Chapter Fifty Three: Going Down Below
Willow could feel the rage rising up inside her. It was worry about Tara and the feeling that something bad had happened to her, something caused by Wolfram and Hart, that was causing Willow to boil and the proximity of the Hellmouth didn't help. She had never trusted Eve and she knew that Cordelia had the same opinion. If Tara wasn't alright somebody was going to pay for it big time.
But Willow wasn't too far gone that she wasn't able to pull back from the brink. She had to stay calm. How could she help Tara if she lost control? I'm so not gonna do that, Willow told herself as she struggled to suppress the darkness within her.
I promised Tara it wouldn't happen again, no matter what happened thought Willow. I can't break my word to Tara, not again, not ever again. Tara had never said it in so many words but Willow had the distinct impression that if she went dark again there was no going back a second time. If she couldn't control herself she could say goodbye to her link with Tara. After such an event there was no way that Tara would be able to stay with her, even if she wanted to.
"Don't get mad, get even," whispered Anya from beside her.
Cordelia heard this and responded at once. "We don't know if there's any reason to get even yet," she said with a venomous glance across at Anya. We need to keep Willow calm not stir her up even more she thought.
Cordelia returned her gaze to Willow. "Just stay in control, whatever happens. Whatever happens! We're right by a Hellmouth. If you lose it here you'll take us all down with you. You can't go wrong if you always do what Tara would want you to do. And you know her well enough to always know what that would be."
"I'm...I'm alright. I'm ready for a fight but only using white magic," said Willow. "But we can't trust Eve, you guys know that."
Eve had followed the exchange with a bemused expression on her face. "What are you blaming me for?" she said. "Tara needs your help, Wesley's with her now. It's not far." Eve turned towards the glow coming from the ground behind her but stopped when she realised that nobody was following.
"You want us to follow you into that Hellmouth?" asked Cordelia. "I don't think so."
"You're just going to abandon Tara and Wesley?" asked Eve. "I thought they were your friends." She looked at Willow. "And rather more," she added.
"This stinks," said Gwen. "We follow the Wolfram and Hart lady into a Hellmouth. How stupid does she think we are?"
"But we've got to go," said Willow, now back in control of herself. "Or at least I've got to go. I know Tara's down there, I can feel it. Even if this is a trap, I've got to go and I'm going."
"Well I'm going too," said Kennedy. "You're going to need a slayer to watch your back. If it is a trap they're gonna find they've trapped a lot more than they can handle."
"We'll all go," said Anya. "That's the safest option."
"Is it?" asked Cordelia. "What if they want to trap us all inside the Hellmouth?" Somebody's got to stay here to keep it open and guard it until Willow gets back with Tara and Wesley."
"OK, no more debate," said Willow. "We don't have the time." We've got to trust Eve until we have reason not to she thought. But if I find out she's working against us she's going to regret it big time. But that's for later. Right now I can't stay here when I know Tara's down there.
"I've got to get moving now," continued Willow. "Eve will take me and Kennedy to Tara and Wesley. The rest of you stay here and watch the Hellmouth. Keep it open for us if you can and if you can stop any nasties from coming out. We'll be back as soon as possible and then we'll work together to shut this down somehow."
"But what's pulling the spaceships down?" asked Anya. "Isn't that why we're here?" But she got no reply. Willow had grabbed Eve's hand and rushed off followed by Kennedy. As Anya and the others watched, Willow, Eve and Kennedy jumped into the still glowing hole that was the open Hellmouth.
"And what if the evil plan is to break us up into small groups to make it easier to squash us separately?" asked Gwen quietly.
"I don't think Willow's in the mood to be squashed by anyone or anything," said Cordelia. "Would you want to get between her and Tara?"
"Don't say that while Xander's around, you'll give him ideas," said Anya.
"Xander's had those sort of ideas for a long time," said Cordelia.
