aired on: May 22, 2001

written by: Joss Whedon

directed by: Joss Whedon

A terrified teenage boy runs through a narrow alley. He turns a corner into a dead end. The hulking vampire, that is hunting him, quickly catches up. As the monster closes on his victim, a door opens into the alley. Buffy pokes her head out to question them. The vampire doesn't bother to hide his vampire face as he warns Buffy to leave and then invites her to be the opening for his feast. She scolds them for fighting and then tries to warn the vampire about who she is. The bloodsucker surprises her by being unaware of the Vampire Slayer. In less than a minute she teaches him who she is and stakes him. As she returns through the door she came from, the victim has to wonder:

Victim: How did you do that?

Buffy: It's what I do.

Victim: But you're just a girl.

Buffy: That's what I keep saying.

Buffy returns to the gathering at the Magic Box. The entire gang is there, including Spike. Dawn has been taken by Glory and they are trying to determine a strategy for defeating her plans. She intends to use Buffy's little sister, who in reality is a mystical icon called The Key, to open the barriers between dimensions.

Glory just wants to return home to the Hell dimension she was banished from. She doesn't care that removing the barriers will allow all of the dimensions to crash in on each other with terrible consequences for the Earth. Once she begins to drain Dawn's blood, which is the symbol of Dawn's mystical energy, the barriers will stay open as long as the blood flows. The ritual ensures that the bleeding is a slow process.

Xander asks about the cliché of blood, but Spike tells him that it's more than a cliché, blood is not only symbolic of living energy; it is the source of life. Vampires drink blood because it keeps them alive. Giles feels forced to yell at Buffy as he tries to impress on her that she may have to kill Dawn to prevent the ritual or to close the barriers if it begins. He doesn't like it, but he feels it may be a horrible necessity, that Buffy must face. Buffy is angry that Giles keeps pushing her to kill her sister. Giles reminds her that Dawn isn't really her sister.

Buffy tries to explain that none of them can understand the bond between Buffy and Dawn because it's closer than blood. Buffy tells them that when the monks created Dawn they somehow borrowed from Buffy's essence to build her. Dawn is a part of her, her only living "relative" still in her life. She apologizes to her friends, but no matter the consequences, she will die defending Dawn from anyone she has to. Giles thinks that they are all as good as dead.

Anya, still a bundle of nervous energy, tries to rally the team to think positive. She doesn't want to die and she is willing to entertain any ideas that offer hope. Xander briefly offers the idea of killing Ben, Glory's alter-ego and a mere mortal. Xander thinks that that would be a lesser sin than killing Dawn. But not even Spike has any enthusiasm for the idea of becoming murders of the innocent, no matter the motivation. Willow reminds everyone that they don't have to kill Glory, only keep her from performing the ceremony at the proper time - she won't get another chance if she misses this opportunity.

Anya is encouraged, but presses for more ideas. She annoys Spike and Giles who challenge her to come with some. Anya quickly suggests that they use the Dagon Sphere, which is supposed to repel Glory, and Olaf's the Troll God's magic hammer. Spike thinks the hammer is too heavy to lift, but Buffy hefts it easily, embarrassing him. Giles reflects that they have a couple of hours before the ritual, but even if they have weapons, they still don't know where Glory is. Tara, driven mad by Glory's brain-sucking, interrupts to rave that it's a very big day and she needs to be there. They realize they have a way to find Glory when they are ready.

Meanwhile, Ben is delivering the clothes that Dawn must wear for the ritual. The sight of him disgusts her. He continues to apologize for turning Dawn over to Glory's minions and deciding to sacrifice her so he can be free of Glory. Dawn demands to speak to Glory and chants her name until Ben transforms into Glorificious.

