Chapter 4: No Place Like Home
August 15, 2000
Czech Republic Monastery
Two figures in brown monastic robes ran for their lives down a corridor. Clutching to their chest candles and books, terror in their minds and upon their faces.
"It's coming," one called to the other in Czech. "It's going to kill us!"
"Our lives aren't important," argued the other. "We have to protect the Key. We must send it to the vessel!"
They reached a large room where a third, more senior monk was awaiting them. Together they laid out the items they had been carrying upon the floor.
"Help me perform the ritual," the senior monk requested.
All the monks extended their arms and began to chant. As they spoke the ancient words, a tremendous crash echoed through the holy building, making the wooden doors behind them shake with aftershock. The junior monks ceased their chanting to glance fearfully at the door.
"Concentrate," the senior one admonished them. "Concentrate."
Abruptly a swirling light; a ball of energy appeared in the middle of their makeshift circle, made brighter still by the darkened room. The door began to weaken under the pounding which had begun immediately after the shaking had ceased. As the wooden barrier finally gave way, the room fell into darkness, as something walked inside.
October 24, 2000
Factory, Sunnydale
PRIVATE PROPERTY
NO TRESPASSING
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED
The words didn't register in either Buffy or the White Zeo Ranger's minds as they were slammed against the sign upon the chain fence which bore them. As they reeled from the impact they quickly ducked before a fist punched the spot where their heads had been.
"I've always wanted to kill the Slayer," announced one of their assailants; a biker style Hell's Angel vampire.
"And I've always wanted piano lessons," the White Zeo Ranger retorted. "So really, who's surprised we have all this unexpressed rage?" She and Buffy punctuated her words with blows to the vampires facing them, both of whom retaliated with another punch to their faces, this time hitting the mark. Buffy and the White Zeo Ranger reeled, blocked a second blow, then used their strength to grab them and slam them against the fence.
"But honestly? I think my sister is expressing hers better," Buffy remarked. "Tell you what...you find yourself a good anger management class..."
The vampires tried to throw the two of them off, but they merely slammed the vampires into the fence again.
"White Zeo Power Stake!" the White Zeo Ranger called out as the stakes were beamed into her free hand. She tossed one to Buffy. They thrust the stakes forward into the vampire's hearts. The vampires burst into flame before exploding to ash.
"I think that sets the world speed record for closure," Buffy said as she looked at her sister.
"Power Down!" the White Zeo Ranger called out as she transformed back into Dawn.
As the sisters turned to leave a flash light beam illuminated them. "Hey!" A man shouted. The sisters blinked to find a night-watchman standing before them. "Ladies, if you're looking for one of those rave parties, I'm afraid you're late. Chased a bunch of kids out of here last night."
"Oh, right," Buffy replied, affecting disappointment. "Yeah. Darn. Our fellow ravers will be so disappointed. It was our turn to bring the Bundt cake."
The night watchman put his flashlight aside. "You know, if it was my call, I'd let you do whatever you want. It's not like anybody's using this place or nothing. But they just don't pay me enough to argue with the boss so..."
"We're already gone!" Dawn declared as she and Buffy turned to the road.
"Oh, hey! Hold it. Take your... whatever this is with you." He handed Buffy a glowing orb.
"Thank you," Buffy replied, hers and Dawn's eyes studying it.
"Glow balls, huh?" The watchman laughed. "I swear, I don't get your generation. What is that thing?"
"We'll let you know as soon as we find out," Dawn replied as she and Buffy walked away.
October 25, 2000
Summers Home
Buffy readied a breakfast tray of French toast, juice and coffee. She selected two flowers from a bunch, one for herself and one for Dawn, and placed them in a thin vase. She turned to get a cup as Dawn walked into the kitchen, yawning and scratching.
"Anything you want to add?" Buffy asked without looking at her sister.
"Looks perfect to me," Dawn replied as Joyce walked up behind her. She looked at her mother, who was still in her bathrobe, looking a bit rumpled.
"Morning, guys. Ooh, check out the pamper Mom platter," Joyce said as she smiled at her daughters. "You two do all this?"
"Buffy did it all, I just now got up," Dawn replied.
"Though it is meant to be from both of us," Buffy added.
"So, is this your way of telling me one of you is pregnant, failing or under indictment?" she quipped as her daughters shook their heads. "Just checking."
"We just knew you were feeling less than great, so..." Buffy told her mother.
Joyce nodded. "The headache they said would go away came back. And brought some friends along with."
"What'd your doctors say?" Dawn asked.
Joyce pulled a prescription from her robe pocket. "Take four of...whatever these are a day, come back for tests."
Buffy glanced at Dawn and saw a similar look of worry on her sister's face that she was sure was on her own. She looked back at Joyce. "So, they don't know what's wrong."
