DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Joss Whedon, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their other respective owners.

A/N ABOUT THIS STORY: As you can tell, I've taken several scenes directly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lord of the Rings, word-for-word in the dialogue. This is not to rip off any of the real writers because I respect their work and I am not a plagiarist. This is an artistic ploy to put the reader in the mindset of where they are and is essential to the story. The Buffy episodes used were episodes (6.1-2) "Bargaining, 1 and 2" written by Marti Noxon & David Fury, (7.17) "Lies My Parents Told Me" written by David Fury & Drew Goddard, (7.18) "Dirty Girls" written by Drew Goddard, (7.19) "Empty Places" written by Drew Z. Greenberg, (7.20) "Touched" written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner, (7.21) "End of Days" written by Jane Espenson & Doug Petrie and (7.22) "Chosen" written by Joss Whedon. The Angel episode used was "Orpheus" written by Mere Smith. The movies used are, of course, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, written by Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien (if you didn't know that, you just suck).

10. Power:

A group of three dozen Bringers were gathered below the floor of the wine cellar at the vineyard, in a dark cavern where they dug endlessly at the walls with pick axes and welding torches. Caleb stood over them, overseeing their work with a sly smile on his face. A slender, petite figure emerged from the darkness and approached him from behind, her blonde hair falling off her shoulders as if were a veil of gold.

Caleb felt the cold shiver down his spine and knew who he was in the presence of. "I was hoping you'd bring me some better news," Buffy/The First declared, strolling up next to him.

"I wish I had some," Caleb answered. "But all good things come in time."

The First eyed the tireless working and asked, "Is this going to do anything special or just make the Bringers sweat?" The First crinkled her nose as she looked up at Caleb. "Do the Bringers sweat?"

"Actually, I think they pant," Caleb answered. "More like dogs. And I don't know exactly what we'll get out of here, but we've got to try everything to get it."

"And if the Slayer gets it first?" The First grinned, playfully watching him squirm.

"She won't," he bitterly answered.

"Not like it'd matter much if you failed at that last part," The First hinted as she paced around idly. "I've got a new toy of my own." Caleb turned to Buffy/The First with confusion splattered on his face, but he turned back to the digging, concerned with his own work.

Faith, Giles and Willow walked up the stairs from the basement where they held a captured Bringer into the kitchen where Xander, Dawn, Anya, Amanda, Rona, Kennedy and a few others were gathered.

"So what do we do with a dumb Bringer?" Faith asked with a tired sigh.

"Well, I know he's the enemy…" Amanda began, "but it's a little low to call him dumb—"

"He's mute," Giles explained.

"Oh." She blushed and silenced herself.

"We're back!" Andrew announced from the foyer, as if he'd just suffered a long day on the range.

"Joy." Giles rolled his eyes and put on his glasses just as Andrew marched into the kitchen.

"Hi, everyone," Andrew grinned as he was followed by Spike and the rest of the Fellowship. "I missed you guys a lot. I hope everyone's here because we've got tons of stories—"

"We've got a lead," Spike cut him off.

Andrew looked over at him, hurt. "Well, just ruin the surprise ending."

"Where's Buffy?" Spike asked Giles. The other Scoobies turned away, refusing to make definite eye-contact.

"Um," Dawn slowly began, "she's… not here."

"When she gettin' back?" Spike asked.

"Uh…" Willow stepped up before the crowd and tried to explain, rubbing her palms nervously. "Well, you see… while you were all gone, we… uh, got together and w-worked some things out."

"What are you sayin', Red?" Spike asked in confusion as the Fellowship listened closely with concern.

"Well, we, um, decided that it would be best if Buffy took a little… break," Willow replied. Spike stared at her, stupefied for several seconds. Willow gazed back at him. He knew the truth and so did she. After several more seconds, she turned slowly and retreated back to her corner, not being able to shake her shame.

"So what you're really saying is," Spike glared at them all suspiciously, "you all decided that too many chips have fallen for your liking." For the first time he felt as if he were above the so-called champions in the room with him. "What's the word for it… she was 'let go.'"

"I don't understand," Frodo replied, looking around. "What has happened?"

"Let me put it differently," Spike answered. "These whiney little backstabbers didn't like the way Buffy was running things. Guess it was too hard for them. So they threw her out."

"We're her friends," Willow exclaimed, appalled.

