ACT FOUR
EXT. GRAVEYARD – DAY
But it's actually night. Or it should be. Instead, it seems like it's noon.
Except, we SWING AROUND, from a shot of the sunny graveyard, to
A wall of darkness. Half the graveyard remains cloaked in night, as it should be.
INT. CRYPT – NIGHT
FADE IN
We fade into the scene, and the shot is low to the floor… nothing but web and dust now. It's extremely dark, and from the side – a quick FLURRY OF MOTION. Accompanied by SCURRYING SOUNDS – the beast has moved quickly across the room. We never see it. We only hear the movement, and the SIGH – it just DUSTED A VAMP.
As the vamp is dusted the camera moves down, seemingly moving through the floor, to:
INT. CRYPT – TOMB – NIGHT
Buffy and Spike. They're both staring at the trap door above, standing in the center of the room, the only area not covered in web. The camera angle follows their gaze, which follows the path of the WOODEN LADDER used to enter and exit the room. Both seem unsure of their next move.
BUFFY
It's up there.
ANGLE ON the ladder.
SPIKE
Yeah.
Back to the pair of them.
BUFFY
It's feeding.
SPIKE
Yeah.
BUFFY
It laid eggs.
How? Did it have a mate?
Is there two of these things?
SPIKE
Just one that I tussled with.
BUFFY
So how'd it lay eggs?
SPIKE
What am I, Bill freakin' Nye?
It's a demon. Lets kill
it then worry bout the kiddies.
BUFFY
We need to get up there.
SPIKE
(nods to the trap door)
Only one way.
EXT. GRAVEYARD – DAY
Yet again, it should be night. We're on the group now, who form a half-circle around Willow. She's in charge, and their position around her speaks to that.
XANDER
Well if I was a magic guy,
the whole night into day thing
would have my curiosity peaked.
TARA
I am a magic… Gal,
and it's peaking my curiosity.
(re: Willow)
I thought you were just
going to enlarge it – a big
bright spotlight dealy.
ANYA
It is pretty bright.
WILLOW
I improvised somewhat.
Tara has a bit of a frown at this – she is, after all, the more cautious of the two.
XANDER
That's a whole lotta some and what.
ANYA
Very impressive.
XANDER
Too bad Buffy missed it.
And Spike.
ANYA
But he'd… Oh. I see.
(changes the subject)
So now we just wait?
Maybe we should make
a lot of noise. Jump around,
yell a lot? Cause commotion.
TARA
Would probably scare whomever off.
Or make them think we
were a bunch of kids.
XANDER
(defensive)
Hey, you don't need to be
a kid to make some commotion.
Really.
WILLOW
We wait and see whose attention
this attracts.
PAN to the darkness on one side, where Emily steps out of the shadows. She walks slowly, gracefully, as if her robes were floating around her. Except they are – several scarves and strands of black silk FLOAT ABOUT HER, their ends BOBBING and WEAVING in the air, several SHOOTING OUT now and then in a SNAPPING MOTION – as if they were snakes. We witness all of this from the Scoobies P.O.V.
XANDER
Looks like we caught
someone's eye.
INT. CRYPT – NIGHT
CLOSE ON the trap door. It suddenly EXPLODES outwards, and Buffy seems to FLY out of it. Down below, Spike's done the old alley-oop toss. Buffy TUCKS AND ROLLS, coming to a stop in a crouching position. Looks about her, then steps back to the door. A SPEAR comes flying out of the opening, which she catches in mid-air, and then Spike pops his head out. The rest of him follows, axe drawn.
CUT TO some quick shots of the web, cocoons populating it.
ON BUFFY.
BUFFY
Nice throw.
SPIKE
You or the spear?
WIDEN to include both, surveying the room.
ANGLE ON a corpse – no head. Looks to be male – flannel shirt. Not to insult Willow's fashion sense.
ON BUFFY as she takes this in. The Mosoloth's fed on humans, this confirms it. Only, when it decapitates real people, they don't dust.