Joyce shook her head. "Not yet."
"That's unacceptable," Buffy said.
"Buffy's right," Dawn agreed. "We need a second opinion."
"We need a first opinion first, sweeties," Joyce told her daughters.
"Okay. Let's go now," Buffy said as she began to stand up.
Joyce just drew Dawn into her arms. "I know you both are concerned, but don't be. I'm still the Mom, which means I get to worry about you two. And it's a good thing, because you're a vampire slayer and you..." she squeezed Dawn, "...you're my little pum'kin belly."
Dawn looked at Buffy for a moment with a sigh of relief. For a second, she was worried that Joyce had somehow figured out she was the White Zeo Ranger. She glanced at Joyce and put on a smile as she pretended to be embarrassed at the nickname. "Mom! That's like, my kid name."
"So?" Joyce asked her youngest. "I can't be retro?"
"I'm fourteen. Nicknames like little pumpkin belly tend to flatline growing self-esteem," Dawn quipped. It was obvious to both her mother and sister she didn't mean a word of it.
"You ever have names for me?" Buffy wondered.
"No, I think you were always just... Buffy," Joyce said lovingly.
"I got a name for you..." Dawn started with a smile. "Best sister ever."
"I'll take it," Buffy said as she ruffled her sister's hair.
Joyce smiled; she couldn't be happier that both of her daughters were getting along so well. Then she remembered about Giles grand opening of the Magic Box. "Wait—what are you two hanging around here for? isn't this Mr. Giles' big day?"
"Bigger than big," Dawn said.
"It's his Grand Opening day," Buffy added.
Joyce nodded and pushed her daughters toward the door. "So, go! Bring me back a, I don't know, flying broomstick or something."
"I think I have something better than that," Dawn replied.
"Whatever you want, Dawn," Joyce replied. "Book club tonight?"
Dawn glanced at her sister and frowned. She had forgotten about the book club. It meant Buffy would have to patrol alone.
"It's okay," Buffy mouthed to her sister. She then turned to Joyce and said aloud, "You guys have a book club?"
Dawn nodded. "We're reading…A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius."
"I'm in," Buffy said as she winked at Dawn. "So, what's it called?"
"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," Dawn repeated.
"I'll be back later," Buffy told her mother. "Your doctor's appointment is for when?" she asked as Joyce gave her a look. "I just want to know! Take it easy. Feet up, plenty of Oprah."
Dawn affectionately wrapped her arms around Joyce's neck. She then turned and followed Buffy out the door. When they were half way down the street she sighed. "I forgot about the book club. We actually started it after what happened last week."
"It's okay," Buffy replied. "I did the slaying thing for four years alone, I can handle one night without you. So, after school go spend time with mom. If I need you, I know how to get ahold of you."
The Magic Box
Buffy followed by Dawn walked through the front door of the store as the bell announced their arrival. They stopped and looked around at the all the mystical volumes, exotic bottles, skulls and bones and a wide variety of other magical paraphernalia that stood neatly stacked on display.
"Wow," Dawn said in awe of what she saw.
Then Dawn and Buffy turned and looked at Giles, who was proudly dressed in a purple pointy wizard's hat and cloak. The sisters glanced at each other bit their lips to keep from laughing.
After a moment of pause Giles quietly removed the hat and cloak, setting them aside behind the counter.
"Now I do have a question. And I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but," Dawn said noticing there were no customers. "When did you open?"
"At nine this morning," he replied. "Not to worry. I have a very good feeling about this place. Magic's a small niche market, but think about it: Sunnydale. Monsters. Supply. Demand. Be lines around the block in no time."
"Oh yeah. Money, hand over fist," Buffy said distractedly. "Which, I guess is a good thing."
"Buffy, are you all right?" Giles asked. "You seem distracted."
"She's not the only one," Dawn sighed as she sat down at the table toward the back of the store.
"Yeah, Dawn and I are both tip-top," Buffy replied as she stopped next to her sister. She placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder, hoping the gesture might comfort at least one of them. "But Mom's still sick, and we don't know what the deal is."
"She is getting medical attention?" Giles asked.
"She is," Dawn replied. "A lot of trained medical staff working round the clock to tell us squat."
"I'm sorry," Giles told the sisters sympathetically. "But time and patience can both be great comforts in..." He was interrupted by the sound of the door bell ringing and they all turned to see Riley and Willow walking in.
"Giles!" Willow said excitedly. "Where's your hat and cloak?"
"The hype was out of control," Riley added.
"Dawn and I have a little Scooby-centric deal to deal with first," Buffy said as she opened Dawn's backpack and pulled out the orb. She put it down on the table as they all gathered around.
