Chapter 131: Weight of the World
Glory stands on a tailor's pedestal, being fitted by two female minions. She is having a ceremonial robe placed upon her, her arms outstretched. "Hey! Minions. I can hear you. God-like ears - don't miss much, know what I'm saying?" They look to each other. Oh, shit... "C'mere."
Bowed, they huddle forward as she steps down and faces them.
"'Twas he who blasphemed, your magnificence." Gronx says.
"Spurred on by treacherous urging!" Murk says.
They turn on one another, grabbing each other. Glory waves a hand, bored. They stop cold.
"Guys - I'm not gonna kill you. Not in the mood." Glory says. "What do you think that's about?"
Gronx and Murk bow reverently.
"In mercy does your power lie." Gronx says.
"No, brainless. In torture, death and chaos does my power lie. So tell me. Why am I not popping your head like a zit right now?" Glory says as she waits for an answer. The Minions stand before her, open-mouthed and stumped. "Maybe I'm just hungry."
"Yes! We shall fetch a ..." Murk says.
Glory shakes her head, "Nah, I'm not hungry." She paces the floor, seamstress minions following behind. "I'm just a little tight in this skin, is all. I've been waiting an eternity - well, 25 human years - and it all comes down to tonight."
"The portal shall open." Gronx says.
"And the Great Glorificus shall return." Murk says.
"To the Hell I came from. Where I'm gonna rain down more supersized portions of slaughter, mayhem, and bloodshed than you scabs can even dream about." Glory says before she suddenly deflates and plops into a chair. "So how come I ain't happy?" She holds up a hand. "Don't try to answer that. Just do your jobs. Pack up. We're getting the hell out of here."
They scurry off, taking the seamstress minions with them, out of frame. Glory still just sits, staring dead ahead. "I got everything I ever wanted. Still - something's off. I dunno." She looks over at Dawn who is tied up and gagged. "What do you think?"
Dawn looks at Glory with fear in her eyes. She has tries to shimmer out but Glory must have some kind of wards in place to prevent her from leaving. Which means Buffy will have a harder time getting to her.
At the abandoned gas station The group, assembled around the snack area.
Anya looks after the wounded Giles, who struggles to sit up. Tara sits huddled off in a corner by herself. Xander, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Willow look over at Buffy.
"Okay who's first?" Paige says as she looks around. She looks at Giles. "You good to go?"
"Never mind about me. How's Buffy?" Giles says.
"Same. Still," Xander says.
"It's been almost half an hour." Willow says.
Spike eyes what the rest of the group is looking at. "The Slayer'll be all right. Won't she?"
"Try again, Will." Xander says.
"Okay, but I'm not sure if she's, you know, really in there." Willow says.
Phoebe sighs, "Try."
"Buffy? Can you hear me? Buffy?" Willow says. "Buffy? Buffy? Buffy... ?"
"Buffy! She can't just be brain dead. I mean - she's still Buffy. Somewhere, in there. Right?" Spike says.
"Spike, come on. We're not getting Dawn back by sitting around here." Xander says.
"You're not getting Dawn back any way you slice it, Harris. That's for Buffy and her family to handle." Spike says.
"Good. Panic. That ought to help." Xander says.
"It's like she's in some kind of fugue state." Anya says.
"We should move her. Unless we shouldn't. Should we?" Willow says.
"Couldn't that make it worse? I think I read that somewhere ..." Anya says.
"I am so large with not knowing." Xander says.
Giles looks to Piper and sighs, "Impossible to know for sure. Losing Dawn, after all Buffy's been through - I think it's pushed her too far, into some kind of catatonia."
"You think this is her form of quitting?" Piper asks.
Giles nods, "Very possible, Piper. You remember how hard she took it when Prue died. It surprises me she didn't break down then."
"She almost did." Piper said, sighing. "I almost did for that matter."
"Snap her out of it. Buffy?" Spike says a little panicked, grabs Buffy and shakes her. "Oi! Rise and shine, love."
"Spike!" Paige says as she grabs him and orbs him out.
"Buffy's out. Glory has Dawn. Sometime real soon she's gonna use Dawn to tear down the barrier between every dimension there. Alright. First, we head back to San Francisco. Paige will take Xander and Giles to a hospital when she gets back. Anya's looking after Tara, and Spike - you find Glory."
Phoebe nods, "I'll go with Spike. See if maybe I can get a premonition of something."
"Ok, check her apartment, first, see if she's still there. Tell Spike if he tries anything stupid like payback and I will get very cranky." Willow says. "Any questions." Everyone's scared of Willow. Anya slowly, tentatively raises her hand. "Anya."
"W-what will you do?" Anya says.
"I'll help Buffy." Willow says.
"No," Piper said. "Paige and I'll be helping Buffy. There is a spell in the Book of Shadows. Paige and Phoebe used it once to get inside my head when I was mentally being tortured by a demon. We'll need you as backup incase we need someone to cast the reversal spell."
