From Dust to Dawn

Dawn Summers is out and about surveying the cemetery of Sunnydale by herself. Her older sister Buffy is letting her patrol for her slayer duties for a night as a way of proving herself ready for the upcoming battle against evil itself, The First. “Seriously, Buffy couldn’t have given me a creepier night to patrol” Dawn thought to herself.

Dawn is slowly trekking through the graveyard with a stake in her right hand held up for stabbing motion. She zips up her lite sweater as her eyes quickly go over the entire cemetery. “I can do this…I can do this” she chanted nervously. I told Buffy I could do this and that I was ready and she also thinks I’m ready” Dawn slightly reassured herself. “Maybe there are no vamps out tonight” she thought with shallow enthusiasm. “Maybe they’ve taken the night off, maybe they-”

Before Dawn could finish her attempt at a reassuring thought she could hear dirt ripping from a mere 10 feet behind where she was standing. “Oh boy” Dawn’s voice dropped. She turned around and looked at the hallowed ground behind her and found the dirt steadily coming apart. Two pale hands came out of the ground followed by jet back hair belonging to a pale face in a business suit. It was a male vampire.

“Ahhh…it feels so good to be undead” the vampire exhaled. “Well…you’re…you’re gonna be more undead than that in a little bit” Dawn rebutted timidly. “And why do you say- ahhh” the vampire realized. “Slayer…you’re the slayer.” “That’s right” Dawn replied. “I am the slayer and I’m here to slay you”.

“You know, I’m new to the whole undead thing” the vampire began. “Though I’m fresh meat I think I’ll make quite a band for myself when the underworld hears that my first kill was a slayer.”

“Hate to break it to you champ, but no one is gonna know you from a pile of dust when I’m done, so I guess that name’s falling on deaf ears.” Dawn said confidently. “Then let’s dance, slayer” the vampire snarled. He charged for Dawn with his arms out as she ducked from him with haste towards the opposite direction. Dawn then stepped toward the vampire and tried to stab him in the heart with her stake.

The vampire quickly caught her arm and motioned for the left side of her neck for a bite. In a quick reflex Dawn kneed the vampire in the stomach, knocking him back as he leaned over. As the vampire recovered he motioned for Dawn once more, but she briefly knocked him back with a punch to the face.

“Alright, that’s it” the vampire snarled angrily. As Dawn raised her stake in an attempt to stab the vampire in the heart he caught both of her arms and pushed her to the ground. Dawn yelped as she fell to the ground. The vampire quickly jumped on top of her and tried to go in for another bite, but Dawn held him at bay with her hands to his chest. While struggling to hold him back she looked to her left and saw her stake was less than a foot away. “Nighty night slayer” the vampire taunted.

As he leaned in closer for a bite Dawn head butted him and kicked him in the groin. When the vampire fell over groaning in pain, Dawn quickly went for her stake. With the vampire occupied with his agony, the stake wielding Dawn abruptly stabbed him in the heart. The vampire growled in pain as he exploded into a pile of dust.

“Whew, I did it” Dawn exhaled with satisfaction. “Was that fun?” A voice called out from behind Dawn. She turned around and found her big sister Buffy watching over her with a proud smile on her face. “You know, it was actually kinda fun, scary but fun” Dawn replied. “I’m proud of you, Dawny” Buffy exclaimed while helping Dawn to her feet.

“I tried to do everything you taught me, but-” “it’s okay, Dawny” Buffy interrupted. “A slayer’s work is never perfect, especially in the beginning.” “Do you think I’ll ever be as good as you?” Dawn asked. “No” Buffy concluded. “You’ll be better”. Buffy’s words put a smile on Dawn’s face as they embraced each other with a hug.

~Dedicated to the memory of Michelle Trachtenberg. Happy 28th year anniversary to the Buffyverse.