded. "I'll inform her, as soon as we're done here. I imagine she will be quite interested to know there is a new demon to be killed. To take her mind off..."

When Buffy Summers walked into the Magic Box a short time later she had somewhat swollen, red eyes and a determined expression on her face. Her black leather jacket swept along behind her as she strode right up to the counter and looked Giles in the eye, her lips tight.

Giles was a little taken aback by the slayers manner. Buffy was...intense, in a way he did not recall having seen in quite a long time. He shook his head.

"We're not entirely certain. A Goloth demon has no particular haunts, as far as we can determine. Technically, I suppose it could be anywhere in Sunnydale."

"Assuming it's still here at all," said Anya. "The Goloth don't usually hang around."

Buffy nodded. "I'll patrol. If it's still here, I'll find it." She glanced at Willow and Tara. "Tell your friend, when I find it, I'll make sure it dies real good."

"Wait..." Xander got to his feet. "Buffy, I hate to say it, but you don't seem to be in the best condition to patrol by yourself. Shouldn't you bring some back-up with you?"

Giles nodded. "Surprisingly, I must concur. Buffy, the Goloth are a powerful race. If you are even the least bit distracted, it could dangerous for you."

The slayer shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever." She turned to Willow and Tara. "What about you two? Want to make a group thing of it?"

Tara glanced at Willow, who in turn looked to Ariel. "Actually, Buffy, there's something else we need to do. If it's all right with you, I think we'll take a pass on this one."

Buffy nodded. "Come on guys," she said to Giles, Xander and Anya. "Let's get weapons."

"What's going on? I'll admit, I don't like the idea of patrolling either, but what are we going to do?"

The redhead turned to Ariel. "I know this might sound like a morbid question, but do you know any idea where your body is?"

"Your body," said Willow. "I was thinking...part of the reason you're here, your spirit I mean, could be because your body is not interred somewhere. If we can find your body, and make sure it has a proper burial somewhere, your spirit might finally be able to rest in peace."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Ariel asked. "I've been dead for a couple of days. I'm worried about what it, I, might look like. Does that sound strange?"

Willow shook her head. "Not at all. I'm not wild about the idea either, but it seems like the right thing to do. If you don't want to come, though, maybe you could just tell us..."

"All right." Ariel was obviously still uncomfortable about the idea. "I'll take you there."

Not surprisingly, the spirit led Willow and Tara to one of the many cemeteries in Sunnydale.

As they strode down the path, between headstones and up a small hill, the redhead pondered how before Buffy came along she had never even imagined setting foot in such a dark, dismal place. Now, she seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time in them, and it barely phased her.

"Have you ever noticed how all these cemeteries seem to look alike?" Willow asked. "It's like they're all a part of some big sound stage or something." She shook her head at the way Tara stared back at her. "All I'm saying, is they could try a little creative designing once and a while."

Tara turned to Ariel—who had a sad, almost pained expression on her spectral face. "Do you have any idea how much further it is?"

"We're almost there," the ghost replied. "Through these trees there is a clearing, and on the other side of it is a crypt. That's where I was, two days ago, when I..." Her voice trailed off.

"Ariel, can I ask you a question?" said Willow. The spirit nodded. "And don't take this the wrong way, but...what was a girl your age doing in a place like this, all by yourself?"

The ghost frowned. "Believe it or not, I was trying to impress some friends of mine. They bet me I couldn't do it. Stay in one of these crypts, all night, alone." She shook her head. "Guess I showed them." Had she been alive, she probably would have started crying at that point.

Willow almost did it for her, but soon regained her composure and cleared her throat. "I just hope no one else has been hurt by this creature since you were attacked."

Tara froze, in mid-stride, and caught the redhead's arm to stop her too. "Willow, do you think the demon could still be out here somewhere? Maybe we should go get Buffy..."

"Hey." Willow put an arm reassuringly around her lover. "Trust me, we'll be fine. Don't forget, together we are a pretty formidable team. Even without the slayer." She only hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. "I do feel I should remind you, however, there is always that ever-popular and always reliable running for our lives option available. Just in case."

"Here it is." Ariel gestured to a big, white marble crypt, with the door half-open.

Inside, it was cold and dark, and even though they did not go inside yet they were somewhat surprised to see it had no coffins or candles or flowers, or anything of the other things most people would expect to find inside of an average crypt in an average cemetery. Nor were there any demons or vampires, what they—as members of the Scooby Gang—would not have been surprised to find.

Willow frowned. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would someone go to all the time and trouble to build all this, and then not put anyone in it?"

"Still, it doesn't seem quite right. I mean..." The redhead gestured, her arms sweeping over the length and width of the crypt. "...this place looks like it's been here for a while."