Willow nods, "Okay, Piper."
Paige orbs back in and orbs Xander and Giles to the hospital. She then orbs Anya, Willow and Tara to the Manor. She comes back for Phoebe, Piper and Buffy and orbs them to the Manor.
At the Manor everyone except Xander and Giles who are at the hospital are standing around.
"The world is spinning. Straight, to the new day. Big day, big big day ..." Tara says.
"Uh, Will? Now, uh, don't turn me into a horned toad for asking, but - what if we come across Ben?" Spike says having been filled in on his and Phoebe's assignment.
Everyone stops and stares at Spike like he's stupid.
"Nothing, I don't think a doctor's what Buffy needs right now." Willow says.
"Well, yeah. Specially not one who also happens to be Glory." Spike says.
"What do you mean?" Piper asks.
"You know... Ben is Glory." Spike says.
"You mean Ben's with Glory?" Paige asks.
"They're working together?" Phoebe asks.
Spike shakes his head, "No no. Ben is Glory. Glory's Ben. They're one and the same."
"When did all this happen?" Anya asks.
"Not one hour ago! Right before your very eyes! Ben came, turned into Glory, snatched the kid, and - phht! - vanished. Remember?" Spike says. Blank stares from everyone. "You do remember? Is everyone here very stoned? Ben. Glory. He's a doctor. She's the Beast. Two entirely separate entities, sharing one body. It's like a bloody sitcom! Surely, you remember!"
More blank stares.
"So you're saying... Ben, and Glory ..." Xander says.
"Have a... connection." Anya says.
Piper nods, "Yes, obviously. But what kind?"
"Ah! I get it. Very crafty. Glory's worked the kind of mojo where anyone who sees her little presto-chango instantly forgets. And yours truly, being somewhat other than human, stands immune." Spike says.
"So, Ben and Glory are... the same person?" Willow asks.
"Glory can turn into Ben, and Ben turns back into Glory." Xander says.
"And anyone who sees it instantly forgets." Anya says.
Spike nods, points, touches his nose. "And a kewpie doll for the lady."
They all nod, getting it, adjusting to the concept.
"Excellent. Now. Do we suspect there could be any kind of link between Ben and Glory?" Piper asks.
Seems everyone except for Spike have already forgotten again.
Spike sighs.
At a construction site. Various pocket groups of crazies are all working, muttering to themselves, yet accomplishing tasks in a more or less coordinated manner. Some hammer planks, some lift and carry two-by-fours, some saw wood.
One of the Crazies, face protected by a welding mask, suddenly stops. He lifts the visor and looks up. His expression suddenly changes from crazy blankness to reverent awe. He drops to his knees suddenly, bowing ceremoniously, on one knee, head bowed ...
Glory, whose holding Dawn, sweeps past him. Minions follow. He stays bowed.
A High Priest swings an ornate metal incense canister on a chain, heavily fumigating the path behind them, leaving a smoke trail.
As the group passes through the construction site, every worker is completely changed at the moment of their passing. Before them, there's nothing but busy active worker bees. In their wake, there's nothing but bowed, reverent, near-silent worshippers.
The only sound is the noise of tools being dropped to the ground, buzz-saws stilled, chatter ceasing.
Dawn looks freaked out as she gets dragged along. She has been trying to shimmer but it seems Glory has made it where she can't shimmer here either. She avoids direct eye contact, and then when she does look at one of the Crazies, she immediately looks away again.
Glory, growing impatient, hustles Dawn along, picking up speed, ignoring the ceremonial trappings all around her.
They head toward a construction site office. Glory shoves Dawn inside, pulling the door shut behind them.
Glory pushes Dawn inside the construction site interior, shoves her toward a seat, and sits heavily herself. "Unbelievable, how annoying the Groupies can be."
"They merely sense that tonight at last the Dimensional Portal shall open ..." Murk says.
"Ushering in the long and bloody reign of the great ..." Gronx says.
Dawn sits, eyes wide, as the High priest marks her forehead with ash.
"At je Klic vynat z teto smrtelne podoby, budiz zruseno jeho prokleti ..." High Priest says.
"What's he doing?" Glory asks.
"I must anoint the Key." High Priest says.
"Really don't. Go." Glory says.
"But..." High Priest says.
"Get out get out GET OUT!" Glory shrieks.
The Minions usher the High Priest out.
"We'll just, uh... give you two a little space." Murk says.
Glory grabs a paper towel and starts roughly rubbing the schmutz off Dawn's forehead. "Tch. You know, you recapture your Godhood and unleash Armageddon? All of a sudden everybody wants to be part of the inner circle. You okay?"
"I want to go home." Dawn says.
