Disclaimer: Same as always.
Note: Parts of this chapter may be very unbelievable, but. . . you'll see. Just read it. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. There's this little thing I hate to call school, and it takes up far too much of my time. I have mid-terms in about two or three weeks . . . So, if there's an even longer delay, you'll know why. I'll try to update more over Christmas vacation. Oh, and if anyone needs to or wants to contact me for any reason, my e-mail address is Willow2666@hotmail.com, and my AIM screen name is Gaia926 (I don't really use Wiccan2666 that much anymore).
Chapter Eight
When Buffy got home, she wasn't surprised to find everyone still asleep. Sunrise was still a few hours away, but Buffy was too wired to even think about joining them. Buffy decided to sit on her living room couch until she could think of something better to do. She surprised even herself with what she did next. She began to cry. It didn't make sense to her, since she had been calm and collected a few moments before.
YOU'RE OVERWHELMED. CRYING IS A PERFECTLY RATIONAL RESULT.
Trying to regain even the smallest bit of her mental composure, Buffy decided to at least attempt having a civilized conversation.
"I hate you. You know that, right?"
YEAH, I KIND OF PICKED UP ON THAT.
"Why did you do this to me?"
IT'S MY JOB. JUST LIKE IT WAS ONCE ANYANKA'S JOB. OH, BUT I DID GET MORE POTENTIALLY USEFUL INFORMATION.
"Please share," Buffy demanded. Her crying had finally ceased and now she just wanted answers.
WELL . . . IN THIS REALITY, IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS A FOURTH, LESSER KNOWN HELL GOD.
"Let me guess . . . Is she . . . evil?"
YES. VERY. BUT SHE'S . . . DIFFERENT.
"Different as in . . . ?"
IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. SHE'S POWERFUL, BUT MOST OF HER POWER RESIDES IN MAGICKS. BASICALLY, THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
"Thanks for that vagueness."
ANYTIME. BUT, I'VE GOT TO GO.
For the next two and a half hours, Buffy actually attempted sleep. The best she got was forty-five minutes of "sleep" before nearby voices woke her.
**************************************************************************
Buffy woke to Dawn, Tara, and Willow talking and laughing in the kitchen. She decided to go join them, and at least try to have fun.
"Hey, guys," Buffy said, with an overly emphatic yawn.
Willow immediately perked even more up. "Hey, Buffy!"
"When did you get back from patrolling?" Dawn asked.
Buffy thought for a moment before answering and decided to go with the truth. "About three hours ago, I guess. What have you been talking about?"
Dawn took this one. "About one teacher at my school. It's just that she basically wears rugs to school in the attempt of skirts, and hooker boots, and is a complete jerk. We just kept coming up with certain things that Willow and Tara could do to her . . ."
Dawn continued on, but Buffy was too bored to hear any of it. 'I can't believe I was really that shallow', Buffy thought. When she assumed Dawn was done, Buffy decided it was time to tell them everything. Well, almost everything . . .
"Um . . . You guys? There are some things you really need to know." She took a short pause before continuing.
"I . . . I wasn't in hell. I know you all probably thought I was, but I wasn't. This is all going to be a lot to take in, but you have to believe me. I'm from a year in the future. Well, actually, I'm from a completely different world. I was dreaming one night, or so I've been told, and I made a wish to live the past year over again. Better. So a vengeance demon granted this wish I didn't even know I'd made . . ." She continued on, leaving out certain bits and pieces, some of the major parts being Tara's death and everything pertaining to Spike. There was a long pause before anything happened.
Willow almost started crying. "My, God Buffy. You really were in hell. Look at what it's done to you. I'm so sorry, Buffy."
"No, but Will, I wasn't. I was ---"
"It's clouded your judgement. Buffy, I'm sorry," Tara interrupted.
'What do we do?" Willow asked.
"I think you know what we have to do. Buffy, I'm sorry."
Willow's eyes widened. "Tara, no!"
"We have to. She could . . . She could do anything. She could be led to believe she has to kill us, or worse. There's always worse. Don't you understand?"
Willow nodded, her eyes returning to normal. "Yeah. I guess I do. I'm sorry Buffy. I'm sorry, but . . . we have to."
It took a few minutes for what they meant to finally sink in.
"No. No! You-you don't understand! I'm not crazy or possessed and I'm never going to hurt any of you! I'm telling you the truth! Ask Spike! Please, don't do this!"
Willow made solemn eye contact with Buffy. "I'm sorry."
Buffy quickly turned to Dawn. "Dawnie? Please, Dawnie!"
Dawn shook her had. "I want you to stay. I-I really do. But . . . They're right. I'm sorry, Buffy. You know I love you, right?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. But I'm not the one with the clouded judgement. My judgement has blue skies and no chance of overcast. Really."
Willow got up and went into one of the kitchen drawers. What she removed almost made Buffy scream. "Will, no! Please! You have to believe me!"
Since Dawn was the nearest to Buffy, she quickly got up and also got a sharper knife from the same drawer. She walked back over as Buffy slowly moved backward. 'This isn't happening. This can't be happening', Buffy thought. She couldn't handle it. It was too much. While walking backwards, she tripped over a chair leg and fell to the floor. Before she had the chance to get up, Dawn bent over her, trying to decide where to stick the knife.
"Dawn, quick! Before she has the chance to hurt anyone!" Willow called after her.
Tears began to slide down Dawn's face. "I . . . I can't do this. She's my sister. I can't . . ."
"You have to! She can't hurt anyone! Who knows what she's capable of! Do you want to die? Do you want us to die?"
"No. I don't. I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm sorry. But, this is the work that I have to do."
Buffy's last thoughts were of disbelief and horror. With one fluid motion, Dawn plunged the knife into her sister and, for Buffy, everything faded to black.