Glory thinks that Ben is just trying to survive. She tells Dawn that Ben's influence on Glory may be why Buffy is still alive. Glory feels that she should have been much more ruthless and killed Buffy right away. Dawn wonders if Glory really could have killed Buffy as easy as she thinks. But Glory reminds Dawn that no one has shown up to rescue her so far. She tells Dawn about the ritual and how it's in Buffy and friends best interests if Dawn dies. She suggests that when Buffy arrives it may be as an assassin and not a savior.

Buffy pummels a punching bag, with determination, in her training room. Giles approaches to explain that he doesn't want Dawn to die, but he has been trained to look for any way to defend humanity, no matter how terrible, as long as the alternative is worse. He feels that they have to face heart-breaking decisions so that others can go about their lives without having to do the same. Unmoved, Buffy tells him that she will stop him if he tries to hurt Dawn. Giles understands, but he doesn't say that he won't try.

When Buffy wonders how many times they have saved the world, Giles believes it's about a half-a-dozen, but it feels like they've done it hundred times. Buffy tells him that she doesn't have the same confidence, the same certainty she had in the early days. She recalls how she had to kill Angel in order to close another portal to hell. She reflects that even though it was terribly painful, she knew it had to be done. She doesn't have that conviction now. She's tired of the constant fighting and losing the ones she loves. She still grieves over the loss of her mother. She reminds Giles that her spirit guide told her that Death was her gift. She feels it's a confirmation that she will be a killer her entire life. Giles disagrees. Buffy tells him that if she can't save Dawn then she will quit being the Slayer, because none of it will mean anything to her any more. There will be nothing worth fighting for.

Dawn carefully stacks her neatly folded clothes, after she dons the long brown gown provided to her. Two of Glory's followers grab her and carry her up the stairs of scaffolding. The mental patients, working diligently for Glory, have constructed a huge metal framework that will hold Dawn about ten stories above the street.

At the Magic Box, Giles calls down to Xander and Anya who are in the basement, looking for the Dagon's Sphere. They hurriedly put their clothes back on and continue the search. Anya is still terrified; sex only put off the feeling temporarily. Xander is startled when uncovers the Robo-Buffy that Spike had built as a playmate. Anya thinks that Willow wanted to keep it. Xander's mind turns to dirty thoughts. Anya tells him that Willow wants to study it not play love games with it.

Anya is then freaked out by stumbling across a stuffed bunny rabbit. She thinks it's a bad omen. She tries to explain how scared and nervous she is - that she wants to run, but she can't because she can't leave him. She thinks she has reached her limit on stress, until Xander pulls out an engagement ring. After a few moments of thought she slaps him and accuses him of only proposing because they are going to die and he won't have to marry her. He denies that and tells her that he believes deep inside that he and Anya are going to make it and he wants to live out the rest of his life with her. She's willing, but makes him agree to give her the ring only if they don't die.

Buffy asks Willow for some hope. Willow is surprised and unsettled when Buffy tells her that she is Buffy's big hope. She is the only one to actually hurt Glory and her powers are beyond anyone else in the group. Willow tells Buffy that she has been working on a way to restore Tara. She thinks that she can rip from Glory's mind, the stuff that Glory took from Tara, but she doesn't know if she can face up to the danger of taking on Glory again. She also isn't sure how much damage that might do to Glory, but it might be enough. Buffy tries to encourage her before Giles calls Buffy away. Willow tries to reassure Tara, but her mad lover slaps her before almost dissolving into tears. Willow gets her determined face on and vows that she will save Tara.

Xander and Anya suggestion is approved by Buffy and she decides she needs to visit her home to complete the plan. Xander asks her to get a broadsword from the house and Spike worries that Xander might be a danger to those around him. Xander wants to speak up for himself, but Spike dismisses him as a glorified bricklayer. Buffy calls Spike away to escort her home.

At the Summers' home, Buffy tells Spike to get weapons, but forgets that he is not able to enter her home, since Willow revoked his invitation. He suggests that she hand him the weapons, but Buffy invites him in. He doesn't say much, but he's obviously affected by her trust.

