A Timeless Queen

It wasn't until after Sunnydale, after the gathering up of the new Slayers, and after Dawn started Oxford that it happened. Her Keyness returned. Willow guessed that it was because it had taken that long for her powers to gather again after such a violent and uncontrolled useage. Buffy wanted Dawn's powers to be bound,fearful that something or someone would come after Dawn again because of her power but Dawn refused. Buffy still insisted, believing that as always she knew what was best,and always Willow sided with her. Giles and Xander both said that it was Dawn's decision if she wanted to have her magic and no one else's. They told Willow that she had no right and if she did anything against Dawn's powers, Giles would inform the coven. Willow would be stripped of her magic, for binding anothers magic against someones will was regarded as one of the worst crimes an wiccan could perform.

Dawn's reaction to her sister once again trying to dictate her life was to return to Oxford and ignore Buffy's calls. It was there that Dawn began to learn how to control her newly developing powers, thanks to the coven. Giles having told them what was happening, they had been all to ready to send someone to the college as no one wanted someone with that level of pure power to not have control. Especially after what happened last time the Key's power had been unleashed.

While being the Key was something that Dawn had faced for five years, she had never had to face having the powers of the Key. Yet now she had unlimited power that rivaled anything the coven had ever seen. Including Willow. Controlling that was truly amazing and something that excited Dawn to a whole new level. So that while she still loved Oxford and all her class, she loved her powers just as much. Diana, her teacher was amazed by how fast Dawn could pick all that she had to teach. Diana told her as such to and about how proud she was at the progress she was already making.

"Dawn, you are truly the most amazing student I have ever had. The way you simply grasp what I teach you, no matter how complicated and difficult, you just know how to do it after one try. It truly is remarkable."Dawn smiled at the praise. For once she had something that was just hers and had nothing to do with her sister, THE SLAYER. Her powers, her keyness. It was all her and no one, not even her sister could take that from her.

The months that followed saw Dawn blossom into an entirely different person. Someone that was assured of her power, her intelligences and even her beauty. For she had met Kenny and begun to date him and while Kenny was a thricewise demon it was still the most normal relationship she had ever had. Xander came to meet Kenny and liked him, though he was very careful to go into detail about what he would do to Kenny if he harmed Dawn in any manner.

"I like you, Kenny but if you in any way harm, distress or disappointment Dawn in any way they will never find your body. For I will feed it to a Guiashhanie, which doesn't kill its food. It actually makes them immortal. The food lives in its stomach, alive and concouis of whats going on. Supposedly its utter agony as their flesh is consumed by the stomach acids then healed over and over again. FOR ALL OF ETERNITY."Xander smiled viciously."I hope we understand one another." Kenny nodded vigorously and
Xander nodded,pleased that he had gotten his point across while Dawn just sighed. Used to the 'shovel speech.'She could just imagined the others speeches. Giles was always very imaginative when it came to protecting his children.

Everything was going so well that Dawn should have realized that everything was going to go horribly wrong. And it did in rapid succession. First was the theft of the scythe by Japanese vampires, Buffy and the others had to team up with Dracula to get it back. It was there that Renee died, Xander's sort of girlfriend. Xander was devastated by once again losing someone he greatly cared about and so to get away from the memories, he came to Oxford. To Dawn, to heal from the loss. Giles tells her to watch him as he fears for Xander's sanity. Giles himself is still mourning the death of his former lover, Ethan. Who had been slain by Voll. Death was beginning to once again stalk the Scoobies and Dawn hated it.

The second thing to happen is that Buffy is sent into the future and the Castle was under attack. Making Dawn both horrified at not being there and grateful. The third thing, third time the charm was when Dawn went to a club and it was there that absolutely everything changed for Dawn, for it was there that Dawn met the one that she would eventually marry and it threw her entire life for a loop in a way nothing else ever had save for discovering she was the Key. For he was Arthur, Prince of Wales and
next in line to the throne of Britain, Ireland and the kingdoms.

The moment they met Dawn just knew what he would be to her and instantly loved him as he did her. A fact that terrified her while he was enchanted by it. Love at first sight was not something Arthur ever thought would happen to him, his entire life was dictated to him in some form or other. Yet here he was, falling in love without ever having even spoken to her. So Arthur went over to her and smiled while speaking for the first time with the woman he had not a single shred of doubt he would marry. Uncaring about being engaged already as the woman in front of him was the one he was waiting for his whole life.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"Dawn couldn't help but to smile at him, drawn to him on a level she had never felt before. Not even with Kenny, who she cared about dearly but it wasn't like the feelings she was having for someone that she had just met. Dawn knew who he was of course and knew that he was engaged to be married but with how she was feeling and the fact that she was quite a bit drunk she simply didn't care. Why couldn't she be happy after all. So in a completely out of character move, Dawn ignored her worries about the instant connection and accepted.

The two of them danced for hours before finally they passion enflamed them and then went to her apartment. It was there that they consummated their union and Dawn lost her virginity. It was there that her life truly began. From that day forward her life was forever altered and at that very moment Dawn simply didn't care.