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Dawn sat up suddenly. She must have dozed off she thought because she still felt sleepy. But wait a minute, what's going on? Where am I?
Dawn got to her feet and looked around. Her last memory was of talking to Buffy and the others just after all of the demons had been killed. They had been outside the building in that Kallistien town where she had been hiding with Angel and the others but now she was somewhere else. Where? And why? And how?
Dawn found herself standing next to a bed in a small room. It was the most basic of bedrooms, little more than a cell really with bare stone walls and a bare stone floor. Apart from the bed there was nothing there except a chair and a bowl of water on a small table. There was not even anywhere to hang clothes, not so much as a hook on the back of the door. There was a small window which let in daylight but it was well above where Dawn could look out since it was just under the high ceiling.
Dawn now realised that she was no longer dressed in her own clothes. She was wearing a long grey dress which reached down to the floor. The dress looked new and hand made. The decoration around the neck and cuffs must have taken a lot of time and skill she thought. Never mind all that she told herself. What's going on? Where am I?
The door didn't seem to have a lock fitted but it could have bolts on the other side thought Dawn. She was considering trying to open it when there was a knock on the door: "It's time," called a male voice. "We're all ready."
Dawn opened the door and looked out. There were two people waiting for her in the corridor outside. The man who had knocked on the door was no more than about twenty years old. He had jet black hair and was dressed in a somewhat medieval combination of tunic and trousers. Something like the way Robin Hood was usually depicted but without a hood and in grey rather than green.
The fair haired woman was a few years older than the man and wore a dress similar to the one Dawn was wearing but somewhat paler. Like the man she was surprised at what she saw when she looked at Dawn.
"What's happened to you?" asked the woman. "You look... different. Older somehow."
"Yes," said the man. "What's going on?"
"What's going on!" said Dawn. "That's what I want to know. Who are you people, and where is this place?"
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"Still no response from the Gate," said Sam as she walked back into the Control Centre of the ship. "I still can't get it to work. I've checked with the team stationed at the one down on the planet and that's still off line as well. So far your bluff's not working out."
"Just as well," said Jack. "If the Gates start working before we figure out some way to protect the planet from Apophis's missiles, we're in big trouble. So long as he's got no other way to evacuate his ships he'll probably wait until he's a lot closer before firing."
"How about firing off our missiles at his fleet now sir, just to keep him busy?" suggested Sam.
"I'm afraid that's a no-no," said Jack. "Apophis has still got prisoners on board his ships. And our witches would still be upset if we hid behind their magic while we started killing people." Jack shrugged. "I'd still do it to save the planet if I thought it'd do any good but we'd never be able to take out all those ships anyway. Not with only one ship of our own."
Sam had now taken her seat back at the controls and was studying the instruments in front of her. "We've only got a couple of hours before we're out of the game anyway, at least as far as this ship is concerned," she said. "If we don't use our missiles soon we won't be able to use them at all."
"I'm waiting to hear back from Teal'c's after he's checked out how things stand down on the planet," said Jack. "As soon as he calls..."
Jack was interrupted by a comment from Sergeant Paisley. "Missile launch sir. The Goa'uld fleet has launched missiles. And I'm detecting activity on the largest of the moons. I think a couple of Apophis's ships are taking off."
"OK," said Jack. "First priority is to target those ships that are taking off. They're the nearest danger. I just hope there aren't any captives on board."
"They're small ships sir," said Sam. "Apophis will have his captured witches on board his flagship to protect him."
"Good, then we can take out the smaller ships," said Jack. "Get us as close as you can to them if you can still manoeuvre at all. If I get grief from our witches I'll just have to try to sweet talk them later."
Sam grimaced at this but out of Jack's sight. "I'm afraid changing course will just crash us into the planet a lot quicker. We won't be able to get much closer to those ships whatever we do sir," said Sam. "But we might be able to hit them with enough of a barrage from our missiles to destroy them."
"OK, do it," ordered Jack. "How many missiles have been launched by Apophis's main fleet sergeant?" asked Jack.
