Mourning My Loss:Completed!

Mourning My Loss
By: Oracle Of Magic

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the BTVS characters, they are the property of Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy productions. No copyright infringement is intended. I am writing this story purely for enjoyment.

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Part 14

I wake up slowly blinking my eyes. I try to get a sense of my surroundings. I’m laying on my stomach on a cold stone floor. It’s dark, save for one small light flickering in the distance.

My head hurts, I hope I didn’t hit it. Where am I? Where’s Tara? I slowly drag myself to my feet, having to pause as my heads starts to spin. Or maybe it’s the room, I don’t know.

I look around the room, some sort of cave I think. I can’t really tell in the near darkness. My eyes focus on the flickering light. That must be where I need to go. The spell didn’t mention anything about this.

I walk towards the light, as I draw closer I can see it’s from a single candle. When I get there I find the entrance to a long passage. I take a deep breath and start walking. I don’t know how long I wander around down here, in the dark it’s hard to tell.

I finally reach a room light by hundreds of candles. A woman is sitting on what looks like. Is that a throne? She’s dressed in a royal purple robe. Am I really here? What’s going on.

“Hello Willow,” the woman says, her voice stopping me in my tracks.

“Where am I?” I ask. “And how did you know my name?”

“That is not important,” she answers. “Your spell brought you here.”

“Where’s Tara?” I demand, my eyes narrowing.

“That is what we need to discuss,” she answers.

“Where is she? I cast this spell to bring her back,” I say. “Who are you?”

“I am The Goddess Of Resurrections,” she answers simply. I stare at her in shocked amazement. “I know why you cast the spell.”

“Then why isn’t Tara back?” I nearly cry.

“Because, for a spell of this magnitude, something must be exchanged,” she answers, in that same annoyingly calm voice.

“What do you want? I’ll give you anything, just bring Tara back,” I plead.

“A simple trade, a life for a life,” she answers. “The life of your child, for the life of your love.” This can’t be happening. She didn’t just. She can’t have.

“W-what?” I stutter. She looks at me with that same calm gaze.

“The life of your child for Tara’s life,” she states again. My face hardens. The life of our baby for Tara? What kind of trade is that?

“You can’t be serious,” I state.

“I’m perfectly serious,” she answers. “You said you would give anything to have her back, I am giving you the opportunity to do so. When you cast your spell, you invoked my help.”

My hand quickly moves down to my stomach. “Don’t worry, you’re still pregnant,” she answers the question I had not yet asked. “You have to make a choice, a child you and she created out of your love, or Tara.”

“You’re willing to take the life of an innocent?” I ask, trying to reason with her.

“Are you?” she asks.

“How the hell do you expect me to decide between them? I love them both. Tara’s my soul mate, my love. This child, I love it already, it was created of both of us. I can’t choose,” I cry.

“You must,” she answers. I start to cry. What am I going to do? This can’t be real. I manage to stagger over to the edge of the chamber. I fall to my knees and throw up.

The Resurrection Goddess, or whoever she is watches me with a detached gaze. “You need to decide, I can’t wait here all day,” she says.

I manage to stop my wrenching stomach and turn to her. “Shut up! Shut the hell up!!” My head is throbbing, and my heart feels like it’s encased in ice. The familiar pain seeping into me. I climb to my feet, staring the woman down.

I start to mutter some words of a spell, but she raises her hand, and I feel the strength leave my body. “No need for that,” she says. It’s all I can do to remain standing. “Have you chosen?”

“How can I chose between the two people I love most in this world?” I ask.

“I thought the answer was quite simple,” she states.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask.

“The child you are carrying is not yet three months old, trading it for Tara seems to be the thing to do,” she says. “It’s not like the baby matters.” I’m too shocked to move.

Not important? It’s my baby, it’s part of Tara and I. We made this child together. “How can you say that?” I croak.

“Very well, I see you wont listen to reason,” she says.

“What reason? You’re not making any sense,” I reply.

“Hmm, what to do,” she ponders. “It’s obvious it will take a bit more to convince you.” She sits there taping her fingers on the arm of her chair. “I have it, I’ll let you see your love. I’m sure that will convince you.”

“You’ll let me see Tara?” I almost cry.

“Just for a short time, so you will make your decision,” she answers. With that, she waves her hand and suddenly I’m surrounded by light. It grows brighter and brighter till I have to shut my eyes. Where am I going?

“On last thing,” the voice whispers to me. “If you choose Tara, you and she will not be able to perform another ritual to have a child. I give you fair warning.”


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tbc.....

So, whatcha think? I look forward to hearing all your opinions, good or bad.

Blessed Be,
Sarah