Author's Notes: Set four years after 'Becoming' part two. Buffy ran away, and didn't come back. Now, four years later, she's about to be reminded of who and what she really is.

Rating: PG-13. Language and strong themes. Sorry, kiddies.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognise is mine. Don't sue, please.

Feedback: Very welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome; flames will be used to help me toast marshmallows.

Chapter Notes: Thanks for all the lovely reviews! They're chocolate and sugar and all things nice. Which is very good, since I just watched all of season seven, pretty much in one go, and I'm majorly with the weeping! Read on, dear friends!

Chapter Ten: Revelations

"Buffy – where are we?"

Buffy turned two full circles before answering. "This is hell," she whispered. "This is Phtygiktha." She reached out and gripped Dawn's hand. "Dawn, listen to me. No matter what happens, no matter what you see...follow my lead. Don't ask questions, don't complain. That gets you hurt."

"Slaves! Why aren't you working?"

Buffy turned and dropped to her knees, tugging Dawn down with her. "Apologies," she said quietly. "We will return immediately."

"See that you do!" The demon stared at them suspiciously for a moment more, then moved on.

"Hey! You!" Buffy glanced up to see a slave approach them. The girl was covered in dirt, and her hair hung raggedly down to her shoulders. "You! I haven't seen you before, what are you doing here? Did you get separated from your work unit? Why didn't they look out for you?"

"We're new," Buffy said in a low voice. "At least, Dawn is. I've been here before – it'd be hundreds of years ago, now. I'm Annie. Can we join your unit?"

The girl's eyes were wide. "The Annie? The legend? The one who freed all those slaves? You're lying."

Buffy shook her head. "I wouldn't. I'm Annie. I got...pulled back in here. It's been four years, on the outside. How many here?"

"Nearly a thousand." The girl hesitated. "I'm Emmy. I guess you can join the unit...unless Davy says no. He's our leader."

"You have unit leaders? They permit that?"

Emmy shook her head. "No. We've been organising ourselves for centuries. Resistance pockets, I guess." She glanced around, making sure no demon guards were near. "Come on. We're mining down here."

Buffy glanced at Dawn, who so far had been shocked into silence. "It's all right, Dawn," she tried to assure the girl. "I know this place. We'll be fine. Ethan knows how to open a portal, he'll get us out of here in no time at all. For now, just stick close."

They moved into a long, dark passageway, roughly hewn from the rock. Torches were few and far between – Buffy remembered that the guards hadn't thought it worth it, wasting too much light on slaves. She kept hold of Dawn's hand, preventing a dozen stumbles. She herself still saw well in the dark – both because of her Slayer abilities and because of the blood she was dependant on for life.

"Buffy," Dawn whispered at last. "What – how long will we be here, do you think?"

Buffy glanced at her. "It's Annie, here. And I don't know. I'm sorry, I just don't know."

"What happened? What did Hattie do?"

Buffy frowned, keeping her eyes on Emmy's back as they followed her. "I'm not sure, Dawn. I'm really not sure."

The passage opened up into a vast cavern, lit by torches and ringing with the echoes of picks and soft whispers. A guard shouted occasionally, shattering the pseudo-peace. Some pain-filled cries filtered in from somewhere else.

"Home, sweet home," Buffy murmured. "Let's see if I've forgotten how to do this." She took the pick that Emmy held out to her silently, and joined a line of slaves. She weighed the pick in her hands before swinging it down into the rock.

A huge crash resounded through the cavern. Buffy's eyes widened comically.

"Oops."

Guards flocked to their level, and Emmy suddenly disappeared. Buffy shoved Dawn into the hole in the wall she'd just created, and turned to face the guards with defiance.

"Slave! What did you just do?" one of them demanded. "No blood rations for a week!" A week would send her into semi-serious withdrawal. He scowled at her, his wrinkled brown face becoming even more ugly. "You're new."

"No, I'm old," she corrected, coming to a decision that she hoped she wouldn't regret. "I just popped back for a visit. Nice vacation spot, you know." Her eyes flicked around as the guards surrounded her. "I don't want any trouble."

"Trouble found you," the same guard snarled. "On your knees, slave."

Buffy automatically tried to draw on the strength of the others in her bond, but couldn't. She wondered if perhaps she was making a mistake. "No," she said clearly. "I'm not a slave. My name is An-"She paused and looked over the demon's shoulder at Dawn. "Buffy," she said then. "My name is Buffy. The Vampire Slayer, perhaps you've heard of me?"

She received one of the worst beatings she'd ever had in Phtygiktha. Her right arm was broken in two places, and all the toes of her left foot were broken. She was fairly sure several of her ribs were either broken or shattered or both. She didn't have a concussion, she didn't think, but then again she did keep thinking she was seeing Alex, when she knew that simply couldn't be. She thought that her shoulder was dislocated. It had that odd, loose feeling to it – but that could be from the rest of her body being so beaten up.

Someone was trying to force blood past her lips. She lapped it up greedily; the Rakeshia blood would speed her recovery.

"Who?" she managed.

"My name is Davy. You caused quite a stir out there, Annie."

"Nn...Bffy."

"Buffy? That's what your sister said your name is. She wasn't very clear. She said you've been here before?"

"Yeah. Four...year."

"Four years ago, in outside time? So you really are the Annie of the legend?"

"Guess...so." She forced her eyes open; everything was a hazy blur. "Where...Dawn?"

"She's safe," Davy soothed her. "Emmy's looking after her. Don't worry, it's going to be okay. Just...don't use so much strength, next time you try to mine."

Buffy wanted to laugh, but her ribs hurt too much when she even breathed. "Never was...much use at that," she dragged out of her throat. "Used to...breed..."

"Shh, Annie. Don't worry. You just get better."

She lapsed back into unconsciousness with a blissful sigh.

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Coming next chapter:

Ethan pulls them out with some help.