I certainly was in the mood for angst when I wrote this one! I must have searched my imagination for what was the angstiest thing Dawn could possibly be forced to do--and reinstating the Cruciamentum certainly qualifies.

In many ways, this is the piece of mine which most concisely sets forth the values of the Watcher-verse. It includes the crucial plot points--Dawn as Watcher, Lydia's survival--and a thematic message which resonates through much of my Dawn fic: being a Watcher means taking burdens onto yourself so that others can fight the good fight with their consciences unsullied.

I don't know if I particularly agree with the need for the Cruciamentum--I probably don't, although I am fond of the rationale I've fanwanked for Travers in my fics, and I do think Travers was much wiser and more complex than most fanon makes him out to be--but I wanted something counterintuitive and thought-provoking, with a decent amount of shock-value. I wanted to show Dawn stepping into her own and making a decision that both Giles and Buffy would disapprove of. And I wanted to show Dawn taking off Giles' shoulder a burden he couldn't bear: having to vote to send the girls into what could be seen as unncecessary battles.

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