Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Guest: I think this movie is overhyping shit, so some people are gonna end up disappointed either way. And the 'One More Day' stuff is definitely not endearing the film to me.
Chapter 53- Over The Rainbow
"So, Lorne's home world, here we go", Buffy said as she turned the recording on and it played.
Angel and Wesley looked around for Cordelia in Caritas before Wesley realized she'd been sucked into Lorne's Dimension, so Angel asked Lorne about it while Cordelia got up and brushed herself off in the other Dimension, asking for Angel, Wesley and Lorne, then screamed for help before shutting herself up as Hellbeasts might arrive. Then she clicked her heels 3 times but nothing happened, though she still found it worth a shot.
That bit made everyone chuckle a little, in spite of the intensity of the situation.
"That is worth a shot every time you're in another Dimension", Dawn quipped.
Cordelia found the place pretty, then saw a creature growling at her, and she ranted a little before running off as it chased her.
That made everyone gulp as Xander muttered. "Why couldn't it just spit Fred out without sucking Cordy in?"
"Nothing's ever simple, sadly", Willow sighed.
Lorne tried to say how he wasn't sure of Cordelia's location. Wesley wanted to approach it logically but Angel said to screw logic so they could get Cordelia back, and retrieved the book to open another portal. Wesley tried to stop him so they could do some research. "I don't wanna research, alright? I wanna jump through the big swirly hole thingy and save Cordelia!" Angel snapped, then started to read from the book, but Wesley grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around to face him. "We might never be able to get back!" Angel quietly said. "It's Cordy."
The tone in which he said it, that left no doubt that Angel did love Cordelia.
"People stop thinking rationally when it comes to love", Willow said, once more exchanging a loving look with Tara. "I can tell from experience."
"Yeah, but unfortunately, he has to", Buffy sighed. "Otherwise they won't get her back and get stuck themselves."
"Good point", Dawn popped up.
"I'm sure they will figure it all out", Tara said.
Wesley nodded and stepped back as Angel read and Lorne ducked but nothing happened, so Angel walked to the stage and read again but still nothing, making him wonder if the book was out of batteries, and threw it off, saying he'd just gotten her back. Wesley decided they should go back to figure it out, but Lorne said it was best they couldn't get in, since his world wasn't good for humans.
"In that case they really need to go in quickly!" Buffy snapped, shocked that someone as kind and peaceful as Lorne didn't want to help them this time. "How can you not help them, Lorne?"
"I don't think it's about whether or not he wants to help Cordelia", Tara told Buffy. "I just don't think he's comfortable facing his past Demons, which the portal and what's beyond it brings back for him."
"Still", Xander trailed off. "He called her a friend, now it's time to prove it."
"I'm sure he'll come around", Willow said confidently.
Cordelia was running from the beast when it brought her down and started licking her face instead, but then and Old Demon Man arrived and called the beast to him like a human would call his pet dog, as Cordelia called it a cute thing.
That actually surprised them all, and also brought some chuckles, though they were still disgusted due to how it looked.
"That, I did not expect!" Dawn said with a chuckle. "The beast is basically a pet dog."
"Color me surprised", Giles muttered.
Then the Demon complimented his beast for bringing him a cow, shocking Cordelia at being called that, then took out a piece of leather with a weighted end, whipped it around a few times then threw it at Cordelia, where it wrapped her upper arms tightly to her body. She tried to talk her way out but he called her chatty and gagged her mouth as well.
"Cow?" Xander got angry. "That looks like a cow to you? Get your eyes checked up you blind moron!"
"I mean, how does one make that mistake?" Buffy said, shaking her head angrily. "And chatty cow? She literally speaks English like you!"
"I think their word for humans is 'cow'", Tara said in a grim tone as they shot her looks.
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
"Lorne said his world isn't a good place for humans, the old Demon man called Cordy a cow and picked her up to sell", Willow pointed out. "I think they trade 'cows' and use them for, well, labor or something."
"That is so…." Giles actually had to take off and clean his glasses, imagining Cordelia in a situation like that, and the rest were equally horrified.
"These people are so, so messed up! Other than Lorne that is!" Buffy growled.
"Wonder how they'd feel if someone uses them as slaves", Xander snarled.
"Yeah, while I'd love to pass it off as different cultures, using another race as slaves is low no matter who or what you are", Tara nodded in agreement.
Angel asked Lorne to talk about his Dimension in Hyperion, and he just said he was there, then came here, and love it here, and started going off but Angel stopped him and asked him to explain how he'd come here, so Lorne named his Dimension- Pylea. He'd been in the woods 5 years ago when a portal had opened so he'd gone to take a closer look, he'd arrived here, but he had no idea who'd opened it, and then explained he'd been in an abandoned building which he'd turned into Caritas.