"Sweetie, you're about to." Glory says as Dawn looks confused. "Not that fake suburban nightmare the monks cooked up for you. I mean your real home. As the Key. You fit in a lock... well, it's like a lock. You want a pizza?"
"No." Dawn says.
"Pillow? I don't know if this thing gets cable. Doubtful..." Glory says.
"Please. Stop." Dawn says.
"You're nervous." Glory says.
"Yes." Dawn says.
"I know how you feel. It's your last night. As, you know, a human. This body?" Glory says as she picks up Dawn's wrist, shakes her hand around. "It's just a rental, Dawnie. Being human's like a costume for girls like you and me. Being something else - that's what we are."
"Don't." Dawn says.
"What?" Glory asks, confused.
Dawn, terrified, manages through gritted teeth, "Don't - call - me - "Dawnie." Only my family gets to call me that. And you're not them."
Glory sits back, looking at Dawn in wonderment. "Wow. You know ... that actually hurt my feelings."
"I'm sorry." Dawn says.
"Not the point." Glory says. "I'm just thinking, here I'm trying to make you feel better when: comforting others - not part of my life. And I'm doing it so that I'll stop feeling so, um ... help me out."
"Guilty?" Dawn asks.
"Guilty!" Glory says as she stands. Excited. She's made a discovery. "That's it. But I'm not supposed to feel guilty! I'm not supposed to feel anything! I'm a God. I'm above it, I'm... You!" She whirls on Dawn, accusatory. Dawn recoils. "You did this to me, didn't you? Some kind of spell. The stupid monks made you a witch, you could have ... but no." She backs off, pacing, thinking... "Not magic. It's something else. Still ..." And she swoops back on Dawn again. "It is you doing this."
Dawn tries hard not to cry. "I'm not doing anything, I swear. You made it were my magic doesn't work anyways."
"Yes I did." Glory says. "The wards I had to place to make sure you couldn't. What is it called… shimmer. Can't have you using your power to get away from me now could I." She crosses to the door and rips it open, never taking her eyes off Dawn. The High Priest enters. "Anoint this thing. Now. You know what they're all chanting for out there, "Dawnie?" Blood. 'Cause we found out, your blood? It's the Key to the Key. All I gotta do is bleed you dry, the Portal opens up, and I go home. So knock yourself out, girlfriend. Make me feel bad as you can, 'cause tomorrow?"
The High Priest smears ash on Dawn's forehead again.
"You bleed, little girl." Glory says.
At the Manor…
"You sure you know what you're doing?" Anya asks.
Anya, Piper, Paige and Willow talk in soft tones. Willow is holding Tara's hand, occasionally offering her a soothing word or touch, but mostly she's focused on Anya.
"Yes we know what were doing." Piper says. "Phoebe and Paige performed this spell on me last year. Willow remember we need you ready just in case to recite the reversal spell."
"I will be Piper." Willow says.
"Time. Time is coming. Time ..." Tara says.
"Shh, it's okay. I'm here." Willow says. "Will you watch after her while I'm watching over Piper and Paige ..."
Anya nods, "Sure. What do I do?"
"Mostly? Just be here for her. There's some pills in my knapsack. Half of one every two hours keeps her pretty mellow."
"Think you three will be gone more than two hours?" Anya says.
Piper shrugs, "Hopefully not."
"Be good now, sweetie. I'll be back soon as I can. Okay? We good?" Willow says.
Tara smiles and nods. Willow kisses her head. Anya watches Willow, Piper and Phoebe walk upstairs to the attic.
"Good luck." Anya says softly.
Willow, Piper and Paige enter the attic, Willow lays out a few candles in a circle as Piper and Paige get the Charmed Book. Willow moves over to Buffy and Dawn's Book and flips to the reversal spell. "This it?"
Piper looks at Buffy and Dawn's Book and then nods, "That's it. If there is any sign of anything bad. You pull us out."
Willow nods, "Alright."
Piper and Paige grab some pillows and then sit in the circle of candles. They look at the Charmed Book on the floor next to them.
"Life to life and mind to mind, our spirits now will intertwine. We meld our souls and journey to, the one whose thoughts we wish we knew." Piper and Paige says and they collapse to the floor.
Willow looks towards the chair Buffy is sitting in, "Good luck."
Piper and Paige stand still, inside a modest L.A. home. After looking around a bit at their new surroundings, Piper and Paige takes a step, tentatively, and then begins to wander through the house, slowly, curiously.
They hear a TV playing in the next room. Passing a few framed pictures on a mantle, they enter the TV room to see a game show droning on without anyone watching.
"Hi, Piper. Hi, Paige."
Piper and Paige turns - to see a bright-eyed, blonde six year-old girl staring unabashedly at them. She holds a doll.
Piper and Paige looks back at the girl, Piper clears her throat. "Hello, Buffy."
At Glory's apartment Spike pokes his head in, wary. He looks around, thinks he sees something, recoils, realizes it's nothing, looks around some more...