She tells him that she doesn't think that all of them are going to survive this time. She asks him to protect Dawn for her and he swears his life to the task. He then tells her that he knows that she will never love him, and he is just a vampire after all, but the fact that she treats him honorably moves him so much, he is, for once, speechless.

Dawn is tied between two short steel beams, at the end of a ramp. In front of her, a hole is cut in the grill that she stands on. The diminutive peons tell her that Glory will soon come for her, and then they leave her alone.

Buffy and Spike arrive back at the magic shop - it's time! Willow tells Tara to follow her instincts and go where she thinks she needs to be. Buffy tells the others to do their jobs as planned and that she will kill anyone that tries to harm Dawn. Giles and Spike share a moment of cultural bonding when Spike sarcastically compares Buffy's send-off to Shakespeare's inspiring St. Crispen's Day Speech and together they quote a line. Spike makes a joke about "we band of buggered".

The team is surprised by the size of Glory's construct. Giles assumes that the portal is positioned high above the ground. Buffy calls on Willow and she takes a moment to gather up her courage.

Tara is barely on the grounds before she is discovered by Glory. At that moment, Willow attacks. She magically drives the fingers of one hand into Glory's head and the other into Tara's. Lightning comes down from a clear night sky and bathes the trio. After a few seconds they are thrown away from each other in different directions.

Glory recovers first, but she can tell that she isn't whole anymore. She seems slightly confused and in need of a brain to suck. Then she sees Buffy waiting to challenge her. Glory instructs her minions to guard the tower and Dawn. She's aware that Buffy's attack may be a diversion, but she can't remember the words to explain. The minions rush to obey and they gather the enthralled mental patients. More than a dozen slaves stand between Dawn and our heroes. Buffy reveals the Dagon's Sphere and throws it to Glory. Glory instinctively catches it and suffers from touching the ball, before she crushes it. Buffy is quickly on her, punching and kicking the weakened Glory.

Buffy's team attacks the guards at the base of the tower. High above, Dawn sees the battle below. Willow recovers and, weakened from the spell she cast, she crawls to her lover's side. After a few confused seconds, Tara's mind clears and she recognizes her beloved. They hold each other close.

Glory recovers some and hits Buffy so hard that Buffy's head flies across the room. Her torso sparks and falls with dangling wires. Glory is surprised to discover that the Slayer is a robot. From behind her the real Buffy calls and then hits Glory hard with Olaf's hammer, sending Glory flying across the room.

Dawn calls to her sister and Buffy leaps over a stack of bricks and onto the tower stairs. She runs up the tower with Glory following. The two foes fight a running battle up the tower. The match seems nearly even as their desperate combat continues. Glory manages to knock Buffy off the tower, but Buffy pulls Glory off as well. They both fall a great distance. The hammer lands away from Buffy's grasp.

Both fighters rise to face each other again. Glory wonders what Buffy will do without her hammer. Suddenly a wrecking ball crashes through the wall next to Glory and knocks her across the room and through the next wall. Xander, behind the controls of the boom, congratulates himself and smiles at Spike calling him a glorified bricklayer.

Giles, Anya and Spike are huddled behind an air compressor, unable to penetrate the guard about the tower. Giles figures that soon the time to perform the ritual will pass, but no one has tried to ascend the tower. High above the fight, Dawn sees Doc, the mystic that provided her with a way to resurrect her dead mother (#095 - Forever ), standing on the ramp with her. She pleads with him to release her, but he makes clear that his allegiance is with Glory. Then he shows her a very large, sharp knife.

Xander rejoins Giles and the others just as Spike realizes that someone is on the scaffolding with Dawn. They have not been able to get past the slaves of Glory, but they must reach Dawn now. Spike hears Willow's voice in his head. From a short distance away, she telepathically tells him to make his move. At first he resists but her loud and firm command to "GO!" gets him in motion. Willow grabs her companion's hand and together they magically shove all the guards from Spike's path. He races up the tower.

