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Date Posted: 20:10:22 06/19/03 Thu
Author: First aired Friday 20th June 2003
Subject: Episode 8.19 - "MIRROR" by JSlayerUK (Part III)


SCENE W

FADE IN: INNER SANCTUMS – NIGHT.

CAMERA ANGLE ON THE MAIN DOOR. AMY AND RAVEN ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, TRYING TO GET IN. THE ROOM IS CLEARLY DIMLY LIT.

AMY (OFF SCREEN): You think this is it?

RAVEN (OFF SCREEN): Well it had better be. I’m sick of having to kill whatever is behind each door.

AMY (OFF SCREEN): You don’t have to kill everyone you know. It’s not right.

RAVEN (OFF SCREEN): You would rather I did right then? Wow. A vampire who wants to do right. That’s just screwed up.

AMY (OFF SCREEN): Don’t mock me.

RAVEN (OFF SCREEN): I mock not.

THE DOOR OPENS AND WE SEE RAVEN AND AMY ENTER. THE ROOM IS HUGE, HOWEVER ONLY A VERY LONG CENTRAL PATHWAY IS LIT WITH TALL GREEN CANDLES. THE EDGES OF THE ROOM ARE HIDDEN BY DARKNESS.

RAVEN: Wow. I guess this is the place.

AMY: And I guess we finally found what we were looking for.

WE PAN ROUND FROM AMY’S SATISFIED FACE TO WHAT SHE’S STARING AT. IT’S THE MIRROR OF MIPAX. STANDING SIX FOOT HIGH, IT IS ROUNDED AT THE TOP WITH A 3D SUN AT THE TOP OF THE FRAME. BUILT INTO THE SIDES ARE CLEAR CYLINDERS, CURRENTLY BEING COILED BY LIVE SNAKES. IT IS CONNECTED TO A CIRCUALR PLATFORM THAT IS AROUND FIVE METRES AWAY.

RAVEN: (AWED) The Mirror of Mipax. (NONCHALANT) Looked better in the book.

AMY: Shut up.

AMY WALKS, ALMOST ENTRANCED, TOWARDS THE MIRROR, HER HAND STRETCHED OUT TO TRY AND TOUCH IT.

RAVEN: Well… it may look good, but does it fit in your purse? Highly impractical.

AMY STROKES THE MIRROR, TOO SPELLBOUND PAY ATTENTION TO RAVEN.

AMY: It’s beautiful.

RAVEN: (SIGHS) It’s stupid. And ugly if you ask me.

AMY: Funny. I’m not.

RAVEN: Seriously, what’s up with the sun thing?

AMY: Symbolic of time dumb ass. They’re hardly going to put a clock on the top of the thing now are they?

AMY CONTINUES TO INSPECT AS RAVEN LOITERS AND PONDERS.

RAVEN: So why all the snakes around here?

AMY: Proserpexa has a thing for them.

RAVEN: A thing? Like a fave animal thing or a sexual perversion thing?

AMY: Both most likely.

RAVEN: Eh. Everyone’s gotta have a hobby...

SILENCE DESCENDS UPON THEM FOR A SHORT WHILE. AMY CONTINUES HER SEARCH FOR A SWITCH, OR MOVING PART, OR INDICATION FOR THE NEED OF INCANTATIONS.

RAVEN (CONT): We’ve basically just got a working time machine here. And we can change whatever we want.

AMY: Yeah.

RAVEN: You don’t sound very excited.

AMY: YEAH!!! Is that better?

RAVEN: Little bit.

AMY: Sorry, I just find it hard to be chippy about a device that I can’t figure how to use.

RAVEN: What will you change?

AMY STOPS FOR A MOMENT.

AMY: Huh?

RAVEN: With your watch. What do you want to change?

AMY: Does it matter?

RAVEN: Kinda. If I’m going to be stuck in time with you, I’d like to know your motives. Because if it’s to install a society full of say... peanut M&Ms, then I’d probably be against you.

AMY: You hate those too?

RAVEN: You bet.

AMY: Well don’t worry. My plan involves no real nuts. Just the urge to get away from them.

RAVEN: Explain.

AMY: Well you know. I spent my last year of high school and the first three of what I was hoping to spend at college as a rat. All that time I missed, and I just wanna know what life was like then. Listen to the radio hits, see all those cinema releases. Go to the Prom, see in the new millennium. I never got to do all that. I know that I was probably better off safe in my cage. I know that a lot of my school friends died fighting the Mayor at Graduation, and I probably would have done too, right there beside them...

