Summary: Dawn was created exactly at 0:00:01 on January 1st, 2000 making her the Spirit of the 3rd Millenium. After Buffy sacrifices herself for Dawn, Dawn is approached by Fate on her 19th birthday. Fate and sets Dawn on path that will not only span a thousand years with all the powers that comes with it but reunite her with her sister.
A/U: Post Chosen
Pairing: Buffy/Dawn - Yes this is an incest pairing. If you don't like the pairing then my suggestions is to stop reading now. And please do not review stating you do not like the pairing. I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to such reviews. I have had reviewers give me grief over the pairing in my Charmed: Another Halliwell. So if you review about the pairing, consider yourself banned from reviewing ever again.
Disclaimer: Disney owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. CBS and Paramount Studios owns Star Trek.
Note: This is a spin-off of my story Millennial. The Red Matter that Spock uses reached farther back in time creating a loop of sorts that connected two points in time to a third. When Buffy jumps into the portal in The Gift she also leaps into the lightning storm and vanishes into the future. That's kind of the premise of this one. It's what sends Dawn and Buffy down a different tangent into the Kelvin movies.
Prologue
May 22, 2001
Sunnydale, California
Buffy Summers stood spellbound; her gaze fixed upon the ethereal portal that shimmered at the distant end of the gangway. A brilliant cascade of blue light bathed the once tranquil town of Sunnydale below, revealing a landscape ravaged by chaos and upheaval. Though Dawn's words reached her ears, Buffy's mind drifted, lost in contemplation. With the first rays of the rising sun painting the horizon, she leaned against the tower, stealing a glance outside. As her eyes met Dawn's, a poignant smile tugged at her lips, heavy with sorrow. She pivoted to face her sister; resolve etched upon her countenance. In that pivotal moment, she knew exactly what she had to do. She had to die so that her sister could live.
"Buffy...no," Dawn's voice quivered, the realization of Buffy's intentions dawning upon her.
"Dawnie... I have to," Buffy began, her words choked with emotion.
"No!" Dawn's outcry sliced through the air, halting her elder sister's explanation.
"Listen to me! There's no time, Dawn, please listen." Drawing Dawn close, Buffy whispered into her younger sister's ear, their connection amplified by proximity. "Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I'll always love you. But this is the work I have to do. Tell Giles I figured it out, and that I'm okay. Give my love to my…" A flicker of introspection interrupted her train of thought. "That isn't quite right—they aren't just my friends, they're Dawn's friends as well," she realized. Her voice carried renewed determination. "...our friends. You have to look after them now, you have to look after each other. You have to be strong, Dawn. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
As Dawn nodded, tears cascaded down her cheeks, a poignant testament to her anguish. "I will, Buffy, and I love you," she whispered, her voice heavy with love and grief intertwined.
Buffy managed a bittersweet grin, savoring the last moments with her beloved sister. Swiftly, she enfolded Dawn in a heartfelt embrace, etching every line and contour of her sister's face into her memory. Then, with an unyielding determination, she turned and sprinted towards the edge of the platform. Without hesitation, she leaped into the abyss, surrendering herself to the unforgiving embrace of gravity. Time slowed as she hurtled through the void, her eyes fixated on the lightning storm below. Unfazed by the option to seal the portal, she flung herself into its pulsating maw. The portal's energies gnashed at her being, mercilessly rending her apart in a cacophony of sensations. Her anguished cries echoed, intermingling with blinding light until, in an instant, she vanished—her essence consumed by the enigmatic rift.
October 11, 2005
Madrid, Spain
Dawn anxiously sat in the cramped confines of the motel room she shared with Faith. She had persuaded Giles to secure Faith's release from prison following Buffy's inexplicable disappearance. And then they had embarked on a formidable journey of reconciliation, working tirelessly to cast aside their past grievances. Yet, amidst the arduous process, a profound bond had flourished as they bared their souls, exchanging tales of about Buffy. And over time, against all odds, they had forged an unbreakable friendship.
Faith, lost in the cascading waters of the shower, provided Dawn with a fleeting moment of solitude to reflect. Dawn, now twenty years old, and Faith, her loyal companion, had ventured together through the tapestry of the world since Dawn's eighteenth birthday. From the romantic streets of Paris to the timeless allure of Rome, the neon-lit thoroughfares of Tokyo to the regal grandeur of London, they had carved their own remarkable odyssey.
Restless anticipation filled the air as Dawn waited for Faith to emerge from the shower, their impending dinner plans poised to celebrate Dawn's milestone birthday. Yet, within an instant, the room was transformed—a sudden intrusion shattering the tranquil solitude. Dawn's initial instinct was to call out for Faith's protection, her voice eager to scream her name into the ether. "Faith!"