"What is it?" Dawn said. "That is the question of the day."
"Appears to be paranormal in origin," Giles answered decisively.
"How can you tell?" Willow asked.
"Well, it's so shiny," Giles replied.
"Dawn and I found it on patrol last night," Buffy added as she sat down next to her sister.
"May be more where that came from. I say we go back out again tonight," Riley suggested.
"Uh... sure," Buffy and Dawn said as they glanced at each other.
"What?" Riley asked noticing their look.
Dawn stood and quietly walked over to Riley and whispered in his ear.
"Oh," he said.
"I'm sorry, Riley," Dawn said. "But Buffy and I both agreed. Your now one of the regular Scoobies. We don't always take Xander or Willow on patrol either. If I wasn't a Power Ranger, I would likely be left at home too."
"Don't worry about it," Riley sighed. "Giles, you got that danger room set up out back? I'm feeling the need for a little physical rehab about now."
"Of course. This way," Giles said as he looked at the sisters. "If any customers do show up..."
"On it," Willow replied.
"We're going," Buffy said as she and Dawn left the store. "What did you tell him?"
"A little white lie," Dawn replied. "That we agreed he shouldn't actively patrol with us was because he was normal now. Of course, we know the real reason."
"Because you didn't want me to lose such a good guy," Buffy answered as Dawn nodded.
Summers Home
Buffy and Dawn walked through the front door. They could hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room.
"Mom?" Buffy called out; she received no answer. "Mom!"
The sisters rushed into the living room and found Joyce lying on the couch, looking in obvious pain. Dawn rushed to her side as Buffy clicked the TV off, ending the noise.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"It's my head..." Joyce replied.
"Come on. We're taking you to the doctors," Buffy ordered.
"No, sweetheart, I'm fine," Joyce countered.
"No!" Dawn begged. "You don't know that! We don't know anything. Come on."
"I just need my prescription. Please," Joyce said looking at her elder daughter.
Buffy hesitated and then she picked up the prescription script. "Hospital pharmacy open?" she asked as Joyce nodded. "Ten minutes." She turned and headed for the door as Dawn followed.
"It's bad isn't it?" Dawn asked in a whisper, so that their mother wouldn't overhear.
"I think so," Buffy replied.
Sunnydale Memorial
Buffy burst out of a door marked: PHARMACY. She was examining the fine print on the orange plastic bottle as she walked up the hallway, barely noticing the gurney wheeling in the entrance, coming her way. The gurney was pushed by a three-person medical team, led by Ben.
As they approach each other, Ben saw Buffy and smiled. "Hey. It's um, Buffy, isn't it?" he asked.
"Um...?" Buffy said having no clue who he was.
"Ben," Ben replied. "But you can just call me Man-Nurse like everyone - whoa!"
The patient on the gurney suddenly convulsed violently as Ben tried to hold him down, but even using all his strength, it wasn't happening. "I don't belong here! I have important instructions! Fascists!" the patient said.
Ben pushed the patient back down on the gurney. "Now you're hurting the nice orderly who's here to help you. I need nine cc's of Phenobarbital in this guy now."
Buffy calmly, efficiently strode to Ben's side, and with one Slayer-strength hand, held the patient down.
"Or not," Ben uttered, surprised. "Now let's strap him." He looked at the patient. "For your own good, I promise." He turned from the patient to Buffy. "You know, not to be rampantly sexist in the workplace, but you've got some serious muscles for a girl."
"Oh...um..." Buffy searched for a cover as she backed off.
"Radioactive spider bite?" Ben joked.
"How'd you guess?" she returned with a smile.
"I'm a doctor. Well, almost," he replied.
"HEY!" Buffy yelled as the patient suddenly grabbed her wrist, the one holding the pill bottle.
He roughly jerked the bottle to his face, as if reading the prescription. "Doesn't even help, doesn't make a damn bit of difference."
Buffy started to pull her hand back, then stopped as she recognized the guys. It was the night watchman from the factory where she and Dawn dusted two vampires the night before. "I've met this guy," she said. "He's not crazy."
"If you say so..." Ben said, not entirely convinced.
The night watchman tightened his grip on Buffy's arm as he stared between the bottle and her. "They're coming at you. Don't think you're above it, missy! They come through the family...They get to...your family..." He let go of her wrist.
Buffy pulled back, dropping the pill bottle, obviously shaken by the night watchman's words. "What do you mean?" she asked stunned.
"Let's get him in exam one," Ben decided. "Now would be nice."
The interns wheeled the night watchman, who is looking back at Buffy, down the corridor. She watched still stunned by his words till he was gone.
"Sorry about that. Here," Ben said as he picked up the fallen pill bottle and held it out to Buffy. She didn't take them, but just blankly ahead. "For your Mom?"
