Disclaimer: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and all characters from the show are the property of Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and the UPN Television Network. The Cthulhu Mythos material is loosely based on the "Call of Cthulhu" role-playing game (copyright Chaosium Inc.) and the book "Encyclopedia Cthulhiana" by Daniel Harms.
Monday November 4, 2002, Early Morning: Summers' Residence
Buffy and Dawn are awakened by Willow's scream. They rush to
Willow's room. Buffy asks, "Are you all right?"
Willow nods. "I'm fine." She pauses. "I had the same nightmare
again. Jaws opening up and swallowing the town."
Monday November 4, Morning: Summers' Residence
Willow is sitting in the living room, concentrating. Her eyes
fly open. She falls over and lies on her side, shivering. She
repeats "It's coming. It's coming. It's coming."
Buffy asks concernedly "Willow? What is it?"
Willow gathers herself together. "I don't know. Teeth. Jaws.
Something coming through the Hellmouth. Couldn't see it clearly.
Didn't want to."
Buffy responds "I'll get everyone together to research this. And
I'll call Giles."
Wednesday November 6, Morning: Summers' Residence
Buffy, Willow, and Dawn are in the kitchen. The phone rings and
Buffy answers it. "Hello. Summers' Residence. (pause) Giles!
Are you in town? (pause) 8 p.m. is fine. (pause) I can be right
over. (pause) No, today I don't need to be there until the
afternoon."
Buffy hangs up and tells the others "It's Giles. He's in
Sunnydale. He wants to meet with us tonight at eight after he's
looked into a couple of things."
Wednesday, November 6, 2002, Morning: Arashmaharr
D'Hoffryn observes the Earth, a look of concern on his face. He
muses "The stars have aligned. Two nights from now, the Crawling
Chaos will crack the Earth open like an eggshell. Which leaves
me without a job." He pauses and then senses strong emotion from
a familiar source. D'Hoffryn grins. "I can't oppose the Outer
Gods, but I can shake things up a bit. And it's almost in my job
description." He vanishes.
Wednesday November 6, Morning: Tara's Grave
Willow is kneeling next to Tara's grave. "Hi again. It's me. A
lot is happening. I can sense something coming. Something very
bad. Giles just returned from England. He's called a meeting
for tonight. To talk about the latest menace." She pauses.
"I'm doing better. I'm finally learning all the things you tried
to teach me about magic. About when to use magic and why. I'm
still scared. I'm scared that I'm going to start abusing my
powers again. And just as scared that I won't be strong enough
to handle what's coming. I wish you were here to help me through
all of this. I miss you so much." Willow leaves.
D'Hoffryn emerges from hiding. "Wish granted." He vanishes.
Tara materializes next to her grave, looking dazed. She sees her
headstone and stares at it in shock.
Wednesday November 6, Afternoon: Summers' Residence
Willow answers a knock on the door and sees Tara standing there.
She stares in amazement. "Tara? How?"
Tara says uncertainly "I ... I don't know. I remember dying and
then I was next to my own grave. I don't know what happened."
Willow recovers from her shock and hugs Tara tightly. "It
doesn't matter. You're alive and you're here. Everything's fine
now."
Willow and Tara walk into the living room and sit down. Willow
hesitantly tells Tara about the events of the past few months:
killing Warren and trying to kill Jonathan and Andrew; attacking
and threatening her friends; attacking and torturing Giles;
trying to destroy the world; Giles taking her to England for
lessons; sensing problems in Sunnydale and returning before she
completed her lessons; inadvertently casting a spell that made
her invisible to Xander, Buffy, and Dawn; nightmares and visions
of an apocalypse. She concludes "So we've been doing research
the last couple of days. We haven't found much of anything. But
Giles just arrived in Sunnydale and he's called a meeting for
tonight at eight."
Tara is silent for a moment.
Willow asks hesitantly "Tara?"
Tara responds quietly "A lot to absorb."
Willow nods. "I understand. I shouldn't have expected... I
just hoped..."
Tara shakes her head. "That's not it. It's just a lot to
absorb. I..." She pauses. "I don't know if I'm ready to..."
She pauses again. "Did Giles say anything?"
