Willow blinked at her mom.They still didn�t get it.They didn�t understand that Willow was on the verge of something really big, really important here.All of her life, everything she had been and done had led her to this place, this apex in her existence.She was meant to change the world, it was her birthright, her destiny, and no one was going to get in her way.
Will ran a hand through her red locks and sat on a round stone that other creatures capable of sitting had no doubt taken advantage of over the millennia.�You guys don�t understand.� Willow met her niece�s accusatory gaze, �I would never hurt William or your Dad � Spike.They aren�t evil. Sure, Spike isn�t strictly human, but he isn�t a monster either, or he isn�t anymore.I�m only talking about things that are mostly to completely evil.� And some of those things were human, although Willow didn�t think they were quite ready to hear that.But no doubt about it, the prisons were overflowing with evil people.Humans make some of the worst monsters � Ariel Castro, who held those three girls captive in his house for 10 years.Jeffrey Dahmer � the Milwaukee Cannibal, who raped, murdered, dismembered and then ate 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. He had body parts in his fridge and freezer when they captured him.Then there was Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey.The horrors just went on and on.
She looked pleadingly to her mom, �Don�t you see?We have a chance to remake the world, to erase the bad and let the good shine.We�ve all lived with evil for so long we just take it for granted, that its something that will always be a part of our lives.It doesn�t have to be that way.�
Far off in the distance, something roared, a deep, thunderous, and angry sound.Willow stood and her gaze turned apprehensively towards the cave entrance, �We need to go.Talk about evil, that thing out there - its really bad.�
Typically Katie would have been overjoyed to be a part of one of Willow�s projects, begging for involvement. There was something about her plan that didn�t set well with the girl. �Aunt Willow my daddy is a monster. Are you going to hurt him?� he was in a manner of speaking. He was a good man, but he wasn�t human. Vampires didn�t belong in their world. He would be considered a beast. �My little brother, my family, and all my friends,� she held her breath. Most of the people she cared about had very inhuman attributes. Did this plan include her? She had demon in her blood. What kind of world was this going to be? Nothing but humans running around tending to their mundane lives?
The hug from her Mom was a little awkward.Will could sense suspicion from Anna, suspicion and concern.Of course they�d be concerned for her.Will had gotten majorly addicted to black magic once.They no doubt thought it was happening again.Willow grinned and waved at John, �Nice to meet you, too!You hunted with my Mom?� She glanced back at Anna, �You never told me about him.� Her words just barely avoided carrying a hint of accusation.�But that�s cool.I�ve done some hunting in my time, too.�
They hadn�t answered her question about going back to L.A., or anyplace else.Will could do it for them easily enough.Real easy, in fact.John and Anna were looking at her as if they expected her to explain herself, and as they did, the silence in that cave began to dig in, getting a toe hold like it had a mind to stay for a while.So Will slayed it before it became something hulking and monstrous, �Ok, so this little project I have going.Its an experiment is all.Like a high school science project.I need to figure a few things out yet, and there�s still some stuff I have to find here � doesn�t look like much grows out there, but on the other side of this planet its lush like a tropical rain forest.All kinds of exotic herbs.And here, on this side, the rocks are almost aglow with power.There�s nothing like it on our world. Anyway, if I can pull this off, things will be better for us back home.John, you won�t have to hunt monsters anymore, because there won�t be any.The world will be the place it was meant to be.�
Will hugged her niece and patted her on the back.After the hug, Will glanced around the room.Her Mom didn�t look as happy to see her as Katie was.The man�s expression was guarded.�No need to be worried about �lil ole me.I can take care of myself.� She grinned and shrugged again.�Maybe I should have left a message on my phone � gone to alternate universe, be back soon � or something like that.But seriously, this place is majorly juiced.You guys must have felt it, right?That�s why I�m here.I came to pick up some, uh, supplies.For a little project I�ve been working on.Nothing big, just something to keep me busy.�
�But I�m a little worried about you guys.This place isn�t exactly Sleepyville, USA.More like Sunnydale ramped up a few gears.Sunnydale on a bad day.�As if her words could summon the bad, something roared outside the cave, and it was close.�That�s a hell beasty that in these parts is called a Rostreul.They fly on leathery wings, have talons like a Harpy, and a face and a lopsided grin, kind of like Dick Cheney.�She shivered and hugged herself, �Its really really scary.�It screeched again, sounding like it was just outside the cave entrance.Willow wiggled her nose, imitating Samantha Stevens from Bewitched.The screech was cut off abruptly.�But they�re easy to deal with, if you know how,� she remarked cheerfully.
