The Magic Box, 1200 hours.
Giles was at the round table next to the book stacks with Anya, who arrived at eight in the morning, an hour before her shift, and started to go through the books they received from the Watcher Council on the Key. When she arrived, Anya didn't notice Spike sitting at the top of the stairs away from the sunlight. Instead, she rushed at Giles upon entering the shop to say that she woke up with a start an hour ago. She said that she felt as if she was missing something from her soul. It was only then she realized that Spike was also present in the shop, and that Giles wasn't looking surprised at all. The Watcher revealed that he and Spike had similar sensations of loss, and it centred around the events of last night.
Anya told Giles the story about the Key being the jewel on the pendant attached to Buffy's necklace, and then recounted the opening of the portal, it's closing after the green crystal turned to a ball of energy and vanished into the portal, and then the discovery that Glory's 'prison', Ben, was dead. The former vengeance demon was stunned when Giles revealed what Spike had told him earlier that morning, that the vampire felt the Key was a human female.
While Anya discounted that, saying that she didn't even know if the monks were capable of such a feat, she said that they still had to investigate. Giles nodded his head before asking if Xander felt anything at all… if he was having a strange feeling of loss as well. All Anya told Giles was that Xander was still sleeping when she left their apartment. The three of them, together, then began going through the books so that they could figure out a way to find out exactly what happened the previous night.
"Oh, oh," said Anya as she put down her twelve o'clock, half-eaten, donut and looked up at Giles who was seated across from her, "a memory wipe. That has to be it… a memory wipe and.."
"We already discussed this, Anya," sighed Giles as he put his glasses on top of the piles of books and papers that surrounded them while Spike was now seated at the bottom of the stairs, "a memory wipe is not the only thing that could have happened. A memory wipe and… and…"
"A reality warping," said Anya with her eyes wide open at Giles who put his glasses back on and shuffled through the books. He was shaking his head while Anya said that she used to be able to warp reality itself for certain wishes, and that one of the Scoobies could have had a vengeance demon help them with Glory, and then change their memories.
"Does that even make sense?" asked a frowning Spike just as the front door opened and Xander rushed in, he looked frazzled as he looked around, and then rushed to Anya, pulled her up off the seat, and roughly kissed her. Giles frowned at this, while a smirk appeared on Spike's face as he leaned back and watched the show in front of him.
"Hey, hey," mumbled Anya before gently pushing Xander away and breaking the kiss, "while I like the whole 'you came here and kissed me like a romantic movie thing', can't you see we're in front of other people." Anya then motioned towards everyone before turning to Xander again and saying, "I'm not going to have orgasm after orgasm in front of them."
"Oh, please don't," muttered Giles putting his glasses on again, as he went back to going through his books while Spike said he wouldn't mind seeing that.
"Shut up, Spike," said Xander before turning to Anya and cupping his hands on her face, "I woke up and you're not there, Ahn. I had this feeling that I was missing something and I was searching for you and then I…"
"Speak slowly, Xander," said Giles who was hoping that he was simply missing Anya; that he wasn't like them - missing something or someone they weren't even aware off. "what were you missing? And do you still have that feeling?"
"Yea," said Xander, "I mean I thought it was Anya, but even after seeing her here, that feeling is still there." He then looked at everyone before settling his eyes back on Anya and gave a goofy smile before saying he thought that it was just a dream. "And I'm glad that you're real… but I don't get what's going on here."
"We've all been feeling the same way," said Giles leaning on his chair, sighing, and taking off his glasses once again. He then motioned towards Spike and explained that the vampire added a new mystery that plagued them. "Spike says that he feels the Key was a girl."
"A girl?" asked Xander as the door opened with Buffy, Xander, and then Willow rushing into the store talking to each other saying that they needed to talk to Giles.
"Talk to me about what?" asked the Watcher as the three young women stopped talking and turned their heads towards the four people in the store. Buffy then settled her eyes on Spike and asked why he was in the store with them.
