===================================
Author: Gianna
Category: Drama/ Romance
(Premise adapted from my Fic-In-Progress (Untitled))
All copyrights held by me.
Word Count: 799
Settings: Sunnydale, Los Angeles
Time: Immediately following "Normal Again"
NOTE: This was written for a contest, whose guidelines were to write an ending to the BTVS series, in 800 words or less. This is why, as one reviewer noted, there is "no beginning" and why it is so condensed. I do plan on fleshing the premise out into a whole fic one of these days.
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~ Prologue ~
The night was as black and deep as infinite space, and the utter lack of scent in the air belied the possibilities held within. Stretching out across the horizon lay a flat, featureless pool- completely unremarkable save for it's seemingly non-existent boundaries. It was called the Pool of Life, and no one- not mortal nor demon nor god- had ever laid eyes upon it. Indeed, the only beings to ever grace its presence were The Powers, and they alone bore witness to each miracle-or tragedy- brought forth.
Tonight would be no different.
--------------
Giles paced the well-worn floor of the Magic Box. "There has to be something we're missing. The venom alone wasn't enough to cause a prolonged state of disassociation…."
The Scooby gang, sans Buffy, stood around him silently. Useless books were piled on tables. Spells had been cast, demon haunts shaken down- nothing had yielded any information. Buffy slept fitfully in a makeshift hospital bed in the training room, slipping in and out of consciousness.
Angel melted out of the shadows and limped to the main floor of the shop. The Champion, beaten and tortured, had survived another visit to The Powers. Hopeful faces turned toward him, desperate for any crumb The Powers had deigned to reveal.
He paused. When he had gathered the strength, his voice held none of the confidence the group had been waiting for. "The Pool has been violated," Angel began. "The magic used to bring Buffy back… it pierced the layers of the Pool, linking multiple dimensions and merging aspects of Buffy- our Buffy- with other dimension Buffys. Her soul, her essence… it's moving in between these layers, these dimensions." Angel finally looked up. "She's lost."
"But…," Willow stammered. "We can find her, right? Bring her back?"
Giles met Angel's gaze; he already knew. Giles answered instead. "Buffy will wander until she finds her home- or whichever dimension she feels is home. We cannot guide her. Only Buffy can find her way back."
--------------
Buffy groaned and turned off her alarm. School. How boring. Still, she had to keep her grades up or she would be kicked off the UCLA cheering squad.
"Buffy, now!" came the exasperated yell of Joyce Summers. "If you want a ride to school with your father, he's leaving in 20 minutes."
--------------
"Buffy! Over here!" Willow yelled. The din was deafening at the Bronze. "Oz is up next. Kendra and Xander are already back from patrolling. Mr. And Mrs. Slayer. Hee."
--------------
The judge looked down at the smiling couple. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride" He turned to the attendees. "I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Randy and Joan Giles."
--------------
Angel's tanned skin glistened. The ring of Amara, always present, shone on his hand. The waves pounded in the distance as Buffy and Angel watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon.
--------------
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
"….MMhmm," he answered distractedly.
"Giles, it's Christmas, I've grown a third foot, and the Easter Bunny is at the door." Buffy tried again.
"Bunnies!?!" Anya exclaimed hysterically.
"Joke. It's a joke," Xander replied. "Why couldn't I have married someone who's afraid of something normal, like rats?" he asked the room.
Dawn appeared behind him. "Because that would be boring. Want a cookie? Made them myself- except for the frosting. Tara let me use a little magic to get it looking so yummy."
Willow took a cookie and sat down by the Christmas tree. "I always loved these things," she said dreamily.
"Cookies?" Buffy asked skeptically.
"No silly, Christmas trees. No Christmas in Rosenberg land. Lots of candles. Trees are smellier. In a good way." Willow looked around. Everyone was staring at her, except for Giles, who was still engrossed in his writing. "Where is Tara, anyhow?"
Dawn flopped down next to Willow. "Last minute shopping. Since she had your present like AGES ago, she's helping Spike find something for Buffy."
Joyce walked in with tea for Giles and cocoa for everyone else. "I always used to worry about Buffy finding the right husband. I don't think there is a better man in the world than William."
Dawn groaned. "Mom, call him Spike. Everyone else does."
Giles suddenly stood up. "The translation is done. The prophecies- the vampire who regained his soul, and his humanity, and marries the slayer- it's all right here, foretold thousands of years ago."
Buffy smiled serenely. "What if it's only there because we lived it? Maybe it would say something else if we had made one different decision." She got up to open the door for Spike and Tara.
Spike smiled, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hey baby. It's good to be home."
Buffy smiled back and fell into his embrace. "It's great to be home," she replied.