AMY PAUSES AND REFLECTS, A SMALL SMILE CREEPING ON HER FACE.

AMY (CONT): But at least I would have been there.

RAVEN: If it helps, the millennium was a drag.

AMY: (SMILES) Thanks.

RAVEN GESTURES FOR AMY TO JUST FORGET IT.

AMY (CONT): What about you?

RAVEN: What about me what?

AMY: I told you what I wanted the mirror for. What about you?

RAVEN: (SOMBER) Just someone I cared about.

AMY: Vampires aren’t supposed to care about people. It’s not normal.

RAVEN: I’m not normal.

AMY: At least you admit it.

AMY STOPS HER INVESTIGATION.

AMY (CONT): I’ve figured it out.

RAVEN: Figured what out?

AMY: The mirror. You said that it has to be powered up right?

RAVEN: Yeah but...

AMY WALKS TO THE PLATFORM AND FIRES A MAGICAL ENERGY BOLT AT IT. THE CYLINDERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR BEGIN TO GLOW THEN STOP.

RAVEN (CONT): Was that it?

AMY: Just a test. But that’s how you power it up. With magic. And I think I can do it.

RAVEN: You just channel enough power into the platform, and once those cylinders are full, time goes bye-bye?

AMY: That’s the idea. You ready?

RAVEN: Only if you are.

AMY AND RAVEN SHARE A GLANCE, AND AMY STEPS UP ONTO THE PLATFORM. SHE CHANTS TO HERSELF IN PREPARATION. SHE BEGINS FOCUSING ENERGY TOWARDS THE MIRROR. THE CYLINDERS GLOW, AND BEGIN TO FILL. THE FEW SNAKES THAT WERE ON THE CYLINDERS USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SLITHER DOWN AND AWAY.

RAVEN (CONT): It looks like a timer.

AMY: It is a timer, and be quiet. I’m trying to concentrate.

AMY CONTINUES TO POWER UP THE MIRROR, STANDING ON THE PLATFORM WITH HER HANDS HELD OUT TO HER SIDE. HER IMAGE MIRRORS THAT OF WILLOW’S IN 6.22 GRAVE, WHEN WILLOW WAS POWERING THE EFFIGY OF PROSERPEXA.

RAVEN: It’s taking its time.

AMY: It’ll take longer if you don’t shut up!

THE CYLINDERS FILL UP FURTHER AND THE CANDLES THAT LIGHT THE PATHWAY FLAME BRIGHTLY AND POWERFULLY, LIGHTING THE ENTIRE ROOM.

RAVEN: (EXCITED) I think it’s working!

A HAND FALLS ON RAVEN’S SHOULDER. RAVEN TURNS, AND IS HIT WITH SUCH FORCE THAT SHE IS THROWN IN THE AIR, HITS THE GROUND AND SLIDES ACROSS THE FLOOR, FINALLY HITTING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM WHERE SHE LIES DAZED.

AMY: Raven?

AMY IS FORCED TO STOP AND SHE FINALLY TURNS AROUND, AND WE PAN ROUND TO SEE WHAT SHE SEES.

IT’S PROSERPEXA.

AMY: Oh... no.

BLACKOUT.

SCENE X

FADE IN: INT. INNER SANCTUMS – LATER. WE SEE RAVEN, JUST OPENING HER EYES. PROSERPEXA STANDS OVER HER, WEARING BLACK, AND IN HER HUMAN VISAGE.

PROSERPEXA: Welcome to the land of the living. Well, that phrase is highly inaccurate now is it? The only who’s living is Miss Madison over there.

CAMERA ANGLE ON AMY. SHE IS BRUISED AND BEATEN AND COMPLETELY SHAKEN.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Well, barely at least.

RAVEN: Amy!

PROSERPEXA: I wouldn’t cry out for her girl. It’s not very becoming.

PROSERPEXA WALKS AWAY AND INSPECTS THE MIRROR. RAVEN PULLS HERSELF UP AND WALKS TOWARDS AMY.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Months spent on research and spells, and nothing. All of my followers have worked on this, trying to discover how exactly to use it. I find it interesting how it is my own Judas who finally figures out how this mirror works. I’m so glad. The others... (SIGHS) I wonder what I pay them for.

RAVEN: You don’t pay them.