Tara's eyes narrowed. "There's...something else. Magic." She turned. "Can't you feel it?"

"I..." Willow's mystical senses were nowhere near as acute as those of her lover, but as she touched the door it became quite clear Tara was correct, and she nodded. "I do."

Ariel took a step back, shaking her spectral head. "N-No, I can't...I-I can't do this..." Her semi-transparent body started to dwindle, to become more and more difficult to see. "It's too...it's too much..." It was no longer visible, and even her voice was growing faint, almost imperceptible, even to the witches.

"She's still here," Tara replied. "But, she's scared. I think...I think her emotions got the best of her, and she lost whatever control she might have had." The blond witch bit her lip. "She should be able to materialize again, when she calms down." She turned to Willow. "What do we do?"

The redhead frowned. "I don't know. I mean, there's nothing here." She slipped around the door and moved into the crypt, momentarily out of Tara's sight. "Maybe Ariel brought us to the wrong place? A lot of these crypts do look..." Her voice was suddenly silenced by a shrill scream.

Tara's eyes widened. "Willow!" She barreled into the crypt, fearing the worst, and screamed herself as she fell through the floor and into the depths of darkness.

When she woke, Tara felt a burning pain in her right side, and was unable to see anything past the length of her arm. In fact, when she sat up and waved her hand, she could not see it either. Gritting her teeth through a haze of pain and confusion, the blond witch let out a quiet groan.

"Tara?" The blessedly familiar voice came from somewhere nearby, though it was too dark for her to make out a particular direction. "Is that you?"

"Willow?" Hissing in pain, Tara got to her knees and began to feel around. Finally, her blindly questing fingers found and sank into the firm softness of a breast, and she heard a gasp. "Willow!" Still unable to see, the witches threw their arms around one another and embraced warmly.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, when she felt her lover recoil, as if in pain. "What happened?"

"I-I think I hurt my arm." Tara replied. "In that fall." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Willow. I should have sensed it. We must have walked right into some kind of trap."

Willow shook her head even though she knew Tara couldn't see it. Nor could she, for that matter. "It isn't your fault, Tara. And I don't think it was meant to be a trap, either. Somebody must have cast a spell to hide the inside of the crypt. If I'd taken things a little slower, we probably would have seen it coming."

"I'm working on it," Willow replied. "Shield your eyes." A moment later, there was a sudden flash, and a sphere of light burst into being between the two witches.

Tara's eyes widened. "Whoa." She recognized it, as a modification of a light spell she had shown Willow some weeks past. Apparently, her girlfriend wasn't done experimenting yet. "You've been practicing." Not so long ago, such an increase in power would have troubled her, since she was convinced that her magic came from a demon within her. But now thanks to Willow and the others—including Spike, surprisingly enough—she had stood up to her family and learned the truth. She was not a demon and magic was neither inherently good or evil, it was only a mirror for the caster and the intent in which it was used.

Willow smiled. "Thanks to you." She got to her feet and held out her hand, and helped Tara to her feet. Bruises down the length of Tara's right arm caused her pain of her own. "Oh, no."

"It's okay," said the other girl. "It only hurts..." She winced. "...when I move. Or breath."

Willow knew she was fortunate not to have been injured herself, but the sympathy for her lover made it worse than if she had received a thousand broken arms. "I'm sorry."

Breathing a sigh of relief, the redhead looked around, and her eyes narrowed. "Where are we?" Though the ball of light hovering above them was fairly bright there were still a number of shadows in the dark chamber, and the only thing they could see clearly were stairs leading up to a seemingly solid ceiling. "Someone must have cast a concealment spell, to keep them from being seen from outside. Clever."

"No." The redhead held her breath a moment and, sure enough, heard a low, rhythmic throbbing sound. Like air slowly being pumped in and out of a massive bellows. "Wait. Now I do. What is..." All of the color drained from her face as realization set in. "Uh oh."

Slowly, both witches turned around, the light moving with them. On the far side of the cavern they could make out a small, prone figure laying lifeless on the ground. It was the face of the poor girl whose spirit had led them here, to the body, in the first place.

Just beyond the body, half-hidden in shadow, loomed a monstrous figure. It was a demon, the very one Ariel's description had allowed Anya and Giles to identify as a Goloth. Leathery gray skin, long black hair, sharp horns and spikes and beady red eyes, just as Ariel had said. It lurched forward, into the light, and the metallic diamond etched in its forehead glinted brightly as it snarled at them.

The demon bared several knife-like fangs. "Agath!" When it got no response from the two witches, it spoke up louder and more forcefully. "Agath leet cryso hyrule nii! Ohayy!"

