The Guardian of the Gates of Dawn: Part 10
by Gaius Petronius
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, the WB and Mutant Enemy, Inc. The Ancient Ones, in particular the entity YogSothoth, as well as the character of Robert Blake first appeared in the Cthulhu mythos stories of the early twentieth century horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Ten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT 4, SCENE 5, INT. The Master's Chamber. Night. The future.
In the Master's Chamber where Buffy first died, blazing torches ring the stone walls. The basin of blood from which the Master originally arose still sits full in one corner. All round, the light in the Chamber casts a lurid red tone on all the stones, ceilings and corridors. In one far corner, the air begins to shimmer as the time distortion gateway materializes. Buffy steps through the distortion into the Chamber. Although her fists are raised and she is on the defensive, she looks slightly comical since her pocket is stuffed with the rolled up paper containing Howard's spell. In a moment, the distortion closes behind her.
BUFFY
(to herself)
Oh crap. It had to be here again.
The Chamber is silent. The rippling of the torches casts a wave like effect of light across the walls. Buffy slowly lowers her fists and looks around.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(as if speaking to someone who isn't there)
All right HP. Where is it? What am I supposed to be looking for?
As she stares around her, the sound of LAUGHTER begins to echo in the chamber. It is not the hollow voice of the Ancient One but something more familiar. Buffy's eyes widen with fear. She recognizes the sound of THE MASTER. From out of the blood pool, the image of The Master rises and floats in the air out from from the pool and towards her. Blood drips from his fingertips and razor sharp fangs. Buffy backs away as he approaches.
THE MASTER
Was it good for you, Slayer, your first time... dying?
Buffy composes herself.
BUFFY
I destroyed you once. I had to stop you from rising a second time! Now, three strikes, you're out!
She makes a rapid kick thrust at The Master but her foot passes through his image as if nothing were there. Recovering, she backs away.
BUFFY
(almost to herself)
You're not real... you're in my head.
The Master only laughs in response. As Buffy backs away further, her fear building, she passes through another image that looms up just behind her. As she looks up, she almost chokes in horror. The dead body of Jennie Calendar, the neck twisted and broken, hangs in the air just inches in front of her. Buffy gasps and jumps away. Jennie's eyes are open but stare ahead unseeing. The Master's laughter rings through the Chamber.
Buffy is about to run out of the Chamber but her path is suddenly blocked by the image of Angel. He is curled up, writhing in agony and dripping wet as on the night he and Buffy made love. Angel cries out, his despair echoing amidst The Master's laughter.
ANGEL
Buffy!... Help me!... Oh God, Buffy...
Buffy puts her hands to her ears to stop the sound.
BUFFY
No!
Angel suddenly stops writhing, stands up and his face transforms into the vampire rage. He smiles hideously at Buffy. Buffy has nowhere to run. She backs away towards one of the Chamber walls. Another image appears directly in front of her. This time it is her mother, Joyce Summers. She is standing holding two envelopes, one stuffed with legal documents, the other just a letter. She is almost weeping and yelling at someone who cannot be seen. Buffy cries out to her.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Mom! Please help me!
JOYCE
(in anger through her tears)
It's not bad enough that your father serves me with the divorce papers today, but then you have to parade in here and tell me you've been kicked out of school again!
Joyce breaks down crying, crumpling the papers in her hands. Buffy shakes her head, the tears running down her cheeks too.
BUFFY
No!... Mom!... please, Mom...
A final image materializes in front of Buffy. It is a corpse, lying on a cot with a burning candle at each end. Buffy immediately recognizes her dead boyfriend, JONATHAN MARTEL. His voice, sadly speaks over Joyce's crying and The Master's laughter.
JONATHAN
I died, Buffy. You must let me go.
Buffy flattens herself against the wall as if she could somehow push the stones further away from the images tormenting her. She begins to slide sideways along the wall towards an opening that will let her escape from the Chamber. As she is about to reach the tunnel her path is suddenly blocked by Howard.
BUFFY
(jumping in surprise and relief)
Oh! HP! Where the hell did you come from? Thank God, you're here! (she spins back to face the images) What am I gonna do!?
HOWARD
Hold your ground, Buffy! You're right. These are the monsters of your mind! They are all things of the past that hold you prisoner because you will not cast them off! You cannot seize your future until you bury these ghosts!
BUFFY
But how do I do that?
HOWARD
Face them, each one. What you need to put them to rest is in your heart.
Buffy composes herself and steps forward towards The Master.
BUFFY
(firmly to The Master)
I destroyed you twice for what you did to me! I'll carry that scar forever... but nothing else! You will not control my future!
