As Spike and dawn walked down the semi-deserted street, the few stray shards of light from the fading sun dissipated the dominance of the oppressive night. As the moon began to rise, new light filtered from the moon lighting up the streets once again for youths who wished to party mingled with released creatures from the night. It was with this setting that they walked down the street headed towards the summer's household in an awkward silence.
Earlier that day: Dawn was sorting through the boxes in storage in the basement of the Magic Box. As she passed by the multitudes of shelves a glimmer of yellow flickered barely in her field of vision. As she paused to examine this furtherer she saw a gem amazingly like amber with the same translucent colors. The only difference was although amber gave a sense of age and time, this gem radiated newness and power. It's glowing sheen, despite the dust, reflected perfectly as if newly polished glass, a light that seemed to land just across the eyes of this young unsuspecting victim. It was without thinking or premeditation that she reached out with eager hands towards this waiting jewel. As the slightest contact was made all consciousness left, and as automation would, brought it with its attached necklace and put it upon her neck. And the moment she completed this unconscious act, she continued with her task as if she had never seen the fateful glimmer. Finding the Ba-Qua, an eight-sided ornament used to ward demons, she quickly forgot jewel that so neatly lay beneath the horizon of her shirt, and headed up the stairs.
As she neared the top of the stairs she heard the mumblings of a meeting in progress. With stealth she eavesdropped on a meeting regarding a demon and a key, which she promptly deduced to be herself. As she piqued up and asked "What about me?!" As the reply from Buffy drew dissatisfaction, a voice spoke beside her startled her in her state of distraction. It was then that they are at this impasse on the road home. As the chill of the night began to settle she brought her hand up to protect her chest from the few chilled breaths of air, she felt the gem she had on. It was at this moment Spike spoke up, "Nibblet is there something wrong; you seem awful silent today."
"Well, . . . "
"Well what?"
"I took this gem…"
"So you back to taking things again?" Spike said, not with a condescending tone but one of interest.
"NO," her voice filled with denial
"I was forced to."
"What, Anya told you to take it, I didn't know she could be so bloody generous."
"No! This gem made me!"
"Ha, bloody likely."
"Really!"
"Let me see it then."
"Here."
"Looks like amber."
"Yeah bit it feels warmer, much warmer than body temperature. I almost didn't remember taking it till it got cold." Spike reached out to examine it. He felt a tingle as if warning him of danger. The moment he touched it the gem emitted a glow that rivaled the sun at high noon on an Indian summer. As the light faded Dawn and Spike stood there still as statutes with a slightly dazed look as if all will power left them. Though they seemed helpless, no one seemed to notice them there at all, as if they vanished.
The two froze, and it seems an eternity standing yet falling. Both with and with out substance, the only sense they had was of themselves and each other, but with a pervading sense of calmness. Dawn unsure of what was happening called out to Spike, but before the words reached her mouth, she sensed more than heard Spike's reply letting her know he knew just as much. It seemed to them that a great heat appeared before them (and though it was in the spiritual), not know that, Spike began to fear for his life. His fear was so strong that it leaked into Dawn; yet again, the resounding sense of peace was imposed upon them. He did not so much see as sensed the flames encircle them, and a presence emerging from them. This presence seized them and squeezed them together as the flames closed in burning them. They cried out in Pain.
As the two merged a searing pain, one so great, if compared to hell's flames, made the fork tongued flames of Hades as cool as a comforting bath. This miraculous pain carried with it a light, both old and green. This light dispersed into both Dawn and Spike, Dawn felt as if she owned a portion, and lacking the other half. Spike felt a portion of his demon divided and less potent a portion given to Dawn; fear again barely scratched the imposed calm, not for himself but for Dawn. As Dawn sense something enter her she was made aware, as she felt ripped in two a pain shared with Spike.
For five full minutes, the pair stood that way. Suddenly they reanimated. The brain an organ not of the spirit did not realize the events that transpired. Spike examined the gem and said, "It's just a trinket. Don't worry about it," as they headed off to her home.
Later that evening Spike alone in his crypt, yet he had this great sense of comfort, as if a close friend was beside him. Unsure of what to make of this unasked contentment he decides to go out to contemplate this further under the moonlit stars. With an amazing sense of awareness he never felt before, spun around catching an arrow in mid-flight aimed at his heart. It was strange, had he ignored this feeling he would be dust right about now. But as his contemplations were made the enemy made himself known it was another vampire who held a grudge against Spike, Spike was unsure of what it was that this other vampire hated him for, but there many reasons many vampires hated him since he began to help the slayer. Should anybody see this fight they might have seen only blurs for the speed these two unnatural creatures of the night moved were astounding. A punch followed by a block, a kick grabbed, a push repelled, if this fight had been slow one might have though it a finely orchestrated dance though without the fineness of one trained to fight, these movements were only street fight attacks. A deflected punch opened up Spike's opponent allowing Spike to stake him with half of the arrow he had caught earlier.
At this very same time that dawn was laying down on her bed, she was feeling a mixture of emotions (although she thought it was simply awkwardness). She sensed contentment about her like a child cradled by her mother, yet she also felt like something was missing, like a beloved hat that is constantly worn lost. She desired to go out into the night to sort her thoughts, but as she paced the room contemplating this she saw out the windows her sister and knew that there was no way that she could do this now. So, she had to make do with her bed (or until her sister was asleep). "Wow I have never felt this way – could it be the gem—or is it just my emotions running away from me," she thought to herself. "This energy, am I finally accessing my aspect of the key's power? I was never able to access it myself." It was frustrating for her to look so deeply and yet find no answer. Giving up she drifted of into a sleep filled with dreams of arrows and vampire fighting.