"I think it's trying to...talk to us," said Tara. She saw the metal in its forehead, and her eyes widened. "Wait! Do you remember what Giles and Anya told us? About the Goloth and Golothi?"

"One group is warriors," said Willow. "The other are guardians. But what does that..." She finally saw what Tara had seen. "The mark. Only the Golothi have it. So..."

"...this isn't the demon that killed Ariel," said Tara. "Unless she'd threatened something he was protecting." She shook her head. "Even so, why is he protecting her body now?"

The demon seemed to grow angry when they did not respond in whatever way it was expecting. "Agath! Yee OI anbir! Tryi angarh!" It took a step forward, claws extended.

"We have to try and communicate with it," said Willow. "And avoid a fight, if we can."

"Good idea," said Tara. "Since I don't think we'd have a chance. You want to try a translation spell?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "We'll give it a shot." The two witches clasped hands and the demon hesitated, as if it could sense the build-up of mystical energy between them. In Latin, they asked for words not spoken and those not understood to be made the same, so all could be recognized.

The demon shuddered. "Stay back! I..." It must have recognized that its voice had changed as well. "What...what have you done to me?"

"It's okay," said Willow. "We wanted to be able to understand you. We mean you no harm."

"No! You seek to deceive me!" the demon bellowed. "You must be in league with the specter! Stay back! I will not allow you to harm the Harbinger any further!"

Willow looked from the demon, to Ariel's body, and back again. "Wait, you mean Ariel? You're a Golothi, and you're here to protect Ariel? Is that it?"

The demon glanced down at the girl's lifeless form. "This one is the Harbinger, of the Hybrul Clan. She was to bring the Window of Souls back to her people." Its eyes narrowed. "Ariel is the name of the specter! The demon who seeks to claim the Window for itself. She did this!" It clenched its huge fists. "I was right, you are in league with the demon!" Its body began to tremble with barely checked rage.

But the demon, it seemed, was beyond reason. It bellowed and lurched forward once more, intent on doing the two of them greivous bodily harm.

"No!" Willow put her hands up in front of her, and closed her eyes. Power welled up from within her, and only Tara saw the barely visible energy which envloped the demon. Holding it in place. It struggled, but could not get any leverage on which to push against the mystical barrier. It roared.

Willow opened her eyes, and saw the demon struggling against the invisible. "Whoa."

The redhead bit her lip. "I don't...I don't know how long. It's strong, Tara. I-I'm not...I can't..." Her control, which had been fleeting at best, buckled all at once.

The only reason the demon did not break free, was because of Tara's quick thinking. She slid her hand into that of her lover, and both witches combined their powers to hold the creature off. Even so it was a struggle, and the demon gave them no respite as it pushed and roared.

Behind them, the ghostly entity they had been following all this time surged into being. The expression on her face was far from fearful.

Ariel cocked her head and smiled. "Why not? There's little you can do to me now." Her body rippled, the form of the girl dissolving into something long and lean, and not remotely human. She had pale, bluish skin, long blue hair, knife-like black claws, and piercing yellow eyes. "I am Ariel of the Tribinni! We are, as you would call it, a race of Succubi. We draw on emotions for our sustenance!" She pointed. "That...child, was one of a band of dark gypsies, worshippers of chaos, who seek the subjugation of my people! For generations we have struggled for a foothold in this dimension, your Earth, in order to find the key to our salvation. The Window of Souls is indeed the key, and with it my people shall finally be avenged!"

"Liar!" All eyes turned to the demon, who was struggling against its invisible bonds. "Is is your kind who bring destruction, deceiver! The Hybrul are not gypsies they are wanderers, without homes or boundaries yes, but they possess far more honor in the least of them than your entire, misbegotten race! The Harbinger's purpose was to claim the Window of Souls, to secure their destiny. And you murdered her!"

Ariel hissed. "Monster! Your lying tongue is an affront to everything I hold dear!"

"Death is all your kind revere!" the demon bellowed. "This child was under my protection, and because of you, hers is a life extinguished far too soon!" It glared at Willow and Tara. "Do not listen to her! She uses her powers to deceive you, to make her believe she is the innocent here." Its gaze passed, briefly, over the body of the child at its feet. "Alyssa, the Harbinger, was more than just my charge. She was my friend. I failed in my duty, and was helpless as she died in my arms. Please release me, so that I might avenge her death on the creature who robbed the world of the light she would have brought to it!"

"Such pretty words," Ariel snarled. "From so hideous a creature!" Hissing, she started forward, only to hesitate when she saw the look on Willow and Tara's faces. "You're not listening to him, are you? He is the murderer, he and the monsters he protects! They are the villains here, not I!"

