Author: Krokador
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Willow and Tara, but the rest is right from my imagination (who said twisted? lol)

Everyone's jaw dropped at the mention of the traitor's name: Donald Maclay. So he had really sold his soul to a demon, and had become one in the process. His own aura felt like venom, he erradiated power, destruction. He indulged fear, and his eyes were covered in a metalic kind of skin. Everything about him felt wrong, and the crowd gathered there could only feel disgust while looking at him.

"So, you want to know everything? Bah hey, you're all going to die anyway, so why not?" Does he think he's one of those big bad guys from the drama theater? Willow tried to shake her head in disbelief, but could barely breath under the pressure. Vlad now had a knee on the ground, and was probably the first one who was going to collapse. He still managed to growl and say in a low, painful voice "Yeh, go ahead punk." Vlad called my father a punk? And did I actually hear a comment about a bad guy theater? Tara frowned and returned her attention to her father, who was chuckling at a thought of his own... Well what is it? He always controlled everything. It's his fun to have his hand holding the flag of war... And his family the burden of being labeled traitors...

"Where should I start, kids? " He looked into everyone's eyes, one by one, marking his superiority by smirking and waving some kind of wand around. After he was satisfied in teasing everyone, he spoke again, in a mock-storyteller way. "One day, in this happy kingdom, a witch was born. She was wicked, she was powerful, and she was beautiful. One of the Kingdom's noblest paladin, me, fell in love with her, appaled by tricks, spells, feromones... But the valiant warrior finally discovered the thruth and blew the witch away, and burnt her in the name of God. But it was too late, the curse was already on him. And it was a wide phenomenon, it affected the Royal Family, our family, a lot of people. She cursed... the kingdom with her last words. Her exact last words which were: When the heirs of both the Rosenberg and the Maclay family kiss, this world's chaos will be on it's climax, and everything will end there.

You all have noticed how strange creatures, like that dragon..." He pointed at the carcass without even having a look at it. "... have been appearing in our world lately. How all those weird things happen to the most noble members of the society. The black death, the sudden illnesses... The war is raging and the harvest is poor. Precisely, the curse is operating everywhere in the Kingdom, destroying our homes, affecting our thoughts, destroying our lives... And me, Sir Donald Maclay, have tried to put an end to it. By killing off the last descendant from the Rosenberg family, I was supposed to make sure that the fated, destined kiss, would never happen. I tried... to save our world." He sighed and released his guard for a moment. Long enough for Odiluke and Willow to stumble backwards, for Vlad to get up, and for Tara to run to his side. That last part almost sounded sincere. Willow and Tara both frowned. Not really surprised at hearing each other's thoughts after all, but more likely, at how stupid such an affirmation sounded, about such an evil radiating person. Hey, you can hear me think, Tara? Tara's first reaction was to nod, but she soon realized she couldn't. Y-Yes I do... I just hope my father can't.

"And so, I summoned a dragon to kill Tara's mother. That woman was so sweet, but just a commoner, with magicks, but just a commoner. And it killed a Rosenberg in the process, so I got a two for one!" He threw his head back and launched himself in a fit of maniacal laughter, that made everyone but Giles wince, and each one of them willing to put their hands over their ears. When he finally stopped, he just picked up his stroy as if nothing happened. "Then I attempted to kill the Princess, this way, there would be no Rosenberg left. But those Guard Brothers..." The man spat on the younger guard's face, walking a bit closer to him. "... stopped me, and left me for dead. And today, I came back to finish what I had started! This apocalypse... will not happen!"

~The night is calm, the sky, just a bit cloudy, some stars are shining through, and the moon is beautiful. A young girl is up on her balcony, watching the night sky, enjoying the cold night air blowing through her air in waves. A man walks behind her, his shadow menacing, but his face radiating with a... fathery smile. It takes a second to recognize the man, and the young girl's face lights up, happy to see her father's first in command paying her a visit, as he was the only one who wouldn't scowl her for being up so late.

All of a sudden, the man unsheates his sword, his smile turning into a maniacal grin, as he lashes at the young girl. By pure reflex, the girl jerks back as the blade hits her neck, succesfully avoiding death. But she is now stuck against the stone bannister, and a second attack is coming her way, as she lay defensless, eyes wide open, not at all understanding what in the world is going on.

A flash of light, and two men are now standing between the madman and the girl. One looks like a young boy, the other has more mature traits. The younger one stabs the man in the chest, the old one hits the back of the man's neck, causing him to fall over, the sword piercing completely through his body. Not even bothering to remove the sword, the youngest one grabs his right shoulder, the other guard his left, and they throw him down the balcony, into pits of darkness.~

Willow found herself rubbing the remnants of the scar on her neck as the vision was displayed by Tara's father. She then blinked a couple of times, realizing she could now move. Hey Tara, I'm free of his bind, what about you? Tara nodded, and then, hoping her father had not noticed, straightened herself. I can. What's your plan?

