May 22, 2001

Sunnydale, CA

"Buffy it hurts," Dawn groaned, clutching her side the instantly her arm became free.

"I've got you," Buffy assured her sister as she draped her free arm over her neck. Buffy moved across the plank slowly and carefully, trying to relieve as much pain as possible for her. Looking at her sister, Buffy let out a sigh of relief to see no massive amount of blood soaking through Dawn's fingers. Upon this sight, she assumed that the cuts were shallow, but they weren't deep enough to cause blood to flow.

The ritual never started. The gang's plan had worked!

Just as Buffy and Dawn reached the spiraling ramps, Dawn stopped suddenly.

"Go." Buffy urged as Dawn turned to face her.

"Buffy. It's started."

Buffy turned around instantly, with a look of first confusion then devastation. A massive purple loud of energy had appeared blow the exact spot dawn had been standing. A loud roll of thunder filled the air as lightning hit the streets, concaving the cement and revealing an underground cave. Monsters Buffy could not immediately recognize were beginning to crawl out of the freshly created hole and ruthless attacked the panicking citizens of Sunnydale.

Another deafening sound of thunder broke Buffy concentration and directed to the sky which were now producing dragons from thin air. Buffy wanted to desperately do something. Anything. But Buffy found herself standing completely motionless, embracing her sister.

Hell on Earth in the most literal sense of the phrase was happening at this moment.

Buffy looked back to Dawn just in time to catch her from trying to break out of Buffy's grasp. "What are you doing?" Buffy asked as she tightened her grip.

"I have to jump. The energy…

"It will kill you!" Buffy interrupted.

"I know. Buffy, I know about the ritual! I have to stop it."

"No." Buffy began, fighting the tears that were beginning to swell in her eyes.

"I have to! Look at what's happening!"

Maintaining her grip on Dawn, Buffy turned her head at the sound of another thunder strike, but didn't see where it had hit next.

"I don't care!. Dawn, I won't lose you…"

"You have to! You have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing it will never stop. You know you have to let me."

Buffy felt her grip slowly begin to loosen from Dawn's shoulders.

"It has to have the blood."

Blood. It has to have the blood.

In that moment, Buffy began to search her memories, fitting them together like puzzle pieces. "The energy needed blood; Dawn's blood. But Dawn was created out of my blood, meaning that…I'm the loophole. Maybe the portal would close if I…"

Suddenly, Buffy screamed as Dawn gave her a forceful kick in her shin. Caught off guard, Buffy staggered and slipped on the edge of the plank but immediately caught on the edge and pulled herself up. Anxiously looking around, Buffy's eyes stopped on Dawn's as she found her sister standing mere inches away from the edge of the plank.

"Dawn…" Buffy sputtered as tears began to fall down her cheek. Buffy knew there was no point in trying to stop them.

"Buffy. I love you." Dawn whispered. Closing her eyes, Dawn took a step back and fell backwards off the edge.

"DAWN!"