PROSERPEXA: My love is payment enough.

RAVEN: (SCOFFS) Please. You don’t know what love is. You’re clearly just some freak with weird hair.

AMY IS IN SHOCK, WORRIED FOR RAVEN’S WELLBEING.

PROSERPEXA: You should watch that tongue of yours. Somebody might rip it out.

CAMERA ANGLE ON RAVEN’S FACE. EVEN RAVEN IS CHILLED BY HER TONE.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Besides, I find it odd for you to lecture me on love. What would you know of it?

RAVEN: Enough.

PROSERPEXA: Dear child, you know nothing. I have been in existence longer than you would think possible. I understand more about human nature than you could ever hope to understand. I am not a force to be reckoned with.

A LARGE PYTHON SLITHERS ACROSS, PAUSING AT PROSERPEXA’S FEET.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): I do identify with this poor creature.

RAVEN: Why? Because you’re both ugly and evil?

PROSERPEXA: I don’t understand you vampire. Do you enjoy being knocked out?

PROSERPEXA PICKS UP THE PYTHON AND ALLOWS IT TO WRAP ITSELF AROUND HER. FOR HER, IT’S SENSUAL.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): I’m surprised you don’t feel it either. Do you not feel the connection you hold? Strength, power.

SHE LOOKS DIRECTLY INTO THE SNAKE’S EYES AS SHE SPEAKS, CIRCLING RAVEN.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): And yet the impurity. The snake sheds its skin, ever adapting and ever changing. She’s never still. Never stagnant in her ways. And yet, underneath it all... always the very same. The Snake. Symbol of evil and sin.

PROSERPEXA ALLOWS THE SNAKE’S HEAD TO SIT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE RAVEN’S FACE.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Can’t you see it girl? It’s like looking into a mirror! You’ve always been alone. You were the Slayer. You had endurance and strength. You wielded your power and fought for what was right. And then, through a twist of fate, you were tainted with the blood of the demon. You became a vampire. And a deadly one too. You adapted. You changed. But you’ll always be the same lonely Spanish girl you always were. No shedding of your old life can change that. You’re still you, no matter what happens, my young Isabella.

AS SHE SAYS RAVEN’S HUMAN NAME, SHE ATTEMPTS TO STROKE RAVEN’S FACE. RAVEN MOVES AWAY, ANGRY.

RAVEN: Don’t call me that.

PROSERPEXA: (SMILES) And so now you’ve grown big and strong. You have the power of the Slayer. Slayer blood both strengthens and weakens you. You have the power of the Demon. Demon blood courses through your veins giving you that spark and fire. It’s intoxicating isn’t it? The thrill of knowing you can do anything. Our young Amy here became nothing more than a junkie on that thrill. My dear betrayer, are you well?

AMY: Just peachy.

PROSERPEXA PLACES A KISS ON AMY’S BLOODIED FOREHEAD.

PROSERPEXA: There’s nothing like control.

PROSERPEXA CLICKS HER FINGERS AND THE PYTHON BEGINS TO COIL TIGHTLY AROUND HER WAIST.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): (STRAINED) To constrict, cause pain. It’s a joy.

PROSERPEXA CLICKS HER FINGERS ONCE AGAIN, AND THE PYTHON UNCOILS AND SLITHERS TO THE FLOOR.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): And then to end it, to be in command. You see? You are just like this. Just like our friend here. You know it.

RAVEN: You know nothing.

AS PROSERPEXA SMILES, THE PYTHON BEGINS TO SLITHER UP AND ROUND RAVEN’S BODY.

PROSERPEXA: I know you understand me. You’re connected. I know you understand it. You’re alike. I know you want to feel it too. Go on.

THE PYTHON FINALLY COILS ITSELF AROUND RAVEN’S NECK. RAVEN STRUGGLES AS THE PYTHON SQUEEZES THE LIFE OUT OF HER. AMY WATCHES ON IN HORROR, FEARING TO DO ANYTHING AND PROSERPEXA REMAINS COOL AS ICE WITH AN UNREADABLE EXPRESSION ON HER FACE.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): (COLDER) Feel it.

THE PYTHON HAS PULLED HARD ENOUGH. RAVEN’S HEAD IS PULLED OFF, AND HER BODY TURNS TO DUST. THE SNAKE BEGINS TO FALL TO THE GROUND, BUT PROSERPEXA CATCHES HER, QUICKLY WIPING THE VAMPIRE DUST OFF HER. ALLOWING THE PYTHON TO ROAM OVER HER TORSO, PROSERPEXA STANDS OVER THE PILE OF ASHES.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): She talked far too much.