"You now pobably have a lot of answers to your questions, young ladies." He paused, looking at both of them once. "Yes Tara, you were once a noble, but I couldn't let you see Willow, ever. And then things went out of control, and that's where we're at now, aren't we?" he asked, taking a step back. "I'll give you two the honors of finishing my duty as a man. I don't have much time left in this borrowed power, so make it quick ladies!"

Just as he said that, a strong force pushed both Tara and Willow to unsheath their respective swords and run up to each other. Their blades clashed loudly on the now completely silent lakeside, as both their faces showed each other the non-understanding of their own movements. Fear drawn itself in their eyes, as blue met green under the lighting of sparks, caused by their unwilling fight. Donald Maclay was watching with enjoyment, sitting back as both girls struggled to harness enough strength to not kill each other. Either trying to block the other's hit, or deflect their own blow towards the other's weapon, trying as hard as they could not to hurt the other. But soon, they'd both be out of mental - and physical -- power, and they'd kill each other. I don't want it to end like this, Tara. I wanted to get to know you. Tara blocked Willow's slash with her left arm, the hand holding her sword now refused to answer her brain. Somehow, I feel like I've always known you, Willow. I...

Vlad was standing still, trying to break free from the bind of the demon man. All he wanted to do was to go and help the two girls. He knew if he dropped his sword, his power could rise, get stronger, enough for him to be able do something... He was ready to do anything to stop this madness! He looked to Giles, pleadingly. The older man seemed to be calculating something, as if he had an option, and just didn't know how he could use his chance. Vlad threw his thoughts on him. Throw my sword away from me! Giles' eyes grew wide, and he then shook his head. If you get too far from Askeidevor at this point, who will put it back in your hands? Vlad growled, lowly, so only his old master could hear him. I DON'T CARE! If I don't do something, we will all get killed!

Tara hit Willow in the stomach, and barely managed to hold back, ultimatly letting the other girl escape certain death by throwing herself on the ground. The next hit would be the last, fatal one. Tara called onto Vlad, Odi, Giles, the guards, every angel's name she knew, in hope one of them could, would, do something. She was nowhere near ready to deal with killing someone. Especially not Willow.

Vlad heard her plea and managed to turn his head toward Giles. "GILES!"

The young Rickarth moved in a flash of light, giving his all to hit Vlad's sword out of his hand as Giles used the split second of uncertainty it caused to throw the blade away in the darkness. While everyone figured out what in the world had just happened, an orange aura engulfed the place. Tara looked down at Willow, her own blade inches from the girl's throat, suddenly realizing the deadly movement had stopped. Richard and Odiluke rushed to them, each picked up one of the girls, and in a single leap, took them away from the radiating heat caused by Vlad's power.

A loud, creepy yell emerged from Sir Maclay's throat. The last sound he would ever make, as it was clear whatever Vladawain had turned into had crushed it down, and probably devoured him. Tara looked at Willow, and saw in her eyes everything she, herself, wanted to tell. Tears welled up in her eyes, how could she ever be brought to fight with her? It was against everything she had ever felt for the red head to even think of lifting a weapon over her head. Her heart was pained just by the thought of it, she had almost killed someone she cared so much about, yet knew so little. The current events had just turned her mind into a tempest nothing seemed able to calm down.

Willow seemed to read her expression and took her hand, squeezing it softly. As she did, it seemed as if they weren't in the middle of the chaos anymore. It was just a spark, some kind of floating moment for both their shaken hearts, but it felt right, and strong. The impression lasted for just a moment, soothing both of them enough so they'd smile to each other. Tara shyly, letting her hair fall over her eyes, Willow, a bright contagious smile.

They were pulled out of their little world by Giles himself, as he zoomed past them to dodge a huge arrow of fire thrown by the monster Vlad had become. Odiluke readied himself and grabbed the pendant on his neck. "Giles!" he yelled, tearing it out. The old man nodded in comprehension, and when Odiluke threw him his pendant, a wave of green energy surrounded him. The power felt as violent, if not more, than Vladawain’s, but it was clear that the elder brother would have the upper hand on him easily, the red power was undoubtedly bigger than the green one. But who would stop them afterwards... that remained a solid mystery.

Giles caught the pendant in mid-air, and then knelt in front of the two girls. His face was weary, and he looked like he had seen a thousand years of chaos in his life, all of a sudden. Just as if this wasn’t his first apocalypse. He looked from Tara to Willow, then shot a glance behind him where the two powers clashed. "You two are our only hope" he simply stated, giving Willow Odiluke’s pendant. "You have to find the sword, Askeidevor, and survive, no matter what happens. Now go!" He shouted at them, turning to the Beasts, ready to face a death he had long awaited. And let’s hope nothing nasty will follow them.