SPOILER WARNING: Everything up to Becoming.
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: This part happens roughly two and half years after Becoming. Melinda and I wrote this story in an alternating style. I wrote the odd numbered parts(past) and she wrote the even(present). Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy & Co. Joss Whedon and the WB do. No copyright infringement intended.

Careful not to smudge the line, she finished drawing the circle on the floor. She grabbed a new piece of chalk and proceeded to scribe the runes needed to complete the binding. The tip of her tongue poked out of her mouth as she worked. Her concentration was completely focused on her task. Carefully, she drew out the complex figures. She spoke the name of each character, her whisper the only sound save the soft scraping of chalk on concrete.

She finished the last rune, then stood to survey her work. Examining the complex figures, she checked carefully for accuracy. Occasionally, she adjusted a rune, correcting a curve here, lengthening a line there. When she was satisfied with the binding, she stepped inside the circle. With infinite care she drew out the pentagram, fitting it carefully around the large stone statue near the edge of the circle. That completed, she stepped gingerly out of the circle, taking extra care not to scuff the runes. One final step to finish. She positioned five large, red candles outside the circle, each one in line with a point of the pentagram. Now it was complete.

She cast a discerning eye over her work, double checking for any little thing that might be out of place. This would be her toughest summoning yet. Tonight she labored to call forth a powerful demon, a demon who could destroy the world.

When she had started on this quest, it had seemed so straight forward. He had come to her and explained what needed to be done. He'd made everything sound so easy. She had studied what he taught, learning the complex runes and spells for summoning. Diligently, she had labored to summon demons as her mentor bid. Each one a little stronger than the last, each one a step closer to her final goal.

The things she had summoned had been both hideous and beautiful. Things the human mind never could have imagined. Minions of hell pulled from their ethereal plane with only the strength of her will to bind them. Each one to test and strengthen; each one to teach her more control.

Tonight, she was ready. It had taken her two long years to reach this point. Two long years of sacrifice and diligence. He said this would be difficult and dangerous. If the demon gained control then it could force her to release it. She must guard carefully against all its tricks. If she was successful, then she could right a wrong and fulfill a friend's dying wish, to free an innocent from a damning fate. If she failed, she would release a ruthless monster on an unsuspecting world.

She stepped to her accustomed place at the edge of the circle, her long robe whispering over the concrete. The robe was an affection she had adopted that eventually became a necessity. Protective sigils and runes adorned the sleeves, hood and hem of the midnight blue robe. They weren't enough to stop the demon if it broke free, but they did offer small protection from its ravages.

She spoke, words of magic rolling off her tongue. Gesturing sharply, her fingers traced the runes of fire. Flames sprang from the candle wicks, licking greedily at the air before subsiding to small flickers of light. She nodded thoughtfully to herself; All was ready. With practiced ease she traced forms in the air, her sleeves waving animatedly. She chanted the summons, intoning the harsh guttural words with a steady voice.

The candle flames climbed higher, burning impossibly bright. The eyes of the statue glowed an evil red as she called the gateway to the nether world. In the center of the pentagram a small pinprick of light appeared. A portal. Slowly it grew, opening like a cavernous maw. A foul wind blew, issuing from the gaping tear in reality.

The circle began to glow an eerie green as the winds started. At first it was a gentle breeze that gradually built into a tornado. Dark clouds tinged with red whirled inside the circle obscuring the glowing portal. In the dust, horribly distored faces, momentarily flashed into view. She ignored these, as she'd been taught. Steadily, she looked into the vortex, her eyes never wavering, her voice never faltering. Any small distraction could break her concentration and release the demon. The candle flames elongated again, never wavering even though a maelstrom of raw power whirled only inches away. The circle held.

She felt the first tendrils of resistance as the demon she summoned was drawn by her irresistible command. An angry howl echoed through the room, reverberating off the stone walls; Another distraction to be ignored. She increased the mental force behind the summons. The demon came willingly now, seeking release into this world. Gleeful evil advanced on her, trying to overwhelm her.

She chanted the last words of the summons, pulling the demon from the depths of the abyss. With casual movements of her hands, she traced new runes in the air. The outer circle of runes glowed bright white as she activated it. The form taking shape in the circle screamed its rage. It was trapped, contained like an animal in a cage.

Whispers and promises echoed in her head as it tried to seduce her to its will. She ignored the empty words. Angered, the demon attacked her psionically. Resolutely, she fought each advance as the demon tried to gain its freedom. A bead of sweat trickling down her cheek was the only outward sign of the fierce battle being waged. This war would be won, or lost, in the blink of an eye.

The pressure built in her head until she thought it would split. This creature was stronger than any demon she had summoned before. She felt its strength like constricting bands as it attacked, struggling to crush her. Just when she thought she could take no more, she felt another presence buttress her defenses. Wrapping protectively around her essence, it lent its strength to her own. It took the brunt of the demons attack, freeing her mind to finish the binding.

She didn't spare time to wonder about her anonymous protector. With lightning speed she bore down on the demon, binding it mentally to her will. With one last anguished howl of protest, the demon relented and acknowledged her dominance. The blinding pressure stopped. The force that shielded her withdrew, but continued to hover unobtrusively at the edge of her awareness.

She gathered herself, preparing mentally for what was required next. If something went wrong, it would kill the man she was trying to save. Without conscious thought, her hands traced runes in the air. Her soft chant, almost drowned out by angry growls, gathered the demons power and added it to her own. She bid it to bring forth the man, to pull him through the portal.

She commanded the demon to remove it's foul brethern, to cleave the lesser demon from the form of flesh. Through the whirling dust, she saw a glowing shape rise from a body being held rigid as if it were bound. The figure, threw back its head, screaming its agony as the demon was torn from it's body. An answering howl of anger and fury was echoed by the demon as it was ripped from it's unwilling host. The mass of energy formed into a glowing, whirling ball, pulsating with demonic light.

It was done.

She bid the demon release its prisoner and depart this plane, taking it's infernal brethern with it. Helpless to disobey, it did as commanded and disappeared howling its rage. A thunderous clap sounded. Lightening forked out from the dense cloud, bouncing harmlessly off the barrier of the circle. The candles sputtered, then their flames once again burnt normally. The maelstrom began to dissipate, revealing the form of a man huddled on the floor. Broken and bleeding, he whimpered pitifully.

She waited until the energy faded before stepping closer. The naked figure on the floor shrank back, looking fearfully up at her. He blinked against the light, his eyes not accustomed to such brightness. Recognition and hope flickered in his eyes. Tentatively he reached for her, his hand stopping short as it encountered the barrier of the binding circle. He tried to speak, but could force no sound from his raw throat. He swallowed, his face twisting with pain. His eyes locked with hers as he tried again. "Willow?" he croaked, his voice rasping.

She nodded. Carefully, she studied him, her eyes searching his. A pleased smile turned up the corners of her mouth when she found what she wanted. Dark brown eyes, shining with the warm light of a soul looked back at her. A gesture of her hands and a softly spoken word deactivated the binding. She stepped into the circle, her robe rubbing out a portion of the circle and the runes. He reached for her again. This time she caught his hand.

She bent to help him to his feet, but he wrapped long arms around her pulling her down. Kneeling beside him, she pulled him close. Desperately, he clutched at her, his face buried against her chest. Sobs wracked his body as he cried. Like a mother with her newborn, she rocked him. "Shhh..." Cooing gently, she stroked his dark head. "You're home now Angel."

CONTINUE