�So its not too hard to get here, but a lot harder to get back. Do you guys want to go back?Los Angeles?Someplace else?Anywhere you want.�Will�s gaze shifted to the man.�And are you going to introduce me to your friend?�
�AUNT WILLOW,� Katie rushed over tackling the red head.There was something different about her aunt as she embraced her causing her to release her. It felt awkward momentarily unnerving her. �We were worried about you,� she stepped back. Willow looked normal. �I opened the portal,� she announced proudly. She failed to mention the fact she couldn�t do the spell in reverse. The original spell had also wasn�t hers, but she wanted her aunts approval.
Willow didn�t hide her abilities like Katie�s mother. Kat thought of magic as a responsibility. The angel probably didn�t even know everything she could do. She didn�t act like she had that much power. It was a waste of talent. Willow didn�t try to be normal. She studied and practiced regularly. She was a badass wicca. Katie liked that. She wanted to be like her. �We were worried.�
Willow had known, of course, of the man stranded here from her world.But she had no idea he was associated with Anna or her family in any way.It was an uncomfortable and unlikely coincidence.When Willow had discovered him here, she had thought of simply shipping him back, but it seemed like a distraction.And he was part of the landscape.For all she knew, he wanted to be here. Besides, he seemed to have figured out how to survive in this universe.Resourceful is the word that came to mind.
So her family thought Willow had run off the tracks again, had taken a plunge into the realm of dark sorcery and dangerous magics that would suck her in like a whirlpool and refuse to spit her out again until the world was in ruins.But it wasn�t like that at all.Willow was in complete control this time.No black eyes, black hair, or yucky veiny skin. There was nothing, no recent events in her life that would cause her to go into emotional meltdown like when Tara was killed by Warren.Besides, she�d been able to bring Tara back.Everything was good in the personal aspects of her life. She simply had discovered a new road ahead, one that was made possible by magic, a road that led to a new and better world.But Willow wasn�t ready to discuss it yet with Anna, Kat, or anyone else.The tapestry of the future was just starting to take shape in her mind; her family and friends wouldn�t understand.
So, as much as she hated the idea of having to confront them � she had wished they would simply decide this place was too dangerous and just go back - Will decided it was time to drop in on Anna, Katie, and this man she knew virtually nothing about.So, she took a deep breath, let it out, and then walked casually into the cave with her hands tucked into the pockets of her cargo pants and a signature innocent Willow grin on her face, �Hey!Whats up?�
�So were stuck here,� Katie�s voice cracked her eyes welled up. She took John�s story as a sign of hopelessness. He had been trapped here for a very long time. He obviously didn�t know a way out or he would have already taken it. She watched her grandmother studying the cave. This was his home. Would they have to live like this the rest of their lives? She couldn�t stay here. She had dances to go to and boys to date. There were no cell phones or internet. John�s words pulled her from her nightmare. �Apport? Archimage? Apport has to do with paranormal transference. An acheimage is like a supreme witch or wizard. They are like supercharged. I don�t know what that would have to do with a bunch of rocks unless they could give someone power. You know like a transfer of energy,� she trembled as she tried to reply. She cocked her head as she looked up at him wondering where he could have heard those words around here. It was hard for her to deny the rumbling in her stomach. �What do you eat?� More importantly she wondered about the things the adults were telling her. Did he know about the energy she felt around here? Why had they touched like that? There was something going on between them.
The strange man had saved her life. He had led them to a safe place. From the looks of things he had been here for awhile. She didn�t like that. It made her worry about being stuck in this place for a long time. Katie plopped down on a bolder. It wasn�t ideal, but after the experience she had, had she needed to sit. �Use to what??�Anna had suspiciously trailed off in her explanation. He was a hunter? There was more going on there than what her grandmother was saying. Katie wasn�t a little kid. She knew better. She continued to sit there observing the pair as they conversed observant of their body language. She had learned the habit of watching people and reading them from her father. He was terrible perceptive. Anna was leaning in which she spoke to John. He was doing the same. Had he just brushed her hand? Katie cast her eyes to the floor pretending not to notice.
