Title: Through The Gates Into Paradise

Author: Jmaria

Rating: hard pg-13 for lang, possibly r.

Disclaimer: I own tons of junk, but not Buffy. Joss owns her, Kendra, Nikki, The First Slayer, And the Chinese Slayer Spike killed (I don't know her name). I'm just shamelessly using them.

Summary/ A/N: So Buffy's in Heaven. But she's not done. Oh, and there are going to be very slight spoilers for seasons six and seven, so if you haven't seen them you might not want to read anymore. I'm trying to keep them really slight. And now for the note section of this. I was really shocked by how much everyone loves this idea. I thought I'd just be called a major goober for coming up with this lame-ass idea. You can see how critical I am of myself. So I held off writing the next chapter. Then I turned on my computer the next day and all of my reviews were for this one. Oh, and one of my distrubetees (is that a real word?) is looking for buffy writers. So go to this link, sign up for the forum, and see about getting a thingy for your stories. (I suck at computer/internet terms)

Distribution: TtH, FF.Net, Charmed Fanfiction & More, and if ya want it, just ask.

Chapter One: Visions Of Loneliness

Buffy Summers had died saving the world, and now Lily was telling her that she wasn't done, that she had more work to do. The red-haired girl smiled sadly at the newly fallen slayer. It was never easy, coming through. But this slayer was different. She'd died twice.

"So I have to learn how to die? Hello, died twice. I think I passed the final."

"No, ye di'n't. Ye di'n't fail, tho'. Ye will be brough' back. Ye're still needed. De powers tha' be, the' forsee ye comin' back inta de fold." Lily seemed to think for a moment. "Face it, dearie. Yer screwed."

Buffy whirled to face the Irish girl. She simply smiled at Buffy, her hands on her hips haughtily. Lily turned, her hand going to the doorway before her. Buffy blinked. Huh? Where had that come from?

"Ye coming, Summers? Or do I gotta drag yer ass in here?"

Lily entered, confidant that the Slayer would follow her. Buffy hesitated as she watched Lily disappeared into the doorway.

"C'mon, Summers. You've died twice. Why are you so scared of a damn door?" Buffy muttered to herself.

She felt fuzzy as she made her way into the cavern. Lily stood before her, and simply pointed down. There stood the most frightening thing she had ever had to face. Her First death.

"You're not going to kill me with that thing." The Master said.

"Don't be so sure." The sixteen year old Buffy Summers said. Her hair was up, and she was all dressed up for the prom.

"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You are not the hunter. You are the lamb. "

Buffy turned to Lily.

"Why are we here?" Fear and pain clouded in her eyes.

"I tol' ye tha' we were goin' to see every slayers' death. I though' we'd start out with somethin' simple."

"Simple? Seeing my death is not Simple!"

"Hush, now, dearie. Ye're suppsosed to be watchin'." Lily turned her face back to the Master.

The younger Buffy looked for the Master, slowly circling.

"You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide." She said.

"I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last." His voice seemed to be coming at her from everywhere.

"Well, I don't." Her eyes searched for her enemy. But she never saw him behind her.

"I understand."

She turned to face him, but her crossbow was knocked from her hands. Fear came into her eyes as he grabbed for her throat.

"Stop it. I don't want to see this."

"It's nevah easy, dearie. Watchin' yerself die. But ye must. Ye let de fear take ove'. Tha' was yer mistake."

Buffy swung her arm up, breaking his grasp. She looked for an escape. But as she began to run, the Master used his powers to pull her to him. He made his way to her. He positioned himself behind her, removing the jacket she wore. She panted with fear, her eyes searching for help, anything she could use to save herself from this nightmare. She couldn't die.

"You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything." She could feel his rancid breath on her ear. "You're the one that sets me free!" She felt her fear as he whispered to her, " If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"

He waited one heartbeat's length before lowering his fangs into the base of her throat. He took but two sips of her life's blood before releasing her.

"Oh, God! The power! "

She fell to her knees. She couldn't remove herself from his thrall.

"And by the way... " He said to her as he made his way from his former prison.

But she couldn't hear him. The ground was rushing at her so slowly. A pool of brown water hit her as he continued.

"I like your dress."

"I was so scared of him." A voice whispered.

Buffy turned to face her younger self. The girl stood where Lily had been. Her face was wet, and her throat was bleeding. She smiled at Buffy.

"I lost something. My edge. My confidence. I heard that I was going to die. But I didn't listen to Giles. I should have listened. I guess I don't do that to much. I - I."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. It gets people killed. I was so sure of myself, that I let it cloud everything. I didn't think, I didn't plan, and it got me killed."

Buffy looked at her younger self.

"I - I just reacted. And gave into my fear. Can you say stupid much?" A sad smile crossed her lips. "That's how I got myself killed."

Buffy blinked back the tears in her eyes. When she did, she was back out on the vibrantly green hill, Lily at her side.

"Well, now tha' we've done tha'. I suppose we shoul' talk?"

"Talk?"

"Aye, dearie. We need ta talk."

A/N 2: Ok, Buffy's death and all that comes from 'Prophecy Girl', and I got the lines from . So?