"So that's his story", Buffy muttered.
"Winifred disappeared 5 years ago, Lorne arrived on Earth 5 years ago", Giles put the pieces together. "She opened the portal that brought Lorne into this world."
"Huh!" Willow went in realization. "Guess it was some kind of fate for all of these people to be part of each other's lives."
"Why did this other Dimension have to be involved though?" Xander scoffed.
Angel asked if Pylea was Hell Dimension but Lorne said it came a close second. "Do you? - Well, try this: they have no music there. It doesn't exist. Do you know what that's like? No lullabies, no love songs. All my life I thought I was crazy. That I had ghosts in my head or something. Simply because I could hear music. Of course I didn't know it was music. All I knew was that it was something beautiful and - and painful - and right. And I was the only one who could hear it. - Then I wound up here and heard Aretha for the first time... Well", he gave a slight laugh, then turned serious. "Don't kid yourselves. Cordy's in a very bad place."
"If you truly consider her a friend, then help bring her back", Buffy said. "Why would you want a friend to suffer through what you suffered through?"
Wesley then said the hotspot was cold, explaining some geographical areas were rife with psychic energy and served as dimensional hotspots between worlds, Caritas was one of those, but opening a portal depleted the psychic energy. Angel realized he was right about the batteries. Lorne suggested to wait till it recharged but Angel said they'd wasted enough time so they'd find another one, before Wesley said they had another problem- When separate entities entered a dimensional portal they separated, and so if they did jump in, they could end up on other sides of the world, making Angel realize Cordelia and Landok weren't together so she truly was alone.
"We knew that already", Dawn said. "How are they gonna work through that kink?"
"I'm sure they'll figure something out, like go with something that can get them in together", Willow suggested.
Gunn arrived as Angel updated him on the situation but he wasn't going as one of his crew had died and he was supposed to be there. And since the trip was one-way, he didn't want to go, even if it was the wrong choice, but he owed it to them to tell them to their face, and wished them luck, asking to find her. Angel and Gunn looked at each other before he turned and left.
"And Cordelia? She's part of your crew too", Buffy reminded. "Your new crew. She matters too."
"Like I said, he is conflicted", Tara told Buffy. "But I am sure he will realize what you're saying before its too late."
"How can you be so sure?" Buffy asked.
"I choose to see the best in people", Tara said as she and Willow wrapped their arms around each other and she smiled. "It's just something I do."
"It's what makes her the best", Willow smiled as she and Tara shared a kiss.
Lorne said it was a tough decision but he was with Gunn in not going, shocking Angel, but he had an idea to find a hotspot so he'd be back in a jiff.
"When not sure, just use jiff", Xander chuckled.
"You do realize it is an actual unit of time?" Giles asked and Xander stopped, his eye widening.
"Really?" He asked.
"Of course it is!" Giles told him.
"My whole life has been a lie", Xander said as all chuckled at him.
Angel and Wesley went back to researching while Cordelia was carried into a quaint, medieval looking village hung hand and foot off a log, carried between two demon men. They set the log on top of some braces and left. The old demon man came up accompanied by an old demon woman, selling Cordelia to her as she said she'd give one pig, but the old man managed to bargain for a pig and pint, and then the woman called Vakma pulled out a collar which the man put around Cordelia's neck, Vakma muttering the last cow had died.
Everyone was too disturbed to comment on this.
"Okay, Gunn gets a pass for not knowing about this world, but how can Lorne leave someone he calls a friend in such a condition?" Dawn asked, appalled and disturbed as Buffy patted her head.
"Yeah, and like Tara said, the different culture thing doesn't excuse using people as slaves", Willow said with a nod.
"These people are…..savages", Buffy muttered, disturbed by this bartering of a human being, especially an old friend, as if she was just a commodity.
Cordelia managed to take off her gag and started ranting she was an American with rights and was appalled that only one pig was being traded for her when Vakma pointed a square, little, silver thing at Cordelia and pressed down on it and Cordelia yelped and reaches for her collar, as Vakma said cows shouldn't talk only do their work, and then walked off, beckoning Cordelia to follow, and then used the silver thing again as Cordelia started to hurry after the woman, not seeing a human girl watching from the shadows.
"I can't even stand seeing what's going on in this world", Willow muttered, disturbed like the rest. "How did Fred survive 5 years?"
