"Buffy, it hurts," Dawn cried out upon seeing her sister, her body bleeding from the shallow cuts made by Doc. Doc turned to face Buffy, intending to fight, but Buffy simply pushed him off of the tower in her rush to get to Dawn. Buffy begins to free Dawn from her restraints.
"I got it. Come here. You're gonna be fine." Buffy said, as she began to lead Dawn to the steps down. Before they got very far, the blood dripping from Dawn's wounds began to open the portal.
"Buffy, it's started." Buffy turned and saw that the portal was indeed open and shooting out lightning that transformed the city around them. She turned back to face Dawn.
"I'm sorry," Dawn said, apologizing for the horrors that were going on around them. Buffy shook her head.
"It doesn't matter," Buffy exclaimed, stopping Dawn as she tried to run past her to where the portal was.
"What are you doing?" Buffy implored, holding onto Dawn to prevent her from trying again.
"I have to jump. The energy -" Dawn replied before being cut off by Buffy.
"It'll kill you," Buffy scolded. Dawn smiled at her with a sad expression on her face.
"I know. Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it," Dawn proposed, hoping that Buffy would let her fix the problem that she unwillingly created.
"No," Buffy responds as the tower begins to shake.
"I have to. Look at what's happening," Dawn tries again to reason with Buffy when the portal spits a dragon.
"Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop. You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood," Dawn implored. When Dawn said that it had to have the blood, Buffy had an epiphany. Dawn was made from Buffy's blood and she remembered what the First Slayer told her, "Death is your gift." Buffy realizes what she needs to do and turns to look at the portal. As she watches the sun rise, she feels even more reassured that her choice is the correct one and turns back to face Dawn. Upon seeing the look on Buffy's face, Dawn comes to the same realization that Buffy did and her whole body goes cold.
"Buffy, no."
"Dawnie, I have to."
"No!" Dawn was starting to freak out by this time.
"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time. Dawn, listen to me. I love you. I will always love you, but this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles... Tell Giles I figured it out and... and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live... for me." Buffy kissed Dawn on the cheek and then jumped off of the tower into the portal. As soon as Buffy entered the portal, the only thing she knew was pain. It felt like the portal was breaking every single bone in her body all at the same time.
Suddenly, the pain was gone and Buffy was standing in a room that she had never seen before. The room was blinding white and the only other person in the room was someone that she knew was dead, her sister slayer Kendra.
"Is this Heaven?" Buffy asked, looking around at the surroundings. Kendra chuckled, drawing Buffy's attention away from the room they were in.
"No, this is Limbo. The Powers That Be have brought you here," Kendra replied.
"The Powers That Be? Why?" Buffy inquired, confused as to why they would interfere.
"They have a proposition for you. They are offering you a chance to be reborn into a new body. In this new life, you will find happiness and love. However, there is a price, you will eventually be pulled back in the Slayer life for one last battle against evil." Kendra explained.
"And if I turn down their oh so generous offer?" Buffy countered, not pleased with their initial offer.
"If you decline, then you will go to Heaven and be at peace, but that peace will not last. A few months from now, your friends will attempt to resurrect you and if your soul is in Heaven, they will succeed. If a Slayer's soul is ripped from Heaven, it will cause a chain reaction that will bring about the end of the world. And this will not be like any other evil you have faced. If this evil gains a foothold before the prophesized time, every one you love will die." Kendra explained to Buffy, who was now in shock.
"Well, when you put it that way, the choice becomes a no brainer. But before I go, I want to apologize to you. It was my fault that you died," Buffy responded. Kendra shook her head.
"Buffy, it was not your fault. I thought that I could take on Drusilla alone and I paid for that mistake with me life. I have never blamed you so do not blame yourself for me mistake. It is time," Kendra said, a loud gong sounding. "Farewell, Buffy. May you live a long and happy life." Kendra smiled and Buffy reciprocated, before everything went dark.