"CHOSEN"
 Summary written by Leoff

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike telling Buffy she's the one (brief scene of Spike's cross-hugging), Buffy and Faith walk and talk about the raising of the SIT army, Anya's big-bad can be any dead person it wants speech over the First morphing into dead body and Johnathan, Xander's "Kidnapping" of Dawn and Dawn's "shocking" reversal, Old woman talks to Buffy of the Scythe, Caleb breaks old woman's neck, then goes for killing blow against Buffy, Angel's punching Caleb, Buffy plants the scythe in Caleb's gut, Angel and Buffy kiss as Spike and Buffy/the First watch.

Buffy and Angel continue the kiss then break off, almost out of breath. "Well, I guess that qualifies as happy to see me" Angel smiles. Buffy starts to ask him what he's doing there, but first takes a moment to "bask", then she asks him. Angel hints that he's heard about the trouble in Sunnydale as he goes and grabs a book/folder that he placed on a shelf earlier. Angel asks if it's the First, the same one that tried to convince him to kill himself. Buffy says yes, but it's gotten more ambitous by trying to raise an army. Angel starts to say that the First failed once, it will again, but suddenly he's batted aside, sent sliding across the floor into a stone pillar! Buffy stands wide eyed, still clutching the Scythe, as she stares at Caleb, who is bleeding a blackish blood from his eyes and mouth "Are you ready to finish this... BITCH?!?"

Opening Credits: Nothing new.

Taking Buffy by surprise, Caleb swings a large urn which hits Buffy hard, sending her reeling. A few more slaps drives Buffy back, stunned. "Ok, how many times do I have to kill you? Round figure?" Buffy asks him. "You understand nothing" Caleb answers in a deeper, slightly demonic voice, as he throws the urn at Buffy and continues to get the upper hand, grabbing the scythe and, lifting Buffy above his head, pins her to the ceiling of the chaimber with it! Buffy refuses to let go of the scythe though as she falls, managing to get in a few licks in on Caleb. "You stupid girl" Caleb says, struggling up from being kicked down "you'll never stop me. You don't have the b..." But his sentence is cut short, as Buffy spins the scythe in a swirling ark, it's blade singing through the air, and then it's an upper cut to the... um... well, she swings up and under Caleb and... you get the picture. Caleb looks down at the blade in his crotch as Buffy says "who does nowadays?", then, continuing the upward thrust, Buffy lifts the blade completely through Caleb, and we hear the two halves fall to the ground with icky thuds.

"Ok, now I'm pissed! Where is he?!?" Angel says, getting up, still just a tad dazed, but pumped full of adreneline. Buffy looks at Caleb's right side, then his left side "He had to split", and after a second a laughing snort from Buffy at the goofyness of her pun. Spike, with a look of distain on his face, still watches silently from the shadows, Buffy/the First in the background observing also. Angel goes and picks up the folder he brought as Buffy asks if it's from a reliable source? "Not remotely" he answers. Angel then pulls out an amulet (both the amulet and paperwork are given to him from Wolfram and Hart in Angel the Series), which makes Buffy comment that she has nothing that will go with it. Angel says it's very powerful and possibly very dangerous "Purifying power... clensing power... possibly scrubbing bubbles..." Angel isn't sure what it is or how it works, but he knows it's to be worn by a Champion, one with a soul, but more than human. He says that he doesn't nearly enough to risk her wearing it though, and "besides, you've got that real cool axe... thing." Buffy asks Angel if he's gonna be in this with her? He says yes, shoulder to shoulder." From the shadows, Spike hears this and, hurt, turns and leaves up some stairs.

"No." Buffy tells Angel. She says that she doesn't want to risk Angel in this, that she needs him as a back-up line of defense if the First should manage to get out past Sunnydale. Angel argues, but Buffy puts on her stern face and Angel folds: "OK, that's one reason... what's the other?" "There is no other" Buffy says as she exits the tomb, trying to avoid the subject.