"Huh?" Buffy said and then noticed the bottle in his hand. "Oh. Yeah."
"She's not feeling better?" He asked as put the bottle into her hand.
"Not yet. She will be," Buffy said as she dismissively shoved the bottle in her back pocket. "I'm starting to figure out what's wrong." She turned and walked away from Ben. As soon as she was out of the hospital, she brought her wrist communicator to her lips. "Dawn. I think I may know what's wrong with mom. I'm going to stop by the Magic Box on the way home to talk to Giles."
"I'm taking bad might be an understatement?" Dawn replied from the communicator.
"I think so," Buffy said with a sigh.
The Magic Box
"Thank you for choosing to shop at The Magic Box. And please, do come again," Giles remarked, polite and at his most learned English in the face of his first customer. He watched them leave, then turned to Willow with a smile. "Did you see? Customers! Real live customers! They came in, and I gave them things, and they gave me money and then they left! It's brilliant!"
Willow, studying a thick book with the Orb beside her, didn't bother to look up. "Congratulations," Willow replied. "You're now an official capitalist running dog. But I gotta tell you—on the Orbular front?" She closed the book with a sigh. "We're kind of batting zero."
" We'll just have to keep at it, then," Giles said as more costumers, along with Anya, entered the store. "If there's anything you need help with, just let me know."
"Your conjuring powder is grotesquely overpriced," Anya informed Giles as she deposited her purchase in front of him.
"Anya?" Giles said eying the customers who overheard her.
"I'm sorry," the former vengeance demon apologized. "I'm nearly out of money. I've never had to afford things before and it's making me bitter."
"And the change is palpable," Giles uttered. "That stuff doesn't come cheap."
"Well you're getting ripped off. I can hook you up direct with the troll that sheds it..." Anya offered.
Just then Buffy rushed through the front door and made a beeline for Giles. "Giles. I have an idea what's making my mom sick."
"You've spoken with her doctors?" Giles asked hopeful.
Buffy shook her head. "They won't find anything. What's hurting her: it's supernatural." She picked up the Orb. "The night watchman who found this thing went crazy. Like, overnight. Something made him that way." She watched as Willow, Giles and Anya all took one giant step back away from the Orb.
"Let's not taunt the Happy Fun Ball," Willow suggested.
"This won't hurt us, I had it on me all night," Buffy said. "But this guy. Giles, he saw things. Said things."
"Such as...?" he asked.
"They'll come at me through my family," Buffy answered.
"Who will?" he wondered.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Yet. But whatever touched this guy made him see through what the rest of us are seeing. He knew. Someone's hurting my mom, and they're trying to get to me or Dawn or both of us."
"It's possible, but still," he said. "A madman's ramblings are not much to go on."
"It's a start," Buffy told her Watcher. "We have to find out who's making my mom sick, and how." She pulled a book off a shelf.
"Then what?" Willow wondered.
"I hunt them. Find them. And kill them," Buffy answered.
"Alone?" Giles asked.
"With something after mom, I need Dawn there protecting her," Buffy explained.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Do you gift wrap?" asked a customer.
"Do we!" Willow repeated eagerly. She then turned to Anya for help. "Do we?" The former vengeance demon nodded. "Oh!" She looked back at the customer. "We do." She then looked back at Anya. "Little help..."
"No, no. Ground cloven hooves are thirty percent off," Giles informed another customer. "The whole hooves are full price." He noticed Xander walk through the front door before looking at another customer. "That's not... candy!" He looked at Xander. "Xander! There's too many of them... people! And they all seem to want things."
"I hear you. Stay British, you'll be okay," Xander told the ex-librarian.
Dawn suddenly walked out of the back room and over to her sister at the table. "Mom's prescription?"
Buffy blinked as she looked up at her sister. "Does …"
"No," Dawn said knowing her sister was about to ask if she had told their mom about being a Power Ranger. "I'm going to have to make up an excuse that you dropped it off on your way here," she answered.
"Right," Buffy said as she handed the bottle to her sister.
Dawn smiled at Xander as she passed him by and headed back into the back room where she beamed back home.
"The thousand-yard stare. Damn. You hate to see it on any man, but especially in retail," Xander said as he approached Anya and Willow.
Anya handed another purchase to a customer. "Please go."
Xander turned to face his girlfriend. "Anya, the Shopkeeper's Union of America called. They wanted me to tell you that 'please go' just got replaced with 'have a nice day.'"
"But I have their money. Who cares what kind of day they have?" Anya replied.
"No one. It's just a long cultural tradition of raging insincerity. Embrace it," Xander told her.
"Hey, you!" Anya called to the departing customer. "Have a nice day."