"Oh, that's ballsy of you," Spike shot back. "Friends? There's a word for what you bloody idiots have done—"

"Mutiny," Aragorn softly answered. The Scoobies turned to him to see nothing short of shock and pity in his blue eyes, as if he were staring into the face of atrocity.

"That's not how it happened…" Willow shook her head, firmly denying it almost to the point of tears.

"You don't understand the situation, Spike," Giles declared.

"Oh, I'm sure I do, Rupert," Spike answered, spitting the last word at him.

"Hey, why don't you calm it down and save your lack of breath?" Faith declared to Spike, stepping in before he had enough ammo to fire.

"You want to make me?" Spike threatened.

"Wow." Faith stared at him with an awed smile. "It's kinda cute the way she made you her lap dog in less than three years."

Spike stepped up to her. "You little—"

"You're all fools," an angry voice suddenly announced with the deepest of calm. Faith and Spike immediately turned towards the source, along with both the Scoobies and the rest of the Fellowship. Pippin turned towards his best friend, stunned at the sudden change: the once-peaceful hobbit was now standing strong with wide, blue eyes raging with angry.

"Merry?" Pippin asked, uncertain and fearful of the sudden change.

"How could you do this?" Merry glared at the faces of Faith, Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn and Anya.

"Step off, Mini-B," Faith shook her head, tired of all the confrontation. "You don't know—"

"I know that you're a coward," he darkly spat. "A power-hungry coward." Faith gazed at him silently, showing only the slightest bit of pain in her eyes from his words.

Aragorn softly replied with his eyes on the floor, "That's enough…"

Faith began, "I wasn't trying to take—"

"Yes, you were!" he sharply answered as he then directed his words towards the other Scoobies. "You all were. That's all you do!" Merry, his voice reaching its limit, declared with disgust, "No one has to be in this world very long to figure that out. You all look so different on the outside… but on the inside you're all the same. You take. That's all you are for. And when something happens everyone looks around for someone to rescue you. To-to lead you!"

Kennedy simply answered, as if the overthrow of power was a simple democratic transaction, "Now we have someone to lead us."

"You already did," Merry bit back.

"Yeah," Rona scoffed. "To lead us right into danger."

"Of course!" Merry answered like it was as clear as day. Anger at their stupidity filled his voice. "What did you expect? That is your destiny! Where else are you to go but into danger?" Frodo looked over at him, the bewildered expression fading into one of sympathy. Merry's voice softened, his desperation showing ever so slightly as he explained, "She led you into danger, but did you all forget that she was the one in the lead? The first hit, the first casualty is hers. It was her that danger had to cross before any of you ever saw it and retreated in fear."

"She didn't try to understand us," Anya announced. Xander looked over at her as if he were begging her not to answer, but she didn't catch the look. "She was too busy with the burden of being better than the rest of us."

Merry stared at her silently and peacefully before he finally answered, "She is better. Is she supposed to be ashamed of that?" He glared at each of them, despising everything about the situation, about what had happened as a realization came over him. "She loved it in our world," he declared, staring at the Scoobies deeply, especially Xander and Willow. "She was happy." Willow turned away as tears rolled down her cheeks. "And now I see why. What's ordinary in your world – your weaknesses, your jealousies, and your cowardice – is not in ours. She's extraordinary. Beyond your world. Beyond all of you. Not because of a destiny or some silly title – but because of one thing. Sacrifice."

Dawn swallowed hard, feeling as if something had died inside her stomach. Willow kept her eyes on the floor as she felt warm tears fall from them. Kennedy touched her shoulder, and Willow could only pull away. Xander was still and unmoving, his skin as cold as ice. Giles finally took his eyes off of Merry and removed his glasses and wiped his forehead. Anya's arms were wrapped tightly around her, her face as stiff as stone.

"That was moving," Faith declared, breaking the guilt train that each of them truly knew was inevitable. "You done?"

Giles reprimanded her softly, "Faith…"

"No, I get what this is," she shook her head. "Kid's got a big crush so he's here tootin' the horn of justice for his beloved Buffy."

Merry glared up at her, a flash of anger in his eyes as he pulled his foot back and kicked her swiftly in the knee.

"Ow!" Faith called out in stinging pain as she dropped to one knee.

"Merry!" Sam exclaimed.