"Ten sir," said Sergeant Paisley.
"So he's got a particular target in mind," said Jack. "He's not aiming to destroy the whole planet yet. Do you think he knows where we are Carter?"
"Possibly sir," replied Sam. "But more likely he's targeting the source of the force that's pulling him back to the planet. He will have been able to calculate where it's coming from just as well as we have."
"Prepare a counter strike to take out all of the incoming missiles after we've dealt with those other ships," said Jack. "We've got to give the people on the planet as much time and protection as possible while we're still up here."
But unless they come up with some way of stopping Apophis themselves the whole planet is likely to die he added, but only to himself.
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The confrontation in the witches' library was interrupted before it really got started by Phoebe's reunion with her sisters. While this was going on Faith introduced Lissie properly to Giles and Buffy. Meanwhile Xander and Angel began questioning Daniel about what had happened back in the past.
Giles decided it would be simplest all round if the time travellers were given the opportunity to explain what had happened to the group as a whole. He called for everybody's attention.
"If we don't get organised everybody will have to keep on repeating themselves and some of us might never get the full picture," he said. "If we can all keep quiet while the time travellers explain things, we can save a lot of time. Uh-hem, no pun intended of course."
Everybody found a place to sit while Prue and Daniel, with further comments from the others every now and again, explained what had happened. Giles provided a summary of what had happened in the present whilst the others had been away.
"So when exactly did Lissie appear here in our present," asked Buffy. "Because I'm thinking that might be the moment when Dawn disappeared."
"Dawn's disappeared?" asked Giles. "What happened?"
Buffy explained about Dawn fading away after they had destroyed the demons. "Is that what happens with time travel?" she asked "Does it stop there being two of you in the same time? Has Dawn gone back to the past where Lissie came from?"
"Well as far as we know Dawn and Lissie are different people. But it doesn't matter because you can have two of you at the same time," said Piper. "We've done it. When we first did a time travel spell we met our younger selves. Nobody disappeared then."
"But that was when we went back into the past," said Phoebe. "Lissie has gone into the future, her future. Things were different when we went into the future. The rules seem to be different."
"In what way?" asked Buffy, still hoping that nothing serious had happened and that there was an easy way to get Dawn back.
"We actually became our future selves," said Piper.
"Your older selves?" asked Angel. "Because that's not what's happened with Lissie. She's obviously a few years younger than Dawn. Even though they look the same they seem to be different people."
"So you don't know why Dawn disappeared just about the same time Lissie arrived then?" asked Buffy. "There must be some connection."
Buffy was thinking furiously about how to get Dawn back. An idea was beginning to take shape in her mind. She was sure Willow would help when she got back but maybe she could persuade the Halliwells to take part if Willow wasn't here soon. Could she go back in time to before Dawn disappeared and stop it happening? Before she did that she had to find out what made it happen.
"It must be to do with the Key," said Faith. "You might be able to have two of the same person in the same time but perhaps you can't have two of the same Key."
"I've been researching the Key," said Giles. "Before we go any further I've got something to show you all, especially you Buffy."
Giles went over to the pile of books that were still in place on the library table. These were the ones he had asked the librarians not to put back on the shelves for the time being because he had not yet finished with them. He took a volume from the top of the pile and spoke the unlocking spell. He then turned the pages to where he had placed a bookmark. He set the open book down on the table and stood back.
"What do you think of that picture?" he asked. On the right hand page of the open book was a large illustration. It was a detailed drawing of a young woman.
"It's Dawn!" said Buffy. "What does the book say?"
"It might be Lissie," said Daniel looking at the picture, then at Lissie and then back again.
"Or somebody else who resembles them both," suggested Connor as some of the others crowded round to get a look.
"It says this is a picture of the last keeper after she was no longer linked to the Key," said Giles.
"What else does it say?" asked Buffy.
