Title: Rotted Tree
Author: Kate R.
Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein.
Rating: PG-13 to R
Pairings: Ares/Joxer, Cupid/Strife, Xander/Spike, Giles/Ethan, Angel/Wes
Summary: Buffy's death brings Changes Willow does not want to see happen.
Warning: Willow bashing ahead!
Notes: Crossover with the Greek Gods and Xena/Herc
Rotted Tree
by Kate R.
Giles wasn't in the shop again. Willow was getting frustrated because he'd barred and warded the doors so she couldn't get in to take anything for her spells. She wanted him here where he belonged. She wanted them all where she had manipulated them to go. But, No. Ever since Buffy had died they had all been doing things other than what she had said they should be doing. Giles was not here.
Dammit, where was he? She needed him here so she could go in and take ingredients. She needed him here so she could steal his books. She wanted him here where she said he belonged, not at that house he'd bought for himself and Ethan. Ethan didn't belong here. She thought she'd arranged for him to be gone permanently as well but apparently not.
Willow gave herself a frustrated scream and then stalked to his house to tell him to get back to work in his shop where he belonged. She hated this. Hated not being able to see and control everyone. She muttered and fumed the whole way and then, when she got there, she got yet another shock. "NO!" She screamed when she saw it.
Giles was working an honest to Goddess Forge.
"No, no, no!"
She stared as she saw it. Giles had built the forge by hand and begun working it. This is where he'd been. And it wasn't just Any Forge. No, Giles was Forging Magic in the fire and on the anvil. He made things from metal, yes, but he also banged out Magic on that forge and Willow stared.
It wasn't possible. She'd used spells so he'd never be able to do this. It wasn't for him. She was the only one who was supposed to have that kind of power. "It Isn't Fair!"
Willow stared as she watched Giles hammer out metal. She built magic in her hands and hurled it at him and all it did was bounce off and he did not even know she was there. She just stared, her eyes beginning to turn black with hate as she realized it was too late to stop things. The New Gods were awakening. And there was nothing she could do about this time. Giles working that Forge instead of Xander was proof of that. Giles who was the son of Hephaestus. She had tried to change it by forcing Xander into the role of builder but now she knew, Giles was awakening to his nature. And there was no a damn thing she could do to stop it.
Part 2
Giles' forge the next day
Giles was working the forge he'd built. Willow had been watching since sunrise when he'd come out and begun to work on something. It was just passed sunset now and she could see the sword he ahd made was glowing with blue fire. She wanted it for herself but she knew she'd never be able to use I and she hated Giles for that. Hated him for having this power and not giving her what she wanted.
"Hey, Rupes," Spike said as he and Dawn walked up to the forge. "I brought it mate."
Giles took the things Spike had brought and nodded. He attached the two things, a handle and a hilt, to the sword and then handed the whole thing to Spike. Spike grinned as he held it and Willow stared, glaring hatefully from where she was spying. The sword had the symbol for the House and God of War etched into it. Spike was the one who was Ares' Son. Dammit, she's manipulated Spike to be more like Strife, an annoyance. Spike wasn't supposed to be War in her mind. Xander was so War would die. But, no, Spike was and Giles, the Builder, had just given him a sword.
Willow hated this. All of her careful plotting and manipulations were coming undone and her plans and dreams were falling around her like a cheap house of cards. Ever since Buffy had died, her plans had begun to come undone.
Stupid, Selfish Buffy had to die and trigger their powers. Even Tara was more than she was or would ever be, Stupid, mousy, ugly Tara. Xander, her joke, and boy had she loved making him into a prejudiced joke, was becoming something other than what she wanted him to be.
Ethan was obviously strong and powerful and one of them. And so were Angel and Wesley she'd bet. Stupid, wimpy Wesley and broody, depressed Angel. Dammit, it wasn't fair. They didn't deserve to be special. No one did but her.
LA
The fight was going badly. Wolfram and Heart were dumping endless demons on them and they were getting tired. It was just down to him and Wesley on their feet right now. Gunn was trying to guard Fred and Cordy, both of whom had been taken down so he couldn't leave them to help fight off the big crush.
"Keep Fighting!" Angel yelled. He'd tried to hate Wesley for the whole Connor thing but he couldn't and he knew why. Connor had been unnatural. Connor did not belong. Someone had tried to insert Connor to break the bond between he and Wes. And still, Wes had tried to save the little monster.