The End
Author: Gianna
Category: Drama/ Romance
(Premise adapted from my Fic-In-Progress (Untitled))
All copyrights held by me.
Word Count: 799
Settings: Sunnydale, Los Angeles
Time: Immediately following "Normal Again"
NOTE: This was written for a contest, whose guidelines were to write an ending to the BTVS series, in 800 words or less. This is why, as one reviewer noted, there is "no beginning" and why it is so condensed. I do plan on fleshing the premise out into a whole fic one of these days.
===================================
~ Prologue ~
The night was as black and deep as infinite space, and the utter lack of scent in the air belied the possibilities held within. Stretching out across the horizon lay a flat, featureless pool- completely unremarkable save for it's seemingly non-existent boundaries. It was called the Pool of Life, and no one- not mortal nor demon nor god- had ever laid eyes upon it. Indeed, the only beings to ever grace its presence were The Powers, and they alone bore witness to each miracle-or tragedy- brought forth.
Tonight would be no different.
--------------
Giles paced the well-worn floor of the Magic Box. "There has to be something we're missing. The venom alone wasn't enough to cause a prolonged state of disassociation…."
The Scooby gang, sans Buffy, stood around him silently. Useless books were piled on tables. Spells had been cast, demon haunts shaken down- nothing had yielded any information. Buffy slept fitfully in a makeshift hospital bed in the training room, slipping in and out of consciousness.
Angel melted out of the shadows and limped to the main floor of the shop. The Champion, beaten and tortured, had survived another visit to The Powers. Hopeful faces turned toward him, desperate for any crumb The Powers had deigned to reveal.
He paused. When he had gathered the strength, his voice held none of the confidence the group had been waiting for. "The Pool has been violated," Angel began. "The magic used to bring Buffy back… it pierced the layers of the Pool, linking multiple dimensions and merging aspects of Buffy- our Buffy- with other dimension Buffys. Her soul, her essence… it's moving in between these layers, these dimensions." Angel finally looked up. "She's lost."
"But…," Willow stammered. "We can find her, right? Bring her back?"
Giles met Angel's gaze; he already knew. Giles answered instead. "Buffy will wander until she finds her home- or whichever dimension she feels is home. We cannot guide her. Only Buffy can find her way back."
--------------
Buffy groaned and turned off her alarm. School. How boring. Still, she had to keep her grades up or she would be kicked off the UCLA cheering squad.
"Buffy, now!" came the exasperated yell of Joyce Summers. "If you want a ride to school with your father, he's leaving in 20 minutes."
--------------
"Buffy! Over here!" Willow yelled. The din was deafening at the Bronze. "Oz is up next. Kendra and Xander are already back from patrolling. Mr. And Mrs. Slayer. Hee."
--------------
The judge looked down at the smiling couple. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride" He turned to the attendees. "I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Randy and Joan Giles."
--------------
Angel's tanned skin glistened. The ring of Amara, always present, shone on his hand. The waves pounded in the distance as Buffy and Angel watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon.
--------------
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
"….MMhmm," he answered distractedly.
"Giles, it's Christmas, I've grown a third foot, and the Easter Bunny is at the door." Buffy tried again.
"Bunnies!?!" Anya exclaimed hysterically.
"Joke. It's a joke," Xander replied. "Why couldn't I have married someone who's afraid of something normal, like rats?" he asked the room.
Dawn appeared behind him. "Because that would be boring. Want a cookie? Made them myself- except for the frosting. Tara let me use a little magic to get it looking so yummy."
Willow took a cookie and sat down by the Christmas tree. "I always loved these things," she said dreamily.
"Cookies?" Buffy asked skeptically.
"No silly, Christmas trees. No Christmas in Rosenberg land. Lots of candles. Trees are smellier. In a good way." Willow looked around. Everyone was staring at her, except for Giles, who was still engrossed in his writing. "Where is Tara, anyhow?"
Dawn flopped down next to Willow. "Last minute shopping. Since she had your present like AGES ago, she's helping Spike find something for Buffy."
Joyce walked in with tea for Giles and cocoa for everyone else. "I always used to worry about Buffy finding the right husband. I don't think there is a better man in the world than William."
Dawn groaned. "Mom, call him Spike. Everyone else does."
Giles suddenly stood up. "The translation is done. The prophecies- the vampire who regained his soul, and his humanity, and marries the slayer- it's all right here, foretold thousands of years ago."
Buffy smiled serenely. "What if it's only there because we lived it? Maybe it would say something else if we had made one different decision." She got up to open the door for Spike and Tara.
Spike smiled, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hey baby. It's good to be home."
Buffy smiled back and fell into his embrace. "It's great to be home," she replied.
The End