Chapter Three – An Extraordinary Tale

Adam found himself staring at the young woman in front of him. "How is that even possible?"

"In all honestly we don't know," Dawn said. "Willow, our go to gal for the serious magical mojo, hasn't been able to figure it out. Neither has Gray here. All we know is that eight years ago I appeared."

"Nobody noticed?" Peregrine asked. He too was equally shocked.

"It was a very elaborate spell," Dawn said. "The monks altered everybody's memories so they remembered me being around. That included my memory. I 'remember' growing up in LA, playing with Buffy. Buffy can remember the day mom and dad brought me home from the hospital. Xander and Willow can remember playing with me when we moved to Sunnydale. Only none of it actually happened."

"That is impossible," Adam said.

"Hang out on a Hellmouth for a few years and the word impossible kind of loses all meaning," Dawn replied. "The spell wasn't perfect. My aunt barely remembers anything about me prior to eight years ago. The spell created about four pictures of me that appear in her photo albums. I doubt my dad remembers me. Of course at this point it's debatable whether or not he remembers ever having had a family. But that's another story. Most of the memories people have of me prior to when I appeared tend to focus on one or two 'events.' A birthday party, vampire kidnapping. The rest is sort of a blur. The people close to us had more blanks filled in, but only Buffy, mom and I ever seemed to have complete memories."

Adam turned his attention to senior Adept. "Gray?"

"I can assure you Adam," Sir John said. "What Dawn is saying is true. I realize this well beyond your experience. But this situation falls outside anyone's previous experience."

"Is that why you seem to fade out when I use my Sight?" Peregrine said. "Is it because in a way you're not real."

"Dawn's real," Kennedy said forcefully. "I don't care what she was before. She's Dawn now. Don't any of you ever forget that."

Adam found himself moving back in his seat. He looked over at Peregrine and watched his friend also shrink back in his seat. The feeling of danger rolled of Kennedy in waves.

"Kennedy," Dawn said. "Pull it back. It's ok. I doubt Peregrine meant anything by it."

The feeling of danger subsided.

"What was that?" Peregrine asked. He was still shaken. He had never felt a power like that directed at him before.

"That was me," Kennedy said. "That was the Slayer."

Adam looked at Dawn. "I thought your sister was the Slayer."

"She is," Dawn said. "So is Kennedy."

"Gray, you said there was only one Slayer at a time," Adam said.

"We changed that five years ago," Dawn said. "We made it so every girl born with the potential to become a Slayer, becomes a Slayer."

"We are moving off the subject," Sir John interjected. "Suffice to say there is now more than more one Slayer. Kennedy is one of those Slayers. I would appreciate it Ms Winston if you would refrain from threatening my other guests."

Kennedy nodded. "Sorry. I've known Dawn for a while now and I've picked up Willow and the other's protective instincts when it comes to her. You're lucky Buffy wasn't here. She gets real mean when people imply Dawn is less than what she is."

Peregrine nodded. "I can assure you I meant no insult. This just all seems so bizarre. I thought I had finally gotten a handle on the supernatural world. This tale is rather difficult to believe."

"Why is it I see your sister and Mother reflected in you?" Peregrine asked.

"The monks used Buffy as template for me," Dawn replied. "I guess they also tossed in a little of mom too," Adam saw a strange look cross her face.

"And you did not tell them what you were when you arrived?" Adam inquired.

"The monks made it so I didn't even know what I was. I found out by accident," Dawn paused and looked down. "As you might image I didn't take it very well. Fires and razors were involved. I still don't like thinking about it. The idea that over half my life never really happened is not a fun thing to contemplate."

"You seem to have adapted well," Adam said. "Even thrived."

"Like I said, grow up on a Hellmouth and weird loses all meaning." Dawn noted with a smirk. "You either adapt or you go nuts. I did go a little crazy when I figured it all out. But I've had eight years to get to know myself and get use to the idea. Hell most of us thought the whole key thing was in the past. Stupid us."

"So you know nothing about the Key?" Adam asked.

"Not a thing," Dawn said. "The Order of Dagon kept its secrets well hidden and we killed Glory and her minions."

"Wait," Peregrine interjected. "You said this Glory was a Hellgod. You and your friends killed a god?"

"I didn't say it was easy," Dawn replied. "Willow used a spell that weakened her. Buffy pounded her with a troll hammer (to bad that thing's buried at the bottom of Lake Sunnydale), Xander hit her with a wrecking ball. We finally forced her back into the human form she was forced to wear on this plane. She was vulnerable in that form," Dawn paused and looked away. "I think Giles actually killed him."