Faith looked up at Merry. "You little—" She jumped up and lunged for him as Spike jumped in between them and punched her squarely in the mouth. The force of the hit knocked her into the kitchen island and on to the floor.

"Stop!" Giles flared, his voice booming.

Faith looked up at Spike as she was subdued by Giles' call. He glared down at her as he stood before Merry protectively with his fists balled up. "You make that move," Spike declared, "and I'll make you wish Buffy was here to stop me." Faith kept her gaze as he stared at her fiercely for several moments of intense silence.

Aragorn took Merry by the shoulder. "Let's go."

The moon glittered down light on the nearly deserted town of Sunnydale as Aragorn quickly paced down a street, flanked by Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam. The rest of the Fellowship followed Aragorn, unaware of where they were all going. During the long walk from the Summers' home to their current position, Pippin cast Merry dozens of concerned looks as his stone-faced friend followed Aragorn without question.

"Merry," Pippin whispered gently. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," Merry declared, remains of anger still in his voice.

Pippin backed off of him and turned to Gimli, "Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure, lad," Gimli worriedly answered. "Just… try to keep up." Several minutes later, the Fellowship arrived at the gates of Shinra Cemetery, the oldest and biggest in Sunnydale. Aragorn pushed the gate open and marched inside, passing the endless rows of tombstones and monuments until he came to a fairly large clearing in front of a chapel.

"Aragorn!" Pippin rushed up to the head of the line, whispering to him. "Aragorn, where are we going?"

"Have each of you your crystals?" he asked the entire group, ignoring the young hobbit's question. Pippin stopped and looked down at the leather pouch on his hip as he nodded, confirming a positive answer along with the rest of the Fellowship. "Remove them now," Aragorn announced as he reached for his white crystal.

"Wait, where are we going?" Pippin asked.

"We're going home," Aragorn answered. The Fellowship was thrown suddenly in a wave of bewilderment and disorder.

"What?" Pippin asked in shock.

Merry spat angrily, "Home?"

Sam shook his head, "Strider, surely you don't mean—"

Merry cut in, "You can't just—"

"Enough!" Aragorn shouted, silencing them all. "This is nonsense. Our mission was to find Buffy Summers and make certain that she was in a place that suited her."

"This is not her place!" Merry objected.

"Nor is it ours!" Aragorn bit off with a whisper. "We cannot remain in this world forever. Do you see now what our presence has already caused?"

"Our mission was to rescue her and she is not safe yet!" Merry answered defiantly.
Aragorn began to answer forcefully, but he pulled back and simply replied, "I will not argue over this."

"Merry is right," Frodo declared, catching Aragorn's attention. Sam turned to his friend as Frodo slowly stated, "No matter where she belongs, this is not finished. When they came to our world, they made it their mission to save us from our enemies." Frodo swallowed hard, "From ourselves." He looked back up at Aragorn. "They are all in peril now."

"We cannot save them all," Aragorn answered. "Hasn't that been proved? Not Willow… Not Spike… I couldn't stop Caleb from mutilating Xander…"

"No, you couldn't," Frodo answered. "And you may be right in saying that we cannot save them all from this fate. But she can. And maybe we all can together."

Aragorn looked down at him, "You would will me to save her from some unknown, invisible enemy that she will not stand and fight herself?" The anger disappeared from his voice as he sadly shook his head. "It is noble, Frodo. But it is folly." Legolas turned to him suddenly, his blue eyes fixated on him as he sighed tiredly and continued, "We must leave with haste."

"I am not leaving," Frodo declared with finality. The rest of the Fellowship stared at him with shock.

Sam shook his head. "Mr. Frodo…"

Aragorn continued to stare at him in silence with pity in his eyes. "This is no place for a hobbit alone," he regretfully stated.

"He won't be alone," Merry answered as he crossed his arms and stood by Frodo.
Pippin turned to Merry as if he were insane. "Merry?"

"Enough of this foolishness!" Aragorn announced, his patience wearing thin. "We are all leaving, Meriadoc." Frodo and Merry stood defiantly before his presence.

"If we are to be moved," Merry replied, "then by all means, my King, move us."

Aragorn saw beyond their seemingly defiant betrayal for what it really was. It was an act of honor. One that Aragorn knew unfortunately he could not let stand. Pity filled his blue eyes as he stared down at them. "Very well. If that is your wish."

"You'll have to move me, too!" Pippin declared, looking up at Aragorn. He was aghast as he then turned to Sam who stepped in line behind Frodo.