Gunn was sitting in his truck with the engine idling, staring straight ahead. Finally he swallowed and put the truck in gear. Big office divided up into many little cubicles with some portable walls was shown. In one of those cubicles a dark haired girl talking on the phone when Lorne arrived so she cut the call and hugged him. She was called Aggie, and they caught up before Lorne said he needed to find a psychic hotspot for a portal.
"Finally", Dawn sighed in relief. "Talk of a portal opening."
Aggie said she couldn't help Lorne pin down a hotspot and sensed conflict vibes from him, and so Lorne mentioned Pylea and how he didn't want to go. Aggie finally said she would find his hotspot if he went with his friends to resolve the issues clouding up his aura, plus reminded he'd always known deep down he'd take one last trip home, to which Lorne admitted he was scared of the 'last', to which Aggie said the journey has to be taken so it can be taken at times, Lorne realizing this is what he sounded like and realized why people complain.
"Don't like it when people do that, do you?" Xander asked with a chuckle.
"Well, looks like he's going too", Tara finally said.
"It took some convincing but he's going", Willow said with a smile.
"I hope they reach before something terrible happens to her", Buffy muttered.
Wesley suggested a binding spell but they could end up looking like a hybridizes Siamese twin, and then Wesley noted references to iron or metal, realizing it could be the key, so Angel wondered if they could use handcuffs, and then snapped that it had been 12 hours so anything could have happened, and then 2 men in business suits entered, one of them introducing himself as Gavin Park from Wolfram and Hart.
"Oh come on! Get out of here!" Dawn almost screamed at them.
"As if they didn't have other things to worry about, now Wolfram and Hart are back with some new scheme", Buffy scoffed. "And they have a cheap version of Lindsey to replace him as well." [1]
"They really have everything", Xander groaned.
Gavin said they were here to appraise the hotel as the lease expired in 6 months so Wolfram and Hart would like to buy the building, only annoying Angel more and Gavin decided to take a look around, making Angel enter Vamp face, and so Park threatened him legally before leaving with his assistant as Angel returned to human face and asked how quickly they could get out of this world.
"Wouldn't have minded a beatdown", Xander said.
"He's too worried for Cordy to think about a beatdown", Willow told him.
Cordelia, now wearing ragged indigenous clothing was in a stable shoveling flehegna manure and ranting to herself when the collar zapped her again as she muttered the woman had ears like a bat, and tried to get the collar off when a voice told her not to do that, and she stepped into the empty box behind her. The voice said bad things happened if the collar was removed. Cordelia spotted a hole in the wooden wall of the empty box and the ragged girl from the plaza peeking through it. Fred said the head would implode if it was taken off, and told her to continue shoveling.
"So, take it off and the head goes boom! What is this? Suicide Squad?" Xander asked. "How do humans even end up here? Like do portals always open up randomly to take them in? These people must be opening portals to steal humans!"
"Calm down", Tara suggested.
"I can't!" Xander snapped. "They have Cordy there and are treating her worse than you'd treat a goddamn animal!"
As much as the others wanted to stay calm, they were sharing Xander's feelings.
Fred asked where Cordelia had come from to which she replied Los Angeles and Fred actually thought sometimes she was born here and forgot some words, then she told Cordelia this was Pylea, and then Fred ranted she was crazy but not wrong.
"Five years", Willow muttered. "And she's still standing, well, mostly."
"I don't think I'd be able to take it", Buffy said with a sigh.
Cordelia asked how she could get out of here but Fred let out a sound which was a mix of a laugh and sob, saying she couldn't and would be used as a slave, but Cordelia was confident her friends would save her, and then Cordelia mentioned her portal, but then 3 Demons, one looking like Lorne, arrived, and grabbed Fred, dragging her away while Cordelia was dropped to the ground by another and made to keep her face down. The Lorne-like Demon noted that Fred's collar was disabled, calling her a clever cow but said she should have stayed in the woods.
"And be hunted by animals, isn't that right?" Giles said with a growl.
"It's honestly just horrifying", Tara said about their treatment of humans.
Angel left a message for Gunn on the phone about the situation with Wolfram and Hart as well as what they were doing before cutting the call, asking Gunn to take care of himself. Lorne arrived as Angel said he was waiting for Wesley to have his 'Eureka' moment, and then Wesley said. "Eureka!"
"What a timing", Dawn said with a smile.
"Looks like they finally have something", Buffy realized.
Wesley said he knew how to get them through the portal and so the three left while Cordelia was trailing after Vakma through the village market, loaded down with bags and buckets. Vakma seemed to be wearing Cordelia's belt as a headband. She stopped to talk to a green-faced, horned vendor, and was burdening Cordelia who suddenly got a vision of a Drokken and screaming Demon man, saying it out loud as a ring of Demons formed around her and Vakma screamed her cow was cursed, with all villagers aiming pitchforks at her chanting 'cursed' over and over again.
