Epilogue

So much had changed in fifty years, and yet so much remained the same.

Technology on Earth had progressed and evolved, and civilization had kept pace. So too had vampires and demons tried to keep pace with the ever-growing number of Slayers in the world, and the battle between good and evil was still being waged.

As those fighting for good gathered together, the elderly together with the young, they all privately acknowledged that the fight against evil would never truly be over. It would have to be waged continuously with each new generation, and as the battle raged on, heroes would rise to face the challenges ahead.

Today, however, men and women from all over the world flocked to a secluded, grassy hill to honor two of the greatest Champions that the people of Earth had ever known.

As the mourners gathered in their seats, a pair of wooden coffins were brought forward in unison, each held on either side by one man and one woman. Four Slayers and four Watchers carried the earthly remains of the two oldest Slayers, and the very first to die of old age.

Several other graves littered this hill, though this resting place was not listed on any maps. To either side of the freshly dug grave rested Alexander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, and Dawn Summers.

In a row just behind them was a small memorial to Mitth'ris'sintar, as well as the final resting places of Tal Cortland and Vira Septus. Their one tombstone accredited them as soldiers in life who never retreated in the fight against evil, not even after passing their task onto their twin children: Ralto and Thriss.

Flowers rested on all of their graves as the two new coffins were lowered into a single large grave, side-by-side.

After the caskets were covered with fresh soil, a cloth was pulled back to reveal a single tablet marking the grave of two of the world's greatest heroes.

'Here Rest Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane,' the tablet said. 'Devoted Wives and Slayers.'

One man stepped forward. He was very old, with a head of slicked back white hair, but he walked easily without support. A long cylinder was clipped to his belt, but no one who knew him would begrudge the breach of the unspoken dress code.

"My name is Shar Dalen," the man said firmly. "I was not born here among you, but you have all welcomed me with open arms, just as you did my dear friends Tal Cortland and Vira Septus, rest their souls.

"The three of us, as well as the dearly departed Mitth'ris'sintar, would likely have never crossed paths had it not been for the two courageous and honorable women we have come to pay our respects to this day.

"Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane were both extraordinary human beings who each had a unique appreciation for all life, and who dedicated their own lives to the protection of countless millions who would likely never know they even existed.

"These two remarkable women were far more alike than they would have ever admitted, once upon a time. Indeed, they were rivals or even enemies at certain points in their lives, but after they overcame their differences, they became far closer than I could ever imagine. I do not stand here to mourn my dear friends, but to honor who they were as distinguished and honorable women.

"Let me tell you how Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane became one of the most devoted couples ever to walk this Earth. This is their story, and it begins a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"

THE END