"You said Glory was a she," Peregrine noted.

"Her human form was a he," Dawn replied. "You did catch the part about Sunnydale being weird?"

Adam too was getting lost in the strangeness of the situation. He focused his mind back on the problem. "You must know something about the Key."

Again Dawn paused. "All we really know is how Glory intended to use it."

"And how was that?"

"Look, I know you already agreed not to share anything you learned here today," Dawn said. "But you really need to understand how important this is. In the wrong hands, this information could be very dangerous. Not just to me."

"Dawn I can assure you, no matter what you tell me, on my honor, I will not betray your trust," Adam said.

"The same goes for me," Peregrine said. "You have my word. I will not tell anyone what I learn."

Dawn spent a few moments studying the two men. "Kennedy?"

"The sound sincere to me," Kennedy replied. "Faith's better at this than I am. But I think you can trust them."

"Dawn," Sir John entered the conversation. "The decision on how to proceed is yours. But if you truly wish to learn your full nature I feel these men are your best chance. I trust them completely."

Dawn nodded. "Alright then," she paused to collect her thoughts. "Glory planned on using the Key to open a portal to her home dimension."

"I follow so far," Adam said.

"This is the dangerous part," Dawn said. "By doing so she would open the door to all dimensions. They would have all spilled out unto Earth. Basically under the right conditions, which, by the way, can't be duplicated as far as we know, I can destroy the world."

Both Adam and Peregrine reacted with shock.

"You can destroy the world?" Peregrine simply stared at the woman in front of him.

"I came within a few minutes of doing it," Dawn said. "We stopped it. It cost us. But we stopped it."

"You're certain these conditions can't be duplicated?" Adam inquired.

"As certain as we can be," Dawn said. "The ritual needed to be performed at a specific time and place. The time has passed and the place is now a lake. We think a few other factors have changed. Unfortunately the book that contained the ritual Glory used went down with Sunnydale. Willow put a spell on it so if it ever left our possession it would disintegrate. So it's probably dust now."

"So why do you need to learn about the Key now?" Adam asked.

"We can't get into too many details," Dawn answered. "Some secrets are not ours to tell. A few months ago I participated in a ritual with Gray. The ritual involved moving myself and a few other people from this plane of existence to the astral plane."

Adam turned his attention back to Sir John. "I assume what Dawn is referring to is a ritual that allowed you to guide multiple participants through a shared experience."

"No," Sir John answered. "What she says is essentially what I did. The maze served as our focal point and connection to this world. With that I was able, with Willow's assistance, to transport the gazebo and its occupants physically into the astral realm."

Adam's eyes went wide at Sir John's explanation. "Such a feat would require enormous power."

"You have never had need to see the full scope of the powers available to me," Sir John answered. "And Willow is a most capable and powerful mage."

"Anyway, getting back to the subject," Dawn said. "The astral plane sort of responded to my presence. I can't really explain how. I felt like … like I was home in a way. Gray received a message that my power would be needed. So we asked him to help research the Key. The Council's information about the Key, what little they had, was destroyed when the old headquarters was blown up."

"I was unable to learn very much," Sir John picked up the story. "The Order and Dagon had possession of the Key since at least the second century BC. It would seem they managed to successfully hide that fact from the rest of the esoteric community. Their base of operations along with their entire membership was destroyed by Glory. What little I learned has led me to believe that the Key was alive before it was transformed into Dawn."

"Alive?" Peregrine said. "What do you mean by alive?"

"Again we're getting into the 'don't have a real means to explain' problem," Dawn said. "We're basing this on some tenuous evidence. But I can tell you that it feels right to me. Ever since we traveled into the astral plane I have felt something beneath the surface. Willow's been working with me on some meditation techniques to try and learn more. But whatever it is, it's out of my reach."

Adam nodded. "This might explain Peregrine's vision of you 'fading out' so to speak. Your physical self is here on this plane, but the Key would seem to exist both here and in the astral realm."

"I see what you're saying. I've even thought something similar," Dawn replied. "And you may be right. But that doesn't change the fact that I've run out of ways to learn more."

"Which is why I called the two of you," Sir John said. "In my judgment the answers Dawn seeks lie within herself. You are a gifted Healer Adam. You're training and experience both as a psychiatrist and an Adept make you the ideal choice to help Dawn explore the inner reaches of her mind. Your Sight Peregrine will also be needed. Already you have helped confirm what we have suspected about Dawn's nature."