BUFFY
So it has fed on humans
SPIKE
Not much you can do for that bloke.
They're whispering.
BUFFY
See it?
SPIKE
No.
BUFFY
There. In the corner.
PAN to the left of them…
FROM SPIKE AND BUFFY'S P.O.V. the beast is hidden in the shadows. As soon as we know it's there, it SPRINGS AT THEM.
CUT TO
EXT. GRAVEYARD – DAY
But it should be- you get the picture by now.
Willow and Emily seem to be squaring off against one another. With the other Scoobies in the background, it seems like and old-west showdown at high noon. Or sunny midnight.
ON EMILY
EMILY
Most powerful beauty.
ANYA
Thank You.
We swing around to focus on her.
ANYA
Oh. You mean her.
Emily's eyes haven't left Willow, and she pays no attention to the former vengeance demon. Willow's eyes are just as focused on Emily. Once again, her eyes are black.
EMILY
Careless beauty with so much power.
Even one with but a child's grasp
of the maleficium will have felt this
miles away.
WILLOW
That was the idea.
EMILY
You know not what you interfere with.
The ceremony awaits.
WILLOW
Ceremony?
EMILY
To call out the Nosferatu… to seek
justice. To devour the killer. He will
be drawn out, and welcome me
into his arms – and I shall
welcome him into an eternity
unlike any he could imagine.
XANDER
You mean Spike?
Newsflash, lady, Spike's
already inside the crypt.
No need to
(mimics her)
"draw him out".
Just tell your pet spider
to lay off killing innocent people.
EMILY
You aid the fiend?
Those tasted by the Mosoloth
reside within it for eternity.
You shall suffer with them.
With a motion of her hand – a PUSHING MOTION, fast, deliberate, much like a quicker version of the one used earlier to open the door to Spike's crypt – Xander is sent FLYING BACKWARDS, and lands awkwardly, hitting his head on a tombstone.
CLOSE ON TARA, for her immediate response. We shift down to her side, as she opens the palm of her hand. Three BALLS OF LIGHT appear, SWIRLING with blue and read, dancing about one another like a juggler's balls. These she HURLS at Emily.
ON EMILY, who, with another motion – this time a sideways gesture with her arm, as if she were deflecting the balls – deflects them. Only they deflected five feet before reaching her.
At nearly the same instant, Anya hurls her SPEAR, but misses.
The entire time, Emily and Willow remain with their eyes locked. Neither has moved their head – not even Emily, when deflecting Tara's attack.
Now it is Willow's turn, doing a subdued version of her ass-kicking of Glory. Putting both hands forward, BOLTS OF BLUE LIGHTNING shoot out, rocking Emily where she stands. As her body convulses, again her mask of youth is revealed as fraud – we see the old woman underneath. At this Willow stops the torrent, and Emily falls to the ground.
Anya rushes forward – she's seen something.
CLOSE ON the AMULET of the arachnid around Emily's neck.
Anya's hand rips it right off her neck, and we follow her as she retrieves her spear, places the amulet on a gravestone, and smashes it with the butt-end of the spear.
ANYA
Ha! Now this I remember.
ON EMILY (who is still old)
EMILY
Foolish girl! You've unleashed it.
It cannot be controlled now.
Its spawn will go forth.
ON THE GROUP, taking in their reactions.
EMILY
a cãdea
(Romanian, "Fall")
Darkness sets in instantly with this command.
EXT. GRAVEYARD – NIGHT – CONTINUING
Emily high-tails it in the direction of the crypt. The Scoobies stay back, wary. Besides which, they need to attend to Xander, which Tara and Willow have already begun. Anya soon joins them.
CLOSE ON XANDER as he comes to. The others hover around him.
XANDER
(wearily)
Two minutes for boarding, two for
high sticking and a five
minute major.
ANYA
Huh? Honey?
XANDER
That was one hell of a
bodycheck she threw.