"Before anyone says anything else," Giles said standing up with his glasses on a book. He motioned towards Buffy and the others and asked them if they had any questions about having a strange feeling that they were missing something. Giles glanced at the surprised looks on Xander, Anya and Spike's faces when Buffy, Willow, and Tara nodded their heads. The Watcher then said that Spike joined him early that morning in the shop since he couldn't sleep.
"When does he ever…"
"Listen, Dracula's boytoy," quipped Spike as he glared at Xander who narrowed his eyes at the vampire, "I felt as if I missed someone I cared about."
"You care about someone?" asked Buffy with an eyebrow arched up as she crossed her arms over her chest, "I mean there's Dru, but that's a whole load of crazy nasty right there and…"
"This was someone…"
"Wait," Tara interrupted everyone while waving her arms, "Spike, you said someone… as in a person?"
"A girl," Spike said while Willow narrowed her eyes and titled her head, "look, I know that Giles has a notebook with notes on the Key. I know I wasn't supposed to know where it was… but I just knew. I even guessed what was in the book… what the tosser's notes were about the Key."
"He knew," said Giles nodding his head.
"And none of us told him?" said Xander as everyone shook their heads.
"Exactly, then how could I know?" asked Spike waving his arms about.
"A girl?" asked Buffy when she started to feel dizzy. She grabbed Willow's shoulder, It was then that the redhead looked at Buffy with a concerned look as she steadied the Slayer.
"Buffy?!" yelled Willow as the blonde went down to her knees while her eyes were open wide. For Buffy, everything seemed to be in slow motion as she found herself at the top of the tower at the factory. The portal was already open, and she was looking at the brown eyes of a girl she didn't know.
"Promise me! Promise me! Live, Buffy! Live… for me."
"Who?" asked Buffy shaking her head as Giles rushed to Buffy while Tara and Willow helped her up and dragged her to a seat. After seating Buffy, and crouching in front of her, Giles then ordered Anya to get some water before trying to get Buffy's attention. He looked at her eyes and noticed that she was looking past him while her hands were shaking.
"Buffy!" said Giles while Spike got up and walked around the table until he was behind Giles and looking at Buffy's eyes, and her lips started to move.
"No," Buffy whispered shaking her head as the vision of the mysterious girl ran down the platform and she ran after her. "No," Buffy then felt herself running after the girl who jumped off the platform. "No!" Buffy screamed as she reached the edge and saw the girl shouting at her to live before she entered the portal. Buffy's face was covered in tears as Giles looked on perplexed. The young woman just screamed 'no' when a sob broke from her throat, followed by a gasp.
"Buffy?" asked Giles as he placed a hand on her cheek. But Buffy's eyes never wavered… it remaining looking out into the distance. Xander asked what was going on, and Giles said that Buffy was most likely experiencing a waking vision… the first time in centuries he's heard of a Slayer experiencing such a thing.
"Can we get her out of it?" asked Spike.
"I don't know," said Giles before looking up at Willow and Tara, "get the Watcher Diaries volume two and five. There's an account of this type of waking vision in one of those, please hurry."
While Tara and Willow rushed off to the back room, Buffy found herself in a hospital room looking at the terrified girl. She narrowed her eyes at the young girl, and then felt a sting on her shoulder. Buffy looked to her left and saw an arrow pierced through her own shoulder, and that she was bleeding. Buffy placed her hand on the wound, getting some blood on her hand in the process. She then looked back at the girl with everything seeming to her as if it was far off in the distance…. It was as if the background was blurred and the girl was in sharp focus. She could hear her friends, but the sounds of Giles, Willow, Xander, and the others sounded so distant. Buffy looked down at the blood on her hand, and then gently grabbed the hand of the young brown haired girl. She turned her hand over and saw blood on the palm.
And for some reason Buffy couldn't explain, seeing the girl hurt caused a sting in her chest. She didn't know the stranger, but it still hurt. But Buffy knew exactly what to say… as if she said it before. Buffy knew in her very soul that this setting and the words coming out of her mouth, as well as the girl in front of her, were unfamiliar. But the Slayer still felt as if all this had happened.
