EPILOGUE:
"Dawnie, slow down! You'll get hurt," Willow shouted.
Dawn stopped and turned to Willow several yards behind her on the trail. "How far up do I go? Where did the locator spell put them?"
"Here, someplace." Willow stretched out her arms. "I couldn't tell precisely."
"Giles' car at the bottom of the mountain was sort of a clue, don't you think?" Xander added.
"Well, yeah, but the spell helped." Willow frowned at him, hurt by his sarcasm.
"I know." Xander looked at her with his 'I'm sorry' expression that only she could read. "I'm just worried, Will, like all of us. Just saying stupid stuff to let out the tension. And hey, look, at least the sun's beginning to make an entrance. We can actually see and maybe stop tripping over stuff followed by almost careening over the edge to our untimely deaths."
Tara touched Xander's arm lightly. "It'll be all right. I know we'll find them." She squinted up ahead. "And hopefully we won't lose Dawn along the way. Dawn, where are you?"
"Here!" Dawn screeched causing Xander to shudder involuntarily. "Here! They're here!"
The three ran to catch up to her. Xander was the first and found Dawn standing in the middle of the trail bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Here, Xander, they're here!"
Xander looked around with growing confusion. "Where?"
Dawn picked up Giles' backpack and shoved it into Xander's chest. "Look! Are you blind?"
"Well, okay, Dawnster. Let's just slow down a minute. This is definitely good clueage, but…" Xander trailed off as Tara and Willow appeared.
That's Giles' pack," Tara said as she took it from Xander and quickly examined the contents for clues as Willow and Xander surveyed the immediate surroundings. Willow spotted it first.
"There, at the side of the mountain. That's fresh. Those rocks haven't been there long."
"A rockslide?" Tara asked.
"It looks like it." Willow's voice was uncertain.
"Guys, stop discussing and start doing. They're in there. I know it. We got to get them out, now!" Dawn demanded, pointing at the side of the mountain.
"But sweetie, we don't know for sure and, well, it's not going to be easy moving all those rocks. Before we waste time on that maybe we should first…" Willow stopped speaking when she saw Xander move to the edge of the trail, where the earth fell off at a dangerously steep grade. Her questioning eyes stayed on him as he returned. He shook his head and spoke quietly. "No evidence of anything going over the edge recently." Willow nodded and grimaced in momentary relief and recognition of what he had been looking for.
"Why won't you listen? I'm telling you they're trapped inside the mountain, in a hole or something." Dawn dropped down to the ground and desperately began pulling at the heavy steadfast stones.
Tara knelt down along side Dawn and placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke calmly. "Dawn, what makes you so sure?"
"Because I just am. I can feel it. My gut is telling me. Intuition. I thought you two were big on that." Dawn stood and planted her hands on her hips. "Or don't I get any 'cause I'm just a green glowy energy thing?" Even through her anger and frustration, her words didn't fall on deaf ears.
Tara and Willow exchanged a knowing look and quickly moved into action.
"Okay, everybody up and out of the way. Tara, take my hand." Tara did as Willow instructed.
Willow looked intently in Tara's eyes. "Do you remember that fist time, when we held hands and moved the vending machine without speaking?"
"Of course, I remember," Tara replied, stuttering slightly.
"We're doing it again." Willow's voice was strong with determination. "Except this time we need a lot more control. We have to move the rocks carefully, one at a time, in case Buffy or Giles are near. We don't want to cause another slide." She looked at Tara who nodded confidently.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Xander asked.
"Yes, you and Dawn stay behind us and don't talk."
"But, Willow, are you sure? I mean maybe we should look around some more. Don't we need a little more to go on than Dawn's, uh…gut?" He glanced hesitantly at Dawn.
Willow scowled at Xander but Tara spoke first. "Xander, intuition is a very powerful tool, especially in an emotionally charged situation like this. If Dawn feels it, then it's something we need to pay attention to."
Xander nodded and grabbed Dawn's hand. He pulled her back to him, out of the way, as the witches joined forces and focused on the seemingly insurmountable task. The first rock was small, but it moved. Xander was speechless at the sight and Dawn just squeezed tighter onto his hand. The rock slowly levitated and moved to the side, then dropped to the ground. The second rock was larger but the pace was the same.
"Can't you do this any faster?" Dawn pleaded. Neither Willow nor Tara broke concentration to answer her. Xander put his arm around Dawn and they waited and watched.
Giles' eyelids fluttered as a cool breeze brushed across his hand. He opened his eyes. Buffy was sleeping, small and curled against him. He folded his arm around her and squinted up at the skylight. The stars were gone. The sky was the deep blue of breaking sunrise, royal and fresh as a hazy glow of warm tangerine began to lace the blue. The night had ended and morning was calling. He looked at her and thought about what little had happened for her, a release of some pent up anguish and a night's sleep. He hoped it was enough of a beginning for the enormous task she had yet to face. He closed his eyes and waited for her to wake.
Suddenly he felt something on his face. It was warm and tickled lightly. Sunlight. He heard voices whispering with trepidation, "They're here." Giles eyes sprang open and saw them. First Willow, then Xander crawling through a small opening in the entrance. The rocks seemed to just fall away for them as if by command. Then Tara and finally Dawn came through, each momentarily blocking the shaft of low morning sunlight now entering the cave. He held up his hand to stop them and looked down at Buffy. Giles managed a smile hoping to answer the concern in their eyes and motioned them to come forward. "Shh, she's sleeping," he whispered.
Buffy stirred and looked up at him with sleepy eyes still puffy and red from having cried herself out. His eyes were red-rimmed too, from the dust and grit she told herself. Sunlight bathed his face, then suddenly he was cloaked in shadow. She reached out to him, touching the shadowed cheek with concern in her eyes. His arm tightened around her gently. He looked beyond Buffy to her sister moving toward them, rimmed with golden morning. "Everything is fine. Dawn's here."
Buffy looked into his eyes and saw, just as he said, Dawn reflecting back at her, through him, in warm, glowing colors. She looked deep into his eyes, so deep she saw a thing she couldn't name. A shape whose edges were drawn by gold and pink hues with plumes sparkling that had no beginnings or endings, colors spiking sharp and beautiful, sublime in an easy and magical dance of light. If she were still asleep she'd have been sure it was a premonition dream; it was so otherworldly. With a slow breath, she closed her eyes for just a moment and brought herself back to reality as she knew it.
The earth hadn't opened up letting loose demons and hellfire to destroy humanity. It wasn't the end of the world, only the end of her world as she knew it, the world of a girl who had lost her mother and had to find a way to go on.
Giles loosened his hold and slowly let his eyes close on the sight of Dawn's arms surrounding Buffy.
END