INT. CRYPT – NIGHT
Buffy and Spike are fending off the demon as best they can.
ON BUFFY as she thrusts her spear forward.
WIDEN to reveal Spike next to her, using his axe (with that convenient spear tip) in sequence with Buffy's motions. She thrusts, pulls back, he thrusts, pulls back. Rinse, repeat.
CUT TO the door, as Emily rushes in, slams it.
ON EMILY
EMILY
þinere
(Romanian, "Hold".)
ON THE DOOR, as a line of light traces the edges of the door, then fades away. We get the picture – the door is sealed.
Immediately after this come the voices of the gang and pounding on the door.
Now we take in the whole scene. Buffy and Spike noticed Emily, but they're still busy with the beast.
BUFFY
(re: Emily)
Call it off. If you control it, stop it.
It's killed people. Innocent people.
All the while, Spike and Buffy continue to go through the motions of fending off the monster, and thus her speech is labored.
EMILY
He is innocent?
The people of this town,
who accept the beast amongst
them? They are innocent?
BUFFY
This isn't the way.
I won't let your need for
revenge cost lives.
That body on the floor,
what did he have to do
with this?
EMILY
Necessary evil.
William the Bloody – he is
unnecessary evil.
To be allowed to roam free-
It is an atrocity.
CUT TO Spike, who yells as he is THROWN BACK. The beast has charged forward. It now JUMPS – from low on its legs – landing overtop of Buffy, who is knocked down. She struggles to get the spear up in front of her.
Spike circles around to the back of the beast, and the final motions go into play.
SPIKE
Hey!
HEY!
Skip the appetizer,
legs for brains.
You want dinner?
Come get it.
He draws a package of PLASMA out of his coat – so that stop earlier wasn't just for the axe – and drinks. Messily. He lets blood trickle down his chin.
ON THE MOSOLOTH – it whirls around, and again crouches on its hind legs.
SPIKE
HERE, DAMN YOU.
It SPRINGS at Spike, but as it does this, Buffy is given room to maneuver, and she hurls her spear at its back.
The spear pierces the Mosoloth's back, and the beast HOWLS. It CRASHES to the floor at Spikes feet, and he's upended. Acid splashes up, and one of Spike's hands are burned.
Buffy is left to one side of the crypt, Spike, injured, to the other. The Mosoloth, mortally wounded, lies between them. Emily stands near the entrance to the crypt, and cries out as the beast is wounded.
EMILY
Why?
(it's nearly a sob)
Why, let this monster
roam free? Who kills my sister,
for sport.
BUFFY
He was a man once.
Maybe-
She never gets to finish. Emily has drawn the DAGGER – the one used back in the teaser – and rushes at Spike.
The injured Spike can do nothing but push the old woman off of him. She stumbles back – right into the waiting fangs of the Mosoloth. The beast, still dying, leaking acid, drinks from her as she screams. In seconds, however, they both CRASH THROUGH THE FLOOR. The acid has eaten right through.
A cloud rises from the rubble below.
ANGLE on the ruins below.
CUT TO:
the door, which bursts open at last – and the gang spills in, falling over one another and stopping short at the sight of the ruined crypt.
XANDER
I believe I speak for everyone
when I say woah.
WILLOW
The Mosoloth?
BUFFY
Slayed. And its
mistress with it.
TARA
How?
BUFFY
It turned on her.
ANYA
I destroyed her amulet.
She couldn't control it without that.
WILLOW
She said something
about spawn.
SPIKE
Down below.
(coughs)
Egg sac.
BUFFY
Willow.
WILLOW
On it.
A few words that aren't really heard are chanted by the young witch, and flames burst up from below. We never really see much of this however – we're ON BUFFY as she stares at Spike, puzzling over him. He's licking his wounds – not literally – still off to one side.
SPIKE
What a bloody mess.
XANDER
Looks like you might need
the skills of a bricklayer.
Spike considers this a moment.
