Hell on Earth
A/N: End of Season 2 AU. Major changes: Acathla does not suck the world into Hell but instead releases hell on Earth. According to Giles and Willows research the person who opens Achathla must be killed in order to seal the portal to Hell. This is just a very short prologue to set things up.
Prologue: Becoming
"Wh-Where are we? I-I don't remember." Watching Angel on his knees before her, blood still rushing with adrenaline from their fight, Buffy is briefly confused for a moment but then the realization hits her. Angelus has gone, in front of her is-
"Angel?"
"You're hurt." He sounds so gentle, so concerned as he reaches for her arm to examine her wound and she can't help herself, she falls into his arms to embrace him, feeling tears start to build as her body relaxes for what feels like the first time in a very long time.
"Oh, Buffy, God, I feel like I haven't seen you in months." When she opens her eyes though, the tears of relief become tears of grief because she had forgotten for a moment that Acathla was open, ready to unleash Hell on Earth. She had forgotten and now she is staring into the face of her responsibility as the Chosen One and it is as cold and unmovable as a statue. "Oh my God, everything's so muddled. I…Oh. Oh, Buffy." Angel is crying too, now. He is still obviously confused and a little scared and she can see the love and the trust and concern in his eyes as he asks "What's happening?" but she just steels herself and lays a finger on his mouth, shushing him.
"Don't worry about it." She reassures him as she strokes his cheek, leans in to kiss him as the swirling vortex behind him grows wider. For just a moment she considers just letting it continue to grow, facing Hell together with her recovered love but of course she doesn't. She pulls away, exchanges vows of love with Angel, knowing that it will be the last time and tells him to close his eyes. He hesitates, still confused but he trusts her so he closes his eyes. She looks at him standing there, kisses him again, and swings her sword.
The sword cuts through his neck quickly and, she hopes, painlessly. The next second she is alone with only a pile of dust and a still growing vortex. As Buffy stares in shock and despair she sees shapes begin to form in the vortex, getting bigger or perhaps coming closer, she can't tell. She is out of options, she has done the only thing she knows to do, what Giles and Willow told her to do after weeks of research. To close the portal and reseal Acathla, the one who released him must be killed. Well, Angel is dead and the portal is still slowly opening. She is devastated, shocked and confused and more than a little scared. So she does the only thing she can do. Buffy runs away.
A/N: I've never actually written in the present tense before, so that was a new experience. If you see anything off or if you see any errors please let me know. Any suggestions are welcome as well. I'll try to have chapter one up as soon as possible.