"Does it hurt?" asked Buffy. Back in the real world, Giles and Spike saw Buffy look at the palm of her hand, and then back up past Giles and Spike.
"Does what hurt?" asked Xander as Anya looked on in concern.
"Because I love you. You're my sister." Buffy said with that faraway look in her eyes as everyone glanced at each other with eyes wide open in surprise. It was then that Tara and Willow walked out carrying the Watcher Diaries from the back room. Anya asked Willow if Buffy had a sister they didn't know about, but Willow simply shook her head while Tara said "No."
It was then that the front door opened again and Joyce rushed in while grabbing her chest. Tears were running down her face as Tara rushed to the older blonde, as did Xander and Spike.
"I.. I feel so… something's wrong," said Joyce as she looked at Willow while saying that she couldn't help but cry at missing something vital. Some important part of her life.
"Yes you are," said Buffy staring in front of her past Giles as everyone, including Joyce, stared at the Slayer as tears streamed down her face, "Look…. It's blood. Summers blood."
"Buffy?" asked Willow as Buffy's hand shook as she lifted it towards Giles while Joyce stumbled to Buffy's side leaning on Xander.
"It's just like mine. It doesn't matter where you came from. Or how you got here. You are my sister. There's no way you could annoy me so much if you weren't."
"Sister?" asked Joyce as Buffy blinked her eyes and looked at Giles while covering her mouth. She then looked up at Joyce and slowly got up to her feet before hugging her tight. Buffy whispered that she had seen a young girl in her vision... and the girl was her sister. The Slayer said that she was the one who jumped into the portal.
"I have… I had… a daughter? Another daughter?" asked Joyce as she felt a loss.. a maternal loss that grew even more as tears streamed down her cheeks, "why can't I remember her? Why…. Why?"
Buffy was gently crying on Joyce's shoulder as a feeling of intense guilt took over while the emptiness in the pit of her stomach grew. She had no memories of the young girl. She didn't even know her name.
"The monks," whispered Giles as he stepped back and threw all the books onto the floor before he got to one that referred to the Monks of Dagon. He flipped through the book before slamming it shut again, "Buggers!"
"Giles?" asked Willow cautiously. She had never seen Giles this angry before as he threw the book of the Order onto the floor. She guesses that everyone was feeling the effects of whatever it was that caused this emptiness to take hold of them. Willow looked at Tara who was holding onto her hand. The blonde let go and approached Giles who was panting and rubbing his forehead. She placed her hand on his arm and asked him what he was thinking about.
"The monks made the Key into a crystal which was given to Angel, and Angel gave it to Buffy," said Giles, "the monks knew that their love would be unique… and so they had Angel give Buffy the Key because she would protect whatever the love of her life gave her."
"But what if the Key wasn't a crystal," said Spike shaking his head while stepping back, "dear God, what did they do?"
"Who?" asked Joyce as she wiped her tears, and that of Buffy. The Slayer then stood next to Joyce, the two Summers women still incredibly upset, while listening to Giles.
"What if the monks of Dagon changed the Key into a girl… a sister. They then sent the sister to Buffy. The sister would be an innocent, she would be protected by the Slayer. The Key would be protected… what if… oh dear Lord... they made the Key into a human being."
"Then why can't we remember her?" asked Anya who then stopped and tilted her head. She thought through it for a few seconds before opening her eyes wide and hopped excitedly while exclaiming that the monks must have changed reality itself.
"But that's not in the book we were sent over by the Council," said Giles shaking his head, "it made no mention of…"
"What if to create her, they changed reality so that… oh.. oh… think about it. You send the Slayer a sister to protect. So everyone will have to remember Buffy having a sister. From the day she was born, to well… the day the Key was forged into the sister."
"Anya has a point," Giles said shaking his head.
"So I had memories of this girl?" asked Joyce.
