The Wedding of Frog Fears and Anthropomorphic Nonsense, Chapter 5: Blue Monday

[punch_kicker15]

Title: The Wedding of Frog Fears and Anthropomorphic Nonsense, Chapter 5: Blue Monday
Author: punch_kicker15
Rating: PG-13
Fandoms: BtVS
Characters/Relationships: Willow/Giles, Tara
Summary: Ira’s wish has repercussions for a Tara in an alternate universe.
Author Notes: Written for summerofgiles and buffyversebingo, prompt: alliance
Word count: 762
It's been a long time since I've updated this story, so here are the previous chapters:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

And for those who missed the first fic in the series, it's here:
The Love Song of Anthropomorphic Nonsense and Frog Fears

And finally, the link to the series on AO3: The iPhone Chronicles

Tara flinched as the magical barrier surrounding the parking garage flickered on and off. Amy staggered slightly, and Diane reached out to steady her. Larry hunched over the jeep, trying to get the engine working again.

Outside, the blue god-king watched them impassively as it struck the barrier with a methodical rhythm that rang in Tara’s ears. “Your fragile sorcery will yield to me. You have reached your limits. Surrender now and cease this trifling resistance.”

“Bite me, Smurfette!” Larry shouted, and Tara smiled in spite of herself.

Faith paced back and forth, clearly itching for something to hit or kick.

“If you prefer to surrender to the shell, that can be arranged.” In an instant the blue hair turned red, and the face softened into that air of vulnerability that made Willow human, no matter how powerful she’d become.

Bile rose up Tara’s throat. She swallowed hard, and took in a slow, calming breath.

Amy gripped her hand tighter. “Don’t fight the anger. Use it!”

Tara tried to follow Amy’s advice and channel her emotions into a stronger barrier. Then that thing called out, “Sweetie, help me! I’m still in here, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold her off!” A few tears leaked out of its eyes, and its face crumpled in a look of classic Willow misery.

It was a good thing Tara could read auras, because the lie beneath the illusion was clear as day. There was nothing of Willow left in that body. Still, her heart kept screaming distress signals to her brain, because there was nothing worse than watching Willow cry.

Perhaps sensing her weakness, the god-king conjured up a fireball and lobbed it at the barrier.

The air crackled as the fireball passed through the barrier, and hit Diane in the chest. She hit the ground hard, and Faith leapt to her Watcher’s side, screaming incoherently. Larry dropped his wrench, grabbed his first aid kit and knelt next to them.

Tara tried to block out the echoes of Diane’s agony and the burning in her chest and focused on the hole in the barrier.

The burning suddenly stopped, and she could only hope that meant Diane had passed out. With sweaty, shaking hands, she and Amy waved the barrier shut.

“Time for Plan B!” Amy yelled.

“It’s too dangerous--” Tara began, but she could feel the barrier weakening by the second. as Diane’s magic began to fade.

She grabbed her bag of dragon scale powder, tossed a handful of it in the air, making sure they all were covered with it. “Dea Pro Mihi, Audite Meus Dico... Patefacio Prodigium Pro Nos Totus!”

Power bubbled through her head, burning through her limbs. The world blacked out, leaving her floating in a sea of nothingness. She couldn’t feel Amy’s hand in hers, or hear Faith screaming, or smell the acrid stench of burnt flesh.

Perhaps this was the end for all of them and they’d be forever stuck in this void.

Then some strange wave of magic rolled over her. She’d cast and witnessed lots of different spells, and this one was completely alien to her. The magics began to interweave with each other. There was nothing to do but hope that this magical alliance wouldn’t be as disastrous as the one Willow had attempted with Illyria.

The world began to materialize again. Tara hit the ground with a thud, the force of the entry in the world reverberating in her head. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around at the dresses on racks. The most dangerous and high-pressure spell she’d ever done, and it had taken them to a shopping mall.

Larry knelt on the ground next to her, holding Diane’s body, and Tara knew in her bones that Diane was dead. There was no time to even register that, because she couldn’t see Amy or Faith. Her heart started to pound. She turned in a circle, looking over the clothing racks and the white marble floor. They’d still been working out the kinks of the teleportation spell. Maybe they’d been dropped a few feet away.

Two clothing racks away, a blonde woman dropped her shopping bags. She scowled at them. “Oh, the taunter’s back. Points for picking someone different, but sometimes it’s best to stick to the classics. I don’t even know who the hell that is,” she said, glancing at Diane. She marched over to them, and pushed Tara’s shoulder.

Tara fell back against one of the racks, knocking a few dresses down.

The blonde woman gasped, “Tara?”

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