"Is it Spike?" Angel asks, saying he can smell him on her. Buffy says that she hates the whole vampire scenting thing. "Is he your boyfriend?" Angel asks. Turning away, Buffy answers "Is that your business?" Angel follows her out into the graveyard, asking if she loves him, then apologizes for the questions because the news is a bit of a surprise. Buffy tells Angel that Spike is different, he has a soul now. Angel starts brooding, getting a little bothered cause he's no longer the "cool" one with the unique soul. Buffy is shocked at him being such a baby, but he counters, saying he's getting pushed aside for "captain peroxide." "Are you gonna go all Dawson on me every time I have a boyfriend?" Buffy asks. "Ah HA! Boyfriend!" Angel caught her, but Buffy backtracks a little. "He's not, but... he is in my heart." Angel mumbles that it won't end well, but Buffy tries to remember the highlighs of their relationship, including the breakup and her killing him.

Buffy knows that her history with men isn't the best, and that she's not trying to picture grandchildren with Spike, but continues to say that amidst the insanity surrounding her, she's slowly figuring something out. Buffy tries to explain to Angel that she is like cookie dough. She's not done baking, she's not done being formed into the finished product. IF she should make it through all of this mess, then someday maybe she'll be cookies. "And then, you know, if I want someone to eat me... er... enjoy warm, delicious cookie me, that's fine, that will be then, when I'm done." Angel understands and starts to talk, thinking about what to say, but doesn't want to continue with the awkward cookie analogy. Buffy says she doesn't want to think that far ahead, about a future with anyone. He then slips the amulet into Buffy's hand as he slowly turns to leave, saying "I'd better get working on the second front... make sure I don't have to use it." As he's walking away, Buffy calls out to him, haulting him for just a second. "I do... sometimes... think that far ahead." She tells her first love. "Sometimes is something..." he answers back.

"It will be a long time coming... years, if ever." She says.

"I ain't gettin any younger" he quips back, then walks away, dissapearing into the night. Buffy watches him leave with a hint of sadness on her face.

The front door of the Summers home opens as Buffy tries to quietly enter, but she is immediately, silently surprised by Dawn, who stands in front of her at the foot of the stairs, a very angry look on her face. And with a "pop" Dawn kicks her lightly in the shin. "Ow!" Buffy says. "Dumbass" Dawn answers. Sitting in the background, Xander looks awkward "Don't look at me, this is a Summer's thing." Buffy looks at Xander for a second, then looks at Dawn who still has a pissed look on her face "if you get killed, I'm telling."

Buffy enters the dining room where Giles, Anya, Xander, and Willow are. Willow asks if Buffy found out anything about the scythe. "It slices, dices, and makes julianne Preacher" Buffy quips, saying she cut Caleb in half. All are excited as Xander makes a bad "there's a party in my eye socket" joke, which grosses everyone out "Sometimes I shouldn't say words."

Down in the basement, Spike is punching the crap out of a punching bag, working out his frustrations, when Buffy slowly comes down the stairs. Spike immediately asks her how things went with Angel. Buffy asks if he used his Vampire scenting thing, but Spike says he saw them kissing. Buffy looks slightly ashamed or embarassed, saying it was just a hello, but Spike says that people don't usually use their tounges to say hello. Buffy says that it doesn't matter, he's gone. "oh, he just stopped by for a quickie then." Spike answers.

Buffy says she's not in the mood for more jealous vampire crap, which makes Spike get in the jab "he wears lifts ya know." Buffy glances over at the punching bag and sees a drawing of Angel's head taped to it, and she rolls her eyes, saying that one of those days she's just gonna put the both of them in a room and let them wrestle it out. Spike changes the subject and asks where the trinket is, the amulet that Angel gave Buffy. Buffy pulls it out of her pocket as Spike says it's his. Buffy asks him how he reasons that out. Spike heard everything, how it goes to "someone with a soul, but more than human." That would be him and he holds out his hand for it. Buffy says that it's volitale and dangerous. "You'll need someone strong to bear it then" Spike answers, still holding out his hand. Thinking for a bit, looking a little concerned, Buffy says "Angel said the Amulet was meant to be worn by a champion." Spike's demeanor instantly goes down-hill. He starts to look hurt, but Buffy approaches him and gently places the amulet in his hand, looking at him with meaning.