"I'm sorry, Strider," Sam declared as he gazed up at him. "Where Mr. Frodo goes, I promised to follow." Frodo turned towards his friend, about to object when Aragorn said what was on his mind.

"Think of your wife, Sam," Aragorn shook his head. "What of she and your unborn child?"

"She knows I can't leave," Sam answered. "I couldn't face her. Not until it's done."

"Why don't you understand?" Aragorn nearly shouted.

"Why don't you?" Legolas declared. Buffy could've described the moment perfectly as Aragorn and the other members of the Fellowship turned to the elf prince: 'Like a Boeing 747 full of pink elephants just crashed in front of you.'

Legolas explained the situation clearly to Aragorn, "A grave enemy threatens her life. And you would turn away, not out of fear, but of spite?"

Aragorn shook his head. "Legolas—"

"If that is the King I serve, then I can no longer follow you," Legolas added. Aragorn stared at his friend in astonishment as Legolas, his eyes full of alarm, stressed a phrase in the language which Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry and Gimli were not accustomed to. After saying it, Aragorn turned away, staring at the ground as he swallowed hard.

"If we do not act with haste," Legolas shook his head, "her enemy will defeat her."

"Who is this great enemy that you speak of?" Aragorn asked, turning to him. Legolas gazed at him with a solemn, knowing expression, full of pity for the Slayer.

Darkness covered the house that sat on 1167 Shepard Lane – one that belonged to Max and Katy Braswell. The couple left town with the rest of the population only hours before Buffy strolled her way into the open living room door.

She now sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed in the master bedroom, as the moonlight illuminated her view. The power in the town of Sunnydale was out for good and now it was covered in literal darkness, too.

The unusually shaped white crystal rolled around in the palm of her tiny hand as she gazed down at it, her eyes brimming with cold tears. Slowly and finally, she let the crystal fall out of her hand and hit the wooden floor. She pulled her eyes off of it and gazed into the lonely darkness, as if it were a gigantic set of jaws that was slowly consuming her.

"There you are," a British accent said from behind her. Buffy's eyes widened, surprised to hear Spike walk into the bedroom. "Do you realize that I could just walk into this house, no invite necessary?" He scoffed and shook his head. "The town really is theirs now."

Buffy gave no reply as he walked into her point of view. "I heard," Spike answered. "I was over there not long ago. That bitch. It's all about smiles and reformation when you're on your feet, but the moment you're down it's all about the kicking isn't it?"

"It wasn't just Faith," Buffy softly answered. "It was all of them." Her eyes were fixated on the transparent satin curtains as she gazed outside. "Besides… it's not like they were wrong." She looked up at him. "Please leave."

Spike stared at her unmoving. "No." His eyes brightened. "Hey, this will make you happy. You were right. Caleb's been hiding something from you. I think it's at the vineyard." Spike continued to stare at her. She wasn't reacting to his information at all.

"I don't feel very right," Buffy answered finally.

"You were their leader, Buffy," Spike replied, "and you still are. It's not something that you gave up; it's something that they took away."

"And the difference is?" she asked.

He declared with a smile, "We can take it back."

Buffy looked up at him and flatly answered, "No."

"No?" Spike replied.

"No," she declared.

He asked, "You mean 'no' as in 'eventually?'"

"I mean 'no' as in it's over, Spike," Buffy declared with a tired finality. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't hear the news?" a voice said from the doorway. Spike and Buffy turned to see Aragorn standing in the shadows, along with Frodo, Merry, Legolas, Gimli, Sam and Pippin. "Apparently," Aragorn continued, "it's not over yet."

Buffy stared at them, stunned as she whispered, "I thought you guys left…"

"We couldn't leave you," Merry said, as he and the others entered the room. "Not like this."

"I agree with Spike, Buffy," Aragorn declared simply. "You must return home."

"Please," Buffy closed her eyes as if those words were stabbing her in the side. "Just… go." The Fellowship gave each other worried glances as Aragorn looked over to Spike. The tired vampire's eyes fell on the floor with pity as he wondered if she was just too far gone this time.

"We're not going anywhere," Gimli declared as if he were humored by her suggestion. "Not until you explain yourself."

"I failed," she answered very meekly as Spike looked up at her once again. "There's nothing else to explain."