"There's my girl!" Xander declared as she grinned with pride. He then joined Buffy in her quiet corner of solitude. "You ever thought in a million years you'd miss the high school library?"
"Someone put a spell on my Mom," Buffy told him. "Something to make her look like she's sick."
"That's a new kind of nasty," Xander said with wide eyes. "Any suspects?"
"Got the list narrowed down to just under infinity," she admitted.
"Does this look right to you?" Willow asked Anya as she handed her an oddly wrapped hourglass.
"Sure, if you wrapped it with your feet," Anya returned as she started re-wrapping it. "You know, Buffy, there used to be this French sorcerer back in the 16th I don't know what named—"
"Cloutier?" Giles queried.
Anya nodded. "So cute in his little knickers but he had this one spell demons just hated, called "Tirer la Couture."
"Rotate many foodstuffs?" Buffy translated.
"Pull the curtain back," Willow corrected.
"A spell to see spells," Anya informed the Slayer. "Well, a trance to see spells, but, you get the idea. Try that."
"What do you mean 'see' spells?" Buffy asked.
"Well, all spells leave a trace signature," Giles explained. "It's just not perceptible to the human eye. Like a hand choking your mother."
"Or a cloud of mist around her," Anya added.
"Or maybe the shape of the demon that's performing the spell?" Willow suggested.
"Possibly," Giles allowed. "You'll have to take a mental picture. Cameras won't see or capture the image."
Anya held up the perfectly-wrapped gift and handed it to the waiting customer. "And that's thirty-two even."
"Okay," Buffy said knowing her course of action. "So, I'll just do what the Monsieur Silk Knickers did. Go home, get trancey, see what's affecting my Mom."
"Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for Scooby of the Month here," Xander said with pride.
Willow shook her head. "I don't know. Trances..."
"Yes. Buffy," Giles said agreeing with Willow. "The sorcerer Cloutier was legendary. His skills at achieving higher states of consciousness were..."
"Better than mine?" Buffy asked. "I knew you'd say that, but we've been practicing concentration drills. I know I'm close."
"But are you ready?" Giles asked.
"It's my mom. I'll get ready," Buffy countered before looking at Anya. "What do I need?"
Summers Home
Dawn stood in the doorway to Buffy's room watching as her sister upended a small sack, dumping a bunch of magic items onto the floor. With Riley's help, Buffy started setting things up.
"Thanks again for coming," Buffy told her boyfriend. "I totally appreciate the help."
Riley glanced at Dawn knowing it wasn't the truth. Dawn could have helped. But he was sure Buffy was trying to help him feel useful. "Sure thing. So, what do I do?" he asked.
"Lots. Tons. Lots and lots of tons. This is all kind of, uh..." Buffy said as she held up an incense holder and a small leather pouch.
"...new terrain?" Riley finished for her.
Buffy nodded. "All prayin', no slayin'. So, let's see...the incense needs to be ignited, and that's a job, then this stuff gets poured round me counter-clockwise, and um..."
"So, you need me to light incense and pour sand?" he asked.
Dawn rolled her eyes as she headed into the bathroom to take a shower.
"Magic incense and spooky sand. And, the ritual itself is..." Buffy said watching her sister up till the bathroom door closed.
"Something you do alone," Riley said followed Buffy's gaze in understanding. "You sure this isn't just your way of trying to make me feel less...what's the words? Cute and weak and kittenish?"
"Is that what she actually said?" Buffy chuckled.
"My interpretation," Riley said with a shrug. "Look." He sat down beside her. "I really am okay."
"Dawn and I both know that," Buffy replied. "And just so you know, it was her idea for you not to patrol with us, not mine. She knows what you mean to me."
"She feels the need to protect me, for you," Riley said as he glanced back at the bathroom door.
"She does," Buffy said. "I know you can handle yourself. But Dawn she just doesn't want to see you get hurt not only for my sake. But for hers. She said before she became a Power Ranger, she had lost friends in Angel Grove."
"And she's afraid of losing more now that she is on," Riley said as Buffy nodded. "Maybe we should show her that we can take care of each other and her as well. Drive that fear away."
"Good thinking," Buffy agreed.
"Good," Riley said as he kissed her. "For luck."
He started to go as Buffy pulled him back. "A girl needs more luck than that," she told him as they kissed again.
"Have a nice trip," Riley said as he exited out into the hall, closing the door behind him. He then walked across the hall to the bathroom door and knocked. "Dawn?"
Dawn opened the door slightly and peeked out. "Yeah?"
"Sorry to interrupt," Riley said. "Buffy told me, the real reason."
Dawn sighed. "Yeah," she sighed. "I saw too many good people die in Angel Grove and that was before I became a Power Ranger. I didn't want to see you become the first death I witnessed in Sunnydale. I didn't want you to become the first friend I lost."
