**** Chapter 5: Learning Secrets ****
Faith and Dawn stood toe to toe, eyes locked preparing to roll.
Spike, Buffy, and the SIT's had all went out to train with live vamps, while Faith had decided to pass. When they had left Faith had asked Dawn to join her in the basement for some girl time. When Dawn reached the bottom step, Faith turned and laughed, "How about a rematch sis?"
"What? You want me to take you again." Dawn said with a chuckle as she slid around the rail of the steps and out onto the floor.
"Yeah, I want to see if that was a fluke."
Without another word they started, both throwing a right hook and connecting to the others face. The impact sent them to their respective lefts and they turned back into their right with the same exact right stiff kick. Both kicks were blocked by both of their hands. Faith then dropped to sweep Dawn's legs out, but as she followed through Dawn leaped over the kick. Faith continued around and just as Dawn's feet hit the floor, Faith hit the 360 sweep. Dawn started to fall toward the ground back first, but caught herself with her hands behind her head, rolling with her momentum she flipped backwards back onto her feet. As Faith started to stand Dawn gave her a swift kick to the face then to the gut, followed by Dawn grabbing the back of Faith's shirt, lifting her off the ground and throwing her in the air into the wall. Faith hit the wall with a sickening thud, and when she landed on the floor back first she was slow to get up.
"Are you okay?" Dawn asked as she walked over to the prone slayer.
As Dawn reached Faith she saw her eyes flicker open and was greeted by a rolling back kick to the gut. The force from the blow sent Dawn stumbling backwards and she to hit the opposing wall, falling face first.
"Dawnie, you alright?" Faith asked as she walked towards Dawn. As Faith reached Dawn she didn't see any movement. Faith knowing that this could be a trick waited at a distance for an attack. "Dawnie?" Dawn still lie motionless so Faith approached her. She noticed that Dawn's chest wasn't rising or falling, "Oh God Dawnie." Faith said with a gasp as she turned Dawn over. Dawn's eyes shot open as she grabbed Faith by the head delivering a headbutt. Faith rose to her feet from the blow and while flailing backward shouted, "Hey, totally not fair, I thought you were hurt."
"Yeah, wonder where I learned that one at?" Dawn said as she kicked her legs back under her as she rose with a flip.
Faith smiled as she saw Dawn rise up prepared to go again. Faith grabbed a throwing star from her back pocket as she kicked Dawn with a straight right, then a quick spinning heel kick. Dawn was stumbling away from Faith when she threw the star. Faith almost watched the star move in slow motion as it neared Dawn thinking ~God, I hope their right about her being a slayer, if not this may kill her~ she cringed with the thought. Dawn stopped stumbling just in time to see the star, but instead of dodging the star she rose her hand and said simply, "No." The star stopped mid-air and dropped to the floor. Faith looked at Dawn and she began to glow, Dawn looked at Faith and laughed, "Come on, one more time."
Dawn rushed Faith with a speed unbeknownst to even her or Buffy. The glow was a bright white, and was emitting from her eyes. Faith was almost mesmerized as Dawn threw a combo of body punches, an uppercut, and finished off with a jumping crane kick to the chest sending Faith sliding across the floor. As Faith quickly leaped back to her feet Dawn was gone, she gasped when she felt the arm reach around her neck, and swallowed as she was dropped to her knees by a kick to the back of her legs. "It's over Faith, you lose again."
"Oh yeah?" Faith grabbed Dawn's arms from around her neck before she could imitate the motion of breaking it, and flipped Dawn over her head. Instead of landing on her back she landed on her feet with her back to Faith. With a quick mule kick with her right leg to Faith's face, Faith was on the ground, out of energy. Dawn looked to the wall were a battle axe hung and Faith could hear her whisper, "Come here." The axe leapt off the wall into Dawn's hand, Dawn turned and swung in one motion and stopped mere inches from Faith's face.