Everyone only got more horrified.
"So, visions mean 'cursed' for them", Dawn muttered, gulping.
"Why does it look like a witch trial?" Willow asked with a pale face, sharing another look with Tara.
"Come on Angel, save her quickly", Buffy whispered.
Angel's convertible drove near a movie studio as Lorne said this was the hotspot according to Aggie, and Wesley was confident a metal enclosure would keep them together, though 96% really. And then Gunn arrived too, having heard the phone message, making Lorne want to stay back but the other 3 stopped him from leaving.
"He came through", Tara said, sharing a look with Buffy as both burst into smiles.
"For his crew member", Buffy added. "Now another Dimension, here they come."
Wesley opened the book and chanted as a portal was formed, and then Angel told them say goodbye before driving the car through the portal, and it disappeared into the swirly hole as the book dropped behind it, slightly smoking. Angel's convertible landed on the grassy ground between some trees on sunny Pylea, the screams of the passengers resonating through the air, then came to a screeching halt. Angel jumped in his seat.
"They made it!" Dawn cheered.
"It's daylight!" Buffy said in horror. "Get a blanket!"
Angel screamed for a blanket as Wesley scrambled to find one but then Angel realized he wasn't on fire, and Lorne mentioned the place had 2 suns as Wesley realized in this Dimension, suns didn't have the same effect on Vampires.
"Oh boy!" Buffy said before sighing in relief. "Thank God for different rules."
"Angel in the sun, for real", Willow said.
"Lucky", Xander quipped. "But they still have to save Cordy."
Wesley then started pinching Angel's cheeks, making him pinch back, and Lorne called the place 'Home sweet hell' while Wesley was happy they were together without being merged. Angel stood on his seat and spread his arms looking up at the sun, appreciating he wasn't on fire.
"Yes, we appreciate it, but get to work", Buffy said.
Lorne asked to hide the car and so Angel decided to gather branches and brush from under a patch of sunlight, collecting some and basking in the sun again, while Gunn said a trip to another Dimension was cool but they needed to find Cordelia soon, and Lorne agreed, adding for her sake.
"I think Angel can take 2 seconds, but Cordelia is important", Willow said.
"They're all ready to go now", Xander told her.
Cordelia was dropped face down on the floor of a big room with a vaulted ceiling, illuminated by torches stuck in wall-sconces. There were villagers crowded along the walls. Cordelia, her hands bound behind her back, slowly worked herself into a sitting position as she tried to explain her visions while the Lorne-like Demon from before called Narwek entered, mentioning a villager killed by a Drokken, and then said Cordelia was cursed too. Cordelia tried to explain again when a red-robed and red-faced Demon silenced her, deciding to commence the test, and called for various instruments, picking up an awl as he said they'd see if she was cursed or not, asking her to pray, and then Cordelia screamed for help.
"Get your hands off of her", Xander said in a growl, speaking for everyone.
"You already she is cursed! Why do this?" Giles growled too, clutching his fists.
"Sick bastards", Buffy snarled.
"Come on Angel", Dawn said with a sigh.
"He's on his way", Tara assured, though she was worried about Cordelia too.
"Just hope they make it before something truly bad happens", Willow said.
The guys covered the car and were about to go before they realized the book was missing, and then Wesley realized the book would be useless in Pylea so it could only exist in their Dimension.
"The book was left there", Willow remembered as they paled. "Well crap."
"How are they gonna get themselves out of this?" Buffy wondered.
Angel said they'd figure out another way but right now had to find Cordelia, and so they walked off together. Cordelia was lying curled up on the floor of the big room, with the people around her waiting. Silas stepped forward, saying she was cursed, and then two fellow red-robes picked Cordelia up and dragged her away.
"What did you do to her?" Xander growled.
"I really hope someone does that to them too, 10 times", Dawn added angrily.
Angel and the others reached town and were making their way down a narrow shadowed alley, and Lorne mentioned xenophobia was a thing here, confusing Gunn who wondered why they feared Xena but Wesley corrected it was fear of foreigners so Gunn said to forget what he'd said.
"Xena", Buffy said with a smile, that female character was one of her inspirations, and she sometimes watched the show to inspire herself.
"Oh yeah, she's a badass", Xander said with a nod.
"Buffy loves her", Dawn told them, making Buffy give her a mock glare.
"Well, who wouldn't?" Willow asked.
"She's kind of like Angel", Tara said. "Both trying to redeem themselves for sins."
"Maybe that's why I like her", Buffy muttered. "She's like Angel and Spike in that regard."