Note: Parts of this chapter may be very unbelievable, but. . . you'll see. Just read it. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. There's this little thing I hate to call school, and it takes up far too much of my time. I have mid-terms in about two or three weeks . . . So, if there's an even longer delay, you'll know why. I'll try to update more over Christmas vacation. Oh, and if anyone needs to or wants to contact me for any reason, my e-mail address is Willow2666@hotmail.com, and my AIM screen name is Gaia926 (I don't really use Wiccan2666 that much anymore).
Chapter Eight
When Buffy got home, she wasn't surprised to find everyone still asleep. Sunrise was still a few hours away, but Buffy was too wired to even think about joining them. Buffy decided to sit on her living room couch until she could think of something better to do. She surprised even herself with what she did next. She began to cry. It didn't make sense to her, since she had been calm and collected a few moments before.
YOU'RE OVERWHELMED. CRYING IS A PERFECTLY RATIONAL RESULT.
Trying to regain even the smallest bit of her mental composure, Buffy decided to at least attempt having a civilized conversation.
"I hate you. You know that, right?"
YEAH, I KIND OF PICKED UP ON THAT.
"Why did you do this to me?"
IT'S MY JOB. JUST LIKE IT WAS ONCE ANYANKA'S JOB. OH, BUT I DID GET MORE POTENTIALLY USEFUL INFORMATION.
"Please share," Buffy demanded. Her crying had finally ceased and now she just wanted answers.
WELL . . . IN THIS REALITY, IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS A FOURTH, LESSER KNOWN HELL GOD.
"Let me guess . . . Is she . . . evil?"
YES. VERY. BUT SHE'S . . . DIFFERENT.
"Different as in . . . ?"
IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. SHE'S POWERFUL, BUT MOST OF HER POWER RESIDES IN MAGICKS. BASICALLY, THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
"Thanks for that vagueness."
ANYTIME. BUT, I'VE GOT TO GO.
For the next two and a half hours, Buffy actually attempted sleep. The best she got was forty-five minutes of "sleep" before nearby voices woke her.
**************************************************************************
Buffy woke to Dawn, Tara, and Willow talking and laughing in the kitchen. She decided to go join them, and at least try to have fun.
"Hey, guys," Buffy said, with an overly emphatic yawn.
Willow immediately perked even more up. "Hey, Buffy!"
"When did you get back from patrolling?" Dawn asked.
Buffy thought for a moment before answering and decided to go with the truth. "About three hours ago, I guess. What have you been talking about?"
Dawn took this one. "About one teacher at my school. It's just that she basically wears rugs to school in the attempt of skirts, and hooker boots, and is a complete jerk. We just kept coming up with certain things that Willow and Tara could do to her . . ."
Dawn continued on, but Buffy was too bored to hear any of it. 'I can't believe I was really that shallow', Buffy thought. When she assumed Dawn was done, Buffy decided it was time to tell them everything. Well, almost everything . . .
"Um . . . You guys? There are some things you really need to know." She took a short pause before continuing.
"I . . . I wasn't in hell. I know you all probably thought I was, but I wasn't. This is all going to be a lot to take in, but you have to believe me. I'm from a year in the future. Well, actually, I'm from a completely different world. I was dreaming one night, or so I've been told, and I made a wish to live the past year over again. Better. So a vengeance demon granted this wish I didn't even know I'd made . . ." She continued on, leaving out certain bits and pieces, some of the major parts being Tara's death and everything pertaining to Spike. There was a long pause before anything happened.
Willow almost started crying. "My, God Buffy. You really were in hell. Look at what it's done to you. I'm so sorry, Buffy."
"No, but Will, I wasn't. I was ---"
"It's clouded your judgement. Buffy, I'm sorry," Tara interrupted.
'What do we do?" Willow asked.
"I think you know what we have to do. Buffy, I'm sorry."
Willow's eyes widened. "Tara, no!"
"We have to. She could . . . She could do anything. She could be led to believe she has to kill us, or worse. There's always worse. Don't you understand?"
Willow nodded, her eyes returning to normal. "Yeah. I guess I do. I'm sorry Buffy. I'm sorry, but . . . we have to."
It took a few minutes for what they meant to finally sink in.
"No. No! You-you don't understand! I'm not crazy or possessed and I'm never going to hurt any of you! I'm telling you the truth! Ask Spike! Please, don't do this!"
Willow made solemn eye contact with Buffy. "I'm sorry."
Buffy quickly turned to Dawn. "Dawnie? Please, Dawnie!"
Dawn shook her had. "I want you to stay. I-I really do. But . . . They're right. I'm sorry, Buffy. You know I love you, right?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. But I'm not the one with the clouded judgement. My judgement has blue skies and no chance of overcast. Really."
Willow got up and went into one of the kitchen drawers. What she removed almost made Buffy scream. "Will, no! Please! You have to believe me!"
Since Dawn was the nearest to Buffy, she quickly got up and also got a sharper knife from the same drawer. She walked back over as Buffy slowly moved backward. 'This isn't happening. This can't be happening', Buffy thought. She couldn't handle it. It was too much. While walking backwards, she tripped over a chair leg and fell to the floor. Before she had the chance to get up, Dawn bent over her, trying to decide where to stick the knife.
"Dawn, quick! Before she has the chance to hurt anyone!" Willow called after her.
Tears began to slide down Dawn's face. "I . . . I can't do this. She's my sister. I can't . . ."
"You have to! She can't hurt anyone! Who knows what she's capable of! Do you want to die? Do you want us to die?"
"No. I don't. I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm sorry. But, this is the work that I have to do."
Buffy's last thoughts were of disbelief and horror. With one fluid motion, Dawn plunged the knife into her sister and, for Buffy, everything faded to black.