SPIKE
Looks like.
(re: the group)
Well. That's all well
and done.
You have my gratitude.
Really. Don't go knockin' it
neither, I mean it.
I don't often give it out.
WILLOW
You're welcome.
I think.
SPIKE
So what now?
Out for a nightcap after
slaying the baddies?
I'm new to this you know.
XANDER
Works for me.
BUFFY
You guys go on ahead.
Check in on Giles and Dawn.
I'll help Spike…
(surveys the wreckage)
tidy.
As the Scoobies head out, the camera ARCS around and we're left alone with the two of them.
EXT. SUMMER'S RESIDENCE – NIGHT
All is well in Sunnydale. Until tomorrow. The calm establishing shot conveys this.
INT. SUMMER'S RESIDENCE – DAY
And here's the group. Dawn and Giles are still up of course.
DAWN
So she was like, some old
victim of Spike?
That's so cool.
Ok not really.
But, well, kinda sorta.
GILES
(re: Dawn)
Yes, and now will
you finally go to sleep?
I'm sure Buffy will be along
shortly.
(re: the gang)
She wouldn't sleep
the whole time. I told
her she had School tomorrow. I
suppose my parenting skills
aren't up to par with my
watcher-ing skills.
WILLOW
Watcher-ing?
TARA
I think you mean watching.
XANDER
Nah, I prefer watcher-ing.
DAWN
Hey. I just…
I'm part of this too you know.
Whatever this is.
Can't sleep while sis is
risking her life.
Besides, if anyone gets to kick
her ass it ought to be me.
Not some nasty demon.
INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT – NIGHT
Buffy and Spike are cutting down cocoons from what's left of the web.
ANGLE ON Spike – he dumps the headless, flannel-clad corpse down into the hole in the floor.
SPIKE
He'll fit in well down there.
BUFFY
That's disgusting.
SPIKE
It's a tomb.
They usually are.
That's not what she meant.
One of the cocoons suddenly starts struggling – Buffy cuts through it with a piece of rock – it's a vamp.
CLOSE ON the Vamp.
VAMPIRE
Hey. Am I glad to see you.
Free! I'm starved. Harry, by the
way. Say, aren't you-
WIDEN as he dusts. Buffy was quick on that one.
BUFFY
(finishing his sentence for him)
the Slayer.
Another cocoon starts struggling, this time near Spike. He chops it down we the axe he's since recovered.
ANGLE ON Spike and the cocoon, as he deftly slices open the silk to reveal Rebecca Marback.
CLOSE ON REBECCA.
REBECCA
Am I alive?
SPIKE
So far so good.
BUFFY
You're fine. It's gone.
Hurry up and get out of here.
Once freed, she bolts.
SPIKE
Last one.
BUFFY
Let me see if I got this.
You feed on this woman's sister.
She seeks revenge. Grows powerful
in the magic department,
probably travels half the
world over looking for you.
SPIKE
Right. And thanks.
Again.
BUFFY
And she was part demon?
SPIKE
Doubt that.
I mean she could be, you never
know… her sister was all
human though. We don't
feed on demons.
BUFFY
I see. So why didn't it hurt?
SPIKE
Come again?
BUFFY
Pushing her. Into the Mosoloth.
Why didn't it hurt?
You had to know.
And even a little push…
The chip…
SPIKE
Oh. That.
Spike reaches into his coat pocket and withdraws something. No sign of what exactly, it's clenched in his fist – but it's small. He flips something – SHINY, METAL, a coin (yeah, right)? – to Buffy, who catches it.
ON BUFFY'S HAND. It opens. We see the chip resting in her palm.
SPIKE
That hasn't worked in days.
BLACK OUT
END OF SHOW
Sorry for the cliffhanger ending... couldn't resist. I guess it makes the tale more AU than I'd hoped. The next fic (not a sequel, but related) will be posted on fanfiction.net soon, or check my site (http://frawley.cjb.net).