Satisfied no one's home, he saunters in all big and bad, like he was never scared in the first place. Phoebe walks in behind him.
There's nothing here to capture their interest.
Spike picks up a porcelain knickknack lying on a shelf. He then hands it to Phoebe and she tries to get a premonition. She shakes her head, no luck.
Spike starts to head out. Then suddenly stops - something's caught his eye. He motions towards a small door.
Phoebe nods having seen it also and they move over to the door.
Spike runs his fingers over the door's seams, which leak out a little bit of light, illuminating his eye. He reaches down. Finds a small handle. He turns the handle and lets the door swing wide ...
Spike and Phoebe looks into Ben's room. It's small. Unadorned. Just a bed, a lamp, some medical garb lying around. Not much else. It's cramped and depressing.
They enter and look around.
Back in Buffy's dreamscape…
"What are you doing here?" Young Buffy asks as she stands before Piper and Paige.
"Actually, we're, um - looking for you." Paige says.
"Do you like dolls?" Young Buffy asks as she starts braiding her doll's hair.
"Buffy, what are you doing here?" Piper asks.
"I like it here." Young Buffy says.
"But, you know we need you. You have to come out." Paige says
"Why?" Young Buffy asks.
"To be with your family and your friends." Piper says.
"It's a big day for me." Young Buffy says.
Before Piper or Paige can respond, the front door opens.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Young Buffy says and she runs past Piper and Paige, excited, and runs to the front door. They turn to see the front door to the L.A. home opens and in walk Hank and Joyce. Joyce is holding in her arms a newborn baby. This is Dawn. "You're back, you're back!"
"Aunt Joyce?" Piper says. "I saw so little of her growing up. I didn't remember what she looked like."
"Hi, Buffy." Joyce says.
"How's my girl?" Hank asks.
"Ready to meet your new baby sister?" Joyce asks.
Piper and Paige watch as Young Buffy takes a small step back, suddenly shy. She holds herself.
"Oh c'mon now, Buffy... she's nothing to be afraid of." Hank says.
"Who's afraid?" Young Buffy asks.
"Don't you want to be the big sister?" Joyce asks.
"No, I wanna be the baby." Young Buffy says.
Piper sighs, "I have a few memories of mom bringing Phoebe home. I had a similar reaction to what Buffy here is having. I was suddenly thrust from being the baby to being the middle sister."
"Buffy..." Hank says.
"You're gonna pay more attention to her and forget all about me." Young Buffy says before she looks back at Piper and Paige. "Doesn't she look funny? Like a wrinkly old grandpa." Young Buffy leans forward, takes a whiff of the baby. "Mom, she smells. I know! You could still take her back! Take her back, please?"
Hank and Joyce just exchange knowing looks.
Joyce hands Young Buffy the baby. Young Buffy recoils. "Here. Like this. Support the head. There you go. We're calling her "Dawn.""
"Dawn ..." Paige and Piper say and they smile.
Joyce shows Young Buffy how to hold a baby.
Young Buffy's expression and body language change instantly. She hugs the baby gently to her. "I ... I could be the one to look after her sometimes, if you need a helper. Mom? Can I take care of her?"
"Yes, Buffy. You can take care of her." Joyce says.
Piper and Paige watch this, then turns and their point of view shifts and they are now in the Magic Box. Buffy (grown Buffy) stands alone in the Magic Box. Piper and Paige walk towards Buffy. Buffy, having cleaned up after a study session, absentmindedly places one of Giles's books back on the shelf.
She looks down for one brief moment as she does so, her face looking serious.
Then she looks up again and the expression is gone.
Buffy passes by Piper and Paige. They watch the book shelf, wondering. They turn and see they are now in the desert. They are witnessing Buffy's vision quest.
"O-kay…" Paige says.
In the real world at the hospital with some effort, and a lot of pain, Giles walks out the examining room and into the hall.
"How you doing?" Xander asks.
"Only hurts when I answer pointless questions. Where's Buffy?" Giles says.
"Piper and Paige are on it. Or, in it. They have a spell that Paige and Phoebe did once to enter Piper's mind. Their trying to reach Buffy psychically."
"They've gone into Buffy's mind?" Giles asks.
"Pretty trippy stuff." Xander says.
"I'm thinking we might check on Glory's victims while we're here." Giles says changing the subject.
"The mental ward? Already been. Vegetable section's closed. Nobody there. It's like they all just got up and walked away." Xander says.
Spike and Phoebe walk up to Giles and Xander.
"We checked out Glory's flat – looks like the Great One has scampered." Spike says.
"I picked up several items while we were there. I didn't get a premonition of any of them." Phoebe says.
Giles nods, "Gone to perform her ritual with Dawn. And leaving us entirely clueless."