Willow replies "Not much. He said there were a few things he
needed to check."
Tara asks "Willow, did you do anything to bring me back?"
Willow answers "I don't think so." She pauses. "But I missed
you so much. I could have done something without realizing it."
She pauses again. "I think I even used the W word."
Tara says, "It could be just a coincidence." She pauses. "I
wish I knew why I was back."
Willow says firmly "Because we need you." She pauses. "I need
you. I ... I don't think I'm strong enough without you."
Tara reassures her. "You're strong enough to do whatever you
need to do."
Shortly afterwards, Buffy and Dawn come home. Dawn yells
excitedly "Tara!" She rushes to Tara and gives her a hug.
Buffy smiles. "I'm glad you're back." She pauses. "Did Willow
fill you in? We can really use your help."
Tara nods. "I'm in."
Wednesday November 6, Night: Summers' Residence
Giles, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Anya, and Spike are
sitting around the kitchen table.
Giles remarks "This is extraordinary. Is there any clue as to
how this happened?"
Willow says hesitantly "I ... I think I might have inadvertently
made a wish."
Anya shakes her head. "This isn't the sort of thing that a
vengeance demon would do." She pauses. "Unless... D'Hoffryn.
He might do something like this. If he felt like it."
Tara says quietly "D'Hoffryn's evil, isn't he? If ... if he
wanted me back..."
Willow interrupts. "It doesn't matter what D'Hoffryn or anyone
else thought. Your being back is a good thing."
Anya adds "D'Hoffryn likes to talk big. But he isn't really that
eager for the world to end. He wouldn't have anything to do if
that happened."
Giles says "Which brings me to why I called this meeting. It
appears that Nyarlathotep is about to use the Hellmouth as a
gateway to our world. Two nights from now, the Crawling Chaos
will come through the Hellmouth to destroy everything." He
pauses. "Willow, you're likely to have an important role in
anything we plan. Are you up to it?"
Willow glances at Tara for reassurance and then nods. "I'm
ready. I have to be."
Thursday November 7, Afternoon: Summers' Residence
Buffy, Willow, Tara, Giles, Xander, and Anya are researching in
the living room.
Giles summarizes a ritual. "We'll have to cast it at just the
right time. But if it works it'll close the Hellmouth on
Nyarlathotep."
Xander asks, "What if it doesn't work?"
Giles responds "Then we'll have to think of something else."
Buffy asks hesitantly "I know it had some bad side-effects but
could we try the spell that called the First Slayer?"
Giles shakes his head. "I'm afraid that spell isn't powerful
enough."
Friday November 8, Early Morning: Summers' Residence
Tara is on the living room couch. She is trying to sleep but is
restless. She hears Willow's scream and rushes upstairs. Tara
rushes into Willow's room along with Buffy and Dawn.
Willow looks frightened. She tells Tara "I saw you die. Saw
everyone die. It swallowed you. Swallowed everyone."
Tara holds Willow's hand and reassures her. "I'm fine. It was
just a nightmare."
Friday November 8, Afternoon: Summers' Residence
Giles and Anya are looking through a stack of books in the
kitchen, while Willow and Tara are in the living room, using a
laptop and also looking through more books.
Anya notices something in a book she is reading and stops. She
thinks carefully and then quietly consults with Giles.
Giles says in a grim tone "It may come to that."
Anya comments "The ritual will take a lot of power. Will we be
able to try both it and the other one?"
Giles replies "Just barely, I think. If we use Proserpexa's
temple as a focus." He pauses. "We'd better tell Willow and
Tara."
Giles and Anya walk into the living room. Giles says "Anya found
something. A ritual to call Cthugha. It might work if we cast
it from Proserpexa's temple."
Willow says quietly "Cthugha could destroy half of Sunnydale."
Giles nods. "If our first ritual fails, we may not have a
choice."
Friday November 8, Night: Sunnydale High
Giles, Anya, Willow, Tara, Buffy, Dawn, Xander, and Spike are
gathered outside the High School. They head into the building.
Buffy and Spike are in the lead. Giles and Xander flanking them,
carrying swords. Anya is near the back of the group, holding a
bag of supplies. They enter the basement and walk for a while.
