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Power
by Steph
The conversation was not going as Giles would have liked. In truth,
it was
worse than he had feared. Willow stood defiantly in the darkness of
the
kitchen, defending her magical resurrection of Buffy.
"I wasn't lucky, I was amazing. How would you know anyway? You weren't
even
there."
Giles temper was frayed beyond hope by Willows stubborn refusal to acknowledge
how foolhardy her actions had been. He snapped at her.
"If I had been I'd have bloody well stopped you! The Magicks you channeled
are
more primal and ferocious than you can hope to understand, and you're
lucky to
be alive, you rank, arrogant amateur."
With that, Giles turned to leave, hoping his words would have weight
with the
intelligent, sensible girl Willow once was, if not the reckless woman
she was
now. Her voice stopped him.
"You're right. The Magicks I used are incredibly powerful. I'm incredibly
powerful." Her tone, her expression- she was too full of herself
still, Giles
thought. Maybe he could try again later, after she had time to
think. "And
maybe it's not such a good idea for you to piss me off."
Unable to fully contain his derision at her conceit, Giles snorted and
turned,
wondering again, why he was giving her another chance rather than ...
"Confutare." Willow murmured. The door closed, slamming back against
Giles,
forcing him to take a step back into the room. Her voice seemed
to come from
all around her, swirling in electric vortices. "I'm not finished"
Giles turned back to face her, his face a study in impassivity.
Willow felt
herself flush with anger at his lack of response. His voice was
low, flat.
"Oh yes, Willow. You are most definitely "
"Attinere." She spat.
"-finished." Giles concluded. Willow's mouth hung open in shock.
He should
not have been able to- She noted then, the hand extended to her,
a small
blue stone in his palm. He closed his hand, then, letting it
fall to his side.
He took a step closer to her, his voice dropping to a low growl.
"Stupid girl. Despite everything you've learned and how you've
grown, you
still cannot see beyond your own selfish wants. You think to
continue to do as
you wish; rationalizing that you are the one standing between your
friends and
certain doom. In truth, if doom comes, it will come from your
insistence to
play at things more fearsome than you can imagine.
Oh, Willow, I know the temptation- the allure- the exhilaration.
And the
failures have not had quite enough consequence to make you question
your
activities. It is heady, the power of the sorcerer- or sorceress.
But the
life is fraught with myriad perils, consequences that reach far beyond
our own
lives; prices to be paid in blood.
It is compelling, but I tell you Willow, that in which you have so carelessly
dabbled is restricted. Dangerous to all but those who show the
deepest
respect, exercise the fullest restraint. In magick, as in life,
it is not so
much a matter of whether one can, but rather if one should.
And you should
not have. You know that. But you could not resist the siren song
of power."
He sighed then, the burden of his knowledge, his position, weighing
heavily on
him.
"Yes, you are powerful. But you are more than that.
You are irresponsible
and, therefore, dangerous. I should have seen this coming; perhaps
selectively
tutoring you instead of completely warning you off. But that
is neither here
nor there." Again, Giles sighed deeply, drawing himself up to
his full height,
looking Willow in the eye. "You cannot be allowed to continue
on this path you
have chosen."
Giles murmured an incantation that Willow could not quite grasp.
The stone in
his extended hand hummed softly, then a blue light flashed around her,
blazing
white before winking out.
"Giles, what have you done!"
"I'm sorry, Willow. It's better this way. I had hoped you would
see reason,
that you might have shown even the slightest trace of remorse.
Then I could
have petitioned for an apprenticeship for you and this all could have
been
avoided. Now, I'm afraid that your little temper-tantrum has left me
no other
choice." He let the blue stone, now revealed to be an amulet,
dangle from his
fingers on its chain. "You know what this is?"
Willows eyes widened, her face paling yet another shade. "You mean-"
"Yes. A Daedalus Stone. Named for a young man who managed to destroy
himself,
even though he knew better. With it I have temporarily assumed
your powers.
At such time as you can show me that you are capable of using them
responsibly,
I will consider restoring them. And even then, only after extended
study of
the appropriate curriculum, as well as oral and written exams and a
practicum.
Be grateful, Willow. Thank whomever you wish that this is all
that has come of
your behaviour. You may tell the others, if you see fit.
I will respect your
wishes on this matter. You may go now."
"And, Willow?"
"What?"
"Do remember, it really is not wise to, as you say, 'piss me off'"
-end-