User:Dragonclaws/Buffy

The following is a transcript of a scene in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Graduation Day (Part 2). It has been adapted from the transcript posted at Buffy World.

Summary
The Mayor is an evil sorcerer who has been preparing to transform into a demon at an event called the 'ascension'. His ascension lines up directly with the Sunnydale High School graduation ceremony, and he plans to give a speech there before ascending and then eat everybody.

Ascension
Cut to the quad and the student taking their seats. The music stops and the students sit down. Principal Snyder: (at the podium) "Congratulations to the class of 1999.  You all proved more or less adequate.  This is a time of celebration, so: sit still and be quiet. (Surveys the students)  Spit out that gum. - Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker: Richard Wilkins the 3rd.  (to one of the students)  I saw that gesture.  You see me after graduation." (Turns and claps.) Cut to the students clapping and Willow and Oz running to take their places. Willow sits down next to Buffy. Willow: "Am I late?  To the fight?" The Mayor shakes Snyder's hand and steps up to the podium. He smiles and takes out some cue cards. Mayor: (clears his throat and surveys the students) "Well.  What a day this is! - Special day.  Today is our centennial the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids: not a darn thing.  Because today something much more important happens: today you all graduate from high school.  Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over.  And what's a hundred years of history compared to that?  You know what kids? …" Buffy: "Oh my God.  He's going to do the entire speech." Willow: "Man, just ascend already." Buffy: "Evil!" Mayor: "… for all of you it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not.  It's been a long road getting here.  For you… for Sunnydale.  There has been achievement, joy, good times,… and there has been grief.  There's been loss.  Some people who should be here today… aren't.  But we are. - Journey's end.  And what is a journey?  Is it just… distance traveled?  Time spent?  (shakes his head) No.  It's what happens on the way, it's the things that happen to you.  At the end of the journey you're not the same.  Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do.  You ascend… to a higher level.  Nothing will ever be the same.  (a shadow falls across the Mayor)  Nothing." He looks up. Buffy and the other students look up to see the sun being totally eclipsed. The Mayor flinches in pain. Then swallows and continues his speech: "And so as we look back on…  (Pain hits him again and he turns half to the side groaning) on the events that brought us to this day...  (another wave of pain) " Buffy: "Come on." Mayor: "We… (stops in pain again; all the students are watching tensely)  we must all… (he screams; the students and the faculty look at each other uneasily)  It has begun.  My destiny.  (smiles)  It's a little sooner then I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride… (shuffles cue cards)  But I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!" Buffy and Willow look at each other as the Mayor starts to grimace and stretch and grow. His suit splits around him and Snyder is leaning back in his seat looking taken aback. The Mayor suddenly transforms into a big snake-like demon with clawed mandibles surrounding its mouth. It keeps growing, stretching higher as the faculty abandons their seats. The students get up but stay in place staring up at the Mayor, who seems to stretch up above the roof of the school. The parents all scream and run, while vampires advance from the back. Buffy: "Now!" The students all remove their robes to reveal numerous pieces of weaponry on their person. A great fight ensues. Snyder: (angered) "This… this is simply unacceptable! (angrily advances on Mayor) This is not orderly. This is not discipline! You're on my campus, buddy! (Mayor looks at him) And when I say I want quiet, I want…" (Mayor eats him) Buffy plays on the Mayor's emotions to get him to chase her through the school. She leaps out a window, and the whole school is detonated with homemade explosives. The good guys win. Oz: "Guys, take a moment to deal with this: we survived." Buffy: "It was a hell of a battle!" Oz: "Not the battle. High school."