"I understand," Riley said. "Since it appears you are probably naked. Pretend I hugged you."
"I will," Dawn said. "And I'm sorry I treated you like you were vulnerable."
"No apology is necessary," Riley told her.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In Buffy's room, Buffy dimmed the lights, taking out a book of matches and lit the incense sticks one by one. She then undid the string around a leather pouch, opening it. She then carefully poured a ring of brightly-colored dust in a circle around her. And then she closed her eyes.
Later in the afternoon Buffy opened her eyes. And the world around her looked different. Surface edges caught light in a slightly different way. Brighter. She slowly stood and exited her room. She walked along the upstairs hallway slowly, in a trance-like state. Everything around her shimmered, slightly overexposed, like an Oliver Stone film.
Buffy slowly headed downstairs and into the living room looking for her mother. She looked for her mother on the living room couch but found it empty, blanket cast aside.
"Buffy?" Joyce said from behind her daughter as Buffy turned around and saw her buttoning up a light fall coat.
"Mom," Buffy said.
"You all right? You look..." Joyce started.
"Going out?" Buffy asked as she looked at her mother. Joyce shimmered a bit, like everything else in the room, but beyond that she saw nothing. No demons or mists or spell of any kind affecting Joyce.
"Either modern medicine's working, or I just took the world's best placebos," Joyce admitted. "Either way, I'm heading out for a couple of hours."
Buffy's eyes keep searching her mom, looking for any sign... "Nothing..." she said to her self. "There's nothing."
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Joyce asked. "You seem a little...out of it."
"I'm fine," she told her mother. "Long day's all. You, um, have a good time."
Joyce smoothed Buffy's hair the way she did when her daughters were younger. She gazed at Buffy affectionately. "So grown up," she said before she turned and headed out the door.
Buffy still in a daze made her way back upstairs. "Maybe I should have Dawn do it, when mom gets home," she muttered to herself as she walked to her sister's room. "Dawn?" she called out as she pushed opened the door.
"Yeah, Buffy?" Dawn said as approached from behind her sister, wrapped in a towel having just gotten out of the shower.
"I…" Buffy said as she turned and looked at her sister and frowned. "Why is there…" she saw a green glow surrounding Dawn. "Why is there a green glow surrounding you?"
"I…I don't know," Dawn replied. "Maybe the morphing energy shows up that way. I really don't know. I assume you're in the midst of the trance?"
"Yeah," Buffy replied as she snapped out of the trance. "Or I was. I just snapped out of it. You know I think I am going to go check out that factory where we found the glowing ball. I want you here for when mom gets back home, just in case."
"Mom's gone?" Dawn said in confusion.
"Said she was feeling better and went out," Buffy replied.
"Okay," Dawn replied. "If you need me…"
"I'll holler, promise," Buffy replied.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy rushed out the door, pulling on her coat. As she stepped down from the porch she heard something. Wary and alert, Buffy approached a shadow beside a tree in the front yard. As something rustled Buffy shot a hand into the shadows lightning fast. She grabbed hold of fabric and pulled Spike from the shadows.
"Spike!" she groaned.
"Hi, Buffy," he replied a little dopey.
Buffy sighed. "Look, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but..." she said as she coldcocked him. "What are you doing here?" Spike started to gesture as if he were going to give her a long drawn out answer. "Five words or less."
"Out…For…A…Walk…" Spike said counting each word on his fingers, "…Bitch."
"Outside my house. At night," Buffy retorted, then she sighed. "No one has time for this, William."
"On your merry way, then," Spike told her. "Contrary to one self-involved world view, your house happens to be directly between...parts and other...parts of this town. And I would pass by in the day, but I feel I'm outgrowing my whole burst-into-flame phase."
Dawn stepped out onto the porch. "Is he bothering you, Buffy. Should I?"
"I got it, Dawn," Buffy replied to her sister before returning her attention to Spike. "Fine. Keep going, I cut you a break."
"Yeah, okay, let me guess: you won't kill me..." Spike said mockingly. "Ooh, the crowd pleasing threats & swagger routine—how stunningly original. I'm just passing through. Satisfied? I really do hope so because God knows you need some satisfaction in life besides shagging Captain Cardboard and I never really liked you anyway and, and, and your hair looks very stupid."
Spike turned and walked off leaving the sisters watching him.
"You sure you don't want me to morph and stake him for you?" Dawn asked.
"I'm sure, Dawn," Buffy replied. "As long as he has that chip, he's not a threat. It's why I've given him pass after pass for the last year."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Fifteen minutes after Buffy had left Dawn sat in the living room watching TV when she heard the phone ring. She raced into the kitchen. "Hello?" she said as she picked up the receiver.