"Faith still has my room" Buffy says, hinting to Spike, but he gets upset, saying that she can't stay with him. He can't be bought off with shiny beads and sweetness. He's not gonna be treated like that. Buffy is hurt, says she understands, and turns to leave. "Clearly you don't, cause the whole having my pride thing was just a smokescreen!" Spike says, darting in front of Buffy, cutting off her retreat. "I dunno what I would have done if you'd have gone up those stairs..." Spike smiles, and Buffy smiles back and caresses his cheek.

The two lay on Spike's cot, Spike's arms holding Buffy while they rest. Buffy stirs, then slowly gets up, deep in thought. She walks to the open air of the room, looks out of the upper window at the moon as the moonlight shines down upon her face. From the shadows, the form of Caleb appears "Pretty, isn't it?" "You're not him" Buffy looks at him calmly, knowing she's addressing the First. Caleb/the First says that Buffy killed his good right arm, but he's not worried, he has an army. Buffy counters, saying mockingly "an army of vampires... however will I fight..." Caleb verbally spars back, saying that her army is a bunch of pimply-faced teens. Buffy spars back, saying that he needs a new cool name like 'the taunter', not being able to do much while incorporeal. Caleb/the First wonders why she's pretending to be so calm when she's already up and not in the arms of her dead lover? He goes on to say that he will be corporeal when his army's outnumber the humans on the planet, and nobody's gonna be able to stop him, not Faith nor her friends nor the Slayer brigade. The SIT's are powerless unless she's dead to pass the power to one of them.

Caleb then says to Buffy that she knows the drill, and morphs into Buffy's mirror image (same clothes and everything) and Buffy/the First starts the familiar "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength to... There's that word again... what you are, how you'll die. Alone." Buffy stands silently, facing the First, as if thinking of something, her mind elsewhere. "Where's your snappy comeback?" the First asks. After a few more silent moments, Buffy answers "You're right." "Hmm, not you're best." the First comments.

Just then Spike awakes from a nighmare of some sort, mumbling that he's drowning and he's all wet. He awakes, a little disoriented, then sees Buffy standing alone in the room and he asks her if something's wrong. "No... ye.. yeah... I just realized something; something that really never occured to me. We're gonna win."

Commercial Break: The reality show that breaks all the barriers! Constestants from American Idol are forced to live with each other in a winnebago with the cops in hot pursuit, next on "When Idiocy Attacks!"

"Whaddya think?" Buffy, holding the scythe firmly in hand, addresses Giles, Xander, Anya, Faith, Dawn, and Willow about her new, unheard-of-by-the-audience plan. Xander is beyond belief. Faith says that it's pretty radical. Giles rises in confusion "It's a lot more than that... Buffy, what you said, it flies in the face of every thing, every generation has ever done. I think it's bloody brilliant!" Buffy asks if he means it. Giles says if she wants him to. The both of them share smiling glances, knowing they have each other's respect again. Willow now speaks up, in typical flustered Willow-ese, saying that her part of the plan is going to require magics stronger than anything she's ever done before, saying it's a total loss of control, comparing it to experiencing her girlfriend's tounge stud. Buffy says that she wouldn't have asked Willow if she didn't think she could do it. Giles also lends his support, saying she's strong enough to control it. Just then Dawn goes "Oh! Tounge stud..." and nods understanding, which makes Buffy hint that Dawn should go and do some research. Dawn the "Jr. Watcher" leaves, with Giles following. Anya and Xander go out to assemble the "cannon fodder" as Anya calls them (but not to their faces), leaving Willow and Buffy alone. Buffy slowly hands the scythe to Willow, and a serious glance is shared between them.

Buffy is once again downstairs, addressing the troops. Everyone is assembled, including the SIT's, scoobies, Faith, Andrew, Wood, and Spike (24 extra SIT's is what I count... could be more). Buffy says that she hates the whole situation, that they have to be there, that there's evil, that she was chosen to fight it. She says she wishes she wasn't chosen, and that she knows a lot of them wish she hadn't been chosen either, but now is not the time for wishes, it's now about choices. Buffy says she believes she can defeat this evil, and that tomorrow she's going to open the hellmouth and they're going to do battle. Buffy then says she knows that they're wondering what makes things different this time, with them not having the power that she and Faith do "So here's the part where you make a choice..."

