Buffy knew that De Vincint had used a spell of some kind to force Spike to
back off, and she knew that she was alone.
"Perhaps your friends would like to witness your visions as well. It will
certainly add to my entertainment."
De Vincint touched Buffy's face almost lovingly, and suddenly, Buffy felt
herself being hurtled through time and space. She saw herself first
becoming the vampire slayer, and being kicked out of school. She saw
herself drowned by the master; shoving a sword through angel's stomach, and
then him breaking up with her in the sewers. She saw herself fighting
Faith; watching Riley fly away in a helicopter; her mother's dead and
vacant eyes. She saw Dawns bloody wrist and her own gravestone. She saw
herself claw out of that same grave; sleeping with Spike and fighting
Willow. And then, she saw nothing.
Buffy hung in a limbo of grey smoke. She had bi sense of direction; didn't
know if she was up or down. But suddenly, she saw her mother's face sliding
in front of her. And then, her hand connected viscously with Buffy's face.
"You stupid girl! You were never good for anything! All you did was waste
my life and get me killed before my time. But you'll be fixed. You'll get
your punishment. And then you'll dance in the fires of hell. Pity it didn't
happen sooner!"
A single tear snaked down Buffy's face.
"Mommy." She whispered.
Then, so quickly she almost missed it, Joyce changed and took on Angelus'
appearance.
He leered at her for a minute, then stepped toward her through the grey
mist.
"So.you've gone and gotten yourself into trouble again. Thank god that my
pesky soul isn't here, because I really wanna watch you burn. It's actually
a lot better this way. Now I don't have to pretend that I love you, and
you don't have to get all sappy every time you look at that stupid ring you
got for your birthday."
Reflexively, Buffy looked down at her hand. The ring Angel had given her
sparkled, and she hadn't even realized that she was wearing it. She wanted
to touch it, but she kept her hand down.
Buffy looked up as Angelus shifted to take the form of Glory. Buffy blinked
and rushed at her, screaming, flailing her fists and kicking out with every
ounce of her strength, be she never touched the goddess. All of her attacks
went straight through her.
