Twilight

{{Quote|I will be more monstrous, more beautiful, than anything she has ever feared or fantasized|Twilight

Twilight was the consciousness of a new dimension which manipulated Angel and Buffy Summers into giving birth to it. It was also a villainous identity adopted by Angel himself in order to bring about the creation of the Twilight dimension.

Prophecy


The entity known as "Twilight" has apparently existed in some form since the creation of Earth. The Watchers Council were aware of its existence, and spoke of a prophecy in which a Slayer would change everything in the world and be granted the power of a god, as well as the chance to bring about the birth of a new world: Twilight. In the 1680s, it appeared as though the Twilight prophecy may come to pass; the Watchers were so afraid that thirty members of the Council committed mass suicide.

Demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart also knew about Twilight and actively helped bring it about, believing that they themselves would play a crucial role in it. When they discovered the truth, they began making plans to evacuate the Earth dimension.

"We also, and this is the part we need to keep hush-hush, have set the stage for something bigger making its way here. All this time we thought we were the big show. Turns out we're warm-up.  There are big changes coming, and we're, to be blunt, not a part of it."

- Wolfram & Hart executive Lilah Morgan

Angel as "Twilight"


The prophecy was apparently set in motion in the early 21st century when current Slayer Buffy Summers and her friend Willow Rosenberg awakened Potential Slayers around the world, turning them into fully-powered Slayers.

Some time following the restoration of Los Angeles, Twilight contacted Buffy's vampire ex-boyfriend Angel, speaking through vessels such as humans and animals. It convinced him that in order to protect the world from an inevitable apocalypse involving Buffy's recently-created army of Slayers, Angel would have to adopt the "Twilight" persona and become Buffy's enemy. As Twilight, Angel believed he had to unite the anti-Slayer forces in a single cabal under his leadership and minimize the resulting destruction they would cause. Twilight also granted him new god-like superpowers, including increased strength, flight, and complete invulnerability.

Angel was naturally reluctant to deceive Buffy, but was eventually convinced by Whistler that not doing so would result in total destruction. Adopting a leather costume which masked his face, Angel recruited various anti-Slayer factions to his army; these included members of the United States military, such as General Voll and Riley Finn, as well as Buffy's existing enemies, Amy Madison and Warren Mears. Angel attacked Buffy as "Twilight" and told her that activating the Slayers was a mistake, and that she would suffer as a result; he told his followers that he had to strip Buffy of her moral certainty in order to defeat her. He orchestrated further assaults on the Slayer organization, including a mystical missile attack on their Scottish base, and the demonic Swell.



Twilight's forces eventually cornered the Slayers in Tibet, where they had sought sanctuary with werewolves Daniel Osbourne and his wife Bayarmaa. During the battle against his army, Buffy gained similar new powers to Angel. She immediately used these powers to attack "Twilight", who had kidnapped her allies Rupert Giles, Faith Lehane, and Andrew Wells, and was horrified when she unmasked him as Angel. Furious at his actions over the previous months, Buffy immediately tried to kill Angel, but his invulnerability protected him long enough for him to explain his behavior. He told her that there was a divine reason why they love each other and encouraged her to give in to that love. With Twilight urging them on, Buffy and Angel began to literally glow and gave in to their passion; they had powerful airborne sex which caused them to smash through mountains and fly into outer space.

Universal recreation


Buffy and Angel making love was the catalyst needed to give birth to the Twilight dimension. As Twilight was born, Earth succumbed to natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and cyclones, and numerous hordes of extra-dimensional demons were unleashed to destroy Earth and allow the passage of the new universe. Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel found themselves transported to Twilight itself, an idyllic dimension where they could shape reality with their minds. Though Angel initially planned to go along with the prophecy and remain in Twilight, Buffy realized the dire situation her friends were in, and the two ultimately decided to abandon the paradise and return to Earth to help.

When Spike arrived on the scene, he revealed that the solution to the current crisis lay in the ruins of Sunnydale; more specifically, the sunken church where the Order of Aurelius dwelled and where the Master was imprisoned after his original attempt to open the Hellmouth. Inside the church lay the Seed of Wonder, a mystical object which draws magic into this reality and sustains the gates of dimensions. Spike explained that the Seed predated even the First and is effectively the source of all creation, and its destruction would lead to the end of magic, while its removal would result in an apocalypse; thus, they had to ensure that the Seed remained untouched by both human and demon hands.



While Angel protected Buffy's Slayers from the demons, the Scoobies and Spike returned to Sunnydale to track down the Seed and avert the demonic hordes, only to discover the Master, resurrected by the Seed, is in custody of it. Meanwhile, Angel was confronted by the power that gave him his upgrades in the form of a winged lion, who revealed itself to be the very universe that Buffy and Angel were supposed to create, its previous forms having been avatars that it used in an attempt to manipulate Buffy and Angel into giving birth to it. Its identity revealed, the power (itself called Twilight) demanded that Buffy and Angel finish what they started. To this end, Angel was possessed by the power and sent to Sunnydale to stop the Scoobies.

In the ensuing battle, heavy casualties are wrought on both sides, climaxing when Angel killed Giles. Devastated, Buffy beat Angel back and then used the Scythe to destroy the Seed, sending all of the new universe demons back to where they came from and thus ensuring that the prophecy would not come to pass, but effectively removing magic from Earth. While all active Slayers, demons, and vampires already present on Earth remain, the portals and pathways to other dimensions are closed, no new vampires can be sired, witches, warlock and magic practitionners have lost heir power and no new Slayers can be called.