"Not entirely." Spike says as Giles and Xander stop. Spike nods knowingly. "I know this bloke. Well, not so much a "bloke" so much as demon, but still - Bookish. All tuned in to the nastier corners of this, our magic world. Bit of a last resort, really, but still... Might persuade him to suss out Glory's game plan. Sound worthy?"
Phoebe, Giles and Xander don't have to respond. They're in.
"Off we go, then." Spike says. "Meet back at the shop." He turns, heads down the hall. Phoebe and Xander follows. "Phoebe and I found Ben's room at Glory's. Didn't learn much."
"Wait - Ben? At Glory's? So you're saying that all this time he was sub-letting from her?" Xander says.
"Looks like." Phoebe says.
"This - is gonna be worth it." Spike says as he smacks Xander in the head. "Ow!"
"Ow!" Xander says.
Spike and Xander both rub their heads as they and Phoebe exit the hospital.
"Last time, from the top ..." Spike says.
At the construction site in the office… SMASH! A soda can goes flying up against the Construction site interior's wall and explodes, spraying foam.
"I hate this, Murk." Glory says, pacing.
The Minions look to each other, unsure.
"And "this" would be what exactly, your holiness?" Gronx says.
Glory stops, holding her head in her hands, and looks up at them through streaming hair and pressing fingers. "Memories. I'm starting to remember the things Ben did. People he spoke with, stuff he wore..." She shudders. "Kid." She grabs Dawn away from the High Priest, who has been softly praying over her. "I came... He - came to see you. Didn't he?"
"Ben?" Dawn asks.
"Yeah. Ben. You..." Glory says, remembering. "You called him. To the desert, when you were hiding from me. And he came. And then, he was me. You remember?"
Dawn nods, "Yes."
"See?! She's not supposed to remember that! Nobody should. The cloak between Ben and me is fading. I almost helped her! He, I wanted to ..." Glory says. She looks at Dawn, smiles - then shakes her head violently. "I can't do this." She grabs the High Priest. "Get him out of me."
"What?" High Priest asks.
"Ben! The human meatsack who's infecting me. Do your mojo, make a surgical ... Incision or removal or whatever it is you gotta do! Help me! I'm thinking Ben's thoughts and feeling his feelings and - IIII..." Glory says.
Suddenly, Glory morphs into Ben. He looks strangled, ghostlike - more surprised than anyone he's here, and only long enough to blurt out, "... Can't kill the girl...!"
And just as suddenly, Ben morphs back into Glory. She grabs her throat and staggers back into the wall. Disoriented, horrified. "Damn it!" She holds herself up against the wall, barely managing to support herself. Looks to the High Priest. "Help me."
"This I cannot do. You risk terrible Magicks in opening the Portal. Nothing comes without a price. This is yours." High Priest says.
"Gods don't pay." Glory says.
"There is always consequence for a personal gain spell." Dawn says. "And what you're doing is for personal gain so there is going to be a consequence. He's right this is yours."
Glory grabs Dawn by the throat. "We do this now."
In Buffy's dreamscape Piper and Paige are looking through the flames of a burning bonfire.
Buffy and the First Slayer are watching each other through the fire's flames.
"Who's that?" Paige asks pointing to the First Slayer.
"I think that might be the First Slayer." Piper says. "I think this is Buffy's vision quest. This is the guide she had to talk to."
"Death is your gift." First Slayer says.
"Death is my gift?" Buffy asks.
"Wait. Death is her what?" Paige asks.
"Death is your gift." First Slayer says.
Piper and Paige look at each other, confused and then the scene changes and they are back in the Magic Box.
Buffy stands alone in the Magic Box. Buffy, having cleaned up after a study session, absentmindedly places one of Giles's books back on the shelf.
She looks down for one brief moment as she does so, her face looking serious.
Then she looks up again and the expression is gone.
Piper and Paige watch Buffy pass them and then they turn and see the upstairs hallway of the Manor.
Buffy is walking ahead of Piper and Paige. They hury to catch up ...
"Where you going?" Paige asks.
Buffy heads into Paige's room.
In reality at the construction site in the office Dawn is slammed up against the wall. Glory's got a grip on her throat.
"Glorificus! Wait! Kill the Key now, all will be lost!" Murk says.
"You will be stuck on this mortal plane forever." Gronx says.
Glory lets go of Dawn. Dawn, gasping for air, holds her throat, stunned. Glory backs off, enjoying her pain. "All right, you're right, it's cool. I'm just a little emotional right now. Which, if you're into irony: funny. Leave. We need a little girl time." The Minions and High Priest hesitate... "G'bye!" They go. Glory turns to Dawn. "How do they do it?"
"Do what?" Dawn asks, suspicious.