Willow was not sure who to believe. Both entities made convincing arguments, and she was having a hard time deciding which of them they should try and help. She turned to her lover, hoping she would have something else in mind, or have come to some conclusion of her own.

Tara, however, was was really no better off. Under normal circumstances, where humans were concerned, she could usually tell if one was lying or not by studying their aura. But these creatures were so different from what she was used to, that mystical ability did her no good. Besides, the pain in her arm and her side was making it a little too difficult for her to concentrate at any rate.

In addition, their spell was beginning to destabilize. The longer they held it the more their heads throbbed, and the demon continued to struggle. It was only a matter of time.

Ariel shook her head. "You can not free him. He'll kill you both as soon as look at you."

Willow's first instinct was, in fact, to see the demon as evil. After all, most such creatures they'd encountered were. On the other hand Ariel had been lying to them all this time, so it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine this was just another lie. It was all so...confusing.

Tara bit her lip. Their spell was unraveling, she could sense it. If they did not come to some kind of a decision soon, it would be taken out of their hands all together.

Willow, Tara and Ariel all saw a glint of something metal in its outstretched hand. The Succubus' eyes flashed and she licked her lips with a forked tongue. "You have the Window, don't you? Filthy beast! Give it to me! Give it to me, now!"

"Never!" Rage fueled the demon's strength, and it shoved against the invisible barrier with more force than the two witches could withstand. Willow and Tara fell to their knees, leaning into one another and gasping, while an aura of barely visible energy around the demon rippled and disappeared. It lurched forward, suddenly free, and a knowing smile on its leathery lips. "Finally!"

"No!" the Succubus shrieked. Her body convulsed, transforming into mist as the demon charged her, leaving it with only handfuls of empty air as it reached her and roared.

Willow and Tara looked on, exhausted, as the demon turned to face them. "Behind you!"

Both witches gasped as icy hands clamped down on each of their shoulders. As it happened, for Tara it was the already injured one, and she screamed in pain. Try as she might, Willow was unable to come to her defense, her own body was engulfed in white-hot shards of agony.

The Succubus sneered. "Mortal fools! You couldn't even keep a lowly Golothi at bay. What made me think the slayer and her friends would be any more capable? All of my power used to influence you and yours into killing this monster, wasted!" She shook her head, and laughed at the demon. "Your pathetic little Alyssa gave me more of a challenge. These two are nothing!"

"Do not harm them!" the demon bellowed, its eyes smoldering red. "Their auras are pure! They would be allies of my friend!" It took a step forward. "Release them!"

Ariel cocked her head. "No, I don't think so." She shrugged Tara aside, leaving the blond laying on her side and moaning in pain, then drew Willow up into her arms. "This one burns with passion. If we are to do battle, beast, I would have a taste of it!" Turning Willow's head, she kissed the redhead deeply, drawing on her fear and anger as a source of nourishment, and she fed hungrily.

"No!" the demon roared. It charged, again, and this time the Succubus was too preoccupied to simply avoid the massive creature's attempts to grab her. One huge hand clamped down on each of her arms, twisting Willow out of her grip as she was lifted over the demons head. "Murderer!"

Ariel screamed. "Take your hands off me, filthy animal!" Her hands started to glow, crackling with electricity, which surged down her arms and enveloped the demon. It held on as best it could, but before long the pain grew too great for even it to withstand, and it was forced to release her. The demon stumbled, trying to lurch away, as the Succubus reached for its massive shoulders. "Your lifeforce is foul. Like consuming darkness. But if it gets me the Window..." She smiled, baring her fangs. "I shall grin and bear it!"

The Succubus wrapped her arms and legs tightly around the demon, and sank her fangs into its thick, muscular neck. While it might have been stronger the demon was at a serious disadvantage, its arms could not reach Ariel in order to pull her off. As it was the demon could feel its lifeforce slowly ebbing away, and there did not seem to be anything the Golothi could do about it.

"N-No...can't let you..." It slumped to its knees, its huge hands reflexively unclenching. A large golden ring, its surface covered in strange runes, slid out of its palm and rolled across the floor in the general direction of Tara and Willow. "...the Window..."

Ariel's eyes flashed as she saw the ring. "Yes!" She leaped off the demon and reached for the bauble, but found it suddenly sliding across the floor away from her. The Succubus snarled at Tara, who had her hand outstretched in order to catch the ring as soon as it got close enough to her. "Witch!"

The demon had a little strength left, it seemed, as it reached out and grabbed Ariel's arm. She turned from Tara, briefly, and hissed at it. "Use...the Window..." it commanded. "Send her back to the hell from which she came or else she will destroy you and your lover!"

Ariel's body turned to mist, releasing her from the demon's grasp, and then she reformed in front of Tara, who cried out as the Succubus brought a foot down on her wrist. "That belongs to me!"

