Sister, Sister (Book Five, BTVS)

chapter 22 - Gift and Sacrifice

I took a moment to think about my response. "No. She's not. She's more than that. She's me. The monks made her out of me. I hold her... and I feel closer to her than..." I looked down, sighing. "It's not just the memories they built. It's physical. Dawn... is a part of me. She even looks like me. The only part that I..."

I couldn't finish, fighting back tears, turning to look at Mom at the counter.

"We'll solve this," Tara told us. "We will. Don't have another coma, okay?"

Buffy managed a small smile.

"If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death," Giles told us. He looked at me. "Including Dawn."

"Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her," I told them.

"You'll fail," Giles told me. "You'll die. We all will."

Giles turned away.

"I'm sorry," I told them. Everyone looked at me. "I love you all... but I'm sorry."

I turned around, walking toward my mom, standing by her, rubbing her shoulder soothingly.

There was a long moment of silence.

"Okay," Anya told us, raising her hand. "All in favor of stopping Glory before the ritual. Suggestions, ideas?" She snapped her fingers. "Time's a-wasting."

Spike looked at me. "Uh, when you say you love us all..."

Xander and Giles spoke together in annoyance. "Shut up."

"Willow, Tara, I bet you two got some dark spell a-brewing," Anya told them. "Uh, make her a--a--a toad? Little hoppy toad. We can hit her with a hammer?"

Mom laughed. "Hoppy toad."

"What about Ben?" Xander asked. "He can be killed, right? I mean, I know he's an innocent, but, you know, not like Dawn innocent. We could kill a... regular guy." Everyone considered this. Xander realized what he had said, speaking softly in self-disgust. "God."

"It's doubtful he'll surface again this close to the ritual," Giles told us. "We can expect it's Glory we're dealing with."

"We don't have to kill her," Willow told us. "Uh, we just have to stop her from doing the ritual. I mean, there's only the one time that she can do it, right?"

"Yeah," Spike answered. "We get her on the ropes, we just gotta keep her occupied till it's too late."

"Okay, but I'm still not hearing enough ideas," Anya told us. "She's a god. Let's think outside the box."

"Why don't you go think outside the bleeding box?" Spike asked.

"Yes, Anya, apart from your incredibly uninfectious enthusiasm, have you anything else to contribu--" Giles started.

"The Dagon sphere," Anya told us.

"Sorry?" Giles asked.

"When Zoey first met Glory, she found that magical glowy sphere that was meant to repel Glory," Anya told us. "We've got it in the basement." Everyone was surprised. "It might drive her away or hurt her. Ooh!" Anya hurried over to a display, gesturing like a game-show hostess. "And Olaf the troll god's enchanted hammer. You wanna fight a god, use the weapon of a god."

I walked over to check out the hammer.

"Uh, nah, that thing's too heavy too--" Spike started. I picked it up easily. "Yeah. Good."

"I like this," I told them. I looked at Anya. "Thanks."

"Here to help," Anya told us. "Wanna live."