PROSERPEXA WALKS OVER TO THE MIRROR.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): And so it works. Once everything is in place, I can use it. Thanks to you.

AMY GIVES AN APPREHENSIVE SMILE.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): I feel satisfied now. I must have everyone come together, this calls for a celebration. What a pity you can’t join us.

AMY’S SMILE TURNS TO A FROWN.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Why so shocked? You didn’t think that after betraying my trust I would want you here did you? I thought you loved me. (ANGRY) And yet you try to deceive me? Me! You’re in over your head. I am not to be messed with little girl.

PROSERPEXA SMOOTHES AMY’S HAIR, RELAXED AND SOOTHING.

PROSERPEXA (CONT): Now relax! I’m not going to kill you. (COLD) I can do far worse than that. Go.

AMY: What?

PROSERPEXA: You heard what I said. Go. Be gone from here, get out of my sight and do not cross my path again. Next time I can guarantee you, it won’t end so painlessly.

AMY PAUSES, AND THEN TURNS AND RUNS QUICKLY THROUGH THE CANDLE PATH.

CAMERA ANGLE WATCHES HER RUN OUT THE DOOR, AND WE PAN ROUND TO PROSERPEXA FONDLING ONE OF HER SNAKES.

ON A CALM AND RELAXED SMILE, WE FADE TO BLACK.

SCENE Y

FADE IN: INT. SUMMERS’ LIVING ROOM - NIGHT. XANDER, ANYA AND FAITH ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN ONE PART OF THE ROOM, MEANWHILE DAWN AND ANDREW ARE WORKING AT THE TABLE ON THEIR OWN APOCALYPSE BY THEMSELVES.

ANDREW: The main bit is easy then. I hold it back, while you get the spell.

DAWN: That’s the crux of it. We just need to create the right spell to teleport it out of there into some other dimension or something.

ANDREW: I guess. So we look for teleportation spells?

DAWN: You can. I’ll try and work one from scratch. See if we get anywhere.

ANDREW: Cool.

ANDREW AND DAWN WORK FROM BOOKS, MAKING NOTES.

CUT TO XANDER, ANYA AND FAITH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM.

XANDER: I don’t like this.

FAITH: You were going to have to go back sometime Xander.

XANDER: But it’s still so soon. What if she’s still down there... And I don’t know if I’ll be okay going back.

ANYA: You’ll do fine Xander. You always do.

FAITH: Besides, there are bigger things at stake. Namely this Haung demon.

ANYA: That’s not only bigger. That’s huge.

XANDER: Huge, but decapitable.

FAITH: Slayer strength behind a powerful weapon and we should be fine.

ANYA: Are you crazy?

FAITH: ‘Scuse?

ANYA: You don’t honestly think it’ll be that easy do you? If it was that easy it wouldn’t nearly be so huge an APOCALYPSE, now would it?

XANDER: Anya, we’ve seen pictures and we’ve read the prophecy. It should be relatively easy.

ANYA: Relative to what? Getting some Los Angeles info outta you three? Then I’d say yeah.

FAITH: You’re not still jacked up about that are you?

XANDER: Ladies? Can we focus?

ANYA AND FAITH: Fine!

THERE IS A PAUSE AS THEY ALL GO BACK TO THEIR BOOKS.

XANDER: ... But you don’t suppose you could divulge just a little something?

FAITH: Oh!

XANDER: Fine, forget it. So how are we going to fight the Haung?

FAITH: Just throw me at it.

ANYA: You’ll need more help than that.

FAITH: I can take care of it by myself.

ANYA: Oh great. More “I’m The Only One” crap.

FAITH: Don’t you give me crap, what with your “Oh I Used To Be So Powerful But Now I Can Barely Breathe” bull.

ANYA: Hey! I can to breathe!

XANDER: (BEING REASONABLE) Maybe Faith has a point. She is the strongest, and all we have to do is a simple decapitation.

ANYA: Oh my God Xander. First Willow, now Faith...

FAITH: That’s it isn’t it? You’re jealous.

ANYA: No I’m not. I just don’t like being criticised when I’m clearly right. We’re in groups for a reason. Fighting this is going to be a group effort.

XANDER: We don’t want you to get hurt.

