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(This is original creative material copyright Chris Kenworthy, based on characters that he has no right to owned by someone else blah blah biddy blah...) Author's note: Okay, the gang is stuck in an interdimensional limbo with Kaliya and a vampire Giles. Mister Tojo is Giles' replacement as Buffy's watcher. Buffy and Xander are kind of an item, but they're trying to stop Cordelia from finding out about it, because she's been turned into a psycho witch. Angel's around too, even though you're not really gonna see him this episode. And that's about it. |
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Xander jumped at the sound of the voice, dropping the bag of cans he had just picked up. He turned nervously to the nearest person within view, who happened to be Buffy Summers. She was a radiant young woman, even in the 'work clothes' she was currently wearing, (a stiff dark purple dress that went almost to her knees, and a long-sleeved purple sweater with a medium scoop-neck,) and Buffy and he had recently admitted to being in love with each other. But Xander wasn't looking at her with desire this time, but with fear and a trace of panic in his eyes.
"You can do it, honey," Buffy said softly to him, and flashed a sweet half-smile. "We can't help you directly, but that doesn't matter. Whatever form this thing takes, you can out-think it."
"Thanks," Xander said, walking out into the street and turning to scan the area. They were out in the front of the Chase estates, and Oz and Willow were standing nearby, but no-one else Xander could see. "Okay, so where are you already?" he called out loud.
"HERE!" the ferocious response came. Xander turned a third of the way around to orient on the Horror's voice, and his face blanched.
Walking calmly past Oz's van was a tall, thin, and angular figure, wearing brightly striped and spotted clothing in all colors of the rainbow, including long sleeves and oversized, slightly floppy shoes. His face and muscular hands were covered in white makeup, with primary colors marking the features of his face, and his hair seemed to be inordinately frizzy and electric blue in color.
"Just out of curiosity," Oz began, from the sidewalk where he watched. After watching his much-beloved Willow bravely face off a Horror of the Demon Eyghon, and hearing about Buffy's encounter with the Horror Angelus, the Horrors had apparently become 'same old same old' to the unflappaple wereboy. "What exactly is it you're supposed to be?"
"Harris knows!" the figure said, then burst into a long sequence of laughs.
"Yes I do," Xander said, holding his ground eight feet away from it. "You're the Master Clown." The Clown inclined his head gravely at the frightened teenager, then favored him with a malicious smile. "But you don't really exist," he continued. "You're just a Horror."
"Xander! No!!" Willow reminded him worriedly from Cordelia's front walk. "You've gotta keep it thinking that it's the clown!"
But the hellish spirit didn't even seem to have noticed Xander's misplaced statement. "You can't stand against me, foolish little boy," it crowed, laughing again for many seconds. "You can't deny your fear of me, no matter how hard you try." And, as if to prove that, the clown took a measured step towards Xander, and laughed as Xander reflexively backed away.
"Think, Xander, think!" Buffy called out desperately. "What is this creep afraid of?"
"Nothing!" The Master Clown asserted, again stepping towards Xander, and again laughing as Xander backed away.
"That can't be true, Xander," Willow assured her friend. "There has to be something, there has to be a key, and it came from YOUR mind."
"I... I..." Xander stuttered. "I got nothing," he muttered depressively.
"Ha ha ha!" the clown roared in utterly sadistic mirth. "How appropriate. He has nothing. That fits. No strength." He dashed forward and swung at Xander with a backhand blow. Xander tried to duck far enough away to avoid it, but the clown's arm stretched out to an amazing range and three fingers knocked into Xander's face, scraping the skin. Shocked, Xander tripped over his own heel and fell to the ground. "No courage," the clown continued relentlessly. "No character. No future." He bent down to grab Xander's head.
"Unhand my love, strange villain," a new voice rang out. Buffy, Willow, and Oz turned about to see Cordelia, her body surrounded by a pale red aura, an unearthly wind tugging at her thin blouse and somewhat short skirt. Within her right right hand, she held what seemed to be a ball of yellow light. "Lest the powers of the unseen strike you down through me!" Cordelia finished.
"No, Cordelia!" Buffy cried out. "DON'T!"
But from all the reaction Cordelia paid Buffy, the Slayer might have not even been there. Buffy looked in desparation at Willow, then Oz, a look of panic crossing her face where few similar expressions had gone before.
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