The Master stops laughing and gives Buffy a puzzled look. Buffy continues to glower at him.
BUFFY (cont'd)
My death, when it comes again, will be my own!
The Master's face contorts in rage. He raises his bloody fingers towards the ceiling of the Chamber and is about to scream when suddenly his image vanishes without a trace. Buffy turns to the floating body of Jennie Calendar.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Ms. Calendar, I don't really know what to say to you except... I understand you were trying to help me.... I'm sorry,... please forgive me.
The image of Jennie undergoes a transformation. Her body, ashen pale, changes to warm flesh tones and her broken neck gently straightens. Life returns to her eyes and she smiles sadly at Buffy.
JENNIE
Buffy, you don't need to ask for forgiveness. You had that a long time ago. You were just following your heart.... watch out for Rupert for me.
BUFFY
(nodding)
Deal.
The image of Jennie vanishes. Buffy turns to the vampire image of Angel. She says nothing for a moment but glares at him.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(quietly)
I thought I'd given up on you. But I won't. I know there's a way.
ANGEL
(with an evil grin)
And you'd be the bitch to find it, too!
BUFFY
Get out of my sight!
The image of Angel disappears. Buffy then turns to her weeping mother.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Mom... I don't know what happened... I don't understand why you and Dad broke up. But, please, don't blame me.
JOYCE SUMMERS
(looking up at Buffy)
Honey, we never did.
BUFFY
(her eyes watering)
I love you, Mom. I love you so much.
JOYCE SUMMERS
I love you, too, Buffy.
Buffy's mother vanishes. Buffy slowly turns to the last image, the dead body of Jonathan.
BUFFY
Jonathan, I feel like all my life I'll be saying goodbye to you. But I cannot and will not let you go forever. I'm keeping one thing. What you told me to... the books... and the stars. They'll help me keep my promise... to always remember.
As if blown by an invisible breath, the two candles by Jonathan's body go out. His body turns to dust and the image fades away. The Chamber is silent. Buffy doesn't move but stares at the now empty Chamber. Finally she turns to Howard.
BUFFY
Thanks, HP. I thought you said you weren't going to be here.
HOWARD
I'm not.
Buffy stares at Howard, not understanding what he has just said. Howard holds out his hand and Buffy reaches to take it in hers. Her hands pass through him as if nothing were there.
BUFFY
(whispered in awe)
Are you in my mind, too?
HOWARD
No. (He reaches out and puts his hand over her heart) I am here.
"In mente terrores sunt." Fear lurks in the mind.
"sed in animo spes est." But hope resides in the soul.
BUFFY
But if you're not HP, who are you?
HOWARD
I am you. Howard Phillips didn't banish these demons. Buffy Summers did. You just needed to put a face on the strength to do it. The past is done. Now you must turn to the future.
Buffy stares at the image of Howard. He smiles and fades away leaving her standing alone.
For a few moments Buffy doesn't move. She then begins to wander into different alcoves of the Chamber. She suddenly stumbles on the spot where she died at the hands of the Master. This is not an image. She gasps and jumps back. In a moment she catches her breath, reigns in her shock and steps forward again. She looks down and gazes into the shallow pool of water where the Master dropped her lifeless body and where Xander and Angel pulled her out. Her reflection stares back up at her and, as in a dream from the distant past, she remembers Xander giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation.
As she stares into the water, a second figure silently joins hers in the reflection. Buffy leaps away and looks up into the face of Angel.
BUFFY
YOU!
ANGEL (slowly, with a touch of sadness)
Buffy, is it really you? I can't believe you're here.
BUFFY
Keep away from me!
ANGEL
Buffy, it's me.
BUFFY
I know who the hell you are!
ANGEL
He told me it would be you coming. But I couldn't believe it.
BUFFY
Who told you? What's going on here?
ANGEL
That's right... you don't know... you've come from so long ago.
BUFFY
I'm getting the hell outta here!
Buffy moves to leave through one of the tunnels, but Angel steps in the way to block her path.
ANGEL
You can't go up there.
BUFFY
Why not!
ANGEL
It's all... different. It's all wrong... it has to be changed. That's why we're here tonight. We have to work together on this one.
Angel steps towards Buffy, but she backs away.
BUFFY
I told you, keep away from me!... Why're you looking at me so weird! Stop looking at me that way!
ANGEL
I'm sorry, Buffy. I can't help it.... you've been gone... dead... for over five hundred years.
Buffy's mouth drops open and her eyes widen in amazement.
BUFFY
I don't know what BS you're trying to pull here...