"Stop it!" Willow, on the verge of unconsciousness, nonetheless managed to raise her hands and mutter a spell she had learned from Tara. Thick, gray tendrils of mystical smoke billowed out of her fingertips and surrounded Ariel's head and entire upper torso. But where her lover had used it only to distract, and escape, the redhead had modified the spell somewhat, to actually stick with the target and cause discomfort. It did no actual damage, but anyone with the misfortune to be exposed to it, would feel as if they were breathing something so toxic it made their eyes and nostrils burn. "Leave her alone!"

Shrieking and hissing like a wild beast, Ariel stumbled back. "You...witch! What have you done?"

"W-Willow..." Both of Tara's arms hurt almost too much for her to move, but she still managed to roll over on her side and slide the ring across the floor toward the redhead.

Clutching it in her hand, Willow sat up and tried to think. She didn't know anything about this ring or what sort of power the so-called Window of Souls might have had, but from the demon had said she guessed it functioned something like a banishment spell. They had used them once or twice in helping Buffy, and she could only hope this one involved concentration as much as the others. She closed her eyes, and focused all of her willpower on the Succubus, on wanting to see her gone.

"What?" Still unable to see, Ariel must somehow have recognized what was happening and began to thrash and roar in an effort to get free. "No! No! It belongs to me!"

Willow's eyes widened as the ring started to glow. But the strain of maintaining a spell she did not understand took its toll. Already weak and disoriented, from everything she had been through, the redhead was on the verge of blacking out and knew she desperately needed help.

Barely conscious, the blond could still feel, as much as she heard, Willow's cries.

Summoning what little strength she had left, she reached out and touched the mind of her lover, bolstering her mental and mystical defenses as best she could.

She gritted her teeth and put all she had into the ring, into opening a doorway between dimensions and sending the Succubus back where it belonged. The only question left, was whether or not she had time to finish the spell before Ariel got free and came after them.

It quickly burned away what remained of the cloud spell and left her free, and angry. She glared around for the witch who had attacked her, only to see the ring in her hands. It was glowing brightly, and she could feel it from across the room. Her eyes widened in a combination of shock, fear, and rage.

The Succubus charged, hoping to get to Willow before the banishment spell took effect. If the witch died, she knew, the Window would cease to function for that particular moment. It would then be a simple enough for her to use it—to banish the demon, and then to release her people from the dimensional prison they had been placed into by Alyssa's people centuries ago.

Willow's eyes snapped open, momentarily glowing bright white. "You'll do nothing!" She pointed the ring, and a tornado-like swirl of mystical energy erupted from the jeweled surface, and enveloped the Succubus. It took a moment for her to realize her predicament, and then she screamed.

"NOOOO..." Ariel's tortured wail dwindled into nothingness as she was torn to pieces by the banishment spell, which breached the dimensional barrier between worlds. Before her Earthly essence ceased to exist, she hissed and spit one last time at the Golothi demon, then she was gone.

Willow's arms went limp, and her eyes rolled back in her head. She sank into blissful unconsciousness, a tired smile on her pale face. It was over. They had won.

Tara's eyes fluttered open briefly, and through a strange golden haze she saw the sneering, inhuman visage of a demon. It seemed to loom over her and she desperately wanted to scream, but no sound came out. It wasn't long before the icy embrace of unconsciousness swept over her once more.

When she awoke some time later, it was to a dull ache in her arm and a clear mind. She sat up, wincing as pain lanced down the length of her arm, which she was surprised to see had been placed in a crude sling. Most of the other pain was gone though, and she tried to remember what had happened.

It was all so confusing, and just thinking about it made her head hurt. So, instead, she shook her head and tried instead to think of Willow.

There had been a fight, she remembered now. Ariel and the demon at each other's throats, and she and Willow were caught in the middle. Her lover had, as always, been trying to help, and something had happened...Ariel had attacked them, trying to drain their lifeforces.

"Willow!" Tara's already pale face was now almost totally devoid of color. "Willow!"

A huge, hot, leathery hand clamped down on her uninjured shoulder. It was gentle, but still came as something of a shock, and she gasped as the demon leaned down.

The translation spell she and Willow cast had, obviously, worn off, but the demon did not seem to realize it. It didn't matter though, Tara thought she knew what it was saying.

"I'll stop yelling. Sorry." She bit her lip. "I know you don't understand me, but would you trust me enough to let me try something?" Slowly and carefully, so as not to anger or startle it, she raised her hands and gestured while she whispered a spell, in Latin, under her breath.

The demon lurched back and shuddered as the translation spell took affect. It cocked its head and glared at her for a moment, then nodded. "You are most fortunate."

