Kragdon

PART 15: Goddess

Like Willow, Faith's eyes turned completely black as hair covered her entire body. A deep resonating growl escaped from her throat as she took in the threat. Standing full up right Faith saw but didn't react as Sar'ah flew towards the red witch only to be turned into a kitten. Selena seeing this was the next one to attack. Raising her hand Faith conjured a wall stopping Selena mid air and putting her down. She heard her sisters growl and sympathized with her but could do nothing about it. This was not what she wanted. This was not the reason she had come here for.

"Willow! no!" Tara yelled as she watched what was going around her. She couldn't believe what was happening. Tara knew that Willow was powerful but not this powerful. It hadn't been until Tara saw Willow's eye's that she knew it wasn't her Willow, but a black magick possessed Willow. She didn't know what to do any other person she could stop with a simple prayer to the goddess and a quick binding spell but this was Willow. Her Willow. She was at a crossroads. She watched as Willow turned one of the likens into a kitten and was about to give the same fate to the other one. Thankfully before that could happen Faith had erected a barrier keeping Selena back.

Buffy stared in amazement at what was going on. She was too shocked to react at first but with Faith and Willow challenging each other like this she felt that she had to do something. Hearing Willow chant she rushed forward to tackle her, only to be stopped by Willow's hand.

"Omnis curla tre. Take mine enemy away from me." Willow chanted throwing her hand out towards Faith, the power flowing from her hand seemed a mix stream of black and green.

Faith stood there watching it come to her knowing that if she braced herself at just the right moment it wouldn’t affect her in any permanent way. Of the six years that she had been in Xairna she had learned a lot about magick and of how much damage she could take, and still be able to stand up fighting. About how much power she personally had. She had also learned that the panther had always been inside her; even though Willow may be powerful she wasn't strong enough to take down a high priestess like Faith.

Dawn pushed her way through Xander who was trying to hold her back while still rooting for Willow to take down Faith. She had to see what was going on. Having enough from Xander, Dawn took a page from Faith's book, bringing her foot up she slammed her heel down on his instep, grabbing his head as he bent down she brought her knee up slamming it into his face knocking him out and breaking his nose. Though she hoped that she didn't. Running for the door, she pushed Anya back as soon as the ex-demon tried to grab her. Dawn got to the door just in time to see the blast hit Faith and consume her.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! FAITH!!!!!!!!!" Wanting to rush to her, Dawn hadn't anticipated Giles grabbing her around the waist preventing her from coming any closer towards the blast. "FAITH!!!!! Let go, Faith!!!!" hitting Giles didn't help she could only watch with tears in her eyes as the light got bigger, 'she didn’t even scream' she thought as more tears fell down.

Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion. Buffy could only watch as the love of her life was consumed by a magical blast, her sister trying to fight Giles to let her go as it got stronger tears falling from her face, screaming trying to get to Faith. Willow with her black eyes floating down from where she was levitating, Tara falling to her knees as she stared at the devastation that was happening in front of her. Buffy’s eyes were shifting from what was happening around her to the light that was still getting bigger and brighter. In fact it was getting so bright that she had to shield her eyes from the glare.

*****

Faith had braced herself a second before the blast had hit her. She used the time before to channel her energy enough to where she would be able to absorb the blast. She had done it only once before, a year ago. It had almost killed her cause the power that she had gathered by absorbing that blast gave her too much power. She took out the surrounding forest and abandoned village located a mile away just releasing it as well as destroying the warlock hunter that had tried to kill her.

As it hit her Faith felt the grief, betrayal, worry, and anger that had transported itself from Willow to the blast that she had shot out at her. It was almost too much for her to bare. It was so wrought with feeling that it brought Faith to her knees. Grimacing through the pain Faith absorbed most of it, adding her own fire to the mix. Tears were streaming down her face, when she heard Dawn heart wrenching cry for her, she just couldn't take it. Reaching down inside her asking for the slayer within to help her eyes were no longer black but a deep dark brown, green and yellow flecks flashing as slayer, animal and Faith the girl combined into one being.

Turning the dark greenish light into a bright pure white light taking away all the negative that was collected in to it and latching on to only the good. Instead of the cold that she had first felt, she felt warmth surrounding her, caressing her skin like a baby blanket. She could feel love and joy, happiness and ecstasy all in one surrounding her. The hair on her body receded, her flesh became smooth and glowed as if she had been touched by something holy. The hair on her head grew longer, wavier and seemed to weave around her as a if it were a blanket. As she rose from the ground she allowed the light to fill and surround her. As it got brighter to almost blinding, she could feel all those around her. Could feel the devastation, the pain, the sadness that the world had to offer. She felt the joys, the happiness, and the love that was within the world. She was exhalted, connected to the world like no other person, she could feel cloth cover her body, shelter her. It was in that moment that she knew her destiny what she was here to do. What needed to happen. And it saddened her, it made her feel such sorrow that she knew only one way to express it.

The light grew brighter and larger touching everyone in the shop, even Willow. Feelings of love, warmth and joy filled everyone in the shop. Casting out all the black magick that had stain Willow soul. Casting out the fears and sorrow that filled all that were near her.

"Oh, Goddess." Tara murmured still on her knees crying only this time they were tears of joy.

Giles had put Dawn down a while ago staring in awe at what was happening before them. Buffy stood there with her sister by her side both staring at the light receding before them. Willow who was also crying had moved over to Tara and was holding her as her lover cried with her. In her head she was thinking 'wow'.

Xander was staring from the spot on the floor, no longer knowing why he had felt such hate earlier. Looking up at his soon to be fiancé, tears also appeared in his eyes as he thought of the love that he felt for this woman. Anya who had been staring at the light with a hand over her heart, a single tear slipping from her eye as the light disappeared and there stood a woman, Faith. Whispered under her breath "A Goddess is born."