But her words were met with an enigmatic presence—the appearance of a man. "She cannot hear you," the man's voice reverberated, laden with a solemn understanding. "For you and I, time has momentarily ceased to exist. We exist in an ethereal plane, detached from the ebb and flow of the world."
"You froze time?" Dawn inquired, her voice trembling as she inched backward, finding solace near the bathroom door. "Faith, if you can hear me, please, come out."
The man released a weary sigh, burdened by the weight of his duties. "Would it bring you comfort if she were here?"
Dawn's voice trembled, her longing palpable. "Yes," she confessed; her words carried on a fragile breath.
"Call for her," he said with a subtle wave of his hand.
"Faith?" Dawn called out, her voice tinged with equal parts hope and trepidation.
In the blink of an eye, Faith's voice emerged from the confines of the bathroom, her inquiry floating through the stillness of the room. "Yeah, Little D?"
Dawn's relief washed over her. "Put on a robe, please, and come out here," she said. "There's this strange guy out here who can somehow control time." Her heart swelled as Faith came out of the bathroom.
Faith's disheveled appearance and damp hair bore testament to the urgency of the moment. Modesty forgotten in the face of the unknown, her concern for Dawn's well-being eclipsed all else. Brows furrowed, she scowled as her gaze settled upon the mysterious man who had dared infiltrate their sanctuary. Motel rooms had always carried an air of danger for her, a reminder of the ever-lurking darkness.
"How the hell did he get in here?" Faith demanded, her eyes shifting between Dawn and the intruder.
"By magic, my dear," the man replied with an enigmatic smile. "We... are... Fate."
A wave of incredulous laughter burst forth from Dawn's lips, reverberating through the room. "Fate is actually a woman housing the souls or spirits of three women?" she chuckled, finding the notion of this man being Fate.
Fate, sensing Dawn's confusion, nodded gently. "Indeed, you are referring to Fate in their traditional manifestation. But the truth is far more intricate and multifaceted. There exist numerous destinies, and thus multiple incarnations of Fate. Each one holds within them the essence of three souls, intricately entwined and sharing a single vessel. We meticulously weave the tapestries of your family's lives."
Faith, ever vigilant and wary, couldn't help but question Fate's claims. Her Slayer instincts, honed through countless battles, failed to offer any insights into the enigmatic figure before them. "I'm not saying I believe you," she interjected cautiously, her gaze locked on Fate. "But if you are indeed the weaver of life's tapestries, why did you take B away?"
In a mesmerizing transformation, Fate's form shifted, assuming the visage of an aged gentleman. "We, as the custodians of fate, do not wield the power to arbitrarily decide when a person's mortal journey concludes," he explained with a sage-like aura. "Buffy's fate was not severed by our hands."
Dawn's voice trembled with a mixture of anguish and fury, her emotions colliding. "What are you trying to say?" she demanded, her tone laced with a fiery resolve. "My sister is dead!"
With a profound gaze, Fate met Dawn's fierce eyes. "She is not," he declared, his voice carrying an air of solemn conviction. "The portal she leaped into unleashed unforeseen forces, propelling her beyond the confines of her natural timeline. Though her intended destiny was to sacrifice herself for you, the unpredictable energies propelled her forward, into a future beyond her allotted years. To witness her presence once more, you must embrace the legacy that courses through your veins—the essence of your bloodline."
Fate's countenance shifted, returning to the youthful facade of the first man they encountered, the truth of his age revealed itself. They realized he was not much older than Dawn and Faith themselves, a realization that deepened the intrigue of his enigmatic presence. "You, Dawn, are a Millennial."
Dawn and Faith's voices merged in unison, their inquiry tinged with a blend of curiosity and confusion. "A what?" they questioned in harmony.
Fate's gaze softened, understanding the overwhelming nature of the revelation he had just unveiled. "A Millennial is one who enters the world one second past midnight on the dawn of a new millennium," he explained, his voice brimming with quiet reverence. "Dawn, the monks who crafted your existence did so on the sacred day of January 1st, 2000 at precisely at one second after midnight, six months earlier than Buffy had been led to believe. As the Spirit of the Millennium, you are destined to witness the full span of a thousand years."
Faith's brow furrowed as she attempted to grasp the implications of Dawn's extraordinary fate. "So, she'll live for a long time, watching the rest of us age and pass away before her eyes. But what about the rest..." she trailed off, seeking further enlightenment.