They see what appears to be a glowing cloud of energy at the site
of the Hellmouth.
Giles hands his sword to Buffy. He and Anya take candles from
the bag and light them. Giles, Willow, Tara, Dawn, and Anya link
hands and begin chanting. Buffy, Spike, and Xander stand guard.
The glowing cloud shrinks at first but then starts to expand.
Giles says "It didn't work. We have to get out of here."
Buffy asks "Where?"
Giles replies "Kingman's Bluff."
Buffy exclaims "What? How can Proserpexa..."
Anya interrupts "Not Proserpexa. Cthugha. Giles can explain on
the way. At least to anyone riding with him."
Friday November 8, Night: Kingman's Bluff
Giles, Anya, Willow, Tara, Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and Spike look
down on Sunnydale. The glowing cloud has expanded to cover much
of the High School.
Giles tells them "We don't have much time. We need to do this
now."
Willow looks torn. "We could kill hundreds of people."
Anya says firmly "If we don't do this everyone will die."
Willow is still hesitant. "I ... I could try to channel energy
through the temple and use it to fight Nyarlathotep."
Giles looks alarmed. "No. It's much too risky. You could
easily end up destroying the world yourself."
Willow glances at Tara, then back at Giles. She reluctantly
nods.
Giles sets up for the ritual. He places five candles near each
other, on the corners of a pentagon. Then he lights them and
motions over Willow, Tara, Buffy, and Dawn. They sit around the
candles, link hands, and chant.
We unlock the gate for the Lord of Fire.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n'gha-ghaa naf'l thagn! Ia!
By the power of Proserpexa's temple we summon him.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n'gha-ghaa naf'l thagn! Ia!
Let him burn away the Crawling Chaos.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n'gha-ghaa naf'l thagn! Ia!
Cthugha!
Willow collapses. Something that looks like a huge fireball
comes from the sky and lands at the High School. A host of
smaller fire creatures follow in its wake.
The High School quickly goes up in a blaze of fire. A multitude
of other fires are started by the smaller creatures. The
fireball starts to hover, moving over nearby buildings and
burning them. The smaller creatures also continue to start
additional fires.
Buffy stares at the destruction. "We have to do something!"
Giles shakes his head. "After Cthugha leaves."
After a few minutes, the fireball returns to the sky followed by
the smaller creatures, but the fires continue to burn and spread.
Xander and Tara remain behind to look after Willow. The others
head toward Giles' car.
Saturday November 9, Morning: Summers' Residence
Buffy, Willow, Tara, Dawn and Giles are sitting in the kitchen.
They all look exhausted.
Buffy says wearily "The morning news said almost a hundred people
are dead or missing. And a hundred more are hospitalized.
They're saying a gas pipeline exploded."
Willow looks miserable. "A hundred people died. From a ritual I
led." Tara squeezes Willow's hand reassuringly.
Giles responds "Sometimes there aren't any good choices. You did
the best you could."
Willow asks "Did I?" She pauses. "I was too scared to try to
use the energy myself." She pauses again. "Maybe all of those
people died because I lost my nerve."
Giles answers firmly "You did the right thing. Chances are you
would have killed many more people than Cthugha did. Quite
possibly everyone on the planet."
Tara nods. "Giles is right." She squeezes Willow's hand again.
Willow still looks uncertain.
Saturday November 9, Morning: Summers' Residence
Tara is sitting on the living room couch. Willow walks in and
asks hesitantly "Tara, do you really think I did the right
thing?"
Tara nods. "Yes. Channeling the energy would have been too
dangerous."
Willow remarks "A year ago I'd have tried it." Her eyes widen.
"I didn't mean... I don't want to go back to..."
Tara smiles. "I know." She pauses and takes Willow's hand.
"There weren't any better choices last night. You did the right
thing."
Willow says quietly "I hope so."
Saturday November 9, Morning: Arashmaharr
D'Hoffryn watches events in Sunnydale. He looks satisfied.
"Things worked out well" he thinks. "I still have a job. The
destruction was fun to watch. And it should provide some
opportunities for future business."