"Buffy did, Xander, Anya, Spike, myself… probably everyone that you met knew that you had a sister and daughter." Giles then exclaimed that it was possible the feelings of emptiness they were feeling was a result of reality shifting, and the magic that created their new memories being taken away from them.
"Then Angel would have called me," said Buffy, "I mean.. he… let's say that…"
"I believe this has something to do with the Hellmouth," Giles said shaking his head, "what if everyone does not remember her, and…"
"Since she's not the Key anymore, the magic holding her as the Key went poof? And with that the reality altering magics?" Asked Willow.
"The emptiness is caused by our missing memories of this girl," said Xander, "that's why I feel so.. so weird."
"I want the other reality back," said Buffy, "Giles, I want the other reality back, and… and I want my sister here with me."
"Buffy, we have no information on what the Order did to change reality itself," said Giles, "if we're not sure about what we're doing, then…"
"I want her back!" yelled Buffy.
"Buffy," whispered Joyce as she tried to imagine another daughter while holding onto the one she already had, "we… we… can… can…"
"When I had my vision," said Buffy, "I looked at the girl and then I saw her blood. I said something about it being Summers blood, that it was just like mine. What if… what if the monks made the girl's body out of my blood. Can we use the same way they supposedly forged the Key into a crystal to forge my blood into my sister?"
"Buffy," said Giles shaking his head.
"And I'm sure I can find a reality altering spell that…"
"We're playing with the fundamental forces of nature," said Giles shaking his head, "Buffy, we.. we cannot play God."
"That girl… my sister died.. she jumped off the tower and into the breach. I saw it… I.. I saw. And I want her back. Mom?"
"I.. I want to see her, Rupert." Said Joyce with tears gathering in her eyes, "this hole… I.. I need it to go away. And maybe it's there for this girl… I.. I need…. Please. I need her back.. I need her back."
"We… we… don't know what we're doing," said Tara gently, "Buffy, Mrs. Summers, I… I feel this emptiness and I hate it. I want to remember her… I want to know her… I want this hole to go away too. But Mr. Giles is right, we're playing with the fundamental forces of nature, and…"
"The monks played with nature, Tara," Xander said, "if true, then they created a human being and changed reality around her. If they can do it, then so should we."
"I can find a way," said Willow looking at everyone, "I can find a way… I can get the girl back and…"
"Stop."
Upon hearing another female voice, everyone turned to the table at the entrance to see a young woman standing with her arms by her side in a silver and cream dress. "Stop."
"You," said a surprised Buffy as she stepped towards the girl who looked at her with a sad smile, "you… you're the girl I saw. The girl who jumped off the tower. You're my sister."
"Oh dear lord," said Giles as he walked past the table of books. Joyce headed to Buffy's side and looked at the girl. No matter how much she tried, Joyce simply could not remember her. Xander and the others then rushed to the front as the young woman looked at all of them with a smile.
"You look different," said Buffy as she noticed the longer hair, and the older features on the face of the mysterious girl, "not like my vision."
"This is my real form," said the young woman, "I know all of you have questions. All I ask is that you listen, and hopefully it will answer everything you need to know."
"Please… go ahead," said Giles as stared at the confident young woman in front of him.
"Who I really am doesn't matter," the girl said, "what you need to know is that I was there the day the Matrix…"
"Matrix?" asked Spike.
"You call it the Key," said the young woman, "I was there the day that the Key was nearly captured by the one known as Glory. The monks of Dagon were in a panic to create a vessel for the Key – you see, they did not realize that a unique body was needed to hold the powerful energies of the Key. It's a powerful force, and a normal body would have decayed instantly and Glory would have sent this planet to hell. And I like this world… it's very beautiful, lush, and teeming with life. The monks thought they had time, but one of their own was captured and gave Glory everything after days of torture. So… since the human body they were about to create wasn't adequate… I descended from my plain of existence. I made sure my body was in a state of advanced evolution, enough to hold the energy of the Key without my body being decayed. And then I was sent to the Slayer, Buffy Summers as her sister, Dawn."