Fate's voice took on a melodic quality, painting vivid images of the ebbs and flows of existence. "Dawn shall bear witness to Earth's sorrows and joys, her emotions aligned with the pulse of the world. During times of despair, like the Great Depression, she shall feel the weight of its melancholy. And during periods of exuberance, like the Roaring Twenties, she shall revel in its euphoria. Furthermore, she possesses the ability to transform into pure energy, traversing power lines and any conduits of electricity. She shall harness and wield that very energy, defending herself and others in times of need. Though I understand that comic books may not be your forte, Faith, you are familiar with the essence of Superman, are you not?"
Faith nodded, her expression contemplative. "More or less," she replied, her curiosity piqued.
"Dawn's body is akin to a mighty battery," Fate continued, his words resonating with awe. "She can absorb and store energy, later releasing it in defense of her own life or the lives of others. It is a power bestowed upon her, an integral part of her role as the Spirit of the Millennium."
Doubt and uncertainty etched their way into Dawn's voice as she voiced her concerns. "But what if I do not wish to shoulder this tremendous responsibility? What if I want a different path?"
Fate's gaze held unwavering conviction, tempered with empathy. "I am afraid, dear Dawn, that the die has been cast. The moment of choice has long since passed. The responsibility was thrust upon you the very day of your creation. You are the Spirit of the Millennium."
Dawn's voice quivered with a mixture of resignation and longing. "I do not wish to live a solitary existence. Can..."
Anticipating her unspoken plea, Fate interjected, his voice brimming with reassurance. "Your yearning for companionship has been taken into consideration," he assured Faith. "We contemplated selecting you, Faith. However, your connection to the Slayer lineage tethers you to the duration of your own mortal life. While we could have extended it had you perished and been resurrected at some point, your destiny as a champion of the Powers That Be binds you to your own lifespan. Buffy, on the other hand, no longer bears the mantle of a champion due to her demise in the Master's cave and her subsequent displacement in time when she sacrificed herself for you, Dawn. It is within our power to grant her the remaining years of your current lifespan. When she returns, she shall spend the remainder of your shared existence at your side. And as a result, when you die on the final day of the millennium, she will as well."
A profound sense of solitude washed over Dawn, mingling with the weight of fate's decree. "So, you're implying that I will tread a lonely path until the day Buffy returns?" she voiced, her voice tremulous with a mixture of apprehension and longing.
Fate's eyes softened, empathizing with the burden Dawn bore. "Not entirely," he responded gently, his words wrapped in a delicate embrace of understanding. "You can choose who you tell about your Millennial status. Then their descendants will carry the torch of your legacy, walking alongside you and eventually Buffy until the final moments of the Millennium."
Dawn's gaze shifted, her eyes locking with Faith's. A surge of emotion swelled within her, fueled by trust and unwavering loyalty. She made her choice known; her voice infused with a resolute tenderness. "Faith, I choose you," she declared, her words resonating with a profound sense of connection. "Since you already know."
Fate, a witness to this exchange, nodded with a gentle understanding. His gaze shifted to Faith, acknowledging her pivotal role in Dawn's life. "And so, it shall be," he affirmed, his voice carrying a solemn assurance. "Through your bond, the generations that follow shall rally at Dawn's side, and eventually, at Buffy's side, until the final breath of the Millennium."
April 10, 2006 – Tuesday
Angel's Embrace
With the knowledge that her family would be by Dawn's side for the rest of the Millennium, Faith felt a newfound sense of purpose and responsibility. The weight of this duty mingled with her desire for companionship, and she made a life-altering decision. She decided to adopt a daughter, a choice that would initiate the lineage that would walk alongside Dawn and Buffy through the ages.
Faith's eyes, once filled with a mixture of apprehension and longing, now sparkled with determination and hope. She sought out an orphanage, her heart open to the possibility of forming a family of her own. There, amidst the laughter and tears of the children seeking a home, she found a young girl who captured her heart.
The adoption process was filled with joy and challenges, but Faith navigated it with unwavering resolve. She welcomed her new daughter into her life with open arms, their bond growing stronger with each passing day. The girl, who had once been alone in the world, now had a mother who would love and protect her, just as Faith had vowed to stand by Dawn's side.
As the years went by, Faith and her daughter became a tight-knit family. They shared stories of bravery and destiny, of the powers that watched over them, and the legacy they were now a part of. And as the daughter grew, she too would pass down the knowledge and the duty to her descendants, ensuring that the lineage continued to walk alongside Dawn and eventually Buffy, fulfilling the promise made to them by Fate.