"If I had been at my peak, your spell might not have worked. My breed is resistant to magic..." Its lips trembled slightly, which did not escape her notice. "...unless we are injured. Or exhausted. Only then do we become more vulnerable." It sighed. "Poor Alyssa. She died because I failed."

Tara felt for the demon, but had more pressing concerns at the moment. "Where is Willow?"

"Your heart-mate is nearby," the demon replied. "Her injuries were not as severe as yours. I did what I could to make her more comfortable. Look." It gestured to a far corner of the cavern—which, Tara only then realized had been lit with torches along several walls—where she could clearly see a familiar redhead laying on what seemed to be an animal hide of some kind. "She should awaken soon."

Tara breathed a sigh of relief. Willow was breathing, and her aura was still strong, though littered with enough dark spots to tell her she was still injured. She turned to the demon. "You did this?" She pointed to the sling, and the demon nodded. "Why?" She sighed. "Not to sound ungrateful, but why go through all this trouble just to help a couple of humans you don't really even know?"

"Because, I could sense the truth about you." the demon replied. "I have a sense about these things. That is why the Hybrul clan chose me to protect their Harbinger. Which..." It lowered its head. "I am ashamed to say, I failed to do. I have disgraced myself, and my people."

The demon sighed. "We were supposed to find the Window of Souls, and bring it back to the clan. That's all. It should have been that simple. This Sunnydale is far from our European home, but we didn't think this city would be so ripe with danger. For reasons I still don't understand, vampires attacked us not long after we reclaimed the Window. I fought most of them off, but Alyssa was still badly hurt. I brought her here, to a safe haven we'd been informed by the clan would be waiting for us, and did what I could to heal her."

"When the succubus attacked us, I was unprepared. My power was not at its peak, and her influence caused me to hesitate at a crucial moment. I tried to stop her, to protect Alyssa, but the succubus was faster than I was, and she struck my friend down with a single blow." The demon growled. "I recovered enough to fight her off, but the deed had already been done. I did not have the power left to save Alyssa. She died in my arms. The last thing she said to me, was her request that I keep the succubus from getting the Window."

"That's so sad." Startled by the voice from behind her, Tara glanced over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Willow was awake. She held her breath as the redhead limped toward them. "You've been here all this time, protecting her body and the ring?"

"I'm fine," said the redhead. She looked down at her lover's arm. "What about you?"

It rose to its full, impressive height. "Khan. I chose it from a figure in your human history."

The demon growled. "No! It is because of my failure she is dead. I have spent the last two days mourning, as is tradition among her people." He lowered his head. "I must fulfill the rites as put forth by my own, and put an end to this worthless sack of flesh and bone. My life is forfeit."

"I told you. I have failed in my duty. For a Golothi, there can be no greater dishonor."

Tara stepped forward. "Khan, wait! You can't. Alyssa wouldn't want you to do this, would she?"

As a cold breeze wafted through the cavern, the two witches and the demon all turned. A shimmering, spectral figure floated nearby, her face sad and withdrawn.

The demon shook his head. "No! I failed you! I allowed that...creature, to take your life!"

"Khan, no. It wasn't your fault!" Alyssa, the real one apparently, grew more upset and animated. "You were as brave as anyone could ever hope to be, putting your body between me and the Succubus. You were already injured from the fight with the vampires, though I know you tried to hide it from me. Ariel's attack came out of nowhere, and even you could not have been expected to be prepared for it." She shook her head. "You are my friend and I will miss you more than words can say, but you still have a task to perform." Her transparent features softened somewhat. "Remember what you promised me? Before I died you took me into your arms. I asked you to do one last thing for me..."

"The Window." Khan closed his eyes. "My death would have left it unprotected, and bring shame to me and my people. I am sorry, Alyssa. I am both a failure and a fool."

The ghost shook her head and smiled. "No. You are my hero." She turned to Willow and Tara. "You two...I owe you both. You have helped my friend here by saving his life, and though it may not mean as much as it used to, you have my gratitude. Thank you."

Alyssa lowered her head for a moment, and almost seemed embarrassed by what she was going to say. "I have one last favor to ask," she said quietly. "Of the three of you."

Buffy Summers stalked the cemetery with a stake in her hand, and a purpose on her mind.

It had been hours since Giles and the others had last seen Willow or Tara, and they called her back to the shop to tell the Slayer where they had said they were going. At first she was upset they had gone out on their own, but the fact no one had seen or heard from them since worried her. Besides the Goloth demon there were plenty of other vampires and demons who could have attacked them, or worse.

Giles and Xander remained at the Magic Box along with Anya, in case Willow or Tara called in, but the Slayer carried with her a cel-phone she had received from her Watcher as an early birthday present. She would call the other Scoobies, and vice-versa, as soon as she had something to report.