ANYA: Oh, well that’s just perfect. Why don’t I just go to sleep over here like the useless thing I am huh?

FAITH: Don’t let me stop you!

ANYA: Shut up you whore!

FAITH: Who are you calling a whore, bitch?!

XANDER: You know what, that’s it. I’ve had enough.

XANDER WALKS OFF AND ANYA’S ANGRY. FAITH IS STILL ANNOYED. XANDER WALKS OVER TO ANDREW AND DAWN.

XANDER (CONT): So, hey guys.

DAWN: (NOT LOOKING UP FROM PAPER) Hey.

ANDREW: (NOT LOOKING UP EITHER) Hey.

XANDER: Wow. Calm conversation. I like.

XANDER SITS DOWN IN A SPARE SEAT, AND SPIES THE PIZZA THAT REMAINS UNFINISHED.

XANDER (CONT): Oooh, pepperoni.

XANDER REACHES OVER AND TRIES TO TAKE A SLICE OF PIZZA, ONLY TO HAVE HIS HAND SLAPPED AWAY BY ANDREW.

ANDREW: Hey! Pizza is for DRKs only.

XANDER: (THINKS IT OVER) Dorks?!

ANDREW: Demon Killers actually.

XANDER: Then why the Rho?

ANDREW: It adds a little something we feel.

XANDER: Okay fine. Can I become a Delta Rho Kappa?

ANDREW: Weeeeell...

DAWN: Sure.

XANDER: Yes!

DAWN: If you pass through hazing.

XANDER: Hazing? Your apocalypse team has hazing?

DAWN: Get with the program or join the squabble squad.

XANDER LOOKS ACROSS THE ROOM AT ANYA AND FAITH. HE SHUDDERS.

XANDER: It’s okay. I can handle it.

ANDREW: Dawn? Conference?

ANDREW AND DAWN BOTH TURN AWAY FROM XANDER AND BEGIN WHISPERING. XANDER LOOKS ON PUZZLED. AFTER A WHILE, THEY FACE HIM.

ANDREW: (MOCK POSH BRITISH ACCENT) Your challenge shall be offered by Miss Summers.

DAWN: Within the next two hours, you must obtain the autograph of every person in this house.

XANDER: Okay...

DAWN: And they have to sign on some part of your body. You’ll get special credit for the parts of your body signed, especially considering who does what.

ANDREW: Catch is, you can’t tell anyone what it’s for.

XANDER: What?!!

ANDREW: Do you need it explained again?

XANDER: No! I’m not doing that!

DAWN: I thought you wanted to be part of the Delta Rho Kappas.

XANDER: I did to get away from those two but... It’s just... I thought maybe a few prank phone calls or something. Didn’t think it would be so hard. It never used to be back in the old days.

ANDREW: It’s just natural hazing inflation Xander.

XANDER: (SIGHS) Damn those Republicans.

SCENE Z

CUT TO: INT. WILLOW’S BEDROOM – SAME TIME. WILLOW IS LYING DOWN IN BED UNDER THE COVERS, BUT KENNEDY IS PACING ABOUT. WILLOW OPENS HER EYES AND WATCHES KENNEDY TALK TO HERSELF. THIS GOES ON FOR SOME TIME BEFORE WILLOW FINALLY INTERRUPTS.

WILLOW: Why won’t you just sleep?

KENNEDY: Because I can’t. I can’t just sleep.

WILLOW: (SITTING UP) But you have to. We have an apocalypse to avert tomorrow night. You need to rest.

KENNEDY SITS ON THE BED.

KENNEDY: (SIGHS) I’m not going to be ready.

WILLOW: Do you know what I do when I need to be ready?

KENNEDY: Sit back, smile and think of England?

WILLOW LAUGHS SOFTLY.

WILLOW: No. Simple meditation. Close your eyes and relax.

KENNEDY CLOSES HER EYES, PULLS HER FEET UP ON TO THE BED AND SITS CROSS-LEGGED TRYING TO RELAX. SHE FAILS.

KENNEDY: But I can’t relax Will. I’m not like you. I’m kinda scared.

WILLOW: Me too.

KENNEDY: Oh sorry. That deadly cool exterior fooled me for a moment.

WILLOW: You think I don’t get scared? Of course I do.

KENNEDY: Well it doesn’t seem like you do.

WILLOW: Because I won’t give in to fright. I can’t.