"Dawn, is Buffy with you?" came Giles voice from the other end of the phone.
"She just left," Dawn answered.
"I have information," he told her. "I think we may have underestimated what we're dealing with."
"Go on," Dawn said.
"We've uncovered more than we expected about this Orb. It's called The Dagon's Sphere, and has a history that goes back many centuries."
"What does it do?" Dawn wondered.
"It's a protective device. Used to ward off ancient, primordial evil," he replied.
"Any word what this evil looks like?" Dawn asked.
"Unfortunately, no." Giles replied. "This is where accounts get vague. All we've pinned down is that The Dagon's Sphere was created to repel that which cannot be named."
"So, we're dealing with Voldemort," Dawn quipped.
"What?" he asked clearly confused by the reference.
"You really should read some of your own country's works, Giles," Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. "It's a pop culture reference to Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. The main antagonist of the books was Voldemort. To some characters in the books, he was also known as He Who Must Not Be Named."
"Yes, I see the connection now," Giles replied.
"Buffy went back to the factory where we found the orb. She wanted me to wait for mom to get home," Dawn replied. "Should I morph and meet her?"
"For now, I would say remain where you are till we know more. That way you can relay information."
"Will do," Dawn replied as she hung up the phone. She then brought her wrist communicator to her lips. "Buffy."
"Yeah, Dawn," came Buffy's voice from the communicator.
"I have some information to pass along from Giles about the sphere," Dawn said. "He said it's a protective device to ward off evil. They don't know what this evil looks like, only that it's meant to repel that which cannot be named."
"Oh joy, a Harry Potter reference. I wonder who stole that line from whom," Buffy replied.
Dawn laughed. "I see you've been reading those books I lent you," she said. "Anyways just as Harry Potter shows us, anything that goes unnamed is usually something of great fear. Giles wants me to wait by the phone in case I need to pass more info. But if you need me instead, I will morph and join you. Anything feared like that is going to be extremely powerful."
"Stay there," Buffy replied. "If I need you, I will call. It's better that we have that line of communication in case Giles does find more information. Now that said, has mom come back yet?"
"Not yet," Dawn replied. "I'll make sure she's alright, Buffy, I promise. We're not losing her."
Factory
PRIVATE PROPERTY
NO TRESPASSING
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED
Buffy paid no attention to the sign as she ripped herself an entrance in the chain fence and investigated the warehouse.
"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in..." Buffy said as she passed underneath the archway of a giant door that had been blown off its hinges. "...Not by the hairs of my chinny chin…chin..." She stopped and then ran her flashlight up, circling around the perimeter of the doorway. "...then I'll huff, and I'll puff..."
She pointed the flashlight into the cavernous, empty room before her. She paused for a second before stepping over the threshold and heading inside...
Summers Home
Joyce stepped into the foyer and hung up her coat. "Buffy? Dawn?" She stepped into the living room and found it empty. "Girls?"
She found it weird that no one was answer. Just a little cautious, Joyce walked further into her home. "Where is every..."
"Hi, Mom," Dawn said as came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming cup of tea.
"Oh!" Joyce said startled. She then laughed as she relaxed. "Dawn. I must be getting jumpy in my old age. Where's Buffy?"
"Patrol," Dawn replied. "The White Zeo Ranger said she found something. They went to check it out."
"Anyway, I was feeling kind of..." Joyce said. "What's the medical term? Crappy," she told her youngest daughter. "So, I called off the big night out."
Dawn smiled as she held out the cup of tea. "Want some tea, Mom? I made it just for you."
Factory
Buffy walked onto the darkened factory floor just as a rat scurried off into a corner. Buffy's flashlight beam passed over cement pillars, stained walls, and finally came to rest on a figure, tied to a chair.
Buffy rushed to the figure and found a monk, barely conscious. "Whoa," she said as he lifted his eyes to her." She hastened to untie him. "Hey. It was you, planted the thing, the...Dagon's Sphere, right? I have it. We're not alone," she said as she showed him her wrist communicator. "I've got friends who can help you. Don't worry." His eyes peer into hers, trying to communicate something. "I'm stronger than I look."
The monk saw a woman sauntering forward, full of confidence and not making a sound. The monk jerked his head to warn Buffy, but she's oblivious. "I've got some experience with stuff like this," she told him.
The woman mock-whispered "Shh" to the monk as she mimed tip-toeing forward. She was having fun with it as she got closer.
"And best of all..." Buffy started. She broke off to whirl round and seize the woman by the throat. "I'm not stupid."
The woman grabbed her arm, wrenched herself free and sent the slayer flying across the room. "You sure about that last part?" the woman asked Buffy.