"Dawn," whispered Buffy, a sob escaping her lips at finally putting a name to the face of the girl in her vision, as she stepped forward and hugged her. Dawn tightened her hold, as did Buffy while tears gathered in her eyes. Dawn looked at Joyce who was covering her mouth before rushing forward and hugging he and Buffy as well.
"I remember all of you," Dawn said, "Buffy, mom."
"Then why can't we?" asked Willow, "I.. I mean I can try and… use magic to…"
"You shouldn't try, Willow," said Dawn shaking her head as Buffy and Joyce took a step back, "I've seen what could happen. What may happen, and what must never happen. I'm forbidden from interfering in your affairs in the event it alters human evolution. The only reason I can tell you what I'm telling you is because reality is still shifting… it's hiding me from the Others, for now. At least for me to do what I have to do.."
"What are you saying?" asked Tara, "that you're one of the Powers that Be?"
"No," said Dawn, "but again, who I really am doesn't matter. What matters is that you have to move on. Buffy, I want you to continue to live your life. And I want the same for the rest of you."
"But this emptiness…" said Joyce as she placed her hand on her own chest.
"The magic that tied the Key to my very soul was undone the moment I went through the portal," said Dawn, "my ascended self was torn away and kept safe. I remember watching my body fall through the portal and hit the ground. Since that body, that husk, was the Key, it broke apart after Buffy had me… had the husk… in her arms before screaming how unfair it was."
"I don't remember," said Buffy shaking her head.
"None of you do," said Dawn looking at everyone, before looking at Buffy, "but that's what happened. When the husk was gone, the magic that held it together was gone as well. And that included the reality created for you by the monks. Reality started to shift in new directions to accommodate new memories that formed in your minds; you couldn't remember me because the magic that held me together as the Key was gone. As for your new memories? The human mind is impressive, you gave yourselves memories to account for what happened that night. The Key's back deep down in the Earth where it would be safe, and my people will ensure it's forever guarded against abuse."
"But this is the Hellmouth," said Giles, "something went wrong, didn't it."
"It did," said Dawn nodding her head, "Angel, Faith, Cordelia… they already forgot who I was. The reason you guys haven't forgotten yet is because you were the ones I was closest to. And because the Hellmouth is causing the reality shift to happen slower hare than in other places. Heck, dad already forgot about me, and he's in Bora-Bora. Anyway, you would have forgotten about me in a few days…. So I stayed behind to watch over you until then. Next time you try to drive drunk, Giles, I swear to God that I will personally come back and beat you over the head with a chair."
"Rupert?" asked Joyce looking back at the stunned Giles.
"It… It was you this morning," Giles whispered staring at Dawn as he recalled the hand that lifted off his shoulder.
"Uh huh," said Dawn nodding her head, "doofus."
"The ball of light…" said Tara, "was that…"
"Was me," Dawn said with a smile, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, Tara."
"And I was with Buffy, mom, Spike… and Spike, I gotta say that you're so hot when you get ofg the bed.."
"Hey," said Spike narrowing his eyes at Dawn, "aren't you supposed to be like the Slayer's younger sis?"
"Technically, I'm older… since I'm in my real body now without the Key… I'm about oh…. Ten thousand years," said Dawn as Buffy raised an eyebrow while the brunette smirked and winked at Spike, "unless of course you don't like…"
"Ewwww," said Buffy waving her hands before pointing at Dawn, "stop it."
"Anyway," said Dawn with a chuckle as she turned back to look at her sister, "reality will take a few days to repair itself. You were all supposed to feel that emptiness until reality finished shifting. The imbalance between your memories and the still shifting reality in Sunnydale was what caused your feelings of emptiness. I hoped that was as far as it went… but then Willow started talking about shifting reality to the old one, I had to intervene."
"Why?" asked Willow.
"When you bring back my body," said Dawn, "you bring back the reality the monk's created."
"But…."
