Willow looked down at the circle of salt and back at Buffy, "Are you sure about this?"
Buffy clung to Dawn's hand but nodded. "Gregor said that if Glory used Dawn it would open ALL the dimensions into this one. We can't fight her, Will. She's too powerful but maybe…" Buffy took a shuddering breath before continuing, "Maybe you and Dawn can hide throughout the dimensions and find a way to defeat Glory. You were the only one to harm her, Wills. I know you can do it. Keep Dawnie safe."
Willow looked over at Giles who was barely hanging on to consciousness and then over to Spike who was looking out the window at the gathering Knights. She turned her attention back to Buffy, "He won't be much help with the chip. When the barrier falls and it will fall, Buff as soon as Dawn and I are gone… Spike won't be able to battle the Knights. You'll only have Xander and Anya to help."
"I'm hoping Gregor over there will tell them to stop once the Key is gone."
"What about Glory? I don't see her just giving up. I know she won't be able to follow us but she will be able to inflict pain on you guys."
Dawn squeezed her sister's hand tighter. "Come with us, Buffy. We can all escape through the dimensions."
Buffy smiled sadly at Dawn, "Can't, Dawnie. This is my battle. I need to keep Glory away from you. Besides sacred duty, blah, blah, blah."
"It's time, Red. Heckyll and Jeckyll out there seem to be makin' progress on your shield."
Willow gave Xander a hug before she turned to awkwardly hug Anya. Dawn walked over to say goodbye to Spike while Willow and Buffy clung to each other, "Keep safe."
Willow wiped a tear that was threatening to fall before backing away from Buffy, "You, too."
Spike reluctantly let Dawn go before he pulled Willow into a hug, "Take care of Niblet… and yourself."
Willow hugged Spike tightly, "I will… Buffy will need you now more than ever, Spike."
With a soft caress Willow and Dawn both say goodbye to Giles. "Ready, Dawnie?"
Dawn bit her trembling lip and nodded as she reached for Willow's hand as she began to chant. Buffy unconsciously reached for Spike's hand as an unnatural wind began to blow and the spark of energy crackled inside the building.
A small circle of blue energy slowly began to form in the center of the magickal circle and started to grow wider, when it reached the width of a human body Willow gently pushed Dawn through. With one final look at her friends Willow jumped in behind Dawn.
~~~~
~ Two weeks later ~
"On to the next dimension?" Dawn asked Willow as they raced around a rock outcropping.
"Yep." Willow cautiously looked over her shoulder at the crowd that was chasing them. "I just hope the next dimension treats witches and strangers with more welcome than this one."
"Well, the first dimension wasn't bad." Dawn began with a slight lift of her lips. She began to giggle at the look that Willow shot her. "What? I'm just saying that the first dimension treated us nicer than this one, oh goddess Willow."
Willow narrowed her eyes at Dawn but kept quiet. She needed her strength for the running. It seemed that Dawn inherited some of the Slayer stamina when the Monks made her out of Buffy. She was having a hard time keeping up with Dawn.
The first dimension that they had landed in had never seen magick and they thought that Willow was their goddess in human form. After Willow had exhausted all the resources of that dimension, she had come to the conclusion that they wouldn't find anything to help in their battle with Glory. But it wasn't until she had to keep chasing the men out that wanted "Special Favors" from the goddess and her handmaiden that had been the final straw in deciding to find the next dimension.
Unfortunately the next dimension had been this one. This one that thought anything different than them was cause for a hunt and slaughter. Willow risked a quick look over her shoulder at the green tinged demons that were slowly gaining ground.
"Okay, I'm gonna try a barrier spell to hold them off while we open another portal." Willow gasped as she tried to calm her racing heart and connect with the energy in this reality.
Dawn spotted what looked like a small cave, "Over here. Maybe we can bide some time by hiding in here."
Willow scrambled behind Dawn through the entrance of the cave. "God, I hope there aren't any beasties in here."
"Willow! You know better than to say that. If we were back in Sunnydale you would have just jinxed us."
Willow's soft chanting filled the small cave and Dawn tamped down the urge to stick her tongue out at the demons that had bounced off the barrier that Willow's magick had just erected. "Do you need to rest before you open a portal?"
Willow grabbed Dawn's hand, "Nah, I just suck the energy out of you when I do it."
Dawn squeezed Willow's hand and with a slight smile said, "Suck away, and yes I realize how bad that sounded."
Willow giggled as she began to combine her energy with Dawn's. Though her memories of Dawn had been manufactured she couldn't imagine her time with Buffy without her. She was glad that the monks had made her only a year younger than her and Buffy. It had made their bonding that much tighter.
"So where are we going next?" Dawn asked as the portal began to slowly widen.
Willow shrugged as the windows into other dimensions began to shift, "You choose this time, I seem to have bad luck when it comes to picking a dimension."
Dawn watched as a grassy meadow beside a waterfall came into view, "This one looks nice."
"After you, Dawnie."
Dawn squeezed Willow's hand before jumping through the opening. Willow turned to look one last time making sure the barrier was still holding before she jumped after Dawn.
~~~~
Gimli stopped at the faint sound of crackling. He drew his sword and glanced to the left and right. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand but he didn't see any enemies approaching.
His eyes turned upward when an electrical tendril scorched the earth nearby. He watched in horror as a tear began to form in the sky. Not since the defeat of Sauron years before had he seen anything like this.
In the center of the tear a dark blur began to form. At first he thought it might be a dragon rider but then he realized the form was much too small for a dragon. As the dark blur came closer he noticed that it was heading straight for him. He quickly dove to the side to avoid contact.
Unfortunately for Gimli Dawn had the same instinct as she noticed she was rapidly approaching a form and not just empty space. In order to avoid a collision she tried to shift her weight to the left.
A grunted "OOF" greeted her as she felt the small creature break her fall.
"Oh my god, are you all right?" Dawn quickly scampered up and off.
Before Gimli could answer the soft voice there was another "OOF" as Willow followed right behind Dawn.
"By Sauron's Balls get off me woman!"
Willow scrambled to get off whatever she had accidentally landed on.
"Oh my god! I am soooo sorry! I tried to not hit you but you moved at the last minute." Willow started babbling as she reached down to help.
Gimli growled and batted her hand away.
Dawn watched the scene before her trying to suppress her hysterical giggles. "Willow, I think we're in Grimm's Fairytales and we landed on Grumpy."
TBC…