"Over now?" Dawn asked as the glow left her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have stopped that."
Dawn threw the axe to the side and as it hit the ground she grew weak in the knees. Faith stood up on her own after a short recovery from the battle. She watched as Dawn swayed back and forth almost like a drunk. Dawn then looked at Faith and asked, "Do you usually feel this tired after a fight?"
Faith laughed as Dawn asked that and asked, "Do your eyes always glow as you fight? How about mind control, that's a new trick."
Dawn stood staring wide eyed at Faith for a moment before she realized everything that just happened. The star, the axe, the glow? How? "I was just reacting." Dawn said in an emotionless, empty tone. "That's definitely something new."
Before Dawn or Faith could expand on their thoughts the room began to glow and Joyce appeared before them both. Faith's eyes weld up with tears, she hadn't seen Joyce since she left, she had only heard that she died. Faith never had anything but love for Joyce, even though she may have denied it to anyone. Dawn on the other hand just whispered, "Mommy, what."
"Dawnie, the battles coming," Joyce began, "and Buffy won't choose you."
"Mom, what does that mea."
"Dawnie, she won't choose you, you will choose her. You have been given the powers of the slayers. You are one of them now." Joyce said as she smiled at Faith. "This is now your battle. You will be fighting beside Buffy, Faith, and Spike or they all shall die and the world will be overtaken by evil. When Buffy does not choose you, you must choose her, you must choose to fight, you will be the 'key' in the battle. Faith, you have paid your penance, welcome home. Tell Buffy that I love her Dawnie, and tell Spike to treat her well. I love you all, and when the battle is over, I will see you all again." With that, the bright light got brighter and Joyce disappeared.
Dawn looked at her hands as she held them in front of her, "Key....," she turned and looked at Faith and Faith's eyes were filled with tears. Dawn walked to Faith and they embraced in the basement, in the training floor of the future, and held each other just letting the secrets soak deep inside their souls. They deeply pondered these things in their minds, but both just held each other in a sisterly like embrace.
Faith and Dawn stood toe to toe, eyes locked preparing to roll.
Spike, Buffy, and the SIT's had all went out to train with live vamps, while Faith had decided to pass. When they had left Faith had asked Dawn to join her in the basement for some girl time. When Dawn reached the bottom step, Faith turned and laughed, "How about a rematch sis?"
"What? You want me to take you again." Dawn said with a chuckle as she slid around the rail of the steps and out onto the floor.
"Yeah, I want to see if that was a fluke."
Without another word they started, both throwing a right hook and connecting to the others face. The impact sent them to their respective lefts and they turned back into their right with the same exact right stiff kick. Both kicks were blocked by both of their hands. Faith then dropped to sweep Dawn's legs out, but as she followed through Dawn leaped over the kick. Faith continued around and just as Dawn's feet hit the floor, Faith hit the 360 sweep. Dawn started to fall toward the ground back first, but caught herself with her hands behind her head, rolling with her momentum she flipped backwards back onto her feet. As Faith started to stand Dawn gave her a swift kick to the face then to the gut, followed by Dawn grabbing the back of Faith's shirt, lifting her off the ground and throwing her in the air into the wall. Faith hit the wall with a sickening thud, and when she landed on the floor back first she was slow to get up.
"Are you okay?" Dawn asked as she walked over to the prone slayer.
As Dawn reached Faith she saw her eyes flicker open and was greeted by a rolling back kick to the gut. The force from the blow sent Dawn stumbling backwards and she to hit the opposing wall, falling face first.
"Dawnie, you alright?" Faith asked as she walked towards Dawn. As Faith reached Dawn she didn't see any movement. Faith knowing that this could be a trick waited at a distance for an attack. "Dawnie?" Dawn still lie motionless so Faith approached her. She noticed that Dawn's chest wasn't rising or falling, "Oh God Dawnie." Faith said with a gasp as she turned Dawn over. Dawn's eyes shot open as she grabbed Faith by the head delivering a headbutt. Faith rose to her feet from the blow and while flailing backward shouted, "Hey, totally not fair, I thought you were hurt."
