Author: Hendiadys (hendiadys146@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: We don't own anything except a crappy computer and a weird fantasy
Characters: Dawn, Spike
Spoilers: For all seasons; the story starts right at the end of Chosen
Summary: It's high time for Dawn to make her own decisions. But after escaping her familiar environment, she realizes that she has yet to find her identity. Living in an illusory Utopia, she makes new friends and unexpectedly meets an old one.
Feedback: Always appreciated!
Special thanks: To our beta Hazmat
Chapter 2
A chance to finally go her own way presented itself to Dawn when the bus suddenly broke down. The engine couldn't be started again after they had stopped for a short break when some of the girls had to pee. Nervousness and irritation were heavy in the air; the need to finally lay down in a soft bed after the whole ordeal became overwhelming for all of them. Unfortunately, none of them had the technical abilities to find the problem in the engine. Robin offered to look under the hood, but was prevented from doing so because Faith claimed he was still too weak to stand up on his own, let alone repair a school bus engine.
The place where they had stopped consisted of only a very small shop and some public toilets. While Giles, Xander and Buffy discussed what to do next, the rest of them went into the shop to buy "stuff that helped to pass the time", as they claimed. Dawn strongly hoped they were just referring to candy.
She didn't join them, but hid behind the bus. Buffy, unheeding of Dawn's presence, cursed colourfully.
"Buffy, please, there is no need to resort to such language," Giles admonished. "We survived another apocalypse, we will also survive this little transportation problem."
"I know you're right. But is it too much to ask for just a little bit of luck once in a while? I mean, after all we've done for humanity, we deserve some reward, right? And I'm not even thinking of an enormous amount of money or some flowers and a nice card saying 'Thanks for saving all our lives again. Signed, your 6 billion admirers.' I was just hoping that we could get to L.A. – and I didn't even want to go there in the first place – without a problem." Dawn heard Buffy sigh in a pained manner. For someone who had endured so much in her young life, her sister really was kind of whiny, Dawn thought.
"Why don't you just go and buy yourself something nice to eat to distract you?" Xander tried to soothe Buffy's temper. "Giles and I, we will call Angel and ask him to send some of his co-workers to help us."
Buffy made a face, but handed Giles her cellphone. Then she turned and headed towards the shop.
While Giles talked to Angel, Dawn sat quietly on the ground, resting her head against the side of the bus. She was aware that this might be her only opportunity to escape from the rest unnoticed. But she was also afraid. In spite of everything that had happened in her short life, she still felt very young, never having spent much time without her family or friends. Still, she had to do it.
I don't want to be a part of this anymore, she thought. I feel like I never really achieved anything on my own; I only ever played a small, unimportant role in a big drama where Buffy was the main character. I don't know how Xander can stand this, but I won't play that role anymore. I have to find myself somehow. When I have found out who I really am I can still come back to Buffy and the others.
Silent tears were running down her cheeks and formed small dark dots on the ground where they fell. Then, determination began to flood her and she stood up. These tears will be the last I will have cried for a while, she told herself. I won't let emotions stand in my way.
Dawn felt like she could finally think clearly now. She remembered a spellbook Willow had taken with her on the bus. And Dawn dimly recalled one particular spell which would help her to get away. She knew that she had to hurry; Angel's co-workers would be here shortly. Quietly, she made her way back into the bus.
After rummaging a short while in Willow's duffel-bag, she found what she was looking for: a big volume with a slightly dented leather cover and very old-looking pages, some of which were dog-eared. Merely by touching it, Dawn felt the ancient magic that engulfed the book and once again she felt her insecurity. No, I will do this, I just have to.
She stuffed the book into her bag and headed out of the bus.
"Hey Dawnie, everything all right? You look kinda pale!" Willow's unexpected voice made her jump.
"What? Oh, I, I just wanted to, er, get my money-bag. Maybe I find something useful in the shop there to get through this boredom," Dawn stammered.
"But don't take too long, Angel's co-workers will be here very soon," Willow replied with a smile. Despite all the apprehension Dawn felt, it was good to see Willow smile again. It would have broken her entirely if she lost Kennedy, too, but she had been one of the lucky ones. Not like Spike. Or Anya.
"No, I'll hurry," Dawn said and went past her friend into the direction of the shop.
When she turned around, Willow seemed to be in deep conversation, or rather in a flirt with Kennedy and she breathed out with relief. Almost busted!
Dawn turned left and headed into the nearby small wood. Checking nobody had seen her go away, she sat down and leaned her upper body against a trunk that would block everyone's view of her. Slowly she reached inside her bag and retrieved the stolen book.
It felt heavy in her hands with a certain kind of foreboding.
She opened it with trembling hands and saw several texts and spells in different and probably very old languages. How am I supposed to read this? She asked herself with despair. But then, she discovered some spells in Latin and felt suddenly very glad that Willow had taught her a little of this dead tongue, even though she had resented the lessons.
One specific spell caught her eyes. It was entitled with "Evanescere". That must be it! she thought with joy. She straightened her spine and inhaled deeply several times, concentrating hard. Glancing down into the book again, she began reading out loud.
"Omnis me circumdat
Omnis me devorat
Nihil maneat quomodo fuit
Praesentia commutabit
Et ars magica me apportabit
A loco altere
Et future mutabit!"
Closing her eyes, she felt the effects of the charm more and more and as she opened her eyes again, she caught one last look of her beloved sister who stared suspiciously in her direction as everything around her dissolved into nothing.
Tbc