"Not that," Gimli saucily declared with a tone of accusation. "My lass, you've changed. I demand you explain how you came to be this way."

A flash of guilt sparked in Spike's eyes as he turned away from her and swallowed hard. "I…" Buffy began, her throat also as dry as a desert as she let the words fade away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Since when?" Pippin asked.

"Please, Buffy," Merry compassionately pleaded with a gentle look in his eyes. "You must trust us. Tell us the truth."

"Truth is," Spike began with difficulty with shame in his voice, "she doesn't belong here." Buffy's eyes shot over to him instantly, surprised at his answer. "She was better off in… Fairy Tale Land, but… no one wants to say it. She was miserable here. Nobody wanted to see it. We ignored it or…" Spike, his eyes still on the ground, shook his head as his heart ached openly for the world to see. "Or took advantage of it." Buffy stared up at him motionlessly as she felt her eyes sting. He painfully admitted, "It's a bloody shame what we've done. What I've done—"

"I can't hear this," Buffy cut him off suddenly.

Spike looked up at her, cursing her for making this harder, "I'm tryin' to—"

"I know exactly what you're trying to do," Buffy exclaimed as she stood up off of the bed. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli exchanged confused glances while the hobbits stared in bafflement, but no one was quite as perplexed as Spike. "I can't let you," Buffy breathed as tears brimmed her eyes. She raised her voice in revolt, "I can't let you take the blame for the things I've done!"

Spike was silent for several moments before he blurted out in bewildered awe, "Have you completely lost your mind or does it just come and go?"

"Ms. Buffy, I-I know you can stop this," Sam shook his head, trying to defuse her bomb. "We believe in you. You can stop—"

Buffy turned to him with eyes full of despair as she slowly declared with a crushed heart, "I am not your hero!" Her voice rang like the tolling of a distant bell in their ears as a new revelation came over them. Her voice, filled with a dangerous mixture of rage and agony, shakily added, "I am no one's hero." Buffy sniffled as the realization to herself set in. "I can't save you. I can't save them."

Aragorn glanced over at Legolas, now beginning to understand what he had meant in the cemetery. Frodo stared up at Buffy, his giant blue eyes taking her emotion to his heart, as he watched the first tear roll down her cheek.

"I couldn't save Xander," Buffy declared, her voice breaking as she began to ramble. "I-I couldn't save Molly or-or Lauren. I couldn't save Cassie, or… or Willow or… Tara." Her voice quieted down to a whisper as she said the last name. Her voice shattered into a river of tears as she declared with ultimate anguish, "I couldn't save him…"

Her legs gave way beneath her as she collapsed on the corner of the bed, her hand shamefully hiding her tear-soaked face. Spike gazed down at her through narrowed, inquisitive eyes as he gently asked, "Couldn't save who?" Frodo continued to watch the destructed woman in front of him. Not a single one of the Fellowship could pull their eyes away from her. There before them, trembling in her own tears was their hero and Slayer – their Champion.

Frodo breathed in a slow breath as he gazed at her, his eyes full of both understanding and pity. "Boromir."

The sound of the name – the one that no one had dared to speak for so long – had the power and energy of a bolt of lightning, and left the emotional devastation of the greatest tragedy they had ever known.

Aragorn, his eyes full of mourning misery, tenderly began as he lightly shook his head, "Buffy…"

"Everything I touch turns to dust!" Buffy declared, finding her strength to speak among the detestation for herself. "I-I promised… I promised them I would protect them and… I failed." She let out another sob, but shoved it away, anger piercing her voice as she declared through gritted teeth, "And I can't stop. I can't stop… not until I make amends. I… I can't forgive myself." She gasped, her anger burning up what little energy she had left as she calmed herself once more and returned to the dead-eyed girl she had been when they found her.

Buffy looked up at the faces of Frodo and Aragorn, then Sam, Merry and Pippin, and finally Gimli and Legolas. "I can't be your hero anymore," Buffy shook her head, full of exhaustion as she emotionlessly stated. "I'm a monster now."

The sheer lack of feeling in her voice chilled each of them to the bone. Even Spike, who had felt the price for true evil, did not expect such emptiness inside of her. The memory of Buffy Summers walking freely with down the hallway of Sunnydale High School with her friends flanking her, and a smile that could light up the room flashed in his mind. Even when he wanted to kill her, he loved that smile. It was gone now, seemingly forever, and no one saw it coming or knew what to say.