"But in the meantime," Dawn interrupted Willow, "I can make it easier on all of you. I can restore your memories of the other reality, that should plug the holes you guys feel."
"But.. but if you're my sister," said Buffy, "then I want you, Dawn."
"So do I," said Joyce nodding her head.
"I can fix reality as it was and…." Willow didn't get to finish as Dawn interrupted her again.
"Don't," said Dawn shaking her head, "Willow, don't."
"But…."
"When the monks cast the spell that placed the Key into my very essence and changed reality itself, it was a very powerful spell," said Dawn. And Willow was about to interfere by saying that she could handle the power. However, the redhead was prevented from talking further when Dawn said, "that powerful world-reality changing magic had a cost. A huge cost."
"The more magical power you use, the higher the cost," said Giles nodding his head, "and the cost was…"
"Mom," said Dawn as she turned to a stunned Joyce. Buffy looked at Joyce as well, and then at Dawn, and back at Joyce again as her mind tried to process what she was being told, "mom was the cost. It wasn't immediate, but the magic was intense. It affected her slowly, it started with a tumour. And then there was the aneurysm."
"Oh God," said Xander as he stared at the trembling Joyce.
"Buffy was the one who found her on the couch… it was too late," said Dawn as she looked at the floor, "and she was the one who told me. It was the worst day of our lives. And I will not have that happen again."
"I know I can keep the magic at…"
"Willow," said Dawn shaking her head, "I don't want to come back Because if you restore the other reality, then mom will be dead. I will not see that happen, Willow."
"But you won't be here," said Joyce shaking her head.
"You'll remember me," said Dawn gently while looking at her mother, "and that's all that matter's mom, Buffy."
"No," said Buffy as she held Dawn's hand, "you can interfere… make sure that mom doesn't die and you're here too. Do it… you can do it."
"You will have you use your blood, Buffy," said Dawn gently as she placed her hand on her sister's face, "even if the spell doesn't eventually kill mom, it could kill you… it could kill dad… or it might even kill someone we don't know. That level of magic is a death sentence for someone else… I… I can't have that on my conscience."
"But you don't need to know that someone died, you know?" said Xander, "I mean, reality will be…"
"No, I may not know, but does that still make it right?" asked Dawn as Giles wiped tears away before he said that Dawn was right.
"Giles," said a shocked Buffy.
"A powerful casting like this… damn it Buffy, I want Dawn to be here with us as well."
"Then help me convince her," begged Buffy as Joyce cried while looking at Dawn who was holding her tight, "damn it Giles, help me convince her."
"We'll be killing someone else," said Giles, "we talking about making a sacrifice of an innocent victim once the spell is restored. The spell that created Dawn, if it's as powerful as we think it is, will kill someone."
"And I can't have that, Buffy," said Dawn as Tara wiped her tears before agreeing with Dawn and Giles.
"This isn't a vote!" exclaimed Buffy as she turned around, "this is not a vote!"
"Willow," said Buffy pointing at the redhead, "I want that spell ready and…"
"Buffy," said Joyce as the Slayer turned around. The both of them had red eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks, "we… I.. I want Dawn back too… I want to.. I want her to stay and…"
"Mom?" asked Buffy, "no."
"God forgive me," said Joyce shaking her head. She weighed everything in her mind and was about to agree that Dawn shouldn't be restored. But then, she felt sick to her stomach… the truth was that she wanted Dawn back… no matter the cost, "a sacrifice is worth it."
"Mom," said Dawn opening her eyes wide, "you don't get it… you could die again."
"That's a risk I have to…"
"And if it's Buffy who dies?" asked Dawn as she looked at Joyce, and then at Spike, Xander, and Willow, "what if Buffy dies?"
"Then… then that's a sacrifice I'm…"
"Then who will be the next Slayer?" asked Dawn staring at Buffy, "you die, and Faith is in prison. The Slayer Line goes through her. So do we kill Faith too? Do we murder two people?"
"Faith I don't mind dying really," said Xander shrugging his shoulder.