Buffy rocked twenty feet straight back. The only thing stopping her acceleration was the far wall. Her whole-body smashed painfully into it, leaving a huge dent and sending bits of plaster tumbling to the ground around her.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy flew face first into another factory wall, putting another body-sized dent in it and sending more plaster to the floor. She turned and looked at the woman.
"And another thing? I just want you to know..." the woman said as she grabbed Buffy by the wrist and slammed her bodily into a nearby pillar. "The whole 'beat you to death' thing I'm doing?" She grabbed Buffy again and slammed her again into the pillar. "It's valuable time out of life that I'm never going to get back."
Buffy tried to fight back, but the woman merely grabbed her arms and wrenched them downwards. "Wait, I've always wanted to try this. You know that thing with worms where if you have one, you rip it in half, you get two worms? Do you think that'll work with you?"
The slayer threw her face into the woman's head-butting her.
The woman staggered back, shocked and holding her nose. "You hit me!" She burst into tears. "Ow! What, are you crazy?" Buffy pressed the attack as she kicked and punched the woman, staggering her back with each blow. "You can't go around hitting people. What, were you born in a barn? Fine. Be that way."
The woman shoved Buffy back, hard into a column. Buffy looked up and, impossibly, the woman was right there in front of her before she'd even moved. The woman threw a punch. Buffy slipped and her fist punched out a huge chunk of the cement column, powdering it.
The woman picked Buffy up by the throat. "Hey, I just noticed something. You have super powers. That is so cool. Can you fly?" She hurled Buffy clear across the room, where Buffy landed dazed, next to the dying monk. Buffy rose to her feet to engage the woman, but then realized that it was better to rescue the woman's previous victim. She helped him out of the chair.
"Hey! Hands off my holy man!"
Buffy ignored her and picked the monk up. She headed to the nearest window and hurled herself and the monk through it into the night outside. They land painfully, glass shards bouncing all around them, Buffy taking the brunt of the impact.
Buffy and the Monk, looking like two soldiers in a combat field, made their way toward the factory entrance. She supported the monk as he staggered alongside her. She hesitated, hearing the rumble of the roof collapsing. She took a moment to look back.
"Stop. Please," The monk appealed to his savior.
"No. We have to keep going," Buffy overruled him.
They reached the chain fence only for the monk to collapse against it. "My journey's done, I think."
"Don't get metaphory on me. We're going," Buffy said trying to pull him to his feet.
"You have to...the Key," he told her. "You must protect the Key."
"Protect the Key," Buffy replied with a nod. "Right. I know, we'll do it together! Far, far from here." She tried to pull him to his feet again, but reluctantly she noticed he wasn't moving anywhere.
"Many have...died...many more, if you don't...keep it safe..." he explained.
"How? What is it?" she wondered.
"The Key is energy," he told her. "It's a portal. It opens the door..."
"That round glowy thing?" Buffy wondered.
The monk shook his head. "For centuries it had no form at all. My brethren...its only keepers. Then..." He tried to point back at the factory. "The abomination...found us. We had to hide The Key...Send it to a human vessel."
Buffy slowly put the pieces together. The green glow she had seen around her sister. "You made my sister the human vessel."
The monk nodded. "The Key is within her."
Buffy took a moment to absorb what the monk had done to Dawn. "You put that thing in my sister."
"We knew the Slayer and the White Zeo Ranger would... protect..." the monk told her as he began coughing. She could tell he was clearly fading.
"Why?" Buffy asked looking him in the eyes. "Why Dawn? Why not me?"
"We knew she would protect it, while you protected her," he replied.
Summers Home
Buffy walked through the front door, looking like she'd been on the wrong end of a fight. She limped into the living room, to find Joyce and Dawn sitting side-by-side, each cuddled up in their own blankets, quietly reading magazines.
"Your home," Joyce said smiling at her eldest daughter.
"Dawn," Buffy said looking at her sister. "We need to talk. But first, you need to show mom."
"What?" Joyce said looking between her daughters clearly confused. "Show me what?"
Dawn looked at her sister and saw Buffy tap the wrist communicator. She understood what her sister was talking about. Buffy wanted her to show Joyce that she was a Power Ranger. "Why the change, Buffy?" she wondered. "You and I agreed. We didn't need her worrying about us both."
"I know," Buffy said. "But it goes hand in hand now with why you and I need to talk. Show her."
Dawn nodded as she stood up and turned to face her mother. "It's Morphin' Time!" she called out. "Zeo Ranger Six White!"
Joyce's eyes went wide as she watched the morphing sequence transform her youngest daughter into the White Zeo Ranger. "Dawn?" she said in clear shock.
"Yes, mom," the White Zeo Ranger replied.