Except for one.

"Aren't we all?" Frodo asked quietly as Buffy's eyes met his slowly. He gazed at her with a peaceful expression as he explained, "We all have something to atone for. We all have weaknesses. Boromir did. He died to save us all. To save you. He found his redemption." A tear ran down her cheek as Frodo tenderly declared, "It was his choice, not your fault. He died so that we would have the choice to continue." Frodo's dark brow crinkled as he shook his head. "If we falter now, he has died in vain."

Buffy swallowed hard and sniffled once more, meekly replying, "I… I'm afraid to…"

"Of course you are," Frodo replied soothingly. "It takes more than opportunity to make a choice, Buffy. It requires courage." He stepped closer to her as he whispered, "I would not have fought my battle if you had not given me the courage to do so."

Buffy stared into his eyes and remembered standing on the tower with Dawn as the world was ending around them and suddenly seeing Frodo being pulled away from the edge of a cliff by Sam.

"We must both live," Frodo continued. "We must both fight. Until it is finished." He gazed at her with understanding. "That is our redemption, Buffy. Not to die, but to live."

"For him," Spike added with utmost respect. "For all of them."

Buffy took a deep breath, for the first time feeling her heart beat again – and it beat with a true purpose. Aragorn looked around the room, then said caringly, "It is late. We should all take rest while we can." He walked out of the room and one by one, each of them followed him out, Frodo being the last of the Fellowship to turn away from her and go.

"Get some rest, Slayer," Spike declared, alone with her now. "You've got a war to win." He turned and headed for the door, but was stopped by her eager, yet near silent voice.

"Spike?" she asked.

He turned around to her. "Yeah?"

Buffy's eyes dwindled up to his. "Do you believe in me?"

He thought about the question, then replied, "Does it matter?"

"Yes," Buffy answered right away, her eyes stinging again. She nodded gently. "It really does."

A warmth came over his still heart as he stared down at her and answered truthfully, "There's nothing in this world... that I believe in more." He gazed at her, unable to turn away from her beauty and he felt that emotion that he begged to push away. He moved for the door again, yanking his eyes from her.

"Spike?" she called again, and he faced her once more. "Can you…" The words faded away as she shyly asked, "Hold me?" Spike's eyes rested upon her lovingly and he walked towards her and sat beside her on the bed. He scooted back to the headboard as she curled up in his arms and they rested gently and innocently together until he watched her fall asleep, knowing for the first time that he had her trust.

"You have come to it at last," Galadriel's warm, full voice declared. Buffy opened her eyes and was standing in some sort of stone temple illuminated by golden firelight. She gazed around at the pillars and walls covered in what appeared to be Egyptian hieroglyphs. Before her, Galadriel stood in between two fiery torches, gazing at her intently. "The beginning of the end," Galadriel added.
"What is this place?" Buffy asked, intrigued by this tomb straight of The Mummy.
She answered simply, "The darkest corner of the secret of your destiny."

"Secret?" Buffy repeated with confusion. "What secret?" Galadriel stared at her quietly, subtly raising a brow. "Oh," Buffy frowned. "That would've been too easy, I guess."

"You must take control and fulfill your purpose," Galadriel stressed momentously as the two women stood alone among the darkness. "Every moment of your life – every battle, every choice, and every heartache – has led you to this fight, this day." A chill went down Buffy's spine as she declared, "It is time to understand the reason for which you, Buffy Summers, are chosen."

A shadow of worry crossed her young face as Buffy asked timidly, "What if I fail?"

The Elf Sorceress' blue eyes filled with grave concern as she darkly answered, "Then all shall fail. All shall fall." Buffy's eyes fell to the ground as her heart beat quickened in her chest. She finally found the courage to look back up at Galadriel as she declared, "This is your destiny. This is your choice. This is your power." The beautiful elf stepped closer and leaned to her, tenderly adding, "Fear not the Darkness when it stands in your path, Buffy."

Buffy gazed up at her in confusion as Galadriel added knowingly, "The greatest enemy you have… is yourself."

Buffy's eyes popped open as she lay in Spike's arms, the gentle sounds of the quiet twilight encasing them. Her eyes rested upon his pale and peaceful face and did not move for quite some time. In that moment, she did not want to leave for anything. Slowly and gently, extra careful not to disturb him, she slipped out of the sanctuary of his arms.