"She's still a human being," said Dawn shaking her head, "and… and I cannot allow that. I'll know that there was a cost… that an innocent will have to die so that my body is restored. I'll know deep inside that something's wrong. And I will find out…. And when I do, what do you think I'll say? What do you think I'll do when I find out that an innocent had to die so that I could be brought back?"
"Dawn." Buffy shook her head trying while begging Dawn to stop talking.
"I couldn't take it, Buffy," said Dawn as a tear trailed down her cheek, "I couldn't take it when I find out that you, mom, or some stranger died so that I could be brought back."
"We need you back," said Joyce shaking her head while crying. Giles walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. HE said that Dawn already offered to restore their memories of the other reality, and that would be enough.
"Having those memories means that she was real to us," explained Giles as Joyce hugged him, her tears staining his shirt. But it didn't matter to Giles as he rubbed the woman's back while Dawn reached forward and held Buffy's hands.
"Giles is right," said Dawn, "Angel, Cordelia, Dad…. They won't remember me. But you will, Buffy. You, mom, Xander, Spike, Anya, Willow, and Tara."
"I won't have you," said Buffy shaking her head.
"Memories have emotions, Buffy," said Dawn as she looked into her sister's eyes, "it'll be like I'm always with you wherever you go. And I will be occasionally watching over you. I've seen the possibilities of this timeline, and you are in for one hell of a ride."
"But without you," Buffy said.
"I'll be here," said Dawn pointing at Buffy's chest, "always. I'll be with you in your memories… "
"Forgive me," whispered Buffy. She wanted her sister with her, and she was willing to sacrifice any innocent to get her back But what Dawn said also got to her. And made Buffy think 'what if she does remember?'. Buffy new that Dawn wound never forgive them if she ever remembered that there had to be a sacrifice, and she wouldn't forgive her if Joyce was the one who died. In fact, Buffy knew that dawn would resent them all. And she did want that either. So, even though it broke her heart, Buffy nodded her head and told Dawn to restore their memories.
Dawn then walked to Buffy and restored her memories of the previous reality, followed by Joyce. She then walked over to Spike, and then to Anya, Xander, Giles… who she then hugged tightly and thanked him for everything. They soon parted and Dawn moved on to Tara. She restored her memories and then hugged tightly as the both of them cried. Lastly, Dawn placed her hand on the side of Willow's head and restored the memories of the previous reality.
"I want you to be careful with your magic, Willow," said Dawn as Willow's green eyes watered as she recalled watching Dawn fall through the portal last night. "I'm going to show you a reality… what would happen if your powers ever went out of control. If you went too far without being supervised."
Willow saw a flash of light, and then a reality where it was Buffy that fell from the tower. Willow saw Buffy die, and everything started to go wrong. She saw an image of her gathering the required urns and sacrifices to bring back Buffy from the dead. Then everything started to go downhill. Dawn showed Willow how far she fell into magic. Willow saw herself arguing with Tara, she saw herself changing the memories of the people she loved. Willow saw the visitations with Rack, the accident with Dawn where she broke her arm when she was on a magical high; Willow saw her own break-up with Tara… and that was her bottom. She saw herself clawing back up in earning the trust and forgiveness of her friends, and how she started to use magic responsibly. Eventually she got Tara back… only for her to be killed by a stray bullet. Willow saw herself become a dark force of nature who killed Warren Mears, and then attempted to kill his friends, and then Dawn, followed by Buffy, Anya, Giles. Willow stared stunned at the anger in her alternate version as she absorbed pure magic from Giles, and nearly ended the world.
Willow then saw herself in limited exile in Devon before returning to Sunnydale. She saw a girl hitting on her forcefully until they ended up together before facing the being known as the First Evil, it's Bringers, Caleb, and the Turok-han. She saw herself activate al the Slayers in the world, an act that would eventually bring about the end of the universe as they knew it. Dawn showed her the coming of Twilight, and the end of Magic itself on Earth. Willow stared stunned as she helped restore magic to Earth, but the rules had completely changed. Willow saw vampires that walked in the sunlight and were incredibly hard to kill.