Cut to Faith and Wood in the school, pushing boxes and filing cabinets, setting up a barricade. Wood comments that Buffy's plan is out there, but good. He then says that they just have to work on blocking access to the sewers should the Ubervamps get out. Faith says that's if they get past them, then quips "come on, gotta have a little faith." "i think I've had my share, thanks." Faith apologizes in her own way for "blowing Wood off" after their little roll in the hay, but she was just trying to blow him off. Robin says he pretty much figured that one out all by himself. Faith explains that's just the way she is, not wanting to get talky with a guy after getting bouncy with him. Robin calls that weak, but at least it's not "some of that isolationist Slayer crap" he's gotten used to before. Robin then tries to defend men to her, saying that there are nice guys out there. Faith says that when guys see her, their priorities shift, because she's so hot. Robin sasses back, saying he's so much prettier than she is, and that their little night together wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that great. Faith is surprised and offensive, saying she was great, but Robin says that while she was very enthused, it didn't change his world. Sh's had enough and wants a re-match, starting to undo her belt and pants before Robin stops her, saying he wants to make her a deal: if they live through this, he'll want a chance to surprise her. Faith buckles up and agrees to the deal, then adds "there's no way you're prettier than me." "Little bit, yeah..." Robin counters.

Kennedy lays on Willow's bed trying to relax as Willow sits up, a nervous wreck, pouring over spell-like papers and notes. Kennedy says what Buffy said is true, she's stronger than she thinks. Willow doesn't agree, but Kennedy says that she'll be with her to keep her grounded. Willow then says she might have to keep her stabbed-ed, to keep her from going to the "bad place." Kennedy rises in disbelief, wondering if Willow is serious. "The darkest place I've ever been... this is what lies beyond that..." Willow says, which makes Kennedy question why Buffy believes in her so strongly. Willow chalks it up to Buffy being brave and strong, but not that bright. Kennedy says that she's the first one to call out Buffy's faults, but in this case she's right, Willow has the power and she'll do fine, no matter how dark it gets. The two share a tender kiss before Willow breaks it off, going back to her work.

Giles and Xander are in the dining room at night, pouring over battle plans. Giles questions where Xander is on the map, then after some discussion Giles goes through the door...

The camera pans over to see Andrew and Amanda also at the table, with Andrew in a red hood. "You go through the door and are confronted by the Troglor the Burninator." Giles decides to "fight" the evil and rolls a dice. Unfortunately Troglor badly wounds Giles' character and Giles complains about his Bag of Illusions not working against the evil. Yes, they're playing Dungeons and Dragons, and Amanda saves the group of adventurers by having her sorcerer cast a time pause spell and it traps Troglor! "I used to be a highly respected Watcher, now I'm a wounded dwarf with the mystical strength of a doily." complains Giles as Amanda wonders who on Earth could sleep on a night like that. "Only the crazy ones" comments Xander as the camera pans down to show Anya, sleeping on the end of the dining room table, head in sleepyland. Xander lovingly scritches her head.

Buffy stands alone, her thoughts to herself, leaning on a beam on the outer porch in the night-time summer air.

Spike sits downstairs on his cot, dangling the amulet out in front of him, looking at it with just a hint of wonder, when he sees Buffy slowly coming down the stairs. Spike rises and stands at his bed. Wordlessly Buffy stands at the foot of the stairs and faces him.

An empty school bus, blowing papers, and the camera pulls up to the new Sunnydale High, now completely deserted. But in march the troops! Wood and faith in the lead, followed by the assorted scoobies, then the SIT's. At least 30 people in the group march up towards the main doors of the High school. "Welcome to Sunnydale high. There's no running in the halls, no yelling, no gum chewing, apart from that, there's only one rule: if it moves, kill it." Principal Wood gives his "final" tour as they all file into the hallway and Buffy starts to direct them to their right spots.

Faith and Spike lead the potentials to the basement (as Xander says "the bathroom is to your right. If you don't have to go to the bathroom, think about what you're about to face. Better to go now.") Robin points Willow and Kennedy to where his office is, right over the seal. Kennedy takes a bag of spell components from Willow and says she'll get set up. Robin then points out three places where the Ubervamps might try to break out of the building. Giles says they'll break up in teams of two, with him and Robin taking the lounge (the most likely place for the Ubies to try for escape to the sewers. Robin heads off. Dawn teams up with Xander, and Anya gets paired up with Andrew. "We will defend it with our very lives" says Andrew. "Yes, we will defend it with his very life" add's Anya. "And don't be afraid to use him as a human shield." Xander suggests to Anya.