"People. How do they function? Here. Like this, in the world, with all this bile running through them. Evary day, it's ..." Glory says as she runs her hand up and down, "rollercoaster" style. "Whooo... you have no control they're not even animals they're just these meatbaggy slaves to hormones and pheromones and their, and their... feelings. Hate 'em. I mean really, is this what the poets go on about? This? Call me crazy. But as hard core drugs go, human emotion's just useless. People are puppets, Everyone getting jerked around by what they're feeling – am I wrong? Really, I want to know."
Glory waits for an answer. Dawn, holding her throat, doesn't say a thing. "Gonna bleed you either way."
"It depends on the person." Dawn says.
"So, you're saying some people like this?" Glory asks.
Dawn nods, "Some."
"Funny, 'cause I look around at this world you're so eager to be a part of, and all I see's six billion lunatics looking for the fastest ride out. Who's not crazy? Look around - everyone's drinkin', smokin', shootin' up, shootin' each other or just plain screwing their brains out because they don't want 'em anymore. I'm crazy? Honey, I am the original one-eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind 'cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts. Name one person who can take it here. That's all I'm asking - Name one."
"Buffy." Dawn says.
Glory reacts, silently taking that in.
In Buffy's dreamscape Piper and Paige follow Buffy into Paige's bedroom.
"We can't keep following you around like this, Buffy. We have to go. You have to talk to ..." Piper says.
They notice that this isn't Paige's bedroom it's Prue's. Buffy in her mind has recreated Prue's room as a shrine.
"I thought Buffy was okay with me redecorating the room." Paige says.
"I don't think this has anything to do with you redecorating the room. I think this is symbolic of her after two years still grieving." Piper says. "Buffy why didn't you say something. As you know Paige, Buffy and I took Prue's death the hardest. We both nearly shutdown then. For Buffy, Prue was not just a cousin or a sister. She was like a second mother to Buffy. And when Prue died she had lost another person whom she even privately considered a mother. It must have heart her far worse than we thought. If she has this shrine buried deep inside her mind."
Buffy just stands there. Piper and Paige stands beside her.
"I'm sorry." Piper says.
"Don't be, Piper. Death is my gift." Buffy says as she turns to walk out. Willow follows.
"Yeah, we keep hearing that, but we're not sure what it means." Paige says.
Buffy shrugs, "It's really not that complicated."
"Not to you, maybe ..." Piper says.
Buffy exits into the hall and enters hers and Dawn's room. There is no bassinet in the room like there in reality. Dawn sits on her bed, softly crying. Buffy sits next to Dawn, still talking to Piper and Paige.
"It's just what I do." Buffy says as she reaches behind her, picks up one of the pillows ... "C'mon, you've known me, what, how long? This is all I'm here for. It's what I am." She places the pillow over Dawn's face and pushes Dawn down onto the bed, smothering her. Dawn struggles but Buffy ignores her completely, still talking to Piper and Paige.
"Buffy, stop. No, God, no. Stop!" Paige says.
"What?" Buffy asks.
Dawn bats at Buffy's arms, uselessly. Slowly, the struggling gets weaker. Then stops as Dawn's arms stop flailing and her body goes limp beneath the pillow.
"I keep telling you. I figured it out. This is my gift." Buffy says as she holds the pillow down on Dawn's dead face.
They turn and their back in the L.A. home…
"Okay, now this is weird." Paige says.
"Hi, Piper, Paige. What are you two doing here?" Young Buffy says.
"Actually, we're, um - looking for you." Paige says. "Here. Again."
"Do you like dolls?" Young Buffy says as she starts braiding her doll's hair.
"Buffy, what are we doing here?" Piper asks.
Young Buffy shrugs, "Don't you like it here?"
"We don't have time." Piper says.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Young Buffy says as she runs from the table, excited, and runs to the front door. Piper and Paige turn to see a replay of the scene bringing home Dawn.
"I know it's not real." Paige said. "But Dawn was a beautiful baby."
Piper nods, "She was. I wish Aunt Joyce hadn't kept us apart. There is so much of each other's lives we have missed out on. Seeing this just drives it home."
In reality at Doc's place, Doc sits reading a book by the light of a cozy fire he's got going in the fireplace. There's a knock at the door. "It's always open."
Phoebe, Xander and Spike enter. Doc still doesn't look up.
"What can I do for you boys and lady? You want some cocoa? I was just getting ready to warm up a little." Doc says.
"Thanks awfully, no. We need information. We need ..." Spike says.
"Ben is Glory!" Xander blurts out.
"Who's what?" Doc asks.
"Look at this. Special Ed remembers." Spike says.
Phoebe nods, "So do I it seems. Ben's Glory. Glory's Ben. It's like a fog is lifting."
Xander nods in agreement.
"Wonderful. But not why we're here." Spike says. "Hellgod type, name of Glory ..."
"A.K.A. Ben ..." Xander says.
"... is gone missing. Brewing up some major league bad. And she's nicked the Slayer's kid sister – one of the Charmed Ones in the bargain." Spike says. "Got any idea where Glory would take her?"
