Buffy awoke from her dreamland when she heard the screams. She stumbled to her feet in an instant, the bedspread that had been over her slumbering body now thrown against the wall. It was then that three things happened. One, she heard a rapid thumping on the other side of the door; someone was obviously running down the hall. Two, she noticed with surprise that she was in Dawn's room, not her own. And three, she'd just stumbled.
Slayers don't stumble.
Well ok, she had stumbled many multiple times, but usually there was a vamp kicking her ass at the same time. Slightly unnerved, she went for the door, slightly distraught about the weird wake up. And it happened again. She caught her foot against the bed and with a gasp of air went shooting to the ground, her hair flying all over the place. What the hell was happening? She threw her hands out in front of her to block her face and hit the ground with an "ooof." She remained still for a second, on her hands on knees, trying to get her bearings. Her toe was smarting and she was… wearing green nail polish? She glanced at her arms, which didn't look exactly right to her. They were slighter and longer than usual and much smoother than hers had been in years. They almost seemed to be someone else's…
She got to her feet and looked around the room for a mirror, wanting desperately to see if her fears were going to be confirmed. Against the wall lay the full-length mirror that had been in Dawn's room for years… well… kinda. Years in this fake-worldy-thingie. Her reflection gasped at her when she saw the face staring back at her. Well, that wasn't quite right. Staring back at her was Dawn. Buffy's eyes widened. So did Dawn's. Buffy's jaw dropped. So did Dawn's. Ok, so… this is different. She raised her hand and the mirrored person did the same. Buffy sighed, realizing the predicament and knowing that continuing this mirror watching would lead to nothing.
"Why can't I just fight normal vampires like all the other slayers?" She'd switched bodies before, it seemed like everyone of the Scoobies had, but it wasn't something you just 'got used to.' She DID notice with satisfaction that Dawn's slight form was thinner than her own by at least those 5 pounds she'd been trying to use. Upside. Very nice.
She turned and went for the door, being careful to check where her feet were taking her this time. The light pink bunny pajamas made her feel no better about this situation. She opened the door enough to poke her head out, her hair strewn all over the place. Riley emerged from her own room, wearing only the pair of sweatpants he'd had on last night. He rushed down the hall and muttered a quick "Be right back" at her, before thudding down the stairs. On the other side of the hall, her mom's face was looming from her own bedroom, her eyes tired yet worried.
"What was that about?" Buffy shook her head, fixing her hair while exiting the room. "No idea. I think he was headed after ummm…" A thought sprung up in her mind. If she was in Dawn's body, was Dawn in hers? That would make the most sense…considering a body switch was occurring… but it didn't HAVE to be that way. Buffy quickly went into her room and checked to see if she…well, her body, was in there. No dice. She must have been the one who went running down the hall. Joyce walked out into the hallway too, and Buffy made the split decision not to bother her mother with this problem. If Joyce didn't need to be made part of the puzzle, that would be easier. "One sec', mom." Buffy ducked back into Dawn's room and found some clothes as quickly as she could. She tossed them on and grabbed a light sweatshirt to wear overtop, calling to her mother to stay out of the room. She needed to go after Riley and get to the bottom of this. She exited her room again, her mother still standing in the hallway. "Dawn, what is going…" "No time, mom. Be right back!"
She rumbled down the steps, tearing off after Riley had gone out. Hopefully she could catch him before he got too far away…