Andrew then starts a very awkward "goodbye" speech, almost like an Oscars acceptance speech, even going to the point of pulling out a list of people he'd like to thank. He starts out with his brother Tucker (who inspired him to summon demons) but Anya interrupts and leads him down the hall to their guarding point.

Dawn heads off to check out the area she's to fight at as Buffy starts after her, calling her name. Dawn turns "No... anything you say is gonna sound like goodbye." She then turns back and continues down the hall.

Buffy turns back to the remaining three people, Giles, Willow, and Xander. All stand silently in a square. "So, what you guys wanna do tomorrow?" Buffy asks non-chalantly. Xander suggest miniature golf, but Willow and Buffy want to go to the mall. Giles starts the mumbling of "we're going to save the world and you're worried about the mall?" as Buffy says she's got a wicked shoe craving. The three youngsters head off, jokingly ignoring Giles, as he heads towards his post with "the Earth is DEFINITELY doomed."

Walking down the darkened hallway, the three friends remain. Willow breaks off with a smile to her two friends as she heads for the Principal's office. Xander does the same a few steps later, heading down a hallway. Buffy walks on confidently...

... and she walks into the lower basement seal area, where all of the SIT's and Faith are gathered, surrounding the unburied seal. "You first, B." Faith says as she hands a knife to Buffy. Buffy takes the knife and slowly draws it across her palm, tracing a line of red from it. She hands the knife to Faith, who does the same.

All of the SIT's and both Slayers hold out their hands above the seal, squeezing their fists, letting the blood fall on it. The seal activates! It glows brightly, the corners of the pentagram fold up, the center swirls and sinks in, and the seal is now open! Buffy and Faith exchange a look before Buffy starts to head down into the seal's opening.

"They should be in place" says Willow as she sits in the principal's office, which is lit by 8 candles. A few spell components and the scythe lay in front of Willow as Kennedy sits across from her watching. "Magic time..." Willow nerviously laughs "you ready to kill me?" Kennedy mumbles something... couldn't tell what she said (sorry). "Brace yourself" Willow says as she grips the scythe firmly in both hands, still keeping it on the floor.

Spike says he's sorry to be a downer, but his amulet isn't showing any life. Buffy says she's not worried, but Spike says he doesn't feel anything, and complains that he looks like Elizabeth Taylor. Buffy repeats "I'm not worried" but not sounding all that convinced as they lead the group from the seal opening into a cave which opens into an absolutely HUGE cavern. They stand on a cliff and see dozens of Ubervamps on a cliff across the way, holding weapons and doing their snarling and growling. Then the camera pans up from the cliff to show the cavern below, which is MASSIVE! Hundreds, no, THOUSANDS of figures, all ubervamps, are crowded together and making with the violent noise!

Spike looks down and gets a horrified expression on his face, then pulls back from the edge. The SIT's all line up along the cliff's edge, each having some sort of weapon, also staring down in horror. "I'm not worried..." Buffy says, almost panicing. "Really? Cause I'm flashing back to Xander's whole bathroom speech." Amanda asks Buffy for reassurance. Buffy suddenly gets a little brave and shows strength. "I'm not worried. As long as Willow can work her spell before they..." Suddenly the cavern goes quiet as the ubervamps notice their attackers "... see us." The ubervamps on the cavern below instantly start to charge, with hundreds of bodies flying foward. Buffy looks on in disbelief.

Commercial break: Milk, it does a body good... as long as you're not lactose intolerant, or drink too much whole milk and get fat, or don't get salmonella, or leave it in the sun too long, or...

The Ubies charge, starting to climb up the cliff side, as Buffy looks down and mutters "Willow?"

Willow looks down at the scythe, silently, but nothing is happening yet.

Buffy and group look down as the Ubies advance.

Willow then starts to breath heavily as she pants "Oh... my... Goddess..." Suddenly the Scythe sings into power, the entire weapon glowing a bright white.

