Disclaimer: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" and all characters from the shows are the property of Joss Whedon and Fox. 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. SAVE is based on the organization in the Chill Roleplaying game (copyright Mayfair Games Inc.) and the earlier version of the game (copyright Pacesetter, Ltd.). My main source for information on Arthurian legends was "The Arthurian Companion" by Phyllis Ann Karr. The character of Melissa Johnson is my own invention. Any similarities between the organization called the "Order of the Grail" and any organization of a similar name in anyone else's stories are purely coincidental (apart from constraints due to basic Arthurian Mythology).
Thursday June 5, 2003, Night (London Time): Willow's Room, London Willow and Giles are talking. Willow: I'm just about packed. I wish you were coming back with me. Giles: I'll follow soon. There's some Council business I need to take care of. Robin's induction ceremony, for one thing. And Lisa has more lessons with the coven. Willow: Ms. Harkness says that Lisa's the first Slayer Witch ever. (pause) I wish the seer had been more specific. "You'll be needed" doesn't exactly tell me much. Giles: Visions are tricky. She probably told you all that she could be sure of. (pause) You'd better get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you. Thursday June 5, Night: Woods Near Sunnydale Someone who appears to be Buffy is standing next to a serpent-headed creature. She merges with it and then reappears in the shape of Buffy. The creature carves a symbol in the ground and begins chanting. A black shadow forms in the air, followed by a blinding flash of light. Something emerges from the light. It is roughly spherical with a glowing crystal core covered with flesh, and a single huge eye. Plantlike appendages hang from it and it is bathed in an eerie, pulsating light. The appendages reach down to the serpent-headed creature and drain it of power. Then they reach out to what appears to be Buffy but go right through her. Buffy: Doesn't work on me. Not corporeal, remember? Sometimes deities can be so dense. (pause) Hunter of Souls, I bind you to my bidding. Your hunt begins tonight. Thursday June 5, Night: Near Downtown Tara and Dominique are patrolling. Dominique: What is that? They see a roughly spherical creature flying toward them. It is bathed in an eerie light. Tara: Get to Buffy! I'll try to delay it. Dominique hesitates but then obeys. Tara sends an explosion at the creature, then thickens the air around it and runs through an alley. She sends flashes of light next to the creature's eye and then a second explosion. The creature concentrates on Tara and paralyzes her. Then tendrils reach down from it and drain energy from Tara until she collapses. (At Heathrow Airport, Willow is reading a book, waiting for her plane to board, when a wave of terror and pain nearly overwhelms her.) Shortly afterwards, Buffy, Amanda, and Dominique arrive. They see Morningstar standing next to Tara's body. Morningstar: Iod drained her. She may look dead, but her brain is still alive in there. I cast a spell on her to prevent decay. (pause) Willow might be able to revive her. She has done something similar in the past. Thursday June 5, Night: Summers' Residence Buffy, Melissa, Faith, Dawn, Amanda, Dominique, Kennedy, and Xander are gathered in Willow and Tara's room. Melissa is concentrating on Tara's body. Melissa: I can't do anything for her. (pause) It's too late to call Willow now, she'll already be at Heathrow. (pause) I can call Lynette. The Order might know something that would help and Priamus will want to be there when Willow arrives. Friday June 6, Afternoon: Sunnydale Airport Buffy, Xander, and Priamus are in the waiting area. Willow approaches, almost in a panic. Willow: P-please tell me Tara's still alive. I f-felt something terrible happen to her. Buffy: She's ... She's unconscious. Friday June 6, Evening: Summers' Residence Melissa and Willow are talking in Willow and Tara's room. Willow: I have an idea. I think I can drain Iod and reverse what he did to Tara. Melissa: That's a direct confrontation with a deity. (pause) Iod was probably summoned to set a trap for us. Willow: I can't just leave her like that (gestures toward Tara's body). Melissa: I know. Some traps you avoid. Others you spring. (pause) We'd better talk to the others about this. We still have a lot of details to work out. Saturday June 7, Night: Woods Near Sunnydale Tara's body is lying in a clearing. Willow is kneeling at her side. Buffy stands behind Willow, sword drawn. Amy, Anya, Melissa, Lynette, and Gawaine stand surrounding them, at what would be the points of a pentagram. Eight others stand slightly further away, their attention on the woods. Faith and Kennedy guard the point of the pentagram opposite Willow. Amanda, Dominique, Rona, and Colleen guard the other four points. Xander and Priamus stand in line with Rona and Colleen, directly behind Willow. Willow lights a candle, places it on the ground and begins chanting. Iod flies toward her. It is roughly spherical with a glowing crystal core covered with flesh, and a single huge eye. Plantlike appendages hang from it and it is bathed in an eerie, pulsating light. Willow places one hand on an amber pendant and starts draining energy from Iod, channeling some of it into Tara. Amy, Anya, Melissa, Lynette, and Gawaine all begin chanting. Iod sends a bolt of energy toward Willow, but Buffy's sword draws most of it and Willow deflects the rest. Then Iod extends its tendrils toward Willow. Willow deflects the tendrils and sends an explosion at Iod. Willow continues chanting and Iod tries to retreat. There is another explosion and Iod disintegrates. Magical energy flickers around Willow's arms for a moment and then fades. Tara wakes up and Willow hugs her tightly. Willow: You're alive! You're alive! You're alive! Saturday June 7, Night: Summers' Residence Buffy, Faith, Melissa, Xander, Dawn, Willow, and Tara are gathered in Willow and Tara's room. Melissa is concentrating on Tara. Melissa: She seems fine. They see what appears to be Joyce. She looks partially translucent and it looks as if there is static in her image. Joyce: And Willow gained even more power. Somehow it always works out that way. What do you think will happen when she stops pretending to still be human? (pause) But you already know, don't you, Buffy? You've already dreamed it. One day you'll have to kill her before she destroys you. Joyce vanishes. They stare after her for a moment. Willow: B-Buffy? Buffy: It was only a dream, Will. It didn't mean anything. And it was months ago. Willow (softly): Only a dream.