At the top of the scaffolding, Doc is surprised to see that Spike is willing to defend a human. Doc draws first blood by moving at inhuman speed and plunging his blade deep into Spike's back.

At ground level, Buffy is pounding on Glory. Glory's nose and mouth are bleeding and she offers no more resistance. Buffy thinks she could swing Olaf's hammer all night without tiring.

When Doc questions why a soulless vampire like Spike is involved in saving a human, Spike tells him that he gave his word to a lady. Unfortunately, Doc is faster. A desperate look passes between Spike and Dawn, when they realize that he has failed to save her. Then, Doc throws Spike off the tower. Spike lands hard, but it doesn't kill him.

Bang, bang, Buffy brings Olaf's silver hammer down upon Glory's head. Glory is down and Buffy pounds on her with a meaty squishy sound. Finally, Glory gives way to Ben. Buffy tells Ben that Glory has missed her chance and that she should go away and never bother anyone in Buffy's life again. Ben agrees. Buffy runs to her sister.

Giles checks on Ben. Ben is grateful that Buffy didn't kill him. Giles tells him that that was never possible. Buffy is a hero and she lives by a different code from Glory or Ben or... even Giles. Giles grabs Ben's mouth and nose, forcing them shut. He holds his hand over Ben's face, until the younger man stops struggling for air.

Doc is making razor-thin cuts in Dawn's gown and her flesh. Blood flows down to her feet. Buffy arrives and quickly pitches Doc off of the tower. The blood drips from Dawn's feet and opens a blue-white hole in the air under the ramp. Buffy frees Dawn and helps her to the stairs. Looking back, Dawn warns Buffy that the portal has already opened. The hole grows larger. Lightning comes off the rift and everywhere it touches there is terrible destruction. One bolt transforms a large building into a house of screaming horrors with creatures straight out of a Clive Barker nightmare. The ground shakes and splits beneath their feet. Anya pushes Xander away and is pummeled with debris from a falling wall. She lies still under the debris.

Dawn tries to throw herself into the glowing hole, but Buffy stops her. Dawn begs Buffy to let her go so she can seal the rift. Buffy has been in this same spot before with Angel. She had to drive a sword through him to seal that portal and save the world. This time she is not willing to let Dawn die. Dawn pleads with Buffy, explaining that only her blood will stop the destruction. A winged reptilian dragon flies out of the rift and circles the tower before flying off. Dawn tries to get Buffy to let her make this blood sacrifice.

Buffy suddenly recalls Spike's assertion that blood is life. She remembers the "adoption" ceremony she performed with Dawn letting their blood flow together and mingle. She recalls telling the others that Dawn is a part of her, that they are one. Then she remembers the confusing statement of her spirit guide that death was Buffy's gift - A confusing statement until now.

After a few seconds of watching the rising sun, Buffy turns back to her sister. Dawn can tell by the look on Buffy's face what she is planning. Dawn cries for Buffy, but Buffy firmly tells her that everything is okay and they only have a few more moments together.

Buffy speaks to her sister for a few seconds and then she turns and runs down the platform. When she reaches the end, she spreads her arms in a swan dive and plunges into the snarling rift. Pain and anguish etch her face as she is surrounded by the crackling energy of the portal. Dawn can hear Buffy's voice telling her that Buffy will always love her, but she has to do this - this is what she does. The portal suddenly collapses and disappears.

As Dawn reaches the bottom of the tower, Buffy's friends gather around her body to grieve. Xander carries the injured Anya. Willow weeps as Dawn remembers Buffy's message to Giles that Buffy finally understands the riddle of her spirit guide and everything is all right now. Buffy asked for her friends to be strong and to help each other. Spike breaks down sobbing as Dawn recalls Buffy's final words. She told her sister that living is hard, but Buffy needs for Dawn to go on living, for Buffy's sake.

Under a shade tree in a garden green setting, Buffy's headstone reads:

Buffy Anne Summers
1981 - 2001
Beloved Sister
Devoted Friend
She saved the world
a lot