KENNEDY: But it’s so big. It’s big fright.

WILLOW: I don’t give in anymore Kennedy. I won’t. It doesn’t matter how big it is. I’m not giving in. I gave in once, and I’m not going to do it again. I’m strong now.

KENNEDY: (SNAPPISH) Good for you. I’m not. What if you’re not prepared?

WILLOW: Then we get prepared.

KENNEDY: And if that fails? Then what?

WILLOW: Then we keep trying. We know enough Kennedy. Around 9pm, a portal should open at the Bronze. Something evil comes out that’s going to try and end the world. We stop it.

KENNEDY: And it’s that easy?

WILLOW: Giles will be there. I have faith that nothing will go wrong when Giles is around.

KENNEDY: (PLAYFULLY SCOFFS) Why don’t you just go marry him?

WILLOW: Kennedy? Word of advice. Don’t go throwing that phrase around. It can lead to badness.

KENNEDY FROWNS. WILLOW NODS IN A “BELIEVE ME” WAY.

WILLOW (CONT): I feel ready for tomorrow. If you don’t, you can do some more boring research for hours and stay up getting tired and having big ol’ bags under your eyes and chew your nails down to nothing... Or you can get under the covers and sleep. (SMIRKING) I hear snuggling makes the fear go away.

KENNEDY SMILES AND CRAWLS UNDER THE COVERS NEXT TO WILLOW.

SCENE AA

CROSSFADE IN: INT. SUMMERS’ KITCHEN – SAME TIME.

CAMERA ANGLE ON A BAG ON THE FLOOR THAT CONTAINS MYSTICAL ARTEFACTS, AMONGST OTHER THINGS. PULL UP SLOWLY TO SEE SPIKE AND BUFFY. SPIKE AND BUFFY ARE SITTING AT THE CENTRAL ISLAND, AND ARE LOOKING AT MANY MAPS AND TEXTS.

BUFFY: Wes made it pretty clear.

SPIKE: That he did.

BUFFY: The demons collecting around the cave entrance? I think we can fight them off, but we have to do it fast.

SPIKE: We’ll manage. After all, I have a new sword.

SPIKE PULLS OUT A SWORD FROM THE BAG ON THE FLOOR. BUFFY LOOKS SHOCKED.

BUFFY: You stole his sword?

SPIKE: He won’t miss it.

BUFFY: (ROLLS EYES) Whatever. So we enter the cave, (READING MAP) and work our way down through... here.

SPIKE: And to get in we use the bronze thing.

BUFFY TAKES THE BRONZE THING OUT OF THE BAG.

BUFFY: That would be this.

SPIKE: Looking good. (READING) We will be tackled by powerful demonic foes... Well, that’s the same thing they told me before I got my soul back so...

BUFFY: I’ll help. We can handle the demon fighting. It’s the next part that bugs me.

SPIKE: Bugs... (SHUDDERS)

BUFFY: What?

SPIKE: Nothing. But forget the next part. It’s just a jigsaw thing.

BUFFY: Yeah, and the puzzle has to be completed followed by aligning the twelve stones of power on the sacred altar before the sand drops. We assume that by “sand drops” they mean a timing device inside the cave.

SPIKE: Bloody hell. This all sounds like a bad Macgyver episode...

BUFFY: After that’s done, and we have to be quick, the ancient device that’ll destroy the world should be disarmed.

SPIKE: And from there it’s a simple “Run For Your Life” situation, as the cave will fill with molten lava.

BUFFY: Wes never said that.

SPIKE: Buffy, there is always molten lava...

BUFFY: So... Demons, bronze thing, more demons, puzzle, lava. Huh. Go simplicity.

SPIKE: And that basically covers it.

BUFFY: Basically yeah.

SPIKE: Why the frown?

BUFFY: I’m just worried. Dawn... and...

SPIKE: Worried that Dawn and Andrew can’t handle a little apocalyptic demon?

BUFFY SIGHS.

SPIKE (CONT): They’ll manage.

BUFFY: And then there’s Xander and Anya and Faith.

SPIKE: Yeah, that was a bad move love.

BUFFY: Why?

SPIKE: Because Anya wants to eat Faith’s head off! Don’t tell me you can’t hear it in there.

BUFFY: We don’t all have dog’s hearing.

SPIKE: Can you not tell? Can you not feel the animosity in the air? God, it’s worse than between you and Faith in LA! (OFF BUFFY’S GLARE) Which we’re not talking about.