"Glory? Glory... ooh, you don't mean Glorificus? Gosh, what do you want to get mixed up with her for? That's a sure way to get yourselves killed. I hear she's awfully unpleasant." Doc says as he puts the book away, shelves it, stands. "When it comes to Hellgods, my best advice is to get out of the way and stay there."
"Love to. Can't." Spike says.
"Well, other than that ..." Doc says as he subtly maneuvers himself in front of an ornate box on his desk. Spike flickers his eyes once in that direction, but otherwise pays no mind to it. "... I'd like to help, but I'm just a small town guy. This Glorificus, if it is her - she's Big City."
"She's got Dawn." Phoebe says.
"Right. Well... I may know a fella, who knows a fella - in China. Big cheese of his own ancient holy order, he might ..." Doc says.
"How the hell we supposed to get to China? Teleport?" Spike asks.
"You could always orb." Doc says looking at Phoebe. "Your sister I believe could take you."
"She's kind of busy." Phoebe says.
"Well wish you luck. You and your specially challenged friend. I might, maybe have a phone number handy, let's see now ..." Doc says as he starts rummaging through little bits of paper. "First the knees, then the eyes, everything goes eventually. When you boys and lady get to be my age, you'll see ..."
"You're lying." Spike says. Doc looks up, a little confused. Blinks once, dumbly. "What's more, I believe you're standing right in front of the very thing we need."
Everyone stands frozen. Silent beat. Doc smiles. Then suddenly leaps past Spike, lands behind him, whips a sword from its scabbard and whirls, pressing the sword to the base of his throat - all in one motion.
Doc's eyes are fully dilated - all black. He's jazzed. He hisses, "Idiot." He thrusts - just as Spike yanks himself back and deflects the sword away from his throat. Bangs his head on the wall in the process, going down.
Phoebe and Xander makes a move toward Doc and - FWAP! A ten foot tongue shoots out of Doc's mouth - slams into Xander and Phoebe hard. They're sent shooting backwards - and slams into a wall, with enough force to knock some framed pictures clattering to the floor.
The tongue recoils super-fast back into Doc's mouth. "You think only underworld bottom feeders worship the Beast?" He spins away from Spike, grabs the ornate box, and throws it into the fireplace. Flames lick at the box's edges, smoke starts pouring out. He turns back, lifting the dazed Spike to his feet. "Her day is coming, boys. And when she returns - then you're gonna see something."
And suddenly Doc goes down. Phoebe's gotten hold of a fire poker and she's smashed Doc in the back of the legs with it. Xander jumps on top of Doc and grapples with him.
Spike rushes to the fireplace. Reaches in, and burns his hands retrieving the box from the fire. "Aaahh!"
Xander straddles Doc and runs him through with the sword. Doc makes a horrible gurgling cry. Some blue goo squirts up at Xander. Demon blood.
Xander drops the sword and gets off Doc as fast as he can.
"It's times like this I wish I had an active power." Phoebe says.
"What do we got?" Xander asks.
"Something worth dying for." Spike says.
They head out together, Spike holding the box.
In Buffy's dreamscape she walks down the upstairs hallway of the Manor as Piper and Paige follow her. They are getting a little frantic.
"Buffy, will you just stop a second and listen to us?" Piper says. "You have to stop doing this."
"Doing what?" Buffy asks.
"Killing Dawn." Paige says.
"Why?" Buffy asks.
Paige and Piper runs in front of Buffy, blocking her path.
"Because it never happened. You never killed your sister!" Paige says.
"Paige, I did this." Buffy says.
"In your imagination! None of this is real, you're stuck in some kind of loop." Paige says.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Excuse me?" Buffy says as she stands there, looking at Piper and Paige blocking her way. They step aside. Buffy heads to hers and Dawn's room.
"Why are you doing this?!" Piper asks.
"No. Buffy. Leave Dawn alone. What is this?" Paige says.
"My gift. This is what I do." Buffy says.
"But I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about ..." Paige says.
Buffy enters hers and Dawn's room, and Piper and Paige follows. What they see is not Buffy and Dawn's room but the Magic Box.
"... This." Paige says as she points.
Buffy looks to see herself place the book on the shelf again. Looks down, sighs.
Piper, Paige and Buffy watch Bookshelf Buffy repeat the action of putting the book on the shelf over and over.
"Right here, it happened. I think Piper and I know it's something small, but it's something. What?" Paige says.
"Don't go there, Paige." Buffy says.
"We're not! You're the one who keeps dragging us back here. And you wouldn't be doing that if you weren't trying to show us something." Piper says.
"Do I?" Buffy asks.
"Buffy, c'mon. It's your brain. Just tell us." Paige says as she walks over to Bookshelf Buffy who repeatedly puts the book back on the shelf, gestures to her. "What happened here?"