"I swear," the Slayer mumbled. "If anything's happened to them..." She didn't know Tara very well, even after all this time, and for some reason that really bothered her. But since she was the most important thing in Willow's life, that made her important to Buffy as well.

As she rounded a big stone crypt, the Slayer stopped in her tracks. Someone was watching her. A very familiar someone, unfortunately. Her eyes narrowed as she sighed.

Spike emerged from behind a tree, a cigarette clenched between his teeth. He spit it out and ground it beneath the heel of his boot. "Slayer," he mumbled.

For a moment, the vampire was taken aback. Did she know? But the look on Buffy's face told him she was just venting, so he took it in stride and shrugged his shoulders. "Now why would I do that?" He shoved his hands into the pockets of his duster. "It just so happens I was looking for a good throw down, and this is usually the place to find a few laughs." He looked her up and down. "Seems to me you're even tenser than usual. I take it soldier-boy hasn't much been around to take care of his 'duty' lately?"

"Shut up!" Problem was, he was right. She had only seen Riley once in the past week, and even then he seemed distracted by something he wouldn't talk about. Come to think of it, she had spent more time with Spike the last few days, than she had with Riley in nearly a month.

The vampire sneered. "Hit a nerve did I?" Shaking his head he turned to leave, a part of him wondering whether or not she was going to stop him. He needn't have worried.

He was slow to respond, and tried to hide the smug expression on his face. "Hmm?"

"I need your help." Buffy really hated asking the vampire for help, but as one of the many demonic denizens of the city he was usually well-connected. "It's Will. She and Tara disappeared, and I think this big gray demon may have something to do with it. Do you know anything?"

Buffy knew what he wanted. The vampire was nothing if not predictable. She reached into her pocket and drew out her cash. She didn't have much but she gave him what she could spare, then she crossed her arms and did the best she could to look menacing. As it turned out, not hard. "Now, talk!"

"Okay. Okay." The vampire shuddered. "I haven't seen the wonder-Wiccans about. Sorry." He raised his hands to ward her off. "But I've been hearing some pretty big stuff recently. Somebody dug up a pretty important magical doo-dad, and everybody seems to want it. Word is, the gypsies who originally conjured it and the succubi they're using it against showed up. Big noise. Not sure who won."

Buffy briefly considered staking him and taking her money back, but decided against it. "Listen, do me a favor and keep your eyes open, okay? Let me know if you hear anything."

Spike arched an eyebrow. "I think I hear something," he said with a straight face.

Willow, Tara and Khan took Alyssa's body out into the cemetery where—at her request—they proceeded to dig a hole so they could bury her. That way her spirit would be allowed to rest, as the witches had intended when the two of them set out with Ariel in the first place.

Unfortunately, almost as soon as they began, they were attacked. Vampires, half a dozen of them, who seemed determined to kill Khan. The demon was caught off guard and several of them knocked him to the ground, while the other attacked Willow and Tara.

Injured and exhausted, the witches had no power left to fight. The redhead screamed as her lover was lifted by a vampire, who was prevented from sinking his fangs into her neck by Willow beating him about the lower back and shoulders with her bare hands. It did no damage, of course, and each blow was weaker than the last, but Tara was dropped and seemingly forgotten as the vampire turned on Willow.

Khan, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by his attackers. Hissing and snarling, they sank their fangs into his upper arms after they discovered his neck was too thickly muscled for them to penetrate. The demon was on the verge of defeat, his strength at its lowest ebb, when one of the vampires made the mistake of sniffing around the body of Alyssa. At that, something inside of him snapped.

"NOO!" Bellowing, the Golothi's rage exploded as he lurched to his feet. He grabbed two of the vampires who were feeding on him and tore their heads off. Another, he threw so hard it was impaled on a tree branch and was turned to dust. Then he charged the one who was looming over Alyssa, but when he saw him coming she knew it was a lost cause and ran. The demon then attacked the last two, the ones who were after Willow and Tara, and he proved to be just as efficient as before, by tearing both of them apart.

As luck—all of it bad—would have it Khan was standing over a stunned Willow and Tara, his rage still seething, when Buffy arrived on the scene. She saw the demon, the one she had been searching for as far as she knew, and understandably jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Hey!" The Slayer braced herself as the demon turned to face her. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size, you big, ugly son of a bitch?!"

Buffy leaped up and executed a perfectly placed spin-kick, meant to incapacitate the demon with a blow to the head that would render him unconscious with a minimum of effort.

But the demon twisted his body at the last moment, jerking his head to one side so the Slayer's kick went wide and struck him in the shoulder instead. Even so he was staggered by the impact, and was practically knocked off his feet, landing flat on his back with an angry roar.