ANGEL
Buffy, this is our only chance. You have to work with me. You have to trust me. Otherwise everything, all the sacrifices, all the work of the Guardians, all of our struggles together, it'll all have been for nothing.
Angel moves next to Buffy and puts his hand on her shoulder. Buffy recoils and pulls a small cross out of her pocket. She presses it hard against Angel's face.
BUFFY
I said get away from me!
Buffy leaps back from Angel. She raises her fists ready to attack, the cross still firmly grasped in one hand. As she glowers at Angel through her clenched fists, her eyes fall on the side of his face where she pressed the cross against his skin. There is no burn mark. There is a long silence as Buffy, trying to understand what she is seeing, looks back and forth between the cross in her hands and Angel.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(quietly)
Angel... I don't understand... your face... it should be...
ANGEL
It's me.
BUFFY
(whispering)
Angel?
A sudden roar breaks the silence and the still air of the Chamber bursts into a furious whirlwind. Over the blood basin of the Master a whirlpool of amorphous light surges upwards to the ceiling. Within the whirling wind, YogSothoth begins materializing. Multiple body parts, eyes and tentacles swirl wildly around in the maelstrom as the Ancient One gathers form and strength.
ANGEL
(yelling over the building din)
No time for this now! I have to hold it off! You read the spell the Guardian gave you! Then finish with your own!
BUFFY (fumbling with the paper sticking out of her pocket)
But I don't know what it is!
ANGEL
Then speak what comes from your heart!
BUFFY
But what about you! You can't fight an Ancient One by yourself!
ANGEL
Don't worry about me! The Guardian will look after me.
BUFFY
Who are you talking about?
ANGEL
You really don't know, do you!
BUFFY
You've got a lot of faith in this "Guardian," considering what we're up against!
ANGEL
He's protected me for five centuries just so I could be here tonight! I don't think he's gonna blow it now!
Angel moves forward to come between Buffy and the Ancient One. A tentacle sweeps out from the whirling form, stiking Angel and sending him tumbling against the wall. He lands next to the capstone where Buffy and Howard hid the sword.
BUFFY
Angel! "Needful!" It's under that stone right beside you!
ANGEL
What?
BUFFY
A sword!
YogSothoth turns his attention to Buffy and the tentacles move wildly towards her. Angel quickly shakes his head clear, and slides the flat stone over. The sword almost leaps up into his hands. Before the Ancient One can reach her, Angel is on his feet and between Buffy and the blood basin. He madly strikes at the tentacles, dismembering several in a shower of sparks.
ANGEL
(as he struggles with the Ancient One)
The Spell! Read The Spell!
Buffy pulls the paper from her back pocket. She begins reading, this time never once stumbling on the words,
BUFFY (reading)
Nunc YogSothoth in praeterito tempori peries!
YogSothoth, you will perish now in the past!
Nunc YogSothoth in praesenti tempori peries!
YogSothoth, you will perish now in the present!
Nunc YogSothoth in futurum peries!
YogSothoth, you will perish now in the future!
Descende nunc YogSothoth atque a omnis temporis Damnatus ad orem infernorum!
YogSothoth, descend now and for all time, damned thing, into the Mouth of Hell!
YogSothoth, Krarao Gnae hra! YogSothoth, N'gais graktai hra!
The lashing tentacles pull back suddenly from Angel. Angel lowers his sword momentarily to catch his breath.
ANGEL
Keep reading!
BUFFY
But I'm outta stuff! What do I do?
ANGEL
Your own, now. Cast him out in your own words!
Sensing weakness, YogSothoth lurches forward at Angel. Before he can strike them off, two tentacles encircle Angel. He hacks furiously at them, but is unable to build enough strength to break their grip.
BUFFY
Angel!
Buffy closes her eyes and turns her head to the ceiling as if praying.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Oh please, if there are Guardians here, help Angel! And if I have a Guardian, please tell me what to say!
She opens her eyes to see Angel struggling on his knees wrapped in the tentacles of YogSothoth. Angel cries out desperatly to her.
ANGEL
Cast him out, Buffy!
Buffy's fists are clenching, crumbling HP's paper. In desperation, knowing her actions will be futile, she prepares to enter the battle to save Angel. Suddenly, a familiar voice comes to her as if from a distant time but nevertheless standing right beside her. The words entering her mind calm her building panic.
VOICE
Buffy, it's in your heart. It always has been. You only need know who you are, and speak it out loud.
Buffy takes a deep breath. She looks directly at YogSothoth and begins speaking in a firm steady voice.