"Well it describes the Key as an ancient artefact, independent of time and space," said Giles.
"And what does that mean?" asked Xander.
"If you'll let me finish," said Giles.
"It says the Key that we see is only an aspect of the Key, a sort of way of contacting the larger reality which is the real Key," continued Giles.
"What does it say about the Keeper?" asked Prue.
"It says the Keeper is the one designated to be responsible for the Key, to make sure it is used wisely and safely," said Lissie. Everybody turned to look at her. "I've seen that book before," she explained. "It was an old book even back in my time."
"So that isn't a picture of you then?" asked Daniel.
"Nope," said Lissie. "It looks a lot like me, but it's not me."
"No, it's Dawn. It's a picture of my sister," said Buffy who hadn't stopped staring at the picture. "Not somebody who resembles her."
"How can you be sure?" asked Giles.
"Because she's wearing the necklace that mom left her," said Buffy. "The one she was wearing when she disappeared."
"That's right," said Xander studying the picture carefully. "And doesn't Dawn wear a ring just like that one?" he added, pointing to the ring on the right hand of the young woman in the picture.
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"You must be able to feel it," said Cordelia. "You're a witch now, the same as me."
"I might be some sort of a witch now rather than a demon, but I'm certainly not like you," said Anya. Why would I want to be like Cordy she thought? Just because she went to Sunnydale High, dated Xander, was betrayed by Xander, helped Buffy and the gang... No, she thought I'm nothing like Cordy. Ridiculous!
"Perhaps if you described it," suggested Gwen.
"It's some sort of energy," began Cordelia. "It's rising up out of the Hellmouth. You can't see it but it's like the heat from a fire. You can feel it even when your eyes are closed."
"Except we can't," said Anya. "Only you can feel it."
"That must be the force that's pulling all the spaceships down," said Gwen. "Isn't that what we came here to shut down? Shouldn't we be doing that now?"
"Yes we should but we need to know what it is first," said Cordelia walking closer to the hole in the basement floor of the hotel which was the open entrance to the Hellmouth.
"Why?" asked Anya. "Why don't we just shut it down now? We don't need to understand it to shut it down. Just block off that hole and make sure nothing else comes up out of it."
"I don't think we've got enough magic power with just the two of us to shut down a Hellmouth," said Cordelia. "Remember it took a whole lot more of us to shut down the Sunnydale Hellmouth. We don't know who opened this up and what they are up to, but they won't be happy when we try to shut it down again. We have to be ready for a fight."
"Well if we don't do something soon we'll have a lot of spaceships falling on our heads," said Anya. "That's what Willow said."
"We can't shut the Hellmouth before the others get back," said Gwen. "They'd be trapped. We'll have a much better chance of dealing with this when Willow's here to help."
"Tara will be able to orb them out of there," said Anya. "Or I hope she will. I hope she's alright."
"So do we," said Cordelia. "But if Tara could orb out of the Hell Dimension why isn't she here now? I think this force is something different to what we had in Sunnydale. If we'd had this sort of thing in Sunnydale we'd have had spaceships falling on our heads all the time."
"No we wouldn't," said Anya. "The Hellmouth was never open for very long. Buffy and the rest of us always made sure to shut it up again as soon as something opened it. We don't know what might happen if a Hellmouth was just left open for a long time."
"Apart from all the demons and vampires coming out of it you mean," said Gwen.
"I'm still not convinced," said Cordelia. "I think somebody is playing games here. I don't think this force is a normal part of the Hellmouth. Somebody is doing something else. Somebody is playing games and I don't want to make the obvious move."
"Eve?" suggested Gwen. "Wolfram and Hart? Both?"
"I suppose you're right," said Anya. "I've heard of all sorts of Hellmouths over the centuries and I never heard of one that pulled down things from outer space. But if somebody else is doing all this where are they?"
"Inside the Hellmouth?" suggested Gwen. "Does that mean Willow and Kennedy really have walked into a trap?"