"You know, I've been reading up on you," the Slayer said through clenched teeth. "You guys are strong, and you can obviously take a punch, but like all demons you've got a weakness." As he rose, she smiled. "Your throat. It's your one weak spot, right?" The demon snorted and huffed, but she just laughed. "Don't tell me gruesome get his feelings hurt?" He growled angrily. "Tell you what..." She reached over her shoulder, and drew a short sword she had borrowed, from Giles, for just this occasion. "Let's just put you out of your misery, 'cause I really don't like anybody messing with my friends!"

Khan snorted and charged her again, but this time the Slayer was ready. She ducked his clumsy attempt to take her head off with a forearm, and instead drove the hilt of the sword up into his stomach with incredible force. It took all the air out of the demon's mighty lungs at one time, and brought him to his knees. As he sat there trying to catch his breath, she raised the sword over her head.

The redhead was hurt, that much was clear, and her balance was almost nonexistent as she leaned against a tree to keep from simply falling over, but she seemed to be fully aware of what she was asking. The Slayer hesitated, though only a for moment, before lowering her arms.

"Not even remotely," the redhead replied. "But I couldn't just sit by and let you hurt Khan."

Buffy blinked as she stared down at the demon. "Khan?" She shook her head. "Will, I trust you and all, but what the hell is going on?" She could see Tara starting to get to her feet behind the redhead, and the blond looked just as much the worse for wear as her girlfriend. "What happened to you two?"

Khan rose to his full, imposing height in front of Buffy. "I apologize," the demon grumbled. "I didn't know you were the friend Willow and Tara spoke so highly of." He held out one huge hand, which she took hesitantly. "My name is Khan. I am honored to meet you, Slayer."

"It's a long story," said Willow. "One we'll get into later. First..." She gestured to Alyssa's body. "...do you think you could give us a hand?"

Rupert Giles sat in the Magic Box, along with Xander and Anya, listening intently as Willow and Tara finished recounting their recent encounter. Buffy, having already heard the story, checked one more time, to be sure her friends were okay, and since the danger was past she returned to the hospital. Khan stood in a nearby corner, his towering frame dominating everything around him.

"Let me see if I've got this straight." Xander was having a hard time with the whole story. "So the ghost...wasn't a ghost at all? She was, what? One of these sucky-bitches?"

"A Succubus," Giles replied dryly. "Polymorphic creatures. Able to manipulate their physical structure at will, in order to become the object of their victim's desire." He could tell from the deer-in-headlights expression on Xander's face, that he still did not understand. "Anya. You try."

"They can change their shape, and become your ideal person," the ex-demon replied. "Comes with the empathy power, to tap into and control human emotions."

"I think that's what she was doing when she was here," said Willow. "Using us. She wanted us so mad, we would go out and kill Khan without a second thought. Especially with Buffy around. But I don't think she counted on us finding Alyssa's body, and him along with it. We messed up her plans."

Giles nodded. "Succubi are said to be master manipulators. The two of you are fortunate to have survived your encounter with her." He glanced at Khan, who seemed surprised to be acknowledged. "Which, as I understand it, is due in no small part, to you. You have my gratitude, sir."

"I still have some connections," Giles replied. "It would be a fairly simple task."

The demon glanced at Willow and Tara, who were smiling, then turned back to Giles and extended his hand. "I accept your offer, Mr. Giles. Thank you."

"Congratulations, Khan. You're homeward bound," said Willow. "What will you do first?"

"Go to see Alyssa's family," the demon replied. "And try to explain to them what happened to their daughter. It will not be a pleasant task, but one my duty demands I undertake."

Tara nodded. "They should at least be pleased you're returning the Window to them."

Khan shook his head. "Before she died, Alyssa asked me to protect the ring. At first, I assumed that meant she wanted me to return it to her people. I see now my mistake." He took a deep breath. "You two are powerful, and I can imagine no better protectors than you and Tara."

"Won't the Hybrul need the power of the ring to stop the other Succubi?" Tara asked. "We defeated Ariel, but I imagine others of her kind are lurking out there. Waiting."

"Perhaps." Khan frowned. "But Ariel was the last of her particular brood, you see. With her banishment, a long and bloody feud will finally see it's ending. The Hybrul would be free, and thus have no need of the Window any longer." He smiled. "It's yours. Please. I know you'll keep it safe."

Willow glanced at Tara, who shrugged her shoulders, and then nodded. "If you think it's best, then we would be honored." She took it from him, then leaned into Tara and sighed. "Let's go home."

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Love, Honor and Obey

By Kirk Baldridge

Kirk@mysticmuse.net