And it had all begun with bringing the alternate Buffy back to life. That was what changed everything.
"And that's why you need to be careful," said Dawn softly as she took off her hand from the side of Willow's head. The redhead reached around and hugged Dawn while whispering that she was so sorry for everything. Dawn told her that it was another life she had seen… and that she had the people she needed to see her through the worst of times. "They'll pick you back up. Talk to Giles about what I showed you. He'll help."
"With what?" asked Giles as Willow then rushed to Tara and hugged her tight.
"Not for me to say, Giles," said Dawn before hugging him again, and then she hugged Xander and Anya.
"Spike," said Dawn as she hugged the vampire tightly.
"Lil'bit," he said hugging her tight.
"Thanks for protecting me from Glory," Dawn said before whispering in his ear, "and I'm not that little girl anymore. You need me for… you know… then you call me."
Dawn pulled back and smirked at the perplexed look on Spike's face before chuckling. She turned around while Buffy stared at Spike who pointed at him, and then made a motion that indicating he'll be staked if he did anything to Dawn. Dawn then hugged Tara again before heading for Joyce.
"Mom," said Dawn as she hugged Joyce, "I'll be close by. Reality will settle in a day or so. And even after it's settled down, you'll be able to go on with your lives because you'll have your memories back."
Dawn then kissed her crying mother before walking to, and then hugging Buffy. The Slayer's shoulder trembled as she lay her chin on Dawn's shoulder, and vice-versa. Dawn held Buffy tight and said that she loved her.
"Remember what I asked you to do before head butting you?" asked Dawn.
"Live, for you," replied Buffy through a sob.
"Live, Buffy," said Dawn as she started to glow white before kissing Buffy's cheek and then stepping back. "Live, for me."
Dawn then vanished, leaving Buffy and Joyce rushing to each other. They hugged while Tara and Willow held each other. Xander was holding onto Anya's shoulder while looking at the spot where Dawn used to stand, and the turned to his girlfriend. Giles sniffled while he and Spike picked up the books on the floor.
All of them remembered Dawn, and knew in their hearts that the parts that were once missing was now filled. Filled with memories of Dawn and the emotions those memories brought about.
Sunnydale Acres Cemetery, two weeks later.
Buffy, Joyce, and the other Scoobies stood under a swaying willow tree while Giles crouched down and lay some flowers on a headstone. Since they didn't have a body to bury, Willow and Tara picked a crystal that Dawn was fond of, and placed it into an urn. It was the urn that was then buried, representing Dawn.
Giles then got up and stood back, as Joyce placed her arm into the crook of his arm.
"Goodbye, Dawnie," said Joyce softly before she turned around with Giles and walked away. Soon followed by Tara and Willow, both of whom were due to travel to the Devon Coven for their Summer Break to be trained in their powers; and was followed by Xander, and then Anya. Buffy was the last to leave as she whispered 'I love you' to Dawn. It was then that a warm gentle breeze brushed past her face. It was warmer than the cool breeze that had been blowing through and rustling through the leaves, and it made Buffy look to her left where she saw look at Dawn standing under a tree in the distance. The Slayer gave a soft smile, a smile that Dawn returned before she walked behind the trunk and vanished.
Buffy looked back at the marble headstone and said, "see you around, my Dawnie." Buffy then turned around and put her hands into her pockets as she walked away. Willow had told them about the vision that Dawn gave her, and it was her mission to make sure none of them came to pass; especially Tara's murder.
Buffy stopped and took one last looked over her shoulder at the headstone which read;
"Here lies Dawn Summers,
Beloved Daughter,
Beloved Sister,
Devoted Friend.
She saved us all."
Buffy then smiled, and turned her head before walking away. She knew that Dawn was going to be in her heart, in their hearts. So, it was time to go back to work, and defend the world.
The End.