"Right now I know nothing about the Key," Dawn said. "To be honest I've been avoiding doing this for eight years. But I don't have that luxury anymore. I know the Key is alive. For some reason I can't access any of those memories. That part of my life just isn't there."

"I will be honest with you Dawn," Adam said. "What I have learned thus far both intrigues and troubles me. If Gray were not seated here confirming the things you have said I would have a very difficult time believing any of your story. The Key, it would seem, is a tremendous source of power. And one that someone has already attempted to put to dangerous purpose."

"We know," Dawn said. "That's part of the reason we've never really looked into the Key. But we've learned more about what we're facing over the last couple of weeks. We're going to need every tool we can find to defeat this enemy. According to the ever annoying Powers That Be, that includes me."

Adam again studied the young woman in front of him. He could see the determination in her eyes. He heard the resolve in her voice. But his training also enabled him to see some the fear behind that resolve. She was not going into this blind. She understood the risks and was willing to take them. He came to a decision.

"Very well," Adam said. "I will help you on this journey. Yesterday, I spoke to my patron in service to the Light. I was attempting to learn more about your power. He was unable to tell me anything."

"Why?" Sir John asked.

"He said the power you possess Dawn, was ancient before even his soul entered this world," Adam explained. "His is a soul that has long since surpassed the need for a physical body. I can only surmise that his first incarnation was during the early days of civilization, perhaps even before that. Which implies that Key may have existed, in one form or another, since before humans even appeared on this world."

"Did you learn anything else?" Dawn asked.

Adam closed his eyes and thought back to the day before. "He said 'Powers are reawakening Master of the Hunt. Old ones are making their presence felt again … Those who stayed apart seek to rejoin the fold. In the end all magic flows together.' That was all he said. He indicated much was hidden from his view."

"That's a hell of lot clearer than most of the messages we get from the Powers," Kennedy said. "The couple of dreams I had were pretty vague images."

"You receive visions?" Peregrine asked.

"Slayers are gifted with visionary dreams," Kennedy said. "The gift varies from Slayer to Slayer. Most are like me. I've gotten only a couple of dreams over the last five years. Usually when something really big is going down. Sort of an 'all hands on deck' kind of thing. Some Slayers get more."

"Buffy gets quite a few," Dawn said. "She always has. They use to freak her out. She's gotten use to it. A couple of the girls are almost like seers in the number of dreams they get. Of course interpreting them is always a challenge. Like Kennedy said, they tend to be fairly obtuse. Just once I'd like to get a prophecy or dream comes with a nice set of instructions. Like a DVD player."

"Like that would be any clearer," Kennedy said with a smirk. "Insert sword A into demons neck B. Rotate mystical orb C around sacred circle D. I prefer the obtuse symbolism thank you."

"Point taken," Dawn replied.

"I'm beginning to see what you mean by 'befuddled' Gray," Adam said. "Do they often go off on such tangents?"

"Yes, they do," Gray replied. "I've found it best to ignore it and wait until it passes. Eventually they do return to the point."

Dawn shot Sir John a nasty look. "Fine, we'll get back to the point. 'Old ones making their presence felt' implies a lot of things," Dawn said. "The phrase 'Old Ones' sometimes refers to the ancient pure demons that ruled this plane before the animals came. Before humanity appeared on the scene."

"I have read of such theories," Adam answered. "You are implying that these ancient demons may be stirring again."

"Over the last few years we've seen a lot to indicate that is happening," Dawn said. "We can only speculate about anything broader that may be behind it all." Dawn leaned back in her chair, "'Seek to rejoin the fold.' I can make a good guess what that refers too. That definitely means we need to figure out what's going on with me. And it looks like I'm the best source of information on me."

Adam nodded. "You have given Peregrine and I a great deal to think about Dawn. I believe both of us would benefit from an evening to digest this information. I will help you in any way I can,' Adam reflected for a few seconds on what he had learned thus far. "I have a few ideas for how to proceed. I feel they would work best in a place where you comfortable."

Dawn nodded. "You can come out to the Council's headquarters tomorrow."

"An excursion into London will be most welcome," Adam replied.

"Good," Dawn said. She looked at her watch and then at Kennedy. "If we leave now we can link up with Abigail's team."

"Sounds like fun to me," Kennedy said rising from her chair. "It's been nice meeting you gentlemen."

"Same for me," Dawn said. "We'll see you tomorrow say around 11:00. Gray can give you directions. We're a little off the beaten path."

"We will see you then," Adam replied. He rose from his chair and shook the two women's hands.