"Molly? You're in -" Tara broke off. "Oh, no. That explains why your auras are-are all wrong." And Molly was in River with no shields and no filter to hear thoughts.

Tara took a deep breath to calm herself and quell the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She had to be calm, if only to help her friend. She focused instead on the mental image of the earth as her shield, of plant life growing and covering it with green. And among the leaves, a huge oak tree sprouted, towering over the rest.

The mental image seemed to help center her a bit - enough to think clearly. "It was definitely magic," she said, the certainty in her voice surprising even herself. "I-I mean, I could feel it. Someone cast a powerful spell - and messed it up. I felt it twist out of control."

"Can you fix it?" Sam-in-Ripley asked hopefully.

"I don't know. I'd - I'd have to know what the spell was first. I don't even know who cast it," Tara admitted, ignoring the inner voice that added, But you have an idea who did, don't you? "It wasn't far away. M-maybe even someone in the bunker. D-Does anyone remember seeing Michelle - I mean, Willow recently?"

She realized how that sounded the second she spoke, and quickly amended, "S-she knows a lot about magic too, so maybe she can help."