Buffy cannot answer. But Bookshelf Buffy answers for her, quietly, "This was when I quit, Paige."
Paige and Piper deals with both Buffys without skipping a beat.
"You did?" Paige asks.
Buffy nods, "Just for a second."
"I remember I was in the magic shop. Reading." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"I put a book back for Giles." Buffy says.
"Nothing special about it. And then, it hit me." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"What hit you?" Piper asks.
"I can't beat Glory." Buffy says.
"Glory's going to win." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"You can't know that." Paige says.
"I didn't just know it." Buffy says.
"I felt it. Glory will beat me." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"And in that second of knowing it, Paige… Piper ..." Buffy says.
"I wanted it to happen." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"Why?" Piper asks.
"I wanted it over. This is all - all of it - it's too much for me." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"I just wanted it over." Buffy says.
"If Glory wins, then Dawn dies." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"I would grieve and people would feel sorry for me. But it would all be over. And I imagined what a relief that would be." Buffy says.
Piper and Paige watch Bookshelf Buffy put-the book back on the shelf again.
"I killed Dawn." Buffy says.
"Is that what you think?" Paige asks.
"My thinking it made it happen. Some part of me wanted it. So, in the moment Glory took Dawn ..." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"I know I could have done something better. And I didn't. I was off by some fraction of a second." Buffy says.
"And this is why." Bookshelf Buffy says.
"I killed my sister." Buffy says.
Buffy, Piper and Paige watch Bookshelf Buffy put the book on the shelf again.
"I think Spike was right, back at the gas station." Paige says. "Snap out of it!"
"What?" Both Buffy says.
"I'm sorry. But all this - it has a name. It's called guilt. It's a feeling, and it's important, but it's not more than that, Buffy. Buffys. You've carried the weight of the world on your shoulders since before I met you." Paige says.
"Since before even Prue, Phoebe and I met you. Since before you became a witch, when you were only the Slayer." Piper says. "I know you didn't ask for this. But you do it. every day, and so you wanted out for one second, so what?"
"I got Dawn killed ..." Buffy says,
"Hello! Your sister - not dead yet!" Paige says. "But she will be along with us your other sisters, your sisters by choice, if you stay locked inside here and never come back to us."
"I don't think I can." Buffy says.
"Okay, unlike Glory, the Slayer and a Charmed Ones is also human. You get to be. You feel everything you're doing and I admit, I have no idea how hard that must be having had two separate destinies - but you have to do it." Paige says.
"And what if I can't?" Buffy asks.
"Then I guess you're right. And you did kill your sister along with us the rest of your family." Piper says.
Piper and Paige turns and walks to the door of the Magic Box.
"Wait. Where are you two going?" Buffy asks.
"Where you're needed." Piper says as she and Paige offers Buffy their hands. "Are you coming?"
Buffy thinks about it, watches herself put the book on the shelf. She gives Piper and Paige her hands.
"Life from life and mind from mind, our spirits now will disentwine." Piper and Paige say. "We part our souls and journey home to let our thoughts be on their own."
Piper, Buffy and Paige jerk awake. They open their eyes and gulps in big gasping breaths of air.
Buffy looks to Piper and Paige on the floor in front of her, startled. Then she sees Willow standing beside her Book. Then she begins to weep.
Piper and Paige step out of the circle of candles and move beside Buffy and embrace her trying to comfort her.
After a long beat, Willow, crosses the room and joins Piper and Paige in the embrace.
Buffy continues weeping…
Later at the Magic Box Giles, Xander, Anya, Tara, Phoebe and Spike sit around the table in the Magic Box as Buffy, Piper, Paige and Willow orb in.
"You're back." Giles says.
"Hear you found the ritual text." Buffy says.
Giles nods, "Something like that, yes."
"Did you know Ben is Glory?" Xander asks.
"So I'm told." Buffy says. "What do we know?"
Giles hesitates. "Well, according to these scrolls, there is a way to stop Glory." Buffy waits. Giles hesitates, awkward and unsure. "I'm afraid it... Buffy, Piper, Paige, Phoebe. I've read these very carefully. There's not much margin for error. Do you all understand what I'm saying?"
"Might help if you actually said it." Buffy says as Piper, Paige and Phoebe nod in agreement.
"Glory plans to open a dimensional portal by way of ritual bloodletting." Giles says.
"Dawn's blood?" Piper asks.
Giles nods, "Yes. Once the blood is shed at a certain time and place, the fabric separating all realities will be ripped apart. Dimensions will pour into one another with no barriers to stop them. Reality as we know it will be destroyed, and chaos will reign on Earth."
"So how do we stop it?" Paige asks.
"The portal will only close once the blood is stopped. And the only way for that to happen is ..." Giles pauses for a brief moment. "Buffy - the only way is to kill Dawn."