Prologue
Buffy dragged her weak little sister further away from the edge of the tower. Buffy wasn't sure before if her sister would actually live through the ordeal. Yes, she had made her threats, but she wasn't positive if she'd make it to Dawn in time before all Hell broke loose. Literally. Suddenly Dawn turned back around, Buffy stopping her.
Buffy looked at Dawn with a surprised look, "Go!" She yelled at her sister, not noticing the horror placed on her face.
"Buffy, it's started." Dawn said to Buffy, rather calmly in fact. Buffy turned around to see an almost silver cloud at the end of the platform they vacated. Buffy turned back to her sister, Dawn still staring at the cloud with tear filled eyes, "I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"It doesn't matter." Buffy responded, shaking her head, trying to reassure her sister. Dawn's face was now streaked with tears as she witnessed what was going on around her, knowing it was all because of her. Without looking at her sister, Dawn tried to run past her, but Buffy kept a strong hold of her, pushing her back. "What are you doing?" A shocked Buffy asked Dawn as she stared her in the face.
"I have to jump. The energy." Dawn started but was interrupted by Buffy, "It'll kill you." Buffy responded sternly, as she always had with Dawn. "I know." Dawn whispered through a choked sob before continuing, "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it." "No." Buffy quickly answered back right before the tower shook beneath their feet.
"Buffy, I have to. Look what's happening." Dawn replied as, what appeared to be, a dragon flew out of the portal and flew around the tower, flying farther away from the two. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." A frightened Dawn spoke, trying to convince her sister. Dawn could see the pain in Buffy's eyes and she moved her gaze down to her bare and blood soaked feet. She looked back up at Buffy before she spoke again. "You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood." Dawn again choked back the tears, trying not to show how weak she was. But she failed as the tears fell past her lower eyelids and down her cheeks. Buffy turned her head to look at the end of the platform, seeing the sun rising ahead. She turned back around to see a fear stricken Dawn in front of her.
"Buffy…no!" Dawn screamed as she realized what her sister was about to do. "Dawnie, I have to." Buffy replied calmly, her hands still holding onto Dawn's arms. "No!" Dawn begged her sister. "Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen." Buffy ordered her sister. "Dawn listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles….tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world….is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me." Buffy spoke these words to Dawn and then turned the opposite direction of which Dawn was standing, running directly to the portal. She leapt off the edge and landed in the middle of the silvery cloud. She felt the pain surge through her body, the worst pain she had ever experienced all her five long years as a slayer. She felt like everything inside her was being ripped apart, and then everything went black.
Buffy dragged her weak little sister further away from the edge of the tower. Buffy wasn't sure before if her sister would actually live through the ordeal. Yes, she had made her threats, but she wasn't positive if she'd make it to Dawn in time before all Hell broke loose. Literally. Suddenly Dawn turned back around, Buffy stopping her.
Buffy looked at Dawn with a surprised look, "Go!" She yelled at her sister, not noticing the horror placed on her face.
"Buffy, it's started." Dawn said to Buffy, rather calmly in fact. Buffy turned around to see an almost silver cloud at the end of the platform they vacated. Buffy turned back to her sister, Dawn still staring at the cloud with tear filled eyes, "I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"It doesn't matter." Buffy responded, shaking her head, trying to reassure her sister. Dawn's face was now streaked with tears as she witnessed what was going on around her, knowing it was all because of her. Without looking at her sister, Dawn tried to run past her, but Buffy kept a strong hold of her, pushing her back. "What are you doing?" A shocked Buffy asked Dawn as she stared her in the face.
"I have to jump. The energy." Dawn started but was interrupted by Buffy, "It'll kill you." Buffy responded sternly, as she always had with Dawn. "I know." Dawn whispered through a choked sob before continuing, "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it." "No." Buffy quickly answered back right before the tower shook beneath their feet.
"Buffy, I have to. Look what's happening." Dawn replied as, what appeared to be, a dragon flew out of the portal and flew around the tower, flying farther away from the two. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." A frightened Dawn spoke, trying to convince her sister. Dawn could see the pain in Buffy's eyes and she moved her gaze down to her bare and blood soaked feet. She looked back up at Buffy before she spoke again. "You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood." Dawn again choked back the tears, trying not to show how weak she was. But she failed as the tears fell past her lower eyelids and down her cheeks. Buffy turned her head to look at the end of the platform, seeing the sun rising ahead. She turned back around to see a fear stricken Dawn in front of her.
"Buffy…no!" Dawn screamed as she realized what her sister was about to do. "Dawnie, I have to." Buffy replied calmly, her hands still holding onto Dawn's arms. "No!" Dawn begged her sister. "Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen." Buffy ordered her sister. "Dawn listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles….tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world….is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me." Buffy spoke these words to Dawn and then turned the opposite direction of which Dawn was standing, running directly to the portal. She leapt off the edge and landed in the middle of the silvery cloud. She felt the pain surge through her body, the worst pain she had ever experienced all her five long years as a slayer. She felt like everything inside her was being ripped apart, and then everything went black.