FLASHBACK to Buffy giving her speech about choice to the gathered SIT's. Buffy says that she's going to give them the choice of having her power. She says that into each Generation a Slayer is born, all because a bunch of men a long time ago decided it was so. She says they were powerful, but Willow is more powerful than them. Buffy's gonna change the rules, making her power all of theirs.

Kennedy suddenly lurches back as if hit by a wave of wind. She smiles at her new feelings.

Vi, Rona, Amanda, all of the SIT's in turn get hit by this invisible wave of newfound strength.

FLASHBACK VOICEOVER: "Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. Every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power, who can stand up, will stand up. Slayers, every one of us. Make your choice, are you ready to be strong?"

And around the world, unknown girls are hit with this wave of power:

A young girl stands nerviously at bat in a baseball game...

A teen staggers against a school locker, becoming light-headed...

Another teen lays on the ground of her room, disoriented...

An oriental teen stands at her dinner table and swoons..

A hand from an unseen assailiant comes down for a striking blow, but it is blocked by the hand of a teen girl, who rises up in defiance and strength...

And the first girl seen at bat is hit by the wave of power. She turns her head towards the pitcher and smiles a wicked grin...

The scythe continues to glow brightly under Willow's grasp.

The Ubies continue towards the SITs, but now the mood is different. Vi sums it up nicely, grinning evilly "These guys are dust." The Ubervamps attack, jumping over the edge of the cliff and meeting the SIT's, Slayers, and Spike head-on. The battle is incredible, with SIT's more than holding their own against the Ubies, dusting quite a few through staking and decapitation.

Kennedy smiles at the newfound power, but then looks at Willow and sees quite a different sight. "Willow?" She asks as we see Willow lit by a brilliant light, her hair has turned a bright, golden white. She is panting, still out of breath, but she is also smiling as she continues to grasp the scythe. Suddenly the glow fades and Willow returns to normal, red-hair and all. "You are a goddess." says Kennedy. "And you're a Slayer." answers Willow, who picks up the scythe and hands it to Kennedy, telling her to get it to Buffy. Kennedy rushes out as Willow plops over on the floor, muttering "That was nifty!"

Buffy is kicking the crap out of the advancing Ubervamps, as are the rest of the SIT's and Faith. Kennedy arrives and calls out to Buffy, tossing the scythe to her. Buffy catches it and instantly stakes an ubervamp, dusting it. Kennedy joins the fray also, punching the crap out of an ubervamp while quipping "I can get used to this!"

The battle rages on the cliffside. While the good guys are finishing the Ubies off, more ubies continue to come. Buffy swings the scythe in slow motion and we see a very cool dusting of one ubie. But then the bad news starts when a few ubies slip past the good guys and climb up through the seal opening.

Anya and Andrew both hold swords in a school hallway, ready to do battle, but Anya is scared, almost shaking. Andrew tells her to think of happy things... "A lake... candy canes... bunnies." Anya now smiles wickedly. "Bunnies... Floppy, hoppy... bunnies!" A few Bringers (yes, bringers... don't know where they came from) charge them...

Ubies also attack Giles and Robin, who start kicking ass.

More Ubies attack Andrew and Anya. Anya swings her sword and dusts two.

As Spike punches out another Ubie below in the cavern, he suddenly staggers back. He feels... something, but can't place what. He touches the amulet and it burns his hand. "Buffy! Whatever this thing does, I think its..." He then howls in pain, his head lurching back.

Buffy attempts to call out some commands, telling the SIT's to try and drive them to the edge of the cliff and keep them there. But she is stopped short when a sword point suddenly sticks out of the side of her stomach. Buffy looks at the point, then staggers forward, a look of shock on her face, then she falls face down on the hard stone floor.

Commercial Break: I can't believe it'd ever come to this one, last time, but...

Windex makes it SHINE!

Faith beats up an Ubervamp, then notices the fallen Buffy and rushes to her side. Buffy looks up, a weak, pained expression on her face. She looks Faith in the eye and says "Hold the line" and holds the scythe out for Faith. Faith grabs the scythe and in a fury she instantly offs three ubies.