"Wes, No!" Angel cried out as he saw Wes stagger after taking a blow to the shoulder and fall. Angel roared his fury as his chosen Mate was knocked to the ground and demons piled on top of him. "WESLEY!!!!" Angel shouted.
He saw Wes' hand still raised and then heard his beloved cry out in pain. Something happened though. Something Angel would never in a million years be able to describe in truth. Light filled the room. Bright light of such rich and beautiful colors that he'd never seen such before. And in the center of that light was a horse with fire for a mane and tail. A golden horse that stomped and snorted fire. And it charged down on the demons that were attacking Wes, burning then, setting them ablaze and trampling them. Wesley's hand caught the mane and he pulled himself up on to the horse. His clothes were in tattered ruins. His pants and been ripped at the calf and only his socks remained on his feet. His shirt hung off him in rags and yet, on that horse, he looked like a lord.
He pulled from seemingly nowhere a bow and he knocked it with a silver arrow that was in his hand in a moment. The arrow flew into the heart of Holland Masters and he fell. Not dead, but by the Gods would he be wishing for it.
Another horse appeared in front of Angel. This one seemed to be made of midnight black and purest silver. Angel mounted it and it whickered. He and Wes grinned at each other as they turned and pulled their teammates on to the horses with them. Angel took Fred and Gunn, Wesley took Cordelia and Lorne and they rode back to the Hyperion.
Once the others were there, Angel looked at Wesley and nodded. They rounded the horses and took off again, heading south. South to Sunnydale.
Part 3
A meeting. Willow was enraged. The others were having a Meeting. A meeting she had not been invited to.
Well, she thought. We'll just see about this.
She stormed up to the door of the magic box and blew it open.
Her eyes were glowing black and she was furious. How Dare they have a meeting and not ell her so she could direct it.
"What is going on here?" she demanded. "Who do you think you all are?"
"People with free will," Giles retorted as he set a bowl of Cheesy Chips in front of Xander. "Who do you think you are coming into my store while it's closed?"
"That's not what you are supposed to say!" Willow yelled. "You're supposed to say, nothing Willow, We were waiting for you to help us decide "
"Oh, were we?" Giles asked acerbically. "And how would you know our thoughts eh? How would you know what we would say in any situation? What makes you think you know our minds so well?"
"BECAUSE I TELL YOU, THAT'S WHY!" Willow screamed. "You all shouldn't say or do anything but what I want you to do! I say what you think and feel and do! I say how you react and what you say!"
"Oh, you do, do you?" Giles asked. "And why do you think you have the right? What makes you the one who decides that?"
"Because I'm the only one who should be Special!" Willow screamed angrily. "None of you deserve to be special! None of you are like me! None of you deserve to be anything but my little puppets! I'm the one who deserves to be special! I'm the one who deserves everything! I'm the smart one and the pretty one!"
"Only on the outside," a British voice not Giles or Spike said from behind her.
Willow spun and found herself facing Wesley and Angel
"No," she stammered. "You don't belong here. I sent you both away. You don't! You Don't! YOU DON'T!"
"And you're how old?" Angel asked casually brushing her aside. "Sorry we're late, the Horses wanted to take a detour. Oh, Willow, you can leave now."
"NO! Everyone here is mine! I say what goes and I say you all stop thinking you're anything but what I said you were!"
"You wish," Xander said.
Tara stared at her, so did Spike.
Willow felt an angry stare on her from someone else and looked. There, standing in font of her were two winged people. One had black wings and was female. One had white wings and was male.
"You want to be going now," the female said. "Before either Cupid or I lose our tempers."
"Course you should really be afraid of Giles there," the male said. "After all, his mother is Hecate."
"WHAT?!?!" Willow screamed. "No! That's a lie! If anyone belongs to Hecate it should be me! I'm powerful!"
"Not by half," the female said. "You aren't jack shit compared to anyone on this room. But you know that don't you? You know you couldn't hold a match to them so you tried to destroy them. Sadly for you, that won't happen. Not now and not ever!"
Willow stared and then slowly backed out of the shop. She turned and ran once she cleared the door and the other two looked at the seven of them.
"Hi," the male said. "I'm Cupid, she's Lust. We're part of The New Council same as you guys are. Those two arriving brought us."
"Hello, Ethan," the female said.
The Chaos lord looked at her and them smiled as his eyes teared up. She grabbed him in a tight hug and he just held her back: "Mommy," he whispered.
"Whoa," Dawn said. "Cool."
END PART 3