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.
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Part Seven
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ACT 4, SCENE 2 INT. The Sunnydale High School Library. Night.
It is only moments after Willow, Xander and Buffy have just passed through the time pathway. The portal collapses back in on itself. Outside, a new sound joins the roar of the wind. The tips of tree branches bending in the wind CLICK furiously against the glass of the library windows.
Oz, Cordelia and Howard are all standing near where the time pathway vanished moments earlier.
HOWARD
(barely heard above the howling winds)
It's coming! Be very still. It'll be here any moment. Are you ready with the spell, Oz?
OZ
I guess. I hope I don't screw up. This isn't chemistry, and I haven't had any time to study!
HOWARD
Yes it is! It is a kind of chemistry!
OZ
Okay, if you say so!
CORDELIA
(shouting)
Hey, HP! What do I do?
HOWARD
Distract it from Oz while he reads the incantation!
CORDELIA
How the hell do I do that!
HOWARD
Your sword...
(suddenly looking at the center of the Library)
It's Here!
From out of the floor in the center of the Library a whirlwind of mist, dust and invisible forces that distort the passage of light swirls up towards the ceiling. Within the whirlpool, body parts and eyes fly wildly, coalescing into an outlandish form with a head of tentacles in the shape of a star. The maelstrom menacingly spins towards Howard.
HOWARD
(to Oz)
Begin the spell!
Oz does not respond. He is frozen to the floor in complete amazement at the entity in the center of the room.
OZ
(his mouth hanging open)
... wow...
An inhuman voice emerges from the coalescing Ancient One.
VOICE
(to Howard)
You.
HOWARD
I have a name . . as do you, ... YogSothoth!
VOICE
Where is it? I will have it.
HOWARD
I am not alone now.
VOICE
You are still no match for me. And these others with you, they are like pebbles and dust.
HOWARD
Return to the void! Or this night will be your last!
VOICE
Still nothing but threats. I know your riddle, Man. This is "nowhere." And now is "tomorrow."
HOWARD
Read the spell, Oz!
Oz still does not respond. He stands, as if in a daze, staring at the Ancient One.
VOICE
(to Howard)
You were a fool to put your faith in them. Now you will die again, Guardian.
Howard suddenly grabs for his collar and begins choking. As if wrestling with an invisible force strangling him, Howard struggles to stay on his feet, all the while gasping for air.
CORDELIA
No! Leave him alone!
The Ancient One ignores Cordelia.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
(stamping her feet)
I said leave him alone!
Cordelia grabs a hand full of books and throws them at the Ancient One in the center of the room. As the books strike the maelstrom they explode like little firecrackers and fall flaming to the floor in a shower of sparks.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Pay attention to me you toad breath!
She picks up a folding chair and tosses it into the maelstrom. It bounces off as more sparks cascade to the floor. Cordelia begins grabbing anything she can lay her hands on, chairs, books, lamps, boxes, and throws them all, one after the other, at the Ancient One.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
(screaming as she throws)
What's the matter, I'm not good enough for you?! Pay attention to me! Damn it! Nobody ignores me!
Suddenly, a tentacle lashes out from the Ancient One and strikes Cordelia as if she were a slight annoyance. She falls back against one of the book shelves. Her hair is dissheveled and her hands now blackened with soot.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
My nails! Look what you did to my nails! It took me three months to get them right! You are dead meat, Slime Boy!
Cordelia leaps to her feet and tears open Giles' closet. She pulls out the enormous Scottish Claymore. She almost drops it to the floor again.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
(speaking to the sword)
Wooh! Okay, big baby, let's nail this sucker!
She raises the sword in front of her, gives it a long arching swing to get the feel of it and charges forward placing herself between the whirling entity and Howard. As a tentacle reachs out to her, she strikes it off. YogSothoth gives a roar of rage.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Yeah! Now you pay attention! Back off, Jello face!
VOICE
Do not come between me and what is mine. You can not touch me in my realm.
CORDELIA
Well stick your slimy head out here and see what happens!
Tentacles lash out of the maelstrom at Cordelia. Dodging their swinging grasp, she strikes each one off, the heavy blade of the Claymore smoking and turning green with a dripping liquid. The severed tentacles writhe on the floor and then turn to dust. Still choking, Howard screams at Oz.
HOWARD
This is our last chance,... the spell!... now is the time Master Oz!
An invisible force, like a shifting of the light spectrum, shoots out of the whirlwind directly at Cordelia and knocks the sword out of her hands. Flying into one of her fits of fury, Cordelia leaps at the entity and actually reaches inside the maelstrom. She pokes wildly, clawing at the creature's multiple eyes. Several pop and gush green ooze.