Upstairs, Dawn and Xander fight off an ubervamp with swords. Xander does most of the attacking, but then Dawn gets an idea and pulls on some rope. A large tarp falls in front of three ubies who approach, but then sunlight shines down and toasts them all. Xander starts a joke about the greenhouse effect, but he's quickly cut short by another ubie who barrels into him.

Bringers continue to attack Andrew and Anya. Andrew is cornered as one of them draws his knife, ready for the kill, but Anya stabs him with her sword, saving Andrew. Then, she herself is stabbed from behind, arching her back in pain.

Robin and Giles are getting attacked by Bringers also (I thought they were ubies before, but I guess not, or maybe it's a mixture?). Robin gets stabbed in the gut by one, but Giles finishes him then goes to catch Robin before he falls.

Back in the cavern, things are looking bad. One SIT is strangled. Faith is busy fending off three at once. Rona's in trouble and Faith tosses her the scythe, which allows Rona to fend off her attacker (Yes, Rona's arm is still in a sling). Buffy looks up from the ground to see the situation getting bad. She is semi-lucid as she sees one of her new Slayers being bitten by an ubervamp, the body falling to the ground right in front of her.

"Ow. Oh no... Mommy... this mortal wound is all... itchy." says Buffy/the First as it slowly comes up to taunt Buffy in her own form, with wound and all. Buffy looks up at her nemisis with pain and a hint of defeat. "You came pretty close to smacking me down. What more do you want?"

"I want you... to get out of my FACE!" Buffy says, her ire now up. Power and anger fill her eyes as she slowly rises up off the ground to her knees, then her feet. Buffy/the First has an "oh crap" look on it's face as Rona sees Buffy rising and tosses her the scythe. Buffy instantly swings it and sends three ubies tumbling over the cliff edge. Faith's three attackers are suddenly thrown up in the air as if she exploded onto the scene! Chow Ann punches and kicks! Vi levels another Ubie! Kennedy finishes off yet another two of hers. Buffy punches one so hard it FLIES out of shot!

Spike punches too, but soon staggers back again, confused and overwealmed. he staggers back to the seal opening... "Oh Bullocks.." he mumbles as a shaft of golden light starts to shine up from his body and head, shooting upwards, through the roof of the principal's office, through the outer roof of the building! Spike calls out to Buffy, who starts to rush towards him, but soon brilliant sunlight starts shining down through the hole, striking the amulet and bright beams of sunlight start streaking out from it's surface, instantly dusting any ubies they hit! Entire ranks of ubervamps are instantly incinerated at the bright spotlight of sun. The very power released starts to shake the cavern walls and the place is collapsing! Faith yells for everyone to get out as the Slayers start heading up, past Spike, out of the seal opening.

Buffy finally gets close to Spike as he looks at her, pain and surprise in his face "I can feel it Buffy... my soul! It's really there... It kinda stings." Buffy sees the remaining Slayers escaping.

The Slayers all run down the hall of the school as it starts to collapse around them. They come across Andrew, who pushes a dead bringer off of him and is picked up by the Slayers.

Now outside, the very ground begins to rumble. Giles helps Robin to safety, but Robin has an idea and tells Giles to get everyone to the Bus. Robin heads for a schoolbus as Giles goes to help.

Almost out of the building, Kennedy helps a still dazed Willow outside as Xander looks around, not wanting to leave, calling out Anya's name. The building collapsing, Dawn rushes in and grabs Xander's hand, pulling him out. Anya's body is seen beneath the rubble.

"Go on then" Spike says as the cavern continues to crumble. The golden shaft of light shines out from the amulet, pinning him to the wall. Buffy tries to argue that he can still get out, but Spike says he's got to stay behind for clean up. Faith calls down to Buffy to get out of there as she herself rushes out of the seal opening. With tears in her eyes Buffy almost begs Spike to come, but Spike says "I mean it, I've gotta do this." Buffy then slowly takes Spike's hand in hers, interlacing their fingers together as flames spring up from their hands. Buffy continues to hold onto him as he looks at her at the verge of disbelief, seeing something in her eyes...

"I love you." Buffy says softly.

"No you don't, but thanks for saying it anyways." Spike responds.

Suddenly the entire cavern shakes and is giving way big time! Spike tells Buffy to go, and as she's leaving out the seal's opening, Spike mumbles "I wanna see how it ends..."