"I believe I have to give it a watch now", Giles said, making all chuckle.
Lorne pointed at a house, saying it belonged to Blix, an old friend of his, and told the rest to keep a low profile as he entered the house. A moment later a scream rang out and Lorne came running back out, Blix chasing after him with an ax in his hand screaming 'traitor' and 'betrayer'. Blix's continued screams attracted the attention of others, dressed in the same hero garb that Landok was wearing. They drew their swords and joined Blix in chasing down the alley as Angel and the others turned to run after Lorne. They ran out into the market pursued by the screams of traitor and betrayer. Lorne hesitated for a moment then indicated a new direction. They ran out onto the plaza where Cordelia was sold earlier, only to find warriors closing in on them from all sides. Angel wondered where to go as Lorne said a dungeon would be the only option now.
"What was that you were saying about keeping a low profile?" Giles asked Lorne.
"Guess he underestimated everyone's hostility for himself", Willow muttered.
"Now what?" Buffy groaned.
Wesley reminded they'd faced steep odds as Gunn said he'd take the 20 on the left and Angel could take the 50 on the right. And with that, they engaged, punching and kicking as Lorne struggled with one. Wesley was trapped by one from behind but elbowed him out. Lorne managed to knock out two as well while Angel kicked another away, and Wesley got a sword, using it to take another down. "I think we're winning!"
"Don't jinx it", Xander warned.
Next moment, all four were bound and on their knees.
"He jinxed it!" Xander said as they all groaned.
"Why? Why did you have to go to your friend?" Buffy groaned at Lorne.
Narwek got out of a chariot, he and Lorne greeting each other as Newark noted the 'cows', but Lorne said they were human friends, angering Narwek who only considered them beasts of burden, and he called Lorne out for abandoning his people's teachings, asking to take him away. Lorne was dragged away as Angel said they couldn't do this, only for Narwek to kick him between his legs, calling him trash but Angel forced himself upright. 3 warriors pulled them to their feet as Narwek said their crime was assault against better people so they were to be detained till the ruler passed the sentence, and then Gunn passed a comment, making Narwek punch him, and then he made another, making Narwek hit him again so Wesley stopped Gunn, and then they were lead away.
"From my point of view, you're all trash", Dawn growled at the Pylean people. "How do these people live their miserable lives?"
"If I find out the answer, I hope I get rich", Buffy quipped, hiding how worried she was.
The red-robed Demon told others measures had to be taken and blood had to be spilled.
"Don't you dare", Xander growled.
Angel, Wesley and Gunn were in a cell, unable to get out, and then Angel pressed his ear against the door, using his Vampire hearing as he heard guards talking about a girl with visions- Cordelia, and heard she was cursed and there was a test, and she'd screamed, angering the three guys before the guards arrived and took them away. Whip cracks could be heard followed by screams.
"What are they gonna do now?" Willow wondered.
Lorne arrived too, mentioning what had been done to him as Angel mentioned the lead on Cordelia to him, and then Narwek arrived, telling them not to speak, calling him a traitor again and saying he'd take pleasure in seeing him die. Angel then started telling them his plan while Narwek said the bodies would be hung as a message. Angel started counting as the doors were opened.
"Please work", Buffy begged about the plan.
As they stepped through the doors, Angel suddenly turned and slammed his shackled fists into the stomach of the nearest guard as the others also attacked the guards around them but were quickly overpowered. They were interrupted by a loud throat clearing. They turned to look and all of them froze in their tracks, their eyes going wide, their mouths dropping open. They stared at - Cordelia - sitting on a throne, surrounded by courtiers, wearing a skimpy, shimmery outfit and crown. "Hi, guys." They stared in shock. The screen went black.
Everyone had dropped jaws, and Xander was staring. "Cordy in a…"
"We all saw it!" Dawn said to him.
"Ummm, was it just me or was she sitting on a throne?" Willow asked.
"She was sitting on a throne", Buffy said.
"But, weren't they torturing for being cursed 2 minutes ago?" Tara asked.
"This doesn't make any sense", Giles shook his head.
"Well, it can", Dawn said to Buffy.
"Yeah, we need to get to the next one real quick for answers, because this is too much to process", Buffy said as she picked up the remote and came to the next recording.
Now 2 more episodes to go in this one. It was definitely a surprise, one minute they're torturing Cordy, next minute she's a monarch. Sure, Silas the bastard considers her a tool but you know what I mean.
[1] I always Gavin to be a cheap replacement for Lindsey. He just didn't have in him what made Lindsey interesting, and Lilah's and Gavin's competition was also just a cheap version of Lilah's and Lindsey's competition.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!