CORDELIA
You Scummy Bastard! Don't you dare touch me!
YogSothoth roars in rage again. Cordelia jumps back and grabs up the Claymore. Oz is spellbound watching Cordelia swing the massive blade again and again.
HOWARD
OZ!
OZ
(suddenly gathering his wits)
Holy Shit!
(he begins reading the incantation)
Uh... Ad Infernos Descende Damnatus!
The entity roars once more, but this time there is the sound of anger and fear in its cry.
OZ (cont'd)
Ad Infernos Descende Damnatus!
Suddenly from out of the whirlwind, the tentacled star shaped head of YogSothoth itself protrudes into the library. It twists towards Oz.
HOWARD
It's trying to cross over! It's breaking free!
OZ
Ad Infernos Nunc Descende Damnatus Per Omnis Aeternitatis!
Cordelia runs in front of Oz and swings the Claymore at the advancing swarm of tentacles.
CORDELIA
Back in your litter pan, poop face!
When her blade strikes the extended mass of tentacles and eyes, the library shakes with a loud WHOOM. A flash of light nearly blinds Oz, Howard and Cordelia. Oz is thrown backwards and ends up lying against the check out desk. The huge head drops to the floor as Cordelia staggers against one of the book stacks. The Claymore, now shattered, slips out of her hands. Howard is suddenly freed from the invisible strangling grasp.
The maelstrom in the center of the library begins to sway and destabilize. Long arms of dust and light distortion fly wildly out of the eye of the whirlwind as the entire center disintegrates. Cordelia rushes forward, grabs the huge tentacled head and heaves it into the collapsing vortex.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
And take your garbage out with you!
The whirlwind in the center of the room vanishes leaving only the traces of a slight rush of moving air that gently blows Cordelia's brown hair. On his knees and awestruck, Howard stares at Cordelia. Outside, the storm winds rapidly dissolve away leaving the night still once more.
HOWARD
(whispering to Cordelia)
You're alive.
Cordelia looks at her hands covered in green slime and soot.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Eeeew!
There is silence in the room for a few moments as Howard struggles to regain his breath and Oz tries to stand up. Suddenly, Cordelia staggers over to a chair.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Oh, I don't feel so good.
She sits down and starts massaging her filthy hands. Oz gets up and runs to her side.
OZ
Cordelia!
CORDELIA
(worried)
Oz, my hands, they feel all tingly.
OZ
(reassuring her)
You're okay, Cordie.
He looks down at the sword by her side. The hilt of the Claymore is charred and the entire blade has melted away leaving only faint wisps of steam rising from a stained spot on the floor.
CORDELIA
(looking up at Oz)
I wrecked Giles' sword. Is he going to get mad at me?
OZ
(smiling at Cordelia but clearly worried about her condition)
Don't sweat the little stuff. He's a big boy. He'll handle it.
Howard comes over and kneels down beside Cordelia.
HOWARD
You're alive!
CORDELIA
What a dumb thing to say. (looking at her hands again) I'm gonna need a ton of cold cream to get this crap off... HP, I can't feel my fingers too good.
OZ
Man, you were awesome! Just like Xena!
CORDELIA
Of course. (then like a small girl, a little frightened) HP, I'm getting cold... and my hands are all funny.
Howard strips off his trench coat. He quickly places it over Cordelia's shoulders and draws it together around her body.
HOWARD
Better?
CORDELIA
Yeah, a little.
(to Oz)
We did it, huh! You and me! I guess I'm an official weirdo now.
OZ
Hey, babe, you did it all! If it weren't for you, we'd all be ghost toast!
HOWARD
(to Cordelia in awe)
You reached across into the void... and fought an Ancient One hand to hand!
Cordelia remembers poking out YogSothoth's eyes.
CORDELIA
Yech! Gross!
HOWARD
Armies, Kings, Wizards, no man has ever battled an Ancient One in the void itself and survived.
OZ
(to Howard)
You're missing the obvious. This is a woman! The hottest and now the baddest babe at Sunnydale High!
Cordelia begins shivering. She tries to curl up under Howard's large trench coat.
CORDELIA
HP, I'm getting real cold. I can't feel my hands anymore. Oz... where's Xander?
Oz is silent for a moment. He then speaks calmly to Cordelia.
OZ
He's coming. He'll be here in a minute.
Oz pulls Howard aside into a corner of the library.
OZ (cont'd)
(tensely, under his breath)
What the hell's wrong with her?
HOWARD
(whispering)
She has reached in and physically struck a being in and of the void. A mortal man's body disintegrates under such circumstances. A tremendous strength within her is fighting back... but she won't last long without help.