Explosions rock the school as dust is flying everywhere. Faith races just ahead of the dust cloud and into the bus, which instantly takes off. Dawn looks out the back window of the speeding schoolbus, looking for Buffy.

The school still collapsing around her, Buffy runs into a hallway and avoids falling beams. She then heads up a flight of stairs.

Spike smiles wickedly and starts to laugh to himself, forcing back the pain he's enduring, as the skin on his cheeks starts to melt away. Almost as if getting burned from the inside, he continues laughing until his skin is litterally burned off his skull, then he falls to dust as the amulet falls with him in the collapsing cavern.

The bus speeds down the street, a badly wounded Robin at the wheel, as Xander and Vi tend to the wounded, mopping up blood. Vi tells a wounded and lucid Rona that this is nothing! She has to be strong and fight this! Andrew sits confused, mumbling "why didn't I die?"

As the bus races along the street, suddenly we see something else... a figure running atop the buildings beside the bus! The very ground behind the bus is giving way into a huge, expanding crater, with the vehichle and running gigure both barely keeping ahead of it's expanding edge. With scythe in hand, Buffy runs and long-jumps between buildings, keeping up with the bus, looking for the right time to jump. Just as Dawn spots her sister running, Buffy makes one desperate jump and lands on the roof of the Bus!

An overhead shot shows the entire town of Sunnydale being engulfed in a large, growing crater.

The rumbling starts to subside as Faith tells Robin to ease off the gas a little. Out on a desert road, the bus screeches to a hault and Buffy drops down onto the road, looking at the devistation behind them (which we cannot see yet). She then looks down the opposite direction at the road that continues off into the distance.

Dawn whips open the back bus door and hugs her sister tightly as Giles and some others climb out. Giles says "I don't understand what did this?" Buffy tells him it was Spike.

Buffy walks up near the edge of the huge crater that we finally get to see. One roadsign, "Welcome to Sunnydale", sits perched on the very edge of the crater before it slowly falls in with a creak and a crash.

Getting off the Bus, Andrew tries to pass by Xander, but Xander asks "so did you see?" Andrew tries to continue on, saying he was too scared, but Xander presses. "She was incredible" Andrew tells him "she died saving my life." "That's my girl, always doing the stupid thing" Xander smiles at him, pats him on the shoulder, and waks over to Buffy, Giles, and the others.

Faith sits with Robin, who is close to death at the wheel of the bus. Faith says she'll get some help, but Robin stops her, asking "Did we make it?" Faith kneels by him, saying "we made it. We won." Robin looks at her, smiling, but then ever so feigntly, his look grows cold, void. Faith looks at him, a bit with sorrow, and goes to close his still-opened eyes. As she touches his face he coughs back into life, looks around confused, then mumbles "surprise." Faith smiles at him as Vi comes up to tend to his wounds, allowing Faith to join the others.

"looks like the hellmouth is officially closed for buisness" says Dawn, gathering at the edge of the crater with Giles, Willow, Faith, Xander, and Buffy. Buffy looks on silently as the others continue to talk. The entire scene is one, continuous slow close up on Buffy's face.

"There's another one in Cleveland... not to spoil the moment." Says Giles.

"We saved the world." Says Xander

"We changed the world. I can feel them Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere." Willow comments

"We'll have to find them." mumbles Dawn

"We will"

"Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale and there's no hope of going there tomorrow." Giles notes.

"You mean we destroyed the mall?" Dawn asks "I fought on the wrong side."

"All those shops gone... the Gap, Starbucks, Toys-R-Us... who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them?"

"We have a lot of work ahead of us" Giles says, which makes Faith say "Can I push him in? I just wanna sleep for like a week!"

"I guess we all could, if we wanted to." Dawn says.

"Yeah, The first is scruched, so... what do you think we should do Buffy?" Willow asks.

"Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. you get to live like a person. So whatcha gonna do now?" Faith also asks.

"Yeah, Buffy... what are we gonna do?" Dawn turns to her sister, who calmly takes in the scene, then a slow, sly smile creeps on her lips

 

Grrr... Arrrg... (even the Mutant Enemy has a final farewell, turning towards the viewer for his "arrg")