Epilogue


The receptacle began to glow more brightly, illuminating the group of watchers who silently waited to see what would happen. Abruptly, the glow seemed to implode, rushing into the stack of sealed letters and causing them to shine as brightly as the sun for an instant, temporarily blinding all present.

When the light faded, and everyone had recovered their vision, the letters were gone. The receptacle sat there quietly, waiting for the next time it would be used for such a momentous occasion.

Giles quietly walked over and picked it up, then walked away as the others followed, headed for the Summers house, where they would talk about the person that had touched all of their lives so profoundly. Dawn moved over to Willow and walked beside her as she asked, "Do you think it worked?"

Willow looked over and replied quietly, "I don't know, Dawn. . .it seemed to work correctly, but there's no way to really know. . .we just have to have faith that she did get the messages, and that she's all right."

Dawn nodded thoughtfully, then followed Willow out of the cemetery. The tear that Dawn had shed earlier glistened on a blade of grass on Buffy's grave, then dried. Abruptly, another tear appeared on the grass, then another, then another. The sound of what might have been soft crying was obscured after a moment by a strong breeze that blew the circle of sand away from the grave, and left it as it had been before the mourners had gathered. . .except for the three silver tears that silently acknowledged the final messages to a hero.


As always, comments are welcomed and desired