OZ
Then we gotta get her to a hospital.
HOWARD
There is nothing they can do. And it's beyond any power I have to counter act... She needs Xander now.
OZ
Xander? What can Xander...?
HOWARD
Master Oz, what is the most powerful force in all the universe?
Oz is puzzled.
OZ
Well, in physics, gravity and ...
HOWARD
No!... think on it awhile! And pray Xander and Willow return soon.
Oz looks at Howard for a moment more, still not understanding
OZ
What can I do to help?
HOWARD
Talk to her. Keep her spirits up. Help her hold the fear at bay.
CORDELIA
(quietly calling)
Oz? Where'd you go? Where's Xander?
Oz comes back to Cordelia.
OZ
I'm right here. Xander's coming, too. He'll be here soon. How about we make you more comfortable?
CORDELIA
Yeah, this chair bites, it's worse than the bleachers... my legs are getting tingly now, too.
Howard and Oz lift Cordelia, still wrapped in Howard's trenchcoat, down onto the floor so that her back is propped up against the check out desk.
OZ
That better?
CORDELIA
(quietly)
Yeah... but it's still so cold. HP, could you turn on the rest of the lights. I can hardly see you guys, it's so dark in here.
Oz and Howard look at each other, both deeply worried now.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
(to Oz)
Was I really great? Like Xena? I wish Xander could have seen me.
OZ
You were the best. You know who you really reminded me of?... Lady Eowynn.
CORDELIA
(a little gasp of delight)
Who's that?
OZ
She was a princess in a book, The Lord of the Rings. Willow gave it to me when we first started going out.
CORDELIA
(shivering but speaking like a little girl)
Oh neat, what did she do in the story? My Mom used to read me stories at night.
Oz looks questioningly at Howard. Howard nods back to him as if to say, "Go ahead." Oz sits down beside Cordelia.
OZ
Well, once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Eowynn, and she wanted to ride into battle with her father, King Theoden, to help him save the great city of Gondor. But no one would let her because she was a woman. So she disguised herself in knight's armor, and with her squire, the hobbit Merry of the Shire, she rode with the Riders of Rohan to save Gondor from the the Dark Lord, Sauron.
Cordelia nestles into the trenchcoat, carefully listening. Her soft brown eyes, though growing glassy, are trained faithfully on Oz.
OZ (cont'd)
But Sauron unleashed against the Riders of Rohan his most terrible first in command, the Lord of the Nazgul, who swept down from the sky over the Pelannor Fields, killing King Theoden and all his household... all save Eowynn and Merry. The evil Lord on his black dragon laughed because he knew the prophesy that said no mortal man should ever slay him. Then, Lady Eowynn removed her helmet and her long hair flowed down over her shoulders. And fear entered the heart of the Lord of the Nazgul when he saw he faced a woman... Cordie, are you still awake?
CORDELIA
(with rapt attention)
Oh, please don't stop.
OZ
So, Lady Eowynn and her squire Merry, together destroyed the Lord of the Nazgul. And for the first time in years, the clouds over Gondor parted and the morning sun shone down on the towers of the city.
CORDELIA
(weakly)
Oh, what a wonderful story. And what happened then?
OZ
(sadly)
But because Lady Eowynn had dared strike a thing of such terrible darkness and evil, she fell into a deep sleep, from which no art of the healers or magic of Gandalf the Wizard could wake her. Until Aragorn, the lost King of Gondor, returned out of the Paths of the Dead... and woke her, bringing her back with the healing of his touch.
CORDELIA
(faintly)
And they lived happily every after?
OZ
Yes,... they lived happily ever after.
CORDELIA
(barely above a whisper)
It's so cold.
Oz wraps his arms around Cordelia to keep her warm. He gently tries to brush her messed up hair back into place.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
(shivering)
Thanks, that feels better... Oz?
OZ
Yeah?
CORDELIA
I'm sorry I've been mean to you. You're okay. Willow's real lucky.
OZ
Xander's the guy I envy. You're beautiful... and kick butt too!
CORDELIA
As good as Buffy?
OZ
(nodding, quietly)
Better than Buffy.
Cordelia seems content now. She closes her eyes and leans closer to Oz.
CORDELIA
Oh, I'm so sleepy... I'm gonna take a nap, Oz... could you have Xander wake me when he gets here?
Cordelia drifts off into unconsciousness.
OZ
(sadly)
I will... Lady Eowynn, I sure will.
The Library is silent. Howard stands in shock, his face bowed in his hand. Oz cradles Cordelia. Her face, now ghastly pale, stands out from the wrapped trench coat like a fading beacon in the dark.
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