Part 2
They all sat somberly in the Magic Box. Each not talking but all were thinking about those that were lost. Anya, who had a bandage across her forehead, kept glancing anxiously at Xander who was sitting amid a pile of books determined to find the rider that was on the dragon.
Giles was talking to yet another contact on the Watcher's Council to find more information about the portal that 'the Key's' blood opened. The slamming of the phone brought everyone out of their thoughts.
"Bloody stupid, arrogant . . ."
"Let me guess, the Council refuses to help. They're sending another Slayer to the Hellmouth."
Giles rubbed his temples. "I'm afraid so. But it's not a Hellmouth they're sending her to. It seems Cleveland has become a hotbed of demonic activity recently."
Dawn bit her lip trying to decide whether she should confess or not. Maybe she should wait until Angel called her back. She had left a message that she needed his help, Buffy and Willow were missing.
She looked around at all the worried faces and changed her mind, "I called Angel." She mumbled.
"What? What was that, Dawn?"
Dawn looked up and repeated louder, "I called Angel. I thought we could use his help. Or, or maybe Wesley would know something."
Xander bit down on his frustration and anger. Not at Dawn but at the hopelessness of the situation. He and the others had been combing the books, Internet, any place they could think of to come up with whoever or whatever had happened to Buffy and Willow. So far, nothing.
Xander put aside his dislike of Angel that hadn't really lessened over the years and smiled at Dawn. "Have you heard from him?"
"Not yet. It's been a couple of days and normally he calls right back."
"Especially if Buffy is involved." Anya piped up.
The others turned to look at her.
"What? I'm just saying that something must have happened for Angel to not call back."
"She's right. I put a call into Wesley earlier and he's pretty good about calling back."
~~~~
The travelers returning from Pylea entered the Hyperion laughing at something Lorne had just said. Angel noticed the blinking light on the answering machine and debated whether or not to listen to it or let it wait for another time.
They had been through a lot in Pylea, especially Lorne and Fred.
Angel looked over at the young woman who had spent years in another dimension. She reminded him of Willow in so many ways. He smiled fondly as he thought of the red head that had wormed her way into his heart.
She was his first true friend. Even as Liam, in Ireland, he hadn't really had friends. He would never be able to repay her for her friendship and for restoring his soul.
Sighing deeply, Angel went to the answering machine and saw they had two messages. Soon Dawn's scared and sad voice echoed in the lobby.
"Angel? Are you there, Angel? Buffy and Willow are missing. It's all my fault. It should have been me. A portal opened and a rider on a dragon got Willow. Then Buffy jumped in to save us. We've tried everything. Please can you help?"
Fred had stiffened at the mention of a Portal opening and that someone named Willow was taken inside it. Wesley placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
Next was Giles' voice. "Wesley? Are you there? The matter we discussed earlier regarding Glorificus has happened. The portal opened but I'm afraid something escaped and got Willow before Buffy jumped in. I've tried the Council and as usual they were no help. If you have heard anything please contact me."
All eyes turned to Wesley.
"Glorificus? What is going on, Wesley?"
Wesley nodded, "I was helping Giles with something before but with Cordy getting sucking into another dimension I forgot all about it."
Wesley told them about Dawn and how the monks made her from the Slayer, what the 'Key' was, who Glorificus was and what Giles feared would happen.
"So you're saying that all our memories of Dawn are false? That my memories of her as a young girl trailing behind Buffy, Xander, Willow and me never happened?" Cordelia asked.
"To Dawn they are very real. It's like an alternate reality. The monks 'changed the timeline' as if Buffy really did have a little sister."
Cordelia shuffled from foot to foot. She really hated thinking about the other timeline when she wished Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. She, Buffy and Willow were finally friendly once again and after her experience in Pylea she wouldn't wish portal travel on anyone.
"So, DO we know anything that will help Dawn?"
"I had looked into Glorificus and the portal that would open." Wesley went to a very old leather bound book. He opened to where he thought he remembered seeing something.
They all gather around Wesley as he looks through the pages. Fred is standing off to the side a little apart from them. She's still not convinced that this is real. That they are all real.
Wesley looks sadly up into the eyes of Angel, "I'm afraid only Dawn's blood can open this portal. No magcik, no incantation. Just the blood of the Key."
"What's that?" Gunn asked pointing to a picture of a red eye in the book.
"That's the symbol of the Dark Lord Sauron. He's extremely powerful in that dimension."
"More powerful than Glorificus?"
"He is the one that banned Glorificus from that dimension and that she was trying to overthrow when she returned."
"We've got to get Buffy and Willow out of there."
"That's great, Angel. But how? And more importantly how are YOU going to do it. You may have been okay in Pylea but who knows what this Edoras dimension is like. Maybe as soon as you go in there. . .poof."
With grim determination Angel picked up the phone and replied, "I'm going to help."
~~~
"I've found it." Xander jumped up with a slim volume in his hand. "This is what took Wills."
Giles took the book from Xander and read the ancient text.
Xander watched Giles' expression closely. He looked like he had when he found the Codex with Buffy's death foretold in it.
"That bad?"
"I'm afraid so. It says here that they are the Dark Riders for the Dark Lord Sauron. He is the one that banned Glory."
"So we're talking another Hell God?"
"Similar anyway. If he's got Willow..." Giles' voice trailed off. Thinking about the power that Willow had but had yet to tap into. She had dabbled in the dark magick to help in the fight with Glory but hadn't tapped into her full potential. If Sauron used that power he would be very hard if not impossible to beat.
The phone rang bringing Giles out of his depressing thoughts.
"Magic Box. Oh hello, Wesley. What? O-okay. See you and Angel in a few hours."
Giles hung up the phone and turned to the expectant faces of those gathered around. "It seems Angel and Wesley are on their way here. They just received our messages, Dawn. They had been tied up, literally." Giles rubbed his temple. He felt a headache coming on. "We weren't the only ones portal hopping. Wesley and Angel just returned from another dimension as well."
Xander beamed. He could kiss Angel and Wesley. Well not literally. "If they could come back Buffy and Willow definitely can come back."
"Don't get your hopes up, Xander. They were in Pylea and Glory was from Edoras."
"Maybe but it proves that it's possible."