"Whence may emerge eternal night," Giles muttered. He'd found the poem Buffy referred to in an old book left over from his days with the Watchers' Council. There hadn't been anything definitive about its meaning.
"Why do they have to use words like 'whence'?" Xander complained.
"It would be a place of darkness and evil..." Willow said.
"Not just a place, an origin of evil," Oz corrected.
"Someplace evil comes from? Um, Hell?" Cordelia suggested.
"The Hellmouth," Buffy said it first.
"Wow. That was almost too easy," Willow declared.
"You still have to decide whether or not you want to go," the slayer reminded her.
"Gee, fame and fortune or reminding people to floss, that is a tough one," Cordelia remarked sarcastically.
"If the other world is at all the way Buffy described it, I'm way happier there," Willow agreed.
"You ALL have to choose to go. If even one of you wants to stay, you all have to stay," Buffy pointed out.
"Who wants to stay here?" Xander asked. "I say we go."
"I agree," Giles added. They all looked to Oz.
"I hate to be the voice of dissent, but it seems I'm the only one who really stands to lose anything. I've got a lot to lose and there's nothing to be gained." He looked at his girlfriend. "Do you think, in the other world, we'll remember what happened here?"
As the others pondered his question, Oz spoke quietly with his girlfriend and after several moments, she departed. Buffy gave her response, "I don't know if we'll remember. But I remember things from that world even though I'm here now."
"Maybe you'll be the only one to remember, Buffy," Giles observed.
Oz sighed a little. "If, when we get to the other world, you're the only one who remembers, tell me...just tell me to get my act together."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Oz?"
"Make sure I check myself into rehab or something. I can't believe I'd wind up so far down."
"It isn't your fault, Oz..." Buffy replied.
"Sure it is," he argued. "But maybe I can fix it, if you remind me to."
"And if the rest of us do remember, we'll all make sure you're all right," Willow promised.
"And if we don't, Buffy will remind us," Xander assured him.
"You aren't going to give up your happiness just to have us not help," Cordelia added.
"Let's get to the Hellmouth," Oz said quietly. They got lost twice but finally reached the old school only a few minutes before dawn. They strode through the ruins to where the library had once stood. The friends formed a circle around the location of the Hellmouth.
"I wonder if this is the right place," Giles said.
"I wonder if Buffy was telling the truth," Cordelia added.
"I wonder if we'll all remember or just Buffy," Xander commented.
"I wonder if we'll believe her," Willow whispered.
"I wonder what will happen if she doesn't remember either." The slightest tremor in his voice revealed Oz's fear. There was no more time for wondering as the brilliance white light flared before them.
They were seated in the same small cluster in Giles's bookstore. "I feel like something just happened," Willow said softly.
"Something must have," Giles replied. "It's nearly dawn." They sat in silence for a moment.
"I wonder what it could have been," Buffy finally said. "It guess we'll never know."
"Why do they have to use words like 'whence'?" Xander complained.
"It would be a place of darkness and evil..." Willow said.
"Not just a place, an origin of evil," Oz corrected.
"Someplace evil comes from? Um, Hell?" Cordelia suggested.
"The Hellmouth," Buffy said it first.
"Wow. That was almost too easy," Willow declared.
"You still have to decide whether or not you want to go," the slayer reminded her.
"Gee, fame and fortune or reminding people to floss, that is a tough one," Cordelia remarked sarcastically.
"If the other world is at all the way Buffy described it, I'm way happier there," Willow agreed.
"You ALL have to choose to go. If even one of you wants to stay, you all have to stay," Buffy pointed out.
"Who wants to stay here?" Xander asked. "I say we go."
"I agree," Giles added. They all looked to Oz.
"I hate to be the voice of dissent, but it seems I'm the only one who really stands to lose anything. I've got a lot to lose and there's nothing to be gained." He looked at his girlfriend. "Do you think, in the other world, we'll remember what happened here?"
As the others pondered his question, Oz spoke quietly with his girlfriend and after several moments, she departed. Buffy gave her response, "I don't know if we'll remember. But I remember things from that world even though I'm here now."
"Maybe you'll be the only one to remember, Buffy," Giles observed.
Oz sighed a little. "If, when we get to the other world, you're the only one who remembers, tell me...just tell me to get my act together."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Oz?"
"Make sure I check myself into rehab or something. I can't believe I'd wind up so far down."
"It isn't your fault, Oz..." Buffy replied.
"Sure it is," he argued. "But maybe I can fix it, if you remind me to."
"And if the rest of us do remember, we'll all make sure you're all right," Willow promised.
"And if we don't, Buffy will remind us," Xander assured him.
"You aren't going to give up your happiness just to have us not help," Cordelia added.
"Let's get to the Hellmouth," Oz said quietly. They got lost twice but finally reached the old school only a few minutes before dawn. They strode through the ruins to where the library had once stood. The friends formed a circle around the location of the Hellmouth.
"I wonder if this is the right place," Giles said.
"I wonder if Buffy was telling the truth," Cordelia added.
"I wonder if we'll all remember or just Buffy," Xander commented.
"I wonder if we'll believe her," Willow whispered.
"I wonder what will happen if she doesn't remember either." The slightest tremor in his voice revealed Oz's fear. There was no more time for wondering as the brilliance white light flared before them.
They were seated in the same small cluster in Giles's bookstore. "I feel like something just happened," Willow said softly.
"Something must have," Giles replied. "It's nearly dawn." They sat in silence for a moment.
"I wonder what it could have been," Buffy finally said. "It guess we'll never know."