BUFFY
In the name of The Guardians of the Gates of Dawn,
I cast you, YogSothoth, back into the Inferno,
Back into the void from which you came!
In the name of the Lady Willow, you are cast out!
In the name of the Lord Iskander, you are cast out!
In the name of the Lady Cordelia, you are cast out!
As she recites, a horrendous roar emits from the whirlwind around YogSothoth. His material form begins to dismember. The tentacles around Angel unwind and drop lifeless away. They quickly burst into clouds of dust. Angel falls forward onto the floor.
BUFFY (cont'd)
In the name of the Scientist Oz, you are cast out!
In the name of Buffy Summers, the Slayer of Vampires, you are cast out!
In the name of Angelus, the Reborn, you are cast out!
And in the name of Howard Phillips, Guardian of all the Watchers, you are cast out!
The maelstrom over the blood basin of the Master swirls wildly out of control as the Ancient One tears itself to pieces in the rushing winds. Then, like a vampire exploding in its death agony, the whirlpool and YogSothoth within, fly apart in a cloud of dust and the winds cease. Silence returns to the Chamber.
Buffy stands trembling and Angel lies on the floor. Buffy drops the paper she has crumpled up in her hands and runs to his side. She kneels down beside Angel. He looks up at her, smiling, but scarcely able to breath.
ANGEL
You came through... your spell, it was just right... how did you know ?...
BUFFY
(quietly but bewildered)
I didn't. It was like somebody was telling it to me in my mind.
ANGEL
That was your Guardian.
BUFFY
Angel, what are we going to do?
Suddenly, the time distortion reappears across on the other side of the Chamber.
ANGEL (quietly)
You have to go. My Guardian will take care of me.
BUFFY
No, Angel!
ANGEL
Now, Buffy! You must go now!
Willow's voice can be heard calling out from the other side of the distortion.
WILLOW
Buffy, where are you?
BUFFY
I'm right here, Will! Angel's with me but he's hurt.
Howard's voice echoes from the other side of the distortion.
HOWARD
You must come back now, Buffy! The pathway will not stay open long!
ANGEL
(weakly)
Go Buffy, or all we have accomplished will be lost. Go. You must trust me.
Buffy gets up and moves towards the distortion. As she steps partway in, she turns to look back at Angel. He lies motionless on the floor, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling of the Chamber. Buffy stops, torn between going back to Angel or returning to her own present.
As Buffy watches, a faint shimmering of light, similar to the time distortion but smaller, hovers beside Angel. From out of it appears a tall young man in breeches, boots and a white shirt. Buffy immediatly recognizes him as the young wizard Jonathan Martel, her old boyfriend who died saving her and Xander in an earlier battle with the Ancient One.
BUFFY
(whispering)
Jonathan...
Jonathan kneels down beside Angel. At the same time by his side appear two translucent figures. The two spirit forms stand arm in arm. Buffy gasps as she realizes who they are. One is Angel, the other herself. None of them acknowledge her presence as she gapes at them from out of the time distortion.
The spirits of Buffy and Angel watch with concern as Jonathan places his hand on Angel's chest. A faint glow of light passes down Jonathan's arm into Angel's body. Angel begins breathing again.
BUFFY'S SPIRIT
Will he be all right?
JONATHAN
(nodding and standing)
They both did what they had to do.
ANGEL'S SPIRIT
She's going to be okay when she gets back?
JONATHAN
Yes,... the Gates are now open. The Dawn is pouring in as we speak. In a moment,... all will be changed.
BUFFY'S SPIRIT
Then it's finally done?
JONATHAN
You are both free.
Buffy's Spirit steps up to Jonathan and hugs him. She leans up and gives him a kiss on the cheek. As she holds him close to her again she speaks softly in his ear, her voice shaking and sorrowful.
BUFFY'S SPIRIT
Jonathan, ... what's going to happen to you?
JONATHAN
I must return to the dark, to do what I must do... stand guard over her.
Buffy's Spirit hugs him again. She strokes his face gently with her hand. Angel's Spirit puts his hand on Jonathan's shoulder. Jonathan turns to him. Angel's Spirit gives him a full bear hug.
ANGEL'S SPIRIT
I can't believe it. It's finally over. Thank you... for both of us. And thank old HP for us as well.
JONATHAN
I will. If it weren't for the Old Man, well, I don't know where we'd all be. Go, get outta here... the dawn is breaking. It's finally your time.
Holding each other close, the two spirits vanish. Jonathan looks down at Angel lying on the floor. Suddenly Angel vanishes as well.
JONATHAN
(speaking softly to himself)
The winds of change now blow through all time and space.
This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=1842