Prologue: Ancient Texts
Dawn sat in her room alone. No one was home and thank god for that! Buffy would totally freak if she knew what she was up to. Dawn, Buffy, and Andrew had moved into an apartment in Rome after the last battle in Sunnydale. The scenery was nice sure, but Dawn missed home. Missed Sunnydale. That’s why she was here. Lighting candles in her room when no one was home.
The other day she’d been walking down the promenade. Minding her own business, when a big ugly demon came out and attacked her. She had defended herself, but c’mon! She wasn’t a slayer. Anyway, it got her cornered and one of its big claw-ey hands came up and scratched her on the face. And in that moment she knew, she was going to die. She closed her eyes and started to cry. Waiting for the final blow. She wanted so badly to be at home, warm in her bed, safe. She waited a moment, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes slowly, to see that she was, in fact, in her bed, at her apartment in Rome. But it was morning. The demon had attacked at night. She thought maybe she’d gotten away some how and fell asleep. But then her sister knocked on her door, telling her she was going to be late for school. She could’ve sworn yesterday was Friday. But she got up and changed her clothes anyway. She met Buffy in the kitchen rummaging through the refrigerator. She came back up with a piece of pizza and Dawn frowned. She could’ve sworn Buffy ate the last piece yesterday morning. That’s when it dawned on her. She was reliving her day. She went to her fist period class to make sure, and sure enough her professor taught the exact same thing he had before she got attacked by the demon that night. She decided to skip the rest of her classes. She figured, she’d already learned it. And she really needed to find out what was happening. How it was happening. She remembered seeing a magic shop a few miles from her house. They tried to be discreet having a name like ‘Tricks of the Trade’. But Dawn knew better. She peeked in one time and found that it was almost identical to the ‘Magic Box’. She headed there and went inside; looking for a book about what kind of mojo was going on. The owner kept giving her weird looks, like she were going to steal something. It was the same look Anya had given her after she found out she’d been stealing. She smiled at the memory. It also made her want to cry though. Xander had been so distant ever since he found out of Anyas death. He tried to cover it, but Dawn could see right through him. Just like she could see right through Buffy whenever Spike was brought up. She found a book titled ‘Ancient Prophecies’ and smiled picking it up. This would be the first thing Giles would look into whenever something mystic-y happened. She paid for it and headed for the park. She sat her back pack down on the park bench and started scanning the book. She stopped when something caught her attention.
‘And it will lose, and the lost will rise, and the line will fall. The dark will conquer and light will remain. Of the lost there is only one. One who can undo what’s been done, what is to come. It alone is the key to the balance of dark and light’
Dawns’ first thought had been *Can these things get anymore vague?* but this one felt right somehow. She did the next thing that came to mind. She went back to the shop to ask for a translation. The owner had given her a curious look before leading her into a back room of the shop. She met a woman with white for eyes. No pupils, just white. At first Dawn thought maybe the woman might be blind, but she’d proven her wrong when she looked directly at her and smiled saying “This one is light”.
Dawn couldn’t have been more creeped out by the woman. But then it hit her. She could probably see the key in her. The owner looked at her with a raised eyebrow and Dawn had shrugged and smiled weakly. He left them there telling Dawn she had 10 minutes.
“Sit down child” the woman told her. Dawn nervously took a seat in front of the woman. “You’ve come for your calling” the woman had told her, more of a statement than a question.
Dawn frowned and answered slowly “Actually I came to see if someone could translate this prophecy” she said handing the woman the book. The woman had frowned and took the book; she scanned it with her white eyes and looked back to Dawn “A translation?”
Dawn nodded sheepishly.
The woman handed her back the book “I cannot help you translate something that is in no need of translating. It states what it means clearly”
Dawn frowned; “Well I was wondering if someone could make it a little less… cryptic” she shrugged.
The woman had laughed at that. “Why is it you want to understand this translation dear?”
Dawn had looked down at the floor, “I guess it just felt right”
The woman smiled knowingly in return. “That is because you are the key” the woman told her.
Dawn frowned “I know I’m the key, been there done-“but the woman cut her off.
“No, you are the key to the undoing, your power will change things” she told her.
Dawn looked at her curiously “Power?” she asked.
“You are the key are you not?” the woman asked
“Well, yea but-“
“Then it is your power that will change things” the woman stated
“But I don’t have any power” Dawn explained confused
“Aw, but you do child, you used your power just today, or should I say tonight?” the woman inquired.
Dawn was surprised to say the least. How did this woman know she was living her day over? And how had she caused it?
“Your blood is you power” The woman said with a smile.
Dawns mouth got dry “My blood?” she croaked “But there was no blood-“
The woman had leaned forward and traced a finger across Dawns cheek where the demon had scratched her. How did this woman know all this? The woman sat back and put her hands in her lap. “You miss your home” she said knowingly.
Dawn nodded and looked to the floor.
“Go back” the woman told her
Dawns head shot up. The owner came back to tell Dawn her time was up. But she had so many questions she needed answered. The owner tugged at her arm and she reluctantly got up. The door reached her and she turned around, “How far? How far back?” she asked the woman. But she had only smiled in return.
So here she was now. Sitting in her room in the middle of her floor. Her eyes were closed and she had a slit on her arm. She starting thinking about her home, in Sunnydale, her bed, her room, her life. A green glow surrounded her and the last thing she heard was the sound of a door opening somewhere, before everything went black.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!