"Yeah, wonder where I learned that one at?" Dawn said as she kicked her legs back under her as she rose with a flip.
Faith smiled as she saw Dawn rise up prepared to go again. Faith grabbed a throwing star from her back pocket as she kicked Dawn with a straight right, then a quick spinning heel kick. Dawn was stumbling away from Faith when she threw the star. Faith almost watched the star move in slow motion as it neared Dawn thinking ~God, I hope their right about her being a slayer, if not this may kill her~ she cringed with the thought. Dawn stopped stumbling just in time to see the star, but instead of dodging the star she rose her hand and said simply, "No." The star stopped mid-air and dropped to the floor. Faith looked at Dawn and she began to glow, Dawn looked at Faith and laughed, "Come on, one more time."
Dawn rushed Faith with a speed unbeknownst to even her or Buffy. The glow was a bright white, and was emitting from her eyes. Faith was almost mesmerized as Dawn threw a combo of body punches, an uppercut, and finished off with a jumping crane kick to the chest sending Faith sliding across the floor. As Faith quickly leaped back to her feet Dawn was gone, she gasped when she felt the arm reach around her neck, and swallowed as she was dropped to her knees by a kick to the back of her legs. "It's over Faith, you lose again."
"Oh yeah?" Faith grabbed Dawn's arms from around her neck before she could imitate the motion of breaking it, and flipped Dawn over her head. Instead of landing on her back she landed on her feet with her back to Faith. With a quick mule kick with her right leg to Faith's face, Faith was on the ground, out of energy. Dawn looked to the wall were a battle axe hung and Faith could hear her whisper, "Come here." The axe leapt off the wall into Dawn's hand, Dawn turned and swung in one motion and stopped mere inches from Faith's face.
"Over now?" Dawn asked as the glow left her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have stopped that."
Dawn threw the axe to the side and as it hit the ground she grew weak in the knees. Faith stood up on her own after a short recovery from the battle. She watched as Dawn swayed back and forth almost like a drunk. Dawn then looked at Faith and asked, "Do you usually feel this tired after a fight?"
Faith laughed as Dawn asked that and asked, "Do your eyes always glow as you fight? How about mind control, that's a new trick."
Dawn stood staring wide eyed at Faith for a moment before she realized everything that just happened. The star, the axe, the glow? How? "I was just reacting." Dawn said in an emotionless, empty tone. "That's definitely something new."
Before Dawn or Faith could expand on their thoughts the room began to glow and Joyce appeared before them both. Faith's eyes weld up with tears, she hadn't seen Joyce since she left, she had only heard that she died. Faith never had anything but love for Joyce, even though she may have denied it to anyone. Dawn on the other hand just whispered, "Mommy, what."
"Dawnie, the battles coming," Joyce began, "and Buffy won't choose you."
"Mom, what does that mea."
"Dawnie, she won't choose you, you will choose her. You have been given the powers of the slayers. You are one of them now." Joyce said as she smiled at Faith. "This is now your battle. You will be fighting beside Buffy, Faith, and Spike or they all shall die and the world will be overtaken by evil. When Buffy does not choose you, you must choose her, you must choose to fight, you will be the 'key' in the battle. Faith, you have paid your penance, welcome home. Tell Buffy that I love her Dawnie, and tell Spike to treat her well. I love you all, and when the battle is over, I will see you all again." With that, the bright light got brighter and Joyce disappeared.
Dawn looked at her hands as she held them in front of her, "Key....," she turned and looked at Faith and Faith's eyes were filled with tears. Dawn walked to Faith and they embraced in the basement, in the training floor of the future, and held each other just letting the secrets soak deep inside their souls. They deeply pondered these things in their minds, but both just held each other in a sisterly like embrace.