THERE IS A PAUSE AS BUFFY TAKES THIS IN.

BUFFY: I am sorry for what happened. I want you to know that. I feel bad, and I’m sorry.

SPIKE: I am too.

BUFFY: (NODDING) Good.

SPIKE: (NODDING BACK) Good.

BUFFY: (NODDING FURTHER) Glad that’s out the way.

SPIKE: (NODDING AS WELL) Yep.

BUFFY: (NODDING STILL FURTHER) Fine.

SPIKE: (YOU GUESSED IT – HE’S NODDING) Fine.

A CONTINUOUS NODDING THEME SEEMS TO... CONTINUE, ONLY INTERRUPTED BY A LARGE SHOUTING MATCH COMING FROM THE LIVING ROOM.

SPIKE (CONT): Now you must have heard that.

BUFFY: Yeah, I did.

SPIKE: They’d better get over that by tomorrow, else we’re screwed.

BUFFY: (DEPRESSED) You got that right.

SPIKE: (READING HER FACE) I sense some choly of the melan kind.

BUFFY: (CONFUSED) Choly of the melan kind? What...

SPIKE: I don’t know. I am very very drunk. (SIGHS)

BUFFY: It’s everyone else.

SPIKE: What about them?

BUFFY: It’s just that I don’t think I can trust them.

SPIKE: Of course you can. They’re your friends.

BUFFY: Not as friends. As fighters.

SPIKE: Explain.

BUFFY: Whenever we’ve had an apocalypse to fight, it pretty much always came down to me. The Slayer. I was the one that had finish it. But now... Now we have four, and they’re going down at the same time. I can’t be in four places at once. And so I’m putting the world in their hands. I can’t be there to save it. We could do fine...

SPIKE: (INTERRUPTING) We will.

BUFFY: Okay, we will do fine. And even though we succeed, the whole world could still go hell because one group fails.

SPIKE: You just have to trust them.

BUFFY: I don’t know if I can. And a part of me almost doesn’t care.

SPIKE: Doesn’t care what? That you have trust issues?

BUFFY: That the world could end. I’ve saved the world, so many times. I’ve died saving this miserable planet. (DEFEATED) Maybe someone up there is telling me to just give it up.

SPIKE: And since when were you the type to listen?

BUFFY: Since I realised that for once it’s not up to me.

SPIKE: Buffy, that’s what everyone goes through every day. Maybe not consciously, but they do. After all, you’re here to protect Sunnydale right? Each and every person out there tonight is probably thinking that it doesn’t matter if they eat right or look both ways before they cross the street, because tomorrow they could be struck down by lightning, through no fault of their own. Or they could be gunned down as an innocent bystander. (PAUSING, WITH A SMIRK) Or they could be attacked and killed by a vampire.

BUFFY: I don’t think that many people in this town actually think that.

SPIKE: You know what I mean. The world is going to end. You think I don’t know that? No matter how hard you keep fighting, it will eventually. And people will die.

BUFFY DOES THAT THING THAT BUFFY DOES WHEN SHE’S UPSET. YOU KNOW THE LOOK. LIPS PURSED, EYES WIDEN... THAT LOOK.

SPIKE (CONT): People die Buffy! It’s what they do. Nothing lasts forever. But it doesn’t mean you give up. You try and live as much as you can, and trust that you’ll be protected. In some situations people put their faith in their God, in the time of an apocalypse, without knowing it, this world puts its faith in you. The Slayer. And in this case Buffy, you’re going to have to believe in your friends. Trust that they’ll pull through for you, the same way that they trust we’ll pull through for them. It’s the two way street that is life and love, pet. And you gotta walk it.

BUFFY: (POUTING) But my feet hurt.

SPIKE: (ROLLS EYES) Go to bed Buffy.

BUFFY: But!

SPIKE: But nothing. The apocalypse will still be here in the morning, and we already know what to do.

BUFFY: I...

SPIKE: You can think about the apocalypse tomorrow. Now go. Sleep. Dream.

BUFFY: Fine. I guess you’re right.

BUFFY RESIGNS AND GETS UP OFF HER STOOL. SHE SIGHS TIREDLY.

BUFFY (CONT): I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

SPIKE SMILES AND BEGINS TO GATHER THE PAPERS. BUFFY WALKS AWAY, ON HER WAY TO BED.

FADE TO BLACK.

END OF ACT THREE

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