Looking over at Willow and Connor, I can't help but look around for any other things out there.
I've been taking a lot of this on faith, and not my fellow slayer unfortunately. I've been trusting people without much evidence and I'm not sure it'll actually work out at this point. I trusted Pike when he came looking for me and collapsed, then when he woke up and told me this crazy story. Then I trusted Willow when she unlocked some memories, and now I'm trusting that this Connor guy will be able to help figure things out.
I'm trusting that this is all true. That my sister has done some terrible things to everyone I know and love, including me. Even when I don't have any reason to think that. Or some part of me doesn't want to believe it's true. But I guess some part of me has to think it's true otherwise I wouldn't be willing to go this far if it wasn't.
Probably something to do with this weird feeling I've been having. I just can't shake it no matter how hard I work. No matter how happy I am, something just feels off about it all. This might be the reason. I have to at least follow it and try and make it go away. Which I guess is why I'm here now. Willow is my best friend, no matter how weird things might be, I can always trust in that. She says that it's real, so I have to believe her.
"So... you said that this is about Dawn?"
I look at Connor and so does Willow at his question.
"Yeah..."
He gives us a questioning look.
"Not much on the details, are you?"
Willow tries to cover for us.
"It's just easier if we show you."
"So you can't tell me what Dawn found?"
My best friend continues.
"It's because we don't really know what it was. She figured a second opinion might be a good idea before bringing it to your professor."
That seems to make him less concerned.
"I guess that makes sense. Still, I'm kinda taking a lot on faith here."
Willow and I look at each other with a bit of a smile. Connor notices.
"What?"
"Nothing."
We walk along towards the Magic Box for a while, Connor looking at us curiously.
"No really, what is it?"
Again Willow and I glance at each other and I just know that I'm going to have to say something.
"It's just... Dawn mentioned that you met her girlfriend recently."
There's a silence from him for a moment.
"She did?"
Not sure how much I should tell him, but it's not like I know that much anyway.
"Yeah, she said you were friends."
It takes him a second to respond.
"Oh, yeah, we're friends."
Probably best not to go much deeper into it.
Thankfully, we see the Magic Box come into view.
"We're here."
Willow, Connor and I make our way up to it and go inside.
I just hope that this works.
As expected, Pike is sitting at the table with the book in hand, appearing to read it. He looks up at us as we make our way inside.
"Connor, this is our friend Pike. He's the one who brought us the book."
We reach the table and Pike stands up.
"You're Connor?"
He holds out his hand to Connor, and they shake hands. Suddenly, Connor freezes, his focus on Pike.
Wait, is it happening?
"Do... do I... know you?"
Pike lets the question hang for a while.
"I think you do."
I think it's happening.
Connor gets this confused look on his face.
"You... you look... really... familiar..."
Something starts to happen where their still clasped hands are and I look down to see something weird going on.
It looks like some kind of weird distortion.
"Will?"
Willow sees what I'm looking at and can't help but react.
"I see it. Something's happening."
Connor reacts.
"I... I think I... remember."
Pike pushes him.
"What? What is it that you remember?"
The weird distortion thing seems to get bigger.
"I... remember... Dawn..."
He already knows my sister. What does he remember?
"What about my sister?"
"She... she... she changed it."
Just as he finishes it, he pulls away from Pike and stumbles back, almost falling over but putting a hand on his forehead.
Is he remembering? Does he know? Can he confirm what's really happening?
"Connor?"
He lets go of his forehead and looks around.
"Dawn... is she here?"
"No... she's not here."
Connor takes a deep breath.
"Good, that's good."
Everyone who is a part of this is very worried about Dawn. That isn't good.
"Why is that good?"
It takes him awhile to answer.
"Because she changed it."
"Changed what?"
"The world."
I... I think it's real. I think it might actually be real.
"What exactly did she do?"
There's a long pause before he looks at me.
"You don't know?"
I look at Willow and Pike before facing Connor again.
"I'm the only one, in this room at least."
Connor confirms what I said by looking at my best friend and my old friend.
"I guess the plan is working then."
He knows what the plan is?
Willow gets there before I do.
"You know what the plan is? I've only got pieces."
Pike seems to agree.
"Me too."
This is sounding more and more like a plan that I had.
Connor confirms what they think.
"That was part of the plan. We had to be sure that things weren't easy to erase by Dawn. If we all had a piece of it, then we'd all have some connection and it would make us feel like something's wrong."
Definitely a plan that sounds like me.
"So... what part of the plan do you have?"
He takes a deep breath.
"My part was to help you and Faith get your memories back so we can implement the final plan, whatever that is."
Me and Faith?
"Why me and Faith?"
"Because whatever was going on with you could be the key."
Whatever's going on with us?
Out of nowhere, I hear her voice.
"The key to what?"
I turn to see Faith standing in the doorway, thankfully alone.
I guess we're about to find out?
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